Chapter 30: Possessiveness Part 2

Tan Jing had attended North Middle School in junior high. He Siheng had hardly ever mentioned him to anyone. Even Zhou Yu, before the high school merger, had only heard that he had a childhood rival he didn’t get along with, but didn’t know the name.

He couldn’t imagine any connection between Tan Jing and Lu Xinshu, but being recognized by Lu Xinshu was definitely not a good thing.

He Siheng looked coldly at Lu Xinshu: “How do you know Tan Jing?”

“You’re anxious?” Catching his tension, excitement flashed in Lu Xinshu’s eyes. “If you want to know how I know him, come have a meal with me. We can sit down and chat slowly.”

“I don’t care how you know him,” He Siheng said expressionlessly. “Try touching him and see what happens.”

Seeing him protect Tan Jing like this, Lu Xinshu’s expression twisted for an instant. He wanted to force himself closer despite the discomfort, but his gaze glanced behind He Siheng at the person walking toward them. Lu Xinshu suddenly halted and didn’t advance.

He Siheng felt baffled when a familiar scent suddenly wafted to his nose.

He turned his head and, unsurprisingly, saw Tan Jing’s profile, his jawline slightly tense.

“You met your old friend again,” Tan Jing said darkly. “Not going to introduce us?”

The words were directed at He Siheng, but his gaze was on Lu Xinshu.

Lu Xinshu nearly ground his molars to dust. The pain of being suppressed yesterday was still fresh in his memory. He didn’t even dare meet Tan Jing’s eyes now.

In fact, even before yesterday, he had experienced this top Alpha Tan Jing’s oppressive presence.

Back in junior high, Lu Xinshu had excelled academically and attended the elite private high school South Middle School on scholarships and grants.

Due to his family background and appearance, he didn’t fit in and was ostracized.

Though he faced bullying, Lu Xinshu never feared those good-for-nothings who were useless without their families. He only felt contempt and hatred for them, vowing one day to trample them underfoot.

After another bullying incident, He Siheng saved him. From that day on, Lu Xinshu found himself irresistibly drawn to the boy who rescued him.

He Siheng was also from a wealthy family, but unlike those useless rich kids, he was a top student—a righteous, outgoing top student who made friends easily and got along well with both classmates and teachers.

The more Lu Xinshu paid attention to him, the more he envied him, liked him, wanted to become him, wanted to possess him.

He knew He Siheng had a young master’s temper, but it was only on the surface—his heart was soft, and he pitied him.

Just like how he deliberately spread rumors in secret, making those bullies think He Siheng was really protecting him, giving him some peace. When He Siheng heard the rumors, he didn’t intervene.

That was the best way to manipulate He Siheng—exploiting his kindness to gradually become friends. He thought they could keep going like this, and soon He Siheng would like him back.

Until he saw that group photo at the noodle shop.

He recognized He Siheng’s younger self at a glance, but his attention was more on the boy next to him.

In the photo, their poses were very intimate.

Lu Xinshu probed indirectly from He Siheng’s mouth and learned about this childhood friend. He also keenly noticed that He Siheng’s attitude toward this friend was different from others—saying he hated him on the surface, but always thinking about him.

What bothered him most was He Siheng’s casual remark: You two are kinda similar in some ways.

Lu Xinshu suddenly realized—He Siheng was nice to him not as a real friend, but as a stand-in for Tan Jing.

He thought he’d manipulated He Siheng, thought their relationship was getting closer, but to He Siheng, he was just a tool to forget his estranged childhood friend.

Out of anger and jealousy, Lu Xinshu secretly investigated Tan Jing, using every trick to learn about him.

The more he learned, the more jealous he became.

This Tan Jing—whether in looks, family background as wealthy as He Siheng’s, or his relationship with He Siheng—drove him mad with envy.

During that time, Lu Xinshu had nightmares night after night: He Siheng leaving him, Tan Jing mocking him as a toad dreaming of swan meat, saying he and He Siheng belonged to different worlds.

The depth of his love for He Siheng was matched by the depth of his hatred for Tan Jing.

So, Lu Xinshu plotted a car accident.

He used all his spare time, even hiring people to scout, and finally figured out Tan Jing’s habit of going to the milk tea shop across from Old Zhang’s Noodle Shop after school.

He rode the rundown delivery motorcycle from his family and deliberately crashed into Tan Jing.

That was also the first time he truly crossed paths face-to-face with Tan Jing.

Playing the victim, acting innocent and pitiful—Lu Xinshu’s plan was thorough, and as planned, the other showed great kindness and let him off the hook.

He smugly thought he’d toyed with this naive rich young master. He even pulled out the secretly torn group photo to further sow discord between Tan Jing and He Siheng.

But he hadn’t expected the other’s oppressive aura to surge, even stronger than in his dreams.

A person lying in a hospital bed, merely releasing hostility the instant He Siheng was mentioned, terrified him.

Reluctantly, Lu Xinshu had to admit that the person he envied was also the one he instinctively feared.

He Siheng didn’t want Tan Jing entangled with Lu Xinshu either. His tone was flat: “Nothing to introduce. Let’s go.”

He grabbed Tan Jing’s hand and turned to leave.

Tan Jing glanced at the wrist being held, raised a brow, and half-heartedly allowed himself to be dragged away.

Lu Xinshu watched their intertwined hands as they left, his eyes nearly splitting with rage.

Hadn’t they fallen out?

How could you reconcile? How dare you reconcile? Why? Why!

Lu Xinshu’s gaze grew more and more ferocious, inch by inch, until he suddenly realized something.