Xie Wenxing felt down for a while, but then he pulled himself together and decided to wait a few days until Xu Huai’an had more or less forgotten about those incidents before trying to approach him.
During this time, Xie Wenxing secretly observed Xu Huai’an and was surprised to find that although Xu Huai’an always appeared cold and indifferent toward others, there were still people undeterred by his aloof demeanor, finding all sorts of excuses to strike up a conversation.
As soon as the afternoon classes ended, Zhao Xu from the neighboring class came over to find them.
Zhao Xu was a friend of Xu Huai’an and Zhou Yuan, though he wasn’t in the same class.
He arrived just in time to see Chen Yun holding a pink gift box, brimming with girlish charm, and presenting it to Xu Huai’an with hopeful anticipation.
Zhao Xu plopped himself down on Zhou Yuan’s desk, showing not a shred of sympathy. “Another gift for our Brother Huai? If it’s not worth tens of thousands, don’t bother. It’d be embarrassing—Brother Huai couldn’t wear something like that out.”
Chen Yun clutched the gift box tightly.
She came from an ordinary family, at best middle-class. The only reason she could attend this school was through a special recruitment program, leaving her with little more than her living expenses.
She had saved up for months to afford this gift, a few thousand yuan, which was already quite extravagant for a high school student.
She didn’t expect Zhao Xu to dismiss it so casually. To afford this gift, Chen Yun had even tightened her belt, losing several pounds in the process. As a dance student, this weight loss had even cost her some of the muscle she had built through training.
“Don’t run your mouth like that. Whether the gift gets accepted depends on Brother Huai’s mood.”
Zhou Yuan gave Zhao Xu a shove, and the two turned to look at Xu Huai’an.
Others might not know, but they were well aware, when it came to wealth, no student in the entire school was richer than Xu Huai’an.
His attitude toward such matters always depended on the person.
“Xingxing? Why aren’t you moving? The cafeteria opened a new [1]“malatang spot” refers to a casual eatery or food stall that serves malatang, a very popular Chinese street food dish. The name means “numbing, spicy, hot” soup. The … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2244630_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2244630_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });malatang spot, heard it’s really good.”
At the doorway, Song Yuan had just come out of the restroom when he saw his friend leaning against the doorframe. He leaned in too. “What are you looking at?”
Worried about being overheard, Xie Wenxing shushed him, signaling for him to be quiet. “Wait a moment.”
Confused, Song Yuan followed his gaze into the classroom and saw the scene of a girl presenting a gift. His face immediately filled with envy. “When will I ever get a girl giving me a gift like that? Xu Huai’an will probably accept it, right? There are quite a few people in the class.”
Most of the students had already left, but several had been about to go when they noticed Chen Yun stepping forward and decided to stay and watch the spectacle.
Luo Yinyin, who had already suffered a [2]“Waterloo-level” is a phrase derived from the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where Napoleon Bonaparte was decisively defeated. Over time, “meeting one’s Waterloo” has … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2244630_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2244630_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });Waterloo-level setback with Xu Huai’an, had originally made it to the cafeteria. But when her system alerted her, she rushed back in a frenzy and was now leaning by the corridor window.
Will he accept it?
Xie Wenxing silently asked himself. Based on his observations over the past few days, he had noticed that Xu Huai’an seemed to exist outside of this world, with very few things capable of capturing his attention.
Then, with certainty, Xie Wenxing said, “He won’t accept it.”
Xu Huai’an had been looking down at his phone. Chen Yun bit her lip and pushed the gift forward, blocking the screen.
The boy, who had kept his head lowered, finally deigned to lift his eyes and glance at the girl before him.
He leaned back, the collarbone exposed by the neckline of his shirt standing out and drawing the eye.
Chen Yun couldn’t help but sneak a few glances.
She complained to her system: This male lead’s personality is insufferable, but his looks aren’t bad. If I could have a fleeting affair with him, it wouldn’t be a loss.
Like Luo Yinyin, Chen Yun was a seasoned mission veteran.
After hundreds of book transmigrations, she was no longer the naive rookie who had first entered this world.
Her school uniform had been altered, cinched at the waist. As a dancer, the curves of her hips and legs were more refined than the average person’s.
Seeing that she had finally caught Xu Huai’an’s attention, Chen Yun immediately leaned forward, her loose neckline creating a sense of openness as she showcased her figure.
When she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but feel captivated by herself, there was no way Xu Huai’an wouldn’t take the bait.
Xu Huai’an cast a glance at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion. It was an expression of utter indifference, as if nothing was worth his attention.
But Chen Yun didn’t sense it. She even felt she had succeeded, that even someone as aloof as Xu Huai’an couldn’t entirely discard the baser instincts of men.
She leaned her upper body further forward, her chest faintly visible.
Xu Huai’an’s gaze flickered almost imperceptibly toward the doorway, his lowered lashes concealing all trace of emotion.
He stood up, and Zhou Yuan and Zhao Xu immediately understood to step aside.
And so, Xu Huai’an simply walked away.
His seat was closer to the back door, yet for some reason, he took a detour and left through the front.
From the stairwell came the sound of bouncing footsteps. The doorway where someone had been leaning moments ago was now empty.
Back in the classroom, the other students, seeing the girl upset, gathered around Chen Yun to offer quiet words of comfort.
“Don’t worry about it. Xu Huai’an is just like that. You’ll get used to it.”
Chen Yun’s gaze flickered, unable to hide the disappointment on her face. “Does he dislike me?”
The other students exchanged uncertain glances.
“Rather than saying he dislikes you, it’s more like he doesn’t care about you at all. He doesn’t even see you.”
“To be honest, Xu Huai’an is the kind of person you admire from a distance. With his personality, it’s hard to imagine him actually liking someone.”
Their words sounded like comfort but cut deep.
Chen Yun looked thoughtful but had no intention of giving up. She had completed countless missions before.
Far from deterring her, Xu Huai’an only fueled her competitive spirit. She refused to believe that there was anyone in the world who could resist another person’s kindness.
Physical education class at Yancheng No. 1 High School typically consisted of warm-up exercises followed by free time.
Xie Wenxing lagged at the back, his gaze fixed straight ahead. After running the 800 meters, he was already out of breath, drenched in sweat.
“God, it’s so hot. This sun is brutal.”
Song Yuan pressed a hand to his lower back and draped an arm over Xie Wenxing’s shoulder. “Xingxing, let’s go buy some water.”
On the spectator steps behind the flag-raising platform, Xu Huai’an sat in the shade, cooling off.
Zhou Yuan emerged from the equipment room with a basketball. Standing at the bottom of the steps with a few classmates, he looked up and asked, “Brother Huai, want to play?”
Xu Huai’an pulled out his phone and shook his head. “Too hot. You guys play.”
He lay down directly on the steps, covering his eyes with one hand, looking thoroughly uninterested.
Xie Wenxing bought water and sat under a tree. Following his gaze, Song Yuan saw Xu Huai’an resting on the steps. On the basketball court, the boys were playing with fiery intensity. Even a three-point shot failed to draw the attention of the girls who were on free time, their eyes kept drifting toward Xu Huai’an.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
It had only been a few days since the semester started, and Song Yuan had already witnessed how popular Xu Huai’an was with the girls.
“Sigh. We’re all people, so why is there such a big difference? Hey, Xingxing, what do you think of the school heartthrob?”
Xie Wenxing gazed from afar, lost in thought. His hand was tucked into his school uniform pocket, and the pencil, no longer than his little finger, warmed against his skin, feeling pleasantly warm.
He withdrew his gaze and tilted his head. “School heartthrob?”
The heat was unbearable. Song Yuan took another gulp of water. “You didn’t know? The school heartthrob is Xu Huai’an! He’s not only good at studying but also good-looking. His personality is a bit cold, but a lot of girls still like him.”
“That goes without saying.” Xie Wenxing unscrewed his bottle cap and took a sip. The cold water slid down his throat, slightly easing the restlessness that had been building inside him, whether from the sweltering weather or something else.
“Anyone with eyes can see that.”
Who could deny Xu Huai’an’s charm? Beyond his appearance, what was even more captivating was his unique aura.
Xie Wenxing couldn’t find the right words to describe it, but whenever Xu Huai’an was present, it was impossible to look away.
Suddenly, Xu Huai’an shifted slightly. Xie Wenxing immediately averted his gaze.
Song Yuan was still talking. “But handsome as he is, he’s really cold. Not like me—I’m adorable and approachable. Why don’t people consider me instead?”
Xie Wenxing gave his round head a light smack. “Focus on your studies and stop thinking about useless things.”
Song Yuan shook his head, shaking off his hand. “Useless things? You’ve never lacked female attention since you were little, you don’t get to talk.”
It hadn’t even been long since Xie Wenxing transferred here, and Song Yuan had already noticed many girls sneaking glances at him. Some even walked back and forth past the classroom door just to get a few more looks.
So his words weren’t exactly wrong.
Just then, two girls approached.
One had her hair in a high ponytail, the other had chin-length hair. “Hi, can we sit here?”
They pointed to the spot next to Xie Wenxing.
“Sure.”
Xie Wenxing couldn’t exactly refuse, the spot wasn’t his to begin with.
But the moment the two girls sat down, Xie Wenxing stood up, brushed off his pants, and moved elsewhere.
Song Yuan spoke up in his friend’s defense. “Don’t mind him. It’s not personal. He’s just like that, hahahaha.”
He didn’t dare to look closely at the two girls’ expressions and quickly scrambled to catch up with Xie Wenxing.
Song Yuan clutched his chest dramatically. “Oh my god, that scared me. Who knows if you’ll ever get over this thing of yours?”
He had known Xie Wenxing for years, yet he still couldn’t get within about a meter of him.
There weren’t many places to sit on the playground, most spots under the trees were already taken.
The only empty spaces were on the spectator steps behind the flag-raising platform, near where Xu Huai’an was. They had to stay close because they’d need to gather for roll call before PE class ended.
Song Yuan wasn’t exactly thrilled, but seeing Xie Wenxing head that way, he reluctantly followed.
Xie Wenxing sat down a few steps away from Xu Huai’an. Xu Huai’an was facing his direction, and Xie Wenxing propped his elbow on his knee, resting his chin in his hand.
On the surface, he seemed to be half-heartedly listening to Song Yuan, but in reality, he was secretly watching Xu Huai’an from the corner of his eye.
Internally, he was squealing like a devoted fan.
Holy crap, his forehead is so perfectly shaped.
From this angle, his eyelashes look so long. And that nose, absolutely flawless.
Each feature looks good on its own, but together, they’re even more perfect.
And his face is so small. That jawline is immaculate, barely any extra flesh.
Unlike his own.
Xie Wenxing pinched his own cheek, it was soft and squishy.
Sure, I look good too. But I still prefer someone like Xu Huai’an, all the handsomeness and charisma a guy could have. But out of everything, what I love most is his gaze.
The color of his eyes is so deep, almost pitch black. It reminds me of the night sky, profound and captivating.
Just like what he was looking at right now.
Yeah.
Yeah?
Damn. When did he open his eyes?
Xie Wenxing’s hand, which had been supporting his chin, wobbled, and he nearly bit his tongue.
His heart felt as heavy as if a stone had been dropped into it, thumping wildly.
He didn’t see me staring at him, did he?
If he finds out I was sneaking glances, he’ll probably think I’m some kind of creep.
Thinking back on his brief encounters with Xu Huai’an, whether it was flinching away during the morning exercises or suddenly yelling at him in the classroom for no reason, none of it was the kind of behavior that would make anyone like him.
Xie Wenxing’s vision went dark.
It’s over. Xu Huai’an definitely hates me even more now.
Song Yuan, completely unaware of his friend’s turmoil, looked at him with some surprise. “Xingxing, what’s wrong? Why are you sweating so much?”
Summer in Yancheng was long. Even in September, they were still at the tail end of the season, with temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius. The wind that blew in was thick and stifling.
But despite the scorching weather, Xie Wenxing had broken out in a cold sweat. When the hot wind hit him, it sent chills down his spine.
He wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead with a tissue. “Nothing. It’s just too hot.”
Song Yuan didn’t think much of it. “Yeah, the weather really is brutal.”
Suddenly, he lifted his chin, gesturing for Xie Wenxing to look. Not far away, two girls were walking over, one after the other. “Xingxing, guess who they’re here for?”
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