Chapter Summaries

Hua Jinchen rescued Shi Zheng from Zhang Hao and his companions, then publicly claimed she was his girlfriend while she called him a friend. They returned to the private room, where the others congratulated them and insinuated that Shi Zheng had used Hua Jinchen to solve her expulsion trouble.

• Hua Jinchen arrived as Zhang Hao threatened Shi Zheng, protected her, and rebuked Zhang Hao for harassing someone who belonged to him.
• Shi Zheng told Hua Jinchen that the men had tried to touch her, while Zhang Hao denied it and begged for forgiveness.
• Hua Jinchen left with Shi Zheng and met a group of people in the corridor, who greeted her and asked whether they were all right.
• In the private room, Shi Zheng called herself Hua Jinchen’s friend while Hua Jinchen called them a couple.
• Huang Siyuan and the others teased Hua Jinchen about winning Shi Zheng over, then congratulated them while hinting that Shi Zheng had relied on him to deal with her expulsion threat.

At a private gathering, Hua Jinchen angrily stopped his friends from insulting Shi Zheng, while Shi Zheng refused to perform and quietly left for the restroom. Her actions raised Hua Jinchen’s favorability to 15, but as she was leaving, someone hidden in the shadows grabbed her wrist.

• Hua Jinchen ordered everyone to stop discussing Shi Zheng and Gu Yanshen, then the group tried to restore the mood with songs.
• When the others urged Shi Zheng to perform, she modestly declined, and Hua Jinchen defended her right to refuse.
• Shi Zheng told Hua Jinchen she needed the restroom and left the private room.
• The system reported that Hua Jinchen’s favorability had risen to 15, and Shi Zheng remarked that a man’s guilt was useful.
• As Shi Zheng was about to leave the restroom, an unseen person seized her wrist from the shadows.

Gu Yanshen cornered Shi Zheng at the club and revealed his certainty that she liked him more than Hua Jinchen. He followed her toward Hua Jinchen’s private room while Su Qingqing secretly watched them.

• Gu Yanshen grabbed Shi Zheng from behind in the corridor, then released her and apologized when she complained that he was hurting her.
• Shi Zheng asked why Gu Yanshen was there and told him to stay away because she had a boyfriend.
• Gu Yanshen considered Shi Zheng’s taunt that he wanted to be a third wheel, then claimed she liked him more than Hua Jinchen, making Hua Jinchen the third wheel.
• Gu Yanshen offered to escort Shi Zheng, and she agreed to let him follow at a distance toward the private rooms.
• Su Qingqing hid behind a potted plant near the restroom corner and watched Shi Zheng and Gu Yanshen pass.

Su Qingqing secretly photographed Shi Zheng and Gu Yanshen in a way that made them appear intimate, planning to use the pictures against Shi Zheng. Outside the private room, Hua Jinchen confronted Gu Yanshen, claimed Shi Zheng as his girlfriend, and challenged Gu Yanshen to stay away from her, but Gu Yanshen refused.

• Su Qingqing photographed Shi Zheng and Gu Yanshen together and planned to expose the pictures at school.
• Shi Zheng found Hua Jinchen waiting outside the private room and worried that he had misunderstood her meeting with Gu Yanshen.
• Hua Jinchen mocked Gu Yanshen for appearing at Yunding and accused him of taking an unusual route past the women's restroom.
• Hua Jinchen ordered Shi Zheng to come to him, pulled her into his arms, and warned Gu Yanshen to stay away from her.
• Gu Yanshen said he would keep pursuing Shi Zheng, and Hua Jinchen challenged him to try.
• Shi Zheng tried to calm the two men while inwardly enjoying their rivalry.

Gu Yanshen followed Hua Jinchen and Shi Zheng into the private room and calmly sat beside Shi Zheng despite Hua's hostility. As the group discussed a possible trip to the racetrack, an unseen contact beneath the table left Gu Yanshen unusually tense.

• Hua Jinchen brought Shi Zheng back to the private room, and Gu Yanshen followed them inside.
• Huang Siyuan and Zhao Yong welcomed Gu Yanshen, while Hua Jinchen demanded that he leave.
• Gu Yanshen ignored Hua Jinchen and sat on Shi Zheng's other side, saying he had come to drink.
• Gu Yanshen rejected a waitress who approached him, and the group shifted to talking about an amateur race the following weekend.
• Shi Zheng asked Hua Jinchen if she could join them, and he absentmindedly agreed while keeping her close.
• Beneath the table, an unseen point of contact made Gu Yanshen stiffen as he drank his whiskey.

At a private-room gathering, Shi Zheng answered Zhao Yong’s questions about the rumors and thanked Gu Yanshen for helping her. Hua Jinchen noticed their closeness beneath the table, misread it as Gu Yanshen making advances, and grabbed Shi Zheng’s wrist.

• Zhao Yong asked Shi Zheng who had reported her and started the forum rumors.
• Shi Zheng said she did not know who was behind the false revelations and criticized those who had believed and spread them.
• Shi Zheng thanked Gu Yanshen for investigating the rumors and said she would not forgive whoever had reported her.
• Hua Jinchen noticed Gu Yanshen’s reaction and spotted the closeness between him and Shi Zheng beneath the table.
• Hua Jinchen grew furious and seized Shi Zheng’s wrist.

Shi Zheng chose Hua Jinchen over Gu Yanshen, boosting Hua Jinchen’s confidence while Gu Yanshen quietly planned to exploit his jealousy. The group noticed Hua Jinchen’s unusual closeness and flushed face, then began teasing him.

• Shi Zheng told Hua Jinchen that she preferred his muscles, choosing him in front of Gu Yanshen.
• Hua Jinchen’s favorability rose to 30, while Gu Yanshen’s rose to 60.
• Hua Jinchen mouthed a taunt at Gu Yanshen, who stayed calm and planned to use Hua Jinchen’s possessiveness against their relationship.
• The others noticed Hua Jinchen whispering closely to Shi Zheng and looking unusually flushed.
• Huang Siyuan and the others teased Hua Jinchen about blushing and asked whether Shi Zheng had whispered something to him.

Shi Zheng teased Hua Jinchen at the gathering, raising his affection for her, before Gu Yanshen offered to take her back to school. She rejected Gu Yanshen politely and left with Hua Jinchen, while Gu Yanshen departed without showing his reaction.

• The others teased Hua Jinchen about blushing, and he warned them to stop staring while Shi Zheng urged him to stay calm.
• Shi Zheng offered Hua Jinchen juice, and his affection rose from 40 to 60.
• As the gathering ended, Gu Yanshen offered to take Shi Zheng back to school, angering Hua Jinchen.
• Gu Yanshen asked Shi Zheng to choose between them, and she declined his offer, saying Hua Jinchen was her boyfriend.
• Gu Yanshen accepted her answer and left into the night.

After Shi Zheng rejected Gu Yanshen’s offer of a ride, Hua Jinchen drove her away, and she reassured him that she trusted him. Her words raised his favorability to 75, while Shi Zheng quietly celebrated her success.

• Hua Jinchen watched Gu Yanshen leave, then took Shi Zheng away as onlookers reconsidered her importance and influence.
• Shi Zheng asked Hua Jinchen whether many people had sat in his passenger seat before.
• Hua Jinchen asked whether she would believe him if he said she was the only one.
• Shi Zheng said she trusted him as her boyfriend and would wait until he was ready to tell her the truth.
• Hua Jinchen’s favorability toward Shi Zheng rose to 75, and she privately celebrated her plan’s success.

Hua Jinchen confronted Shi Zheng about Gu Yanshen, but Shi Zheng shifted the blame onto him and reassured him of her love. Hua Jinchen’s jealousy turned into remorse, and his affection for Shi Zheng rose to 80.

• Hua Jinchen told Shi Zheng he knew what had happened between her and Gu Yanshen in the meeting room and demanded an explanation.
• Shi Zheng said she had gone to Gu Yanshen for help because he was Student Council president and blamed Hua Jinchen for not protecting her or making her feel secure.
• Shi Zheng embraced Hua Jinchen and told him he was still the boyfriend she loved most.
• Hua Jinchen’s anger faded into remorse, and he blamed Gu Yanshen for interfering in their relationship.
• Hua Jinchen’s current affection for Shi Zheng reached 80.

Shi Zheng returned to the dormitory after Hua Jinchen warned her to stay away from Gu Yanshen, while Su Qingqing secretly photographed them and planned to expose Shi Zheng. When Su Qingqing tried to question her, Shi Zheng openly named Hua Jinchen, shocking their roommates and enraging Su Qingqing.

• Hua Jinchen dropped Shi Zheng off at the women's dormitory and warned her to keep her distance from Gu Yanshen.
• Su Qingqing watched Hua Jinchen leave, took photos of Shi Zheng with him, and plotted to use them to ruin Shi Zheng's reputation.
• Shi Zheng entered the dormitory and learned from the system that Su Qingqing had photographed her and Hua Jinchen.
• Su Qingqing asked who had driven Shi Zheng back, and Shi Zheng said it was Hua Jinchen.
• Li Wei and Wang Luning were stunned by the revelation, while Su Qingqing's jealousy intensified.

Shi Zheng told her dormmates that Hua Jinchen was her boyfriend, infuriating Su Qingqing, then teased Gu Yanshen during a video call while he hid his face. The chapter ended with Shi Zheng asking him to turn on his camera and let her see him.

• Shi Zheng confirmed to Su Qingqing and her dormmates that Hua Jinchen was her boyfriend and warned them not to speak badly of him.
• Su Qingqing grew jealous and resolved to make Shi Zheng fall from her current position.
• Shi Zheng texted Hua Jinchen to say she was safe, then answered a call from Gu Yanshen while pretending to think he was Hua Jinchen.
• Shi Zheng started a video call with Gu Yanshen, showed herself in her nightgown, and asked him to turn his camera around.

Shi Zheng helped Gu Yanshen turn on his video camera, and the accidental view of his open robe delighted her. The call ended with her taking a screenshot of his exposed chest as a keepsake.

• Gu Yanshen admitted he did not know how to switch on his camera, so Shi Zheng guided him through the controls.
• Gu Yanshen switched the camera on, but it pointed at his open robe and bare chest instead of his face.
• Shi Zheng teased Gu Yanshen about showing off for her and told him to hold still.
• Shi Zheng revealed that she was taking a screenshot of Gu Yanshen's rare, sexy appearance.

Shi Zheng teased Gu Yanshen during a late-night video call, and his affection for her rose sharply. The next day, she discovered that Su Qingqing had posted photos on the campus forum implying she was secretly involved with two men.

• Shi Zheng asked Gu Yanshen to show his face and then coaxed him into keeping her company while she tried to sleep.
• Gu Yanshen agreed to her request, blushed at her praise, and abruptly ended the call as his affection rose from 70 to 85.
• Shi Zheng entered the teaching building the next day and noticed students staring and whispering about her.
• Shi Zheng found a popular campus forum post by Su Qingqing featuring photos of her with Gu Yanshen and getting out of a sports car, with the men's faces obscured.

A campus forum post accused Shi Zheng of associating with wealthy men, prompting rumors that the men were Gu Yanshen and Hua Jinchen. After seeing the post, Hua Jinchen decided to publicly reveal that he was Shi Zheng’s boyfriend.

• A forum user posted photos and insinuations about Shi Zheng, and students speculated that the men pictured were Gu Yanshen and Hua Jinchen.
• The rumors spread across campus, drawing the attention of teachers and administrators and putting Shi Zheng under renewed scrutiny.
• Hua Jinchen saw the post and became angry at the gossip about Shi Zheng and Gu Yanshen.
• Hua Jinchen briefly compared the photos, then felt irritated with himself for focusing on which one looked better.
• Hua Jinchen decided to announce that he was Shi Zheng’s boyfriend and deny that she had anything to do with Gu Yanshen.

Hua Jinchen publicly announced that Shi Zheng was his girlfriend and threatened legal action against people spreading rumors about her. The post turned public opinion in her favor, and he called Shi Zheng to reassure her while telling her to stay away from Gu Yanshen.

• Hua Jinchen posted on the Forum that Shi Zheng was his girlfriend, clarified that the car and club outing were his, and warned rumor-spreaders that his legal department would contact them.
• Hua Jinchen's verified friends backed up his account, saying he had brought and introduced Shi Zheng at the gathering.
• Forum users reacted with shock and envy, and discussion shifted from attacking Shi Zheng to questioning and celebrating Hua Jinchen's announcement.
• Shi Zheng saw the posts and received a call from Hua Jinchen, who offered to investigate anyone she suspected and told her to be careful.
• Shi Zheng asked whether making their relationship public would affect him, and Hua Jinchen told her to stay away from Gu Yanshen.

Shi Zheng confronted Su Qingqing over the photos posted on the campus forum and exposed her as the person behind them. Su Qingqing admitted she had posted the photos and revealed that her resentment came from Shi Zheng winning the attention and support of several men.

• Shi Zheng found Su Qingqing in class and ordered her to come outside to discuss the forum photos.
• Shi Zheng took Su Qingqing to a secluded grove and accused her of taking the photos from their dorm room window.
• Shi Zheng named the outside accomplice Su Qingqing had hired, and Su Qingqing lost her composure.
• Su Qingqing admitted she had posted the photos and called Shi Zheng a shameless gold digger.
• Shi Zheng asked why Su Qingqing hated her, and Su Qingqing raged that Shi Zheng had won Gu Yanshen's attention, Hua Jinchen's favor, and the support of Huang Siyuan and the others.

Shi Zheng confronted Su Qingqing about her jealousy, and Gu Yanshen’s public clarification on the Forum confirmed his connection to the club photo and defended Shi Zheng. Su Qingqing accepted her defeat for now but secretly resolved to plan a more decisive attack.

• Shi Zheng accused Su Qingqing of disguising her jealousy as concern for justice, leaving Su Qingqing humiliated and shaken.
• Su Qingqing saw Gu Yanshen’s verified Forum reply explaining that he had been at Yunding Club for Student Council business and had merely met Shi Zheng in the hallway.
• Shi Zheng told Su Qingqing that Hua Jinchen and Gu Yanshen were both within her reach, while warning her not to indulge in wishful thinking.
• Shi Zheng let Su Qingqing decide whether to keep or delete the post but warned her against trying anything again.
• Su Qingqing watched Shi Zheng leave and resolved not to act rashly, planning to strike decisively next time.

Shi Zheng recorded her confrontation with Su Qingqing and planned to use Gu Yanshen to destroy Su Qingqing’s reputation. Meanwhile, Hua Jinchen confronted Gu Yanshen in the lounge, and Gu Yanshen warned him that Shi Zheng was on her way there.

• Shi Zheng revealed that she had recorded her conversation with Su Qingqing and planned to expose Su Qingqing through the person she cared about most.
• Shi Zheng called Gu Yanshen and headed to the private lounge to meet him.
• Hua Jinchen confronted Gu Yanshen over his Forum reply and accused him of using his Student Council position to get close to Shi Zheng.
• Hua Jinchen grabbed Gu Yanshen by the collar and warned him to stay away from his girlfriend.
• Gu Yanshen told Hua Jinchen that Shi Zheng was coming to see him and suggested Hua Jinchen hide before she arrived.

Shi Zheng brought Gu Yanshen evidence that Su Qingqing was behind both the Forum incident and an earlier anonymous report, asking him to handle the matter fairly. Hua Jinchen hid in the bathroom and overheard their conversation, while Gu Yanshen used the opportunity to question whether Hua's public claim over Shi Zheng was really protection.

• Hua Jinchen argued that he had no reason to hide, but fled into the bathroom when he heard Shi Zheng approaching.
• Shi Zheng gave Gu Yanshen a recording of her conversation with Su Qingqing and said the same person was responsible for the Forum incident and the earlier anonymous report.
• Gu Yanshen agreed to handle the matter fairly under Student Council regulations, while Hua Jinchen listened from the bathroom.
• The system told Shi Zheng that Hua Jinchen was eavesdropping, and she noticed him through the door's crack.
• Gu Yanshen blocked Hua Jinchen's view of Shi Zheng and questioned whether Hua's public claims were protection or possessiveness, leaving Hua angry and uncertain behind the door.