"Ptooey~"
"Gurgle... bleh."
Ye Cheng spat out the last mouthful of black blood, just as the bottled water ran out—everything timed perfectly.
Dongfang Zhixia's once-swollen foot, which had resembled a pig's trotter, now looked much better. Though still slightly bruised, it was no longer as dark or puffy as before.
"Alright, that should do it. President, just have your assistant come pick you up later," Ye Cheng said, clapping his hands and preparing to leave bare-chested.
Dongfang Zhixia seemed lost in thought, only snapping back to reality when she realized Ye Cheng was about to leave. Before her mind could catch up, her body moved on its own. She grabbed his arm urgently.
"You can't go."
Ye Cheng: "..."
Was she seriously trying to cling to him now?
From his expression, Dongfang Zhixia detected a hint of exasperation, which first made her feel wronged, then quickly shifted into indignation.
How dare he!
How dare he act so dismissive toward her!
Gritting her teeth, she pressed on, "I can't walk properly right now. Forcing myself to move will speed up my blood circulation—meaning the toxins will spread faster. I can't leave. You have to carry me."
Ye Cheng picked his nose with his pinky.
"President, waiting here for your assistant is the same. Look how slippery the mountain path is. If I have to carry someone and end up falling, what then?"
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
Her chest heaved.
It was obvious—Ye Cheng just didn’t want to carry her!
Hadn’t he claimed to like her before? Shouldn’t he be jumping at the chance for close contact? Why was he making excuses?
Fuming but not daring to show it outright—lest he actually leave—she swallowed her anger, vowing revenge later.
Clenching her jaw, she said, "Didn’t you say you liked me before? Is carrying me such an unreasonable request?"
"Yeah, it is. Can’t do it." Ye Cheng kept picking his nose.
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
"Besides, President, like you said—that was before. You already rejected me, didn’t you? My greatest virtue is knowing my place. Don’t worry, I won’t pester you. I’ll do my best to stay out of your sight from now on!"
Dongfang Zhixia’s chest rose and fell violently, her blood boiling. The way she glared at Ye Cheng could’ve vaporized him on the spot.
Then, suddenly—
She smiled. Her icy expression melted into something gentle.
"But... I never rejected you."
Ye Cheng: "???"
Now it was his turn to freeze.
"You confessed to me before, but you left before I could answer. I never said no." Dongfang Zhixia turned the tables.
"Uh, I—you... what?"
Ye Cheng’s eyes glazed over at her words.
"If you want to be my boyfriend, you can’t even handle something this simple?" Dongfang Zhixia arched a brow.
A blatant provocation.
Any man would take the bait—no way he’d back down now!
Ye Cheng nodded. "Yep. I’m trash. Can’t do it."
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
"President, my crush on you expired yesterday. It’s past midnight—progress bar reset. But don’t worry, next time there’s an event like this, you’ll be the first to know."
Ye Cheng delivered this nonsense with a straight face.
Dongfang Zhixia’s face flushed red with anger. Her hands trembled.
Aaaah!!!
This bastard—what the hell was going through his mind?!
Taking a deep breath, she forced a calm, sweet smile.
"So, you’re saying you’ve moved on?"
Ye Cheng was about to nod—that was exactly it.
Before he could speak, Dongfang Zhixia’s smile turned frosty.
"You confessed to me in front of the whole school, then switched targets the next day? That’s not just slapping me in the face—it’s slapping the Dongfang Family’s face."
"I might let it slide, but if word reaches my father... well, I can’t guarantee what’ll happen."
Ye Cheng: "..."
Gulp.
He’d looked up the Dongfang Family’s influence the day before.
To summarize: their reach spanned nearly every imaginable sector—military, politics, business... Maybe not the entire nation, but in Great Sea City, if it could be bought, the Dongfang Family had a stake. Their shadow loomed over everything.
The uncrowned royalty of Great Sea City.
Far beyond local power struggles—they sat at the table where real decisions were made.
Dream something at night, wake up to it the next morning.
The current patriarch, Dongfang Zhan—also Dongfang Zhixia’s father.
Of the three Dongfang siblings in this generation, Dongfang Zhixia was the youngest... and the most doted upon.
Cradled like porcelain, cherished like gold.
Imagine a doting father returning home after a long day, only to hear his precious daughter had been publicly humiliated—confessed to one day, dumped the next.
Then... the heavens would fall, wrath incarnate would descend!
By nightfall—no, by evening—he’d be mincemeat.
Ye Cheng: "..."
NO!!!
His eyes cleared instantly. He grabbed Dongfang Zhixia’s hand—no, wait, her foot—and gazed at her with deep affection.
"President, how could I ever? My devotion to you is as unwavering as the sun and moon! I’d never waver!"
"I only hesitated because I feared sullying your noble self!"
"How could someone reeking of bubblegum dare approach one who smells of the finest seafood?"
"Come, President! Let me carry you!"
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
Bubblegum? Seafood? What nonsense was he spouting now?
Though she’d witnessed Ye Cheng’s shameless flip-flopping before, she still had to admire his... utter lack of shame.
Dignity? Nonexistent.
Ye Cheng crouched obligingly. "Here, President. Take it slow—I’d hate for you to fall. My heart couldn’t take it."
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
For some reason, she really wanted to punch someone right now.
With a cold humph, she braced one hand against a tree and leaned forward, collapsing onto Ye Cheng’s back.
Squish.
Silence spoke volumes.
As everyone knows, the human brain far surpasses even the most advanced supercomputers. Through mere physical contact, Ye Cheng’s mind instantly conjured the corresponding sound effect.
So soft!!!
Dongfang Zhixia’s face flushed slightly, her expression awkward.
"You... you’re not thinking something disgusting right now, are you?"
Ye Cheng: "???"
Left it on and didn't turn it off?