Exclusive Favor

Song Yu stared at Yue Zhishi, his face initially taut, but he suddenly burst out laughing.

“What do you mean by laughing?” Yue Zhishi grabbed Song Yu’s shoulders and shook him twice, but Song Yu only laughed more obviously. It wasn't his usual smile that was only a curve of his lips; his eyes crinkled too, and his whole person became lively. The more Yue Zhishi tried to stop him from laughing, the more he couldn't seem to hold it back, even collapsing to one side.

“What are you laughing at? What's so funny?”

But he didn't get an answer. Not only that, but as if infected, Yue Zhishi also started laughing inexplicably, slumping against Song Yu. Calming down a little, he still ordered Song Yu to stop this behavior, and he hadn't forgotten his earlier question, “You're being too frivolous. You don't actually think he's better looking than me, do you?”

The smile hadn't faded from Song Yu's face. “I think your brain is different from a normal person's.”

“Why have you started with the personal attacks?” Yue Zhishi tugged on Song Yu’s clothes, took his phone, and tapped it against Song Yu's leg like a small gavel. “Silence. Do you have any objections to my point of view?”

“No objections, is that alright, little judge?”

Song Yu glanced at him, his expression seemingly softening after his laughter.

Yue Zhishi unknowingly said "alright," only to feel a little foolish afterward.

He suddenly realized that Song Yu hadn't laughed like this in a very long time. Searching his memory, Yue Zhishi found it hard to recall a similar scene. In his presence, his brother always seemed to be a precision machine with a fixed program, executing unerring instructions and always doing the right thing.

Suddenly, Yue Zhishi sat up straight, staring into Song Yu’s dark eyes.

“Brother, you look best when you smile.”

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, but it didn't last long. He shifted his gaze away and took his phone back from Yue Zhishi’s hand. The smile on his face had completely vanished. He had returned to being the quiet and taciturn Song Yu.

The phone screen lit up, showing a missed call from Qin Yan.

“I'm going to make a call.”

After Song Yu got up and left, Yue Zhishi shifted over, leaning against the beanbag chair Song Yu had just been leaning on, which still retained his brother's body heat. He replayed the events and concluded that he had been overthinking it, which was why Song Yu had laughed at him.

But he also hoped Song Yu would smile more, just like he had a moment ago. He wouldn't mind being laughed at.

Time flew by. Yue Zhishi was overjoyed to receive his admission notice, and what made him even happier was that many of his friends were also admitted to the same university. Although Jiang Yufan’s score was a bit iffy, because the major he applied for was very obscure, he managed to get into W University without a hitch, becoming Yue Zhishi's schoolmate.

What surprised Yue Zhishi the most was that on the day he went to W University to register, he discovered that Jiang Yufan had actually become his roommate.

“My major had exactly one extra person, so I had to be mixed in with another major.” Jiang Yufan was so happy he was practically glowing. “I was a bit annoyed at first since this place is so far from my department building, but I never thought I'd be living with you. Heaven must have been moved by our sincere friendship!”

“You're right.” Yue Zhishi was also very happy and dragged him out for a KFC meal, even though he could hardly eat anything besides some ice cream.

The only regret was that this period of starting school happened to coincide with Song Yu's fieldwork in the mountains. He couldn't send Yue Zhishi off to school, nor could he, as Yue Zhishi had previously requested, show him every road in W University.

“I heard Shen Mi got into the Law School too?” Jiang Yufan took a sip of his peach oolong tea. “He's pretty amazing too. He transferred to your Class 10 before, and it's not easy to transfer classes at Peiya High School, and now he's in the same school as you.”

“But we're not in the same major.” The sundae was too sweet, so Yue Zhishi also took a sip of the drink to cut the sweetness. “He helped me carry a lot of my luggage when I registered. I only found out later that he actually lives in the building next door.”

Jiang Yufan couldn't help but exclaim, “So righteous. Auntie must have packed a ton of stuff for you again, right? Anything tasty? Share some with me.”

“Of course. Auntie Rong packed them all for me—for you, for Shen Mi, for my other roommates. But she didn't know you had already taken up one of my roommate slots, so there's an extra portion. I'm planning to give it to Brother Qin Yan.”

“Oh right, Senior Qin Yan is here too, as a specialty student.” Jiang Yufan, feeling satisfied after his meal, leaned back in his chair and stretched. “This is great, everyone ended up gathering together in the end.”

Military training began on the third day after registration. The weather in this city was ridiculously hot; a person standing under the sun was practically a walking stick of butter, feeling like they could melt at any moment. This heat was different from a simple sunburn. The city was situated on the Yangtze River and had numerous lakes, resulting in a humid climate that turned into a natural steamer in the summer. Going outside was like stepping into a sauna, not to mention the freshmen had to wear uniforms for military training.

Every day when Yue Zhishi returned to the dorm, he felt like a layer of his skin had been peeled off. He would fall asleep the moment he lay down on his bed after a shower. But he would still fight off the sleepiness to message Song Yu, who was far away, sharing details of his new student life.

The signal in the mountains was poor, so Song Yu rarely saw the messages immediately. There was always a lag in their communication. Yue Zhishi would send his messages quietly, and after a buffer period, he would get a two or three-sentence reply.

This insurmountable delay seemed impossible to eliminate.

Because of Yue Zhishi's distinctive looks, he always received extra attention during military training, both from the female students training with him and from their instructors. The military training instructors always liked to joke with the students with very serious expressions and tones, and Yue Zhishi was the object who was frequently singled out and teased.

“You're too pale. Getting a tan would make you more manly.”

This was what the instructor said, and Yue Zhishi took it to heart. So, the next day, he didn't apply sunscreen as Auntie Rong had instructed. Unexpectedly, after just one day, his nose started to peel.

Back in the dorm, Yue Zhishi recorded a video, showing his peeling nose to Song Yu. “Brother, look. Don't I look like an onion?”

He received Song Yu's reply at noon the next day. Yue Zhishi, who was on his way to pick up a package alone after lunch, was walking while hastily replying to Song Yu’s message, as the other party seemed a little angry about him not using sunscreen properly.

Yue Zhishi had no appetite during lunch and didn't eat much. The weather was terrifyingly hot. He stared at the screen, the heat making his vision a little blurry and his head feel dizzy and swollen. He had just finished typing two sentences and sent them when he felt unsteady on his feet, had difficulty breathing, and felt a wave of nausea.

His health had never been great, so Yue Zhishi was very sensitive to physical discomfort. He wanted to find a place to sit down, but after taking just two steps, his vision went black.

He heard a very gentle voice, and a pair of hands supported his arm. “Classmate, are you alright?”

His vision recovered slightly. Standing in front of him was a beautiful, tall girl in a light blue dress with long, wavy black hair. Her eyes were filled with worry. “Did you get heatstroke? Your forehead is covered in sweat. Let me help you find a place to rest.”

Yue Zhishi said a soft thank you. The girl was clearly more familiar with the area than he was and led him directly through a small garden to a convenience store. There was air conditioning inside, and Yue Zhishi felt much better the moment he entered.

“Sit here for a bit.” She led Yue Zhishi to a bar seat. “I'll be right back.”

Yue Zhishi was afraid of having an asthma attack, so he felt for the inhaler in his pocket and took it out to have it ready. Then he took out his phone and sent the unfinished message to Song Yu.

Soon, the girl returned. She was carrying a small bag, and she also bought a bottle of water at the convenience store counter. She walked up to Yue Zhishi, twisted the cap off the bottle, and handed it to him. “You should drink some water first.”

She opened the plastic bag with a rustling sound. “I bought you some Huoxiang Zhengqi Water and a cooling patch.” She tore open a patch, naturally took off Yue Zhishi's hat, and stuck it on for him.

“I can do it myself.”

“It's okay, it's on already.” The girl also opened the Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. “Students get heatstroke every year. It's not a small matter. A mild case is just dizziness, but severe cases can lead to gastroenteritis. If it develops into heatstroke, it's an emergency.”

Yue Zhishi could tell. “Are you a senior?”

The other person smiled gently. “Do I look that much older than you?”

“No,” Yue Zhishi immediately explained. “I just feel like you're very familiar with this area, and it seems like it's not the first time you've seen someone with heatstroke.”

“Yeah, I'm a third-year. I used to be the manager for the school team, and you know the team members often get heatstroke during training.” She introduced herself generously, “My name is Nan Jia, from the Law School. What about you?”

Yue Zhishi was a little surprised. He hadn't expected such a coincidence. “Me too.”

“Then we're in a direct senior-and-junior relationship? It's such a coincidence.” Nan Jia also found it amazing. “In that case, we’ll probably see each other often in the future. If you need any help, you can come to me. Don't be polite with me.”

After recovering a bit, Nan Jia suggested he get up and walk around. She took a small electric fan out of her bag and handed it to him. “Use this to cool down, and don't wear your hat for now.” Knowing that Yue Zhishi needed to pick up a package, Nan Jia took him on a shorter route, and the two of them headed back towards the Law School. Along the way, Yue Zhishi kept thanking her, but Nan Jia told him not to worry about it.

“I have a younger brother too, about the same age as you, studying at a university in another province. I think of him when I see you.” Nan Jia smiled after she finished. “Of course, he's not as handsome as you.”

When he got back to the dormitory building, he ran into Jiang Yufan who was coming down to buy a drink. He was particularly excited to see Nan Jia, and as soon as she left, he ran over and grabbed Yue Zhishi. “Hey, kid, how did you end up walking with the Law School's department belle!”

“Department belle?” Yue Zhishi was confused. “You mean Senior Nan Jia?”

“Yeah, you didn't know? She was the leader of the volunteer group during freshman registration. She gave me directions then.” Jiang Yufan's face was written with excitement. “The second-year senior who received me said she's the Law School's department belle, beautiful and kind-hearted. A lot of guys are chasing her.”

Yue Zhishi couldn't help but roast him, “You have a girlfriend, don't forget.”

“I get it. I just have a natural appreciation for beauty. Of course, my favorite is still my Xiao Ya.” Jiang Yufan sized Yue Zhishi up and saw the cooling patch on his forehead. “What's wrong with you? Not feeling well? It's not an allergy, is it!”

Yue Zhishi was afraid he would overreact, so he explained as they went upstairs, mentioning the chance encounter with the senior.

“As expected of a handsome guy, even his chance encounters are with the department belle.”

“What are you talking about? If you got heatstroke, you'd meet kind people too.”

Jiang Yufan helped Yue Zhishi get leave from the afternoon's military training. Because Yue Zhishi had a special constitution and a history of asthma, the instructor didn't dare to be careless, so Yue Zhishi got to rest in the dormitory for the whole afternoon. But even though his roommates urged him to just quit the military training, Yue Zhishi insisted on rejoining the team the next day. In some ways, he was also stubborn and took everything he did very seriously.

With less than four days until the final parade, and since he was a flag bearer chosen by the battalion commander, he didn't dare to slack off in the slightest.

There weren't many flag bearers; they were all students with proper features and well-proportioned figures selected from various departments to escort the national flag at the beginning of the parade. This was a great honor for Yue Zhishi. His biggest regret in high school was not being able to become a flag raiser, simply because he messed up during the selection; the flag he raised slid all the way down with a swish, covering his entire body.

And so, he missed out on this glorious mission.

To ensure there were no mistakes this time, he often stayed behind after dismissal to train alone, practicing goose-steps around the field. Many people watched, but Yue Zhishi didn't care about others' gazes.

On the day of the military training parade, Qin Yan, as the head of the Student Union's arts department, was also present on the rostrum. Yue Zhishi didn't notice him at first. It was only when he was carrying his class's large banner past the rostrum and heard a familiar voice that he realized it was Qin Yan making the announcement. But as he was goose-stepping, he couldn't turn his head to look.

Before dismissing, the flag bearers from each department received flowers from girls, except for Yue Zhishi, because the Law School had never had a precedent of arranging for flowers to be given.

However, Yue Zhishi wasn't disappointed, because he felt that holding a bouquet of flowers was a bit awkward.

When the parade was completely over and the instructor led the phalanx away from the large stadium, Yue Zhishi's phone rang. It was Qin Yan.

“Lele? Go wait for me at the stadium entrance now.”

After waiting for ten minutes, during which two girls came over to chat him up and then left, Yue Zhishi finally saw Qin Yan arrive. He was holding a bouquet of sunflowers, leaving Yue Zhishi clueless.

“Take it.”

Yue Zhishi found it very strange; he had never been given flowers by a guy before. “There's no need.”

“Look at that 'absolutely unnecessary' expression on your face.” Qin Yan couldn't hold back his laughter and told him the truth. “Your brother ordered these. He asked me to give them to you during your parade. He's still in the mountains right now.”

“My brother bought them?” Yue Zhishi immediately took them. Wrapped in black matte paper were eleven perfectly bloomed sunflowers, each the size of a palm, and every one had been carefully selected, full of life. Tucked in the middle was a black card with a printed message, with no signature.

[Congratulations on successfully completing the parade, little flag bearer.]

Giving flowers wasn't Song Yu's style, but the message was. When he flipped the card over, there was an introduction to the flower. Its variety name was special: Earthwalker.

“I don't know why he chose this kind of flower. Aren't roses nice? Others give roses or lilies, they all look good. I guess that's the taste of a straight guy like Song Yu who's never been in a relationship.”

Yue Zhishi looked down at the card, a very subtle conjecture bubbling up in his heart. Maybe he was overthinking it, but perhaps this really was a riddle from Song Yu.

The flower's name was actually Song Yu's signature, wasn't it? Earthwalker.

This kind of meaning, hidden beneath the surface and understandable only to the two of them, always gave Yue Zhishi a great sense of satisfaction, as if he really was different from others, the special one.

Seeing him spacing out on the spot, Qin Yan stuck his hands in his pockets. “Let's go, your bro will take you out to eat.”

“Huh?” Yue Zhishi hugged the flowers. “It's not good for us to go eat like this, is it?”

“What, you're afraid people will misunderstand?” Qin Yan laughed. “Don't worry, my girlfriend is here too. Your sister-in-law. I'll introduce you.”

His childhood's dark history gave Yue Zhishi a natural aversion to the word "sister-in-law," so he didn't say anything, but he still followed Qin Yan. On the way, he passed by a flower shop and bought a crystal-clear glass vase. Before dinner, he went back to the dorm first, arranged the sunflowers in the vase, and came down after changing his clothes.

Qin Yan took him to a small restaurant near the school. It wasn't large, but its business was surprisingly good. The girlfriend he had mentioned had arrived early to queue and get in. She was a cute girl with short hair and was a good match for Qin Yan.

“I've noticed that everyone suddenly has a girlfriend,” Yue Zhishi said out of the blue.

“Yeah, when are you getting one?” Qin Yan ordered the food. Although Yue Zhishi didn't say anything, he happened to order things that Yue Zhishi could eat. Qin Yan's girlfriend took out her phone, which was on a forum post. “Speaking of which, your junior has completely captured the hearts of a field of young girls during this military training, comparable to three years ago...”

“The Song Yu from three years ago,” Qin Yan finished with perfect chemistry, then told his girlfriend, “The two of them were really eye-catching back in our high school.”

A large basin of boiled fish in chili oil was served. The bottom was lined with bean sprouts, pressed tofu skin, and tender kelp, and it was topped with a full layer of Jiangtuan fish fillets. The broth was red and the fish white, sprinkled with a layer of scallions and sesame seeds. The lady boss followed behind, holding an iron ladle filled with hot oil, and poured it into the basin, and the fragrance rushed to their faces.

“It's not that exaggerated.” Yue Zhishi poured them some plum juice and handed it over. Thinking of something, he asked Qin Yan, “I saw that the clubs have been recruiting recently. Is the Basketball Team also recruiting at this time?”

Qin Yan added a plump, tender piece of fish for his girlfriend. “You've asked the right person. I'm the vice-captain of the school team, in charge of recruitment. Aren't we recruiting right now? We just interviewed a batch yesterday. You want to join too?”

“Yeah.” But Yue Zhishi was still self-aware. “My physical fitness isn't as good as others, I probably won't be selected for the main team.”

“You can train with the department team first. If you really want to join, you can get in, you just might not be able to play in games right away.”

“I've already signed up for the department team. They said there would be training and not to worry if I don't play well.” In order to get into the department's team, he had even specifically sought out Senior Nan Jia. Although Nan Jia was no longer on the department team, she still took him there directly, and everything went very smoothly.

That day, Nan Jia sent him a lot of information about the relationship between the department team and the school team, as well as training-related matters, but she didn't chat excessively, making Yue Zhishi feel that she was an enthusiastic yet tactful person.

Qin Yan nodded in agreement. “That's true. Besides, you'll boost our popularity. If your stamina can't keep up, you can just play for half the game. I'm just afraid your brother won't agree, in case anything happens.”

Yue Zhishi thought to himself, 'I wanted to join the school team for him.'

“Brother should be a key player on the school team, right?”

“Isn't that the truth? When he plays, the crowd is bigger.” Qin Yan sighed after speaking.

Yue Zhishi was a bit baffled and asked with concern, “What's wrong?”

“A while ago I told him to come back early for training, but he told me he wants to quit the team. He said he's too busy and doesn't have time for games.” Qin Yan ladled a spoonful of broth onto his rice and mixed it. “If he really quits, we'll lose a great player, and I don't know if we can find a replacement who won't drag us down.”

Hearing this, Yue Zhishi was suddenly disappointed. He had been thinking about joining the Basketball Team since registration and had even planned to get into the department team first and then slowly work his way up to the main team. He never expected Song Yu to quit. But now that he had already signed up and troubled his senior, quitting would be too flippant.

W University was still lively at night. After parting with Qin Yan, Yue Zhishi walked slowly back to the dormitory. For every day that Song Yu didn't come back, this place felt less like W University and more unfamiliar. When he was alone, he would habitually bury himself in the library, reading his professional books just like he did before the semester started.

Returning to the dorm at ten, Yue Zhishi found a pile of food on his desk, many of which were snacks he often bought. Jiang Yufan, who was on a video call with his girlfriend on the top bunk, lifted his bed curtain and took off one earbud. “Shen Mi came by just now. He bought you some fruits and snacks and even got us bubble tea. That dude's really nice.”

“He left?” Yue Zhishi sat down. He was too full from dinner to eat snacks, and only caressed the petals of the sunflowers.

“Yeah, he waited for you for a while, then left when you didn't come back.”

Yue Zhishi said okay, adding that he would visit his dorm tomorrow, and went into the bathroom. When he came out, he saw his phone on the desk light up. He walked over and saw it was a message from Song Yu.

[Brother: I'll be back tomorrow.]

One second he was as listless as an eggplant hit by frost, the next second Yue Zhishi instantly came alive.

[Yue Zhishi: Really? I'll come pick you up tomorrow. Where are you guys getting dropped off?]

After sending it, he repeated it to himself and realized he was really impatient.

[Brother: We're being dropped off directly at the school gate. you don't need to come.]

Yue Zhishi wasn't satisfied; he still wanted to see him. No matter when, as long as it was a meeting with Song Yu, he never found it troublesome. But he had only half-finished typing his message of disagreement when he received a new message from Song Yu, like a timely patch.

[Brother: I'll come find you.]

The corners of his mouth lifted at once. This patch had successfully mended the small hole in Yue Zhishi's heart.

“What did Lele see that made him so happy?” A roommate coming in with a washbasin looked at Yue Zhishi. “Did you manage to grab a red envelope?”

“Nope.” Even his reply had a happy, upward lilt. When he sat down again and saw the sunflowers on his desk, Yue Zhishi thought for a moment, then took a picture and posted it to his Moments without any text.

Only after posting it did he realize he had forgotten to set the visibility, and this post had accidentally become public. But before he could delete it, it had already been discovered.

The first person to like it was Shen Mi, who also left two comments.

[Shen Mi: Yo, who sent it?]

[Shen Mi: Did you see the snacks I bought for you?]

Yue Zhishi didn't reply to the first sentence, because he felt that Song Yu wouldn't want others to know he sent flowers. It was too unusual for Song Yu, as if it would ruin his image. So Yue Zhishi only replied to the second question, expressing his thanks. This post soon got a few more likes, including from Senior Qin Yan and Senior Nan Jia.

The last one was Song Yu. Seeing the like notification, Yue Zhishi thought Song Yu wouldn't comment; it wasn't his style. But a few seconds later, he received a new notification, from Song Yu's comment.

[Brother: I thought you wouldn't show off something I gave you.]

Yue Zhishi was very surprised. He even backed out and clicked back in to read it again. It was indeed Song Yu himself.

This rare comment naturally attracted Qin Yan, who loved to stir the pot.

[Senior Qin Yan replied to Brother: Are you possessed? (The flower delivery service was also weird, but this handsome guy still provided his help for free)]

Qin Yan hadn't added Shen Mi, so he couldn't see this. Yue Zhishi thought Song Yu was unlikely to reply, so he put down his phone and sprayed a little water on his Earthwalker.

To his surprise, Song Yu actually replied.

[Brother: What's weird about it? Didn't the other flag bearers also have people from their departments arrange flower deliveries.]

[Brother: For fairness's sake, my family's flag bearer can't be the only one who doesn't receive flowers.]