DXXZL - 70

The rain from the previous day had left the garden beneath the hospital damp, and the cold air carried the scent of earth. Lu Ji glanced down at Lin Jiayu, who shivered in the chill, and frowned: “What couldn’t you say upstairs? Why come down here to freeze?”

Lin Jiayu looked at Lu Ji. In his youth, he had been radiant and admired by all, and even now, he remained striking. But Lin Jiayu couldn’t help but feel that he no longer possessed the same youthful vigor. There was a shadow in his eyes, a heaviness that hadn’t been there before.

In his youth, Lu Ji had loved Zhu Xingyao. His personality was the complete opposite of Jiang Tu’s, but they shared one thing in common: both were fiercely proud. When everyone mistakenly believed that Lu Ji had made the star-shaped lanterns, he hadn’t denied it right away. Whether it was due to being blinded by love or selfishness, when Zhu Xingyao wrote back agreeing to his confession, he chose to remain silent.

By the time the star-shaped lanterns and Lu Ji became legendary tales of the campus, the truth—that it wasn’t him—had long been buried deep within him, impossible to reveal.

Sometimes, Lin Jiayu wondered: If Lu Ji had confessed everything to Zhu Xingyao early on, if they hadn’t been together, and if those secrets hadn’t weighed on him for years, would he have lived a much freer, more carefree life?

“Lu Ji, have you really moved on?” Lin Jiayu suddenly asked.

Lu Ji paused, looking ahead with a faint smile: “There’s nothing to move on from.”

Lin Jiayu didn’t fully understand what he meant. After a moment of thought, she pressed further: “If, I mean if , the rumors about the ten-year-old high-rise post—the most romantic tale of our school—are revealed to be false, would you be angry? Or unable to accept it?”

Lu Ji turned to look at her: “What are you trying to say?”

“I…” Lin Jiayu hesitated, then rushed out: “I wrote a book in college called Waiting for the Stars . The prototypes are Zhu Xingyao, Jiang Tu, and you—or rather, all of us. After Jiang Tu went abroad, I locked it away. Some things happened after the school anniversary, and now the fans have dug it up. It’s possible everyone will know soon.” Her words came faster as she spoke, afraid of being interrupted or losing her nerve. Finally, she trailed off: “You…”

Lu Ji fell silent for a while, then smirked: “What about me? Are you so nervous because you’re afraid I’ll hit you or yell at you?”

Lin Jiayu: “….”

After a long silence, Lu Ji spoke in a calm tone: “Write whatever you want in your book. Those things… weren’t mine to begin with. Living forever in someone else’s story as a side character isn’t exactly pleasant either.” He looked down at her. “Are a lot of people reading this book?”

Lin Jiayu blinked, then nodded.

Lu Ji lowered his gaze. For a brief moment, he recalled seeing Jiang Tu holding Zhu Xingyao earlier, lost in thought. But he quickly regained his composure: “Then put in some effort. Make sure the new book sells well so everyone knows the truth behind the misunderstandings.”

Lu Ji turned and walked back upstairs. Lin Jiayu stood still, staring at his retreating figure.

She couldn’t tell whether he was joking or truly ready to set everything straight—to let go completely. Lu Ji was Lu Ji, and Jiang Tu was Jiang Tu.

When Lu Ji returned to the ward, he received a message from Lin Jiayu: “Are you really not afraid? A lot of people might criticize you.”

“That girl earlier—she’s just your classmate, right?” Lu Ji’s grandfather leaned against his hospital bed, smiling brightly. “She looks refined and pretty. If she doesn’t have a boyfriend, why don’t you give it a try?”

“Grandpa, what are you thinking?” Lu Ji chuckled.

Lu Ji’s grandfather sighed: “Are you still hung up on that Zhu Xingyao girl? You pursued her so passionately back then—it must be hard to forget after breaking up…”

“Grandpa,” Lu Ji interrupted, shaking his head in exasperation. “There was some misunderstanding back then. I didn’t pursue her as hard as you think.”

“What misunderstanding?” the grandfather pressed.

Lu Ji lowered his head and replied to Lin Jiayu’s message: “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

He poured a glass of water for his grandfather, sat by the bedside, and smiled: “Grandpa, let me tell you a story.”

________________________________________

After leaving the hospital, Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao got into Lao Liu’s car. Neither of them had slept much throughout the night. Jiang Tu let Zhu Xingyao lean against him and murmured: “Sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Zhu Xingyao tilted her head to look at him: “Let Lao Liu take you first.”

Jiang Tu looked down at her: “No need.”

“Then I’ll go with you. You can take me home later tonight.” Zhu Xingyao wrapped her arms around his waist and turned to the front. “Uncle Liu, take us to Jiang Tu’s place.”

Lao Liu cleared his throat: “Alright.”

Jiang Tu paused. Zhu Xingyao had already closed her eyes as the car began to move. She softly asked: “Tu Ge, back in high school, did it hurt to see me with Lu Ji?”

Jiang Tu was momentarily stunned. Resting his chin on her head, he gave a low hum of affirmation, then added: “That’s why I reported it.”

Zhu Xingyao fell silent, then asked: “And now? Does it still hurt?”

“Now?” Jiang Tu kissed her hair and whispered: “Now I have you.”

Zhu Xingyao pressed her hand against his chest and tilted her head to kiss his jaw.

Jiang Tu grasped her hand, holding it tightly.

The house felt cold and unused after several days of being unoccupied.

Jiang Tu turned on the air conditioner in the master bedroom. Zhu Xingyao climbed into bed and muttered: “It’s so cold.”

He pulled back the covers and hugged her from behind. His body warmth enveloped her, and soon she felt cozy. With a contented sigh, she mumbled drowsily before falling asleep: “You’re warmer than a hot water bottle.”

Jiang Tu chuckled softly. Relaxing both physically and mentally, he drifted off to sleep with her in his arms.

________________________________________

At around six in the evening, the sky outside was dim. When Zhu Xingyao woke up, Jiang Tu was no longer beside her.

She slipped on her slippers and stepped out of the room.

The smell of cooking wafted from the kitchen. She walked into the dining area and saw two dishes already laid out on the table. Jiang Tu, wearing a black sweater, stood with his back to her, cooking. Zhu Xingyao approached and hugged him from behind: “Wow, it smells so good!”

Jiang Tu tightened his grip on her slender wrist, turning to look at her: “Hungry?”

Zhu Xingyao replied: “Starving.”

He finished the last dish and turned off the stove.

They sat across from each other, and Zhu Xingyao eagerly tasted a piece of ribs, looking up at him happily: “Delicious! Even better than my mom’s cooking.”

Jiang Tu smiled faintly, then said unexpectedly: “Your mom called earlier. I answered.”

Zhu Xingyao blinked: “Tu Ge, I’m starting to think you’re fearless. You dared to answer my dad’s call when we were at my house, and now you’ve brought me home and answered my mom’s call too.” Noticing Jiang Tu stiffen slightly, she couldn’t help but laugh. “What did my mom say?”

Jiang Tu raised his eyes to meet hers: “She invited me to dinner at your house next time.”

Zhu Xingyao was taken aback: “Really?”

A corner of Jiang Tu’s lips curved upward. For a fleeting moment, Zhu Xingyao noticed a newfound confidence in his expression—something he hadn’t possessed in his youth. She thought it might be the result of those love letters. Her parents were beginning to understand and accept her boyfriend.

After dinner, Jiang Tu called Ding Xiang’s wife.

She tearfully thanked him: “There haven’t been any complications. He should wake up tomorrow. You won’t be able to visit him in the ICU, but once he’s transferred to a regular ward, I’ll let you know so you can come see him.”

Jiang Tu ended the call, preparing to send Zhu Xingyao home when the class WeChat group suddenly exploded with messages.

Someone posted a screenshot from Weibo.

The third trending topic on the热搜 (hot search) list: #The Prototype of Waiting for the Stars is Zhu Xingyao#

“Check out the trending topics! OMG, absolutely shocking! Lin Jiayu from Class 2 wrote a book called Waiting for the Stars , and now the prototype has been exposed! Turns out the star-shaped lanterns weren’t made by Lu Ji—they were made by Jiang Tu! And there are so many other mind-blowing details!”

“Jinjiang locked the novel, so I went to a pirated site to read it. Apparently, Jiang Tu has been secretly in love with Zhu Xingyao since freshman year.”

“It seems… they’re together now. I scrolled through Jiang Lu’s old livestreams—he mentioned ‘my brother and sister-in-law.’”

Private messages flooded in to Li Xixi, Zhu Xingyao, and even Jiang Tu himself.

Jiang Tu glanced at the notifications, his brows furrowing.

What is Waiting for the Stars ? He knew Lin Jiayu wrote novels, but he had never read them.

He quickly skimmed through the posts and pieced together what was happening. His expression darkened immediately.

Zhu Xingyao held her phone, with Lin Jiayu frantically messaging her for help. Sitting on the couch, she looked up at him. Seeing that her expression remained calm, Jiang Tu narrowed his eyes: “You knew?”

“Mm…” Zhu Xingyao set her phone down and took his hand. “I learned everything about you from Jiayu’s book. Don’t scold her. Back then, she just wanted to document the story, and she never expected it to blow up like this. Besides, it was only a matter of time. Remember the thread about the high-rise at First High? Plus, I’m a public figure, Xixi is too, and so is Jiang Lu… Jiayu sold the copyright, and because of my connection with Xixi, her work gained wider attention. She’s terrified you’ll be mad at her.”

Jiang Tu’s jaw tightened. It was clear he was genuinely displeased.

Zhu Xingyao wrapped her arms around his neck, coquettishly coaxing him: “Even if you scold her, it won’t change anything.”

Jiang Tu took a deep breath, restraining himself: “What exactly did she write?”

Zhu Xingyao hesitated, then murmured: “Almost everything…”

Jiang Tu’s face hardened, and he remained silent.

Zhu Xingyao tiptoed and kissed his lips lightly.

Jiang Tu lowered his lashes, his dark eyes gazing at her.

Her lashes fluttered, and she leaned in again, kissing his jaw softly. “Tu Ge, have I ever told you how sexy your jawline is?” She’d thought so even in high school. Feeling bold, her cheeks flushed as she kissed his chin. “And here too.”

After a few seconds, all of Jiang Tu’s frustration melted into resignation. His Adam’s apple bobbed as she kissed him.

Soon, he gripped her waist and leaned down, returning her kiss fervently.

They collapsed onto the couch, Zhu Xingyao clinging tightly to Jiang Tu. His entire body felt feverish, and her breath hitched under the intensity of his kisses. She felt as though she were playing with fire, yet she couldn’t extinguish the flames between them.

Meanwhile, the class WeChat group continued to buzz about Waiting for the Stars . Screenshots of the plot flooded in, and someone eventually asked: “What’s going on with Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao? Are they really together?”

An hour later, Jiang Tu sent a message to the group: “We’ll invite everyone to our wedding banquet. Thank you.”