Jingyu Mountain Rendezvous

Room 330, Building 17.

Su Yuan devoured her pork chop rice, leaving the table looking like a wild boar had rooted through it. She set down her chopsticks and contentedly wiped her mouth with a tissue.

Her phone rang again. She glanced at the screen. It was still the same number!

That guy really wouldn't give up. Ignoring him wasn't going to work, and the longer she put it off, the more trouble she might cause herself. After thinking it over, Su Yuan decided she'd better go meet him. She grabbed her phone and told the two people in the dorm, "I'm heading out for a bit."

Gao Jun was staring at the computer. He nodded without paying much attention.

Ji Yehao suddenly remembered Instructor Tan's instructions to look out for Su Yuan, and said worriedly, "Call me if anything happens."

"Relax. What could happen?"

A little over ten minutes later, Su Yuan finally ambled over to the small field by the Back Mountain. The Back Mountain was also called Jingyu Mountain, a low, rounded hill that was said to have existed even before the school was built, with quite a bit of history behind it. The mountain was thick with vegetation and towering old trees. A secluded path wound around it, with pavilions faintly visible here and there. In spring, the kapok flowers beside the stone steps bloomed a fiery red, while peonies blossomed in rosy pink. The scenery was truly beautiful.

It was past seven, and dusk had settled. The streetlights on either side flickered faintly.

A pale moon veiled in mist, graceful silhouettes.

As she walked, Su Yuan wondered who had called her to the small field. She'd kept him waiting for so long. Would he be angry?

Now she felt a little regretful. Since she'd decided to come in the end, she probably shouldn't have left him waiting so long. She really hadn't thought it through.

As she passed a landscaped strip, she suddenly stopped, struck by an idea. She twisted her leg and began limping toward the small field.

When she got closer, she saw a hazy white figure. He wore a white tracksuit and was tall, broad-shouldered, and seemed quite strong.

A few steps nearer, she finally saw his face. Su Yuan's expression changed abruptly, and she immediately turned around and headed back.

The man in the white tracksuit was Lin Jun! Su Yuan had "accidentally" ruined his plans that afternoon. Could the two of them really meet now and still be on good terms?

Lin Jun also saw Su Yuan approaching and thought bitterly, That bitch finally showed up! But the thought lasted only two seconds. The next moment, Su Yuan looked as if she'd seen a ghost and turned around to run off.

The cigarette dangling from his lips fell to the ground. He cursed, "Fuck!!"

"Su Yuan, stop right there!" He took a few long strides and grabbed her by the arm. Lin Jun had been trained by his father since childhood and was strong as an ox.

Feeling Lin Jun's fierce grip on her arm, Su Yuan winced in pain. This is bad. She struggled with all her strength, but couldn't break free. He dragged her backward toward Jingyu Mountain.

"Lin Jun, let go of me!!"

All kinds of dreadful possibilities flooded her mind. Was this guy planning to find somewhere deserted and beat her up? Su Yuan wasn't afraid of a fight, but she never picked one she couldn't win! More importantly, she wasn't the same Su Yuan she'd been in high school, and she hadn't brought that essential brick with her!

Judging by Lin Jun's burly build, he could probably send her straight to the hospital for two or three months.

Lin Jun ignored her, looking like a furious, ferocious beast.

He dragged her dozens of meters, gradually leaving the small field and entering the secluded path. The path was quiet and hidden, its tall trees blocking the view and forming a narrow, distinctive passage. It had always been a favorite place for couples to stroll. But now, its isolation only made everything more frightening.

They climbed step by step until they reached a pavilion. By then, Su Yuan seemed to have accepted reality—or perhaps resigned herself to it. She stopped shouting and struggling.

Lin Jun released her hand, then was surprised to realize that the hand he'd been holding felt inexplicably soft and warm.

He collected himself and studied Su Yuan, who had her lips pressed together and hadn't said a word. He couldn't help feeling pleased. So this guy can be scared after all? Remembering that he'd been kept waiting for nearly an hour, he snorted.

"Su Yuan, you sure think highly of yourself, making me wait here for so long!" he snapped.

Su Yuan forced an ugly smile, hoping to bluff her way through. "Well, I twisted my ankle this evening..."

"Is that so?" He drew out the words. "You didn't hesitate to turn around and leave when you saw me just now."

"Uh, I suddenly remembered I had something important to do."

He slapped the stone table in the middle of the pavilion and barked, "Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Su Yuan swallowed and awkwardly fell silent.

"Are you going to beat me up or something?" she asked after a long pause.

"Beat you up? Why would I beat you up?" Lin Jun was taken aback. Though he came from a scholarly family and had plenty of brute strength, he wasn't completely unreasonable. Then he realized, "Oh, right. I really, really want to beat you up right now!!"

Hearing that, Su Yuan wanted to slap herself a few times. She'd practically dug herself a hole and jumped right in! After thinking carefully, she decided there was no reason for her to keep acting as Xiao Yiyan's shield. Xiao Yiyan was so proud; she'd find her own way to deal with this. It was probably better to explain the truth to Lin Jun and try to ease his anger. Whether he believed her was anyone's guess.

"Well... about what happened this afternoon..."

"Yeah, I called you here because of what happened this afternoon. Tell me! What exactly is going on between you and Yiyan?" Perhaps he thought he wasn't intimidating enough, because Lin Jun tore off a vine and cracked it against the stone table. The sharp snap rang out. If it landed on someone, it would leave them bloody and bruised.

Su Yuan jumped and answered bluntly, "There's nothing between us!!"

"Nothing between you?"

Lin Jun froze, then roared even more furiously, "You think I'm going to believe that? The kind of coward I despise most is someone who does something but doesn't have the guts to admit it! Yiyan chose you, and you turn out to be nothing but a pretty face with no substance!"

Su Yuan had considered every possibility except this reaction. It felt as if fate had outmaneuvered her.

"Listen, I really have nothing going on with Xiao, the campus goddess..."

How could Lin Jun believe her? He thought Su Yuan was such a coward that she'd deny everything just to save herself. His eyes widened, and he was about to lash out at her with the vine. Startled, Su Yuan stepped back half a pace, tripped, and fell backward. Luckily, the pavilion bench was behind her, so she landed on it with a thump.

"Thank goodness!" She broke out in a cold sweat.

"..."

Seeing how timid she was, Lin Jun showed no awareness that he was the one who'd scared her. A trace of pain flashed across his eyes, and his anger only grew. The more pathetic Su Yuan seemed, the angrier he got! Had Xiao Yiyan lost her mind? Why had she chosen a man like this? How did he compare to Lin Jun? Why was "he" the one who'd won?

Beat "him" up! He had to give "him" a thorough beating!

Only by beating "him" until he felt better could he vent his anger!

The vine cracked again and again against the stone table, while Su Yuan's expression changed repeatedly.

Seeing Lin Jun closing in, she quickly gathered her thoughts and sprang to her feet. "Lin Jun, wait! I swear there's really nothing between Xiao Yiyan and me. I'm a victim in this too. She's using me as a shield."

The vine stopped in midair. Lin Jun watched as Su Yuan raised a hand, looking utterly sincere. He snorted, then asked in surprise, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course. Think about it. What kind of taste does Xiao Yiyan have? Why would she choose me?"

"Why not? Maybe Yiyan likes pretty boys like you!" Thinking of how his own burly, intimidating build hadn't won him any favor, Lin Jun grew uncertain. Maybe Xiao Yiyan really did like handsome men.

Xiao Yiyan came from a wealthy family and didn't need a man to protect her, so it made sense that she might simply choose a man who suited her taste. And this Su Yuan standing right in front of him—damn, the more he looked, the prettier she seemed. She was almost too damn beautiful!

Su Yuan froze, but stubbornly continued, "But Xiao Yiyan and I hardly ever interact. We've only met a few times in all."

"Just think about it. I'm so timid—if Xiao Yiyan liked me, I wouldn't dare face all the backlash from you guys! Love has to be mutual. How could I change what Xiao Yiyan thinks?"

Lin Jun pondered for a moment, then looked suspiciously at Su Yuan, who sounded so certain. After making sure she wasn't trying to sneakily have it both ways, he said, "Even if Yiyan is using you as a shield, don't you like her even a little?"

Su Yuan's reaction surprised him. Lin Jun would have been delighted if Xiao Yiyan had used him as a shield, but Su Yuan seemed desperate to avoid it. And she didn't seem to be pretending. The problem was, he still couldn't bring himself to believe her completely.

"I do like her." Seeing Lin Jun's expression change, she hurriedly added, "Everyone appreciates beauty, but don't worry. There's definitely no chance of anything happening between us."