Shen Jinyao had always been known for her good temper—kind, generous, and slow to anger, with an excellent reputation among her social circle.
Except around He Zongye, where she turned as irritable as a cornered rabbit.
Right now, for instance, she wanted nothing more than to beat him to death.
Shen Jinyao kicked at the air a few times, sulking as she trailed behind him.
Just then, the door to the private room across the hall opened.
Duan Yuchu stepped out with his classmates. Seeing He Zongye, he instinctively glanced behind him. He Zongye was tall and broad, with a physique hardened by regular workouts—solid and imposing. His lazy posture gave off an air of casual indifference.
In his hand was Shen Jinyao’s bag. Duan Yuchu smiled lightly. “Let me take it.”
He Zongye gave him an extra look, his dark eyes anything but friendly. He Zongye had always been arrogant, looking down on everyone else.
Everyone except Duan Yuchu. The moment the two met, the atmosphere turned taut and frozen.
Duan Yuchu, by contrast, remained gentlemanly and cordial. The contrast made He Zongye look like a street thug.
“Give it to you? On what authority do you say that?”
He Zongye’s tone was flat, but his eyes were cold.
Shen Jinyao shoved past He Zongye, who stood like a wall, and looked at Duan Yuchu. “Yuchu, you should head back first. I still have things to do later.”
Duan Yuchu was a man of propriety—polite and respectful, never prying into others’ affairs. He nodded and said, “Alright.”
That spared Shen Jinyao further embarrassment, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
He Zongye’s handsome face darkened. He turned and walked off with the bag, and Shen Jinyao hurried after him.
Duan Yuchu watched the two retreating figures, a flicker of something deep passing through his eyes before vanishing. He didn’t dwell on it.
His classmate beside him stared at Shen Jinyao’s back, curiosity dripping from his voice. “That girl is Shen Jinyao, right? Yuchu, you actually know her?”
“Yeah. We’ve been good friends for years—childhood friends, you could say.”
“Damn, you knew Shen Jinyao and never told us? That’s not cool at all.”
Another chimed in: “Exactly. And what’s her deal with He Zongye? They seem pretty close.”
Duan Yuchu replied, “Their parents know each other. The relationship isn’t good.”
“I see. Hey, don’t let good fortune go to waste—introduce her to me sometime.”
Duan Yuchu’s brow furrowed slightly, his voice lower than usual. “That’s not convenient.”
He walked off, and the three caught up. “Why not? What, you like her or something?”
Duan Yuchu stopped, his gentle face suddenly turning serious. “Don’t talk nonsense. Besides, Jinyao’s family is no lesser than mine. Her match would only come from the major clans.”
The two male classmates fell silent at that, though their eyes and expressions turned somewhat odd.
Duan Yuchu parted ways with the three as soon as they left the restaurant. The three stood together and scoffed.
“Major clans, huh. As if we don’t know they think they’re born better than us. Go back three generations and everyone’s family were farmers.”
“I’m telling you, he’s definitely into Shen Jinyao. Why else would he defend her like that?”
“So fake. Plays the gentleman at school, then puts on airs in front of us. Disgusting.”
“Alright, alright. Duan Yuchu’s family is loaded—don’t burn that bridge. Once we graduate, there’s plenty to gain.”
At that, the other two shut up. It was their shared understanding.
They’d heard of the Duan family’s conglomerate—a nationwide hotel chain. Better to suck up to him now and reap the rewards later.
Shen Jinyao followed He Zongye at a deliberate distance, acting like she didn’t know him, as if they just happened to be walking the same way back to campus.
The boy stopped and turned to look at the girl dawdling behind him, admiring the campus scenery in the evening.
The sun’s lingering glow draped a ribbon across the sky. The evening breeze rustled the leaves along the walkway, and the artificial lake shimmered. Small groups of students sat on benches reading together.
Some people noticed He Zongye, their gazes lingering a beat too long, eyes brimming with tentative interest.
Shen Jinyao stopped too, picking up a leaf that happened to be decently shaped and fiddling with it.
Two girls approached and went straight for He Zongye.
Shen Jinyao held the leaf up to her nose, watching the girls ask He Zongye for his WeChat.
She bet he’d give it.
The next second, she saw He Zongye lift the bag in his hand, signaling he was taken.
Shen Jinyao crushed the leaf in her palm as the two girls walked away, disappointment written on their faces.
Before leaving, they shot a pointed look at her.
Shen Jinyao’s eyes went wide with disbelief. Son of a—he actually used her as a shield.
The boy tilted his chin up slightly, watching her furious little face, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smile.
Shen Jinyao stormed up to him, craning her neck to glare. “Did you just use me as a shield? How shameless can you be?”
He Zongye glanced down at her, insufferably smug. “If it works, why not? What’s the point of shame?”
Shen Jinyao was so angry her teeth itched. She snatched the bag from his hand. “There was a perfectly good option right there, and you still had to come mess with me.”
She slung the bag over her shoulder and stormed ahead. He Zongye’s brow furrowed slightly.
With his long legs, he caught up to her in two or three strides.
Shen Jinyao didn’t want to acknowledge him. She kept her gaze straight ahead and continued walking, picking up her pace.
Her forearm was suddenly caught in a large hand. He Zongye stepped closer and pressed her against a tree. “What do you mean by ‘right here’?”
Shen Jinyao kicked at him. “We’re in public. Let go.”
She looked like she wanted nothing to do with him, afraid someone might get the wrong idea.
He Zongye’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t even bother with the two footprints now on his pants. “If this were Duan Yuchu, you’d be grinning from ear to ear, wouldn’t you?”
Shen Jinyao noticed people looking their way. She lowered her head and pulled her hair forward to hide her face.
“Yuchu would never be as much of a bastard as you.”
He Zongye’s careless demeanor faded bit by bit. His gaze turned cold, staring at her with depth.
He curled his lips in a mocking smirk. “Right. He’s the good guy, and I’m the bad guy.”
“Good that you know. Now let go!”
He Zongye let out a light laugh, a playful smirk at the corner of his mouth, and said slowly, word by word: “I’m the bad guy, right? Well, bad guys do bad things.”
He Zongye grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace. The sudden hug made Shen Jinyao’s heart skip a beat, and then shame and indignation flushed her face bright red.
He Zongye locked his hand around the back of her head with startling force. Her struggles were like a little chick in his eyes.
The artificial lake at Jing University was the most famous spot on campus. Plenty of students came for evening strolls after dinner.
On top of that, He Zongye was well known, so everyone’s attention turned their way.
He slowly lowered his head and whispered softly in her ear, word by word: “Tomorrow, you and this bastard are going to be tied together all over short videos.”
She struggled even harder. Her head was pressed against his chest, her bangs mussed up, her face burning hot.
He Zongye continued maliciously: “Scared Duan Yuchu might see?”
Shen Jinyao was frantic and furious, unable to break free, so she just cursed at him outright. “You psycho! You bastard! I’m scared of your damn father!”
Something in her words made He Zongye laugh. His voice was low, his chest vibrating—and since they were pressed so close together, it made Shen Jinyao think of that dream.
Her cheeks grew hotter and hotter, like they were about to catch fire.
He Zongye said in a lazy, flippant tone: “Why be scared of him? He’s not worth it.”
Shen Jinyao cursed at him for a long while before He Zongye finally let her go, satisfied.
Face flushed red, Shen Jinyao swung her bag at his face. He Zongye leaned back and dodged it.
He Zongye shoved his hands in his pockets, raised an eyebrow at her, and said with a meaningful tone: “I’m the bad guy.”
To Shen Jinyao’s ears, that sounded like a threat—like she’d better watch out, or he’d bully her again.