Strangers in Sync

Blurb: Fang Huaining — A top student at A University's School of Computer Science, beautiful, intelligent, self-disciplined, emotionally distant, excelling in both theory and programming, with many admirers. Li Ting — A truant at a struggling university, a workaholic navigating twelve streets of the college, combative, reclusive, frugal, gloomy, fluent in several foreign languages, and frequently criticized by others.

Classmate asks: The handsome delivery guy who always brings us eel rice has actually done a German translation for our professor. Did you introduce him? Fang Huaining: No, I'm not familiar with him.

Best friend asks: Li Zi, after lunch today, the big shot from the Computer Research Institute across the way treated us. Do you know him? Li Ting: Who? I'm not familiar with him.

... Li Ting: Why do you always drive all the way out here to steal my vegetables? Are we that familiar? Fang Huaining: And why do you keep changing your IP to spy on my personal website? Are we that familiar?

A campus story of mutual attraction. An outwardly aloof genius who is actually shy and secretly passionate—an app expert (Fang) X an outwardly sharp-tongued miser who is, in reality, kind-hearted and multi-dimensional (Li).

Don't get it wrong. A story of a heartthrob and someone widely disliked.

Fang Huaining, a senior student in the Computer Science Department at A University preparing for graduate school, stands out for her looks and talents, often attracting the attention of beauty-focused organizations. However, her aloof personality makes it difficult for others to connect with her, complicating any attempts at flirting. Li Ting, a truant and combative student from an unknown university's foreign language department, is anti-social, notoriously stingy, and a senior member of the "never pays" blacklist. With a gloomy temperament and talents across multiple fields, he is hard for others to like. Yet, an accidental encounter in the library sparks a wonderful connection between the two. This is a love story between a seemingly aloof genius who is truly shy and reserved and a seemingly reclusive miser who is, in fact, clever and loyal. Both are caught in the whirlwind of their daily lives, featuring interactions with friends and moments of youthful beauty, fun, and warmth.

Chapter 1:

In this era, in this place, can there really be someone shameless enough to this extent? Covering nearly one hundred thousand square meters and boasting over a century of history with millions of volumes, A University Library is the most impressive university library in City A.

It's no surprise that the library draws large crowds, and even with a well-functioning reservation system, coveted spots in the reading and study rooms remain in high demand. Particularly prized are the secluded areas in the main building by the window, equipped with outlets and free from direct sunlight – securing one can often take as long as scheduling an appointment with a top specialist at a prominent hospital.

Moreover, the cafeteria is located far away, delivery is prohibited, and snacks sold in the nearby supermarket are scarce. Additionally, the library has a strict rule that students cannot leave their seats for more than thirty minutes, resulting in a chaotic situation during lunch hours that can only be described as a battleground.

However! Where there are difficulties, there are opportunities!

Today, when Li Ting arrived at a small, open space behind the west building of the A University Library, carrying a massive thermos box across three layers, he found that many students were waiting for him under the tree, having received advance notice of his arrival. Upon seeing him, each student's eyes gleamed with anticipation, like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of meat.

Li Ting calmly opened the lid of the box with one hand, while pulling out the payment code from his phone with the other. As he stepped forward, he began to serve the students one by one, using a system of scanning a payment and serving a bowl of rice – the cheerful sound of the scanner beeping out amidst the sounds of ravenous eating.

A student suddenly questioned the box lunch he had just received. "This isn't the three-flavor rice I ordered - it's chicken, and it's five dollars more."

The mechanical distribution process did not pause due to this weak protest, and Li Ting didn't even turn his head.

"The three-flavor ones are sold out," he said. "Only chicken is available. If you don't want it, give it back."

The student shut his mouth promptly.

"Hey, brother," said a crew-cut guy, distributing the last bowl of rice, "are you free this afternoon? Can you save a seat for me on the seventh floor? My girlfriend is coming over to study soon - we had it all arranged."

Li Ting remained silent, bending down to pick up the wrapping paper from the ground.

"Same price, okay?" the boy said anxiously.

Li Ting closed the empty thermos box.

"Add ten bucks?" he asked nonchalantly.

Li Ting surveyed the surrounding area.

"Make it fifteen?" he suggested.

He glanced at his watch.

"Another five bucks, total forty - that's as high as I can go," the boy pleaded.

"It's the end of the term... and high summer," Li Ting finally said, his voice soft and mild, but with an undertone that conveyed distance and condescension. "Tuesday afternoon... and you want me to save a seat on the seventh floor for you? I think you should try getting someone else."

The boy's face twitched a few times as he noticed that several people had already finished eating and were returning, like a school of fish, to their seats. He clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Fine, eighty bucks, I'll give you fifty as a deposit, transfer it!" Li Ting said finally, his voice firm.

He heard the pleasant "ding ding" sound from his phone after Li Ting had nodded slightly in agreement.

He turned around and carefully tucked the thermos box among a thick bush, then headed straight for the building's elevator and pressed the button for the 7th floor.

Most of the books on information science, engineering, and law were clustered on the 6th to 9th floors of A University Library, and this area was usually one of the busiest hotspots during peak hours, especially at the end of June. Without any delivery attire, Li Ting, dressed in a crisp t-shirt and jeans, blended in perfectly with the students at A University, even standing out more than many of the boys.

He made his way skillfully to the 7th-floor hall without rushing into the reading room. Instead, he stood at the door quietly scanning the interior. It was lunchtime, and Area A still had a few vacant seats, but to some extent, they were occupied with personal belongings, indicating that their owners had only stepped away briefly.

Left three, right five, front two, back eight... Li Ting counted the four seats calmly, took out his 4-inch screen knockoff old phone, and snapped a few photos in that direction.

After confirming that the images were blurry yet still showed the general content, Li Ting pushed the door open and walked in.

He knocked on the consultation desk, and the busy administrator looked up. Upon seeing him, she immediately rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Here we go again... You're here to speculate and resell. Aren't you afraid the security department will find out and throw you out?"

Li Ting was completely unfazed by such personal attacks and nodded without changing his expression. "Reselling is bad, but compared to some people stealing from themselves, I wonder which one the security department would be more concerned about..."

Before he could finish his sentence, someone jumped up to cover his mouth. "I-I didn't..."

"The only reason you didn't succeed is that I caught you..." Li Ting nimbly dodged the hand, impatiently revealing the other person's intent and knocked on his watch to indicate that he was in a hurry.

The threatened administrator's face turned ten shades darker than the man with the lid downstairs, suppressing his swirling anger and resentment. "Even if I wanted to help you, I can't just cancel someone else's appointment number right now. Recently, the people from the Institute of Computer Science have come to upgrade the system again. As a diligent work-study student, I don't have the authority to access the backend, and any operational issues would be filtered out by the system."

Seeing that Li Ting remained silent, the other party, afraid he wouldn't believe him, continued to emphasize, "It's true. The old version of the appointment system was terrible; it would constantly drop appointment numbers, which allowed us to sneak in. But the new system has a very high security level; you need to log in every time you confirm something, and it's so repetitive. Not only can we not tamper with it, but it's also driving us mad; the designer is simply..."

Just as he was getting into his complaints, his voice abruptly stopped.

Li Ting noticed something and slowly turned his head to follow the other person's fixed gaze, only to see that a tall boy had quietly poked his head in from behind him, silently observing them.

The administrator grew incredibly nervous upon seeing him and stammered, "Fang... Fang Xuezhang, why are you here? Is there... something wrong at the library?"

The boy called "Fang Xuezhang" glanced down quickly; that fleeting glance seemed inconsequential, but perhaps due to his height or appearance, it inexplicably added a hint of pressure to his gaze.

However, Li Ting remained expressionless, watching as the boy walked past him to the consultation desk.

"Nothing much, the self-service machines are crowded, and I was hoping you could help me check if these books can still be borrowed?" Fang Xuezhang said, handing over a paper with many book titles written on it.

"Oh, just a moment," the administrator hurriedly began typing on the keyboard while sneaking glances at the person in front of her, forcing a smile. "Well, actually... just now, we were discussing the current system in the library... um... although logging in repeatedly can be a bit complicated, it's much faster overall. Operations related to queries and loans are very convenient and accurate... everyone thinks it's much better than the old version... the school upgraded it just in time, and the designers considered everything quite thoughtfully... hehe."

However, Fang Xuezhang didn't even raise his eyelashes and simply responded with a flat "oh," unperturbed.

The administrator felt embarrassed, her face turning slightly flushed, and after stammering for a long time, finally managed to say, "...I've checked. Fang Xuezhang, out of these seven books, only one is available for borrowing; the others are all checked out. I'm not sure if they can be returned before the break, and the only one remaining can only be read in the library and cannot be borrowed. If you need it, I can fetch it for you; it just might take a while, as there are currently no available seats in the reading room..."

Fang Xuezhang surveyed the surroundings and frowned slightly, seeming a bit troubled.

At that moment, a girl who had just entered spotted him and walked over excitedly. "Fang Huaining? Are you here to read too?"

She was an attractive girl, and one would expect her to bring joy; however, the boy named Fang Huaining remained unresponsive, his left hand resting on the desk while the other was firmly planted in his pocket, only half-turning his upper body toward her as a courtesy.

"Mm, just checking some information," he replied, his voice flat.

"This is a busy time; did you find a seat? My classmate and I occupied two earlier, but she won't be here in the afternoon, so you can have mine," the girl said, unfazed by his coldness. Intuitively sensing his situation, she warmly extended an invitation, her eyes fixed on Fang Huaining's perfect face.

Fang Huaining didn't respond, pursing his lips as if deep in thought.

The girl continued to persuade him, "It's really okay; that seat is empty, and leaving it vacant would be a waste. You're so busy; why should you make a trip for nothing?"

The guilt-ridden administrator had already swiftly rushed toward the bookshelf in Zone C and happily retrieved a book that wasn't available for borrowing, hastily handing it over.

"Fang Xuezhang?"

Fang Huaining looked at the book, appearing to be successfully persuaded.

After thanking her, Fang Huaining was about to leave when he suddenly turned around, his gaze drifting past Li Ting and landing on the administrator.

"The old system in the library indeed had many operational issues, but any illegal activity in the backend would have also been logged. When the new version was updated, I backed up the old records as well."

"If needed, we can check them in detail anytime, anywhere..."

After finishing, Fang Huaining turned and left.

Li Ting stood there, glancing at the administrator's face, which had turned pale from carelessness. He quickly turned around to catch up, overtaking the boy and girl ahead of him in just a few steps.

Fang Huaining and the girl only felt a figure flash past them; when they looked again, one of the two previously empty seats was already occupied.

"Hey… classmate, that's our seat," the girl said as she stepped forward to stop him, gesturing to her notebook on the table as evidence.

"Oh," Li Ting replied nonchalantly, his back still demonstrating no intention of moving. "Sorry, this is mine now."

To prove his point, Li Ting opened his phone and held it in front of the girl, showing the photos he had just taken, which included the empty seats where she had been sitting, with the timestamp indicating half an hour ago. After he finished, Li Ting pointed to the library rules on the wall, as if to suggest that he, too, was a victim of circumstance.

Even a fool could see that he was putting on an act, and the girl's expression soured. Yet, she tried hard to maintain her composure and pleaded, "This person… we are sitting together, and only this place has adjacent seats. That side will be empty soon. You have only one person; can you…?" She was indicating that Li Ting should show some compassion.

"Ah, that's true," Li Ting replied, nodding his head in an unusually thoughtful manner.

The girl thought she had won him over, and her face was about to break into a grateful smile when she suddenly heard Li Ting whisper, "It all depends on how generous your boyfriend is..."

The word "boyfriend" should have brought a smile to her face, but when her eyes fell on Li Ting tapping his fingers on the table and switching to a payment app, she was taken aback.

What does this mean? Is this not what I thought it was? In this day and age, in a place like this, there are still people like this, with no shame? This isn't the way it's portrayed in TV dramas...

The awkward atmosphere lingered, and Fang Xianlang broke the silence, saying, "No need to worry, we can sit separately; you stay here, and I'll go over there."

As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't give the girl a chance to object. He shot a cold glance at Li Ting, then picked up his book and walked to the other area.

Watching Fang Xianlang's carefree back and the girl who looked like she wanted to cry but was too embarrassed to leave, Li Ting shook his head and muttered to himself, "It looks like he's not a generous boyfriend..."

Unconcerned about the disdainful glances from those around him, Li Ting slowly pulled out the paper he had taken from the consultation desk, stared at the name scribbled on it, rubbed it between his hands, and then neatly tossed it into the nearby trash can.

Another deal is done!

Chapter 2:

Hate Him, Yet Can't Give Up on Him...

Li Ting has been working at a fast-food restaurant near A University's east gate. This restaurant has him as the only employee and offers flexible working hours, as long as he wears casual clothes. Initially, the other employees resented him, but after observing him at work, they were surprised by his incredible strength. He possessed the essential qualities of a good worker—physical strength, technical skills, and intelligence. He could handle tasks that would typically require two or three people, from cooking to cleaning. He was also particularly adept at understanding market trends and identifying new business opportunities. It's no wonder the boss held him in such high regard.

However, his relationships with his colleagues were far from harmonious. Li Ting had a very attractive face, but his personality was quite the opposite. Even newcomers quickly learned that Li Ting was someone who spoke harshly, had a bad temper, and seemed to value money as if it were a matter of life and death. Who would dare to argue with him or offend him? He was a difficult person to get along with.

Yet, no one could avoid him. Many people depended on him for various tasks, such as covering shifts, delivering food, fixing pipes, buying light bulbs, and even catching rodents...

Li Ting was the answer to every problem, the solution to every inconvenience, the hero of this fast-food restaurant.

And so, his colleagues' feelings toward him could be summed up in one sentence: "We hate him, yet can't give up on him..."

Not this again. Holding a thermos, Li Ting was just returning to the fast-food restaurant from A University. Once more, someone had stopped him to ask for a favor.

"Hey, Li Ting... I've got some things to take care of this afternoon. Can you cover for me? I'll still pay you for the overtime." Although her words typically dripped with pettiness, she spoke carefully in response to Li Ting's dark expression.

Fortunately, Li Ting didn't let her down. As soon as she mentioned payment, he agreed.

The girl left happily, and Li Ting started washing the dishes she had neglected at the sink.

One of the cleaners, Old Liu, watched Li Ting's sweaty back and shook his head, murmuring, "Li Ting, you worked two jobs last week, including an early shift, and now you're on for a late one. You'll only get a few hours of sleep tonight. Don't overwork yourself."

However, Li Ting didn't respond. He continued washing the dishes with a speed that rivaled the flow of water, and Old Liu waited in vain for a reply.

It was a sigh from Old Liu.

But Li Ting didn't make it to his late shift that day. He received a message from Li Han asking if he had time to have dinner together. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, and Li Han said he missed him.

Li Ting arrived back home at 6:04.

His home looked deserted, and he discovered that the door's lock had been changed again.

Li Ting knocked on the door, and the majordomo came out, appearing unfamiliar and not bothering to open the door for him, until Li Han appeared and called him in.

"Brother!"

Li Han, barefoot, jumped towards him, his pale skin glimmering under the ceiling light.

"Hey, what do you think of my new haircut? Do you like it? I spent seven or eight hours getting it done today, and I'm exhausted."

Li Ting glanced at his brother's hair and nodded slightly.

Li Han beamed and attempted to hug him, but Li Ting quickly dodged him. "I'm sweaty."

Li Han looked at Li Ting's damp hair and clothes and called out, "Aunt Wang, could you turn down the air conditioner a bit?"

However, the majordomo simply shook her head, saying, "Oh dear, Mrs. Li said no. You still have a cold, and this temperature is already cold enough."

Li Han frowned and whispered, "I've already gotten over my cold. Mom is really annoying."

"What are you saying about Mom?" a female voice suddenly echoed, and a mature and elegant woman slowly walked down from the second floor, her hand on the banister.

Li Han saw her and quickly put on a friendly, soft, and ingratiating smile, approaching her and saying, "No, no, I just said Mom is the best."

Di Wei, in a loving and pampering tone, gently stroked her son's head, saying, "Of course, Mom is the best. Mom does everything for your good."

"Wait, I know, I know," Lí Hān hurriedly chimed in, noticing that Lí Tíng had been standing there silently all along. She reminded her, "Mom, Brother has arrived."

Dí Wēi, as if just noticing the large figure standing there, took a step back and said, "Ah, Tíng has arrived."

Lí Hān was scolded, "Why aren't you wearing shoes? You'll be disturbing the whole family with a runny nose later."

Lí Hān, overwhelmed by the scolding, reluctantly ran to get her shoes, and after she left, Dí Wēi turned to Lí Tíng and said, "Just sit down; let's eat. Your father is waiting downstairs."

Lí Tíng didn't bother to be polite and, following Dí Wēi's gesture, sat down at the dining table and helped himself to a cup of water.

Dí Wēi smiled and sat across from Lí Tíng, picked up the remote control, and began channel-surfing. In the spacious living room, only the intermittent sounds from the TV echoed.

It wasn't until clear footsteps could be heard coming from the corridor and stairs that Dí Wēi asked Lí Tíng again, "Just back from school? Got an exam coming up?"

Lí Tíng took a sip of tea, staring intently at the TV screen as if he hadn't heard a word.

Dí Wēi prompted once more, "Your aunt is asking you a question; why don't you answer?"

At that moment, Lí Ěr Yuán walked down the stairs to the first floor, coinciding with Lí Tíng taking a sip of tea. She asked him, "What are you doing, holding a cup?"

He was short in stature, looked somewhat slender, but appeared quite elegant and youthful, approaching the age of fifty. His two sons seemed to have inherited his good features well.

Dí Wēi stood up to welcome him, speaking softly, "Tíng has just arrived and is tired."

Dí Wēi turned her head back to Lí Tíng, saying, "Don't mind it; Dad is worried about you too."

"I know, I know," Lí Tíng finally spoke up, setting down his cup with a sincere tone. "I was suddenly overwhelmed and forgot to respond."

Lí Ěr Yuán was about to sit down when he heard this and nearly fell into his chair, his expression darkening.

Fortunately, Lí Hān soon returned to the living room, putting an end to the awkward atmosphere.

"Wow, what smells so good! Let's eat, let's eat, I'm starving!" Lí Hān exclaimed, picking up a bowl and chopsticks and arranging them energetically.

"Brother, I'll give you a big bowl today. We have steamed red shrimp; eat a few more!" Lí Hān winked at Lí Tíng multiple times.

Lí Ěr Yuán, however, scanned the table laden with dishes and frowned. "Aren't you supposed to stop buying fish with so many bones?"

The host, Aunt Wang, felt wronged, recalling that they had eaten this fish just two days ago and even praised her cooking, calling it delicious. Why was it so different today? The Lí family loved fish; the only one who was afraid of fish bones was Lí Tíng, who rarely came to visit.

Wang Auntie gave Lí Ěr Yuán a displeased look; who had anticipated this sudden arrival? At the end of the day, Mr. Lí still cared about his eldest son.

Lí Tíng, however, was carefree. Seeing that the dishes were all ready, he first poked at the fish with his chopsticks, gently lifting the fish belly and taking all the boneless meat into his bowl, removing the bones, and eating with gusto.

Lí Ěr Yuán was caught off guard and felt a bit embarrassed. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lí Hān fiddling with something under the table, prompting him to tap his son's head with his chopsticks in disapproval.

"Eat your meal. What are you playing with on your phone?"

Lí Hān panicked, quickly covering the screen, rubbing his forehead, and acting as if he were unwell. "Mom, I'm feeling dizzy."

Dí Wēi shot Lí Ěr Yuán a sidelong glance, her expression disapproving.

Lí Ěr Yuán was oblivious to his son's antics until Lí Hān suddenly jumped up and said to Dí Wēi, "Mom, I left a book in my dorm room. My classmates just sent it to me, and it's outside. I'll go get it. I'll be right back."

"It's this kid..." Lí Ěr Yuán started to scold, but he watched as Lí Hān rushed out, shooting an annoyed glare at Dí Wēi. "It's all because you spoil him."

Dí Wēi, calm and composed, lightly slapped Lí Ěr Yuán's hand and said, "He's just a child; don't worry about it. I'll teach him a lesson later."

"What child? He's already in college; he should know better..."

Lí Ěr Yuán's face darkened, but upon seeing Lí Tíng, he forgot what he was about to say.

Dí Wēi noticed her husband's awkward expression and gave a faint smile, "Ah, Tíng is still here. Let's not talk about it. Tíng, why not eat a bit more? You've been out for a long time; you must be hungry."

This remark somehow struck Lí Ěr Yuán's heart. He straightened up and looked at his eldest son, his tone becoming a bit more serious, "Are you still living with those people who lack integrity?"

Lí Tíng didn't respond; instead, he turned the fish over and picked up a piece with his fork.

Lí Ěr Yuán thought he saw him trying to dodge the issue and couldn't help but say, "Our house is spacious and not far from your school. Why don't you come home and live a decent life? What's wrong with you?"

Lí Tíng simply picked out the meat from the fish and took a few bites.

"You didn't do well in school; that's okay, you can still try harder. I know you might not succeed, but at least don't live a reckless and aimless life."

The shrimp shells were a bit hard to crack. Lí Tíng bit into one twice, but it still didn't come off easily. He gave up and used his hands, eating three or four bites before moving on to the next shrimp.

"You don't think I know what you're doing every day? You're nearing graduation, and you haven't even considered finding a respectable job?"

The shrimp meat was piled high on the fluffy rice. Lí Tíng rubbed his hands clean, picked up a spoon, and scooped up two big ladles of chicken broth, eating it together with the rice and shrimp meat, occasionally picking at some vegetables. After finishing one big bowl, he added another bowl of rice and continued to eat in silence.

"Tingting, don't blame your dad for being talkative; he's just worried about you," said Di Wei, who had been quiet until then, joining in with a kind tone. "You know your dad's situation. People outside say that Professor Lì has brought out many excellent students and must have a lot of experience in education, but he's powerless when it comes to you. He can't scold or hit you, so he can only worry inwardly. You should think about him too, otherwise..."

The sound of an old-fashioned bell string, "ding ding dong ding ding dong," interrupted Di Wei's nagging and also stopped Lì Ting's enjoyment of his meal. Lì Ting quickly finished the last bite in his bowl, took out his phone, looked at the message, and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Lì Ēryáng asked, looking at Lì Ting, who was putting on his shoes, and only reacted when he saw his son was really leaving. "I've only just started talking, and you're already leaving. What's your attitude?"

Lì Ting tied his shoes and finally looked at Lì Ēryáng with a calm expression. His soft and gentle tone revealed his distraction as he spoke.

"It's not that I want you to think about me. I know I'll go back and reflect on it carefully, and when I've figured it out, I'll come and share my thoughts with you..."

After finishing his sentence, Lì Ting politely closed the door behind him. The sound of the door closing made the Lì couple's faces pale. "That damned kid, every time he comes back, he has to infuriate me..." Lì Ēryáng said, taking deep breaths. "Forget it. Tingting has been like this since he was a kid. We don't know who he takes after. Let's not argue with him; let's just eat…" Di Wei said, trying to calm the situation with her usual gentle tone. Lì Ēryáng snorted and picked up his rice bowl again, but the atmosphere was even more stifling. The plates of food were still on the table, but... where was the food?!

Chapter 3:

My Brother's Temper—Either He Doesn't Agree, or If He Agrees, He'll Definitely Do It.

Lì Ting left in a hurry, not taking the usual road but instead opting for a shortcut through the back door of the residential area. However, as soon as he entered the small garden, he heard a rustling sound around him. He stopped in his tracks, observing the movement in the trees, until two figures slowly emerged. Lì Huán appeared from behind a boy, looking terrified, but when he saw Lì Ting, he let out a sigh of relief. "It's you, bro…" Lì Ting looked at him, then at the other boy, who had a similarly tense expression, and his gaze fell on their intertwined hands.

Lì Huán quickly pulled his hand back, adjusted his slightly disheveled clothes, and walked up to Lì Ting. "Uh, this is my classmate; he came to give me something," he said, glancing at his brother's expression.

Lì Ting's face showed no surprise or disdain; instead, it maintained its usual calm demeanor. "Oh," he replied.

However, Lì Huán could sense the pressure in his brother's tone. Remembering how kind Lì Ting had always been to him, he felt a bit relieved. "Actually, I and him..." he began to explain.

Before he could finish, Lì Ting interrupted him and unexpectedly asked, "You called me over to give you time to do this?" Given that Lì Huán's health was weak and that he always suffered high fevers whenever he caught a cold, Di Wei had been overprotective, not allowing him to go out while he was sick, let alone attend school. It seemed he'd been cooped up at home for several days.

Lì Huán was taken aback. "How could that be? I really missed you, bro! We haven't seen each other in almost a month..."

Lì Ting merely responded with another "oh," nodded, and turned to leave, but Lì Huán stopped him.

"Wait, bro..." he said, forcing a smile. "You won't tell..."

"I know," Lì Ting interjected, correctly guessing his brother's concern and quickly offering reassurance.

Before Lì Huán could elaborate any further, Lì Ting walked past them and disappeared into the darkness, leaving them in stunned silence.

In the enveloping darkness, the boy couldn't help but anxiously ask, "Will it be okay?"

Lì Huán thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "It's fine, my brother is a man of his word - if he doesn't agree, he'll say so, but if he agrees, he'll see it through. And besides, he's always been kind to me."

Lì Ting's home was located in a high-end residential area in the city center, but his destination was quite far away. Fortunately, he had a small electric scooter, a second-hand vehicle that had been with him through thick and thin, and proved to be very convenient.

As the scooter's engine cut through the quiet residential area, it roared down numerous streets before finally coming to a stop in front of a famous bar street in A City. The neon lights that lined both sides of the street were dazzling, and fashionable men and women strolled about, but Lì Ting didn't even spare them a glance. Instead, he turned into a narrow, dark alley beside the street.

Familiar with the area, Lì Ting rummaged through a pile of junk and pulled out a slender figure clad in a short skirt, who struggled and resisted. Lì Ting was unfazed, and with one hand on the person's waist and the other on their neck, he dragged them out like a lifeless body.

"Mmm... I don't want to leave, I still want to drink..." the person muttered, struggling and refusing to give up. Their long, curly hair framed a beautiful, drunken face with teary eyes, a pitiful sight set against the vibrant backdrop of colorful lights.

Lì Ting didn't have the heart to appreciate this scene, and after forcing the person to stand up straight, he pressed their head against the wall and said impatiently, "If you want to vomit, go ahead and vomit now. Don't hold it in, or you'll be vomiting in my car, and I'll have no choice but to throw you into the drain."

The person, either not thoroughly intoxicated or intimidated by Lì Ting's intimidating tone, whimpered and then vomited. Lì Ting waited silently until the person calmed down before taking action again. He easily grabbed their waistband and threw them onto the back seat of his scooter like a sandbag.

"Hold on tight, or you'll fall off, and I'll have you use your insurance policy," he said.

"When did we buy insurance?" the person on the back seat asked, crying and full of doubt.

Lì Ting ignored him and turned the throttle, and the scooter sped away.

He drove wildly, navigating the heavy traffic near the bar street with ease, as if he were on a wide-open racetrack. The battered electric bike, with its chipped paint, somehow exuded an aura reminiscent of a Harley under his command. The people behind, still half-drunk, clung tightly to his waist, knowing they had to hold on for dear life to avoid being thrown off.

However, at that speed, it took the two of them nearly an hour to return from the city to the rental house in the suburbs. The long-neglected hallway's motion-sensor lights, once operational but now off, were eerily dark as Li Ting pulled the drunkard through the darkness up to the fifth floor with ease.

The drunk had initially quieted down, but as Li Ting opened the door, he couldn't help but cry out once more.

Li Ting showed no sign of panic, seamlessly switching the drunk from his left to right arm as he dragged him into the bathroom and tossed him into the bathtub. After adjusting the showerhead, he aimed the water directly at the drunk's head and feet.

In the sweltering heat of late June, after a day spent sweating, the drunk, lost in his sorrows, began to wail as the cold water cascaded over him.

"Hot, hot... it's burning me! Li Zi, don't... don't burn me to death!!!!"

Li Ting, however, did not relent. He held him tightly, while the drunk flailed like a fish on a chopping block.

"I'm going to peel! Ah ah ah ah ah ah..."

After listening to several minutes of his pleas, Li Ting finally spoke, "Still making noise?"

"No more, no more… sob, sob, I'm sorry… just let go, I'm about to be cooked…" the drunk gasped hoarsely.

Confirming his sincerity, Li Ting finally turned off the shower, but he didn't let him up; he quickly stripped the soaked clothes off the drunk, lowered the water temperature, and rinsed him down from head to toe as if he were washing a car, before carrying him back into the room and tossing him onto the bed.

The drunk had completely settled down, gazing blankly at Li Ting as he adjusted the pillow for him, tears streaming down his face as he lamented, "Li Zi, I... I just went through another breakup."

Li Ting ignored him.

The drunk continued, "Why are there so many scumbags in the world... they're handsome, yet so unfaithful. If only I could like you... if I were with you, I'd never be sad again." But as soon as he finished, he quickly countered himself, "Ah… no, that's not possible. I can't compare to you; you're so beautiful, you'd outshine me, no way..." Li Ting's response was to pull the blanket over his face, effectively silencing the drunk's complaints. After dealing with him, Li Ting found himself in a bit of a mess. He went back to the bathroom to shower and sleep, only to discover that the earlier commotion had torn a hole in his pocket. Hurriedly, he reached into his pocket and, feeling the keys, let out a quiet sigh of relief. Carefully detaching the keychain, which was a small robot the size of a finger, Li Ting fiddled with its limbs to ensure they were still functional. Then he took a T-shirt he had just removed, dampened it, and meticulously wiped the robot's face clean before securely reattaching it to the keyring and placing it in another pair of pants.

Fang Huaining was extremely fond of tranquility and had a bit of an obsession with cleanliness. After enduring a few months of uncomfortable communal living, he moved out of the dormitory in the second half of his freshman year.

However, his relationship with his roommates did not suffer; during the four years in the computer science department, despite being surrounded solely by data and computers as their constant companions, the guys maintained a strong and genuine friendship through games, laughter, and shared assignments.

Today was no exception. Zhao Pang invited Fang Huaining to lunch, and after they finished eating, they amiably headed back to the dorm to catch up, at which point he asked his talented student to help him debug a code that had been stuck for three days.

He sincerely cleaned up the dorm in advance, mopping the floor and wiping down the desks and chairs, and even cleaning the keyboard. However, when Fang Huaining walked in, he still paused two meters away from Zhao Pang's screen, staring at the bed above, unwilling to step closer.

Zhao Pang looked around and, after searching for a while, climbed up a ladder muttering to himself as he took down the socks hanging there.

"Hey, you're really troublesome; these are still clean, I've only worn them for over a week..."

Fang Huaining remained silent, his gaze shifting to a pile of clutter on the side of the chair.

"It's him," Zhao Pang quickly reacted, pointing at another roommate, Wang Fuliang, who had moved closer, "There's a broken machine that he left behind."

Wang Fuliang, wearing thick glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose, had originally intended to steal a lesson with Fang Huaining's arrival. However, upon hearing this accusation, he looked completely wronged: "You're...such a fool..."

"Fat guy, you were the one who said you wanted to get a new computer and let me store it until you could sell it along with your old one later, so I could make a bit more money."

"Bullshit! If you really listened to me, how did you manage to pass when I told you to fail the Microcomputer Principles course? If we had been placed together, we could have scored a bit higher."

"Eh? You... you damn..."

As usual, the socially awkward guys couldn't keep their mouths shut, diving into their typical back-and-forth banter until a loud knock on the door forcefully interrupted them.

"My takeout has arrived!" Wang Fuliang jumped up to answer the door, naturally kicking Zhao Pang as he lifted his leg. "I'm not... going to stoop to your level."

"Are you getting cocky now?" Zhao Pang, feeling a bit attacked from behind, refused to accept the insult quietly and turned around to shout, "You better clear that broken machine out from under my desk! If not, before the major check at the end of the semester, I'll take away your cleaning points!"

Wang Fuliang was not very eloquent, and when flustered, he would stutter a bit. While pulling out money, he got frustrated: "Why don't you just take it away?"

"Your old case is still taking up half of my wardrobe; you need to take it today..." "Look how hard it is to gain this weight—carrying it down seven flights of stairs and then walking twenty minutes to sell it. I need to lose three pounds; you take it first..." Zhao Pang was reluctant to lose the argument. "No, you should take it first..." "Why should I? You go first!" As this back-and-forth grew increasingly childish, Fang Huaining, accustomed to such exchanges, frowned in irritation and was just about to intervene when a voice interjected before she could. "I'll take it for you."

"Ah?" The sudden offer caught Wang Fuliang completely off guard. "You—you're asking for a computer in exchange for takeout?" "Yeah, give me both for twenty." The voice replied again. "What? You only pay twenty bucks for two machines? Are you out of your mind? This hardware is still usable!" Zhao Pang chimed in, his broad build lending his voice an intimidating edge. Sure enough, the other party's voice hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained its calm. "I'm not mistaken; you are. It's not me giving you twenty; it's you giving it to me." Fang Huaining, half-leaning over the keyboard, could no longer remain seated upon hearing this absurd statement and the inexplicably self-evident tone. She straightened up and looked toward the door.