While searching for Zhan Yu's figure in the crowd, Lu Bai saw Zhan Yu talking sweetly to Xia Qiao. He immediately narrowed his eyes. He had never shown him such a pure and sweet smile!
The whole time Lu Bai couldn't keep his eyes off the host, who was gracefully presenting on A College's glorious history and the significance of the newly built experimental building. He was so moved that he turned around to the leaders and said, "Your esteemed school is home to quite the talent," though he was mainly commending Xia Qiao.
Zhan Yu was that close with such a polite and attractive young man?
Each guest attending the event was distinguished in one way or another, so Xia Qiao specifically had been asked to host. He didn't disappoint. The leaders were proud but dared not show it. "Why, president Lu Bai, your school fosters much more talent than ours."
Lu Bai decided not to exchange any more pleasantries. Instead, his gaze landed on Zhan Yu, who was bustling about on the right side of the hall. He couldn't understand why Zhan Yu was willing to do such menial tasks. It seemed like he was quite happy doing his work, his face flushed as he smiled. While Lu Bai knitted his eyebrows, the ceremony came to a satisfactory close; moving on to a tour of the new building.
Lu Bai was initially not interested, but reluctantly joined when he saw Zhan Yu in the back of the line. Opposed to Xia Qiao's systematic and detailed presentation of the complex, Lu Bai surveyed the building with a glance. He noted how ordinary it was before seeing even half of the structure.
Lu Bai didn't have the patience to waste time with people he found boring, so he began to slow down and settle to the back of the line. Assistant Wang knew very well that Lu Bai had slowed on purpose and followed suit, despite his doubts. When he noticed that Zhan Yu was also in the back, he suddenly understood what his boss was playing at.
Zhan Yu noticed Lu Bai, and could only stare in alarm. As the tour reached a turn in the corridor, Lu Bai quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from everyone else. He (Zhan Yu) wanted to scream, but Lu Bai covered his mouth before he could. "If you want everyone to know about us, yell as much as you like!" he hissed.
Zhan Yu was angry. Who'd want to be seen with him?
"Mmph… MMMPHHH…"
Let go!
"I can let go, but you have to do as I say and come with me."
"Mmmph…"
Go where?
"You'll know when we get there."
Zhan Yu was reluctant.
Lu Bai suddenly laughed. "It's fine if you don't want to go with me. I'll ask your principal for permission instead. At least he will give me some respect…"
If Zhan Yu really let him do that, he believed it would be pointless to stay in A College anymore. He (Zhan Yu) quickly nodded his head.
Seeing that, Lu Bai loosened his grip in satisfaction and led Zhan Yu by the hand all the way to the parking lot. Assistant Wang was now certain that Master Zhan would be the boss' wife. He respectfully opened the back door for them and, out of respect for their privacy, raised the partition between the front and back of the car.
Zhan Yu urged Lu Bai to loosen his grip. "Hey. You've been grabbing my hand the entire time. Why aren't you letting go?"
Didn't he see how red his (Zhan Yu's) hand was?
Lu Bai let go, unwillingly. He didn't know what to say when he saw Zhan Yu's wrist was so uncomfortably red. Why, when he didn't use much strength, was it like that?
Zhan Yu couldn't care less about him. Hee decided to focus on the ride; but when he raised his head, only saw the partition instead of scenery. He couldn't help but worry. "Why is there a partition?"
Lu Bai took one last passing glance at Zhan Yu and decided not to comment. He closed his eyes to rest.
"What type of act is this?!" Zhan Yu whispered to himself as Lu Bai decided to doze off in front of him.
The back of the car was cramped, and Lu Bai had good ears. When he heard Zhan Yu comment, he reached over to pull him (Zhan Yu) towards him.
Zhan Yu had been shifting away at the moment, and he wasn't expecting him to suddenly move too. Somehow, he ended up stiffly throwing his self into Lu Bai.
As Zhan Yu landed on Lu Bai's solid chest, all he could think about was hitting Lu Bai. But Lu Bai was quicker and held Zhan Yu's wrist in one hand, laying the other firmly on the back of his (Zhan Yu's) head.
Zhan Yu was trapped in Lu Bai's embrace. He couldn't see Lu Bai's expression, so he wasn't sure what would be the best attitude or tone to take. He was in Lu Bai's arms, struggling to get out.
Lu Bai tightened his grip, ensuring Zhan Yu could only move his long slender legs. After floundering for one too many moments, Zhan Yu heard Lu Bai say in a hoarse voice, "If you keep resisting, I won't be as forgiving to any trouble you cause this time."
"If you keep resisting, I won't be as forgiving to any trouble you cause this time." Zhan Yu heard again.
Lu Bai's eyes landed on him (Zhan Yu) long white legs as he continued to blatantly examine his body. In a relaxed tone, he replied, "Whether I do or don't see …"
"Aren't you afraid of what will happen to your image when you say stuff like that?" Zhan Yu threatened, wanting to slap his (Lu Bai's) stupid face even more.
Lu Bai grabbed Zhan Yu's hand and smiled. "You can't even control hands. It'd be better if I tied them up."
"Don't you dare!"
Zhan Yu increasingly felt like prey as his instinct to flee rose. He was a sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Lu Bai caught both of his hands and even went so far as to seize control of his legs too. He couldn't escape even if he wanted to.
"Lu Bai, I'm warning you! Let go of me!"
"I can let go… but you need to answer a question first."
"Why do you have so many questions?"
Lu Bai did, in fact, have a lot of questions. He looked intensely at Zhan Yu.
"What's your relationship with that young man?"
"What young man?" The moment Zhan Yu was asked, the color drained from Lu Bai's face.
"If you don't say his name, how will I know who it is?" Zhan Yu asked bravely.
"So you're saying there are lots of attractive young men that you talk to?"
Zhan Yu was utterly speechless. "How do you always know?!"
Lu Bai pouted and quickly thought up a plan. He would eventually teach all of them a lesson, but Xia Qiao was first on the hit-list.
"So you're pretty close with Xia Qiao?"
"Yeah, I'd say so." Zhan Yu responded nearly automatically. By the time he realized what he had said, he could see the roaring fires had been lit in Lu Bai's eyes. He looked ready to slaughter someone.
Zhan Yu was frightened and urgently tried to explain. "No, no, no! I'm not that familiar with him. I've only spoken to him a couple of times."
Lu Bai observed Zhan Yu, trying to weigh the truth in his plea.
Zhan Yu smiled sheepishly. "I'm honestly not close to him. Seriously!"
Seeing Zhan Yu's state, he had no relations with the young man, Lu Bai was satisfied. "Stay away from him."
"Oh." Zhan Yu gave a half-hearted reply and wondered what the man in front of him was trying to pull. But it wasn't like he had agreed, either. After all, it was his right to talk to whomever he damn well pleased.
As Lu Bai observed Zhan Yu's bright eyes hinting at the whirlwind of his thoughts, he knew that Zhan Yu was thinking of a way to go against him. He said, "If you're brave enough, keep on giving him mixed signals then."
Zhan Yu laughed. "Who's the one sending mixed signals here? Forget Xia Qiao and me. Don't you see how strange the two of us are with each other? You know what they say, 'men and men should keep their distance too.' Now let me go!"
"Men and Men should keep their distance too? Didn't seem like you cared before when you were chasing after me."
"Don't think of fooling me! Even if I did so in the past, I still never touched you," Zhan Yu quickly replied.
"You seriously believe that?"
"I just…" Zhan Yu could barely finish his sentence. He could feel how serious Lu Bai was.
"So, now what? You didn't lose your memory?" Lu Bai asked after a moment of earnest thought.
Zhan Yu suddenly realized that he had divulged the wrong information. He racked his brain, trying to find a justification when his train of thought was interrupted. "You better explain properly."
Zhan Yu was enraged by Lu Bai's sharp gaze and struggled fiercely, gaining his freedom at last. He slipped to the leftmost side of the car, right by the window, gaining as much distance as he could from Lu Bai.
Lu Bai's breathing became heavy, nearly furious with the way Zhan Yu avoided him like the plague. "You never lost your memory, did you? You were probably saying it all this time to save face."
Zhan Yu lowered his head and arranged the hem of his hanfu He smiled and said, "You can think whatever you'd like. I mean, it doesn't affect me in any way. But Lu Bai, I honestly hope that we won't have many chances to sit down and talk."
Lu Bai stared at Zhan Yu, only to see that he (Zhan Yu) met his gaze. "You have someone you like, and business to attend; why are you wasting both of our time? My wish has always been a simple one. I just want to live a quiet life. Even if it's impossible, couldn't you at least give me two years? Lu Bai, I don't think we need to talk about why I came to A City again."
"Don't come to A City anymore, Lu Bai." Zhan Yu said his body full of determination.
Lu Bai looked deeply at Zhan Yu. "And what if I still do?"
Zhan Yu turned to look at him. He helplessly smiled. "Then I can only bother my brother to send me to a school further from here."
Lu Bai sighed deeply and let his incomparably heavy expression sink further. When the car once again stopped at the entrance of A College, Zhan Yu started to become confused. After making himself clear and saying what he wanted, Lu Bai's demeanor had a hint of gloom. But what really surprised Zhan Yu was that he (Lu Bai) immediately told his assistant to turn the car around and send him (Zhan Yu) back. Zhan Yu was puzzled. After causing all this trouble, what was Lu Bai planning? He couldn't imagine what Lu Bai was thinking at all.
As the car came to a stop by the entrance, Lu Bai simply observed Zhan Yu for a while. Zhan Yu was sitting near the window and staring into space as if nothing had happened. He didn't even know what Zhan Yu was thinking. As he watched him (Zhan Yu) out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but feel restless. "What's going on? Now you don't want to get out?" he chided.
"Hmm?" Zhan Yu replied passively.
Lu Bai did his best to control his temper, allowing only a spark in his eyes as he said sarcastically, "You asked for all of this, so I hope you won't regret it later."
"What is there for me to regret?" Zhan Yu couldn't resist the urge to smile.
"You'd better not." Lu Bai spoke coldly. "Whether or not I stay in A City, and how long I do stay is my choice. You have no right to interfere. You're nothing to me, Zhan Yu."
Zhan Yu looked at Lu Bai without even blinking; then flashed another faint smile. Opening the door, he (Zhan Yu) replied calmly, "I never wanted to be anything to you."
Zhan Yu said it softly, but Lu Bai still heard everything.
Zhan Yu didn't turn back to see his expression. 'This man has issues!' he (Zhan Yu) complained to himself as the car drove away.
When he read the novel, his first impressions of each character was that they were all… unique, in their own way. But now that he was randomly involved in their world, he had come to realize that they were all much more eccentric than he ever would have expected!. At first, he simply thought that the male lead was an imposing person. If he were to name his (Zhan Yu) biggest problem with his character, it was probably that he was too heartless and too cruel in his approach to everything… But at that moment, Zhan Yu thought he was extraordinary in a different sense. If he kept his distance, he'd (Zhan Yu) be unhappy, so he (Lu Bai) occasionally felt the need to appear in front of him (Zhan Yu) simply to annoy him (Zhan Yu).
What a pain!
As Zhan Yu walked into his college, he prayed silently. "Please let him behave in a way that keeps everyone happy."
Lu Bai was smart, and he (Zhan Yu) had made himself very clear, so Lu Bai would understand. Since Lu Bai was young, a seemingly infinite stream of girls and boys had fawned over him at every step. Though he sought him (Zhan Yu) out nearly a dozen times, it was likely because he was only boredーhe wanted to find someone to entertain him. But Zhan Yu never thought he was special in any way, especially not in a way that would make him (Lu Bai) attracted to him (Zhan Yu).
Zhan Yu earnestly prayed that they would never interact again. And on the way back, he prayed for Assistant Wang too. After he left, he was the one that would have to live with the storm brewing in his boss's expression
Meanwhile, Assistant Wang sarcastically thanked Master. Zhan in secret. His boss was a glacier, but he (Zhan Yu) somehow managed to make him even colder. How could he survive until they arrived at Lu Bai's abode?. After some consideration, he asked, "Mr. Lu Bai, shall we return to the hotel orー". Lu Bai held his temper in, and coldly said, "Go back to Shengjin City."Assistant Wang was so shocked that he talked aloud without a second thought. "Weren't you planning to stay in City A for a few more days? And…". Just as Assistant Wang was about to begin his next sentence, his mouth sealed itself at the sight of Lu Bai's eyes. He was being given a very clear warning. "My apologies, Mr. Lu Bai. I spoke out of line," Assistant Wang hastily apologized. Lu Bai didn't say anything, only pressing his lips together in response. Assistant Wang didn't dare speak anymore, but he was still curious. How could Mr. Lu Bai simply leave? Was he going to forget Master. Zhan? Did he come all the way to A City just to briefly talk with him (Zhan Yu)?. Assistant Want had gone through the trouble of fixing his travel schedule, but it was all for naught. Assistant Wang held a moment of silence for himself, grieving at the thought of having to revise the schedule again.
In Zhan Yu's happiness, he decided to accompany Gu Tong back, and the two unexpectedly ran into Xia Qiao on the road. Xia Qiao had already changed out of his formal wear, sporting black pants, and a simple white shirt.
Gu Tong greeted him enthusiastically when she saw him. "Host Xia!"
Xia Qiao smiled faintly. "Don't call me that! Just call me Xia Qiao."
Gu Tong smiled back. "How could I? Even though I couldn't experience your hosting talent today, I overheard many classmates and seniors who attended, and they were all complimenting you. 'Host Xia was on fire today! His talent never fails to shineーnot once! I don't even need to say how good he is!'"
Xia Qiao continued to smile. "Thank you." His eyes naturally shifted to Zhan Yu after he finished talking.
Before Zhan Yu could even greet him, he said, "When we were on the new building tour, I couldn't find you. I needed to ask you for a favor."
"What did you need help with?" Zhan Yu recalled how he was practically dragged out by Lu Bai, and because of that, he didn't know anything that happened.
Xia Qiao shook his head and explained, " It was nothing serious. Oh, one of the guests today was an alumnus from your school. Have you met yet?"
Zhan Yu's hesitation showed in her eyes. He replied as he gave him an uncertain gaze. "Are you talking about Lu Bai?"
Xia Qiao nodded. Though he hadn't seen clearly when he turned around, he was certain the figure dressed in grey and white that flashed before him was Zhan Yu.
When surveying the people who were still participating in the tour, he found that only Zhan Yu, Lu Bai and Lu Bai's assistant were missing. Such suspicious activity made Xiao Qiao worry for Lu Bai's safety, but he couldn't just leave midway. He was greatly relieved when he finally saw Zhan Yu again. At the same time, he was curious about Zhan Yu's relationship with Lu Bai. But no matter how curious he was, he continuously reminded himself, it was Zhan Yu's right to associate with whomever he wanted in his private life. He had absolutely no right to ask him (Zhan Yu) about anything.
Upon mention of Lu Bai, Zhan Yu quickly brightened his smile and replied, "Oh, he was just telling me he had to leave. Something urgent has come up, and he didn't want to bother everyone; instead, he asked me to show him the way out without attracting any attention."
"That was all? Hmm, then you've had a hard day." Xia Qiao smiled and spoke with a gentle tone. "You're probably tired from all the hard work today, you should go back and rest early."
"Of course." Gu Tong replied, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Host Xia! You also had a busy day, so sleep early too!"
After saying their goodbyes to Xia Xiao, Gu Tong pulled Zhan Yu's arm and excitedly asked, "Wow Xiao Yu! When did you become so close to Xia Qiao?"
"What? We've only run into each other at the library a few times. We talk for a bit whenever it happens," Zhan Yu replied.
"Wow, that actually works? Looks like I need to go to the library with you more often!" Gu Tong exclaimed.
Zhan Yu was speechless. "I called you every time I went, but you've never responded like that. Now you're all gung-ho because you found out that your prince charming goes there too?"
"Well, of course! The treasure is within our grasp! We need to march forward courageously!" Gu Tong declared energetically. "Oh, the one and only Xia Qiao… he's so cute in that white shirt!"
Zhan Yu didn't really pay attention to him. He replied, half-heartedly at best. "He's alright."
"That reaction was so… underwhelming!"
Zhan Yu laughed and said, "What else do you want me to say? How else do you want me to react? I know someone who looks even better with a white shirt on…"
"Xiao Yu…" Gu Tong was overjoyed. "I finally have evidence! The person that you think looks good in a white shirt is Lu Bai!" She had seen him earlier that day as well, so she knew what he looked like in a white shirt.
Zhan Yu turned speechless once again.
Gu Tong decided to keep prodding. "C' mon, you can end this if you confess! It'll only be more painful the more you resist!"
"There's nothing to confess"ーZhan Yu turned to look straight at her (Gu Tong)ー"because nothing is going on between us. At all."
Gu Tong didn't buy it. "I don't believe you! If you guys really didn't have any sort of relationship, then why did he ask youーand only youーto lead the way for him?"
Even Zhan Yu didn't know the answer. "Why don't you ask him, and tell me what he says?"
Gu Tong was confused at how adamant Zhan Yu was being. "There's seriously nothing?"
"Nothing," Zhan Yu firmly confirmed.
Gu Tong examined Zhan Yu from top to bottom. She wouldn't stop blathering about how unfortunate it was; she was denied the juicy secret relationship she hoped for.
To be continued...
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Note :-
Hi, everyone.
Thank you so much you loved/liked the bl version of the novel. I wanted to inform this novel will be on a little wait (on wait) actually my exams and assessments have started and will go for 2 months (cause there is gap in between the subjects) . I will try and update the bl version but it will not be regular like I upload on every Sunday. I hope you don't mind , I wish this exams finish fast so I can update regularly. I hope you all have a great time/day/night ahead and All the best to the students too for there exam...
Love you all... And Thank you.
♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡
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