Chapter Seventeen
He Qi had hitched a ride with his brother.
On the way, he saw Shen Yue with his head down, fiddling with something on his phone, sometimes frowning and sometimes grinning like an idiot, as if he was having some kind of delusional episode.
Recalling the rumors that those bastards in the group were spreading like wildfire, He Qi took a serious look at his brother's face for the first time.
A smooth, sharp jawline, a high nose bridge, high brow bones, and long eyelashes—she could easily charm countless girls and boys.
Shen Yue felt He Qizheng's gaze, looked up from her phone, and frowned at him: "What?"
“Brother,” He Qizheng’s face scrunched up in a troubled expression, “you’re really handsome.”
“…I know.” Shen Yue paused for a moment, wondering what he was up to.
"What have you set your sights on this time?"
To make up for the damage to He Qizheng's reputation caused by the mistake, at He Qizheng's strong request, Shen Yue bought him a model that he had collected for a long time but couldn't bear to buy.
He Qizheng stroked his chin: "Not yet, I'll let you know when I do."
"Oh." Shen Yue lowered his head again to study strategies for pursuing someone.
[50 Tips and Methods for Pursuing Girls, Used by Dating Experts]
Shen Yue raised an eyebrow and immediately clicked in, wanting to taste the saltiness.
“Shen Yue,” He Qizheng called him, “brother.”
Shen Yue was engrossed in his reading when he was suddenly interrupted. Annoyed, he said, "Speak. If you're going to talk nonsense, then—"
"are you gay?"
"......"
Shen Yue froze on the spot.
He slowly raised his head, looked directly into He Qizheng's eyes, and said softly, "Say it again."
He Qizheng clung to the back seat in terror, watching as Shen Yue yelled at the driver to stop so he could dump his body on the spot. Terrified, he screamed like a flattened pancake, "Help!!!"
Shen Yue covered his mouth, and He Qizheng conveyed the message "I can explain" with his eyes.
"I'm going to suffocate you... Damn, how come your hands are so big?" He Qi was panting, barely escaping with his life, and pressed himself against the car door, trying to get as far away from Shen Yue as possible.
Shen Yue clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, giving off a "you're dead if you can't explain yourself" vibe.
He Qi was catching his breath when he gave him a fawning smile: "Isn't this asking on behalf of those dogs in the big group? As your loyal follower, I definitely know it's fake, otherwise you would have already taken action against me."
Shen Yue frowned deeply: "Don't disgust me. Even if every species in the world were to die out, I wouldn't give you a second glance."
Then he added, "I don't like men, I don't have that fetish. I have girls I like."
He Qizheng breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll tell them right now, I'll tell them you're definitely not... What?! Who?! Who do you like?!"
Shen Yue turned her head away, no longer looking at him, but the exposed earlobe still felt faintly warm: "Is it any of your business? Just don't spread rumors about me anymore."
"......"
Even as he sat in the bookstore waiting for someone, He Qizheng was still somewhat dazed.
Shen Yue actually has someone he likes?!
This person, who seems the least likely to date, actually has someone they like?!
It's not music, it's not a game, it's a living, breathing person?!
He Qi was biting his straw with a wandering gaze, his eyes fixed on Shen Yue, who was talking to Yin Zixuan.
My son has truly grown up!
He sighed, recalling a bet he'd made with his friends that Shen Yue would definitely be single forever.
Unexpectedly...
etc.
He Qi narrowed his eyes hesitantly, his gaze sweeping from left to right before finally focusing on the smile on Shen Yue's lips.
This guy actually smiles at girls?!
He Qi felt as if his meridians had been opened, or as if he had suddenly grabbed a thread from a tangled ball of yarn. Those previously overlooked details suddenly connected, and the end of that thread pointed to—
"Thanks, I'll treat you to dinner next time." Shen Yue smiled at Yin Zixuan.
Shen Yue's crush is Yin Zixuan!
He Qi was stunned by his own brilliant mind. He recalled the various interactions between the two of them with his mouth slightly open, and felt that he had grasped the truth of the matter.
If he didn't like her, why would he have gone to such lengths to collect evidence and report her when she was being bullied?!
If she didn't like him, why would she deliberately anger You Congxi just so she could sit at the same table as Yin Zixuan?!
If he didn't like her, why would he go to such lengths to get close to You Congxi just to please her best friend, Yin Zixuan?!
As if sensing He Qi's intense gaze, Yin Zixuan looked over in confusion: "Are you thirsty?"
As she spoke, she turned and handed her phone to Shen Yue: "Let He Qizheng order first, he's so thirsty his eyes are practically burning."
After seeing whose phone it was, He Qizheng became even more excited!
If he didn't like her, why would this guy, who's obsessed with his phone and destined to be single, entrust his life to a complete stranger?!
He Qi ordered a random iced cola and glanced at the messages in the group chat.
See? Who said Shen Yue can't date? He was afraid that ordering drinks for Yin Zixuan alone would be too obvious, so he even went so far as to treat the whole group to drinks to cover it up.
He Qi looked at Shen Yue with satisfaction, a sense of pride welling up within him as an old father.
His son finally found someone he liked, so as his father, he had to give them a push.
Shen Yue's nose suddenly felt a little itchy. He turned to the side and sneezed. He pulled a wet wipe from his bag, wiped his hands, and looked around.
Head, head, and more head.
His straight shoulders relaxed slightly, giving him a somewhat dejected look.
Why isn't You Congxi here yet?
But it wasn't a complete loss; at least I learned from Yin Zixuan that You Congxi likes to drink iced orange juice.
Remembering the travel guides he had saved on the bus, Shen Yue felt confident that he could do it again.
He caught a glimpse of a round head out of the corner of his eye, and Chen Yue immediately perked up.
Give her small surprises now and then, like suddenly appearing in front of her.
......
He Qi watched as his brother got up and walked outside. Following the direction he was going, he saw two familiar profiles.
His brother was walking along when he suddenly dodged, then went around to the other side and touched the girl's shoulder.
He Qizheng finally saw the girl's face clearly.
For some unknown reason, Shen Yue touched the person's shoulder and then dodged to the side. When You Congxi turned back, he couldn't resist scratching the person's wrist.
Is the child ADHD?
He Qizheng didn't understand, but he still subconsciously looked at Yin Zixuan across from him.
He Qizheng paused for a moment.
Yin Zixuan's eyes followed Shen Yue's back, her expression calm yet tinged with a hint of indifference.
He then turned to look at Shen Yue, who was grinning and joking with You Congxi.
Suddenly I realized.
I'm jealous!
Sigh, that idiot Shen Yue, how can he joke around with other girls in front of the girl he likes? It's really outrageous.
Yin Zixuan watched from afar as the girl's lips curled into a smile that betrayed her disdain, and her eyes darkened.
She regretted telling Shen Yue what You Congxi liked to drink.
"Yin Zixuan".
She looked in the direction of the voice and saw He Qi smiling at her with a mixture of shame and kindness: "Shen Yue is just a little lacking in emotional intelligence, but he's actually a very good person. He's definitely devoted to the person he likes and has no other intentions. Don't worry."
“…Hmm.” Yin Zixuan glanced at the three people who had walked over and smiled at You Congxi.
She didn't believe that Shen Yue's face would be devoted to You Congxi.
She didn't want You Congxi to suffer even the slightest harm.
Shen Yue followed behind dejectedly. He was quite large, tall and thin, wearing a flashy, fitted T-shirt that made his broad shoulders, wide back, and narrow waist appear even more prominent. Walking behind You Congxi, it looked as if he could completely envelop her.
Yin Zixuan looked away, her lips pressed into a thin line. This size difference was too dangerous for You Congxi; he would easily be at a disadvantage in a fight.
Her head was gently rubbed, and Yin Zixuan looked up, meeting Shangyou Congxi's smiling eyes: "What are you daydreaming about?"
Shen Yue pulled out the chair next to his seat and invited You Congxi to sit down: "You Xiaoyu, sit here. This is the head seat. Only the boss can sit here."
The chair that Shen Yue pulled out faced only one direction; Yin Zixuan was at the left corner, and Shen Yue was at the right corner.
You Congxi was too lazy to bother with such a trivial matter, so he sat down steadily, and Shen Yue thoughtfully pushed the chair back.
As the waiter carried the drinks and desserts on a tray, Yin Zixuan seized the opportunity to push the iced orange juice to You Congxi, smiling shyly: "Little Fish, I don't know if you still like it, so I asked Shen Yue to order it for you."
Shen Yue, who was about to reach out, was speechless.
That's true, but something sounds a bit off.
Also, how come this woman's hands are so fast!
Shen Yue withdrew his hand somewhat dejectedly, then looked at You Congxi with a reddened eye and smiled as he thanked Yin Zixuan.
Seeing that things were not going well, He Qizheng immediately pushed a plate of strawberry mini cakes to Yin Zixuan: "Yin Zixuan, Shen Yue specially ordered these for you."
Shen Yue: "?"
He abruptly turned to look at He Qizheng, who had suddenly started rambling incoherently, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.
This was clearly ordered especially for himself!!
Qu Qi hadn't eaten enough for breakfast, and looking longingly at the sweet strawberry cake, she couldn't help but raise her hand to interrupt, "Um... can I ask for a bite?"
Yin Zixuan pushed the cake towards her.
Shen Yue: "......"
You Congxi looked at this and that, not understanding why they suddenly stopped talking.
She clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Want to do your homework?"
......
The assignment is to present the content of twelve chapters of the Analects using a single character as the core image.
Shen Yue, as the group leader, assigned tasks, and everyone had something to do, so the atmosphere at the table finally wasn't so strange anymore.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at You Congxi, who was busy with his work, and suddenly the advice from the travel guide flashed through his mind: "Be sincere with your praise; don't be stingy with your compliments."
His mind raced for a moment, then he turned to You Congxi and said:
You look beautiful today.
A shocking remark instantly shattered the hard-won tranquility at the table.
Eight eyes simultaneously fixed on You Congxi.
You Congxi: "..."
She thought of the jeans and short-sleeved shirt she had casually pulled out of the closet that morning and couldn't help but marvel at how naturally beautiful she was.
She replied coldly, "Thank you, that's common knowledge."
Shen Yue has become obedient.
The others assumed that Shen Yue had acted foolishly again and had been punished by You Congxi, so they all looked away and went about their own business.
You Congxi slowly, gradually, breathed a sigh of relief.
Her ears were burning. She thought to herself that Shen Yue really had no sense of boundaries as a friend.
You Congxi's arm, which was resting on the table, was gently touched. She turned her head and heard Yin Zixuan slowly ask her, "Do I look good today?"
You Congxi was very pleased with Yin Zixuan's increasingly cheerful demeanor, feeling a surge of maternal love within her. She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "When..."
“Of course you look beautiful!” He Qizheng suddenly interjected, and the two of them looked over. He nudged his brother’s elbow and grinned so hard his face was all scrunched up. “Chen Yue said he’s never seen you so beautiful before.”
"Right, Shen Yue?"
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