OHD Chapter 49: Extra 3

Chapter 49: Extra 3

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After military training, Zhou Kai finally found a part-time tutoring job, juggling it with his studies. He tutored a middle school boy for two hours, three times a week plus weekends, earning sixty yuan per hour.

His roommates were surprised that Zhou Kai, a freshman, was already working part-time, as they knew from meeting his parents that his family was well-off. In their eyes, Zhou Kai didn’t seem like someone who needed money.

Zhou Kai just smiled at their questions and said, “I guess I wanted to experience the hardships of the real world early.”

He didn’t tell his roommates that he had refused his parents’ allowance and was living off the five thousand yuan he had earned over the summer. He was working hard to support himself.

Similarly, Zhou Kai didn’t tell He Ye about his decision.

Zhou Kai’s parents initially disagreed with his decision. They couldn’t bear to see their son suffer. They still felt that Zhou Kai, as a college student, was a child who needed their care. Even though Zhou Kai’s father often talked about how Zhou Kai needed to learn to be independent, when Zhou Kai actually did so, his father couldn’t help but feel a heart-wrenching feeling of pity and reluctance.

In the end, Zhou Kai couldn’t argue with his father, so he accepted his father’s card, but he never touched the money in it.

Zhou Kai thought his parents had paid for his tuition and accommodation for his freshman year because he didn’t have enough money. But for the next few years, Zhou Kai hoped he could pay for it himself.

Zhou Kai made this decision to work together with He Ye. In different places, at the same time, they would work hard together. It was also so that when he introduced He Ye to his parents in the future, he would have enough confidence to support their love.

Although this decision was a bit sentimental, Zhou Kai still made it. The first step was the hardest, but once he took it, the rest would be easier.

When he was tired, sad, or wanted to give up, he would think of He Ye, and he would feel better. He would gather his courage, solve the problem, and move on with a smile.

His roommates described Zhou Kai as being both very close and very distant.

He was very close because he was kind and helpful to everyone. He never complained about others, and he never had conflicts with his classmates. He was so good that the girls were all vying to be his girlfriend.

He was very distant because he was more realistic than they were.

When they were skipping class, sleeping late, and playing games all night, Zhou Kai was getting up early, attending classes on time, and working part-time jobs. Occasionally, he would sigh and say, “Ugh, there’s not enough time.”

When they were discussing which girl was pretty and had a good figure and would be a good girlfriend, or which girl was gentle and kind and would be a good wife, Zhou Kai would be sitting on the side doing his homework or preparing his tutoring materials, seemingly out of place.

When one of them was rejected by a girl and was acting heartbroken, Zhou Kai would just smile lightly and shake his head, completely uninvolved, like a monk who had seen through the world and had no desires.

For half a year, then a year, and now almost two and a half years, Zhou Kai had been saying the same thing.

Many girls tried to pursue Zhou Kai through his roommates, but when the dorm head first asked him during their freshman year, Zhou Kai had clearly and honestly said, “I have a boyfriend. We’ve been dating since high school.”

The three roommates believed him at the time. After all, with Zhou Kai’s looks and personality, it was unlikely that he would be single.

But now, more than two years later, when Zhou Kai used the excuse of having a boyfriend to reject others’ advances, his roommates no longer believed him. They all thought he was just making excuses.

The dorm head was the first to say, “You have a boyfriend? Then why don’t I ever see you calling or video chatting with him? Don’t long-distance couples always talk on the phone every day?”

Zhou Kai blinked and smiled wryly, replying helplessly, “I can’t help it. He’s too busy. And I have called him. Didn’t I call him last month?”

The second roommate interjected, “Come on, that was last month? The call you made on the balcony? Was it even five minutes long? What could you possibly say in five minutes?”

Zhou Kai pursed his lips and thought to himself: What can I do? He Ye, that damn snake, would always tease him, and he’d almost get hard in the middle of the night. I was only careful because you guys were around. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have hung up so early. It was hard enough to get him to call me early in the morning.

Seeing that Zhou Kai wasn’t saying anything, the youngest roommate took it as a confirmation. He shook his head and patted Zhou Kai on the shoulder, “Kai, we understand. Just be honest with us. If you don’t have a boyfriend, you don’t have one. It’s fine if you don’t want to date. We can all be single together.”

“…”

What could Zhou Kai say?

He really wasn’t single. He really did have a boyfriend. It’s just that his boyfriend was too busy. He was always busy making money and could only spare a few minutes to text him. How could he waste time on phone calls every day?

Besides, his roommates were always asking to see photos, so he couldn’t really point to the photo on his bedside table and say, “See, this is my boyfriend.”

That would be too straightforward, and it would freak them out.

On the afternoon before New Year’s Day in their junior year, after finishing class, Zhou Kai and his roommates returned to the dorm and were discussing going out to celebrate when Zhou Kai checked his phone and exclaimed, “Fuck!” He jumped off the bed, landing on the floor, startling the other three.

Watching Zhou Kai hurriedly put on his shoes and then run to his bed to grab his coat and backpack, the three roommates looked at each other, and the dorm head cautiously asked, “Zhou Kai… what’s wrong?”

Zhou Kai put on his shoes, stood up, and looked at them. There was a smile on his face, but it was mixed with sadness, and his eyes were red. The second and third roommates huddled together, startled. “What’s going on?”

Zhou Kai took a deep breath, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and smiled. “Sorry, I can’t go out with you guys tonight.”

“Why?”

“Yeah, you should explain what’s wrong. What happened?”

“Your expression is so scary. I’ve never seen you like this…”

Zhou Kai rubbed his tired eyes and clenched his phone in his pocket. With a mix of joy and excitement, he said something and turned to leave, his steps quick and urgent.

He was afraid He Ye would be waiting, afraid that He Ye would arrive in this unfamiliar city and not be able to find him right away.

He couldn’t bear the thought of it.

He Ye was coming to see him. After more than two years, He Ye was finally coming to see him. It was so cruel, so cruel…

Zhou Kai choked back a sob and smiled, tears threatening to fall. He never imagined that He Ye would come to see him. He Ye was so busy, so tired, he barely got any sleep, yet he was still coming to see him.

It was so heartwarming.

Several minutes passed before Zhou Kai left the dorm, and his three roommates were still in a state of shock. Finally, someone from the next dorm came to borrow a chair, breaking the silence.

The dorm head sat down on a chair and murmured, “So he really does have a boyfriend, huh? He wasn’t just making excuses.”

The second roommate leaned over and rested his arm on the dorm head’s shoulder, hissing, “He really does, doesn’t he? Look at how excited he is.”

The youngest roommate stood there, twitching his lips. “Are you guys missing the point?”

What did Zhou Kai say? Zhou Kai said, “My boyfriend is coming to see me, and I’m going to pick him up. I might not be back tonight.”

Just think about it. How direct is that?

So, Zhou Kai wasn’t lying to his roommates. He had been honest from the beginning.

He did have a boyfriend. They had been together since high school. And they had been together for more than two years. They had done everything a couple would do. Their relationship was very strong, even though they were long-distance and rarely called each other. They were both working hard for their future, together.