"Let's go, let's ignore them. Your classmates are so weird," Mu Yunxi said, pulling Jiang Feng away.
Jiang Feng shot a disdainful glance back at his former classmates.
It was as if he were saying: *See that? You guys don't appreciate a real man's charm!*
The wealthy second-generation heir clenched his fists in frustration, never expecting that the arm candy Jiang Feng had managed to snag would be so much prettier than his current girlfriend.
The high school campus belle felt the same way. She figured that Mu Yunxi must have taken an interest in Jiang Feng because the guy possessed some hidden, unfathomable strength.
Both of them burned with resentment.
A brief face-slapping episode had come to an end, but there was no helping it. After all, Jiang Feng hadn't won the beauty's heart yet, nor did he have the resources to build his own empire.
Still, there was no need to rush. Once Jiang Feng became a rich man, he would have more than enough power to thoroughly put them in their place.
"Thanks for getting me out of that," Jiang Feng said.
"Don't mention it," Mu Yunxi said, quickly letting go of his hand.
As the group walked into the theater, Mu Yunxi pulled Wang Mingyu aside and whispered, "I only did that earlier to help Jiang Feng out of a tight spot..."
Wang Mingyu blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Oh, oh, I get it."
"Mm-hm." Mu Yunxi gave a slight smile and walked inside.
Wang Mingyu felt perplexed. He couldn't figure out why Mu Yunxi felt the need to explain herself to him alone.
Could it be that she had a crush on him?
Once Wang Mingyu sat down, however, he realized something felt a bit off.
He was sitting right in the middle of two girls.
Surely that was supposed to be the protagonist's seat!
How on earth did it end up falling to him?
Since Mu Yunxi had given him the ticket, he hadn't paid much attention, but now...
They had chosen a comedy, and the two women kept brushing against him every time they burst into laughter.
It felt rather strange. Was he being taken advantage of?
Wang Mingyu was used to taking advantage of others; being on the receiving end was a brand-new experience.
Jiang Feng glared resentfully at Mu Yunxi as she leaned closer to Wang Mingyu's side, his anger boiling over.
He swore to himself that next time, he was taking Mu Yunxi out alone!
Whenever Wang Mingyu was around, he felt like his protagonist aura completely vanished.
The moment his high school classmates had appeared earlier, he had clearly felt that feeling coming back, only for it to... vanish again.
When the movie ended, the group walked out of the theater.
"Why don't we head back?" Jiang Feng suggested. "It's getting pretty late."
He was desperate to get away from Wang Mingyu.
*Rumble~*
Wang Mingyu's stomach let out a loud growl. Rubbing his belly, he proposed, "How about we grab some food first? We can head back after we're full."
"Agreed!" Both girls raised their hands in support.
Three against one.
Jiang Feng had no choice but to compromise.
He had originally planned to cook dinner for Mu Yunxi back at home.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful? Just the two of them sharing a sweet meal at the same table, chatting about this and that.
They ended up at a hotpot restaurant.
All the way there, Jiang Feng remained sullen and gloomy.
Yet nobody bothered to cheer him up.
Everyone else was starving and struggling just to look after themselves. Who had the spare energy to coddle someone else?
After the meal, Jiang Feng felt a lot happier.
At last, he would get to walk home through the night air with Mu Yunxi.
"The movie was pretty good today," Jiang Feng said.
"Mm-hm, it was all right," Mu Yunxi nodded.
Her mind was currently occupied with the other two people.
Wang Mingyu always walked Lin Linyu home, and she worried something might happen between them.
Yet where this worry came from, she couldn't quite explain.
Clearly, a close friend finding happiness should be a joyous occasion.
But...
Suddenly, the bushes by the roadside rustled.
Startled, Mu Yunxi leaped right against Jiang Feng's side.
Jiang Feng chuckled inwardly—that wonderful feeling was back again.
Looking closer, they saw a cat dart out of the bushes, making Mu Yunxi let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh, it's just a cat."
"Ha, you're such a coward," Jiang Feng laughed.
"Oh, please, I was just lost in thought," Mu Yunxi pouted, complaining.
"Oh? Something on your mind?"
"Ah? N-no, nothing," Mu Yunxi shook her head in denial.
Her words directly contradicted each other, though.
Jiang Feng could tell that Mu Yunxi was being evasive, but he didn't press the issue.
After all, if Mu Yunxi wasn't willing to talk about it, it simply meant their relationship hadn't reached that level yet.
He would just have to work harder!
Meanwhile, Wang Mingyu was sitting in a Ferrari Portofino, having just dropped Lin Linyu off at home, maintaining a heavy silence.
Why on earth did things turn out like this?!
"Who is she?" Wang Qingying asked coldly.
Wang Mingyu shook his head without answering.
"Speak!"
"Didn't you say we had to be silent in your car?"
"Ha?! That was this morning! This is different! Answer me!" Wang Qingying raged.
"All right, all right, don't get worked up," Wang Mingyu said, hastily waving his hands. "She's just a classmate of mine. We went out to hang out together."
"You went out to hang out with her alone? And you claim you like me? How come I never see you asking me out!"
"Hold on, hold on—who told you it was just the two of us? There were two other people, okay? Besides, me liking you is one thing, but normally I can't even catch a glimpse of you. By the way, how did you even find me?"
"That's none of your business! Hmph." Wang Qingying was furious.
Could she really tell Wang Mingyu that she had installed a tracking system on his phone? No way!
"So what's the verdict? Want to go on a date with me?" Wang Mingyu asked with his usual cheeky grin.
"Get home early from now on. Look at what time it is," Wang Qingying skirted around his question instead.
"It's only eleven! Nightlife is just getting started."
"From now on, you must be home before eleven! Otherwise, I'm counting it as unexcused absence!"
"Unexcused absence?! Absence from what?! Telling you bedtime stories?"
"Hmph, you know what I mean. I need to go to sleep early from now on, so you have to tell me a story before I fall asleep." Wang Qingying glanced sideways at Wang Mingyu, expecting him to refuse, but to her surprise...
"Deal! That means I get to spend a little more time with you, yes!" Wang Mingyu looked thoroughly excited.
This reaction completely dispelled any lingering suspicions Wang Qingying had.
She had actually thought...
She had thought Wang Mingyu was pursuing another girl.
If she ever found out Wang Mingyu was lying to her, she would break his legs!
Then she'd lock him in her room so he could tell her stories every single day, heh.
"By the way, shouldn't you be out on a date with your boyfriend?" Wang Mingyu asked suddenly.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Wang Qingying explained.
"Huh? No way! I remember before..."
Before Wang Mingyu could finish, he received a fierce glare. "Let me make this clear: I! Do! Not! Have! A! Boyfriend!"
"Oh, oh... right. Must be my memory acting up," Wang Mingyu said, awkwardly scratching his head.
This didn't match what he remembered at all, though.
"It was just some ordinary friend. We weren't even together yet, and he tried to hold my hand. Don't you think that's crossing the line?" Wang Qingying hadn't even realized she was justifying herself to Wang Mingyu.
"Oh, yeah. That... that is pretty out of line," Wang Mingyu chimed in.
He remembered the original book went the same way—Wang Qingying had a decent boyfriend, but because she wouldn't let him hold her hand, she dumped him.
He hadn't expected the plot to change like this.
Wang Qingying didn't have a boyfriend anymore.
Wait... if holding hands was considered crossing the line...
How come when he kissed Wang Qingying, absolutely nothing happened?!