From shock, disbelief, anger to numbness, Mu Yuze went through them all in the span of minutes. Just when he thought that things could not get worse, He Juan always had a way to prove him wrong again and again.

In the first box, he found a few sets of identical oversized shirts, just in different colors – light blue, dark blue, deep maroon and black. That’s right, it was the exact same shirt He Juan had lent him the first night he moved in. He liked how light and cozy it felt on his skin. Very much. And thus, he always wore it to sleep as often as he could. But liking it did not mean he wanted He Juan to buy him more! Hadn’t Mu Yuze told him that only one was enough?!

Alas, when he confronted He Juan about it, all the man said was, "No take backsies~"

He wore such a smug and pleased look that Mu Yuze had the urge to punch him in the face. Of course, it was only a brief impulse. Not that he could – or would – hurt this man for real.

Alas, not even five seconds later, Mu Yuze was sorely tempted to change his mind again.

In the next gift boxes, there were a lot of clothes that fit Mu Yuze perfectly and they came in all seasons. Polo shirts, casual t-shirts, shorts, jeans, light coats, linen pants, tank tops, a dozen of thick sweaters that could last him for the whole winter without having to do laundry and...

"You..." he drew in a breathless gasp, feeling as if he was having a heart attack. "You bought me... five jackets for winter...?"

Looking as if he had not done anything wrong at all, He Juan pulled out the thick jackets from the box and started to introduce them to Mu Yuze one by one. "I’ve had a hard time choosing only these five. Look, this one has a hoodie you can wear in case it’s snowing heavily, this one is waterproof, this one is the newest style recommended to me by the staff, while this is made of leather..." he lifted the black leather jacket up and placed it in front of Mu Yuze’s body with a look of extreme satisfaction. "En, it fits you so nicely! You will look so cool wearing this, Xiao Ze! Oh and don’t forget this one too," he chuckled and tugged on Mu Yuze’s wrist to let him feel the material of the last jacket. His silver eyes were startlingly bright in joy as he asked, "It’s so soft and fluffy, right? I think you will like this one the most!"

By now, Mu Yuze was already feeling utterly numb. While He Juan was praising the jackets he had chosen to high heavens, Mu Yuze blankly reached out for the rest of the box and unwrapped them with jerky movements. He had no idea how to react when he found the flip flops, sneakers, a pair of shiny leather boots (obviously to match the leather jacket) and a dozen hats in different styles inside...

"These... are all my birthday presents?" He swept his gaze over the assortments of clothes and shoes that formed a small hill around him, and let out a small hiccup.

Had He Juan robbed the entire store or something?!

He Juan let out a sly laugh that sent chills down Mu Yuze’s spine. It was certain now, he was going to develop a conditioned reflex whenever he heard it in the future. "You forget one more thing, Xiao Ze." He Juan reached out using his powerful arm to lift the biggest box among the pile and placed it on the table in front of Mu Yuze.

Mu Yuze’s expression twisted in pain. He regretted it. Oh how he truly regretted how stubborn he was. He should have just called He Juan ’gege’. Either way, it was not like it cost him a layer of skin! Compared to these... compared to all of these valuable gifts...

"Can I—"

"No." He Juan did not even give him a chance to appeal, having guessed what Mu Yuze was going to say. Like a cat who had just gotten the cream, he helped Mu Yuze unwrap the last gift with a gleeful look on his face. "Ta-da! I reckon that you may need this in the future. With this, you can do your homework easier, watch movies or play games."

When he registered the rectangular object in front of him, Mu Yuze had to lean on the couch behind him for support or else he would really pass out in shock.

Laptop... He Juan had bought him a brand new laptop...

Mu Yuze had overheard a few of his classmates talking about laptops before. They were all grumbling about how expensive it was and how they envied the rich students who could enjoy it. Computers were more commonly used, but you still had to hail from middle-class families to be able to afford it. Mostly, students would just visit internet cafes and rent computers there for a few hours.

He Juan did not even own a laptop himself, but he ended up buying one for Mu Yuze...

He snapped back to his senses and hastily said, "I don’t need this... not at all!" He could barely force himself to accept the clothes – even if he was already hyperventilating just by the mere thought of it – but this... this was already too much! It was too expensive and way beyond the reach of someone like him!

"Sure," He Juan answered readily and put the box away.

Mu Yuze gaped at him in shock. That’s it...? He Juan really accepted his refusal just like that? He had thought that he needed to run his mouth dry before he could persuade the man to change his mind...

Alas, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he heard He Juan murmur with a sigh, "I don’t need it either. Too bad Xiao Ze doesn’t want it. I guess I will just have to stuff it into the bottom of his closet and see if he will remember to use it in the future..."

Mu Yuze: "..."

"You..." He sputtered out in sheer incredulity. "You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?"

He Juan blinked innocently, "What are you talking about, Xiao Ze? What have I done?"

Mu Yuze barked out a laugh, high-pitched and shrill. Nearly hysterical. How could He Juan just go out of his way to do something so grandiose and excessive like this for him... of all people? It almost felt like... like He Juan was spoiling him...!

But how could that be possible? They had just known each other for such a short time, so how was it possible for this man to go to such length for him? He really had not done anything deserving...

.

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A/N: we have an additional birthday present from Ying! QAQ kindly open the comment section and show your love there! Much love for Ying who has drawn an adult portrait of Mu Yuze with white orchids <3<3<3 (it’s so beautiful help—)