So What If the Beautiful Campus Belle Loves Money? (23)

Shi Zheng's heart gave a violent leap. Before she could cry out, another hand darted around from behind her and clamped tightly over her mouth and nose.

"Mmph—!"

Every sound was trapped in her throat.

A familiar, cool cedar scent enveloped her.

This scent...

Shi Zheng abruptly stopped struggling.

"Shh." A familiar voice sounded right beside her ear.

The hand covering her mouth loosened slightly, but did not let go completely.

By the light spilling in from the corridor, Shi Zheng finally made out her captor's face—it was Gu Yanshen.

Her pupils dilated instantly, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Why was it him?

Why was he in a place like this?

This was completely out of character for him.

Seeing that he was someone she knew, Shi Zheng's fear faded.

She pried the hand still covering her mouth away and accused him, "Gu Yanshen, let go of me! You're hurting me!"

At her words, Gu Yanshen's fingers paused slightly, as though he had only just realized how hard he was gripping her.

He let go and took a small step back, putting a little distance between them.

But he did not retreat completely, still trapping her in the narrow space between the wall and his body.

He lowered his gaze to the red marks his grip had left on her wrist. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he said in a low voice, "Sorry."

Shi Zheng quickly rubbed her aching wrist and glared at him warily, like a hedgehog with all its spines raised.

"Why are you here?"

"Did you come with Hua Jinchen?"

Gu Yanshen did not answer her questions. "He's really comfortable letting you wander around a place like this alone?"

Shi Zheng said, "Who I came with is none of your business! Gu Yanshen, please stay away from me. I have a boyfriend!"

She paused, then, as though that wasn't enough, deliberately added in an insulting tone, "Don't tell me... you want to be the third wheel?"

The words were painfully harsh.

She wanted to use the bluntest, ugliest words to puncture his seemingly calm, controlled exterior and embarrass him.

Gu Yanshen clearly had not expected her to say something so sharp and cutting.

His face remained expressionless, his lips pressed into a straight line.

What made Shi Zheng's heart sink, however, was that the emotion surging in Gu Yanshen's deep eyes was not embarrassment at being insulted, but... contemplation.

He looked at her, seemingly giving it serious thought.

[Gu Yanshen's current affection: 30.]

[Gu Yanshen's current affection: 35.]

[Gu Yanshen's current affection: 40.]

"You..."

Shi Zheng's eyes widened in disbelief, and her voice even changed pitch. "Gu Yanshen, have you no shame?! Are you... are you actually considering whether that's possible?!"

She simply couldn't understand it!

This man, the Student Council president who had always presented himself as rational, had been insulted to his face with the words "third wheel," and instead of storming off in a huff, his first reaction was to... seriously consider it?!

Her furious, shocked questioning brought Gu Yanshen somewhat back to his senses.

He neither denied nor admitted it. Instead, he slowly said in an utterly calm voice that made Shi Zheng's skin crawl, "The one who isn't loved is the third wheel."

"Compared to Hua Jinchen, you like me more."

"So I'm not the third wheel."

The third wheel was someone else.

Hua Jinchen was the third wheel.

[Gu Yanshen's current affection: 62.]

Shi Zheng drew a sharp breath.

She looked at Gu Yanshen, who seemed like a complete stranger.

For the first time, she clearly realized that she might have vastly underestimated the forceful obsession beneath this man's cold exterior.

He wasn't joking, nor was he speaking in anger.

He truly had said those words with absolute confidence.

Shi Zheng sighed, at a loss for words. "I can't be bothered to argue with you."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Gu Yanshen said, "All right."

"This place is full of all sorts of people. It isn't safe. I'll escort you back to your private room."

Shi Zheng said, "Escort me? As what? You'd be happy if my boyfriend saw us later and misunderstood our relationship, wouldn't you?"

Gu Yanshen said, "A jealous man like that isn't worth dating. You should break up with him."

Shi Zheng said, "You don't need to escort me. I know the way myself. Let's part here."

Gu Yanshen was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, "I'll follow behind you and keep my distance. I'll leave once I've escorted you somewhere I can see the door to Hua Jinchen's private room. At least let me make sure you're safe."

That was the greatest concession he could make.

Shi Zheng studied him.

She knew that since he had managed to corner her here, he probably wouldn't be so easy to get rid of.

Shi Zheng did not refuse again and headed toward the private rooms.

True to his word, Gu Yanshen followed a few steps behind her, neither too close nor too far away, like a silent shadow.

The two walked down the corridor, one behind the other. Neither spoke again.

Neither of them noticed that, not far from the restroom corner where they had briefly stopped just now,

a slender figure was hiding silently behind a potted plant.

It was Su Qingqing.