The journey came to an end, and preparations for university began.

Ripples shimmered on the water, light dancing across the waves. On the beautiful shore of Erhai Lake, Mao Xiaobai, so delighted she could nearly leap for joy, clapped her fair little hands and called out to Ha Xiaoming, whom she’d just pushed into the water.

“Everyone says I’m slow, but honestly, I think I’m pretty clever!”

With that, Mao Xiaobai hastily summoned Jiang Bei to her side. She was wearing a lovely dress today and had no intention of going into the water for that silly dog Ha Xiaoming.

Not a chance!

So, as Ha Xiaoming watched the story unfold, completely off-script from what he’d expected, only one thought—utterly baffling, yet somehow amusing—kept circling in his mind.

“How is it that this annoying cat suddenly seems… smarter?”

Then another possibility occurred to him.

“Could it be because the cat has been hanging around Jiang Bei for so many days?”

“Does Big Boss Jiang really have that kind of effect? No, I have to become his close friend!”

“No! Being a friend isn’t enough! I have to become his sworn brother!”

Resolute, Ha Xiaoming—though a natural-born swimmer—began flailing dramatically, putting on a convincing performance of a dog on the verge of drowning.

...

The script soon returned to its original trajectory. Though Mao Xiaobai had played a trick on Ha Xiaoming, the initial premise was that she didn’t know him. At this moment, she couldn’t very well stop him from approaching Jiang Bei.

Nor could she expose the fact that Ha Xiaoming was actually a dumb husky.

If she dared, with his vindictive nature, Ha Xiaoming would surely reveal her true identity as a white cat.

These secrets could not be unveiled in front of Jiang Bei.

Left with no choice, Mao Xiaobai had to endure it, watching helplessly as Ha Xiaoming cozied up to Jiang Bei, putting on an act—“what a coincidence, meeting again!” and other such nonsense.

“I’m a photographer, fairly well-known. If you ladies don’t mind, how about I take some photos for you?”

Ha Xiaoming made good use of his looks, knowing exactly how to leverage his charm.

And, as a husky, if he wanted to, he could be quite witty.

Before long, his chosen target, Yang Xue, was laughing so hard at his flattery that she could barely stand straight.

Girls are shy, but who doesn’t enjoy a genuine compliment?

Seizing a chance, Yang Xue leaned in and whispered to Jiang Bei, “See how smooth Ha Xiaoming is with words?”

The implication was clear: Jiang Bei, you blockhead, can’t you say something nice, just once?

Jiang Bei regarded her with a puzzled look for several seconds. “You mean, like telling you you’re beautiful?”

Yang Xue said nothing, but nodded gently.

Jiang Bei replied, “But wouldn’t that just make me one of those ‘simps’ people talk about online?”

Yang Xue: “????”

Though he was busy snapping photos with his DSLR, Ha Xiaoming’s hearing was keen. Having overheard the entire exchange, he was stunned: “????”

Is Big Boss Jiang insulting me?

But then again, I am a dog, and honestly, I quite like doting on people.

So being called a simp isn’t exactly wrong, is it?

Yang Xue didn’t need to guess—she knew Jiang Bei was absolutely serious. She had something—no, a very important question to ask.

“First, complimenting a girl’s looks doesn’t make you a simp.”

“Second, by your logic, you must be—or rather, you already are—a total straight-shooter!”

Jiang Bei gave a slight smile. “You mean, like an iron-willed straight man?”

Yang Xue nodded vigorously. “Exactly!”

Jiang Bei replied, “That’s a shame, I never even ranked Bronze.”

Yang Xue: “.....”

———

Thinking back over all the years they’d known each other, Yang Xue, still feeling a bit glum, suddenly realized that Jiang Bei really was just like that.

He had always loved gaming, ever since they first met.

Back then, mobile games weren’t nearly as common. Jiang Bei played on the computer, and he was really good. Yet, no matter what game he played, it never held his interest for long.

He’d play until he maxed out his level, or until no one could beat him. Then, with no hesitation, he’d abandon the game, never to return—unless a new version came out, in which case he might give it another go.

Such behavior could easily be called heartless.

But at the same time, it was also classic straight-man.

“So, he’s always been this way, right from the start,” Yang Xue muttered to herself. “Then why am I friends with him? Am I out of my mind?”

She pondered and pondered, finally arriving at an answer.

Because Jiang Bei is a genuinely good person. His looks were a plus, but not the point. He had a great temperament, never lost his temper, and in all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen him angry.

He was simply easy to be around.

That’s why, by and by, they’d been friends for so many years.

“But now that I think about it, he treats everyone who’s willing to be his friend the same way. No exceptions.”

“That’s probably another straight-man thing…”

The more Yang Xue thought, the more memories bubbled up.

At last, she was horrified to realize that Jiang Bei truly was a straight man—but not the ordinary kind. He was…

She struggled to find the right words.

In the end, she settled on a definition: “A high-level, equal-opportunity straight man!”

A cut above your garden-variety, iron-willed straight man.

So, by gaming standards, he hadn’t even made Bronze yet.

“Once he gets to university, Bronze will upgrade to Silver.”

“Yikes—how terrifying will he be then?”

Climbing Cangshan, Yang Xue walked on while her thoughts whirled.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, spun around, and stared at Jiang Bei.

“Jiang Bei.”

“Yes?”

“Are you a robot?”

“.....”

———

Time slipped by quickly, and before they knew it, mid-August had arrived. Jiang Bei had been traveling for a month and a half, visiting many places, seeing many sights—he’d played to his heart’s content.

The three girls spent five or six days in Lijiang, then explored the surrounding areas for a while longer. After all the fun, they were tired and felt it was time to go home, spend a few days with their parents, refresh themselves, and prepare for university and the new life ahead.

So, on the eighteenth, Jiang Bei arranged for a reputable logistics company to ship his SUV to Wucheng, while he and the three girls—Yang Xue, Yao Jing, and another friend—took a flight back together.

Mao Xiaobai and Ha Xiaoming, who had spent the past few days tagging along with them under the pretext of helping take pictures and avoiding the boredom of solo travel, were both at the airport.

Mao Xiaobai handed over the snacks she’d prepared in advance. “Brother Jiang, take these for the flight. See you when school starts.”

“Mm. See you then.”

Ha Xiaoming grinned and waved. “When you come to the capital, dinner’s on me.”

“Alright.”

…