Love triangle

The bell rang to signal the end of the exam, and sighs and relieved exclamations rose one after another.

"I'd done the last big question before. Talk about luck!"

"I was so unlucky. Not a single question looked familiar, even after all those practice problems I did."

"I feel like I did terribly. Am I going to end up in the worst class?"

"Same here. Am I screwed too?"

"Hey, how did you do?"

Yan Wen walked out of the classroom and stretched. "Exam's over. What a relief!"

Tang Yun had been in another classroom. He spotted Yan Wen as soon as he came out, and the two headed to the cafeteria together.

The entrance exam for new students had finished ten minutes early today, so the cafeteria was now full of freshmen who had just finished their exams.

The two found seats and sat down to eat. Halfway through their meal, Mu Huai'an came over.

Yan Wen ignored Mu Huai'an, inwardly speechless. What's Mu Huai'an doing here again? He came twice yesterday. What does he want today?

I don't know either, but it definitely can't be anything good.

Let's see what nonsense he pulls. We'll just watch his performance.

Yep, yep!

Tang Yun looked puzzled at first, then recognition dawned on him. "Aren't you the guy who came looking for A Yan yesterday? Why do you keep pestering him? What's your relationship?"

Mu Huai'an looked at Yan Wen with an expression of concern. "Wen, I know I stole your place for fourteen years, and you resent me, but I really didn't do it on purpose. I've lived with the Mu Family for sixteen years. I can't bear to leave Mom and Dad. I know that feels unfair to you, but don't worry. I'll remember my place."

Yan Wen offered his critique. "The lines are pretty good, but your expression needs work. This is where you should shed a few tears."

"You still won't forgive me? I suppose that's only natural. I spent fourteen years in your place as their young master. How could you possibly like me? But Mom told me to take good care of you."

"Oh, spare me," Tang Yun scoffed. "A scrawny little weakling like you wants to protect him? It'd be a miracle if you didn't cause him trouble."

Mu Huai'an frowned, looking aggrieved. "I haven't done anything to offend you, have I? Why do you have to embarrass me every time?"

"You can't blame me for that. What grown man looks like he's about to cry every time he says something? No one's even said a word to you, and you act like you're being bullied."

Yan Wen lowered his head and shoveled food into his mouth, though he was really stifling his laughter. Xiao Qi, did you see Mu Huai'an's face? I'm dying.

Host, be careful not to choke.

"Mom told me to look after you. She'll blame me if I don't. I just came to check on you. If you're all right, I'll be going."

Mu Huai'an seemed terribly upset. In a cafeteria full of people gathered in groups, his lone retreating figure actually looked rather forlorn.

Yan Wen breathed a sigh of relief. Oh my god, he finally left. He can't go a single day without putting on a show.

Host, Tang Yun looks like he wants to ask you something.

Only then did Yan Wen notice how conflicted Tang Yun looked, as though he was struggling to find the words.

"Do you want to ask how I'm related to that guy?"

Tang Yun paused, then nodded. "If it's awkward, I won't ask."

Yan Wen smiled. "It's not awkward. His name's Mu Huai'an, and he's my parents' adopted son. I went missing sixteen years ago, and my parents adopted him two years later. They only found me and brought me home recently. He's probably acting like that because he's afraid they won't love him anymore now that I'm back."

"So that's it. But he doesn't look like someone harmless to me. You'd better be careful around him. Rich families are experts at scheming against each other. You might not be able to beat him."

Yan Wen looked puzzled. "Do I look that easy to bully?"

Tang Yun frowned. "Well... hard to say."

Yan Wen wore a cream-colored casual outfit. The soft fabric made him look sweet and well-behaved, and his soft hair swayed slightly with his movements. His eyes were bright, and his mouth kept chewing away.

Tang Yun finally managed to get the words out. "You look too innocent."

Yan Wen's eyes widened. "Me? Innocent? You clearly haven't heard about my glorious childhood achievement of beating up the chubby kid next door until he cried. Yan Mom had to clean up the mess afterward."

Xiao Qi coughed twice. Actually, host, I think you have that sweet, innocent look too. At first, I was worried you'd get bullied when you returned to the Mu Family. I never expected you to be so capable. Your appearance and personality are a total mismatch.

Yan Wen's brows drew together slightly. A lot of adults did tell me I was good-looking when I was little, and kids my age said I looked well-behaved too. But I thought that was just because I was a kid, and it would stop being an issue once I grew up.

There's nothing wrong with looking innocent. Even if you cause trouble, no one will suspect you.

That does sound pretty good.

"What's wrong?" Tang Yun asked with a smile. "You're making all sorts of faces."

Yan Wen composed his expression. "I'm trying to see which expression makes me look fiercer."

"Hurry up and finish eating so we can go back and rest for a bit. Don't we have another exam this afternoon?"

"Oh, right. Let's go, then. We can get some sleep."

Xiao Qi said cheerfully, Host, once your afternoon exam is over, you can head straight to the sports field to watch the drama!

Great!

The afternoon exam came around quickly, and its two and a half hours passed just as fast.

As soon as Yan Wen left the classroom, he ran toward the sports field, dragging along Tang Yun, who had come to find him.

Tang Yun glanced around. "What are we doing here? Do you want to go running?"

Yan Wen found a spot with the best view. "I brought you to watch some drama."

"What drama? There isn't a show going on here."

Yan Wen pointed. "Over there."

A crowd had packed tightly around one spot, leaving a large open space in the middle around three people: two men and a woman.

The red-haired man shielded the woman behind him. The orange-haired man cursed at the two of them while reaching out to grab her. When he failed, he punched the red-haired man in the face.

The woman looked terrified and kept hiding behind the red-haired man.

Tang Yun's eyes lit up with a hunger for gossip. "What's going on?"

"A love triangle," Yan Wen said. "But I haven't worked out who's in love with whom yet."

Xiao Qi, can you explain?

Sure! The red-haired man and the orange-haired man were a couple, but the red-haired man was also dating a woman and had been hiding it from the orange-haired man. Today, though, the orange-haired man came to surprise him and caught him on a date with her.

You have to admit, he's got some nerve. Dating two people in the same place at the same time? Wasn't he afraid of getting caught?

You're underestimating him. He had a detailed time-management plan. If the orange-haired man hadn't decided to come see him on a whim, he probably could have kept it secret until graduation.

"What's wrong with that guy?" Tang Yun said in disgust. "He's even trying to hit a woman. Isn't it just that she doesn't like him?"

Yan Wen wagged a finger. "Nope. The two men are the couple. The red-haired guy cheated with that woman, but she didn't know he already had a partner."

Tang Yun's expression grew even more contemptuous. "Then that red-haired guy deserves to be drowned in a pig cage!"

"The red-haired guy is He Qian, the orange-haired guy is Zhao Yuan, and the woman is Ren Qian. All three are juniors."

"How do you know so much?"

"If you're coming to watch the drama, you have to do some digging first. What's the fun if you don't know anything?"

Tang Yun nodded. "True. Are they just going to keep at it like this?"

Yan Wen checked the time. "Classes are about to end. Some older students will probably come break it up then."

"Wait, didn't you say they're all juniors? Don't they have classes?"

"As luck would have it, none of the three had any classes scheduled this afternoon."

"That really is a coincidence. Good thing our exam ended early, though, or we wouldn't have gotten to watch."

Yan Wen rubbed his nose and smiled. If he couldn't watch the drama in person, he could ask Xiao Qi to pull it up for a replay, but seeing it live was still more satisfying.

Xiao Qi said, Host, Zhao Yuan's father has a project he'll be partnering with the Mu Family on. It's happening in a week.

Is there any other gossip about Zhao Yuan's family?

There is, actually, and it's pretty scandalous.

Tang Yun looked puzzled. "Why are you spacing out again?"

Yan Wen snapped back to the present and smiled. "Nothing. I was wondering when we'd get a break. I want to go home."

Tang Yun raised an eyebrow. "School's only just started, and you're already thinking about a break. Honestly, same here. But we get five days off at the end of every month. Just hang in there for another twenty-five days, and we can go home!"