What Do I Do If the Aloof Professor Is My Ex?

Broken Mirror, Mended Hearts | Reunion at the Opening | Completed

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Please add my next novel, The Fake Young Master, My Real Husband, to your reading list!

Seven years after their breakup, Jian Suian returned to China to take the second round of doctoral entrance exams.

His ex-boyfriend, the one he had dumped all those years ago, sat among the examiners. Now the youngest doctoral supervisor in the department, he looked cool and distant.

Jian Suian: O.o

They had dated for nearly two years in college. Jian Suian had confessed first, and Jian Suian had been the one to break up. He went abroad right after their breakup, and they had not been in touch at all for seven whole years.

He had heard that Professor Duan was famously aloof, strict, and ruthless. Jian Suian wondered: Is it too late to leave now?

But, unexpectedly, Duan Yi did not make things difficult for him.

He went out of his way to attend a dinner he almost never showed up for. He made a detour just to pick Jian Suian up. He took him to the hospital in the middle of the night.

He stood attentively below the stage listening to him play bass, touched his seven cartilage piercings, and asked, "Does it hurt?"

After one dinner, neither of them was drunk, yet they kissed in a dim alley until they were both breathless. They were so in sync that neither brought up why they had broken up.

Only Jian Suian knew that he had not ended things because they were incompatible.

It was because Duan Yi had not loved him all that much.

Before they could talk things through, Jian Suian ran into Duan Yi having dinner with a blind date at an upscale restaurant.

Conflicted and upset, Jian Suian went abroad to attend his master's graduation ceremony and clear his head. Duan Yi, who should have been back in China, appeared in front of him and said, "Jian Suian, let's get married."

.

One day after they were married, Jian Suian happened to spot a thick photo album in Duan Yi's study. It was filled with photos of him, from their first meeting to their reunion, and every picture had a note on the back.

- A fifteen-year-old genius starting university

- The little genius is an adult now

- 2025.7.30. I really like Jian Suian

- First snow, our first time holding hands

- Baby doesn't want me anymore

He had not even finished reading when Duan Yi wrapped him in a tight embrace from behind.

Jian Suian murmured, "So you were the one who fell for me first?"

Duan Yi leaned close to his neck and took a deep breath before replying, "You're only figuring that out now?"

[Reading Guide]

1. A reserved one paired with an outgoing one. A sweet romance. The uke seems like a well-behaved student but is actually cool, while the seme seems cool and rational but loses control as soon as the uke is involved. The seme is three years older. Monogamous, emotionally and physically faithful, first love for both, and same-sex marriage is legal.

2. The seme and uke are senior and junior members of the same academic lineage, not teacher and student. The fact that they are in the same research group will be addressed later. The uke is academically very capable, and the seme does not and will not give him any special treatment. There is no abuse of power! Please don't compare it to real life!

3. The author only knows a little about the professional subject matter, which is just background. Please don't scrutinize it.

Upcoming novel The Fake Young Master, My Real Husband. Blurb:

The young master of the Lin Group, Lin Qinghuai, has two secrets.

His first secret is that he knows he isn't the real young master of the wealthy Lin family.

His second secret is that he isn't as emotionally stable, positive, sunny, and likable as he seems.

He's world-weary, negative, pessimistic, perfunctory, and cold. Everything he does is to make sure he can leave with dignity when the day comes.

Then, one day, his parents brought him a marriage agreement.

His intended was a man.

Taller than him, and older.

The man was Ji Jianci, the CEO of the company where Lin Qinghuai had worked so hard to land a job offer.

But Ji Jianci had a terrible reputation when it came to his private life. He was attracted to both men and women, yet ruthless and decisive in business. With a snap of his fingers, he could have the entire industry blacklist Lin Qinghuai.

Lin Qinghuai thought, It's only a marriage alliance. Holding hands is no big deal.

They're both men. A hug is no big deal either.

A kiss... that doesn't seem like... no big deal, no big deal. So why does it feel kind of good?

Just as Lin Qinghuai had finally come to terms with reality, the butler brought him some "bad" news: the real young master of the Lin family had been found.

His parents made a grand show of bringing the real young master back to the family home. In no time, everyone in the city knew Lin Qinghuai had been kicked out.

The marriage alliance had to be switched to someone else, and the whole city was buzzing about it.

They had hugged, kissed, and enjoyed themselves. They had done practically everything, both the things they should and shouldn't have done.

Lin Qinghuai felt like he was a little bit dead inside.

That night, Lin Qinghuai left home and headed for the river, where Ji Jianci suddenly appeared from nowhere and pulled him into a tight embrace.

The normally calm man held him as if he wanted to pull him right inside his arms, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. His voice trembled as he said, "Don't die."

Lin Qinghuai: "...Huh?"

Ji Jianci had fought his way through the wealthy elite and had seen more than his share of scheming men and women.

When he heard that the young master of the Lin family, the one he was supposed to marry, had concealed his identity to intern at his company, Ji Jianci thought, Here we go again. Same old tricks.

But Ji Jianci soon realized that the young master wasn't like someone who had been pampered all his life.

He was too thin, and felt featherlight in Ji Jianci's arms. He never ate on time, and it seemed no one cared whether he did.

He lived in a rundown apartment in the city. He had never attended a single banquet, knew nothing about the Lin family business, and hadn't gone abroad at a young age like other rich kids. His beautiful hands were calloused, and his eyes always seemed veiled by a mist that wouldn't lift.

Ji Jianci secretly looked into his background and found out he had been adopted.

Damn, it hurt to think about. It really fucking hurt.

So Ji Jianci came up with all sorts of ways to take him out for good food and fun, and ask about what he liked.

Just as he'd finally helped the kid become a little more cheerful, the real young master of the Lin family was found.

When he heard Lin Qinghuai had been kicked out, Ji Jianci thought, The sky is falling.

Ji Jianci found Lin Qinghuai by the river. He didn't notice the giant fried squid in Lin Qinghuai's hand. He rushed over and swept him into his arms.

After holding him for who knew how long, Lin Qinghuai's voice sounded by his ear. "If you don't let go soon, I'm really going to starve to death."

-

The real young master had returned, and everyone at the company knew Lin Qinghuai's identity. One day, an overworked department head passed the break room and happened to see two figures reflected in the glass, locked in an embrace.

Looking closely, the person holding and kissing someone was none other than Ji Jianci, the infamous man who supposedly turned cold and denied all familiarity.

And the one obediently being kissed was his own direct subordinate, Lin Qinghuai, who was always cool and distant with everyone.

Core Theme: Face difficulties and setbacks with a positive attitude, and never stop learning.