Chapter 28

What about today?

Chi Ning was comforting him in turn and didn't mind appearing in the papers with him. Did that mean he liked him a little too?

Qin Heng's mind, honed over eighteen years, spun frantically. "I don't care how these people write about it, but I can ask my godfather to deal with it. His methods—"

"Don't!" Chi Ning shot upright. "Absolutely not!"

At this rate, the wider it spread, the better. It wasn't real anyway.

Qin Heng raised a brow and leaned against the window, looking at the beautiful osmanthus blooming in the villa courtyard. Chi Ning's lingering scent filled his nose. "Why not deal with it?"

Was it because Chi Ning wanted to have a scandal with him?

Qin Heng said leisurely, "It's simple. My godfather likes you a lot. It would only take one phone call from him. Is that okay?"

Okay, my ass.

Not okay in the slightest!

For a moment, Chi Ning couldn't find a reason to stop Qin Heng from interfering. After all, the photo had captured Qin Heng clearly, and Qin Heng was one of the victims too...

He lowered his eyes. The book in his hands was reference material for playing his brother's spoiled rich second-generation heir role, filled with exaggerated stories that usually felt like a waste of emotion even when used to kill time.

But with one casual glance, he saw a conversation between the playboy second male lead and the female lead, PaoPao, who looked down on him but had fallen for a poor scholar.

[The second male lead looked grief-stricken. "Just because I have a little filthy money, you don't even want to have the slightest connection with me?"]

Chi Ning:?

What kind of stuff did his brother watch?

Looking at that line, Chi Ning felt that it wouldn't be impossible to alter it a little and say it himself.

But even altered, it was still a little embarrassing. He stammered as he said to Qin Heng, "Y-you... don't you want to have anything to do with me?"

As soon as the words fell, everything went abruptly quiet.

Qin Heng felt Chi Ning's scent grow stronger in the room, almost surrounding him so completely that he could barely breathe. He fell silent, then slowly shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

Chi Ning:...

He looked at the female lead's words in the "reference book."

[Exhaustion filled the female lead's eyes as she said to the playboy, "It's not about the money. That's not what I meant."]

Chi Ning leaned back.

Well, damn. This book actually had something to it!

He flipped farther back and saw the playboy second male lead refuse to let it go, saying—

"Then what do you mean?"

Qin Heng hadn't expected Chi Ning to continue asking. He even felt that as long as he broke through that final barrier, they could be together.

Did Chi Ning like him that much?

Enough to want rumors spread about them?

Qin Heng couldn't help smiling, then pressed his lips into a straight line.

He felt as if he had split into two halves, completely confused.

He was an adult. Chi Ning wasn't yet—he was only sixteen.

Did Chi Ning really understand what it meant for two men to be together? It meant no guarantees, no children, being criticized behind their backs by some people, called crazy, and gossiped about. No one knew what the future would bring or whether the public would accept love between people of the same sex.

If they really got together, this relationship might even become a stain on Chi Ning's life.

Could Chi Ning endure that kind of grievance with him?

Qin Heng looked at the osmanthus tree swaying in the late summer, early autumn breeze and answered softly, "It doesn't mean anything."

Beep—

The phone had died. Chi Ning reflexively pressed the power button twice before remembering that the flip phone hadn't been charged since yesterday.

He looked at the empty glass bottle on the windowsill and blinked blankly twice.

Strange. Why did his throat feel a little tight?

Was it because there were no flowers in the bottle?

Chi Ning put down the book, grabbed a pair of scissors, and rushed into the garden to snip off two little roses. He put them back into the vase and nodded in satisfaction.

Sure enough, his mood improved instantly.

Chi Ning plugged in his phone but didn't turn it on for the time being.

Meanwhile, Qin Heng stared blankly at the disconnected call screen. He had been pretty tactful and hadn't said anything outright, so why had Chi Ning hung up on him so suddenly?

He called back, only for his PHS phone to announce, "The number you have dialed is powered off."

Irritated, Qin Heng threw down his phone and smacked the bedroom window frame twice.

Bzz, bzz.

The phone vibrated twice. Without even looking, Qin Heng immediately answered. "Chi Ning?"

After a long silence, Xu Jiahao cleared his throat. "Did I... call at a bad time?"

Qin Heng fell silent for a moment. "No. Chi Ning got angry and hung up on me."

Xu Jiahao clicked his tongue. "His temper is so good. You must have done something wrong."

Qin Heng said, "Yes."

Xu Jiahao flipped through the newspapers his subordinates had sent over. "Was it because of the newspaper matter? Want me to help deal with it?"

Qin Heng thought of what Chi Ning had asked in a trembling voice after he made that suggestion: Don't you want to have anything to do with me?

He could picture what Chi Ning must have looked like when he asked that—his eyes red, on the verge of tears, pitiful and helpless.

How hard-hearted would he have to be not to go along with whatever Chi Ning wanted?

Qin Heng sighed. "Forget it. Chi Ning said not to withdraw it, so let him have it his way."

Xu Jiahao's eyes rolled around twice before he revealed a meaningful smile.

Good boy. Just as expected of the godson he had his eye on. There was hope!

"Alright, I'll hang up then. Let me know if you need anything."

The final two days of summer vacation passed amid the boiling gossip throughout Yangcheng.

The day of school registration arrived.

Chi Ning stuffed the textbooks he received into his drawer, too lazy even to write his name on them.

Wang Quan saw it and knocked on the corner of Chi Ning's desk. "Come out with me for a moment."

Li Qiuhe was a little worried. He pushed up his glasses, which seemed even thicker after one summer vacation, and said nervously, "Teacher Wang isn't going to give you trouble, is he? The malicious rumors in the newspapers have been spreading for so long. Why don't you get a lawyer to help? Want me to help? My family runs a law firm."

"No need." Chi Ning patted the vice class monitor's shoulder. "Study hard."

He walked out of the classroom, stood before Wang Quan, and obediently said, "Teacher Wang."

Wang Quan thought, look at how well-behaved he is. Anyone who believed the newspapers was an idiot.

"Chi Ning, tomorrow is the official first day of school. The seniors will have an outstanding student representative give a motivational speech. Do you want to do it? If you do, prepare a speech."

Chi Ning froze. Before coming out, he had thought Wang Quan was going to lecture him. He hadn't expected Teacher Wang to want him as the student representative.

He appreciated the kindness, but given his current situation, it wasn't very suitable.

Chi Ning said, "I'll pass. The rumors outside are too intense. It wouldn't be good for the class if I went up there. You can ask Ye Xinran instead. He went abroad this summer for a technology competition and won an award. He's also a hardworking student who supports himself. He can show what well-rounded development really means better than I can."

Wang Quan:...

His bald head was getting balder.

How had Chi Ning become so articulate after not seeing him for one summer?

He used to be so easy to fool...

Whenever he was asked to say something on the flag-raising platform, he would go as soon as he was called. Since that was the case, Wang Quan could only appeal to his emotions.

Wang Quan waved behind him. "Ye Xinran, tell him why you don't want to go."

Ye Xinran emerged from around the stairwell corner. His brows were open and bright, and much of the gloom between them had faded. Perhaps the possibility of paying off his family's debts and having hope in life made him seem refreshed and radiant.

Ye Xinran stood in front of Chi Ning. "Long time no see."

Chi Ning gave a quiet hum.

"How did you know I won an award?" Ye Xinran smiled as he spoke. "I wanted to bring the medal and give it to you, but unfortunately it's only crystal, not pure gold. Now I'm a little embarrassed to take it out."

Chi Ning said, "It's fine. Keep it for yourself."

Wang Quan:...

Ye Xinran:...

Could someone so incapable of appreciating romance really be twisted by the paparazzi into that kind of person?

Wang Quan cleared his throat. "Get to the point."

Ye Xinran didn't mind. "I've always been second in our grade. My grades aren't as good as yours. You helped solve my family's problems, and you even lent me scholarship money despite past grievances. You also helped me find someone to sponsor me. All told... you've even won far more competition awards than I have. You simply didn't participate this time."

He paused, then gave the final word. "In terms of qualifications, no one is more suitable than you. You're the one who is truly outstanding in both character and academics."

Chi Ning:...

When did we ever have past grievances?

There were no past grievances at all!

No, why were you making things up?

Wang Quan had thought Chi Ning's eloquence had improved by leaps and bounds over the summer, but standing beside Ye Xinran, he was still no match.

Perhaps that was the difference between improving from zero to sixty and improving from ninety to ninety-one.

Wang Quan patted Chi Ning's shoulder. "I know it hurts to be falsely written about by the paparazzi, but precisely because of that, I think we should make you the representative. Let the people at school who don't understand you see who you really are! Break the rumors."

Chi Ning:... I'm numb.

He really didn't want to write some formulaic speech!

"Ah..." Chi Ning let out a heavy sigh.

Ye Xinran looked at his puffed cheeks and found him adorable. "You really don't want to go that badly?"

Chi Ning had already been consumed by his desire to slack off. Listlessly, he said, "Yeah. I don't care what other people think of me."

Ye Xinran thought: I care quite a lot.

The moment he returned to the country, he saw Chi Ning being slandered. He hacked several entertainment newspapers' computers in succession and followed the trail to the Shen Family before finally stopping.

"Did you know the Shen Family ordered those rumors written?"

"I knew."

Ye Xinran immediately asked, "Then why aren't you fighting back?"

Chi Ning lifted his eyes and looked at him twice. "It's fine. It'll be useful if we keep it."

Ye Xinran pondered for a moment, then abruptly stopped walking. His lips trembled slightly as alarm filled his face. "Stocks? Could your brother possibly..."

"Shh." Chi Ning raised a hand and covered Ye Xinran's mouth for a moment before immediately letting go.

Ye Xinran said in a muffled voice, "I won't say anything."

He quickly walked to Chi Ning's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "So you're not participating in that... because you're afraid that after getting first place..."