Following the performance of Sleeping Beauty, Wen Yu became an overnight sensation at First High, and Fu Chen enjoyed a fresh wave of overwhelming popularity as well. During every single recess, aside from the second-year students, quite a few freshmen and seniors flocked to Class 1 just to catch a glimpse of them.
First-year students wore brownish-yellow uniforms, second-graders wore navy blue, and seniors wore black. The sea of brownish-yellow clustered outside the second-year Class 1 doorway was visibly the most prominent.
Since Wen Yu and Fu Chen were seatmates, a massive crowd gathered right outside the back door, accompanied by considerable discussions and giggles.
In truth, the majority of people came specifically to see Wen Yu. After all, Wen Yu was a transfer student who had only arrived a little over a month ago, meaning many students had never laid eyes on him before.
When Fu Chen first arrived at First High, he drew that exact same crowd, but as a year passed, everyone’s initial fervor naturally died down. This stage play, however, managed to reignite all the discussions surrounding Fu Chen once again.
Fan fiction about the Sleeping Beauty and the Prince even popped up on the forum, and the limited footage from the stage play was edited into numerous distinct styles of videos. Everyone seemed overwhelmingly active in doing anything except studying, and they even coined a ship name for the duo: Chen Yu’s Falling Geese.
Neither Wen Yu nor Fu Chen cared to browse the forum, but that did not mean other people refrained from doing so. For instance, Shu Ran, who sat right in front of Fu Chen, currently considered her seating arrangement to be an exceptionally blessed piece of geomantic real estate.
Every time she finished browsing the forum and fan-girling to her heart’s content, she could simply turn her head around, and there sat the two actual muses right behind her.
Not only did she ship them herself, but she also dragged Lin Qiaoyue into the shipping circle. Lin Qiaoyue could not handle the excessively dramatic phrasing or the descriptions in the fan fiction that deviated wildly from the real-life subjects, such as depicting Fu Chen as a sunny, cheerful boy and Wen Yu as a soft, pampered, cute Omega. The mere thought of those two expressionless individuals back in reality made Lin Qiaoyue break out in goosebumps all over.
“You had better not let Fu Chen see this,” Lin Qiaoyue warned. “I hear his family actually has machine guns and artillery. Careful he does not blast you to smithereens.”
Shu Ran started breaking out in a cold sweat. “You have a point. I will ship them in secret.”
Shu Ran glanced back over her shoulder. Wen Yu was busy working through practice problems with complete focus, while Fu Chen sat wearing Bluetooth headphones, intensely engrossed in a mobile game. Both of them were completely immersed in their own worlds, remaining utterly indifferent to the outside environment.
However, certain individuals were determined to grab their attention. Fu Chen was somewhat different; back when he first transferred to First High, everyone was still relatively unfamiliar with him, prompting some aggressive suitors to pursue him relentlessly. One particularly unhinged person even resorted to stalking him, only to transfer schools the very next day.
Gifts of breakfast had also been abundant during that period. Fu Chen used to grow thoroughly irritated seeing his desk piled high with items, so he would simply throw them straight into the trash. The next day, the desk would be piled high again, and he would throw them out once more. By the third day, Fu Chen registered a forum account and made his first and final post:
I am Fu Chen. I have no interest in puppy love. Stop sending things. It is annoying.
Then, he deleted his account and never opened the forum again.
After that, very few people dared to send anything, and the crowds visiting Class 1 gradually dwindled. Everyone was well aware of Fu Chen’s stance, so this time nobody dared to send him anything, directing all their offerings toward Wen Yu instead.
When Wen Yu arrived for class in the morning and found his entire desk buried under food items, he was momentarily stunned.
Throughout elementary and middle school, Wen Yu had attended the same schools as Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan would invent all sorts of reasons to prompt others to isolate Wen Yu, such as spreading rumors that Wen Yu was an illegitimate child, slandering him as a thief with sticky fingers, or claiming Wen Yu’s mother was a housekeeper trying to climb into high society.
Finally reaching high school, Zhou Yuan went to Thirteen High, while Wen Yu spent what should have been his most difficult year in Sixth High experiencing the most peaceful school life he had ever known. Nobody threw dead rats into his desk, he was never locked inside the restroom, and most importantly, no malicious rumors were spread.
When Wen Yu first laid eyes on that mountain of food, his immediate reaction was actually wondering if someone had started spreading rumors again, treating his desk like a communal trash can. Walking closer, however, he saw that every single item was in completely intact packaging, meaning his desk was not being used as a garbage bin after all.
Wen Yu picked up a few packages to check, and none of them were expired, which meant they were not being tossed away as trash.
“Wow, Wen Yu, your desk is practically turning into a mountain!” Shu Ran exclaimed.
“What is the meaning of this?” Wen Yu still found it difficult to comprehend why there was so much food piled on his desk.
“These are gifts sent by people who like you,” Shu Ran explained. “You have no idea how famous your name has become across First High. Tons of people adore you.”
“People like me?” Wen Yu frowned. “But this is such a waste of food.” Furthermore, Wen Yu had no intention of randomly accepting gifts from strangers.
“Oh well, people are probably just getting carried away these days. It should settle down in a couple of days,” Shu Ran said.
When the exact same mountain of food appeared the following day, Wen Yu’s frown deepened even further.
On the third day, Wen Yu registered a forum account and made his first and final post:
I am Wen Yu. Thank you everyone for your affection, but I hope no one sends anything else. Thank you.
Then, he deleted his account and never opened the forum again.
Since Wen Yu had no idea who was sending all this food, throwing it away felt inappropriate, so he packaged the items up and handed them to the deaf-mute uncle who frequently loitered near the school gates.
The forum’s transmission speed was predictably vast, and practically no one sent such items afterward. Just when Wen Yu thought everyone had finally calmed down and he could focus on his studies, someone delivered a massive bouquet of roses to him, which appeared to consist of ninety-nine flowers.
The entire class erupted into commotion, every pair of eyes fixed on the corner by the window. Completely bewildered by this latest stunt, Wen Yu turned to ask Shu Ran, who understood these matters best, “What is the meaning of this again?”
“Oh my god, is someone actually trying to court you, Wen Yu?” Shu Ran looked genuinely astonished. This was disastrous! Her devoted shipper heart shattered into pieces; was the Chen-Yu’s Falling Geese ship going to sink?
Right in the center of the bouquet sat a card. Wen Yu picked it up and read the message inscribed upon it:
Beauty, tonight at seven o’clock, Floor 27 of Muxin Hotel. I hope to share dinner with you. Sincerely, Lin Ze.
“Who is Lin Ze?” Wen Yu asked.
“Good heavens! It was actually sent by Lin Ze?” Shu Ran looked utterly shocked upon hearing that name. “You do not know who Lin Ze is? He is the student council president! His father is Lin Zhiyuan.”
“Lin Zhiyuan?” Wen Yu found the name vaguely familiar. After pondering for a moment, he remembered who it was. “The vice mayor?”
“Exactly!” Shu Ran lowered her voice. “And word has it he is quite a playboy. His longest relationship has not even lasted three months.”
“I do not know him,” Wen Yu said indifferently. “Which class is he in? I will return the flowers to him shortly.”
“He is in Senior Three, Class 1,” Shu Ran replied.
Wen Yu nodded to indicate he understood.
When Fu Chen returned from the restroom and settled into his seat, he noticed a massive bouquet of roses resting on the floor. Although Wen Yu had tried his best to tuck the flowers beneath his desk, the bouquet was simply too large, inevitably spilling over and encroaching upon Fu Chen’s personal space.
“Who told you to put flowers here?” Fu Chen immediately covered his nose and mouth as he stood up. “Achoo!”
Only then did Wen Yu belatedly remember that Fu Chen suffered from a severe pollen allergy.
The classroom bell rang right at that moment, and the teacher walked inside. Severe pollen allergies could be life-threatening, so Wen Yu had no choice but to toss the bouquet out the window onto the outdoor lawn, since their classroom was situated on the ground floor, before quickly slamming the window shut.
Only then did Fu Chen return to his seat.
“Are you looking to die?” Fu Chen’s voice carried an icy chill as he narrowed his eyes slightly at Wen Yu. “Thinking you cannot seduce me so you are resorting to murder?”
“No. Someone else sent the flowers, and I forgot you have a pollen allergy,” Wen Yu felt it necessary to clarify.
“Roses,” Fu Chen scoffed coldly. “If you are so fond of leading men on, do not wait until high school is over to start continuing bloodlines for other families.”
Wen Yu stared calmly at Fu Chen, suddenly reminded of the old rumors claiming he had slept around with countless men behind closed doors for a mere hundred yuan a time.
Wen Yu let out a sudden chuckle, though the amusement failed to reach his eyes. “How could that be? I only wish to continue the family line for the Fu family, seeing as your family is the wealthiest in the country, after all.”
“You really are shameless.” Meeting Wen Yu’s gaze, Fu Chen spoke with glacial detachment.
When classes ended in the afternoon, Fu Chen and Ji Chen once again went looking for Song Chengfeng on the top floor of the Song family hotel.
Wen Yu settled into his familiar routine, working on his homework in the first-floor lobby while the staff looked on with total familiarity.
It was not just this hotel; everywhere Fu Chen frequently visited, such as billiards halls, golf courses, equestrian tracks, and swimming pools, all featured a designated seating area reserved for Wen Yu to complete his assignments.
Wen Yu was busy working through homework on the first floor while waiting for Fu Chen to finish his activities. Last time, Dr. Xu mentioned that Fu Chen’s pheromones had stabilized slightly, suggesting the two of them could attempt a three-hour separation to see whether Fu Chen’s pheromone fluctuation levels remained manageable.
Wen Yu had set an alarm. When the alarm chimed, he had just finished writing out his math exam paper, completing it fifteen minutes faster than his previous attempt. Wen Yu began checking his answers.
Every single multiple-choice question was correct.
Wen Yu smiled faintly.
He proceeded to check the fill-in-the-blank and long-form problems, noting that a few minor, careless errors still persisted, before finally tallying his score.
133 points.
Growingly weary of drilling practice problems, Wen Yu pulled out his pocket vocabulary booklet to review words and unwind for a moment.
He then retrieved a piece of bread from his school bag and took a bite.
“Wen Yu?”
An unfamiliar voice drifted over from behind. Hearing his name called, Wen Yu turned around and found himself looking at someone he did not recognize.
The young man was dressed in a sleek black suit, exuding a proper appearance and an extraordinary bearing.
Wen Yu remained silent, his gaze conveying a silent inquiry regarding who he might be.
The man smiled faintly. “You returned the flowers to me, so I assumed you were not going to show up.”
Now Wen Yu knew who stood before him.
The vice mayor’s son, and the student council president of First High, Lin Ze.
When Wen Yu visited Senior Three, Class 1 earlier, he had simply grabbed random students and instructed them to give those flowers to Lin Ze in their class. He never crossed paths with Lin Ze personally, naturally leaving him clueless about Lin Ze’s appearance.
“I am waiting for someone,” Wen Yu stated, hoping to prevent any misunderstandings.
“How long have you been waiting, to the point of memorizing vocabulary?” Lin Ze glanced at the vocabulary book in Wen Yu’s left hand, then at the bread in his right hand. “Is this what you are having for dinner?”
Wen Yu stared at him in silence, having zero interest in making small talk with a stranger.
“Whoever lacked eyes to make a beauty wait this long,” Lin Ze smiled. “Since you are already here, let me treat you to dinner.”
“No thank you.” Wen Yu had no habit of dining with strangers, especially strangers who appeared to harbor romantic intentions toward him.
Accustomed to getting his way, Lin Ze had enjoyed absolute privilege since childhood, subscribing to the bullying philosophy that even if a forced melon is not sweet, it still quenches thirst. Whatever he desired, he intended to possess.
Lin Ze reached out and seized Wen Yu’s wrist, bringing it close to his face to inhale the scent lingering on Wen Yu’s skin.
“Let go!” Wen Yu struggled fiercely, but failed to break free.
“You smell so sweet,” Lin Ze murmured with a look of pure enjoyment, before staring directly into Wen Yu’s eyes with a smile. “As for you, it was love at first sight.”
Wen Yu furrowed his brows tightly, utterly failing to recall ever meeting this person before.
“You probably do not remember,” Lin Ze noticed Wen Yu’s blank expression and looked slightly frustrated. “On the day of the school anniversary, you bumped into me outside the restroom. I was instantly captivated by you. My mind went completely blank, and all I could think about was how someone could possibly match my ideal image so perfectly.”
“Wen Yu, you are truly breathtaking.” Lin Ze inhaled deeply once more from Wen Yu’s hand, shivering with sheer ecstasy. “Come with me, beauty. I adore Sleeping Beauty above all else; whatever you want, I will give it to you.”
Lin Ze emphasized the title of Sleeping Beauty with heavy insinuation, his tone and expression reeking of dissolute flattery.
“Please show some self-respect.” Wen Yu gazed coldly at Lin Ze, taking advantage of the other man’s momentary distraction to wrench his hand free, before grabbing his school bag and retreating half a step backward.
Lin Ze sniffed his own hand again; even the lingering trace of fragrance left him looking utterly obsessed. Wen Yu’s glacial expression only served to ignite Lin Ze’s physical arousal.
This was the first time a mere glance from someone had managed to stir such intense desire within him. Lin Ze smiled; this was a prize he was determined to claim.