Both Gu Wei Hao and Zhang Hongyi could tell that Shao Cheng’s mood had been off lately. He was originally cold and proud in nature, and if he was in a bad mood, the low pressure he exuded would keep any living beings within a hundred meters from approaching.
Gu Wei Hao cautiously walked up to Shao Cheng’s seat, asking with care, “Cheng, are you still angry about the last time? Can’t I make up for it…”
Shao Cheng’s attitude wasn’t as harsh as last time: “I’m not angry with you. I’m just afraid that he might be using you.”
“Well… that day, I talked to him in the car, and I feel like he genuinely likes you.” Seeing that Shao Cheng wasn’t getting angry, Gu Wei Hao recounted their conversation in detail.
Zhang Hongyi listened on and then said, “Maybe he’s just pretending? I always feel that people who are close to Song Chi aren’t good.”
Gu Wei Hao pondered, “There’s that possibility… but if he’s pretending, he’s doing a really good job at it. He could win an Oscar for acting.”
Zhang Hongyi hadn’t interacted with Bai Yang much, so he couldn’t make accurate judgments. He turned to Shao Cheng and said, “Cheng, whether he’s pretending or not, just ignore him. Even if he genuinely likes you, it doesn’t matter. You won’t like him back anyway.”
Shao Cheng frowned. Bai Yang had said the same thing to him that night.
“You can’t possibly like me, so why do you care whether or not I’m trying to deceive you?”
Why care?
Because he didn’t believe him.
He didn’t believe that someone he had never met before would truly like him. He didn’t know anything about him, so what right did he have to boldly claim he liked him? It was probably just an attraction to his appearance and material things.
He had encountered many people like that. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even give them a second glance.
But Bai Yang was different. He looked too pure.
After kissing him that night, Bai Yang’s nervousness, shyness, seriousness, and determination were so genuine and moving. The affection was written all over his face, pure and intense.
His eyes were so clear and full of emotions, like a clear pond where one could see to the bottom. There was no hiding anything.
Overflowing with infatuation and admiration.
If this feeling was real…
“Cheng, what do you think?” Zhang Hongyi’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“What?”
“I’m saying, if you find that guy annoying, should I give him a warning?” Zhang Hongyi offered, trying to help.
“When did you start learning from Song Chi’s tactics?” Shao Cheng’s tone turned cold.
Zhang Hongyi protested, “I don’t mean to fight him. I just want to give him a verbal warning, so he stops bothering you.”
“No need.” Shao Cheng stood up with a stern face and kicked the table in front of him.
“I can handle it myself.”
During the week, there was a debate competition in the law department. Rarely did Shao Cheng participate in these events, and by the time Bai Yang and the other girls arrived at the debating hall, Shao Cheng was already there. Since his third year, Shao Cheng had participated in debate competitions less frequently, but each time he did, it attracted a large audience. People came not only to see him but also to witness his brilliant debates.
Bai Yang’s comment that Shao Cheng would be good at writing detective novels was not without reason. Shao Cheng’s logical and impeccable arguments during debates, along with his rigorous and meticulous reasoning, made his opponents surrender.
Because it was a formal competition, Shao Cheng was dressed in a high-end suit. The well-fitted attire emphasized his broad shoulders and long legs, making him resemble a cold and domineering CEO from a television drama. This caused waves of ecstatic screams from the girls in the audience.
Sitting in the dimly lit hall, Bai Yang watched Shao Cheng under the bright lights on stage and felt that he radiated a boundless brilliance.
Some people were meant to be admired. Having the opportunity to admire him was already fortunate.
The outcome of the competition was predictable. Shao Cheng’s exceptional debating skills and commanding presence overwhelmed the opposing side, leaving them flustered and unclear in their arguments. The judges announced Shao Cheng as the best debater, and the entire audience erupted in cheers.
After the intermission, the next set of debates began. Bai Yang was no longer interested and left the hall to wait for Shao Cheng outside. He realized that this might be perceived as pushy, especially after Shao Cheng’s cold reception a few days ago. However, Shao Cheng hadn’t explicitly said he didn’t want to see him again, so Bai Yang decided he could at least steal a few glances, even if they couldn’t speak to each other.
After a few minutes, Shao Cheng and his debate team members came out after packing up. When they noticed Bai Yang waiting nearby, they paused. Seeing that they seemed to have something to discuss, the others left first.
“What’s up?”
Surprisingly, Shao Cheng initiated the conversation and his tone wasn’t impatient.
Suppressing his excitement, Bai Yang congratulated with a smile, “Congratulations on winning the debate session!”
“Have you ever seen me lose?”
“No, you’ve always been great. That’s why I said you’d be perfect for writing detective novels!”
Shao Cheng snorted, “I remember you said that because I look like a villain.”
Bai Yang’s face reddened slightly, and he mumbled, “You do resemble one…”
Shao Cheng watched Bai Yang’s downcast gaze and reddened cheeks. His hand lifted involuntarily—
“Hey, isn’t that Shao Cheng?” A voice suddenly chimed in from the side.
Shao Cheng’s smile froze as he looked at Bai Yang in front of him. Panic flashed in his eyes, a sense of helplessness crossing his features. He tilted his head away, and the color drained from his face in an instant.
Shao Cheng frowned and turned to face the approaching figure: “Song Chi.”
Song Chi swaggered over, acting nonchalant, and said teasingly, “You’re done with your debate session already?I came all this way to watch you, and you’ve already finished. Not very considerate, are you?”
Bai Yang, who had always held himself with confidence, trembled slightly. Shao Cheng didn’t know what he was thinking, but he instinctively stepped forward to shield Bai Yang behind him.
However, Song Chi still noticed the person beside Shao Cheng. He caught a glimpse of Bai Yang’s half profile and felt a faint sense of familiarity. He was about to approach for a closer look but was blocked by Shao Cheng.
“What’s going on? Who’s this?”
“You don’t know him.” Shao Cheng’s reply was cold and firm.
Seeing Shao Cheng protectively shielding someone surprised Song Chi and piqued his curiosity even more. He stared at the person behind Shao Cheng for a while, then tentatively called out, “Bai Yang?”
Bai Yang froze in place.
Song Chi became certain and a subtle, sly smile crept onto his face. He said to Shao Cheng, “Has this guy attached himself to you now?”
Shao Cheng’s gaze turned icy in an instant. “Watch your mouth.”
Song Chi shrugged, “Bro, I’m just looking out for you. This kid looks all innocent and pure, but he’s actually scheming. His act of pretending to be pitiful is top-notch, and he scammed me out of quite a bit of money. By the way, have you slept with him yet? Ugh, his skills are seriously lacking, but he had the audacity to extort tens of thousands from me. I’m telling you, don’t fall for his tricks—”
Song Chi was cut off midway as Shao Cheng’s expression turned too dark and menacing. Song Chi had intended to just provoke Shao Cheng, not to actually get beaten up.
Shao Cheng turned away from Song Chi and looked at Bai Yang. He waited for Bai Yang to explain like he usually did, but Bai Yang only gripped his own clothes and said nothing. The face that usually held a smile now only showed anxiety and panic, revealing a vulnerability that had never been seen before.
Time passed, and Shao Cheng’s patience finally ran out.
“Is that really the case?”
He chuckled, but he was mocking himself.
How could there really be someone so pure, someone who truly liked him? To say that he was gentle, it was just a poor attempt to manipulate him. He had almost believed it.
He turned around and walked away. However, his clothes were gripped too tightly and he couldn’t break free. Shao Cheng turned back to see Bai Yang with reddened eyes, his lips tightly pursed, pleadingly looking at him as if begging him not to leave.
With a swift motion, Shao Cheng slapped Bai Yang’s hand away.
“Get lost. I don’t want to see you again.”
