WMSR — QT Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Gazing at that silhouette, Xu Jiangzhe's eyes mirrored a visible wave of deep, intoxicating infatuation...

Gripping the doorknob, Xu Jiangzhe paused for a brief moment before softening his tone. Pulling the door shut behind him, he stepped forward. "Ziqian, are you reading?"

Bai Yichen offered no reaction whatsoever to Xu Jiangzhe walking straight in without a single knock or inquiry, having long since grown accustomed to it over the years. Xu Jiangzhe moved through his rooms with total, unhindered freedom—especially across the adjoining balcony connecting their bedrooms, which Xu Jiangzhe had vaulted across in the middle of the night on more than one occasion. Hearing the question, Bai Yichen didn't even raise his gaze, merely letting out a soft, low hum of acknowledgment. "Mm."

A few faint, nearly imperceptible footsteps sounded across the room. A moment later, the edge of the mattress dipped slightly as another figure climbed up and seated itself right beside him.

With a slight knit of his brows, Bai Yichen prepared to execute his usual evasive maneuver by scooting slightly further inward, but an arm unceremoniously draped across his shoulders. "Let's read it together."

In this lifetime, Bai Yichen's physical vessel was utterly frail and devoid of strength, bound permanently to the bed with zero lower-body mobility. The physical force he could muster was pitifully weak, so the moment a single arm encircled his shoulders, all of his movement was instantly locked down and neutralized.

Taking advantage of the moment, Xu Jiangzhe smoothly clambered onto the bed, pressing tight against his side in a close, parallel posture.

Fortunately, having achieved his immediate objective, Xu Jiangzhe refrained from any further harassment, pulling out his own study materials and preparing thoroughly. After all, with the university entrance exams fast approaching, he was in the thick of the most grueling academic grind. His elite private academy was packed to the brim with prodigious talents, maintaining a fiercely rigorous curriculum. As one of its top-tier academic standouts, he naturally couldn't afford to slack off. In truth, the vast majority of his classmates chose to remain on campus during the midday break, but he simply couldn't bear to be apart from Ziqian, which was why he rushed back home every single noon without fail.

Leaving Bai Yichen to quietly peruse his thick, heavy volume, Xu Jiangzhe alternated between studying his own materials and glancing at him. Roughly half an hour later, checking the time, he closed his textbook, gently retrieved the book from Bai Yichen's hands, and murmured, "Ziqian, it's time for a nap."

Stripped of his reading material, Bai Yichen's expression remained completely unchanged as he offered a quiet, passive nod. Having endured countless unilateral decisions dictating how he should spend his time over the years, he had long since forgotten what it felt like to experience anger.

Seeing Bai Yichen obediently lie back down, Xu Jiangzhe leaned over to adjust the quilt over his chest before stretching out beside him on the mattress, pressing close against Bai Yichen's side. As he tossed his textbook onto the nightstand, he casually flipped it open to scan its contents, unsurprised to find page after page of dense, pure English academic literature filled with advanced technical vocabulary that even he struggled to parse in places, sparking a fresh wave of quiet admiration in his heart.

In fact, for reasons unknown, his father subjected the books Ziqian was permitted to read to exceptionally strict censorship, exclusively allowing him access to various arts and literary texts. Any materials concerning business strategy, economic theory, or current affairs were strictly forbidden, and his parents had never once arranged for a professional tutor to instruct Ziqian.

Yet even under such restrictive conditions, Ziqian invariably managed to display breathtaking intellectual depths that left him constantly astounded.

Tucking the book away, Xu Jiangzhe gazed at the figure lying right beside him with his back turned. Reaching out an arm to drape over the boy's form, he drew him into a tight, possessive embrace, resting his chin gently against those slightly emaciated shoulders as he closed his eyes with a deep sense of satisfaction, a soft, victorious smile curving the corners of his lips.

Ziqian, you are still as brilliantly exceptional as ever...

That's quite alright. No matter how dazzling you are, in this lifetime you belong exclusively to me—you can only ever belong to me.

My Ziqian.

When Bai Yichen woke up from his afternoon nap, Xu Jiangzhe's figure was already gone from the bedside. Glancing at the clock, he immediately understood that the boy had hurried back to school.

Lowering his gaze, Bai Yichen picked up the book resting beside his pillow and resumed reading...

As an academic elite and straight-A student, Xu Jiangzhe naturally held several formal leadership responsibilities within his class. Logically speaking, he should have arrived at school earlier than the average student, meaning his daily midday dashes back and forth rendered his schedule exceptionally hectic.

The moment Xu Jiangzhe stepped back into his classroom, a few classmates spotted him and called out cheerful greetings, which he acknowledged with a polite nod. Just as he was walking toward his desk, a tightly knit cluster of students chatting animatedly in the corner of the classroom caught sight of him. One of them waved their hand enthusiastically and shouted, "Jiangzhe, get over here!"

Glancing toward the gathering, Xu Jiangzhe adjusted his glasses and walked over.

The academy Xu Jiangzhe attended was a renowned luxury elite school within the region, drawing the progeny of wealthy, influential families from both the local city and surrounding municipalities. While the Xu family's social standing and financial assets were quite respectable, they hardly sat at the absolute apex of the student body. Among the circle calling out to him were several peers whose family net worth easily dwarfed his own, alongside others whose elder relatives held genuine political power and official clout.

Seeing Xu Jiangzhe approach, Li Wei—the boy who had just called him over—immediately smiled and explained the context: "Tomorrow is Liang Weiwei's birthday, and we've all agreed to attend her birthday bash together. Don't forget to show up."

Adjusting his glasses once more, Xu Jiangzhe gave a confirmatory nod. Liang Weiwei was the daughter of a powerful local government minister; even without Li Wei's reminder, he wouldn't have missed her celebration.

After trading a few more remarks, another student suddenly piped up with a grin: "Right, Jiangzhe, isn't your birthday coming up pretty soon too? Haha, have you figured out how you're going to host and entertain us this year?"

Hearing the topic shift to his own birthday, Xu Jiangzhe offered a faint, composed smile: "Don't worry, I guarantee whatever I plan won't let you down."

For individuals of their social stratification, birthday banquets functioned simultaneously as high-society networking hubs, meaning he never had to stress over organizing them himself—his parents would orchestrate every meticulous detail to perfection.

The student who brought it up caught a glint of inspiration as he watched Xu Jiangzhe's expression: "You aren't planning to fob us off by randomly renting out some ordinary hotel banquet hall, are you? You've got to put some genuine sincerity into it this time. Liang Weiwei is hosting her celebration right at home—come to think of it, none of us have ever actually been to your house, have we? Why don't you just host your birthday party at your place this year?"

Xu Jiangzhe's family background was solid, his looks were striking, and his academic prowess placed him at the top of the cohort—attributes that consistently kept him in the spotlight among his peers, particularly drawing intense female attention. Several girls standing within the immediate circle of listeners instantly lit up at the suggestion of visiting Xu Jiangzhe's home, their eyes gleaming with unabashed anticipation.