NOVPUBThe three of them were initially bewildered by Xiao Yun's sudden appearance, but Shen Ying's words reminded them of their bet.
Then it hit them—this guy had actually returned in less than a month!
A sense of foreboding washed over them, and they quickly surrounded Xiao Yun.
Zhong Chen was the first to speak: "What's going on? Weren't you supposed to be in France right now?"
Xing Jiale, clinging to hope, added, "You just came back to check on us, right?"
Gong Zhaoxi chimed in, "You must be here for breakfast, and you’ll head back in the afternoon to be with Qingya, yeah?"
Xiao Yun shook his head with a faint smile. "No, I’m back for good. I’m not leaving again."
The three exchanged glances, reluctantly accepting the reality of the living, breathing person before them. Then they turned to Shen Ying, grumbling, "Fine, you win."
Shen Ying waved the four cards in her hand. "Next time, then."
Xiao Yun looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
Zhong Chen waved it off. "Nothing much. The day you left, the four of us made a bet on when you’d return."
"The three of us guessed anywhere from six months to three years. She was dead set on 'within a month.'"
At this, Xiao Yun’s gaze flickered, and his eyes lingered on Shen Ying for a moment, unreadable.
Zhong Chen pressed further, "But what do you mean you’re back for good? What about Qingya? You’re not staying with her anymore?"
Before he could finish, Xing Jiale elbowed him. "Dude, read the room, will you?"
Zhong Chen retorted loudly, "Why would I need to read the room with Xiao Yun?"
"If he got dumped, shouldn’t we just take him out to cheer him up?"
Gong Zhaoxi teased, "Ah, right. You’re freshly single yourself. Guess misery loves company—might as well be blunt."
Zhong Chen instantly deflated.
Xiao Yun, observing Zhong Chen’s reaction, realized a lot must have happened in the month he’d been away.
He glanced at Xing Jiale, silently asking for an explanation.
Xing Jiale met his gaze with a guilty look. "Sorry, I failed to keep an eye on the idiot."
Gong Zhaoxi cut straight to the point. "Xiao Yun, you missed quite a bit while you were gone."
"Zhong Chen here has already experienced both first love and first heartbreak. Shame you didn’t get to witness it."
Even though Xiao Yun had always known Zhong Chen was no match for Shen Ying, the sheer speed of this rollercoaster left him stunned.
But compared to before his trip abroad, Xiao Yun seemed noticeably different—calmer, more composed.
He simply smiled and said, "Really? What a pity to miss Zhong Chen’s coming-of-age story."
The three of them, having grown up with him, could read him like an open book. His reaction told them the situation was serious.
That evening, they threw a private welcome party for Xiao Yun.
No outsiders were invited, but Shen Ying was dragged along.
They gathered at Gong Zhaoxi’s place, their usual hangout—quiet upstairs, with a view of the lively scene below.
Once settled, they finally got around to questioning Xiao Yun.
Xing Jiale asked, "So what really happened? Did you and Qingya break up?"
Xiao Yun’s expression was far more indifferent than they expected. "We were never together, so there’s nothing to break up."
Seeing they wouldn’t drop it, he explained plainly, "After I found Qingya, I discovered the guy aggressively pursuing her was bad news."
"Turned out he was a liar with a fake identity, a history of violence against exes, and fraud. I dealt with that scumbag, made sure Qingya was safe, and came back."
The three exchanged glances but didn’t press further, sensing he was skirting the real issue.
Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi then filled him in on Zhong Chen and Shen Ying’s recent drama.
Even with some preparation, Xiao Yun was at a loss for words hearing about Zhong Chen’s hopelessly devoted antics.
But seeing Zhong Chen’s proud, almost bragging expression, he knew the guy was beyond saving.
Xiao Yun’s eyes drifted to Shen Ying, who was chatting with their server, perfectly content on her own.
Seizing the moment while the other three argued over whether Zhong Chen’s behavior was true love or pure foolishness, Xiao Yun quietly moved to sit beside her.
He murmured, "I thought you didn’t like Zhong Chen."
Shen Ying looked surprised. "How could I not? As his best friend, don’t you know how great he is?"
Xiao Yun’s heart stirred oddly, even feeling a flicker of relief. Maybe she wasn’t as terrible as Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi made her out to be.
Then Shen Ying continued, "He’s got looks, money, and absolutely no brains."
"Where else would you find a man like that?"
Xiao Yun’s face twitched. "Sorry, did I mishear—"
Shen Ying: "Yes, you did."
So he hadn’t. She was even worse than he’d imagined.
But there was something else he was more curious about.
After a pause, Xiao Yun asked bluntly, "How did you know I’d be back within a month?"
Shen Ying didn’t hesitate. "Based on your sensitivity and intelligence. Once you were alone with her abroad, away from familiar people and places, a month was more than enough for you to face the truth."
Xiao Yun’s heart sank. "What truth?"
Shen Ying: "That all Qingya feels for you is maternal affection."
Xiao Yun choked, irritated by her bluntness.
He fell silent, lost in thought.
Just as Shen Ying started to stand, he suddenly said, "You and Zhong Chen are done, right?"
Shen Ying nodded. "Yeah."
Xiao Yun: "Then be with me."
Shen Ying glanced at Zhong Chen, still arguing with the others, and gave Xiao Yun a knowing smirk. "Your tastes got pretty bold overseas."
"Poaching your best friend’s girl right in front of him?"
Xiao Yun smiled. "Hardly. You’re not together anymore."
"Or do you still consider yourself his girlfriend?"
Shen Ying just chuckled, not answering.
Zhong Chen walked over then, catching the tail end of Xiao Yun’s words and mistaking them for an attempt to reconcile.
Touched, he clapped Xiao Yun on the shoulder. "You’re heartbroken too—don’t worry about me."
Xiao Yun: "......"
Maybe he should just let this fool suffer.
Beside him, Shen Ying flashed a conspiratorial grin. "See? Adorable, isn’t he?"
The welcome party ended with Xiao Yun feeling infinitely conflicted and frustrated.
Later, as they dropped Shen Ying off, Zhong Chen, sensing her softened attitude, seized the moment.
"Tomorrow, I’ll have your things sent back," he said eagerly.
Shen Ying sighed. "Don’t bother. It’s too much back-and-forth."
"Dating a rich guy is such a hassle. Even the shipping costs after a breakup are ridiculous."
Zhong Chen hurriedly replied, "Why would you worry about that? I’ll cover it. I’ll transfer the money right now."
"Since you're reluctant to pay for return shipping, just keep it. But what courier did you use? Is it reliable? If anything gets damaged, won’t it affect your use?"
"How about I just buy you a new batch? Or we can go shopping together this weekend?"
The trio: "..."
Xing Jiale looked at Shen Ying and said, "You're actually extorting him right in front of us?"
"There are three living, breathing people here—could you at least not be so blatant about it?"
Zhong Chen immediately snapped, "What the hell are you talking about? Where did she extort me?"
Xing Jiale: "Then how much are you planning to give her for shipping?"
Zhong Chen: "It can’t be less than the total value of those things, right?"
If he was going to compensate her, he might as well show some sincerity.
Xing Jiale pointed at him. "How is this not treating you like a sucker?"
Zhong Chen: "Shipping fees are just daily expenses—how is that being a sucker?"
Gong Zhaoxi nudged Xiao Yun beside him and whispered, "Astonishing, isn’t it?"
Xiao Yun, watching Shen Ying’s satisfied expression, replied softly, "Truly astonishing."
With Xiao Yun’s return, the group of four was complete again, and the school’s atmosphere these past few days felt like a celebration.
Since Xiao Yun was back and Zhong Chen had publicly declared on the forum that he wouldn’t pursue the matter further, Xia Meng’s incident was quickly forgotten—all thunder and no rain.
Thanks to Shen Ying’s strong insistence, Xia Meng ultimately stayed, and their relationship grew much closer.
However, to show she’d turned over a new leaf, Xia Meng vowed never to stab her friends in the back again.
She even tried to delete the contacts of the people she’d previously screened—right in front of Shen Ying.
Shen Ying desperately stopped her: "What are you doing? These people aren’t shady characters. Even if there’s no more ‘business,’ keeping them as friends in your contacts is fine."
"Besides, you don’t have many friends around. What’s wrong with connecting with more people your age? You can even meet up for meals when you’re bored."
Xia Meng thought about it and agreed, changing her mind. Shen Ying finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Over the weekend, Zhong Chen came to Shen Ying’s place to invite her out shopping. She didn’t refuse and happily splurged using his money.
Seeing her in high spirits, Zhong Chen quickly said, "Remember that time I invited you to my place?"
Shen Ying: "Invited? More like kidnapped."
Zhong Chen: "...Anyway, you met my grandma that time, right? She misunderstood our relationship."
"I think we should clear things up, but if I tell her it was just a prank, she won’t believe me."
Shen Ying raised an eyebrow. "Why bring this up now? I thought you didn’t care about stuff like this."
Zhong Chen’s face reddened. "It’s better to clear up misunderstandings early."
Shen Ying teased him: "Don’t tell me you’re already thinking about which wedding planner to hire?"
Zhong Chen stiffened, flustered, and blurted out, "I just want to protect my reputation!"
"So my grandma stops looking at me like I’m some degenerate who forces girls into things. I didn’t do anything like that."
The moment the words left his mouth, he was yanked down by his collar, and warm, soft lips met his.
Zhong Chen froze, then felt as if he’d been submerged in sweet, refreshing spring water.
Every nerve in his body buzzed with exhilaration.
When they finally parted, he was still dazed, lost in a mental world of blooming flowers and fireworks.
His usual brash demeanor melted into something tender and unsure as he gazed at Shen Ying.
She smirked. "Fine, it was the girl forcing you. Happy now?"
Zhong Chen followed after her, fingers occasionally brushing his lips, unable to hide his bashful delight.
What he didn’t notice was the group of inspectors patrolling the mall from the floor above.
Among them, a woman with an imposing aura casually glanced down—and caught the entire scene.
