Translator: StormFrost

  Illusory Reality [9]

  Chen Liguo would only go home once a week during the second semester of his third year. The rest of the days he would live and eat together with Zhou Yi.

  Of course, Chen Liguo's mother also gave him living expenses and told him that if he wasn't accustomed to living at Zhou Yi's place he could come back.

  Chen Liguo said, "It's fine. It's very good. Zhou Yi can supervise my studying with me living with him."

  His mother said, "It's good that you two can watch each other. If not for your grades rising I'd be afraid that you're running off with Zhou Yi to play."

  Chen Liguo grumbled, "Zhou Yi that weirdo watches me study day in and day out. Even when I'm using the washroom he wants me to memorize words."

  His mother knocked him on the head and said, "When you get into a good school later you'll thank him ah."

  Chen Liguo said that was for sure. He would immediately pledge his heart to Zhou Yi after getting into university.

  Although the pressure of being in third year was immense, Zhou Yi did not show the least bit of nervosity.

  He continued to calmly get first place in their grade and coolly helped Chen Liguo with supplementary lessons.

  Chen Liguo managed to break a personal record on the second mock test and actually got into the top 30 of their grade. Zhou Yi said that as long as he could keep this up, getting into university A would be no sweat.

  Chen Liguo said to the system who had gotten this result, "Dad, look, your daughter-in-law is praising you."

  The system said, "Oh, indifferent."

  Chen Liguo: "……"

  Once the second mock exam was done, the university entrance exams began.

  The weather was exceptionally hot this June and on top of that there was no air conditioning in the examination halls. The overhead fan turned and turned, barely lowering the summer heat.

  Chen Liguo's seat was next to the wall.

  When the first Chinese examination paper was handed out Chen Liguo turned it over and first looked at the essay topic which was 《Pathway》. After looking at it Chen Liguo said, "I've already forgotten the contents of my original world's test."

  The system said, "I didn't expect you to remember."

  Chen Liguo said, "Dad, son's future happiness rests on your shoulders!"

  The system did not make a sound but Chen Liguo could imagine the look of disdain on its face.

  His body began to move on its own and Chen Liguo saw neat handwriting appear on the paper.

  After the first exam was finished Chen Liguo found Zhou Yi to eat. Zhou Yi asked him what food he wanted.

  Chen Liguo said, "It's so hot, let's have congee."

  Zhou Yi said, "Congee isn't filling. I'll ask auntie to make some cold noodles with shredded chicken and bring it over.

  Chen Liguo said, "Okay okay."

  The two directly went to a nearby hotel which was booked in advance. There the auntie had already prepared lunch. Because Zhou Yi was worried about them wasting time going back and forth during the exam he had booked a hotel near the examination hall in advance for Chen Liguo and him to eat and rest.

  The cold noodles with shredded chicken that the auntie made was very delicious. The handmade noodles were both soft and slippery. The chicken was sliced into thin strips and placed on top of the cold noodles. Shredded cucumber was pressed underneath everything. The congee was very delicious as well. Green beans were cooked with the rice grains, giving off a light fragrance. There were also fully flavored soy eggs in it. Even the egg yolk was dyed by the soy.

  Chen Liguo liked the lunch so much that he couldn't help but eat some more.

  Seeing this, Zhou Yi said, "You're just about done ah, don't eat too much."

  Chen Liguo took a sip of warm green bean congee and mumbled, "It's too delicious, I can't help it."

  Hearing this a hint of a smile appeared on Zhou Yi's face. He said, "Alright, when you are done with the exams I'll take you to eat good food."

  After eating Chen Liguo and Zhou Yi lay on one bed and began drifting off to sleep.

  Zhou Yi was on Chen Liguo's left side. His breathing quickly evened out, seemingly having fallen into a shallow sleep.

  Chen Liguo also drifted into sleep.

  After half an hour of sleep Zhou Yi woke Chen Liguo up. He said, "Chen Liguo, get up. Go wash your face and sober up."

  Chen Liguo obediently went to wash his face.

  "Jiayou in the afternoon." Mathematics was Chen Liguo's, no, the system's strong point. Zhou Yi wasn't worried. He said, "It's enough to display your usual level. Don't be nervous."

  Chen Liguo said that he wasn't nervous.

  Zhou Yi retorted, "If you're not nervous then why is your face so red?"

  Chen Liguo didn't make a sound. He thought, 'Isn't it because you're too good looking? If you aren't so good looking would my face be this red?'

  After walking to the examination hall they said a few more words to each other before going their separate ways.

  Twenty minutes later Chen Liguo was handed his math exam.

  The system looked over the examination paper and said, "Math is pretty hard."

  Chen Liguo said, "Ai, I don't remember it too much anymore but it seemed to be very difficult." After so many worlds his memories of his original world were blurred and indistinct. He used all his strength to remember Zhou Yi' appearance and threw everything else to the back of his mind.

  The system said, "Start."

  Chen Liguo responded, "En."

  Math being too difficult was evidently a factor that affected many people. At least, in Chen Liguo's examination room there were some candidates who seemed to be very irritableand even began to grumble in low voices.

  Because of this the proctor even said a few words.

  Chen Liguo looked at the examination paper and felt that if he did this on his own he might be able to get 100 points at most. But the system was different, what the system had to worry about wasn't getting too poor of a result but scoring too high.

  When the ending bell rang Chen Liguo stood up, preparing to leave when he heard a girl break down and cry out, "How is it time already ah? I only finished one big problem ah! What do I do ah!!"

  The expressPons of the other students weren't good ePther. The problems were too dPffPcult and the gap would be wPde. Those good at math could get very hPgh scores. Those who were so-so and bad at math would all be reduced to a poPnt where they could not reach the end.

  In his original world Chen Liguo was able to steadily enter University A partially because of the blessing of a comparatively more difficult math question.

  After going out Zhou Yi asked Chen Liguo if he had finished the final big question.

  Chen Liguo said, "Didn't do it, do you want to check the answers?"

  Zhou Yi said, "No, doing so would impact our moods. Let's continue to give our all tomorrow."

  Chen Liguo said good good.

  After two days of intensive exams all the students seemed like they had shed a layer of skin.

  After the exams everyone gathered in a restaurant and the boys ordered several cases of wine.

  Chen Liguo remembered this gathering. He was able to recall it because he had said a few words to Zhou Yi back then. At that time he wasn't as popular as he was now. He sat in the corner and ate quietly as he watched the others laugh.

  Then Zhou Yi came over and asked him why he wasn't drinking. Chen Liguo remembered himself answering that he didn't know how to drink. Hearing his answer Zhou Yi had laughed and said, "Can't drink then I suppose don't drink. Drinking too much would harm the body too." Actually, Chen Liguo wasn't familiar with Zhou Yi at all at that time. They were schoolmates for three years but they hadn't spoken even a few words to each other. Chen Liguo had secretly looked at the dimple on Zhou Yi's pale skin and thought that this man was really good-looking and had a gentle smile. Then Zhou Yi was pulled away. Chen Liguo thought that that would be their last time talking. However, he didn't expect that fate would be so magical and later he would go to the same university as Zhou Yi and would even live with him.

  "What are you thinking about?" Zhou Yi's voice rang and Chen Liguo came to himself.

  Zhou Yi said helplessly, "Look, you're getting distracted again."

  In this world Chen Liguo was surrounded by his classmates.

  Someone toasted him. Another asked him to write in his yearbook. Someone else took a picture with him and yet another professed their love to him.

  Correct, another girl went to Chen Liguo to confess.

  The girl seemed to have drunk too much as well. With a red face she proclaimed loudly, "Chen Liguo, I like you!"

  Chen Liguo was a little stunned.

  The girl asked, "H-how do you plan on filling your university application?"

  Chen Liguo said, "I'm sorry……"

  "Don't say sorry!" The girl said, "Ah, I guess I can't go to the same school as you. Forget it, forget it, I'm satisfied with just being able to say it." The girl wiped away her tears.

  The crowd was kicking up a fuss. Chen Liguo turned to look at Zhou Yi in reflex.

  Zhou Yi was holding a glass of wine in his hand. Although he was smiling there was no smile in his eyes. When Chen Liguo met his gaze he inexplicably felt a bit guilty.

  Chen Liguo said, "I really am sorry, I have someone I like."

  The crowd became even noisier. Chen Liguo heard Zhou Yi ask lightly, "Who? How come I don't know who you like?"

  "That's right, you even concealed it from Zhou Yi so well." Some teammates from the basketball team said, "Chen Liguo, you're good ah."

  Chen Liguo smiled bashfully and said, "I'm not telling you guys."

  No matter how much trouble the others caused Chen Liguo did not say who it was that he liked. Thus he was fed a lot of wine until he became somewhat muddled.

  However, Chen Liguo wasn't worried because he knew that Zhou Yi would take him home.

  At around one and two in the morning everyone dispersed for the most part. Zhou Yi sent a few girls home before going back home with a drunk Chen Liguo who sat in the back seat.

  Chen Liguo's face was red, making him seem particularly cute. He was carried in Zhou Yi's arms as he mumbled that he didn't feel good.

  If it were the usual Zhou Yi he would probably coax him with a few words but today Zhou Yi did not. Although he was carrying Chen Liguo his expression was cold.

  After arriving at home the auntie made hangover soup and asked if she should give it to Chen Liguo.

  Zhou Yi said, "How about you go first. I'll give it to him in a bit."

  The auntie sensed that Zhou Yi's mood wasn't too good, so she tactfully left without delay.

  Zhou Yi put Chen Liguo on the bed and took off his dirty t-shirt.

  They had not played on the basketball court for almost a year now, so Chen Liguo's skin had turned pale once again. In another two months it would be Chen Liguo's eighteenth birthday. By that time this child would be completely grown up.

  Zhou Yi's gaze swept over Chen Liguo's body, his expression somewhat subtle.

  Chen Liguo opened his eyes in confusion, his gaze still unfocused. He called Zhou Yi.

  Zhou Yi asked, "Chen Liguo, who is the person you like?"

  Chen Liguo didn't make a sound.

  Zhou Yi reached out and pinched Chen Liguo's nose. He said, "Say something."

  Chen Liguo's breathing was unsteady. He exposed a pitiful expression and mumbled, "Don't, don't pinch."

  Zhou Yi asked, "Who do you like?" This little child had been living with him for nearly a year and even returned to his family only a few times. He really hadn't thought that this little child could like some girl. Was it the class representative that often urged him to do his homework? Or the one who sat behind him and liked to talk to him? Or was it a junior student?

  The more Zhou Yi thought about it the more agitated he became.

  Chen Liguo managed to break free from Zhou Yi's hand with difficulty. He said, "I don't feel well……"

  Zhou Yi was expressionless.

  Chen Liguo acted cute again. He said, "I really don't feel well. Zhou Yiyi, I……"

  Zhou Yi didn't let Chen Liguo continue. He pressed down on Chen Liguo's lips with his finger then reached in a little and touched Chen Liguo's moist tongue.

  Chen Liguo blankly licked Zhou Yi's finger.

  Zhou Yi's expression darkened. He said, "Chen Liguo, answer me properly."

  However, what would a drunk know? Chen Liguo felt even more uncomfortablefrom Zhou Yi's disturbance, so he let out a few wronged groans.

  "Who do you like?"

  In the end Chen Liguo still answered Zhou Yi. Wronged he said in a very quiet voice, "Zhou Yi, like Zhou Yi."

  Hearing this, Zhou Yi's expression finally eased up. He said, "Good." Then he leaned over and dropped a gentle kiss on Chen Liguo's red lips.

  Chen Liguo who had already fallen half asleep didn't realize that his knight had kissed him.

  When Chen Liguo got up the next day, he felt like his head was going to explode. He let out several ouch ouches, and staggered out the door.

  Zhou Yi was in the middle of watching TV in the living room. He said, "Woken up?"

  "Can't go on. Head hurts. Hurts a lot." Chen Liguo said while nursing his head. "Feels so bad."

  Zhou Yi said, "Who told you to drink so much." After he kissed Chen Liguo he forgot to give him the hangover soup and left. This was probably the reason why Chen Liguo felt so much pain.

  However, Zhou Yi didn't plan on explaining. Who told Chen Liguo to say that there was someone he liked yesterday?

  Chen Liguo said, "Didn't you drink a lot too? How come you didn't get drunk ah." He still remembered Zhou Yi's drinking capacity. Could it be he remembered wrong?

  Zhou Yi said, "I can't get drunk."

  Chen Liguo: "Ah?"

  Zhou Yi said, "To this age I've never once gotten drunk. There is hangover soup and rice on the table, I asked the auntie to warm them for you."

  Chen Liguo said, "Oh……" He went to wash his face and rinse his mouth then sat on the tablelike a little rabbit with droopy ears.

  After he drank a bowl of hangover soup the system said to Chen Liguo, "You were kissed by Zhou Yi yesterday."

  Chen Liguo almost spat out all the soup.

  Chen Liguo asked, "Really???"

  The system said, "That's right."

  Chen Liguo said, "I kissed Zhou Yi in my drunken madness?" No wonder Zhou Yi's attitude was so strange today.

  The system said, "No, it was Zhou Yi who took the initiative to kiss you."

  Those two words echoed continuously in Chen Liguo's mind: Kiss you, kiss you, kiss you.

  Chen Liguo asked, "Are you sure?? You didn't see wrong??"

  The system said, "Believe it or not."

  Chen Liguo finally believed it and countless pink bubbles instantly floated out from his heart. He thought, Zhou Yi kissed him ya, how happy ah, how happy ah, happy ah, ah.

  Chen Liguo heavily bit down on a bun and said, "I didn't expect that my first kiss in this world would be Zhou Yi. It's really too wonderful……"

  The system asked, "Who was your first kiss in your original world?"

  Chen Liguo was silent for three seconds then said with difficulty, "Didn't kiss yet."

  System: "……"

  Chen Liguo cried, "Don't not speak ah."

  The system said, "If you work a bit harder you could become a wizard, the highest ranked kind."

  Legend was that those who didn't lose their virginity by the age of 30 could become wizards. Chen Liguo felt that he had the potential to become a great sage.

  However, the system's next words destroyed Chen Liguo's pink world. It said, "Your first kiss wasn't Zhou Yi ah."

  Chen Liguo was confused and asked, "Then who was?"

  The system said, "Didn't Lin Zhaorong kidnap you once before?"

  Chen Liguo asked, "Ah?"

  The system said, "He kissed you."

  Chen Liguo fell into a confounding silence.

  A long time later, Chen Liguo voiced a sentence, "So, I was kissed by Lin Zhaorong?"

  The system said, "That's right."

  Chen Liguo simply wanted to cry aloud. He said, "My pure body has been tarnished like so. Lin Zhaorong really is a bastard, I hate him, I hate him!!!"

  The system ignored Chen Liguo and let him continue playing.

  Zhou Yi saw that Chen Liguo's expression could still be so wonderful while eating a meal and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

  Chen Liguo whose thoughts were in a place of great grief was called by Zhou Yi and choked on the food in his mouth.

  "Cough cough cough." Chen Liguo coughed heavily, his face turning red.

  Zhou Yi walked over and patted his back, saying helplessly, "You."

  Chen Liguo drank water and coughed for a while before he recovered. He gasped for breath and changed the topic. "□□ has come out right? Did you get the answer right?"

  Zhou Yi said, "Not yet, what's the rush?"

  Chen Liguo said, "Alright, let's check together later?"

  Zhou Yi said, "Alright."

  Chen Liguo absentmindedly finished eating his meal. His mind was filled with the system's story on how Lin Zhaorong had taken his first kiss. On the bright side, Lin Zhaorong had only taken his first kiss……


  Zhou Yi had already sent someone to buy today's newspaper. It not only had the university entrance examination questions from yesterday but the answers as well. With the newspaper in hand he walked up to Chen Liguo and said, "Let's look it over together."

  So the two started checking the answers together.

  It had to be said that Chen Liguo quite liked to check answers like this because it felt like buying lottery tickets. It was very exciting.

  The two first checked English. Afterwards, Zhou Yi asked Chen Liguo how it was.

  Chen Liguo said, "About 130."

  Zhou Yi asked, "So confident?"

  Chen Liguo said, "That's right." He was confident in the system.

  Zhou Yi said, "Not bad."

  Chen Liguo asked, "What about you?"

  Zhou Yi said, "I don't know. It depends on how many points are deducted from the essay."

  Chen Liguo: "……" Indeed. Generally, so long as there were precise answers Zhou Yi would score full points. He wasn't much worse off with questions that had no precise answer either.

  After checking Chen Liguo's worst subject, which was English, there seemed to be nothing left to be nervous about.

  This year's math questions were really hard. Even Zhou Yi made a mistake on a big problem and a multiple choice problem.

  Chen Liguo asked the system how many points it scored.

  The system said, "I messed up."

  Chen Liguo asked, "Ah?"

  The system said, "I actually only did the last problem wrong."

  Chen Liguo: "……"

  The system said, "It's over Chen Liguo, you're going to be a chicken in a flock of cranes."

  Chen Liguo was alarmed by the system's proficiency in idioms. It could actually create such a thing as a 'chicken in a flock of cranes."

  The chicken in the flock of cranes Chen Liguo finished checking the answers to the other subjects. His final estimate for his score was close to 700. With 680 and above Chen Liguo was set to enter University A regardless of what the minimum passing score was.

  Zhou Yi also performed how he usually did. If there were no accidents they certainly would not be separated.

  Chen Liguo's mother also called to ask him how he did. Because she feared that the child would be nervous she didn't dare call Chen Liguo before the exam. However, since the exam was done she thought she'd stiffle herself to death if she didn't ask anymore.

  Chen Liguo said, "Not too bad. University A won't be a problem."

  His mother asked, "What? University A? A school affiliated with University A?"

  Chen Liguo: "……"

  His mother said, "A school affiliated with University A is also good. You don't need to feel pressured. If it really isn't fine you can redo it."

  Chen Liguo said, "Mom, it's University A, not a school affiliated with University A……."

  His mother asked, "University A? Are you talking nonsense or am I dreaming."

  Chen Liguo had nothing to say to his mother.

  Finally, with much difficulty, he managed to convince his mother that her son hadn't tested himself into a fool. He used up an entire conversation.

  When Chen Liguo was on his phone Zhou Yi stood to the side looking at him with a smile. It wasn't until Chen Liguo hung up with a sigh that he asked, "Your mother doesn't believe it?"

  Chen Liguo glanced at him and said, "That's right, it wasn't easy to make her believe it——From her tone she's practically taken you as my second parent."

  Zhou Yi laughed.

  After the exams Chen Liguo relaxed. Apart from the fact that his first kiss was taken by Lin Zhaorong, which made Chen Liguo a little unhappy, everything else was perfect.

  Zhou Yi asked Chen Liguo how he planned on spending summer vacation.

  Chen Liguo said, "I don't know either."

  Zhou Yi asked, "Play abroad with me?"

  Chen Liguo said, "But I don't have a passport."

  Zhou Yi said, "It's fine, I'll get one for you."

  Chen Liguo said, "Then that's fine. I'll leave everything to you."

  In the dozen of days before the release of the grades Chen Liguo lived a decadent life. Every day he slept until past ten before getting up. Moreover, it was Zhou Yi forcing him out of bed.

  The news reported that the math exam for their province was way out of the scope of the syllabus and that just passing was already a good grade. Chen Liguo really admired Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi had actually scored about the same as the system, exceeding the average.

  On the day the results came out Chen Liguo was a little nervous. On the other hand Zhou Yi had a calm expression the entire time. After seeing the results he said, "It's about the same as I guessed." 698, he was two points off from 700.

  Chen Liguo had three points less than Zhou Yi, 695, a very stablescore to enter University A.

  "We can go to the same university." Chen Liguo's eyes narrowed with laughter. "I had been wondering what I should do if I didn't pass the mark."

  Zhou Yi glanced at Chen Liguo and said, "Even if you didn't I still have ways to get you in."

  Chen Liguo asked, "Really?"

  Zhou Yi rubbed his head and lightly said, "Of course." No one can separate you from me.

  Chen Liguo showed a foolish smile.

  Going to end lalala. Haven't begged for nutrient fluid for a long time, begging for a wage lueluelue, begging to be irrigated lululu.

  Thank you darlings for the mines, grenades, and rockets. Special thanks to dear Xiaozhuzi for the deep-water torpedo. Baby you've thrown for so many days now, you've gone to an expense!! Thank you!!

  StormFrost: I am amazed by their ability to remember, when I finish exams I hardly remember what I even answered when comparing answers with my friends after