It seemed that Dong Yin was experiencing some prenatal depression.

Qin Fang had never seen her like this before. She and Jian Mingtao rarely fought over the years, and she always gave people a gentle impression. In the past few days since Qin Fang returned, he could clearly feel her dullness and irritability. Occasionally, she would vent her anger on Jian Muyang.

Jian Muyang didn't talk back to her. After being scolded, he obediently returned to his room and didn't come out.

Actually, Qin Fang really didn't want to continue staying in this state, but he had promised Jian Muyang to stay at home until school started. It wasn't good to go back on his word.

So when Qin Fang wasn't going out, he would stay in the room to accompany Jian Muyang or take him out for a stroll.

Dong Yin still had some regard for Qin Fang. She could vent her anger on Jian Muyang but not lose her temper with Qin Fang. At most, she just didn't talk much.

The night before Qin Fang returned to school, Jian Mingtao and Dong Yin quarreled again.

At that time, he was in Jian Muyang's room. The two brothers were sitting on the carpet. Jian Muyang was building Lego blocks, and Qin Fang was watching him. They also had dinner together.

Dong Yin didn't come downstairs, and Jian Mingtao didn't come back. When the sound of the argument came in, Jian Muyang looked up at Qin Fang, who comforted, "It's okay."

Jian Muyang lowered his head and continued building Lego blocks without saying a word.

Dong Yin's quarrel sounded a bit hysterical. No wonder Jian Muyang felt scared. Qin Fang also felt surprised. Pregnancy was indeed hard. Every mother was great.

"What do you mean I want to give birth? How can you speak so irresponsibly?" Dong Yin's voice sounded a bit broken, probably provoked by something Jian Mingtao said.

"Isn't this your child? Am I giving birth to a child for myself?"

Jian Mingtao's voice was inaudible, but the woman's voice could penetrate the door and walls, coming out very clearly, "You don't want me to give birth? None of you want me to give birth to him?"

Jian Muyang was still looking down and playing with the things in his hands. Qin Fang sighed and stroked his head, saying, "Don't be afraid, Yangyang."

"I'm not afraid when you're here," Jian Muyang curved his lips slightly. "I'm only afraid when I'm alone."

They were arguing fiercely. Qin Fang looked at Jian Muyang, feeling a little distressed. He opened his mouth, wanting to say that he would come back to stay during this period until Dong Yin gave birth to the baby.

"During this time, I—"

"You don't want me to give birth, and your son doesn't want it either! Every time your son comes back, he asks me if the baby is okay, if the prenatal checkups are okay! I'm doing well, so why don't you all hope for me to be well??"

Dong Yin's voice interrupted Qin Fang's words. He stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.

Jian Muyang immediately looked up at him, his eyes filled with some panicked uneasiness. He moved his lips and mumbled, then said, "She... she's just..."

Qin Fang looked at Jian Muyang's big eyes and finished his sentence for him, "Prenatal anxiety."

"Mm, mm," Jian Muyang nodded repeatedly. "She doesn't really think that way."

"I know." Qin Fang gave a faint smile and ruffled Jian Muyang's soft hair. "Play with your stuff."

Qin Fang felt distressed for his younger brother. Jian Muyang was too sensitive and had a very gentle heart. He must have been scared when the adults were arguing while he was alone in his room.

But Qin Fang didn't finish what he was about to say and couldn't say it anymore.

Dong Yin might have just been emotionally unstable due to pregnancy, and she might not have really thought that way. But since Qin Fang had already heard it, he couldn't stay at the Jian family's house.

So after school started, Qin Fang still stayed in the dormitory, but he would chat with Jian Muyang for a while every night.

The two roommates didn't go home for the entire holiday and stayed in the dorm to study. Qin Fang lay on his side on the bed, sending messages to his younger brother. He glanced at the two studying opposite him. Shen Dengke asked if there was still water in the dorm, and Chen Ke said there wasn't.

Qin Fang asked, "What do you want to drink?"

Shen Dengke looked up, his eyes shining, "Anything is fine!"

Qin Fang asked again, "Are you two hungry? Want some late-night snacks?"

Shen Dengke nodded vigorously, "Okay, Young Master!"

"Look at you, being such a bootlicker," Chen Ke laughed at him. "Can't you have some dignity?"

"I don't want dignity," Shen Dengke grinned very cheekily. "As long as I can flatter Young Master Fang and President Ke, it's okay. You two protect my life!"

Qin Fang and Chen Ke both laughed. Qin Fang ordered late-night snacks for them and also called for two drinks.

After he returned to school, a large sum of money was added to his card again. Jian Mingtao knew that he could hear them arguing. Qin Fang didn't care whether he knew or not. For so many years, Jian Mingtao's only way was to give money. He couldn't give anything else besides that.

"We haven't had a meal together since you came back," Chen Ke looked up at Qin Fang. "Go out for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Okay," Qin Fang said. "I'll treat you guys to a meal."

"Let me," Chen Ke patted the table. "The scholarship is in hand."

"Should I do it?" Shen Dengke also patted the table like Chen Ke just did. "Who doesn't have a scholarship?"

"I don't," Qin Fang said with a smile. "I'll treat. Hua Tong also said he wanted to have a drink with you guys."

Hua Tong definitely wouldn't miss out on this kind of thing. He had already discussed with the other two where to go eat.

Qin Fang had a full schedule of classes that afternoon and finished at around 5 PM. Hua Tong and the others had already decided on a location and informed Qin Fang. Qin Fang sent a message saying, "I guessed it would be barbecue. Can't you change it up next time?"

Hua Tong replied, "You don't drink with us anyway, so why do you care what we eat?"

Qin Fang really didn't mind what he ate. He replied, "You guys don't have to wait for me. Go ahead first. If you go too late, there won't be any seats."

They had already gone by the time Qin Fang finished class. He returned to the dorm to get his car. It was just the time for classes to end and dinner, so there were quite a few people downstairs in the dorm building.

Qin Fang saw a male student walking with his head down, wearing headphones. His back view looked a bit like Xing Yan, but not as tall as Xing Yan.

They hadn't seen each other since returning to school. Qin Fang took out his phone and sent Xing Yan a message: "Yan-ge."

Xing Yan only replied after Qin Fang had gotten into the car: "What's up?"

Qin Fang asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

Xing Yan: "Just finished class."

Qin Fang continued asking, "Then shall we eat together?"

Without waiting for Xing Yan to reply again, Qin Fang directly called him. Xing Yan answered, and Qin Fang asked, "Where are you?"

Xing Yan said on the phone, "Chemistry department."

"I'm having dinner with my roommates and Hua Tong. Why don't you come too?" Qin Fang asked him.

Xing Yan said, "Sure, let's go."

Qin Fang laughed and said, "Then wait for me there. I'll pick you up."

When Qin Fang drove over, Xing Yan was quietly standing by the road waiting, holding a book in his hand, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. He looked like a very well-behaved college student.

Qin Fang recalled Xing Yan's appearance when he was speeding with his helmet on during the holiday and shook his head with a smile. The difference between these two images was too great. Xing Yan got in the car and Qin Fang grinned at him, greeting, "Yan-ge, long time no see."

Xing Yan smiled slightly, glancing at him. "Yeah, it's been a while. About ten days, right?"

"Ten days isn't long?" Qin Fang joked lightheartedly. "We lived together for so many days, inseparable."

Guys dare to use all sorts of words when joking around. Xing Yan gave him a look but didn't respond.

When the two arrived, the other three had already ordered. The food hadn't come yet, but there were bottles of alcohol all over the table. Qin Fang placed his hand on Xing Yan's back, gently pushing him in, and introduced, "This is Xing Yan, my... buddy."

He wanted to say friend at first, but felt it was a bit too formal. He then said to Xing Yan, "Hua Tong, my childhood friend. And these two are my roommates."

Shen Dengke had seen Xing Yan several times last semester due to the library seat-saving incident, so he greeted him enthusiastically. Although Hua Tong first met Xing Yan because of Qin Fang's fighting, he also knew that Qin Fang had hung out with him all winter break, and the two had a good relationship now. So Hua Tong nodded at Xing Yan and said "Hey".

Xing Yan nodded to greet them and sat down, with Qin Fang beside him.

Hua Tong called the waiter over. "Hello, you can bring out what we ordered, and give us the menu so we can add more."

When guys sit together for a meal, they can all chat openly without much formality. Of course, dining with Zhou Siming and the others before was a different story. Among the five, two were introverted, one was half-introverted, one half-extroverted, and only Qin Fang was fully extroverted, so he couldn't liven things up much.

But today, out of the five, except for Xing Yan, the rest were all extroverted. It was impossible for it not to be lively. One leading four was not doable, but four leading one was easy as pie.

Based on Qin Fang's observations over the break, he estimated that Hua Tong and the others were no match for Xing Yan in drinking. When Hua Tong asked about Xing Yan's alcohol tolerance, Xing Yan just said "average". Hua Tong even reassured him, "No worries, we have someone who doesn't drink at all to hold up the bottom."

Qin Fang chuckled and said to Xing Yan, "Yan-ge, destroy them."

But even though Qin Fang said that, when the three really started pushing alcohol on Xing Yan, he stopped them. "You drink yours. Otherwise, you should all drink the same amount. How do I feel like he's drinking more than you guys?"

"You don't even drink, why are you meddling?" Hua Tong said to him.

"I'm afraid you three can't outdrink him and will play dirty." Qin Fang glanced at the bottles on the floor and then at their side. "It's clear the numbers don't match. Can you guys give it a rest?"

Xing Yan's expression didn't change at all as he shook his head. "It's fine."

When the waiter came to bring more alcohol, Qin Fang pointed across the table and told him, "Put it over there."

"I don't get you," Hua Tong said to Qin Fang. "You don't drink a drop, why do you care so much?"

"I need to stay sober to uphold justice," Qin Fang said. "Besides, if you all get drunk, won't I have to get you back?"

"I forgot to order you a bottle of milk earlier." Hua Tong was just teasing him about not being able to drink. Qin Fang laughed and told him to "get lost".

Chen Ke had a classmate also from the chemistry department, and he was asking Xing Yan about it when Xing Yan's phone rang. His phone was on the table, to his left, between him and Qin Fang.

Qin Fang pushed the phone towards Xing Yan. Xing Yan glanced down while talking and saw it was Han Xiaogong. He didn't think much of it and used the back of his hand to push the phone to Qin Fang for him to answer, then continued what he was saying before.

Qin Fang was quite familiar with Han Xiaogong. He picked up, greeting with a laugh.

Probably surprised to hear his voice, there was a pause on the other end for a few seconds before Han Xiaogong's voice came through.

He chuckled lightly, then said, "...Pretty good progress."