IWHBDR Chapter 9

The wrist held in the palm was slender and soft, like the finest velvet, only to be touched gently and cherished.

Rong Shu leaned on the back of the chair, resting his chin on the other arm, his black eyes slightly raised as he watched the Alpha tenderly help him apply the spray on his hand.

He had long witnessed his tenderness, but he hadn’t expected that this tenderness would fall on him so soon.

The smile lines at the corners of his lips deepened. The wrist, meticulously massaged by Shen Huaixiu, felt warm where it had been touched, whether it was due to the medicinal oil or just psychological effects. With such a strong presence it seemed as if a flower might bloom on his chest at any moment.

Five minutes later, Shen Huaixiu released his hand and said, “All done.”

Rong Shu withdrew his arm and tried moving his wrist, his eyes brightened, “It’s much better, thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Shen Huaixiu said, turning to wash his hands. Rong Shu looked at the scratches on his wrist. Even though the medicine had been applied and massaged for a while, the fingerprints left behind were still visible.

If those fingerprints turned into kiss marks… hey, that would be great!

After lunch, he looked up to see the clouds outside had cleared, and the warm sunlight had regained control of the sky, bathing everything in a gentle golden hue.

When Rong Shu came out of the bathroom in a change of clothes, Shen Huaixiu had already packed up. He glanced at him and asked, “Shall we go?”

“Let’s go,” Rong Shu replied with a smile, reaching for the blue and white Federal No. 1 Middle School uniform hanging nearby, and walked out of the dormitory with Shen Huaixiu.

During the midday rest period, many people were returning to their dorms. Seeing the two of them descending the stairs one after the other, people couldn’t help but take a closer look.

Both of them were tall. Even though Rong Shu wasn’t as tall as Shen Huaixiu, he was still tall and handsome. Both were wearing the blue and white school uniforms of Federal No. 1 Middle School, but from a distance, they had a runway-like aura.

Among a crowd in similar outfits, they were still the most striking two.

Moreover, with one being cool and the other warm, their features—one beautiful and the other aloof—drew many admiring glances.

As they came out of the dormitory building, Rong Shu smelled the fresh, natural scent of rain-soaked grass. He squinted comfortably and couldn’t help but smile at the Alpha beside him, saying, “Although the rain can be a bit annoying, it’s nice after it clears up.”

Shen Huaixiu’s eyes warmed slightly, “Mm.”

Even though the post about Shen Huaixiu on the forum had been deleted by the admin, most people had already seen it. Seeing the two of them coming out of the dormitory one after the other and then heading back to their classroom together garnered quite a bit of attention.

Chen Jing’s phone buzzed on the desk. He instinctively picked it up and opened it, only to see the Federal No. 1 Middle School alumni group going wild with messages—

⌈I just saw the school heartthrob and the school tyrant coming out of the dorm together. What’s their relationship? Why are they so close?⌋

⌈By the way, does the school heartthrob not know about that forum post? How can he still be with the school tyrant? Isn’t he afraid?⌋

⌈The school heartthrob must know. This morning, I even heard Xu Shu criticize two people discussing Shen behind his back. It should be that he just doesn’t care!⌋

⌈Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed in Xu. Why is he hanging out with someone like Shen? What’s he after?⌋

⌈To the people above, did you see Shen doing those things with your own eyes, or were you involved personally? If not, stop spreading rumors. Rumors are easy to make up; it’s all just talk!⌋

⌈I heard that today, the teacher from Class 3 in the second year told their students not to discuss this issue. Is he trying to protect Shen? What is he thinking?⌋

⌈Although I’m not a student from Class 3, I think their teacher did the right thing. The people talking badly about Shen are really ugly!⌋

⌈Are all the people defending Shen from the North Campus? Since you think Shen is innocent, why don’t you speak up in person?⌋

⌈To the person above, are you just being ridiculous? Since you think Shen did those things, show us some evidence. Don’t just run your mouth; it’s pointless without proof.⌋

⌈… Ridiculous. What did the ridiculous one do wrong? The ridiculous one is being insulted again!⌋

⌈Stop pretending. Our school doesn’t have any bird species!⌋

…

As Rong Shu and Shen Huaixiu entered the classroom, the noisy room instantly seemed to hit the pause button, falling silent for a moment. But soon, it returned to its usual state, with everyone trying to act casual while in reality, all eyes were on them.

The two of them seemed unaffected by the strange atmosphere as they naturally returned to their seats. Chen Jing glanced at Rong Shu and, instinctively, covered his phone. Rong Shu noticed the small movement and stopped by his side, tapping on his desk with his index and middle fingers, “What are you hiding, Chen Jing?”

Chen Jing: “…”

With a sigh, he unlocked the phone and held it up to Rong Shu, saying, “Take a look for yourself.”

Rong Shu took the phone and stood by Chen Jing’s desk, scrolling through the Federal No. 1 Middle School alumni group chat. His expression became somewhat inscrutable.

Chen Jing watched as Rong Shu quickly tapped a few times on his phone and then pulled out his own phone from his school uniform pocket. After sending the message, he returned to his seat. Chen Jing, turning around, asked, “What are you going to do?”

His question caught Shen Huaixiu’s attention, who looked up.

Rong Shu didn’t answer. He kept his eyes on the phone, fingers moving swiftly. Soon, Chen Jing’s phone buzzed.

Curious, Chen Jing picked up his phone and opened it, only to see Rong Shu had posted in the group chat—

Rong Shu: “For those defending Shen Huaixiu, you are from the North Campus. Here, I’m speaking for myself. You can see which campus I’m from. From now on, there is no South or North Campus distinction. Please take note!”

The once-active alumni group chat fell into sudden silence as if it had frozen, with no one speaking for a long time.

Chen Jing felt his scalp tingle and thought to himself, this is crazy!

He quickly removed his anonymity, changing his name to “Class 3 Chen Jing,” and sent a follow-up message: “Seeing isn’t necessarily believing, and hearing isn’t necessarily the truth. If you haven’t seen or heard it yourself, please be principled and have integrity. Don’t be like a defective gene!”

After sending the message, Chen Jing sighed, thinking, I’m also going crazy!

Rong Shu gave a light laugh and patted his shoulder, “Chen Jing, don’t leave after school tonight.”

Chen Jing turned to look at him with a hint of grievance, “If someone blocks me in the future, remember to protect me. This time, my sacrifice was a bit too great!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll hire the school tyrant for protection,” Rong Shu replied, glancing at Shen Huaixiu with a raised eyebrow. “Though I’m not sure how much it costs to hire a big shot.”

Even though he didn’t fully understand what had happened, it was clear that the two of them had done something for him. Shen Huaixiu felt a strange, tingling sensation in his chest. This feeling was unfamiliar; it seemed that since the school merger and meeting Rong Shu, he had been continuously protected by this person.

“Free of charge.”

“Really? Aren’t you afraid we’ll attract unwanted trouble?” Rong Shu raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes filled with teasing.

“It’s fine. I’m not worried about attracting trouble. I’m not afraid of anyone,” the Alpha’s voice was deep and reassuring. Even though there were no particularly sweet words, his tone was emotionally stirring.

Rong Shu’s face lit up with a radiant smile, “Then I’m not afraid at all.”

“Mm, no need to be afraid.”

Chen Jing: “…”

What’s with this inexplicable, pampering tone?

Rong Shu’s straightforward rebuttal to the trolls in the group had set a precedent. With him leading, those who disliked the trolls in the group also dropped their anonymous aliases and stepped in to counter the trolls, leaving the trolls who couldn’t remove their anonymity speechless.

Later, the group admin appeared and removed the anonymous settings, posting a message: “Since the school heartthrob has spoken up with his real identity, this group will no longer allow anonymity. If you want to speak freely, do it openly. Talking behind people’s backs is indeed a bit low.”

Seeing this message from the admin, Rong Shu couldn’t help but comment, “This admin is actually decent.”

Chen Jing nodded, “I heard the admin has already graduated. Normally, he wouldn’t be involved in this, but it’s surprising he stepped in. His character seems pretty good.”

Shen Huaixiu’s phone, which was in his pocket, buzzed. Taking it out, he saw a picture sent by Jiang Huan; a screenshot of a chat group with Rong Shu and Chen Jing’s names visible.

Connecting the conversation earlier, Shen Huaixiu understood what was happening.

Thanking Jiang Huan for the information, Shen Huaixiu touched Rong Shu’s elbow with his phone, “I’ll take you both out for dinner tonight.”

Rong Shu was momentarily stunned, then noticed the phone in Shen Huaixiu’s hand, quickly realizing that he probably knew what was going on. “That’s very kind of you. We’ll accept without reservation.”

“No need to be polite.”

“I, I’ll pass…” Chen Jing immediately wanted to refuse. Unlike Rong Shu, who had no pressure dining with the big shot, the thought of having dinner with him was quite intimidating.

But as soon as he started to refuse, Rong Shu’s hand pressed down on his shoulder, “Don’t be so discourteous!”

Chen Jing reconsidered. Given that Shen Huaixiu was the first to speak, refusing would indeed be awkward. He glanced at Shen Huaixiu, who was also looking at him, and nodded, “Well, then I’ll accept. Thank you.”

Seeing Chen Jing agree, Rong Shu immediately said, “Let’s go to the lively street for dinner tonight, and maybe do some shopping. I haven’t had the chance to browse since I got back!”

Hearing the regret in his tone, Chen Jing wanted to point out that they hadn’t gone shopping yet because Rong Shu had been in a hurry to leave last time…

“Sure.” Shen Huaixiu suddenly agreed.

Well, since one was willing to hit and the other willing to be hit, there was nothing more to say—just keep quiet!

At exactly six o’clock, as soon as the school bell rang, Rong Shu grabbed his packed bag, “Let’s go. There’s a barbecue place I’ve been wanting to try.”

“Is it the one that always has a line at the corner?” Chen Jing clearly knew him well.

“Yes, that’s the one. Let’s hurry, so we might still catch a chance,” Rong Shu said, turning to Shen Huaixiu, “Do you want to bring your friend along, the one with the dark circles?”

“Jiang Huan?” Shen Huaixiu was momentarily surprised but thought it was a good idea, “Alright, let’s invite him too.”

When Jiang Huan and Wu Ping arrived at the school gate, they saw Shen Huaixiu and the school heartthrob standing side by side.

Their steps instantly slowed. Jiang Huan tugged on Wu Ping’s sleeve, “We’re not dining with the school heartthrob today, are we?”

Wu Ping pushed his glasses up and his white hair tuft fluttered in the wind, “Be more confident. Just remove the ‘not’.”

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