NOVPUBXing Jiale was fuming, confronting someone with full fury, only to end up looking like the unreasonable one.
The moment he opened his mouth, it sounded like they were the ones with ulterior motives.
Gong Zhaoxi, of course, was quick to defend himself: "Do you really think the benefits she’s squeezed out of A’Chen can be undone with just a few words?"
"Better to redirect her focus onto me. That way, A’Chen can cool down too."
Xing Jiale smirked coldly. "Right, and once A’Chen’s rage boils over, he’ll bash your head in—that’ll calm him down."
The two had gone out of their way to corner someone, only to return empty-handed, slinking back to the classroom in defeat.
There, they found Zhong Chen staring at his phone, his lips curled in an irrepressible grin.
Annoyed, they marched over. "What are you looking at? Your smile’s about to reach the sky."
Zhong Chen glanced up and waved his phone at them. "The school forum."
They rarely checked the forum, yet they were its undisputed celebrities.
Half the posts were always about their every move—even the way they tied their shoelaces could spark endless admiration.
Just as they were about to mock Zhong Chen for stooping to read such flattery, they noticed the posts were all debating whether Zhong Chen and Shen Ying were dating.
This wasn’t baseless gossip—photos of them shopping and dining together over the weekend were attached.
Zhong Chen’s romantic life was explosive news, and the comments section had erupted into chaos.
One faction declared it undeniable proof, while the other refused to believe it, fiercely defending the noble Zhong Chen’s reputation.
Xing Jiale scrolled further, only to find the arguments escalating into outright insults, with users daring each other to reveal their class numbers and names.
It was one step away from an actual fight.
Xing Jiale sensed something was off and turned to see Zhong Chen frowning.
Relieved, he said, "You think this is fishy too, right?"
It wasn’t strange for someone to spot Zhong Chen and Shen Ying out together, but even photos from the restaurant? That was a blatant invasion of privacy.
Zhong Chen nodded. "Yeah, big problem. Some idiot here said if we’re really dating, he’ll eat sht."
Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi: "..."
Zhong Chen typed furiously, sneering as he replied: [They are dating. Go ahead and eat it.]
The response was instant mockery: [Oh yeah? Were you hiding under the table when they said it?]
Zhong Chen fired back: [I am Zhong Chen.]
The reply came with laughter: [HAHAHAHA, everyone, look! A noob account pretending to be Zhong Chen!]
[You asking for a beating? Who do you think you are?]
[Congrats—now even the supporters and haters are speechless.]
Zhong Chen was livid. "They doubt me?"
Xing Jiale sighed. "And what’s your brilliant plan?"
Zhong Chen: "Lend me your accounts. Wait, don’t we have verified ones?"
"What’s the password again?"
They couldn’t take it anymore and snatched his phone. "Stop embarrassing yourself."
"We’ve spent over a decade hiding the fact that you’re an idiot. Don’t ruin it now."
When Shen Ying returned to class, she was met with stares, but she ignored them, calmly taking her seat.
Xia Meng, however, rushed over, shoving her phone in Shen Ying’s face.
"Someone just posted about your weekend date."
Shen Ying frowned. "Who’s that shameless?"
Xia Meng was about to agree when Shen Ying added, "They had all of Sunday to spill, but they wait until Monday, right before class?"
"Now no one’s gonna focus. Bet they did it to sabotage everyone else’s grades."
Xia Meng: "..."
The bell rang, and Xia Meng was shooed back to her seat.
By midday, the whole school was buzzing. As the center of attention, Shen Ying had never been more popular.
Students suddenly acted overly friendly, even clearing the hallway for her—until someone bumped into Shen Zuola, who’d been standing there fuming.
Shen Zuola snapped, "What’s there to gloat about? A date? Since when does shopping and dinner mean you’re dating?"
"You’re all groveling over nothing. Pathetic."
Shen Ying beamed. "While everyone else follows the crowd, you’re the only one who treats me the same."
"You’re the most genuine person here. I’m touched."
Shen Zuola trembled with rage. "You—you—!"
By lunchtime, the gossip had reached its peak.
Because Zhong Chen and Shen Ying had met at the cafeteria during lunch, nearly all eyes downstairs were fixed on them, trying to glean some confirmation of the truth they were hoping for from their expressions and gestures.
Zhong Chen’s face still carried a trace of shyness from their earlier date when he saw Shen Ying. But noticing the looks Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi were giving him, he felt he couldn’t let them doubt his feelings.
So, feigning nonchalance, he cut the meat on Shen Ying’s plate for her and declared in an unyielding tone, "I want to go to your place today."
Shen Ying didn’t even hesitate. "No."
Zhong Chen was instantly left hanging. "Why not? I’m coming alone, not with them. Why won’t you let me up?"
Shen Ying replied, "My parents don’t like me bringing people home."
Zhong Chen wasn’t sure if that was true, but it wasn’t something he could easily verify. His enthusiasm was stifled, leaving him frustrated.
Seeing the smug "told-you-so" looks on Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi’s faces only made him more resentful.
As the four of them left the cafeteria after lunch, Shen Zuola stepped forward bluntly and asked, "Zhong Chen, are you and Shen Ying dating?"
Zhong Chen was about to snap, "None of your damn business," when a thought struck him.
Instead, he announced loudly, "That’s right. We’re officially a couple now."
"And as for the three idiots on the forum—'My Hat’s a Little Green,' 'Guard Against Friends and Thieves,' and 'Living Next Door to You'—it’s time to pay up."
These were the guys who had sworn they’d perform ridiculous stunts like handstand-peeing if the relationship turned out to be real, even getting into arguments with Zhong Chen over it.
The moment he said this, several people in the cafeteria fainted on the spot.
Shen Zuola was among them, her two little sisters already pinching her philtrum to revive her.
Meanwhile, Xia Meng watched Zhong Chen and Shen Ying walk out of the cafeteria side by side through the crowd. She bit her lip, her expression twisting into something unrecognizably vicious.
Finally, she got up and left, heading to the school’s deserted rooftop to make a call.
"It’s me. The guy from yesterday was useless. Find me someone else."
After school, Zhong Chen didn’t offer to walk Shen Ying home. Instead, he got into his car first.
Only to find Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi already sitting inside.
Zhong Chen scowled. "Get out. You’re on your own today."
Xing Jiale smirked. "Where are you planning to go?"
Zhong Chen didn’t answer, just shot them a look that said, "Shut up and leave."
Gong Zhaoxi slung an arm around his neck. "You don’t have to say it—we already know. You’re planning to go to Shen Ying’s place first and force her hand, aren’t you?"
"Once her parents let you in, she won’t be able to refuse."
Zhong Chen had probably never done anything this shameless in his life. His face burned with embarrassment.
"So what if I am? If you know, then don’t get in my way. Last time, it was because of you two that she didn’t feel comfortable inviting me."
Xing Jiale gave him a mocking smile. "We didn’t interfere at lunch, and how did that turn out?"
Zhong Chen snapped, "With both of you staring at her, how could she relax?"
The two of them decided it wasn’t worth arguing with this self-absorbed idiot.
"Either we go with you, or you’re not going at all."
"If we let you go alone, she’ll skin you alive."
They were just trying to keep him from getting scammed again, but Zhong Chen’s face flushed red at their words.
He blustered, "What the hell are you talking about? Sk-skin me? We’re not at that stage yet!"
Gong Zhaoxi groaned. "Dude—how are you this clueless when we joke around normally?"
The three of them bickered all the way to Shen Ying’s apartment building.
Zhong Chen jumped out of the car before the other two could move and immediately ordered the driver, "Lock the doors. Don’t let them out."
Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi started cursing. "You sneaky bastard!"
"Son of a—!"
They watched Zhong Chen’s smug figure disappear into the building, grumbling about their bad luck before finally settling down.
They didn’t have to wait long before Shen Ying rode past on her bicycle, not stopping until she reached the building’s entrance. She parked it and walked upstairs.
But the moment she opened the door, she saw her mother cheerfully carrying a fruit platter from the kitchen.
She set the peeled, seeded, and neatly sliced fruit in front of their uninvited guest, looking at him with obvious fondness. "Xiao Chen, have some fruit."
"Her father just bought imported ones. That brat kept whining about wanting them, and he spoiled her as usual."
"But now that you’re here, it’s perfect timing!"
Zhong Chen looked surprisingly well-behaved and polite, a far cry from his usual domineering attitude at school.
When he spotted Shen Ying, his eyebrows rose triumphantly. "I already asked your parents. They said they’re happy to have me."
Without a word, Shen Ying grabbed him and yanked him off the couch.
Zhong Chen was still reveling in the feel of her hand gripping his when he suddenly found himself at her bedroom door.
As she let go and moved to shut the door, he quickly blocked it with his hand.
Staring at her in disbelief, he demanded, "You’re kicking me out?"
"Who are you to kick me out? Even your parents didn’t object. Or is it just like they said—you’re only playing around and never actually planned to take me home?"
Shen Ying smiled sweetly. "Wasn’t it you who unilaterally confirmed our relationship at noon today?"
"You thought you could just slip past me without me noticing?"
"Did you confess to me? Was there any ceremony? Any surprise? Any effort? Or did you just assume you could chase after a girl this carelessly?"
"Out of respect for your dignity, I didn’t expose you in public. Yet instead of reflecting on your actions, you’ve gone ahead and decided to take the next step on your own."
"Did you really think throwing money around would excuse you from putting in any effort? If that’s what you believe, then don’t bother asking me out again."
Zhong Chen panicked and quickly protested, "No, I didn’t—"
Shen Ying waved him off. "Go home and think carefully about what you did wrong. Then come back and tell me."
With that, she closed the door—only to reopen it a moment later, much to Zhong Chen’s hopeful surprise. "Oh, and take the trash out on your way down," she added before shutting the door for good.
＊
Xing Jiale and Gong Zhaoxi had just stepped out of the car and were about to head upstairs when they saw Zhong Chen trudging down with a black garbage bag in hand.
The two froze. "What are you doing? Did you get kicked out already?"
Zhong Chen bristled. "If you don’t know how to talk, then don’t. I just finished a perfectly normal visit."
"I met her parents and was welcomed by them. I toured her home and was treated warmly. I even got to talk to her after she came back. Everything I needed to do was done—why would I overstay?"
Xing Jiale raised an eyebrow. "But from what I heard, she only went upstairs less than five minutes ago."
"Your schedule sure is packed."
Gong Zhaoxi sighed. "Well, this outcome isn’t entirely unexpected. Shen Ying has always been strong-willed and resourceful."
"So, what did she say?"
Zhong Chen muttered quickly, "She scolded me for announcing our relationship without confessing properly."
Xing Jiale scoffed. "Hah? If she doesn’t acknowledge the relationship, why did she accept all those gifts from you? Since when are those normal friend gestures?"
"I told you—she doesn’t care about you at all."
Zhong Chen snapped, "You don’t understand a damn thing. She already closed the door, but then she came back just to remind me to take out the trash."
"That means she’s only unhappy with how I handled things. Deep down, she still sees me as one of her own."
