Home My Heart Breaks For The Gentle Second Male Lead My Heart Breaks For The Gentle Second Male Lead Chapter 2: Roommates

My Heart Breaks For The Gentle Second Male Lead Chapter 2: Roommates

As soon as they entered the house, Yan Shuyao headed straight for the kitchen. “Aunt Wen, I’m back! What delicious dishes do we have today?”

Aunt Wen had been working in Yan Yunli’s home for many years and had seen Yan Shuyao grow up. When she saw her, her eyes squinted with a smile.

“Little Shuyao is back! Come and taste this, I made your favorite sweet and sour spare ribs today. I’ve slightly modified the flavor this time. Tell me if you like it.”

Without waiting for the food to be served on the table, Yan Shuyao grabbed a piece with her hands and put it in her mouth. The moment she tasted it, she couldn’t help but give Aunt Wen a thumbs-up. “Delicious! Aunt Wen, your cooking is amazing!”

One piece wasn’t enough, so she grabbed another.

Seeing Yan Shuyao happily enjoying the meal, Aunt Wen felt warm, but at the same time, she sighed inwardly. It was rare for her to visit, and her father was too busy to come home. They couldn’t even find time to have a meal together.

Yan Yunli came in, carrying the remaining two dishes, and reminded Yan Shuyao as he passed her, “Take your time eating.”

Yan Shuyao stuck out her tongue. “I know, big brother.”

Aunt Wen didn’t eat with them; she had prepared their lunch and left.

Although Yan Shuyao had some awe of Yan Yunli, it wasn’t exactly fear. It was more about respect and the mystique of their bloodline. They could comfortably share a meal without awkwardness.

While Yan Yunli didn’t talk much, Yan Shuyao knew he was always listening. She didn’t hold back in talking about school or sharing about their mother’s activities.

Their parents had divorced when they were young, but their relationship was surprisingly good. Compared to siblings who saw each other every day, they got along even better.

Yan Shuyao took a few bites of rice and remembered something. “Oh, by the way, Mom went to Country A last time and brought back some souvenirs. I’ll get them for you later. I almost forgot.”

Yan Yunli, who had been silently listening, asked calmly, “Are you in a relationship?”

Yan Shuyao’s smile froze on her face, then she exaggeratedly laughed and danced around, “Brother, what are you talking about? Just ordinary friends. How could I date so early! Right now, I’m in the critical phase of my third-year high school studies!”

“Alright, we’ll talk about it after your college entrance exams,” Yan Yunli didn’t press further. Although his sister was usually carefree, she knew her limits when it mattered.

Yan Shuyao felt relieved, her mood instantly lightening. She continued, “Speaking of which, when do you plan to start dating?”

Seeing the inquisitive look in Yan Shuyao’s eyes, Yan Yunli didn’t immediately answer. He took a sip of soup and then calmly replied, “I don’t plan to.”

“Eh,” Yan Shuyao sighed in disappointment and dragged out her response, but deep down, she expected this. “Don’t be so absolute about it. What if you meet someone you like after school starts?”

Yan Yunli didn’t confirm or deny it. He simply said, “Eat quickly. We’re going out later, and if it gets cold, we won’t have time.”

Yan Shuyao was starting her third year of high school. She had reported to school today, and her classes would begin tomorrow. She was going to stay in the school dormitory, and with the help of her brother this morning, she had already moved all her belongings to school. This was her last afternoon before school started, and she planned to enjoy it by going out with her friends.

“Oh,” Yan Shuyao realized she shouldn’t tease her brother anymore. She focused on eating her meal.

…

On the other side, Fang Jue had arrived at the home of Xu Ling.

“Little Jue is here, come on in!” Xu’s mother greeted him warmly. “It’s been so many years, and you’ve grown so much!”

Fang Jue nodded politely, “Auntie, I’ll be staying here for a few days.”

“What are you talking about, whether you stay or not, you’re always welcome here,” Aunt Xu said with a smile. Then she exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have said that in case your uncle comes back and thinks we’re trying to kick you out. My, what a slip of the tongue. I’ll issue an invitation later.”

With Aunt Xu’s words, the atmosphere between them eased considerably, and Fang Jue joined in the friendly conversation.

Aunt Xu asked, “Jue, were you feeling unwell a few days ago? How are you feeling now?”

Fang Jue knew this was probably something his own mother had mentioned to Aunt Xu during their chat.

He smiled and replied, “Thank you for your concern, Auntie. I had a fever for a couple of days, but I’m completely fine now.”

Aunt Xu suggested, “You must have been quite bored staying at home during those days. I know kids your age can’t stand being cooped up at home. Fortunately, these two days, let Ling take you around. He’s always out and about, quite familiar with this place.”

Fang Jue didn’t say much but thanked her, “Thank you, then, Ling.”

Once Aunt Xu left to attend to her own business, Fang Jue quietly said to Xu Ling, “Ling, you should have plans with friends during your break, right? You don’t need to worry about me; I can explore the city on my own.”

Xu Ling chuckled, “No need to call me ‘brother,’ we’re just a year or two apart. Just call me by my name.”

“All my classmates are still at home during the break. That group of childhood friends just had a reunion recently; these two days won’t make much of a difference. You’re not familiar with this place, so let me show you around for two days!”

Seeing that Fang Jue didn’t seem to mind, Xu Ling happily continued, “Don’t worry about it. It’s a great opportunity for me to show you around.”

Over the next few days, Xu Ling took Fang Jue on a tour of the city. They gradually became more comfortable with each other, shedding the initial awkwardness and even exchanging playful banter.

Whenever Xu Ling, known as “Xu, Single for Many Years, Extremely Eager to Date,” saw a loving couple passing by, he couldn’t help but let out a cry of despair, praying to Cupid and the God of Marriage for a girlfriend.

At first, Fang Jue tried to console him, saying things like, “Fate will bring you the right person at the right time,” and other clichés. But he soon realized that this had become Xu Ling’s daily mantra, and he had grown immune to it.

As they walked together, Fang Jue suddenly asked, “Xu Ling, since you’re also from Y University, are there any famous figures or celebrities in our school?”

Not getting an immediate response from Fang Jue, Xu Ling asked, “Are you referring to professors and scholars or students?”

Fang Jue saw an opportunity and seized it, saying, “Of course, I mean students! Those academic celebrities are easily searchable online.”

Xu Ling snapped his fingers, “Ah, I get it now! You want to know if there are any handsome guys or beautiful girls, right?”

Fang Jue: ???

No, that’s not it. Please don’t make things up!

“Well,” Fang Jue was about to explain, but Xu Ling had already taken out his phone eagerly.

“Now that you’re in the department’s chat group, you should have information on class assignments and student IDs,” Xu Ling said, beckoning Fang Jue to come closer. “If you want to know about these, you should check the forums!”

Fang Jue: ???

Is this what they call an essential part of campus life in a novel world—the forum?

He had spent four years in college previously and had no idea that their school had an online forum. In their previous world, connecting with people was done mostly through confession walls.

Fang Jue leaned in for a closer look at the forum that Xu Ling had opened. Wow, the amount of information here was staggering! Gossip, foodie recommendations, handsome guys and beautiful girls, second-hand sales, information exchange… It had it all, and each post had decent engagement.

Wow, so this is how forums work!

Fang Jue downloaded the app and followed the prompts to log in using his student ID and password.

He quickly scrolled through the posts but didn’t find any mention of the male lead’s name. Xu Ling was right beside him, and he didn’t want to use the search function in front of him, which might make it seem like he had ulterior motives.

But Xu Ling kept asking, “Isn’t it great?”

“Yeah, it’s great!” Fang Jue quickly agreed, even clapping his hands as if he were genuinely excited to use the forum, all while trying not to give anything away.

Later that day, when he returned to his room, Fang Jue decided to put the forum to good use.

The male lead’s name was… Yan Yunli. He typed each letter carefully and hit enter.

“No relevant results found. Please check your keywords.”

A notification popped up on the screen.

Nothing?

Fang Jue thought for a moment and tried searching by the initials of Yan Yunli’s name. This time, there were results, but none of them matched.

Based on the author’s portrayal of Yan Yunli, there should have been discussions about him on the forum. So, it was possible that the male lead hadn’t enrolled in this particular school yet.

Fang Jue felt a bit relieved. The plot hadn’t started yet, which meant there was still a chance. As long as the male lead wasn’t stubborn and pigheaded, he might be able to help him.

After a few days of exploration, Fang Jue decided it was time to return home. He called his mother, and after a brief conversation, she suggested he stay a bit longer as Aunt Xu wanted him to.

Fang Jue sensed something was off in his mother’s voice and asked if everything was alright. His mother blamed it on cutting onions and assured him that he wasn’t causing any trouble by staying longer.

Upon returning to school, Fang Jue had already familiarized himself with the city. With a few days left before the start of the new semester, he wandered the streets, trying out street food recommended online.

On the first day of school, Xu Ling had volunteered, so he went ahead a day earlier than the freshmen. Fang Jue paid attention to his surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of Yan Yunli among the newcomers. With Yan Yunli’s looks, he was bound to attract some attention, although not to the point of fans screaming and chasing after him.

When people gathered somewhere, Fang Jue took a look. When someone took out their phone to take a photo, he glanced over. When there was a commotion, he looked again.

Fang Jue observed as he walked, thinking that maybe Xu Ling was right, and he had indeed started paying more attention to handsome guys.

However, as he walked from the school gate to the registration tent, although he saw some good-looking students, he didn’t find anyone who warranted the extensive description and attention that the author had given the male lead.

He hadn’t even seen someone as striking as the guy he’d spotted at the bus stop earlier, who had only revealed his eyes.

Sigh…

Fate is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it’s meant to be, and sometimes it’s not. If we haven’t crossed paths, my friend, there’s not much I can do to help you.

New student registration was divided into three days, and Fang Jue arrived on the first day. After thanking the volunteer who guided him, he opened the door to his dormitory with the newly obtained key.

As expected, he had arrived too early, and there was no one in the dormitory. It was completely empty.

The room had been unoccupied for the entire holiday, and it still had a slight musty smell lingering in the air. Dust covered the surfaces.

Fang Jue started cleaning immediately. It took him quite some time to tidy up, make his bed, and get settled. Naturally, he didn’t have a chance to check his phone, missing out on several posts being added to the forum.

Outside, he could hear the sounds of luggage being dragged around, mixed with the chatter of parents seeing their children off. At that moment, the sound of rolling wheels stopped in front of their dormitory door.

“Click” – the sound of a key opening the door.

At first, Fang Jue thought it might be someone from the neighboring rooms. After all, there were similar sounds as he was cleaning up, but none of them turned out to be from Room 508.

As he noticed the lock loosening, he suddenly realized – a new roommate was actually coming!

He quickly put down what he was doing and eagerly watched the door.

“Hello…” Before the new roommate could finish introducing himself, Fang Jue froze in place.

The new roommate was wearing a mask, but those eyes were unforgettable. It was the same guy he had encountered a few days ago!

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