A social phobic can also fall in love.

After accepting a large commission, Yan Tingmo had been spending most of his time painting. On the rare occasions when he was unable to draw, he’d pull up the novel link Love life shared with him and read it, though he did so with a serious and concentrated attitude.

Hiss, this plot is quite something.

He poked the stylus against his face, taking a deep breath as he continued reading. The plot of the novel was a bit over the top; it started with forced love, which left him a little confused. He couldn’t tell where it was going, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he read on.

Xiao An was locked in a small dark room by his roommate, forced to do various things every day. Initially, he resisted, but over time, he developed a strange feeling. Yes, Xiao An ended up falling in love with the roommate who was forcing him, and every day, he eagerly wanted to be close to him—kissing, hugging, doing things together. This naturally led to a romantic relationship, and the roommate carried him into the kitchen, placing him on the counter to feed him grapes…

Yan Tingmo froze. That was strange. He glanced back at it again.

And then he couldn’t stop.

Help, who came up with such a dramatic plot? This is so morally corrupt. He felt uneasy and secretly shoved his phone under his pillow. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he took two clean clothes from the closet and weighed them down on top.

Hmm, now it’s safer.

He finished the novel but found it hard to get back to drawing. Every time he began sketching, his mind would automatically flash to the scenes of forced love from the novel.

Damn you, Love life.

He laid the stylus down on his tablet, furrowing his brow. He felt like jumping through the screen and shaking the garbage out of Love life’s brain.

It’s one thing to be perverted, but dragging me into it is too much.

The novel that Love life shared wasn’t really inappropriate, but Yan Tingmo had always been disciplined and lived by routine, used to a monotonous life. When something new and unfamiliar appeared in the world, he instinctively rejected it.

He stared at the tablet for a while before finally turning it off. He packed his things and prepared to head home.

Zhang Miao had broken his foot and took a leave early, so Yan Tingmo was left in the dorm with He Shiyang, who had classes all day. Yan Tingmo and Zhou Wen had much lighter schedules and could head home after lunch.

Zhou Wen, who had promised to go to the cafeteria together, unexpectedly called and said he had something urgent to attend to, asking Yan Tingmo not to wait for him and go eat on his own.

Yan Tingmo was speechless. He hung up the phone, grabbed his meal card, and went to the cafeteria on the third floor.

It was quite empty on the third floor today. He filled his tray with two meat dishes and one vegetable, then found a corner to sit and eat quietly.

However, halfway through his meal, he noticed the cafeteria had gotten a lot livelier. He wasn’t one to enjoy watching drama, just wanted to finish his lunch and go home quickly.

Sometimes, when you least want to pay attention to something, that’s when it comes to you.

At first, he didn’t plan on watching the commotion, but due to the angle, he saw a group of students arguing and then escalating into a fight. Someone even picked up a plate and threw it. In the midst of the scuffle, the plate flew directly and perfectly onto his head.

Still chewing his food, Yan Tingmo was caught off guard. He stared at the group, his reflexes taking a moment to react. It wasn’t until someone screamed that he finally realized he had been hit while eating.

Dazed, he rubbed his head and sighed in relief. At least there weren’t any weird food splatters on his meal, just a headache.

Despite some students being caught in the crossfire, the fighters showed no intention of stopping. In fact, they were getting even more violent.

Yan Tingmo decided to stop eating, clutching his head while watching them fight. The surrounding students seemed to be enjoying the scene; no one came to check on him, and many of them even laughed.

He couldn’t understand what was so funny. If it were them, getting hit out of nowhere, he doubted they’d still be laughing.

Maybe the heavens heard his thoughts because suddenly, a bunch of random utensils—bowls, chopsticks, plates—flew out from the fight. They all landed on the group of onlookers. Unlike him, who had been lucky enough to avoid food, they were covered in soup, stir-fried dishes, and such. From a distance, they looked like walking trash bags.

This time, he couldn’t help but laugh.

His laughter earned him a few glaring looks from the affected students. He wiped his nose and chuckled quietly to himself.

The tables had turned, and he felt great.

But the best part was yet to come.

Someone must have reported the incident, as the head of the academic affairs office quickly arrived on the scene, catching a few of the troublemakers. Seeing the food-stained students, the director decided to repay them in kind by giving each of the fighters a plate of leftover food.

“Aren’t you guys fond of wasting food? Eat up. Finish everything, and then clean up the cafeteria before coming to my office,” the director said sternly.

Yan Tingmo felt satisfied watching the scene unfold. When things finally calmed down, he quietly got up and left the cafeteria, heading back to the dorm. He checked himself in the mirror to see where he’d been hit.

His forehead was swollen, a bit red, and it hurt when he pressed it, but thankfully, there was no bleeding.

He just used a towel to apply some cold water before preparing to head to the high-speed train.

His family was in Jin Nan, about two hours away by train. He arrived at the train station at 2:30 p.m., just in time to catch his train.

Around 5 p.m., he arrived home, where it was peaceful and quiet. His mother was still at work.

After changing his shoes, he didn’t rest right away. Instead, he put down his bag and headed to the kitchen to cook.

At 6:30, Wu Shuyi arrived home.

She unlocked the door and, before stepping in, was greeted by the aroma of food. She paused for a moment, realizing her son was back.

“Yanyan?” she peered into the living room while changing her shoes.

“Mom,” Yan Tingmo, wearing a pink apron, poked his fluffy head out while holding a spatula.

“Good boy!” Wu Shuyi happily ran over and smiled brightly. “Come, let mommy give you a hug.”

Yan Tingmo put down the spatula and obediently hugged his mother back.

After hugging him, Wu Shuyi tilted her head to look at him. “Why did you suddenly come back?”

Yan Tingmo said, “I missed you. I managed to grab a ticket, so I came back.”

“Good, good, it’s great that you’re back.” She touched his face. “Why have you lost weight? And what happened to your forehead? Does it hurt?”

Yan Tingmo instinctively tilted his head away. “It doesn’t hurt. I bumped it accidentally while rushing for the train.”

“Clumsy boy.” Wu Shuyi let go of him and went to the living room to get some anti-swelling ointment to apply to him.

Yan Tingmo sat quietly, waiting for her to apply the ointment. His obedience made her sigh. “You’re so well-behaved. Do your classmates bully you at school?”

He quickly denied it. “No, they’re all great and take good care of me.”

“That’s good.” Wu Shuyi put the ointment back and followed him into the kitchen. “Let me do the cooking.”

Yan Tingmo avoided her hand trying to grab the spatula. “There’s just one dish left. Mom, you go and rest. It’ll be done soon.”

Unable to argue, Wu Shuyi set the table and brought out the finished dishes.

Yan Tingmo’s cooking skills weren’t exceptional, but they were decent enough.

Wu Shuyi picked up a piece of ribs for him and asked, “How’s school? Are you getting along with your classmates?”

Yan Tingmo lowered his head to gnaw on the ribs, mumbling, “Pretty good. My roommates are easy to get along with and very friendly.”

She felt reassured. “That’s good.”

“Mom,” Yan Tingmo swallowed the ribs and lowered his eyelashes. “I’ve been working a part-time job at school and made some pocket money. You don’t have to work two jobs anymore.”

Wu Shuyi’s hand paused mid-air. When she looked up again, she gave a helpless smile. “Why are you working a part-time job when you should be focusing on your studies?”

Yan Tingmo put down his chopsticks and said nothing.

Wu Shuyi chuckled. “What’s this? Are you planning to go against your mom now?”

He replied, “I’m not.”

Wu Shuyi said, “Then listen to me. No more part-time jobs. Focus on your studies.”

For once, Yan Tingmo argued back, “If you quit one of your jobs, I’ll stop.”

Wu Shuyi fell silent for a moment before agreeing readily. “Alright.”

Yan Tingmo was stunned. Did his mom actually agree?

Wu Shuyi laughed. “What? Surprised?”

He answered honestly, “A little.”

“There’s nothing to be surprised about,” she said. “I’ve worked for so long; it’s time I took a break.”

Hearing this, Yan Tingmo felt a pang of sadness. His mom had worked tirelessly for his sake, sacrificing so many opportunities.

“Mom, wait a moment.”

Yan Tingmo dashed into the living room, rummaged through his bag, and pulled out a bank card, placing it in front of her. “Mom, this is the pocket money I earned from my part-time job.”

Wu Shuyi was slightly surprised. “It’s your money; keep it for yourself.”

Yan Tingmo shook his head. “I still have money. This is for you.”

After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “Alright, I’ll save it for you to use when you get married.”

Yan Tingmo thought to himself, You’ll probably be disappointed. I’ll never have a wife. If anything, I might have a boyfriend.

Unaware of his thoughts, Ms. Wu simply intended to keep the money safe. Whether he married or not, everything she earned was meant for him.

“Alright, stop standing there. Come eat. The food’s getting cold,” she said.

Yan Tingmo sat back down and finished the rice in his bowl. Then he said, “Mom, I’m done eating. I’m going back to my room.”

“Okay, go ahead.” Wu Shuyi nodded slightly. “Just leave the bowl there; I’ll clean up later.”

Carrying his bag, Yan Tingmo returned to his bedroom. He took out his phone, opened Weibo, and posted a new update:

[Now taking commissions, DM me.]

Two seconds later, a comment appeared below his post.

Love Life: [Short on money? Let me order two more pieces, then.