The class bell rang.
Tan Jing withdrew his gaze so quickly that He Siheng thought the fleeting sense of dangerous pressure from moments ago was just an illusion.
He nodded slightly toward Zhang Xunyue and walked into the activity room.
Zhang Xunyue let out a sigh of relief upon seeing this, feeling both fortunate and delighted. This was the first time she’d interacted with Tan Jing since her failed confession last time, and fortunately, he hadn’t ignored her.
The next second, she heard the boy say, “Since your class needs to use this activity room too, then He Siheng and I will come back next time.”
Only then did Zhang Xunyue realize she was still sitting at the piano. She quickly stood up and yielded the spot, explaining as she did, “No, no, our class doesn’t have any instrument performances. You two practice. I’ll just watch from the side.”
Afraid that Tan Jing would refuse, she paused and added in a small voice, “I won’t disturb you guys.”
He Siheng watched her shy and awkward girlish demeanor, which was completely different from the casual and joking attitude she’d had when facing him earlier. So this was the difference between liking and not liking someone.
He felt a bit unconvinced. What exactly about Tan Jing made him more charming? It seemed like girls were always a little awkward and shy around him.
And yet, this guy was completely oblivious to romance.
He Siheng heard Tan Jing remind Zhang Xunyue, “Class has already started.”
Zhang Xunyue clearly knew this, but she still wanted to stay. She bit her lip and said, “It’s just evening self-study anyway. Skipping it won’t matter.”
Skipping class for love—this was the bold decision she’d mustered the courage to make.
After saying that, she sneaked a quick glance toward the boy.
Winter had arrived, and Tan Jing, like everyone else, had switched to the winter school uniform. Even on him, the uniform looked impeccably neat and tidy. With his standard clothes-hanger figure—broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a straight, broad back—he exuded an especially oppressive presence when standing in front of you. But if he held you in his arms, it would surely feel like an explosion of security.
Unlike boys his age who were noisy and boisterous, he was always silent, only occasionally showing a faint smile when chatting with familiar people—and even then, it was very subtle.
His overly handsome features made his aura seem distant and aloof, as if separated by a vast distance.
Precisely because of this, he was the perfect male lead to star in a girl’s secret fantasies.
“Director Yan will be patrolling tonight. If you’re caught, you’ll be named and forced to read a public self-criticism.”
The boy’s low, businesslike voice pulled Zhang Xunyue’s thoughts back to reality.
Director Yan would lead the Student Council’s disciplinary department members on irregular patrols during weekly evening self-studies, ferreting out and severely punishing truants. The patrols had no fixed schedule—usually only the Student Council knew in advance on the day.
Zhang Xunyue knew this was Tan Jing’s kind reminder as Student Council President, as well as his second gentle rejection.
“Alright then, I’ll go back to evening self-study…”
Zhang Xunyue reluctantly shuffled toward the activity room door.
After a few steps, she mustered her courage and turned back: “C-Can I ask you one question?”
Tan Jing lifted his eyes slightly.
He Siheng hadn’t expected the girl to come back. He looked at her in surprise too, noticing her ears were bright red, but her eyes held a determined, do-or-die resolve. A faint premonition stirred in his heart.
He paused, straightened up from his lazy lean against the piano, and pointed toward the door with the mineral water bottle in his hand: “Uh, I’ll head back first…” to avoid this…
Before he could finish, Zhang Xunyue, fearing Tan Jing would say no, clenched her fists and blurted out nervously and urgently, “I heard you like challenging types. I want to know what counts as a challenging type?”
He Siheng choked on his own saliva mid-sentence, and Tan Jing was stunned too.
Neither had expected the girl to be so direct. She’d been hesitant moments ago, but now her offensive was like a bulldozer.
Caught between choking to death and dying of secondhand embarrassment, He Siheng forcibly swallowed his cough and quietly tried to lower his presence, slipping toward the activity room door.
But after just one step, someone grabbed his collar from behind.
Tan Jing stretched out his long arm and yanked He Siheng close: “He’s one.”
“…Huh?” Zhang Xunyue’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“…Huh?” He Siheng’s mineral water bottle also dropped to the ground.
Their dumbfounded expressions were identical, like siblings from different parents, looking somewhat comical.
But Tan Jing was utterly serious: “At this point, I’ll just say it straight—I’m pursuing him.”
Zhang Xunyue’s eyes widened even more, her gaze incredulously darting back and forth between them.
He Siheng’s eyes bulged too: “Bullshit, how come I didn’t know you were pursuing—”
“Because you’re oblivious.”
Tan Jing met his eyes, his expression earnest: “I’ve made it so obvious already. Haven’t you noticed?”
“…”
He Siheng’s mind was filled with ten thousand honking geese, repeatedly going Huh? Huh? Huh?
Pursuing him? Where had he shown that? Could it really be like Zhou Yu said, just from clipping him some food?
Tan Jing withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhang Xunyue: “So, sorry.”
Hearing this, He Siheng suddenly snapped to attention.
This bastard was using him as a shield against peach blossoms!
Zhang Xunyue hadn’t recovered from her shock: “N-No problem… Uh, I’ll go back to evening self-study then…”
She left in a daze.
He Siheng watched her go until she was far away, then kicked Tan Jing hard: “Damn it, you said this morning you’d help me fend off rotten peach blossoms, but look at you—using me as your shield first. How am I supposed to face that girl now?”
“Oh, sorry. Ruined your marriage prospects.”
Kicked once, Tan Jing didn’t even grunt in pain. He released He Siheng’s collar, sat down at the piano, and apologized in a flat tone without much inflection.
Not much sincerity either.
He Siheng straightened his collar, picked up his mineral water from the floor, twisted off the cap, and chugged some to cool his anger.
Suddenly, he heard Tan Jing speak again: “Have you ever considered liking boys?”
“Pfft—”
Caught off guard, He Siheng sprayed out a mouthful of mineral water and choked until his face turned red: “Cough cough cough, what did you say?”
He Siheng had differentiated late; his primary gender awareness far outweighed his secondary one—a fact Tan Jing knew.
Another reason he was convinced he’d only date girls—Tan Jing knew that too.
Tan Jing paused and said, “When Tan Wan dealt with Lu Xinshu, she looked into your middle school stuff and told me.”
He Siheng let out an “oh,” not too surprised. The Tan Family’s influence was deeply rooted. Since Tan Jing and Tan Wan already knew about Lu Xinshu’s existence and bothered to investigate, his middle school matters naturally couldn’t stay hidden.
He Siheng picked up his violin to tune it, casually saying, “There are definitely shadows from it. After all, that bastard tormented me for quite a while.”
Tan Jing lowered his eyes, his fingers pinching his knuckles.
If it had been him in middle school…
“But,” He Siheng continued, “thinking it over carefully, it has nothing to do with gender. What’s disgusting is that one person, not the whole group, so…”
Tan Jing lifted his eyelids: “So as long as you like them, primary gender isn’t an issue?”
He Siheng was taken aback, wondering if it was his imagination, but Tan Jing’s words seemed laced with some inexplicable urgency.
He looked over at Tan Jing, who sat at the piano flipping through sheet music, his expression normal.
He Siheng shrugged: “You could say that.”
After thinking, he added: “Not quite right, though. Betas are out, Omegas too. I need an Alpha to help me through my Heat Period.”
