When Su Yuan heard someone was looking for her, she was puzzled. Usually, people she knew had her phone number, and if they needed something, they would call. Who came to the classroom to find someone? With a hint of suspicion, she headed for the door.
Peng Jie was leaning against the wall outside, looking cool as he waited for someone. When he saw her come out, he smiled. "Fancy meeting you again. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"Sorry, I don't know you. We have nothing to talk about." Peng Jie's smile was dazzling, but after hearing about his exploits, Su Yuan found it utterly vile and disgusting. They weren't even friends, but even if they had been, Su Yuan would have cut ties with him without hesitation after learning what he'd done.
He was exactly the sort of scum Su Yuan despised most.
"Ye Hao, Gao Jun, let's go back."
Peng Jie hadn't expected her to reject him, and his face was full of astonishment. He'd always thought his cool invitations were irresistible, but this time they'd ended in a miserable failure. He'd never seen it coming.
It took him a long while to recover. Seeing his lackeys staring at him strangely, he coughed and put on a profound expression. "As expected, this one's no ordinary prey. Little Fatty, see that? Prey like this is worth conquering. Compared to her, all the women I've been with before don't even measure up."
"But, Brother Peng, that guy doesn't take you seriously at all."
"You don't understand. Aged wine tastes better. The harder something is to get, the more satisfying it is when you finally do—and the more you'll cherish it."
His lackey, Little Fatty, hesitated. "But I asked around. That Su Yuan is a guy, not a beauty. Isn't it... kind of wrong for you to pursue her?"
"What do you mean, guy or girl? Do I look blind? You think I can't tell the difference?"
"But, Brother Peng, she really is a guy! He just looks a little feminine. Don't believe me? We can ask his classmates." Now his lackey was truly panicking. At first, he'd thought Brother Peng's tastes had changed and he was planning to try his luck with a cute guy. But now he realized Brother Peng hadn't meant that at all—he'd mistaken a guy for a girl.
This was a huge misunderstanding. They had to clear it up right away.
Peng Jie impatiently waved his hand. "Then what are you waiting for? Go!"
On the way back, a gentle breeze stirred the willow branches along the river. Su Yuan walked ahead, while Ji Yehao and Gao Jun followed behind, both lost in thought.
"What was that all about, Su Yuan? Why did Peng Jie come looking for you?" Ji Yehao asked with a frown.
"How should I know? I've spoken to Peng Jie once, and it was less than ten words in total!"
"That's strange," Gao Jun said. "You've only spoken once, yet the School of Economics' Lover came to find you in person. Su Yuan, what kind of magic do you have? You're not even a beauty. You shouldn't have anything to do with Peng Jie."
"Gao Jun, what are you trying to say? That every beauty is bound to have something to do with Peng Jie?"
"That's hard to say. I heard that guy has an incredible nose for sniffing out beauties. Otherwise, he wouldn't have earned the title of the School of Economics' Lover."
Su Yuan was astonished. "Can someone's nose really be that powerful?"
"Who knows? The world's full of strange people and strange things. Maybe someone like that really exists."
"Bull! I don't believe it," Su Yuan said, trying to sound unconcerned. She averted her gaze. Peng Jie was seriously weird. Could he really have a nose that could tell someone's sex? Could he even tell that she was a beauty? Otherwise, why would a well-known "Lover" come looking for her after seeing her just once?
Though it was blazing hot, a sudden chill swept over her.
Ji Yehao joked, "Maybe Peng Jie just got the wrong idea and thought Su Yuan was a beauty. You think that's possible?"
"Right!" Gao Jun slapped his palm. "It has to be! Our Su Yuan was born beautiful. With a little effort, she'd definitely be a 'beauty.' Hahaha! Peng Jie's seduced countless girls, but it looks like he's slipped up this time."
"Ye Hao!" Su Yuan furrowed her brow, annoyed by Ji Yehao's joke.
"Su Yuan!" Gao Jun suddenly said in a solemn voice.
"What?"
"They say the heavens will entrust a great mission to someone only after making them suffer in body and mind, exhausting their muscles and bones, and starving their flesh. So I have a proposal: for the sake of women everywhere, you have to endure this humiliation and strike Peng Jie down with all your might!"
"What are you getting at?"
"My suggestion is that you keep up the act of being a 'girl' and let him get lost in your beauty. Then, at the critical moment, tell him you're a guy. Only by completely destroying his ideas about love can we save countless girls from misery! How's that? Pretty good plan, right?"
Su Yuan couldn't help admiring Gao Jun's imagination. She rolled her eyes at him. "Pretty good? Not a chance! Quit messing around. I'm not in the mood for this game."
"Oh, now I see. You and Peng Jie are two of a kind, Gao Jun! Good thing Heaven didn't give you a handsome face, or there'd be another fiend wreaking havoc among the girls."
"What? You're comparing me to him?" Gao Jun cried out, as if he'd suffered the greatest injustice in the world.
"Hmph! I said your sleaziness is on par with his. Still think you're being wronged? Look at Ye Hao. Sure, I'm always picking on him, but he's an upstanding gentleman! You, on the other hand, are just a lecherous little fatty!" Her disdain was plain in her voice.
Hearing Su Yuan praise him, Ji Yehao puffed out his chest as if to say, "That's right." Gao Jun was depressed and grunted, "He just hides it better. Ever heard of a hypocrite?"
"Hey, Gao Jun, don't ruin the image I've worked so hard to build in Su Yuan's eyes!"
Gao Jun hurriedly pleaded with Ji Yehao, then turned to Su Yuan. "I'm not as bad as Peng Jie, either. I admit my thoughts can be a little sleazy sometimes, but what man isn't? I, Gao Jun, may not be the best, but I'm better than most."
"...To be honest, you and I are pretty much the same. I have my own sleazy side, and you—well, I'd say you're secretly lecherous. We're as bad as each other, so don't mock me when you're no better."
"Ah, I'm secretly lecherous?"
Su Yuan certainly wasn't happy with that description. As the saying went, open lechery was easy to avoid, but hidden depravity was hard to guard against. Somehow, that sounded several levels worse than being sleazy. Was she really more disgraceful than Gao Jun?
Bull! She wouldn't stand for it! She refused!
"That's right. You're secretly lecherous!"
"Gao Jun, if you're sick, go see a doctor! Ye Hao, you be the judge. Gao Jun just called me secretly lecherous."
Ji Yehao had wanted to stay out of it, but he knew that whenever Su Yuan and Gao Jun bickered, he always got dragged in. This time was no different. He quickly shot Gao Jun a look and said, "Gao Jun, how can you say that about Su Yuan?"
"Hold on! This isn't fair. Every time you start losing, you call in backup. Two against one is completely unfair to me!"
Gao Jun clutched his chest, utterly heartbroken. "Ye Hao, this can't go on. You always take Su Yuan's side. What about the principles of being a decent person? What about the most important things in the world—fairness and justice?!"
"Haha, stop whining. This is why teammates matter!" Su Yuan shot him a smug look and laughed. "If you're so capable, find yourself some backup!"
Before you continue