The whole idea of going abroad to find a blonde, blue-eyed girlfriend had been nothing more than a thoughtless lie Shi Jing made up on the spot.
After saying it casually, he had completely forgotten about it.
He never would have imagined that Jiang Yu would bring it up at a moment like this—and remember it more clearly than the person who had said it.
Shi Jing choked on his words for a moment before quickly recovering. With a cold laugh, he said, “What the hell does that have to do with you? Whether I get a girlfriend or not, is that any of your business?”
Jiang Yu’s expression darkened.
A few seconds later, he walked straight toward him.
Shi Jing had no idea what he intended to do. He thought Jiang Yu was about to start a fight.
Although he had never actually fought Jiang Yu before, he had trained in taekwondo for years.
That training wasn’t for nothing.
Straightening his back, Shi Jing raised an eyebrow.
“You want to fight? I’ll even let you have the first three mo—”
Before he could finish his provocation, Jiang Yu reached out and grabbed his chin.
Shi Jing froze.
Then anger surged through him.
Clenching his fist, he swung toward Jiang Yu’s handsome face.
“Damn you! No warning at all? Do you have any sense of martial brotherhood?”
With his other hand, Jiang Yu effortlessly caught the punch.
Then he stepped forward again, trapping Shi Jing directly between himself and the sink.
Shi Jing struggled hard.
It was completely useless.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
He suddenly realized that this bastard’s combat ability seemed a little…
Strong?
Fine.
Very strong.
Damn it.
He couldn’t beat him.
Just as Shi Jing was sinking into despair, the hand gripping his chin suddenly tightened.
He was forced to open his mouth.
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes.
His eyes naturally looked cold, with downward-slanting corners and sharp inner angles.
His gaze slowly swept across Shi Jing’s lips and the teeth revealed by his forced-open mouth.
There was an unmistakable sense of aggression in Jiang Yu’s gaze.
Even a hint of shamelessness.
Bold.
Unrestrained.
Openly brazen.
Shi Jing turned his head away awkwardly.
He didn’t even know why he was feeling this strange sense of embarrassment.
Jiang Yu loosened his grip slightly.
“You’re blushing this much. Looks like you didn’t manage to find that ‘blonde, blue-eyed’ girlfriend after all.”
His tone was especially teasing.
The corners of his eyes seemed to carry invisible hooks, and he deliberately emphasized the words “blonde, blue-eyed.”
Shi Jing was stunned.
It was the first time he had ever seen such an expression on Jiang Yu’s face.
Jiang Yu was famous for being difficult to approach.
His naturally cold face was already highly intimidating. His features were sharp and simple, with deep-set brows, dark eyes, and a tall, straight nose bridge.
He rarely smiled.
During the year and a half Jiang Yu had spent at Canghe First High School, every time Shi Jing happened to see him, he was either carrying books, wearing his school jacket, or draping it over one shoulder.
Shi Jing was in Class Nine.
Jiang Yu was in Class Three.
Class Three was on the fourth floor of Zhili Building, while Class Nine was on the second floor of Mingde Building.
The two buildings faced each other across a vast grassy field.
Under normal circumstances, they shouldn’t have crossed paths very often.
But Shi Jing was the Head of the Student Discipline Committee and frequently conducted inspections around campus.
Whenever he occasionally passed by Class Three and casually glanced inside, Jiang Yu was either sleeping with his head on the desk or leaning against the wall while lazily twirling a pen and listening to his friends brag.
In Shi Jing’s understanding, Jiang Yu was the ultimate king of pretentious coolness.
The kind whose facial muscles seemed permanently frozen.
Shi Jing’s strategy for dealing with someone like that had always been simple:
Act even more pretentious.
But this situation…
Shi Jing swallowed.
Stammering slightly, he asked,
“Why are you so concerned about my business?”
Jiang Yu lowered his eyes and stared at the movement of Shi Jing’s throat.
“I am very concerned.”
Shi Jing was a little surprised by the answer.
Busy trying to recover his dignity, he didn’t think too deeply about why Jiang Yu would say such a thing.
“I do happen to like someone right now.”
Jiang Yu abruptly looked up.
“Who?”
Shi Jing flashed a deliberately punchable grin.
“Guan Ziqin.”
Just as Shi Jing had expected, Jiang Yu’s expression visibly darkened.
His lips tightened, and his aura became colder than an Australian winter.
Without moving, he stared directly into Shi Jing’s eyes.
The emotions in those eyes were heavy.
Shi Jing forced himself to maintain eye contact.
Guan Ziqin was the recognized school beauty of Canghe First High School.
This year, she had been admitted to Lanjing Academy of Arts, majoring in Acting.
Rumors about her and Jiang Yu had never stopped.
In Shi Jing’s mind, those two were already a couple.
The kind that was completely locked in.
That was why he deliberately claimed to like Guan Ziqin in front of Jiang Yu.
His sole purpose was to annoy him.
Any man would be possessive.
Especially someone like Jiang Yu.
If anything, his possessiveness should be even stronger.
After a long moment of deadlock, Jiang Yu suddenly laughed.
The corners of his eyes curved slightly downward, though there wasn’t much amusement in them.
The tiny dimple at the corner of his lips appeared.
It was only a shallow indentation, but it softened his strikingly handsome yet distant face, adding a trace of gentleness and warmth.
“Shi Jing.”
Jiang Yu straightened up.
“Do you know the difference between this meeting and the one before the college entrance exams?”
Shi Jing looked entirely at ease.
His tone carried the usual mockery and provocation he reserved for Jiang Yu.
“Because I’m more handsome now, or because you’ve gotten uglier?”
Jiang Yu didn’t bother arguing with him.
Instead, he said,
“You’re an adult now.”
Shi Jing blinked.
“…Huh?”
Jiang Yu’s eyes curved slightly.
His tone sounded deeply meaningful.
“So from now on, you should be more careful about what you say.”
“Otherwise, one day you’ll end up crying.”
“Jiang Yu really said that?”
Qin Yu sat on the sofa holding a cup of iced cola, looking utterly incredulous.
Shi Jing lay sprawled across the couch in the shape of a giant starfish, his feet planted on the floor and his face filled with despair.
“I swear, that’s exactly what he said.”
Qin Yu hesitated.
He still found it hard to believe.
Although Shi Jing and Jiang Yu didn’t get along, Qin Yu actually had a fairly good impression of Jiang Yu.
Back in the tiered study hall, he had once asked Jiang Yu several questions.
Jiang Yu hadn’t acted arrogant or hidden anything.
He had simply explained everything clearly.
Staring at the ceiling, Shi Jing said,
“What do you think that last sentence meant? Is he planning to beat me up next time?”
Qin Yu looked even more confused than he was.
“I have no idea.”
Shi Jing rolled his eyes at him.
After thinking for a while on his own, he picked up his phone and resumed playing his game.
Forget it.
If he couldn’t figure something out, he would stop thinking about it for now.
There was no rush anyway.
When soldiers came, generals would block them. When floodwaters came, earth would stop them.
Qin Yu was very familiar with Shi Jing’s home and had visited many times.
During the month and a half Shi Jing had spent overseas, he had left behind the little turtle he had raised for seven or eight years.
Qin Yu frequently visited the house and faithfully served the turtle lord.
With practiced familiarity, he reached beneath the coffee table, grabbed the remote control, and turned on the television.
The moment the screen lit up, Jiang Yu’s face appeared.
Shi Jing frowned.
He looked up from his game, intending to tell Qin Yu to lower the volume.
Then he saw that devastatingly handsome face.
After a pause, he asked,
“This is the drama that made him famous?”
“More or less.”
Qin Yu nodded.
“Jiang Yu also has the title of provincial top scorer. He came with his own built-in popularity.”
Shi Jing snorted and lowered his head to continue gaming.
A moment later, he lifted his head again.
“What major did that bastard Jiang Yu choose? Chemistry or Finance?”
Qin Yu honestly shook his head.
“Neither.”
“Then what?”
“Directing.”
“…What the hell?”
Shi Jing’s face went blank.
“I don’t understand it either.”
Qin Yu waved his hand dismissively.
“Maybe geniuses just think differently from ordinary people like us.”