Unbridled 22

He didn’t know whether the college entrance exam questions just weren’t as difficult this time, or if it was because he had been studying hard during this period. After Ding Ji finished the English exam and left the exam hall, he had a sense of elation, as if he had already stepped on Lin Wuyu, the god of learning, with his feet. He felt a bounce in his step.

Today, his dad didn’t come to pick him up; it was his sincere request. He wanted to walk back quietly and then have a comfortable meal with his grandpa and grandma.

“Ding Ji!” A shout came from ahead.

Ding Ji sighed; his plan to walk back quietly was ruined. Liu Jinpeng came running and hugged him, “How was it? Can you get into a regular university?”

Ding Ji regretted not telling Liu Jinpeng about what happened at school; he had been hanging out with him in the small square every day.

“Shut up,” Ding Ji glared at him. “Can’t you say something auspicious?”

“How about this, then?” Liu Jinpeng immediately reacted. “Auspicious! Crush Lin Wuyu, the god of learning!”

“That works,” Ding Ji patted Liu Jinpeng’s arm and nodded satisfied.

“In the evening, will you go back to be with your grandpa and grandma?” Liu Jinpeng walked with him.

“Yeah,” Ding Ji nodded, took out his phone and tapped. “Are you going?”

“My cousin needs me to take him to the airport later,” Liu Jinpeng said. “Tomorrow, anyway you’re done with the exam, do whatever you want, and no one’s going to care, right?”

“My grandpa is still going to care,” Ding Ji messaged Lin Wuyu. “If you dare to lead me astray, he’ll kill you.”

“When did I ever get you into trouble? I always listen to you!” Liu Jinpeng was very unconvinced, “When we were kids, you tricked me, and I didn’t even argue with you!”

• Are you out yet?

“When did I ever trick you?” Ding Ji looked at him.

“You tricked me into taking off my pants and running, saying it reduces resistance and makes me run faster!” Liu Jinpeng said. “Right? It left me chasing you with my butt exposed for half a block!”

Ding Ji laughed so hard that he almost choked, “No, really, I’m surprised you believed that too.”

“I’m just fearless, otherwise, I would’ve stopped hanging out with you long ago,” Liu Jinpeng retorted.

“Well, you can’t say that. This shows you have an exploratory spirit,” Ding Ji put his arm around his shoulder. “You don’t blindly follow; you must try it yourself before deciding whether to believe it or not, right?”

• I’m out, just gonna grab a bite first

“Yeah, sure, I proved that speed had nothing to do with resistance by running half a street with my butt exposed,” Liu Jinpeng sighed, then glared at him again. “Who are you chatting with?”

“Lin Wuyu,” Ding Ji said. “I’ve been comparing answers with him these past two days to see who made fewer mistakes.”

• Don’t eat by yourself, come eat at my grandma’s place

“Who made fewer mistakes?” Liu Jinpeng asked. “He couldn’t have made more mistakes than you, right?”

• Where are you

“Get lost!” Ding Ji glared at him too.

Liu Jinpeng’s question was cruel and sharp. He had compared answers with Lin Wuyu in Chinese and part of the integrated science, and then gave up. While it didn’t affect his mood, he was sure Lin Wuyu’s score in Chinese and integrated science should be higher than his.

After leaving the exam hall, many classmates were planning to return to school together. The exam was over, and at this moment, most people didn’t care about how well or poorly they did, or deliberately ignored it. They suddenly realized that they hadn’t spent much time with their classmates throughout the year, and after the college entrance exam was over, they would all go their separate ways. Many of them might never see each other again after this summer vacation.

A strong sense of reluctance arose.

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Old Lin was looking around in the crowd.

Lin Wuyu had just chatted briefly with Xu Tianbo when he saw Old Lin. He knew that Old Lin was looking for him, so he raised his hand to wave.

Old Lin acted as if he was blind. His gaze passed over Lin Wuyu’s face and went elsewhere.

“I’m going back now,” Xu Tianbo said. “Chen Mang and the others are having a gathering these days. Leave some time to join us.”

“Don’t worry,” Lin Wuyu smiled and patted his arm.

Xu Tianbo’s family sent a minibus to pick him up. When the car door opened, Lin Wuyu saw a bunch of people inside, as if welcoming a god descending to earth. Xu Tianbo hesitated for a moment as if he wanted to refuse to get in the car, but the next second, his dad dragged him in.

Lin Wuyu couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yoooo! Yu!” Chen Mang spotted him and squeezed through. “Are you going back to school later?”

“No,” Lin Wuyu said. “I’m going to have dinner with a friend.”

“Okay, we’re having a gathering sometime soon. Xu Tianbo is going on a trip in a couple of days, so we’re getting together before that,” Chen Mang said. “You should answer calls and check WeChat more often. It’s hard to reach you otherwise.”

“Got it,” Lin Wuyu smiled.

Finally, Old Lin spotted him and squeezed through, pulling him to the side. “Aren’t you going back to school?” Old Lin asked.

“No, I’m not,” Lin Wuyu said.

“Before the exam, the admissions office called both your and Xu Tianbo’s families several times,” Old Lin said. “After the scores come out, they might even visit you in person for an interview. Do you want to hear about all the attractive offers? Even I’m tempted to go…”

“You’re the one who repeated a year and ended up at the provincial university, right? I doubt I can get in,” Lin Wuyu said. “I need to have some fun first, and once I decide on something, I usually stick with it.”

“Alright, you’re ruthless,” Old Lin clutched his chest with a sorrowful expression, but he didn’t forget to give some instructions. “Let me know about any updates, call me and keep in touch. If you’re considering any changes, discuss them with me. If you don’t discuss it with others, that’s fine, but discuss it with me.”

“Okay,” Lin Wuyu hugged Old Lin and patted his back. “Old Lin, thank you.”

“Do you know when you need to return to school?” Old Lin asked.

“Yeah…I know,” Lin Wuyu sighed with a bit of helplessness. “Why are you acting like an old woman?”

“What can I do?” Old Lin grumbled. “I worry so much for you guys. I don’t have any children of my own, and I’ve sent off groups of students from the school one after another…”

“I’m leaving,” Lin Wuyu pushed him away.

“Stay in touch!” Old Lin pointed at him with a smile.

After Lin Wuyu turned around, he waved to him.

How could Ding Ji be a top student?

When Lin Wuyu met him at the street corner on a shared bicycle, Ding Ji was sitting on a beat-up electric scooter, playing with his phone, and there was a trash can less than a meter away from him.

His aura perfectly blended with the street, and he looked like the type of person you wouldn’t dare to look at more than once, or he’d come up and beat you.

“Do you have rhinitis?” Lin Wuyu walked over, reached out, and shook his phone, parking the shared bicycle.

“Huh?” Ding Ji looked up, smiling happily. “I was wondering why it took you so long. You’re pretty rich; couldn’t you call a car or take a motorcycle? Motorcycles can go on this road.”

“I’m making a contribution to the environment,” Lin Wuyu said, pulling him up by the arm. “Do you have no sense of smell?”

“What’s wrong?” Ding Ji asked.

“Why aren’t you sitting on the trash can while playing?” Lin Wuyu said.

“You’re too picky,” Ding Ji clicked his tongue. “So where should I sit? There’s only one bike here.”

“Let’s go,” Lin Wuyu checked the time. “Do you have time to accompany me back…”

“Your place?” Ding Ji paused. “Are you moving again?”

“I need to get something,” Lin Wuyu said. “Or you can go back first, and I’ll contact you after I’ve got everything.”

“That’s not very nice,” Ding Ji put his phone in his pocket. “Let’s go then, get what you need first; I eat dinner late at home anyway.”

This trip back home was a bit urgent; Lin Wuyu wanted to get everything done before his parents finished work. He could do without autumn and winter clothes; he could buy them later. The main thing was to take his drone. It was a new machine he bought last year, and he hadn’t flown it much yet.

As for the situation with the college entrance examination, he felt there was no need to report anything to his family again; they probably weren’t interested in hearing about it. Even if the top university in the universe called and offered favourable conditions to recruit him, it wouldn’t change anything. After all, no matter how outstanding he was, his parents would never acknowledge it. In their hearts, he could never surpass Lin Zhan.

So, there was no point in discussing it further.

When Lin Wuyu walked downstairs, he looked up first.

“Are your parents home?” Ding Ji asked, “Are you officially going home to get things or sneaking in to get things?”

Lin Wuyu hesitated for a moment, “Sneaking.”

“Alright,” Ding Ji nodded.

“They haven’t finished work yet,” Lin Wuyu said. “They’ll be back around six or seven.”

“That’s fine,” Ding Ji breathed a sigh of relief. “Otherwise, I’d have to make small talk, which would be awkward.”

Lin Wuyu glanced at him, “Are you really afraid of making small talk with people?”

“Mainly, my first impression of your parents wasn’t great,” Ding Ji said. “So, I really don’t want to make small talk with them.”

Lin Wuyu smiled.

However, the moment Lin Wuyu turned the key, he realized he had made a misjudgment.

The door wasn’t locked; someone was home.

“They seem to be home,” Lin Wuyu whispered, pushing open the door.

“What?” Ding Ji immediately became nervous.

Although he was just here to help Lin Wuyu get some things, it felt like he had returned to his elementary school days, skipping class with a few kids to play at a classmate’s house, only to find the house, which should have been empty, filled with the parents of the classmate.

Ding Ji followed Lin Wuyu into the house and cleared his throat in advance, making it easier to greet them with a polite and smooth tone.

Indeed, there were people in the house, two of them. Both his parents were home.

Seeing them suddenly enter, Lin Wuyu’s parents were clearly surprised, and they didn’t speak for several seconds as they looked at them.

“I’m here to get some things,” Lin Wuyu pointed to his room.

“Oh,” Lin Wuyu’s mom nodded.

“Hello, Uncle, and Aunt,” Ding Ji greeted very politely and even smiled.

Lin Wuyu’s parents didn’t seem as friendly on the surface as his own parents; there was a sternness hidden beneath their smiles.

It was evident that they were surprised when Lin Wuyu came home, but other than that, they didn’t show any other emotions.

“This is my friend,” Lin Wuyu introduced Ding Ji in a perfunctory manner.

“Just here to get some things?” Lin Wuyu’s dad said. “Didn’t Teacher Lin tell you that many schools have called in the last few days?”

“He did,” Lin Wuyu entered the bedroom. “But I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Ding Ji immediately realized that Lin Wuyu was avoiding a confrontation. With the arrogant personality of a top student, he probably knew what he wanted to study and which school to apply to since middle school…

Ding Ji quickly followed into the bedroom, “What do you want me to pack?”

“Help me grab a couple of thick coats from the wardrobe,” Lin Wuyu took out a wheeled suitcase from under the bed. It was obviously not an ordinary suitcase, but a high-end one. “I just need to pack the drone.”

“Okay,” Ding Ji nodded.

When he reached out to open the wardrobe door, he looked back at the door and saw Lin Wuyu’s mom standing there.

Ding Ji suddenly felt a bit awkward.

Lin Wuyu had several wardrobes in his bedroom, each separated by seasons. Without asking, Ding Ji accurately found the door of the thick coats… It was as if he was telling Lin Wuyu’s parents that he was their son’s accomplice in running away from home.

Lin Wuyu’s mom frowned slightly.

However, what she said next caught Ding Ji off guard. He didn’t expect her thinking to be on a completely different level from his own.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Lin Wuyu’s mom asked.

“Huh?” Lin Wuyu was also surprised and quickly turned around, “No.”

“You seem very familiar with his room,” Lin Wuyu’s mom wore a very standard sarcastic smile.

Lin Wuyu glanced at Ding Ji, probably confirming how his mom came up with this relationship.

Ding Ji made eye contact with him for 0.5 seconds, taking his hand off the wardrobe door, a hint to Lin Wuyu.

“He helped me with my luggage last time,” Lin Wuyu said, then turned around and opened the cabinet where he stored the drone, starting to pack.

Brother! Can you please get the clothes yourself?

It’s fine if you want to get them together with me!

You’re making me feel really awkward!

Ding Ji glared at the back of Lin Wuyu’s head, but Lin Wuyu didn’t turn around. After hesitating for two seconds, he reluctantly opened the wardrobe door and randomly pulled out two thicker coats.

One was a short woollen coat, and the other was a sporty zip-up hoodie.

The styles were very different.

He looked back into the wardrobe.

Oh, the top student also has a leather jacket, quite cool.

As he was about to reach for the leather jacket, Lin Wuyu’s mom spoke again, “It seems you are determined to stick to one path.”

“Don’t bring this up today,” Lin Wuyu said while packing. “It’s unnecessary.”

“You’re so messed up!” Lin Wuyu’s mom frowned. “And you dare to come to our house! What are you trying to do by bringing someone here? This isn’t just your home; it’s our home too!”

“This is my friend,” Lin Wuyu turned to look at her. “Don’t vent your emotions towards my friend.”

“What emotions does your mom have towards you?” Lin Wuyu’s dad walked over and pulled his wife away. “You look at us with prejudice, so of course, you think we have emotions.”

“Even if I have emotions, it’s normal,” Lin Wuyu’s mom said. “I am extremely disappointed in you. You do something like this, and you don’t expect me to have emotions?”

Ding Ji glanced at Lin Wuyu. He had never seen such an expression on Lin Wuyu’s face before. Except for anger, it seemed like there were all kinds of emotions. But precisely because there was no anger, it made him particularly uneasy. Perhaps Lin Wuyu had absorbed all the anger himself.

Ding Ji felt like he was now as angry as a bursting beef ball, about to explode… quite tasty, he would order it every time he had supper…

“Even if there are emotions, it’s still rude of you,” Ding Ji criticized. “To be calling your son a pervert and expressing disappointment in front of an outsider like me. It’s your family matter, so why argue in front of me?”

After saying this, Ding Ji felt like all his pores were open, unable to tell whether it was excitement or agitation.

However, according to his plan, Lin Wuyu should have stopped him at this point, pushed his parents away, closed the door, and then they could finish packing and leave.

But this cold-hearted person, Lin Wuyu, surprisingly said nothing, just standing by the side, hugging his arms and looking at him.

???

Ding Ji glanced at him, and Lin Wuyu met his gaze expressionlessly, without any hint in his eyes.

“That’s right,” Lin Wuyu’s mom looked at him. “We shouldn’t have argued in front of an outsider, but the situation was caused by you…”

“Auntie,” Ding Ji interrupted her, “I have to remind you that the situation wasn’t caused by me. The reason for the matter is that you think Lin Wuyu is a pervert for being homosexual, and that has nothing to do with me. Anyone else would get the same result.”

Lin Wuyu turned his head slightly to the side.

Ding Ji felt shocked as he sensed that he seemed to be laughing.

“We go back to the point about outsiders,” Ding Ji didn’t have time to analyze Lin Wuyu; he was stuck in this situation, and unless he finished speaking, he couldn’t find a way out. “If you’re sure that I am Lin Wuyu’s boyfriend, and this argument started because of that, then I’m not an outsider. Auntie, I am Lin Wuyu’s boyfriend, we are together, even though we can’t get legally married. If we could, then we would be a family.”

Lin Wuyu turned his head back sharply.

Lin Wuyu’s parents were also extremely shocked, staring at him together, their mouths half open, unable to speak for a while.

“What’s so offensive about being gay to you?” Ding Ji asked. “If you can’t see how excellent Lin Wuyu is, or if you refuse to acknowledge it, that’s one thing. But he’s just an outstanding top student who happens to like guys. How does that make him a pervert? What unique understanding of perversion do you have? Or is it that you can’t understand what’s different?”

“Ding Ji,” Lin Wuyu finally spoke.

“Uncle and Auntie,” Ding Ji quickly continued, “I apologize if I offended you. Because of my upbringing and the people I’ve been in contact with, I don’t use sexual orientation as a criterion to judge whether a person is excellent or perverted.”

Before Lin Wuyu’s parents could say anything else, he walked over and closed the door, saying to the outside, “I’ll be done packing soon.”

As the door closed, Ding Ji suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, sitting on the edge of the bed and calming himself for a while before whispering, “I… Jesus.”

Lin Wuyu didn’t speak, he walked over and stood in front of Ding Ji.

“Why didn’t you stop me from the beginning, bro?” Ding Ji looked up at him. “You really aren’t afraid of stirring up trouble.”

Lin Wuyu smiled, “I just wanted to hear what you had to say.”

“Can’t you guess what I wanted to say?” Ding Ji lowered his voice. “You know my personality; if I get carried away, it’s not impossible for me to say we should ask for your parents’ approval for this marriage!”

Lin Wuyu burst into laughter, took two steps back, leaning against the desk, and laughed so hard that the table lamp on the desk shook.