Chapter 43 "You lured me here."

My heart skipped a beat, then started beating wildly. The scene of the senior student kneeling on one knee to propose to the senior student at the same place ten years ago suddenly emerged in my mind.

Behind the deserted woods, Jiang Yao froze in place as if all his parts had stuck, staring blankly down until the man in front of him leaned forward slightly and his bony fingers rested on the sole of his shoe.

Duan Zhuxian picked up a shoelace that had fallen on the ground, slowly circled it with his index finger, and said lightly, "Your shoelace is undone."

As soon as he finished speaking, the limited edition sneakers in front of him suddenly shrank back a few centimeters.

Duan Zhuxian paused and looked up.

Jiang Yao's peach blossom eyes were filled with astonishment, his face was red and pale from being cold all the way, and even his breathing became a little faster.

"Thought I was going to propose?"

Duan Zhuxian spoke with a smile and an inquiring look on his face.

"No."

Jiang Yao spoke expressionlessly, his beautiful jaw tensed tightly as he gritted his teeth, his fist tucked into his school uniform collar, and the fist hidden in his pocket felt a little itchy.

Duan Zhuxian chuckled: "I was just kidding."

Jiang Yao's eyes suddenly flashed with the shadow of swords and knives, and he began to recall the posture he used to beat Duan Zhuxian last time.

Duan Zhuxian lowered his head again, pinched his loose shoelaces, and tied a beautiful bow under his nose like tying a gift, but did not stand up immediately. Instead, he looked up at him again.

Jiang Yao lowered his gaze and said coldly, "Are you planning to kneel down and pay your respects?"

Duan Zhuxian said: "I mean, I lied to you just now."

“…”

Jiang Yao didn't take the detour and only had time to notice Duan Zhuxian's sudden gentle gaze.

Then, a wide silver ring inlaid with diamonds appeared before his eyes.

Duan Zhuxian, who was kneeling on one knee, was supported by his palm.

Like magic.

The wedding ring that he had taken off and left at home now fell into Duan Zhuxian's hands.

Damn thief!

Jiang Yao cursed silently, but his heartbeat continued to accelerate.

After waiting for a few seconds, seeing that Jiang Yao still had his hands in his pockets, Duan Zhuxian directly reached into his left pocket.

When he took out a hard fist, Duan Zhuxian was stunned for a moment.

If he had taken out the ring a step later, the fist would probably have hit him.

Jiang Yao's fist seems difficult to deal with, but it is actually not difficult to pry it open.

Duan Zhuxian said nothing, just held his hand, put the ring on his ring finger, then let go and stood up.

"Duan Zhuxian, you..."

Jiang Yao's voice was hoarse, he was both angry and amused, and he didn't say the rest of the words.

He stared at his hand suspended in mid-air, the small circle of skin that touched the ring was slightly warm.

He inexplicably felt that the ring that was tailor-made for him had become smaller, tightly wrapped around the base of his ring finger, as if he would never be able to take it off in this lifetime.

What is Duan Zhuxian doing in broad daylight?

Want to play a proposal role on a whim?

But no one's proposal even has a decent line. It's even more domineering and casual than a robbery. The robber even knows to say some threatening words before committing the crime.

In just a few moments, too many emotions flashed across Jiang Yao's face. Duan Zhuxian took them all in and didn't want to miss a single frame.

He whispered, "Is it complete?"

Jiang Yao's ears turned red: "Get lost..."

*

As the time for the meeting with the school leaders was approaching, the two of them happened to walk to the Political Education Department.

Jiang Yao stopped at the door: "You go in, I won't go."

Although he had good grades in high school, he had a bit of a physical resistance to coming here for tea because of his very distinctive and eccentric personality.

Duan Zhuxian didn't force him and asked him to wait outside for a few minutes.

After Duan Zhuxian left, Jiang Yao leaned on the railing, looking at the scenery boredly. Suddenly, someone bumped into him from behind, and then he felt a chill on his back and collar.

He turned around and saw a skinny boy standing in front of him, holding a half-empty bottle of mineral water in his hand.

"Sorry, mate—" The boy saw the red highlights on Jiang Yao's hair, and the word "学" was a little stuck. His face gradually became terrified, fearing that he had offended some troublemaker.

Seeing the boy's uneasiness and fear, Jiang Yao suppressed a smile, raising one eyebrow in displeasure: "Are you in such a hurry to reincarnate?"

The boy was immediately frightened and stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Jiang Yao glared at him for a long time, until the first bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, then he waved his hand: "Alright, alright, go ahead. Be careful when you walk next time."

When the boy heard this, his frightened eyes immediately lit up with joy. Before retreating, he couldn't help but admire the troubled brother. He was really handsome and kind-hearted!

Looking at the boy's back as he ran away obediently, Jiang Yao suddenly realized that he had just played a trick on a little kid to entertain himself.

He had never done anything so boring before.

Then, he thought of a guy with first-rate acting skills and a sanctimonious appearance...

Could this boring habit be transmitted through the bed?

Jiang Yao shook his head and pinched his eyebrows.

In the reception room separated by a wall, a group of leaders with smiling faces were sitting around.

The gray-haired old principal held Duan Zhuxian's hand tightly with both hands and said: "Some time ago, our school encountered difficulties. Thanks to Mr. Duan's donation, we were able to overcome it smoothly. On behalf of all the school leaders, teachers and students, I would like to thank Mr. Duan for his generous donation."

"Don't thank me, it's Xingyuan that's necessary for it to exist."

Duan Zhuxian said lightly, moving his right hand, signaling the principal to let go.

The old principal was even more moved when he heard this and wanted to shake Duan Zhuxian's hand again.

Duan Zhuxian avoided it calmly.

It's not because he's arrogant and won't accept thanks from others, but because he has always been emotionally indifferent. It's hard for him to feel any concern for places, let alone people.

To him, school is just a place to learn, no different from a hospital for health or a shopping mall for supplies.

This time he donated a huge sum of money to Xingyuan Foreign Language High School. The reason was simple: it was the land of Xingyuan that brought Jiang Yao to him.

Here, too much had happened, both what should have happened and what shouldn't have happened. His emotions, which had long since overflowed to the point of having nowhere to rest, needed a place to carry them.

Coming out of the reception room, Duan Zhuxian saw from afar a figure waiting impatiently in the shelter.

The man with a thin waist and long legs was wearing a single layer of clothing, with his school uniform jacket draped over his arm. His shoulders and arms were slightly hunched, and his pair of shoulder blades exposed to the wind were trembling slightly.

When they were in school, Duan Zhuxian had seen Jiang Yao many times, showing a preference for grace over warmth.

At that time, Jiang Yao was still a teenager, thin, sharp, and tough. He split the cold air like a narrow blade, scorching and imposing, attracting countless classmates to regard him as a benchmark and emulate him.

But he always felt that Jiang Yao was very cold. It was just that he was unable to personally confirm Jiang Yao's body temperature at the time, nor was he in a position to remind Jiang Yao to keep warm, let alone share his body temperature with Jiang Yao.

Duan Zhuxian strode forward and grabbed Jiang Yao's hand, and sure enough, he felt it was cold.

He frowned slightly and finally said the words that had been suppressed for three years: "You are an adult, why don't you know how to dress properly?"

Jiang Yao said nonchalantly, "Someone splashed water on my coat and it got wet. I couldn't wear it anymore so I took it off."

After saying that, he sneezed loudly.

In order to look stylish in his school uniform today, he only wore a thin sweater underneath, and now he regrets it so much.

Duan Zhuxian immediately took off his school uniform jacket and put it on him without saying a word.

Jiang Yao was stunned: "What are you doing?"

Duan Zhuxian: "Wear it, don't take it off."

?

This was an imperative tone that left no room for questioning.

Pretty cool.

Duan Zhuxian is addicted to putting clothes on people, right?

Thinking of the biting night a few days ago when Duan Zhuxian also contributed his coat, Jiang Yao curled his lips a little awkwardly.

Okay, since someone likes to suffer the cold, then just suffer it more.

Duan Zhuxian has a bigger frame and more developed muscles than Jiang Yao. When Jiang Yao wears his school uniform with the zipper fastened all the way to the top, it looks a bit wide overall. Coupled with his red highlighted hair and lazy gait, he looks more like a thorn in the side from a distance, and is more difficult to mess with.

Whenever the cold wind blew the school uniform through the larger gap, Duan Zhuxian would reach out and pat Jiang Yao's clothes tightly.

Only Duan Zhuxian knew that this was a deflated pufferfish.

At 9:30 in the morning, the two were invited to attend the school anniversary ceremony. Duan Zhuxian, as the most outstanding alumnus in the past ten years, had a small speech to give later, so he went backstage to prepare.

The huge celebration venue was decorated with lights and colors. Jiang Yao entered the auditorium from the back door and chose an empty seat near the front. He was wearing a school uniform, had a white face, and a listless and arrogant expression, and he blended in perfectly with the sixteen or seventeen-year-old students.

The first part was a speech by the school leader, which was boring and lengthy, and just as hypnotic as it was back then.

Half an hour later, it was time for senior students to interact with each other.

The moment Duan Zhuxian stepped onto the podium, the sleepy students woke up instantly. Those who were secretly playing with their mobile phones were urged by their neighbors and shifted half of their attention to the podium.

Duan Zhuxian's speech was impromptu, and the main content was about the changes in his alma mater.

Thinking back to the walk they had just taken, Jiang Yao seemed to understand something.

No wonder Duan Zhuxian, who always pretends to be deep, becomes talkative as soon as he enters the school. He even tries to reminisce about campus life with him. It turns out that he is trying to gather material for his speech.

The steady voice echoed throughout the venue as the broadcast went on. Compared to the solemnity of the man standing under the national flag ten years ago, the man on the stage was more calm and indifferent. In less than a minute, the elite aura of a successful man attracted everyone's attention.

Amidst thousands of gazes, Jiang Yao's eyes also fell faintly on Duan Zhuxian's upright figure.

In fact, similar scenes have happened many times before.

Initially, his gaze was mixed with admiration from his opponent, but later it gradually became tit-for-tat and irreconcilable.

And at this moment, he sat in the audience in a capacity he had never imagined before, his lips inadvertently curved into a disdainful arc—

No matter how decent and successful someone may appear outside, when he returns home, he still has to live with his mortal enemy behind closed doors and pretend to be a loving couple for the rest of his life.

After the speech, the free question and answer period began.

The questions were normal at first, covering all aspects of university, studying abroad, and career, until the microphone was handed to a girl who was eager to try.

"Maybe that's a bit presumptuous." The girl blushed a little, "I want to ask, is Senior Duan married?"

Duan Zhuxian smiled: "How do you know?"

The girl pointed at Duan Zhuxian's left hand and said, "Senior, you're wearing a wedding ring."

Duan Zhuxian nodded in understanding: "You have a really good observation ability."

Jiang Yao in the audience couldn't help but rolled his eyes. Duan Zhuxian held the microphone with his left hand the whole time. Only a blind person could not see such a dazzling diamond ring.

As soon as this somewhat private topic was brought up, the students became excited, and several school leaders were on high alert, ready to immediately stop the students if Mr. Duan showed any displeasure.

Another student stood up and asked Duan Zhuxian to talk about his significant other.

Jiang Yao narrowed his eyes and met Duan Zhuxian's gaze sweeping towards him. He warned Duan Zhuxian with his eyes that if he dared to announce his name, he would be dead!

Duan Zhuxian chuckled: "He is quite shy."

Damn, who's shy?

Jiang Yao immediately glared back.

The atmosphere became lively, and the subsequent questions became more and more off-topic.

Someone asked, "Senior Duan, why are you only wearing school pants and not your school uniform? Is it to look cool?"

Someone else immediately retorted loudly, "Senior Duan is already handsome, he doesn't need to show off!"

After everyone had finished making noises, Duan Zhuxian said calmly, "Because my school uniform jacket is currently being worn by my lover."

This was another earth-shattering statement, meaning that Senior Duan’s lover was most likely also present.

Jiang Yao's legs were too long, and he felt a little uncomfortable squeezed under the narrow seat. He straightened his school uniform, leaned back in a slightly relaxed position, and heard the discussions of the students in the back row.

The boy said mysteriously, "It seems that the sister of my brother's girlfriend's best friend outside of school had a blind date with someone of the same generation in the Huayan Duan family."

The girl was puzzled and asked, "Why did I hear that Senior Duan's wife was his childhood sweetheart?"

…

A group of students shared the firsthand information they had heard, and their stories were very vivid.

Jiang Yao was a little worried at first about hearing his name from their mouths, but they ended up guessing all the famous daughters of various families, and occasionally a few young masters from aristocratic families, all of whom were people who had nothing to do with him.

Jiang Yao's forehead was throbbing.

These kids, Jiang Yao's junior classmates, didn't study hard, but spent all day pondering third-rate gossip and competing to be the carriers of rumors.

Just at this time, a student gave Duan Zhuxian a pair of self-made Xingyuan High School commemorative badges, hoping that Duan Zhuxian could bring one of them to his lover. The hidden meaning of wanting to see his face was obvious in his words.

Duan Zhuxian looked at Jiang Yao again, raised his eyebrows, and his expression seemed a little regretful. In Jiang Yao's eyes, it was as if he was mocking him for being a coward.

The students in the back row were still guessing the identity of Duan Zhuxian's lover.

Jiang Yao raised his chin with a tense expression, and signaled with his eyes that Duan Zhuxian should stop showing off by secretly using him on the stage, and come in front of him if he had the guts.

Duan Zhuxian raised the corner of his lips, then strode off the stage and walked towards him under the gaze of everyone.

Jiang Yao didn't expect Duan Zhuxian to be so provocative this time. His heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he was even more nervous than at the wedding ceremony.

When Duan Zhuxian stood in front of Jiang Yao, Jiang Yao still had his arms crossed over his chest, slumped in his chair, and glared at him.

Amidst the clamor, Duan Zhuxian bent down and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "There are so many junior students watching us, please give me some respect."

Jiang Yao snorted coldly and said indifferently, "I can't afford to give face to President Duan."

But he still slowly straightened up, exposing his chest, and let Duan Zhuxian pin the badge on him.

Applause broke out all around, each wave higher than the last.

Some students recognized Jiang Yao.

Legend has it that there were two handsome boys in a certain class of Foreign Languages ​​High School. One was named Duan and the other was named Jiang. They were both handsome, top-notch in grades, and were first-rate in sports. They were equally matched in every aspect.

During their three years at school, the two fought tooth and nail, never once seeing each other again. As for the emotional issues that everyone is most concerned about, a more palatable version has evolved in the following years: they are not only sworn enemies, but also very likely rivals in love. After all, two people with such similar goals are likely to have the same interests.

There are all kinds of outrageous things said about them, and they are almost becoming a campus legend.

But no one dared to spread rumors that the two would eventually get married.

After Duan Zhuxian sat down next to Jiang Yao, the host came on stage and invited the next outstanding senior student.

Jiang Yao's cheeks were still burning. He cast his gaze towards the podium in front of him and sneered, "Mr. Duan, isn't it enough to report on finance every other day? You have to make some big news in school too, right?"

Duan Zhuxian said: "You seduced me here."

Jiang Yao slapped the armrest, turned his head and said, "When the hell did I hook up—"

Jiang Yao swallowed the last word back.

Duan Zhuxian said: "Your eyes are murderous, so I came."

Jiang Yao was speechless and lowered his voice: "You call this seduction? Then if I beat you up now, is that also seduction?"

Duan Zhuxian said nothing, staring at Jiang Yao, from her blushing cheeks to the pale pink tips of her ears.

In fact, from the moment he fell in love with Jiang Yao, no matter what Jiang Yao did, he thought it was an attempt to seduce him. He could no longer look away, and his heart was torn into eight pieces, each one at a loss.

But he wouldn't say it, otherwise Young Master Jiang would really beat him up here.

Seeing Duan Zhuxian's silence, Jiang Yao thought he had been humiliated and snorted coldly, "Do you feel a sense of accomplishment in showing off in front of a kid?"

Duan Zhuxian raised his eyebrows and said nothing.

If announcing in front of more than a thousand people that his wife is Jiang Yao can be considered showing off, then it would indeed be very fulfilling.

【Author’s words】

Mr. Duan really loves to tease his wife, and he will never change in this life.