If you think you’re stressed, just look at Bai Tao right now.
Bai Tao knew the two brothers liked to mess around.
But she really hadn’t expected them to dare to sandwich her from front and back, right in front of everyone.
Even for someone like her, who appreciated handsome men, how was this any different from taking a shit in the middle of the street?
Qi Heting raised an eyebrow slightly, stepping out of the spotlight to stand next to Si Hansu, finding a good spot to watch the show.
Seeing this, Secretary Zhang was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
But he didn’t dare say a word to F5, so he could only silently cover his face with his file.
Zuo Mubai came up behind Bai Tao, wrapping a single arm around her waist to pull her into his embrace, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder.
‘Her waist…
so slender.’
‘But she was curvy where it counted, and perfectly yielding.’
‘That bastard Sen really lucked out before.’
‘He actually got to hold her first.’
“We’re still at the medal ceremony,” Bai Tao said, pressing lightly with her hands, trying to get them to loosen their grip.
But two fists are no match for four hands.
Instead, they held her even tighter.
Zuo Senye hooked a finger around the edge of the silver-gray badge.
“That’s right.
Aren’t we presenting Little Taotao with her badge right now?”
He tore open the outer plastic film.
“It’s just that we haven’t seen Little Taotao in a week.
We missed you so much, we couldn’t help ourselves.”
“Little Taotao is so cruel.
You haven’t sent us a single message since that day in the school cafeteria.”
“Don’t you miss us, Little Taotao?”
They weren’t keeping their voices down, and parts of their conversation were picked up by the microphone, amplified and echoing through the vast auditorium.
Now, not only did everyone know who the girl with glasses was, but they also knew she had F5’s contact information.
Pei Jue gripped the edge of the portrait tightly, her long nails piercing straight through the paper and digging deep into her palm.
‘That girl with the glasses has changed so much.
No wonder I couldn’t find her.’
‘And she has Young Master Sen and Young Master Mu’s private contact information.’
‘Unforgivable!’
‘To dare monopolize *their* F5 is to make an enemy of the entire fan club!’
‘Just wait.
Once this ceremony is over, I’ll make this Bai Tao experience a living hell on earth!’
That vicious glare was fixed so intensely on Bai Tao that it was hard for her not to notice.
It wasn’t just Pei Jue and Bu Zhongyao; everyone present was staring at her like hungry tigers, looking like they wanted to tear her apart and devour her.
The two brothers saw Bai Tao’s obvious panic and were quite satisfied.
“Little Taotao, why don’t you answer us?”
“So, you really don’t miss us?”
‘These two brothers are doing this on purpose.’
‘There’s no doubt about it.’
‘She was in a bind now, riding a tiger she couldn’t get off of.’
‘They were deliberately making her a public target.’
‘If she just lets them tease her like this, there will be big trouble once the ceremony is over.’
‘As the saying goes…’
‘She who understands the times is a wise Tao.’
Bai Tao’s struggling body went a little limp.
She held her breath until her face flushed red, and with a blink, tears welled up, wetting her long eyelashes.
“Stop asking.”
“…I get shy too, Young Master Sen, Young Master Mu.”
She let her head fall back slightly, her eyes glistening with moisture.
It looked as though if they put on any more pressure, the tears welling in her eyes would fall.
Zuo Mubai couldn’t help but loosen his grip.
“Little Taotao, your face is all red.
How can you be so cute?”
“But, we already told you not to be so formal.”
“Just call us Sen and Mu.”
His voice was low, as if it had rumbled in the depths of his throat, deep and raspy.
Zuo Senye licked his dry lips, his pupils narrowing slightly into vertical slits.
“If our Little Taotao is shy, then just whisper it so only we can hear.”
“So, do you miss us or not?”
Bai Tao turned her head aside, her soft hair falling away to reveal the pale, elegant line of her neck.
She just hummed a single syllable through her nose.
“Mhm.”
Zuo Mubai’s fingers slowly intertwined with hers.
“Say the whole thing.
Who do you miss?”
“I miss… Sen and Mu.”
As she spoke, she lightly bit her pretty lower lip.
‘I really want to tell her to stop biting it.’
‘And let us do it for her.’
‘I want to be even rougher with her.’
The two brothers slowly looked up, and their eyes met.
They knew exactly what the other was thinking.
“Well now, this situation has gotten a little troublesome,” Zuo Mubai said, feigning distress.
“You see, these people look like they’re going to do something really nasty to Little Taotao.”
Zuo Senye lowered his gaze.
In his charming eyes, his ash-gray irises reflected only her.
“What do you plan to do, Little Taotao?”
Bai Tao looked down.
“I don’t know either.”
Zuo Mubai’s smiling eyes glinted with mischief.
“In that case, if Little Taotao says ‘pretty please’ again, we’ll figure something out for you.”
Bai Tao almost lost her composure.
‘Is this a case of ‘we’ll save you from the fire and flood, just don’t ask who started it’?’
‘Though, to be honest, she could easily handle that whole crowd down there if they came at her all at once.’
‘But if there was an easier way, why wouldn’t she take it?’
“Pretty please, Sen, Mu.”
At this moment, the people in the audience were craning their necks.
The three’s conversation suddenly dropped to a whisper.
Combined with the fact that Zuo Senye and Zuo Mubai were almost completely obscuring Bai Tao, the crowd had no idea what was happening on stage.
They didn’t dare to breathe, afraid of missing something.
Suddenly, a bright parabola flew through the air, followed by a crisp, metallic clatter.
The sound grated on everyone’s eardrums.
Looking closely, they saw the plain white badge—the one exclusively for special admission students—lying on the floor.
‘What…
is going on?’
A dry chuckle escaped both their lips simultaneously.
“Such a good girl, Little Taotao.”
“You said it so nicely.”
Their voices, one from the left and one from the right, seeped into her ears.
“Good girls deserve a reward.”
They pulled a semicircular badge from their pockets.
The design was based on a snake, coiled to take up most of the badge’s space and outlining the letter ‘Z.’ Its scales were depicted with a few simple, geometric cuts.
Gilded lines were traced over a matte black base, partially accenting the snake’s body, which revealed a distinct dark-gold gradient under the spotlight. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“So,” they said, hooking her collar.
With a CLICK, they added, “this is for Little Taotao.”
When she came to her senses, Zuo Senye’s and Zuo Mubai’s badges were already pinned to her collar.
The badges, once incomplete halves, now formed a perfect whole on her collar.
Like twin snakes, they had coiled tightly around her.
Not only that, but they also kicked the plain white badge at their feet even farther away.
Secretary Zhang nearly fainted, secretly pinching the philtrum under his nose to stay conscious.
‘Those two young masters of the Zuo Family!
They’re absolutely lawless!’
He cast a pleading look at Si Hansu beside him.
‘Young Master Si, please do something…’
Qi Heting’s sly eyes narrowed slightly as he tapped his temple erratically with his index finger.
“Ah Su, is this really okay?”
Si Hansu closed the booklet in his hand, his peripheral vision casting a cold glance before quickly retracting.
“The school rules don’t say you can’t give your own badge to someone else.”
He glanced at the time.
It was exactly on the hour.
“Secretary Zhang, since the medal ceremony is over, we’ll be leaving.”
A faint smile played on Qi Heting’s lips.
“Me too, then.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Secretary Zhang.”
The two of them disappeared, leaving Secretary Zhang with nowhere to even go to cry.
He tremblingly gripped the microphone.
“Thank you very much to Young Master Sen and Young Master Mu for their help.
This concludes the opening ceremony and medal ceremony.
Will all students please exit in an orderly fashion.”
Bai Tao reached up and lightly touched the badges on her collar.
‘This really is a pretty good solution.’
‘They’ve handed me a get-out-of-jail-free card.’
When everyone had finally left the auditorium, Bai Tao turned to her right.
“In that case, I’ll…”
She was held fast, unable to move.
The two brothers’ sinister gazes swept over her.
“Little Taotao, where do you think you’re going?”
Bai Tao sounded a little uncertain.
“Back… to my dorm for a nap?”
“A nap, huh.”
“But shouldn’t a girlfriend take a nap with her boyfriend?”
Bai Tao froze.
“What?”
“You accepted my badge.
Doesn’t that make you my girlfriend?”
They smiled, their eyes narrowed, and enunciated each syllable, their voices light and slow:
“My.
Girl.
Friend.”