Chapter 73

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Lu Zhe ducked his head and looked at that bouquet. Countless little Baby's-breath flowers surrounded the roses, creating a beautiful arrangement that typically would have looked best in the arms of a woman. However, with Lu Zhe's elegant features, these vibrant red roses actually complemented his facial features perfectly. When he held the bouquet, it was like all the light in the world gathered around him.
As he watched Lu Zhe bow his head to breathe in the scent of the flowers, Shen Qiao had to reach for his phone to snap a photo.

Lu Zhe wasn't overly surprised. He simply looked up and lifted his gaze to Shen Qiao's face. Even Lu Zhe himself didn't know that his eyes would crinkle with mirth and light up with warmth whenever he looked at Shen Qiao.

Once Shen Qiao put his phone away, Lu Zhe smilingly asked, "What did you sneak a photo of me for?"

Shen Qiao stuck his hands in his pockets and flashed a smile of his own. He self-righteously argued, "It's not sneaking a photo if you get caught. It's just outright taking a photo. Is there anything wrong with me taking a photo of my person?"

Lu Zhe listened to his whole argument. The smile on his lips grew wider and wider.

"Not at all," he answered. "Go ahead, take as many as you want. I'll strike any pose you want."

Shen Qiao narrowed his eyes. "...you wanna be gross again?"

Lu Zhe mimicked the self-righteous smile Shen Qiao had flashed earlier. His whole face lit up with that smile, and his tone was filled with delight as he said, "You have to cherish your person. Even if you cry, you have to keep cherishing him."

The hidden meaning: I'm allowed to be gross because you indulge me, isn't that right?

Shen Qiao arched his eyebrows, as though contemplating whether or not he really wanted a husband. But when his gaze fell upon Lu Zhe, he noticed that Lu Zhe looked a little uncomfortable with everything in his arms, from the huge bouquet to his diploma and other papers.

So Shen Qiao decided to let go of Lu Zhe's teasing words. He reached out to help Lu Zhe carry some things, including the flowers, only to hear Lu Zhe say-

"I can't let you help me carry these. These are the flowers my boyfriend gave me as a graduation gift."

Shen Qiao fell silent.

He couldn't help but laugh as he muttered, "Immature."

Ultimately, though, he only took the documents and various pamphlets from Lu Zhe. He flipped through them idly, eventually stopping at two very formal and exquisite documents.

A graduation certificate, and a diploma.

The blue-gray cover looked extremely luxurious. Before Shen Qiao even opened the folder, he could already feel the heavy weight of these documents in his hands. He inexplicably found himself wondering-

Is this the weight of knowledge?

Lu Zhe had originally started walking with Shen Qiao, only to find Shen Qiao running his fingers over the embossed lines of text on the outside of his diploma. He suddenly stopped and asked, "Do you want to take a picture with me here?"

Shen Qiao looked up. He hadn't opened the folder in his hands yet. When he heard that offer, he met Lu Zhe's gaze and hesitated for a moment.

"Better not..." He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair a few times while he looked around at the students milling around nearby. Each and every one of them exuded a studious air. Shen Qiao continued, a little more firmly, "I'm not a student here."

Lu Zhe felt his heart ache when he heard that. He lifted his injured arm and tugged Shen Qiao over. Because of his injury, he couldn't use much force, but Shen Qiao came willingly, moving almost of his own accord.

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