"Are we really dating?!"
Yun Mengyan forgot to pull her hand away, letting Zhou Yu hold it. Her mouth formed an O-shape, and her voice trembled slightly.
"But we don't really know each other. We haven't known each other very long, and besides..."
Zhou Yu found the flustered campus belle rather amusing. "We're just dating, not getting married. What are you so nervous about?"
Yun Mengyan's words stopped short. That's right, what on earth was she even saying!
Raising her eyes, she saw Zhou Yu looking at her with a half-smile, and a wave of shyness and vexation washed over her.
"Anyway, I only accept a real relationship, not pretending to be a couple!"
A strong sense of overbearing confidence washed over her, making Yun Mengyan's cheeks turn pink once again. Usually, Zhou Yu seemed so gentle and refined; how did he suddenly seem like a completely different person today?
"Mengyan, is that okay?"
"Mm!"
Yun Mengyan let out a soft hum, a single syllable so quiet that it was hard to tell she had even spoken.
A flash of amusement crossed the depths of Zhou Yu's eyes.
The atmosphere was far too ambiguous. Eager to break the tension, Yun Mengyan changed the subject. "The freshman cultural performance is coming up soon! By tradition, the top-ranked male student in our grade plays the male lead, and the top-ranked female student plays the female lead. The head of the grade already gave me the script. Did you get yours?"
Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow at that. He knew about the cultural performance, but ever since the exam results came out, the grade head hadn't sought him out even once.
Since the script had been given to Yun Mengyan so early, it meant the script for the performance was already finalized with no changes needed. Yet, for some reason, they hadn't given it to him—the top-ranked student in the grade.
You didn't have to think twice to know something fishy was going on!
He shook his head. "I didn't get a script!"
"Eh? That's impossible! The grade head told me to familiarize myself with the script as soon as possible so we can rehearse together in a couple of days!"
Yun Mengyan frowned. "Did the grade head forget? Don't worry, I'll go ask the grade head what's going on tomorrow!"
Since Zhou Yu hadn't gotten the script yet, she could just lend him her copy. She was almost done reading it anyway.
"Zhou Yu, wait for me downstairs. I'll go get my script and bring it down for you to look over first!"
"If you give it to me, what will you do?"
"I've already memorized the lines! You can take it and make a copy, and get familiar with it as soon as possible, or you definitely won't pass the rehearsal! Oh, and the school even specially invited Hao Zhitong, a veteran senior from the acting world, to guide us. Teacher Hao hates actors who aren't professional the most!"
Without waiting for Zhou Yu to say anything else, Yun Mengyan hurried upstairs anxiously. Her retreating figure quickly vanished around the corner.
Zhou Yu's mind raced. The grade head hadn't given him the script, but had given it exclusively to Yun Mengyan, the female lead. That meant the female lead's casting was already locked in. Conversely, the male lead hadn't been decided yet.
So who was trying to steal his spot as the male lead?
Gong Liyang?
Although Gong Liyang's grades were passable, he was still a fair distance behind him. If the grade head rashly tossed aside the top-ranked student in the grade to use Gong Liyang instead, it was bound to stir up unnecessary trouble.
So their only option was to make him mess up, thereby achieving their goal of replacing him?
Yun Mengyan had mentioned that Teacher Hao Zhitong would be present on the day of the auditions. Just imagine: if the grade head handed him the script on the very day of the audition, he wouldn't have time to learn his lines before having to get on stage and perform. It would be a miracle if Hao Zhitong didn't give him a foul look!
So that was the game they were playing!
"Zhou Yu!"
A rush of wind from a punch came at him, but Zhou Yu lightly sidestepped and dodged it. He looked at the newcomer. "Ah, if it isn't Young Master Gong! You're so enthusiastic the moment we meet, I simply can't handle it!"
"Zhou Yu, who do you think you are?! How dare you steal a woman from this young master!"
From afar, Gong Liyang had seen the two holding hands, and had heard Yun Mengyan say something to Zhou Yu before turning and heading up to the dorms. Enraged, he had sprinted over a few steps, but failed to catch Yun Mengyan in time. He had no choice but to channel all his pent-up fury into a punch aimed straight at Zhou Yu's face.
"Zhou Yu, what are you feeling so smug about? Do you really think that sending a high-imitation necklace and renting a modified car makes you a second-generation wealthy heir? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror—are you worthy? I advise you to stay away from Mengyan right now. She is not someone you can dream of having!"
Gong Liyang's voice was loud enough for almost everyone around to hear.
"What? The Heart of the Ocean necklace is fake? No way, can high-imitation stuff really be made that convincingly nowadays?"
"Even if it looks convincing, it's still fake, so what's the use? Sigh! And here I really thought Zhou Yu was a hidden billionaire! Turns out he was just putting on a front!"
"Wait, do Ferraris even come modified? Though I don't know much about cars, can hypercars worth tens of millions just be modified however you like?"
"I believe Young Master Gong. He's the real deal when it comes to wealthy heirs, unlike certain posers who pretend to have money they don't! Got exposed as a fake by our Young Master Gong!"
"Pfft! You must be a Yun-Yang couple fan, taking Young Master Gong's side like that!"
...
A smile appeared on the young master's face. I don't care whether you're a real wealthy heir or not; as long as the public narrative says you're fake, then you're fake. He had already hired internet trolls to clean up the comments on the campus forum. He trusted that the campus forum would change drastically very soon, leaving only the comments of the Yun-Yang couple fans.
Zhou Yu, once your reputation is thoroughly ruined, let's see if Mengyan still protects you!
"Gong Liyang! What do you think you're doing?"
Yun Mengyan had just come downstairs with the script when she saw a crowd gathered in front of the girls' dormitory building. Zhou Yu was standing in the middle, and Gong Liyang looked like he was about to hit him. She forced her way through the crowd, shoved Gong Liyang aside with all her might, and stepped in front of Zhou Yu. Her willow brows were arched in anger, and disgust flashed in the depths of her eyes.
"Mengyan, he was just about to hit me. Good thing I dodged in time!"
Zhou Yu leaned close to Yun Mengyan's ear and whispered his complaint, but his voice drifted clearly into Gong Liyang's ears. It was a triumphant tone with a provocative look.
Gong Liyang hadn't expected Zhou Yu to be so shameless. Weren't men's issues supposed to be settled privately between men? How could he actively go and tell Yun Mengyan? Was he even a man?
Zhou Yu felt zero psychological burden. *The woman I like the most is putting you in your place for another man—enjoy this, Gong Liyang!*
"I didn't! No, I didn't! Don't believe him!"
"I saw it with my own eyes! How can you still lie?"
Yun Mengyan pulled Zhou Yu close and introduced him to everyone. "This is my boyfriend, Zhou Yu! As for Gong Liyang, I have nothing to do with him whatsoever!"
Gong Liyang clutched his chest as if his heart was being torn apart!
"Mengyan, you can't treat me like this! You clearly know I like you! Why find some low-life punk just to make me mad? Is there something I'm doing wrong? Tell me, and I'll change! I'm begging you, take back what you just said!"
Seeing the wounded look all over Gong Liyang's face, Zhou Yu felt immensely gratified inside. He finally understood the thrill of the latecomer usurping the throne!
"Here's your script!"
Seeing the script in Yun Mengyan's hands, Gong Liyang's eyes flashed with calculation. After Yun Mengyan left, he blocked Zhou Yu's path.
"Zhou Yu, you don't actually think you're going to be the male lead in the freshman cultural performance, do you?"
"Oh? If not me, could it possibly be you?"
Gong Liyang's words clearly had a hidden meaning. It seemed that even if the mastermind behind the scenes wasn't Gong Liyang himself, he was certainly in on it.
"Dare to make a bet?"
*Ding! System mission issued: accept Gong Liyang's bet! The host will receive 100 million!*
Zhou Yu's eyes lit up.
His gaze toward Gong Liyang shifted instantly from casual contempt to a heat as blazing as if he had just stepped into the Sahara Desert.
This wasn't a love rival at all—this was clearly a delivery boy bringing him a fortune!