To his surprise, today, Dr. Rong had brought him one again.
He took a sip, tasting the sweetness of the mango chunks and closed his eyes like a satisfied cat.
The sky outside had darkened and the dusk settling over the campus as they walked side by side.
But as they walked, the mory of the dance returned to him, how many tis he had stepped on Dr. Rong’s feet and how he might have even dirtied his shoes.
The mango sago in his hand suddenly didn’t taste so sweet anymore.
He poked at the tapioca pearls with his straw, his voice small and unsure. "Dr. Rong, I keep ssing up everything... do you think I’m stupid?"
Ding Yixin raised his brows slightly, clearly not expecting that question.
He was silent for a mont before replying in his usual calm tone. "I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching," he said, pausing briefly. "But I do want you to rember this Yuyu, you don’t need to be good at everything. At least when you’re with , just be yourself."
He looked at him gently. "And honestly, you’re already doing very well. What could possibly be wrong with that?"
Rong Xingyu blinked his eyes and stunned for a mont before murmuring a quiet "oh."
It was true, he’d just been overthinking things. But after hearing Ding Yixin’s words, his mood lifted again.
Their conversation eventually circled back to the play they had been rehearsing earlier.
In the story’s ending, the Little rmaid didn’t stab the prince’s heart.
Instead, she gave up her own life and turned into sea foam.
"If you faced a choice like that, Yuyu," Ding Yixin asked softly, "what would you do?"
Rong Xingyu paused for a long while before shaking his head honestly. "I don’t know."
Ding Yixin chuckled quietly, and then answered before Rong Xingyu could ask him the sa question.
"If there ever cos a day when the one I love must hurt in order to survive..."
He looked up, his eyes calm but dark.
"I would hold his hand and guide the blade into my own heart myself."
The last sentence sounded completely different from the tone Ding Yixin usually used, the one that always carried a gentle smile.
Rong Xingyu suddenly looked up at him.
Half of Ding Yixin’s face was hidden in the shadows and the part illuminated by the dim light looked cold and sharp, his expression unreadable.
Seeing him like that made Rong Xingyu feel an odd sense of unfamiliarity, as if this man wasn’t the sa calm and kind Dr. Rong he knew.
For a mont, silence filled the air between them.
Ding Yixin stopped walking and then turned around.
His eyes softened as he looked at Rong Xingyu who was standing there quietly, the faint glow of nightlight reflected in his eyes.
Ding Yixin smiled, just a small curve of the lips, but instantly, the tension around him lted away.
His usual warmth returned.
"What’s wrong? Did I scare you?" he asked gently.
Rong Xingyu blinked and there he was again the familiar Dr. Rong.
"If I actually scared you," Ding Yixin said with a faint chuckle, "then I guess my acting skills aren’t too bad."
Rong Xingyu pursed his lips while mumbling under his breath, "What kind of thing to joke about..."
Ding Yixin laughed softly and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Don’t worry," he said. "Real life doesn’t work like a fairy tale."
Rong Xingyu paused and fell silent.
He knew that was true. Why was he even thinking about such impossible things?
Maybe he’d been rehearsing the play for too long and it was getting into his head.
The next few days passed quickly and it was filled with play rehearsals, studying, and classes.
The pages on the calendar were torn away one by one until the day of Qibao Dwith School’s anniversary finally arrived.
The night before, his fourth brother Rong Zishan had sworn to him with his three fingers pointed at the ceiling and face full of conviction.
"Xingyu, don’t worry. I promise I won’t embarrass you in front of everyone!"
Rong Xingyu had replied helplessly, "I wasn’t saying you’d embarrass ..."
Truthfully, he was just afraid he would be the one to embarrass himself on stage.
That morning, before Rong Xingyu left the house, Rong Zishan was still half asleep and yawning as he said he was going back to bed.
But not long after Rong Xingyu arrived in class soone burst through the door and yelling loudly, "Whoa! Rong Zhihao! I just saw your fourth brother on campus! He looks so cool today!"
Rong Xingyu’s pen froze for half a second before continuing across his draft paper. He calmly wrote down the correct answer on the test sheet.
The boy’s comnt imdiately caused a small uproar in the classroom and everyone turned to look at Rong Zhihao.
Rong Zhihao put down the book in his hands and smiling casually. "All my brothers are honorary alumni of Qibao Dwith School," he said. "Of course they’d co back for the anniversary event."
The girl sitting in front of him turned around and her eyes wide with excitent as she clasped her hands together.
"Then what about your second brother? Is he coming? I’m his biggest fan!"
" too, too!"
"Co on, everyone knows how famous your second brother is!"
So of those comnts were probably genuine while others just flattery but it was clear Rong Zhihao enjoyed hearing them.
"My second brother won’t make it," he said while smiling. "He’s still filming on set. My third brother can’t co either... but my eldest brother should be attending."
He didn’t lower his voice at all and his words easily reached Rong Xingyu’s ears.
Rong Xingyu’s hand trembled as he held his pen.
Oh no. His eldest brother was coming too?!
Help!
Right now, Rong Xingyu could only hope that when his brothers arrived, they wouldn’t recognize him.
But... was that even possible?
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