A rumor had recently been circulating around the school.
It claimed that Di Junya, that gentle gardenia flower, had been plucked—and the one who’d done the plucking was none other than Shen Leyuan, the infamous figure from the recent scandal where four partners got three of their own thrown in jail.
Most people didn’t buy it at first. But then someone posted photos on the school’s confession wall: shots of Doctor Di holding flowers while walking with Shen Leyuan, the two of them kissing, and Doctor Di smiling as he touched Shen Leyuan’s lips.
Suddenly, puzzled stares followed Shen Leyuan everywhere he went.
Shen Leyuan wasn’t on the confession wall, so in theory, he shouldn’t have known about it. But their group chat had a classic extrovert who forwarded the post that very day, lolling: [These people are so bold, even making up that you’re living with Doctor Di! 😂]
Glasses Guy: [That flower was clearly from a freshman little bro. The kid was hesitating on which one to pick, and I even helped vote.]
Glasses Guy: [@Shen, wanna clarify?]
Shen Leyuan: [.]
Glasses Guy’s laughter died. He @’d Shen Leyuan repeatedly: [????]
Shen Leyuan: [Not exactly living together.]
Glasses Guy: [????????]
Glasses Guy: [So you guys really are living together now?]
Shen Leyuan: [Work-related, not convenient to explain.]
When he said it wasn’t convenient, Glasses Guy dropped it and just comforted him: [Don’t take it to heart. These folks love jumping to conclusions. I’ll explain the flower situation. You stay out of it for now.]
He dove into the comments, where one rabid commenter was going full tilt, biting everyone in sight.
Glasses Guy knew that was Lin Yao. He rolled his eyes and ignored it, focusing on clearing things up for his roommate. But with all the fighting, chatting, and spectating in the thread, his evidence screenshots quickly sank without a trace.
Maybe I should submit a report after all, Glasses Guy thought.
Then his phone pinged with notifications—someone had tipped him 200, then another 200, and another, ten times over. That comment shot straight to the top.
Looking closely, the sugar daddy was none other than that mad dog Lin Yao!
The mad dog sent a friend request.
They’d clashed before, so Glasses Guy wasn’t keen to accept. But ten minutes later, another request popped up with a message: Want 10,000 bucks?
Glasses Guy: …
Principles or cash—which was sweeter?
Ten more minutes passed. The mad dog upped it: 100,000?
Glasses Guy snuck a glance at his boyfriend reading on the other bed and, spinelessly, chose money. He accepted and sent a tepid ?.
Orphan: [Send full screenshots of all group chat evidence related to the flower.]
Orphan: [Card number too.]
Orphan: [Hurry up.]
The demands were so bossy that old grudges flared—Lin Yao’s arrogant eviction demands from before. Glasses Guy deleted the friend on the spot.
Orphan: [Not ready yet?!]
Orphan: [???!]
Lin Yao exploded in rage. In a foul mood, he dragged everyone down with him, screenshotting the rumor and photos into their old three-person group with a note: [This one’s perfect—age just right, pretty face, looks like a gentle househusband. Unlike some~ peop~le~]
No replies for a good while. Lin Yao @’d the old man right in the face—only to realize he’d joined the wrong group.
The once-three-person chat was down to just him and Little Deer, lonely as ever.
After years growing up together, with Lin Yao protecting him all that time, a pang of melancholy hit—fellow wanderers at the ends of the earth.
I haven’t even laid hands on the old man yet, and you’re the one who lost it first?
His own “tragic backstory” flashed through his mind, all those years of hardship. Suddenly, he lost the will to beef with the old man. He went back to the friend requests, re-added Glasses Guy—this time with a “please” and another 100,000.
Glasses Guy pocketed the cash, feeling a twinge of guilt, and helped Lin Yao out.
He messaged Shen Leyuan: [Young Master Lin seems to have turned over a new leaf. No cursing this time, all polite explanations, even dug up surveillance proving the “kiss” was just a visual glitch.]
No teacher hated seeing a student improve.
Shen Leyuan was pleased. The kid’s been so good lately. Time for a reward.
He wasn’t sure what Lin Yao specifically liked, just that the affection-starved boy had… mommy issues. Maybe some pure milk?
As he mulled it over, a young guy in a basketball jersey stormed up aggressively.
“Hey!” the guy barked, face fierce.
Shen Leyuan didn’t realize it was directed at him. He wandered off around the corner, passing by.
Basketball Guy: ?
In a panic, he grabbed Shen Leyuan hard. The slender body slammed into him, cheek pressing against his chest—not painful, but weird. He shoved back in shock.
He regretted it instantly, worried he’d knocked the guy over.
Shen Leyuan stepped back two paces, brow furrowing slightly. “Excuse me, is there something you need?”
His face wasn’t exactly warm, but his tone was habitually soft and gentle. Basketball Guy melted for the gentle type and mumbled, tone softening, “I just wanna know—why won’t you accept Doctor Di?”
Shen Leyuan: …?
After blurting it out, Basketball Guy remembered he was here for Doctor Di’s honor. His voice rose: “If you don’t like him, stop stringing him along!”
Whoa, drama!
Ears perked up instantly. People shuffled by at snail’s pace, then loitered by the flowerbeds, pretending to admire the blooming flowers.
Shen Leyuan’s brow furrowed deeper. “We don’t have that kind of relationship.”
“I saw it myself!” Basketball Guy insisted. “We live in the same complex. You two stagger your times, but you always leave from the same building!”
He was outraged for his crush: “He’s been so down lately because you won’t make your relationship official. You’re living together—what’s there to hide? Are you two-timing, keeping Young Master Lin on one side while treating him like a dirty secret?”
The words cut deep and were a nightmare to refute.
Di Junya lurked in the corner, thinking: Once Shen Leyuan’s hurt and upset, I’ll swoop in with some gentle comfort like ‘Everyone says you’re no good, but I think you’re great.’
If the rumors scarred him psychologically, even better—people were weakest then. Perfect chance to confess, high success rate.
Even if Shen Leyuan didn’t like him, he’d likely accept temporarily to quash the rumors.
The guy hated owing favors. Once accepted, he’d commit fully, prioritizing Doctor Di like he did Lin Yao now after the rescue.
Just wait. I’ll win his heart!
Straightening his clothes, Doctor Di stepped out for a heroic save appetizer: “It’s not like that, we—”
“Get lost,” Shen Leyuan said coolly.
Doctor Di: …
Shen Leyuan didn’t even glance at him, pulling out his phone to record. “Keep talking. I’ll get evidence so you don’t have to recall what you said at the station later.”
Basketball Guy got uneasy, glancing at Doctor Di.
Doctor Di felt uneasy too, but he had to speak. In a subtly aggrieved tone: “Thanks for your concern, but we’re really not in that kind of relationship.”
Shen Leyuan turned the phone on him, voice icy: “Rephrase, please. Who is ‘we’? What ‘kind of relationship’? What did you two talk about? Why’d he misunderstand our relationship? Spell it all out.”
Di Junya hadn’t expected this reaction. His smile faded, stiffening: “Doctor Di and Shen Leyuan aren’t in a romantic relationship…”
Shen Leyuan added: “Nor a pursuer-pursued one.”
Di Junya echoed dazedly: “Nor a pursuer-pursued one…”
Shen Leyuan: “Good. Next: What’d you chat about with this freshman?”
Di Junya reflexively defended: “Nothing much. He just saw us leave together, and I’ve been in a bad mood lately, so he jumped to conclusions…”
Getting trashed by his crush like that, Basketball Guy nearly burst into tears.
Shen Leyuan cut him off: “We’re living together lately for you to monitor my mental state. Nothing to do with romance, right?”
With things this far, Doctor Di didn’t dare contradict.
Basketball Guy’s heart shattered. He sobbed out loud.
Shen Leyuan sighed, offering a tissue. “Keep your eyes open next time. Don’t get duped again.”
Basketball Guy hiccuped through tears: “We… police station…”
Shen Leyuan: “Didn’t record. Just scaring you.”
Basketball Guy stared dumbly, face flushing red. Sniffling: “Can I get your WeChat?”
He rushed to add: “I’ll treat you to dinner as apology.”
Before, Shen Leyuan would’ve handed over WeChat no problem. But lately, he was hypersensitive to romance. Seeing the shy blush, he refused gently.
“What if it was someone else, caught off-guard and unable to refute? Rumors twist into who-knows-what.”
“Sorry, I don’t befriend people who almost hurt me.”
Basketball Guy was dragged off crying by his rushing teammates, spitting viciously at Doctor Di on the way out.
Doctor Di: …
Shen Leyuan pocketed his phone without a glance.
He walked a few steps, then turned back, voice heavy: “Our relationship is just observer and subject. If you’re making your job harder, I have no choice but to fire you.”
“I’m not your lab rat. I won’t let you dissect my soul.”
Things veered opposite his plans again. Doctor Di’s frustration deepened.
He couldn’t help thinking: Shen Leyuan soothed the player accusing him, but never showed him a kind face.
