As they spoke, the wind noise on Bai Jinyan’s end gradually disappeared, and the lighting in the video became much brighter.
After getting into the car, Bai Jinyan continued talking to Qiao Huaiyao on the phone. “It’s morning over there, right? What are you planning to do today?”
“I’m planning to… stay in the dorm and do some experiments.” Qiao Huaiyao didn’t have any special plans for today.
There was no need to worry about accommodation, and the plane ticket was already bought. All he had to do was wait in the dorm until the flight tonight.
The school had bought the tickets in bulk, so they needed to finalize everyone’s arrangements before placing the order.
Buying his own ticket was quicker, but it would likely be the same flight as the school-arranged one.
Bai Jinyan raised an eyebrow. “Not planning to go out for a walk?”
“No.” Qiao Huaiyao didn’t hesitate at all. He unpacked his takeout and occasionally took a sip of porridge.
“Brother, aren’t you going to rest once you get back?” Qiao Huaiyao asked.
Given the time difference, it was already quite late where Bai Jinyan was.
Jet lag, combined with sitting on a plane for over ten hours, would be exhausting even in first class.
Although tomorrow wasn’t a show day, there would likely be other activities.
The schedule for the overseas trip had specific events marked, but other details hadn’t been added yet.
If there was nothing else planned, Qiao Huaiyao figured Bai Jinyan might take a flight back today or tomorrow.
He’d probably choose to stay an extra day there.
Bai Jinyan leaned against the window, placing his phone on the stand in front of him. “There’s no rush.”
“How can you not hurry with jet lag?” Qiao Huaiyao playfully poked his brother’s forehead through the phone screen. “I’m not there, so you need to make sure you get enough rest.”
Bai Jinyan didn’t refuse. He just said, “Then make sure you eat on time.”
Qiao Huaiyao blinked and couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay.”
The video call continued until Bai Jinyan entered his hotel room.
Though it was called a room, the entire floor, except for the entryway, was part of the suite.
Compared to their family villa, the apartment had less space.
But the hotel room was several times the size of Qiao Huaiyao’s dorm.
Qiao Huaiyao didn’t recall staying there many times. The overall decor was tailored to his tastes.
It was different from the decor downstairs.
Qiao Huaiyao smiled and said, “Take a hot bath and get a good sleep.”
Bai Jinyan nodded and then brought his phone closer to himself. “Give me a kiss.”
Qiao Huaiyao froze. He held his phone close, and with Bai Jinyan leaning toward the camera, it almost felt like he was right in front of him.
He stood there, stunned, unable to respond. Bai Jinyan’s words lingered in his mind, and without warning, Qiao Huaiyao’s face turned red.
“Ahem.” Qiao Huaiyao cleared his throat awkwardly and tentatively leaned in, but quickly pulled the phone away. “Brother…”
They had kissed before.
But doing it through the phone screen felt strange.
Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment and then sent a ‘kiss’ emoji in the chat.
Well… close enough?
Bai Jinyan noticed the emoji and, seeing Qiao Huaiyao’s now-red ears, smiled. “You owe me one. Pay me back next time we meet.”
“It’s really late over there,” Qiao Huaiyao subtly changed the subject. “Go take your bath.”
“Okay.” Bai Jinyan sent a head-patting emoji and ended the video call.
Seven students earned the chance to go abroad through the joint exam results.
The remaining three spots were reserved for teacher recommendations.
Since there were many teachers at the school, each advocating for their own students, the limited number of spots inevitably led to some disputes.
Though civilized, the competition involved plenty of verbal sparring.
Ultimately, the three spots would go to whichever teacher could out-argue the others and stand out.
Because of the necessary discussions, the final three spots were decided later than those based on exam results.
Few people book tickets in the middle of the night.
Buying tickets after the results were announced was still feasible.
The advisor announced the final list in the main group chat.
Qiu Shufeng shared the news excitedly in the smaller group chat: [Teacher Qian is so strong! He fought off multiple others. His student didn’t do well in the joint exam but still managed to secure a spot.]
Qiu Shufeng: [We should consider having Teacher Qian as our mentor. I think final defense would be easy with him.]
With Teacher Qian, the other defense teachers wouldn’t stand a chance. It’d be a breeze.
Qiu Shufeng: [By the way, did you book your ticket with the school? I checked this flight, and the economy class is even more cramped than other flights. It might be really uncomfortable.]
The advisor handled the ticket list, bypassing Qiu Shufeng.
Qiao Huaiyao sat at the lab table, packing up his materials, and typed with one hand: [I booked mine.]
Wang Zhan: [I just checked, and there are no first-class tickets left. I was thinking, if you didn’t get one, I’d kick Qiu Shufeng off and try to get you a seat.]
Qiu Shufeng: [Seriously, thanks a lot, Wang. You’re so considerate.]
Yu Luofan: [How about the hotel? Have you booked yours, Study god? The three of us are planning to book together. We’ve picked a few options. Let us know if you’re interested.]
Staying in the school-arranged place meant sharing a house with the teachers.
Seeing the teachers during class was already nerve-wracking, let alone living together. After a quick discussion, the group decided to find their own accommodation.
Qiu Shufeng: [Exactly! We managed to snag a room at the only seven-star hotel. We’re planning to squeeze in. Do you want to join us? Four people sharing two beds should work out.]
Qiao Huaiyao: [No, thanks.]
Qiao Huaiyao took a sip of water. The cool water was a bit too cold, making him frown.
The lab room didn’t have the heater on, so the water cooled quickly, almost like it was refrigerated.
When Bai Jinyan was around, whether the heater was on or not, the water he drank was always at a perfectly warm temperature.
Qiao Huaiyao pursed his lips, got up, and poured some hot water.
Qiu Shufeng continued in the group chat: [With Study god’s status, it should be a seven-star hotel or higher, right? But this hotel is hard to book. It’s usually fully booked. I waited a long time and grabbed it as soon as it was available. It’s sold out now.]
Leaning against the table, Qiao Huaiyao took a cautious sip of the hot water, finding it a bit too hot.
Seeing the enthusiastic discussion about hotel ratings in the group, he typed: [I’ve already booked my hotel. If any rooms open up, I’ll let you know.]
Qiu Shufeng: [No need, I’ll check online myself. If I find an open room, I’ll book it. If not, squeezing in will do.]
Yu Luofan: [Thanks, Study god.]
Qiu Shufeng, seeing this message, said, “???”
He stuck his head out from the top bunk. “Yu Luofan, what are you doing? Study god is busy with experiments. How can he keep an eye on hotel rooms?”
Yu Luofan looked up as if looking at an idi*t. “…Do you remember the name of that seven-star hotel?”
“Yes, it’s a string of English words.”
Yu Luofan sighed. “Try finding the company behind it from that string of English. Then trace back from that company, and you’ll discover it’s part of the Jiayao Group.”
Qiu Shufeng: “…How do you know that?”
Yu Luofan waved his phone. “The advisor asked for precise hotel information. I just found out.”
Qiu Shufeng said expressionlessly, “I’m not surprised at all.”
Not surprised, my foot!
Knowing that the Jiayao Group’s business covered a wide range was one thing, but it included overseas hotels too?!
Qiu Shufeng silently typed: [Study god, teach me the secret to reincarnation. I’ll remember it in this life and work hard in the next.]
Qiao Huaiyao: [ ? ]
Qiu Shufeng: [Just kidding. By the way, Study god, since the teachers are leading the group, we’ll head to the airport early and take a shuttle bus together. Make sure to pack your luggage in advance.]
Qiao Huaiyao: [Got it.]
Going to visit the laboratories will take several days.
Because the school doesn’t want everything to seem rushed, there is plenty of time.
Apart from the fixed time each day for visiting the laboratories, there is also ample time left for students to rest and travel.
During other times, students are free to do as they please.
Often out and about, Qiao Huaiyao packed his suitcase full of clothes.
Thick clothes themselves take up space, and upon careful counting, there aren’t actually many.
Qiao Huaiyao rarely buys clothes for himself outside; they are usually custom-made and delivered to his home by brands.
It’s fine within the country, but for going abroad, he has to bring everything he needs.
Looking at the open suitcase, Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment and added two more thick clothes from Bai Jinyan.
That should be about it.
Because of the time difference between the two countries.
It is night over there now, and after it’s light, Bai Jinyan will go to work.
Qiao Huaiyao thought that at this time, he should be on the plane.
Bai Jinyan, busy with work, probably doesn’t have time to look at his phone, so the chances of him being found out are very low.
When Bai Jinyan is working, Lu Lu occasionally sends him some photos of his work and reports on the situation.
Qiao Huaiyao felt there was no need for this, and it seemed to be disturbing Bai Jinyan’s work.
But Lu Lu said Bai Jinyan asked him to take them and has been taking them all along.
After packing up his luggage, Qiao Huaiyao stood up and sat on the edge, choosing the alarm time on his phone.
Early morning flight, take advantage of the noon time to sleep for a while.
Otherwise, after boarding the plane, the change in environment plus the difficulty of sleeping on the plane might mean staying awake for these dozen hours.
To avoid being physically and mentally exhausted later, it’s better to rest up early.
Worried that Bai Jinyan might message him while he was asleep and he wouldn’t be able to reply promptly, Qiao Huaiyao sent a message in advance: [Brother, I’m going to take a nap. I’ll reply when I wake up.]
After sending the message, he was about to turn off his phone when a Weibo notification popped up with a special alert.
The headline was glaringly obvious: [Bai Jinyan spotted at the airport late at night, extremely narcissistic, taking selfies despite the cold wind.]
Qiao Huaiyao: “…?”
Knowing it was obviously fake news, Qiao Huaiyao still, as if compelled, clicked on it before the notification disappeared.
The Weibo content wasn’t much different from the headline, just with a few additional photos.
Qiao Huaiyao opened the large images. It was indeed his brother, holding a phone, but not taking selfies — just looking at it normally.
During their video call, Qiao Huaiyao only saw Bai Jinyan’s front face.
This posture was far from taking a selfie.
Fans could easily spot the truth without any explanation.
Comments flooded in:
[Do you call this a selfie? Doesn’t picture nine show the front of the phone? That big screen with a small box in the top right corner is obviously a video call.]
[Exactly, he just got off the plane and is checking in with family — nothing wrong with that.]
[Haha, what a check-in. Most people would send a message or make a call, but a video call? Is it really just to check in?]
[Oh my, I’m so used to shipping this couple every day. Every day brings new excitement.]
[It’s so sweet, so sweet. If you two don’t kiss through the phone, this video call will be wasted.]