So Zhou Anyang had secretly loved Jiang Gechen for three years, taking subtle digs at Xia Shule all that time, and Xia Shule had never noticed.
Tonight, this friend of his would team up with Jiang Gechen to send him into a stranger's bed.
Xia Shule had narrowly escaped death, only to see his friend gloating and the man he loved looking smug.
Fortunately, none of it had happened yet.
Who could have imagined the two of them would hit it off over such a disgusting, despicable scheme?
Perhaps the boy in his heart hadn't changed. Perhaps Xia Shule had misjudged him from the very beginning.
"Shu Le?" Seeing that Xia Shule still hadn't spoken, Zhou Anyang thought the fall had knocked him senseless. "What's wrong? You just got caught following him, that's all. It's fine. I'll secretly slip you my invitation, then go in through the back door. Don't worry about me!"
"..."
Dude, you're so loud that everyone knows you're going to 'secretly' slip me your invitation. Besides, I had one of my own. Didn't you steal it?
Please, I'm the Xia Family's only son. How could I not even have an invitation?
And don't give me that fake invitation of yours.
In his previous life, he had been viciously humiliated for using Zhou Anyang's fake invitation.
Xia Shule brushed off his backside and stood up. He really had taken a nasty fall, and his head was still spinning. "No need. Your invitation isn't worthy of my status."
Zhou Anyang was dumbfounded. Xia Shule had never spoken to him in that tone before. "Shu Le... what do you mean...? I'm sorry. I should've known you'd look down on it."
Zhou Anyang feigned dejection, lowering his head slightly to make himself look like an easy target.
Xia Shule glanced sideways at him. What an act.
"As long as you know." Wasn't this exactly the reaction Zhou Anyang wanted? Xia Shule would give it to him, then. He wanted to see who would feel sorry for the guy.
Zhou Anyang squeezed out a few tears. "Shu Le, you... you're really hurting my feelings..."
Xia Shule's head was pounding. He silently rolled his eyes, too tired to trade barbs. All he wanted now was a good night's sleep. He had been reborn right after drowning, and now he was not only physically exhausted but under immense mental strain.
Quite a crowd had gathered around them, whispering among themselves. Even those who thought Zhou Anyang was pitiful wouldn't step forward to speak up for him, lest they get dragged into the mess.
"That son of the Xia Family seems to have been following Young Master Jiang around until he got fed up!"
"I knew it. Nothing good ever comes of throwing yourself at someone like that."
"Young Master Jiang is obviously so sick of him. How can he still be so shameless?"
"Who knows? And now he's bullying someone like that. Poor guy."
"Then why don't you help him?"
"I'm not doing that. I don't even know him. Who would dare offend the Xia Family's son? Talking behind his back is enough."
After waiting ages without anyone stepping forward to defend him, Zhou Anyang couldn't keep up the act anymore.
"Xia Shule, there you go being repulsive again." The cold voice carried an aggressive edge.
Well, well, well. Here comes someone to feel sorry for him.
Xia Shule turned toward Jiang Gechen, who had just spoken. The undisguised disgust in his voice still instinctively stung Xia Shule's heart. It seemed to have become a habit.
But it lasted only a moment. After awakening, he had realized he had never truly loved Jiang Gechen. It had all been dictated by the plot.
In this life, he only wanted to live in peace.
Whatever came his way, he would deal with it.
"Yes, I disgust you. So from now on, we'll go our separate ways. I won't bother you again. You can keep those five years of affection." With that, Xia Shule turned to leave, no longer looking at the malice in Jiang Gechen's eyes.
As it turned out, Jiang Gechen hated him even more than he had thought.
But... who cares? The farther away, the better!
Zhou Anyang grabbed Xia Shule. He couldn't let him leave so easily-not when he finally had a chance to humiliate him!
Thinking of all their time together, of how Xia Shule had outshone him in everything, made him grit his teeth with hatred.
So he spoke in a soft, gentle voice, determined to show everyone how much better he was than this simple-minded young master. "Shu Le, don't say things out of anger. Brother Jiang does care about you!"
Huh? Cares about me? Xia Shule wanted to pry open Zhou Anyang's skull and see how he could say such things with a straight face!
Even a random passerby would know Jiang Gechen loathed him.
Hearing that, Jiang Gechen scoffed from beside them. "Hmph. Xia Shule, don't flatter yourself."
Huh? Me again?
Is this how a human brain works?
Figures. The original novel wasn't remotely normal either. The plot was absurd beyond belief, and I was the idiot stuck in it.
Ever since awakening, he had felt embarrassed whenever he remembered serving as a brainless cannon fodder character who lived for the male lead...
Xia Shule's speechless face was full of awkward disbelief. "Dude, open your ears. What do you mean, I'm flattering myself? Did I say that? You only hear what you want to hear, huh? Does having someone secretly in love with you feel that good, dude?"
"You keep saying I annoy you and telling me to stay away, but you've never turned down a single benefit I offered. How much have you gained off me all these years? You should count yourself lucky I'm not demanding it all back!"
After being reborn, Xia Shule was brimming with resentment. Having just experienced life and death, he was still mentally unstable.
Especially when facing Jiang Gechen. After all, he had fallen victim to the man's vicious scheme only a moment ago. Now, just seeing that face made him grind his teeth.
Forget living this life in peace. Xia Shule had changed his mind. Even if he died, he would drag Jiang Gechen down to hell with him!
Zhou Anyang froze. "Shu Le... you...?"
He often heard Xia Shule speak to other people this way. After all, Xia Shule was a little tyrant in Jingjiang. He never spared anyone's feelings when he spoke, and loved mocking people and watching them embarrass themselves.
But... this was the first time he had heard Xia Shule speak to Jiang Gechen like this.
Jiang Gechen was so furious at that tirade that he couldn't think straight. This was the first time Xia Shule had ever spoken to him this way.
When had Xia Shule ever spoken to him in anything but a gentle voice? He had always coaxed and humored him. Even when Jiang Gechen made things difficult for him, Xia Shule would find excuses for it himself and laugh it off.
Jiang Gechen's eyes widened. "Xia Shule, how dare you speak to me like that? You'd better not regret it!"
The pressure radiating from Jiang Gechen instantly intensified. He raised his hand, almost slapping Xia Shule across the face, but stopped halfway and grabbed his collar instead.
Xia Shule lifted his dark eyes to meet Jiang Gechen's gaze.
At that moment, Jiang Gechen's eyes were filled with fury.
He certainly cut an intimidating figure.
Xia Shule thought that he really did live up to his role as the original novel's obsessive, unhinged male lead.
"I regret it."
Xia Shule's clear voice reached Jiang Gechen's ears, and his expression relaxed a little.
Hah. I knew Xia Shule wouldn't give up so easily after fawning over me for so long. How could someone so shameless change that easily?
But a second later, Jiang Gechen wanted to devour the man before him alive.
Because Xia Shule said, "I regret giving you too much respect back then."
With that, Xia Shule's icy hand closed around the wrist of the hand gripping his collar. He viciously wrenched it away and flung it aside.
"Fuck off. Keep your fucking hands off me." Disgust surfaced in his eyes.
That flash of emotion struck Jiang Gechen so hard that, for a moment, he thought he had seen it wrong.
How could this happen? Did that shove earlier knock him stupid when he fell?
Xia Shule, you're not allowed to hate me. You have to keep bowing down to me. I'm going to torment you. I'm going to torment you over and over! You'll never escape my grasp...
By the time Jiang Gechen came back to his senses, Xia Shule had long since disappeared from view.
Beside him, Zhou Anyang was already staring in shock. He had never witnessed anything like this. Looking at the dark-faced Jiang Gechen, he felt cold sweat creep down his back.
"Zhou Anyang, did you bring that thing?"
Zhou Anyang knew what he meant. "I did, Brother Jiang."
Jiang Gechen reined in his emotions and left the area with Zhou Anyang.