The club exhibition at St. Sakura Academy kicked off over the weekend, but a tense atmosphere permeated the area in front of the Biology Club's booth.
Xie Zhecheng stood in front of the cherry blossom specimen wall, his fingertips repeatedly stroking the edge of the acrylic box, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses occasionally sweeping towards the student council.
Yu Jiuyuan was standing next to Rong Shenghan, looking up at him and saying something, her smile like a flower petal kissed by the sun.
"President Xie, this list of exhibitors needs your signature."
When the member handed over the folder, he noticed that the knuckles of his fingers were white as he gripped the pen, and that he had signed the paper with more force than usual, causing the ink to smudge slightly.
Xie Zhecheng did not respond, his gaze remaining fixed on Yu Jiuyuan.
She naturally took Rong Shenghan's arm and straightened his tie, which had been ruffled by the wind. The way her fingertips traced his Adam's apple was intimate and familiar, as if she were showing off a piece that belonged only to her.
The blue thread on Yu Jiuyuan's pinky ring turned a glaring red on her fingertip. This was the color of Xie Zhecheng's emotional breakdown, like an overturned ink bottle, spreading large stains on his usually calm emotional landscape.
She knew that this "perfectionist" prey was finally about to break down.
Halfway through the joint exhibition, Yu Jiuyuan used the excuse of inspecting the hygiene of the clubs to sneak into the biology club's supply room.
As soon as I pushed open the door, my wrist was suddenly grabbed, and my back slammed against the cold metal shelf with a dull thud.
Xie Zhecheng's breath reeked of alcohol, probably from drinking a few glasses of champagne while entertaining the guests. The top two buttons of his usually neat shirt collar were undone, and his gold-rimmed glasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing the obsession and jealousy surging in his eyes.
"Why?" His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, his fingertips almost digging into her flesh. "Why him? Why can't it be me?"
Yu Jiuyuan looked up at him, a sly smile flashing in her eyes, but she deliberately put on a wronged look: "President Xie, you hurt me."
"Tell me!" Xie Zhecheng took a step closer, his shadow completely enveloping her. "You can be with Rong Shenghan, you can be with Ji Luoqin, so why can't you be with me? What do I lack compared to them?"
His questions rained down on the two of them like a dense downpour.
Yu Jiuyuan could feel the tension in his body and smell the scent of cedar mixed with champagne on him, like a glass of overly strong liquor, burning away their reason.
The blue light from the pinky ring flashed wildly, and Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating climbed at an astonishing rate: 86, 88, 90...
Each heartbeat was accompanied by violent fluctuations in his emotions, like a dashboard that had gone out of control.
“Xie Zhecheng,” Yu Jiuyuan suddenly raised her hand, took off his gold-rimmed glasses, and traced her fingertips across the corner of his reddened eyes, her voice sickeningly sweet, “Are you jealous?”
These three words were like a spark, instantly igniting Xie Zhecheng's suppressed emotions.
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed her, his movements possessive and brute force, and when his tongue pried open her teeth, he could almost taste blood.
The supply room was filled with the scents of formaldehyde and desire; the metal shelves rattled softly, as if providing accompaniment to this out-of-control descent into depravity.
Yu Jiuyuan did not struggle. Instead, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, responding to his kiss. The pinky ring brushed against the back of his neck, bringing a slight tickle.
"Is it... okay now?" She breathed on his lips, her eyes filled with a mixture of cunning and indulgence, like soothing a cat with its fur standing on end.
Xie Zhecheng's breathing became completely disordered. He looked at her reddened lips, suddenly grabbed her wrist, and pressed her against the cold shelf.
The sound of her white shirt being torn open was particularly clear, revealing a faint red mark on her shoulder.
Those were the marks left by Rong Shenghan, but now they had become a weapon to provoke him.
“I’ll remember,” his kiss landed on the red mark, carrying a hint of punishment, “From now on, only my mark can be here.”
His movements carried the stubbornness characteristic of a perfectionist; even the force of his kisses seemed calculated, yet when he touched the tears in her eyes, he suddenly softened, as if afraid of shattering a precious jewel.
The supply room was dimly lit, with only moonlight filtering through the ventilation vents, casting dappled shadows on the intertwined figures of the two.
Xie Zhecheng's hands, which were usually restrained, trembled as he stroked her waistline and unbuttoned her school uniform. His movements were awkward yet eager, like a child touching a toy for the first time.
"Yu Jiuyuan..." he breathed heavily, his forehead pressed against hers, his voice tinged with a vulnerability he himself didn't realize, "Don't lie to me, don't treat me the way you treated them..."
Yu Jiuyuan smiled, kissed away the moisture from the corner of his eyes, and said in a voice as soft as a sigh, "Okay."
She didn't say she loved him, but she responded to his obsession in the most direct way.
The blue light of the pinky ring shone brightest in the darkness, Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating remained steadily at 92, and his positive emotional fluctuations broke through 150, like fireworks exploding in the night sky, dazzling and intense.
It took Xie Zhecheng an unknown amount of time to gradually calm down.
He held her against the shelf, gently smoothing her messy hair with his fingertips, his movements unusually tender.
The moonlight fell on his face, stripping away his usual indifference and leaving only the bewilderment and satisfaction of surviving a calamity.
"I..." He wanted to say something, but Yu Jiuyuan pressed her lips to his.
"Stop talking."
She tilted her head back and kissed his chin, her voice laced with a lazy laugh, "President Xie, it's not a bad thing for a person to lose control once in a while."
Xie Zhecheng looked at the cunning in her eyes and suddenly chuckled, his laughter carrying a sigh of relief.
He knew he had fallen into her trap, knew she might be like this to everyone, but the warmth in his arms felt so real, her breath so clear, that he was willing to succumb to it.
As they left the supply room, Yu Jiuyuan tied his tie and put his gold-rimmed glasses back on his nose, her movements as gentle as if she were restoring a precious work of art.
“Come find me after the flower show,” she whispered in his ear, standing on tiptoe. “I have something for you.”
Xie Zhecheng watched her turn and leave, then suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently kissing her pinky ring: "It's a deal."
The blue light on his pinky ring shimmered with a soft, pale blue, the color of his calmed mind, like a sky washed by moonlight.
Yu Jiuyuan turned around and smiled at him, the innocence in her eyes like a thin veil, concealing the madness hidden beneath.
She knew that this "perfectionist" prey had finally fallen completely into her trap.
And this "perfectionist" finally became completely "imperfect".
When she returned to the student council booth, Rong Shenghan was standing in the shadows waiting for her, his eyes filled with tenderness like melting honey.
"Where did you go?" He gently tidied her wind-blown hair, his fingertips casually brushing against her reddened lips.
"Discussing the details of the flower show with President Xie."
Yu Jiuyuan tilted her head back and kissed the corner of his lips, her voice sweet and affectionate, "Baby, shall we go home?"
Rong Shenghan looked at the mischievousness in her eyes, then suddenly chuckled and pinched her cheek: "Mischievous again?"
The blue light of the pinky ring shimmered with a gentle, pale purple hue, and Rong Shenghan's positive emotional fluctuations remained stable at 140, like the surface of a lake touched by a spring breeze.
Yu Jiuyuan nestled in his arms, listening to the noisy voices around her, and curled the corners of her lips.
After all, the most exciting chapter is the one that makes these proud men lose control and go crazy for her.
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