Chapter 19

"What good would that do? She doesn't even like money."

Song Zhiyan was talking about Meng Ou.

Gu Wang pondered for a moment, then comforted him softly. "Study hard. She'll understand how you feel eventually."

Song Zhiyan said, "I hope so."

Quite a few class monitors had gone to the logistics office. He Qinghuan never appeared on occasions like this, and the moment he entered, everyone turned to look at him.

There was a reason so many people liked him. He was handsome and rich, never threw his weight around, and had good manners. There was no one more perfect than He Qinghuan in the world.

Several teachers were handing out passes and photos. When it was He Qinghuan's class's turn, the female teacher handling theirs smiled even more brightly than she had at the other classes.

"These are for your class. Count them and see if anything's missing."

"Miss, our class is still short two passes." A boy behind him quietly raised his hand.

The female teacher was concise. "Get them yourself."

The boy said, "...Oh." I'm hurt, but I won't say it.

He Qinghuan counted the passes and found no problems. When he flipped through the photos, he paused for a moment, then looked up at the teacher. "One student's photo is missing."

Xia Qing froze, then asked, "Can you check whose it is? They're still printing them."

He Qinghuan lowered his head and casually flipped through the photos in his hand. "It should be... Gu Wang's," he said thoughtfully.

Xia Qing nodded and hurried to where they were printing photos in the back. "You missed Gu Wang from Class Two, Year Three. His photo hasn't been printed."

"I remember printing his."

"You didn't. Their class monitor checked. His is the only one missing."

"No way. I remember that boy. He was really good-looking."

"I said it hasn't been printed, so it hasn't. Mr. Zhang, why are you dragging this out?"

"..."

He Qinghuan paid no attention to their argument. He opened his hand. Gu Wang's photo was wrapped in a simple transparent sleeve, and the blue backdrop behind him made his skin look even fairer.

The boy wore a slight smile. A faint redness was still visible around his eyes, and his light amber eyes shone when he smiled. Lashes as thick and dark as raven feathers outlined their exquisite shape.

He looked so pure that one couldn't bear to sully him.

So beautiful.

Xia Qing soon returned with Gu Wang's photo. He Qinghuan slipped the one in his hand into his pocket, accepted the extra print, and thanked her with a faint smile.

Author's note: Damn, He Qinghuan is such a dog.

Chapter 26

In the end, the League Branch Secretary handed out the photos. Song Zhiyan collected Gu Wang's for him and clicked his tongue twice as he held it. Meng Ou asked what he was clicking his tongue about.

"Our Wangwang is just so good-looking," Song Zhiyan said.

Meng Ou pulled the photo out of his hand and smiled. "He is handsome."

Once today's classes ended, the National Day holiday would begin. The final evening self-study period happened to be Li Shuya's, and she set aside ten or so minutes to give everyone a safety talk.

"If you're traveling over National Day, stay safe and keep an eye on your belongings."

"Don't slack off on your studies just because it's a holiday. Don't forget to take your homework."

"And one more thing..." Li Shuya paused, her gaze sweeping over several of the more boisterous boys and girls in class. "Our school may be relatively open-minded, but that's something we fought to secure for you. You need to appreciate it and not go too far. If we imposed a blanket ban like other schools... I'll leave it at that. Don't say I didn't warn you. A couple in one of the second-year classes crossed the line and have already been expelled."

Li Shuya was rarely this stern.

The class immediately erupted.

"Yaya, who was it? When did it happen?"

"Was it that class beauty? I haven't seen her all week."

"Someone got their hands on your goddess."

"How do you know it's her? Shut up and get lost!"

"Quiet." Li Shuya slapped the lectern twice and continued, "Besides being particularly careful between boys and girls, you need to maintain proper boundaries between boys and boys, and girls and girls, too."

After she finished, her gaze lingered briefly on Gu Wang and He Qinghuan.

Gu Wang, who had been fiddling idly with his pass, said, "..."

Zeng Xiao even poked him in the back. "Wangwang, she means you."

"..." Gu Wang tossed the pass he had finished putting together into his schoolbag and muttered, "Not me."

There was nothing between him and He Qinghuan. There was nothing to discuss.

But the Original Host had probably made too much of a scene pursuing He Qinghuan. As soon as Li Shuya brought this up, everyone thought of him and He Qinghuan and kept glancing their way.

Li Shuya said, "Who are you looking at? Mind your own business. Song Zhiyan, you're always hugging Shen Zhao from next door. Be mindful of how that looks."

Meng Ou snorted.

Song Zhiyan panicked and protested loudly, "Me and that bastard Shen Zhao-no, that guy-we're just comrades in arms!"

Yaya ignored him and moved on to other matters.

Just as she finished, class ended. The classroom instantly grew noisy. National Day was a short holiday, a rare chance for the beleaguered third-years to relax.

Once Shen Zhao saw He Qinghuan leave, he rushed in and clung to Gu Wang's neck. "Wangwang, let me see your photo!"

Gu Wang simply handed him his pass.

Shen Zhao hung Gu Wang's pass around his own neck and called across to Song Zhiyan, "You dog, I think Wangwang and I look a little alike. What do you think?"

Song Zhiyan came over carrying his schoolbag. "I think you're an ugly bastard."

Gu Wang laughed aloud.

Shen Zhao returned the pass to Gu Wang, then turned to tussle with Song Zhiyan. After grappling with him for a while, Song Zhiyan ran behind Gu Wang. "Keep your distance. Yaya thinks we're dating."

"???" Confusion covered Shen Zhao's face. "Me and you? Oh my God, that's ridiculous."

They had grown up together and were already sick of looking at one another.

After saying that, Shen Zhao spotted the photo on He Qinghuan's desk. He picked it up, looked at it for two seconds, and fell into contemplation. Song Zhiyan asked what was wrong.

Shen Zhao said, "He Qinghuan is so fucking handsome."

Gu Wang and Song Zhiyan said, "..."

Putting aside how coldly he ignored Gu Wang's pursuit, if Song Zhiyan judged He Qinghuan purely as a person, he had to admit he was one in ten thousand. No, you might not find even one like him in ten thousand.

Even Gu Wang's view of He Qinghuan was biased by his omniscient perspective. Objectively speaking, He Qinghuan had almost no flaws.

He didn't owe the Original Host anything.

But Gu Wang wasn't the Original Host. He knew when to cut his losses, rather than end up losing his life too.

Outside the school gates, far more parents than usual had come to pick up their children because of the holiday. There were also food carts squeezing into every available gap, as well as some students' partners.

Gu Dazhi said the entrance to the road was blocked and told him to walk out himself. Gu Wang looked at Song Zhiyan and Shen Zhao.

Song Zhiyan waved his phone. "I'm heading off. My aunt's here to get me. I'm going to her place today. Shen Zhao, rest in peace."

Shen Zhao said, "Get lost!"

He and Wangwang both had to walk out themselves.

The intersection outside wasn't far from the school gates. Along the way, the road was jammed solid with traffic. Warm yellow streetlights crowned the tops of the poplars lining the street, and amid the clamor was a quietness that could soothe the mind.

Shen Zhao gesticulated as he told Gu Wang how hard the problems were, and how hard the game was too. Gu Wang answered him now and then. Several tall, burly boys approached from the opposite direction.

Gu Wang caught Shen Zhao's arm and pulled him aside to avoid bumping into them.

The boy in front stopped anyway. Standing before Gu Wang, he let his brazen gaze trace every inch of Gu Wang's face.

Shen Zhao frowned.

Gu Wang met the boy's gaze calmly. "Need something?"

The boy chuckled and took out his phone. "Hey, kid. Give me your contact info."

Gu Wang pulled Shen Zhao along to leave, but the people behind the boy immediately surrounded them.

The boy circled around in front of Gu Wang. Noticing the pass hanging from his neck, he lifted it for a look, then smiled. "Gu Wang. What a nice name. Pretty face, too."

"I've been to your school several times. How come I've never run into you?"

Gu Wang looked at him coldly. "You're from No. 3 Middle School?"

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Du Zhou." He held out his hand. Gu Wang glanced down at it. It was a beautiful hand with well-defined knuckles. As Song Zhiyan had said, people who drew all had beautiful hands.

Gu Wang had no interest in getting acquainted with him. He merely said, without any emotion, "Please move aside."

Du Zhou paused, then smiled and ruffled Gu Wang's hair. "You're really adorable."

Shen Zhao's eyes widened. "Can't you talk without putting your hands on him?"

Du Zhou narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to slap Shen Zhao across the face. Gu Wang shoved Shen Zhao aside, caught Du Zhou's wrist, and flung it away hard.

"Get lost." Gu Wang's tone turned hostile.

There were seven or eight of them, each taller than Gu Wang and Shen Zhao. The two of them were slender and lean, visibly at a disadvantage.

Du Zhou backed up two steps. Not wanting to truly anger him, he smiled. "I never make things difficult for anyone, but I've never failed to get something I wanted, either. Go on. We'll meet... again." He drew out the last word, flippant and suggestive.

Gu Wang glanced at him. "Really?"

After they had walked some distance, Shen Zhao looked back and saw that the group had left. Only then did he cling to Gu Wang in lingering fear. "That Du Zhou is scary. Like a snake."

Gu Wang said softly, "Stay away from them if you see them again."

This Du Zhou was definitely bad news. As for the force behind the slap he had aimed at Shen Zhao-Gu Wang flexed his faintly tingling wrist. Had Shen Zhao taken that blow, he would have lost at least two teeth.

"Wangwang, thanks for that." Shen Zhao blinked his peach-blossom eyes.

Gu Wang looked at him for a while. "Zhao, acting cute doesn't suit you."

"Really?" Shen Zhao swiftly adjusted his expression and flashed a charming smile.

"Mm." Gu Wang nodded. "That's better."

If Gu Wang had the handsome, delicate appeal of a youthful boy, then Shen Zhao was pretty like a young girl.

On the street not far away, a black Bentley sat motionless amid the traffic. Its window was more than halfway down, and the person inside wore his school uniform half-open, his fingers tapping slowly against his knee.

He Qinghuan's gaze remained fixed on Gu Wang.

The boy beside him leaned over and rested against the window, following his gaze. His eyes lit up. "Is that Gu Wang? The one who likes you?"

"..." He Qinghuan's gaze was cool. "You still like him?"

Yue Feng actually considered it seriously for a moment. Then his gaze landed on the face of the boy beside Gu Wang. He paused and turned to He Qinghuan. "Ah Huan, what's the name of the one with Gu Wang?"

He Qinghuan thought for a moment. "Shen Zhao. Wangwang's friend."

When he said "Wangwang's friend," his tone was entirely that of someone marking his territory and claiming Gu Wang as his own.

He Qinghuan left Yue Feng choking with irritation. He looked at He Qinghuan with a chilly gaze. "Ah Huan, you don't have to do that. Really. I won't fight you for him."

Author's note: Yue Feng: You don't have to be this much of a dog.

He Qinghuan: Oh, is it that obvious?

Chapter 27

Yue Feng shook his head helplessly and couldn't resist saying, "Ah Heng, if you don't genuinely like him..."

"You said that?"

"What?"

He Qinghuan looked at Yue Feng. "Why would you think that?"

Silence fell inside the car. It wasn't just Yue Feng who thought so. The other childhood friends of He Qinghuan would have thought the same. He Qinghuan had no idea what liking someone meant.

What outsiders saw as knowing when to advance and retreat was actually him doing whatever he pleased. Whatever he liked, he had to have; whatever he disliked, he discarded like an old shoe. They had never seen He Qinghuan like anything since childhood. He liked beautiful things, but he had never liked a beautiful person.

Little Xiao Liu from his family was such a delicately lovely little bundle, an adorable child anyone would love at first sight, yet He Qinghuan had only spared her a few extra glances. But those few glances alone had sent Xiao Liu and her mother's standing in the He family soaring beyond anyone else's.

If he truly liked someone and they asked for the moon, Ah Heng would probably pluck it down for them.

Yue Feng thought for a moment, then asked an exceptionally direct question that struck right at the heart. "Ah Heng, he likes you. Why aren't you together?"

He Qinghuan's fingers stilled on his knee, his eyes