Chapter 7

The next day, Shen Yu, as usual, lazily held a lollipop in his mouth while pacing and squatting at the school gate.

Even after the preparatory bell rang, Shen Yu still didn’t see the familiar figure.

“Ding-a-ling—”

The preparatory bell rang again, so Shen Yu frowned and headed back to the classroom first.

On the way back to the classroom, Shen Yu clearly felt quite a few people staring at him openly or covertly. Shen Yu remained calm and composed, brushing past a crowd of gazes filled with speculation, amazement, or malice. He passed through the long corridor and returned to Class 1.

All morning, Zhou Jinsheng didn’t show up. Shen Yu thought for a moment, then took advantage of nap time to go to the School Infirmary to change his bandages.

Sure enough, Chen Miaomiao was there again, fiddling with a bunch of medical supplies, looking quite interested.

From what Shen Yu knew, although they were twins, Chen Miaomiao’s constitution was much weaker than Chen Jinyang’s. She’d been sickly since childhood, with constant minor ailments. She’d been to several hospitals for checkups, but the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.

After getting familiar with the school doctor, Chen Miaomiao seemed intent on turning the infirmary into her secret base.

Chen Miaomiao heard the noise and turned around to see Shen Yu at the door. Her eyes lit up, and she grinned. “Shen Yu, you’re here for a bandage change.”

Shen Yu smiled faintly, took the medicine and placed it on the cabinet, then pulled the snow-white curtain closed.

“You forgot the gauze.”

One of Chen Miaomiao’s hands reached through the curtain gap. Shen Yu thanked her and took the gauze. As they handed it over, Chen Miaomiao twisted her wrist and lightly touched Shen Yu’s finger.

Shen Yu: “…”

The skin’s touch was exactly as imagined—delicate like mutton-fat jade, soft like a flower bud on a branch.

Having succeeded in her little ploy, Chen Miaomiao smiled triumphantly. Before Shen Yu could react, she hurriedly changed the subject. “Ahem, Shen Yu, you’re famous at our Jingyang now.”

The air carried the smell of disinfectant. Shen Yu sniffed it—he still didn’t like it, as usual.

Following Chen Miaomiao’s lead, Shen Yu used scissors to cut the gauze. “How am I famous?”

“The thing from yesterday is all over the School Forum. Let me tell you—”

Chen Miaomiao lowered her voice and gossiped quietly while clinging to the curtain. “If this had happened a couple years ago, there might not have been much buzz. Back then, Zhou Jinsheng was totally lawless. Sure, Jingyang nominally runs on student council autonomy, but it was only during the time he was president that the school really gave students power.”

“At that time, throughout Jingyang, what Zhou Jinsheng said went—no one dared say otherwise. But things are different now. Zhou Jinsheng is still moody, but he hasn’t laid a hand on anyone in a long time. So everyone’s guessing how you pissed him off enough to make him storm back to Sihua Gardens and skip class.”

Thanks, but no thanks—he didn’t really want to get famous this way.

Besides, there was no way Zhou Jinsheng had been angered into going back to Sihua Gardens. He must have just used it as an excuse.

Wait—

Shen Yu realized.

Shen Yu smiled.

You dog, Zhou Jinsheng—

Using me as your scapegoat, huh!

There was no sound from inside the curtain for a while. Chen Miaomiao didn’t know what she associated it with, but she frowned, her heart softening. She hurriedly comforted him. “Don’t worry. Zhou Jinsheng doesn’t have any bad intentions. He’s just a bit of a lone wolf. Other people are even more trouble. Don’t think everyone’s as nice as me and my brother.”

She’s pretty loyal. Shen Yu suddenly thought of something and asked, “Chen Miaomiao, do you like Zhou Jinsheng?”

Shen Yu raised his hand. With a light roll of silk threads, he pulled the curtain open with a whoosh.

Chen Miaomiao had been peeking through the curtain and didn’t expect Shen Yu to yank it open suddenly. Her hand slipped.

In an instant, their eyes met, big eyes staring into little eyes.

Chen Miaomiao’s eyes darted, and upon hearing Shen Yu’s words, her face suddenly flushed red. She glared at Shen Yu. “N-no, I don’t!”

It was the lady doth protest too much. Shen Yu had just tossed it out casually, but he’d actually hit the mark. Every conversation, Chen Miaomiao’s topics always circled back to that guy. Anyone paying attention would see something was off.

Shen Yu raised a brow. “So you were so enthusiastic with me back then to get some intel on Zhou Jinsheng from me?”

Seeing her plan exposed, Chen Miaomiao’s sly eyes drooped instantly. She blinked pitifully at him.

She’s like a cunning little fox. Shen Yu conceded defeat and rubbed his forehead helplessly. “Fine, but I have a condition.”

Chen Miaomiao perked up instantly. “What condition?”

“You know I’ve probably pissed some people off now.” Shen Yu turned his head and looked at her steadily, curving his lips into a smile. “You have to protect me.”

Dazed by that smile, Chen Miaomiao felt a surge of heroic spirit. She straightened her back, patted her chest, and under Shen Yu’s expectant gaze, squeezed her eyes shut and steeled herself. “Of course, no problem! If anyone gives you trouble, just come to me. Within my abilities, I’ll definitely help you, Chen Miaomiao swears it!”

“Good.”

“But let me give you a heads-up.”

Shen Yu tilted his head. “Hm?”

“Actually, ahem, well, my abilities… they’re pretty limited…”

Shen Yu: “…”

As expected, over the next half month, Zhou Jinsheng didn’t come to class.

But expected or not, three months was extremely tight. Seeing half a month wasted like this, Shen Yu wished he could sprout wings and fly to Sihua Gardens, kidnap Zhou Jinsheng from the Zhou Mansion, and drag him back to Jingyang School.

Half a month—no matter how much he dragged it out, the wound should be mostly healed by now.

Shen Yu’s sob story ploy had completely fallen through.

Later, not only Zhou Jinsheng, but even Chen Jinyang and Chen Miaomiao became hard to meet.

An unseen dark cloud hung over Shang Capital City, like tides pulled by the moon—layer upon layer, rising and falling, silent and still.

But this wave didn’t affect the ordinary students at Jingyang Public School at all. They ate when they should, studied when they should, slept when they should. The rhythm was no different from before.

The class president, who also served as president of the Archery Club, introduced Shen Yu, who successfully joined the Archery Club. He also successfully roped in Cheng Yitan, and the two occasionally attended club activities together.

Days passed in a repetitive three-point line routine, time flying by. Just as Shen Yu couldn’t resist starting to plan some incident, Jingyang’s school celebration day arrived, and Zhou Jinsheng returned to school.

Amid the lush green shade of trees, school celebration activities took place in Jingyang’s grand auditorium.

The woman on stage wore a long dress, her hair piled high. Attending as a Jingyang alumna, she had reportedly donated a new Arts and Sports Building to the school. Her speech reviewed the past, looked to the future, emphasized the present—witty and eloquent, her deep red lips both intense and icy.

But that smile never reached her eyes.

Having relived this once, Shen Yu had racked his brains in the first loop just to figure out the tangled kinship ties of the Zhou Corporation. He naturally recognized her.

A glamorous poison rose blooming in Sihua Gardens—Zhou Jinsheng’s little aunt, Zhou Ruhui.

But the focus now wasn’t on the woman. Shen Yu shifted his gaze, scanning the vast auditorium, but he didn’t spot the person he wanted to see.

Shen Yu felt a bit disappointed. He said something to Cheng Yitan and left the auditorium.

Shen Yu took the spiral staircase outside the auditorium up to the Annex Building, planning to pass through back to the Class 1 classroom on the off chance of bumping into Zhou Jinsheng.

On the way, he passed a half-open classroom door in the Annex Building. The room was empty, piled with all sorts of junk.

The curtains billowed in the wind, and a black-brown piano stood alone in the corner of the classroom, covered in dust for ages.

What a waste.

Shen Yu couldn’t help stopping and stepping inside. He wasn’t a germaphobe and didn’t mind the dust much. He lifted the lid, and his slender fingers lightly brushed over the black and white keys.

He checked—they were in good condition.

Shen Yu’s resentment toward the wealthy flared up instantly. With nowhere to vent his strength, he silently threw two punches at the air.

Between the Jingyang library and the Annex Building stretched a deep, wooded path.

Rows of dense holly trees loomed like clouds. Unripe green berries clustered together, swaying and piling up, full of wild charm. Thick shade projected onto the ground, the light growing dimmer the deeper one went.

Sure enough, once out of Sihua Gardens, these demons and ghouls came crawling out from all directions to disgust him.

After dealing with another group of thugs—god knows who sent them this time—Zhou Jinsheng leaned his back against the wall. His sharp brow ridge lowered, a bandage in his mouth as he leisurely wrapped the bandage cloth around his wrist. Suddenly, he heard piano music.

Zhou Jinsheng paused.

The melody was melodious, like suddenly missing a step and plummeting into the deep sea.

The deeper the seawater below, the less one could hear the sounds of land, drawing closer to the oppressive darkness. Dense seawater surged over in an instant, and the world began to quiet.

Snow-like flakes danced in the sea, piercing the depths like faint light at the ocean floor.

The piano notes brushed his lips and vanished like a breath.

Zhou Jinsheng looked up. His gaze pierced through layers of green shade, landing only on the massive glass window gleaming in the sunlight.

It was like a sunroom from his memories.

After the school celebration ended, Shen Yu keenly noticed that quite a few familiar faces never appeared again.

Later, Chen Miaomiao told him that most were from families who hadn’t picked the right side. Overnight, they plummeted from the clouds, crashing hard and painfully, utterly wretched.

In the afternoon, Shen Yu ran into Zhou Jinsheng at the gym entrance. Although Shen Yu had been obsessing in his mind about rushing up to grind favor with Zhou Jinsheng no matter what, anyone would suspect something if they got beaten and then eagerly stuck their hot face to a cold butt.

Even clay figures have a bit of temper.

Shen Yu figured he might be less patient than clay, but considering the need to keep his persona consistent, he could only temporarily shelve the bootlicking strategy.

At the gym entrance, Zhou Jinsheng had just finished tennis class.

He slung a tennis bag over one shoulder, wearing the standard Jingyang sports uniform—white top and black shorts—surrounded by a crowd as he exited the gym.

Even in the throng, Zhou Jinsheng stood out.

What caught the eye first was the bare calves exposed under his sports pants, muscles well-developed. Looking up, the white sports top was soaked with sweat from the intense exercise, making the muscle contours usually hidden under the Jingyang School Uniform even more pronounced—ridges and valleys distinct.

His whole body radiated post-workout heat, exuding a thick aura of masculine hormones.

Shen Yu’s gaze traveled upward.

Zhou Jinsheng wore a black headband with a white sail logo to absorb sweat on his forehead, sideburns slightly damp. His chest rose and fell slightly, full of vigor.

Zhou Jinsheng clearly noticed Shen Yu too. His light, thin gaze swept over like blood on a blade.

He stopped first.

The young masters trailing behind Zhou Jinsheng also halted one after another, their scrutinizing and judgmental gazes unreservedly falling on Shen Yu.

These were mostly scions of great families. Even without stating it, that innate sense of superiority leaked out unconsciously.

Zhou Jinsheng was like he came with a silencer—wherever he went, silence followed. For friends plagued by noise, he might be a pretty good option.

The atmosphere grew tense as drawn swords.

Shen Yu blinked, finding it a bit amusing.

As they drew closer to Zhou Jinsheng, Cheng Yitan—who had come to class with Shen Yu—couldn’t bear the gaze spilling onto him first. He shoved Shen Yu’s arm hard and muttered softly, “Shen Yu…”

Shen Yu glanced at Zhou Jinsheng.

A moment later, he looked away and smiled at Cheng Yitan. “Let’s go, don’t be late.”

As if he hadn’t seen Zhou Jinsheng at all, Shen Yu passed him by without a sideways glance.

Zhou Jinsheng didn’t have the energy to befriend someone of no value to him. This wasn’t just a rule of the Zhou Mansion—it was his own.

But when someone who had been proactively enthusiastic toward you suddenly turned cold and indifferent, that feeling of being ignored was hard to shake.

Born from this odd sensation was another vague, indescribable discomfort. Zhou Jinsheng hadn’t felt this awkwardness in a long time—not since he’d reconciled with himself earlier.

Yet today, it reignited like dead ashes, floating down like willow fluff onto his heart.

Light and insubstantial, barely noticeable, but undeniably there.

It seemed to whisper, look—look—

This guy was no different from the others.

This world was just so fucking boring, dull, stifling, and bleak.

No fun at all.

No fun at all.

What a drag.

Zhou Jinsheng lifted his eyelids. As Shen Yu brushed past him, his gaze swept over Shen Yu’s fingers dangling by his pant leg.

Realizing what he was doing, Zhou Jinsheng snapped back as if scalded. His tongue viciously pressed against his teeth, a flash of violent emotion passing through.

Zhou Jinsheng darkened his expression and led the group away.