Tang Yu had hitched a ride to school in Bai Yuenian’s family car this morning, but their driver, Uncle Zheng, had texted to say he wouldn’t be able to pick them up after school.
After parting ways with the rest of the basketball guys, Tang Yu and Bai Yuenian stood by the roadside waiting for the bus.
It was a quiet, slightly boring wait. The only real distraction was the occasional passerby doing a double-take, totally stunned by how good-looking the two of them were.
Every so often, Tang Yu would follow the glances of the passersby and sneak a look at Bai Yuenian.
He couldn’t help but notice that Bai Yuenian really was just like the book described: cool, quiet, with an almost ethereal vibe…
Especially when he put on his glasses to grind through practice problems. If you ignored the blue-and-white high school uniform, he looked every bit the abstinent, ice-cold CEO type.
Tang Yu lost count of how many times he had glanced over and looked away.
Sure, he was straight, but who didn’t appreciate a drop-dead gorgeous face? He was genuinely weak for Bai Yuenian’s looks… How else could he explain why his heart had practically skipped a beat the very first second he transmigrated and saw the guy?
Or why, when Bai Yuenian had lightly tugged his sleeve and asked him to wait so they could head home together, he had agreed without a second thought?
Hey, admiring beauty is free!
Since the bus still hadn’t shown up, Tang Yu decided to sneak one last peak. But when he looked up, Bai Yuenian was gone.
Huh?
Behind the bus stop was a bubble tea shop, complete with an employee in a mascot suit outside trying to draw in customers.
Seeing Bai Yuenian standing at the counter, Tang Yu ambled over too.
Bai Yuenian tapped the ordering screen, paid, and waited…
Two minutes later, the shop assistant handed a cup through the small window. “Here is your Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea with Cheese Foam and double taro balls. Enjoy!”
Tang Yu blinked in complete disbelief.
Wait. Isn’t that exact order…down to the extra taro balls…my personal favorite?
Right on cue, the sweet scent of tea and dairy drifted over as Bai Yuenian turned and offered the drink to him.
Tang Yu stared. “Why are you giving this to me?”
Bai Yuenian replied calmly, “Taking responsibility.”
Tang Yu’s forehead practically twitched with visible black lines. “…Say what?”
Bai Yuenian pulled out his phone, unlocked WeChat, and showed him a chat thread with a contact named ‘Like a Tiger’.
Like a Tiger: Yue-god! I successfully guarded Tang Yu’s virtue! Didn’t let him drink a single drop of the bubble tea other people tried to give him!
Like a Tiger: [Proud.jpg]
Tang Yu: “…”
Even if he couldn’t recognize the username, nobody else on earth was dumb enough to use that exact profile picture besides Xie Tianyi.
Bai Yuenian tucked his phone back into his pocket. “He thinks we’re in… that kind of relationship. Since he drank your bubble tea that day, it’s only right I make it up to you.”
Hold on!
What on earth is that supposed to mean?! Tang Yu was utterly baffled.
Fortunately, Bai Yuenian cleared things up immediately: “Like we agreed before…at school, we play up the fake relationship vibe so I can help keep your unwanted suitors away. In private, we stay out of each other’s business. You missed out on your drink that day because of me, so I felt guilty.”
Honestly, you really don’t need to feel that guilty!
“Ah, forget it~” Tang Yu waved a hand nonchalantly. “It’s really no big deal.”
Just then, the bus pulled up.
Tang Yu boarded, holding his drink, and took a seat toward the back of the bus.
He started mulling over what Bai Yuenian had just said.
If Bai Yuenian was telling the truth, then the main male leads of the original novel weren’t actually following the plot at all!
They weren’t secretly in love with each other! The whole fake-dating, romantic aura was just a staged tactic to ward off unwanted crushes?
Honestly, that’s actually a pretty smart play! Why didn’t I ever think of that?
Thinking back to his real life, he’d had plenty of girls chasing after him too. His buddy Qin Zhan had helped him ward them off…only for Qin Zhan to turn out to have ulterior motives and fall for him instead.
If there was another “Tang Yu” in this web novel world, he probably had the exact same headaches.
So if he had a quiet, thoroughly reliable childhood friend, agreeing to a fake-dating arrangement to solve all their social headaches in one fell swoop was brilliant!
So all that stuff about the main lead doting on his partner? Total fake news! Bai Yuenian and the original Tang Yu just had a strictly business, totally pure contractual arrangement!
Tang Yu felt a sudden surge of pride. If this were a game, he’d definitely just unlocked a secret storyline branch!
I knew it! No wonder Bai Yuenian seemed so reserved and polite whenever he visited “Tang Yu’s” house. The two of them were nowhere near as close as the novel made them out to be…heck, they weren’t even as close as he and Xie Tianyi were!
Then again, it made sense. With Bai Yuenian’s cool, collected top-student aura, he just naturally gave off a reliable vibe. (Well, except for the times he casually beat up street thugs.)
When it came to people around him, even if they weren’t super close, he was willing to cooperate just to help them out of a jam.
Tang Yu looked at the back of Bai Yuenian’s head in the seat ahead of him and nodded to himself in quiet approval.
Man, having a childhood friend like Bai Yuenian must be awesome!
unlike him, who was stuck with Xie Tianyi…a childhood friend who couldn’t be less reliable if he tried.
Tang Yu even dared to picture it for a second: What if I tried fake-dating Xie Tianyi?
…Never mind.
Zero chemistry. Him and that literal pig? He couldn’t even convince himself, let alone anyone else. They couldn’t even fake a relationship to block a crush; they couldn’t even block a draft.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Xie Tianyi let out a massive sneeze. Wrapping his blanket tighter around himself, he muttered, “Did I eat too many ice creams earlier?”
Back on the bus, the more Tang Yu thought about it, the more it made sense. He stood up and moved from the back seat to the row right next to Bai Yuenian, separated only by the aisle.
“Hey… was I really awful to you in the past?” Tang Yu asked.
“No,” Bai Yuenian replied, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. “You were just busy with your own stuff. I barely ever saw you around.”
Tang Yu: “…”
Yeah, the “me” of this world was probably busy skipping classes and picking fights.
Bai Yuenian’s quiet demeanor reminded Tang Yu of how the guy had mentioned feeling out of place earlier.
If even childhood friends who grew up together had drifted this far apart, no wonder Bai Yuenian felt like he didn’t fit in!
“Did I ever… respect your opinion back then?” Tang Yu pressed. “You know, about the whole fake relationship thing to block my suitors?”
“It’s fine, I didn’t mind,” Bai Yuenian said smoothly. “We agreed it would automatically end whenever one of us actually got into a real relationship anyway. And honestly, I’m a long way off from dating anyone.”
Tang Yu really wanted to ask, ‘So do you actually like the old Tang Yu or not?’ But obviously, he couldn’t just throw that out there.
He decided to rephrase. “So… you don’t have anyone you like right now?”
Bai Yuenian offered a faint smile, shaking his head without saying a word.
Aha! That means a solid NO!
Tang Yu slapped his knee in triumph. “Then… should we keep the fake CP going?”
Bai Yuenian: “Sure.”
Now that the air was clear, Tang Yu found Bai Yuenian more and more pleasant to look at. He couldn’t help asking, “That underclassman who gave you the love letter earlier…did you really reject her just because she made a grammar mistake?”
In the gently swaying bus aisle, Bai Yuenian turned his gaze toward Tang Yu, his voice dropping an octave as he looked deeply into his eyes.
“If it were the person I actually liked… they wouldn’t ever need to hand me a love letter.”
… Holy crap.
Why did that suddenly feel so flirtatious?!
When the bus reached their stop, Tang Yu got off first. Seeing Bai Yuenian automatically fall behind him, he intentionally slowed his stride, waiting for Bai Yuenian to catch up before slinging an arm casually over his shoulder.
“Hey,” Tang Yu said with utter sincerity, “stop saying you don’t fit in. You’re great! Why envy He Cheng? His friendships are all about high-society networking. I’m different. I can be your best friend! How about it…want to hang out with me from now on?”
Bai Yuenian glanced sideways at the hand resting on his shoulder, the corners of his lips curving upward. “Sounds good.”
Tang Yu probed further, “So, what’s your type? I can keep an eye out for you.”
“Someone kind. Warm, cheerful…” Bai Yuenian stole a quick glance at Tang Yu. “…Very attractive, fair skin, with a cute smile. Someone who really knows how to care for others, but never shows their own sadness to the world.”
Tang Yu snorted. “Yeah, you’re gonna stay single forever then. Your standards are way too high.”
Bai Yuenian murmured softly, “It’s not that hard to find.”
At least, there’s already one right beside me.
Over the next few days of practice, Class 1’s basketball team improved by leaps and bounds.
Basketball was a major event for Sports Day, so the preliminary rounds started two days early. Class 1 played three matches in a row and successfully made it into the finals.
By the actual morning of Sports Day, Tang Yu was completely wiped out. Playing three full games back-to-back had utterly drained his battery.
The weather today was oppressively hot and stagnant, without even a whisper of a breeze to rustle the leaves on the trees.
Class 1 had ordered custom class T-shirts…plain white short-sleeved shirts with a large “1” wrapped in green vines printed across the front.
So cringe, Tang Yu thought, eyeing the design with deep judgment. And when he saw Xie Tianyi wearing it…
God, that is hideous! He judged it even harder.
Xie Tianyi, having just helped the class president distribute snacks brought by their teacher, walked over and flopped down next to Tang Yu. “Aren’t you roasting? Why aren’t you taking off your uniform jacket?”
Since it was Sports Day, everyone had switched into their thin summer gear. Standing out in a sea of white tees, Tang Yu’s heavy blue uniform jacket looked stifling just to look at.
Tang Yu slumped lazily in his seat, preferring to suffer for the sake of his pride. “I’m not hot.”
“Alright, suit yourself!”
Sports Day was split over two days, and no one knew what was going through the referee’s head, but for some reason, the basketball finals were scheduled for this afternoon instead of tomorrow.
Tang Yu kept his head down, desperately trying to recharge. Should he head back to the classroom for a quick nap? But all the chairs had been dragged out to the sports field, so going back would be pointless.
Damn it! Sitting like this is so uncomfortable. He couldn’t sleep either. Maybe he should find a quiet corner to sneak a cigarette?
Their homeroom teacher was acting as a referee today, so he wouldn’t be around to catch him anyway.
Just then, a wave of commotion broke out nearby as the neighboring class started cheering wildly.
Don’t tell me Class 2 won their race? Is Class 1’s third-to-last place ranking in jeopardy now?
Tang Yu looked up, expecting the worst…only to see Bai Yuenian walking straight toward him.
The girls in the class had probably never seen Bai Yuenian in anything other than the standard school uniform. The moment he appeared, hushed chatter spread like wildfire.
The tacky class shirt actually looked insanely stylish on him. Coupled with his height…at least 185 cm…the gentle breeze pressed the thin fabric against his torso as he walked, subtly revealing the faint, sharp outline of abs underneath.
Still, the glaring, vine-wrapped “1” on his chest triggered some absurd thoughts in Tang Yu’s mind.
…Yep, the main top really is a total “1”.
Tang Yu shook his head. Am I losing my mind from the heat, or why am I categorizing Bai Yuenian like a web novel trope?
He was frail anyway…it had to be the fault of that stupid shirt. Besides, so what if Bai Yuenian had abs? He was probably just a delicate, eye-candy model type like most novel leads.
Bai Yuenian arrived carrying a bag full of ice-cold cokes, but before he could even reach their section, the class swarmed him and stripped the bag clean.
Talk about fast! Too many wolves, not enough meat! Tang Yu’s throat felt instantly parched. Coke! Ice-cold! Gone…
Just as he was wallowing in disappointment, a bottle slick with condensation and dripping with ice water suddenly appeared right in front of his face.
Tang Yu looked up in delighted surprise…it was Bai Yuenian!
“Here,” Bai Yuenian said gently. “Saved this one specifically for you. It’s colder than the ones they grabbed.”
The moment those words left his mouth, a chorus of teasing oohs and aahs erupted from the surrounding classmates.
Tang Yu hadn’t thought much of it at first, but the sudden attention sent a rush of heat straight to his face, flushing him beet red.
Fuck!
Bai Yuenian, you’re no eye-candy model…you are my absolute GOD! You actually saved a Coke for me! I take back every bad thought I just had about you, you’re the best!
And damn, no wonder the original Tang Yu teamed up with him to block suitors. This guy is a total natural!
With that cold, breathtaking face paired with such blatantly biased treatment… how could anyone NOT ship us?!
A few moments later, Bai Yuenian reappeared carrying two seat cushions from somewhere. He placed one underneath Tang Yu and propped the other behind his back, making his seat ridiculously comfortable.
Then, Bai Yuenian sat down directly in the seat in front of him. His back was straight and tall, blocking out a massive chunk of the harsh sunlight for Tang Yu.
The back of the boy’s neck was lean and fair, the faint bump of his spine visible near the collar, but his frame already showed the handsome broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted silhouette of a young man.
Tang Yu felt like Bai Yuenian was being too good to him. He reached out and patted his shoulder. When Bai Yuenian turned halfway around, Tang Yu whispered, “Hey, you really don’t have to keep acting the part like this. It must be exhausting.”
To his surprise, Bai Yuenian murmured, “I’m not acting. We’re relying on you for the basketball game this afternoon. Rest up, okay?”
So that was it! Tang Yu leaned back onto the soft cushion, happily accepting the royal treatment.
Bai Yuenian hadn’t turned fully back around yet; he looked like he wanted to say something else, but took a sip from his water bottle first.
Just then, a student from Class 1 rushed past him, accidentally bumping into his arm.
Caught off guard, a few straggling drops of water spilled over the rim.
Because Tang Yu was slumping back, Bai Yuenian happened to be right in his central line of sight. For reasons he couldn’t explain, his eyes were instantly drawn to those stray droplets.
A drop trickled down the crisp line of Bai Yuenian’s jawline, lingering briefly on his prominent throat before rolling down as his Adam’s apple bobbed.
The water strayed off course, sliding down toward the hollow of his collarbone on the side facing Tang Yu.
At that exact moment, two more students jogged past.
Just as the second student passed, the stray droplets gathered in the hollow of his collarbone, forming a tiny stream that darted downward. Just as it was about to soak into his pure white collar, a long, slender finger reached out, cutting it off and wiping it away.
It all felt impossibly slow, like a scene playing out in cinematic slow-motion.
Even though Bai Yuenian was just touching his own body, their proximity made the movement feel unnaturally close, almost magnified right before Tang Yu’s eyes.
And for some reason, seeing it up close made Tang Yu’s ears burn hot.
Having wiped the water away, Bai Yuenian turned his eyes back to him and asked, “Aren’t you hot?”
Tang Yu’s own throat bobbed involuntarily. He snapped back to reality. “Huh? What did you say?”
Bai Yuenian screwed the cap back onto his water bottle and set it aside.
Whether intentionally or not, he slowly rubbed his thumb against his index fingertip, his neatly trimmed nail gently smoothing over the pad of his finger.
The fragile trace of moisture was crushed, smeared, and rubbed away under the pressure of his long fingers… accelerating its evaporation.
Under the blazing sunshine, everything looked dazzlingly fair and clear.
“Aren’t you hot?” Bai Yuenian repeated softly.
“I—I… I’m not hot!” Tang Yu stammered, his mind still reeling from the strangely sensual visual. He had always known Bai Yuenian was ridiculously good-looking, but right now, his mouth just wouldn’t cooperate.
He jerked his gaze upward, only to land squarely on Bai Yuenian’s thin, slightly glistening lips.
Panicking, he whipped his head down, only to catch sight of those long, elegant fingers again. Tang Yu felt like he’d been stung…as if those hands had just done something scandalously inappropriate.
“Actually… maybe a little,” Tang Yu blurted out, rapidly yanking open his uniform zipper and stripping the jacket off in one fluid motion.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone else walking over. Unable to hold back his flustered irritation, Tang Yu snapped, “Hey! Whoever you are, can’t you walk where there aren’t any people? You’re young, would it kill you to take the long way around?!”
Xie Tianyi, who had literally just come back from the restroom: “…”
He looked behind himself…nobody there. He was the only one standing. He scratched his head in utter confusion. “Are you talking to me? I’m not passing through! I live here! I’m sitting right here!”
Then his eyes caught Tang Yu’s shirt. “Wait, didn’t you say the class shirt was ugly? Why did you take your jacket off?”
Tang Yu: “…”
Say one more word and I swear I’m stuffing this jacket down your throat!