It was common knowledge that Xue Yang liked Chen Ying, a fact known since his first day of school. His grand, dramatic confession yesterday had only made him even more famous among the students of Yanbei.
Many people liked Chen Ying, but someone like Xue Yang was one of a kind.
Everyone was watching to see if he could win the beauty's favor, and to no one's surprise, he failed.
Chen Ying stood before Xue Yang with the air of a haughty princess, her posture seemingly saying, "Xue Yang, if you apologize to me right now, I might just condescend to eat with you."
Look, I even came to you first. Aren't you moved? If you are, then hurry up and make this fairy happy!
In the past, such an initiative from her would have moved Xue Yang to immediately wipe a stool clean for her, fetch the best and most expensive dishes from the cafeteria, and wish he could present her with the finest things in the world. But now…
Am I supposed to be moved? There's no need. Belated affection is cheaper than dirt. No, that's not right. There was no affection to begin with. She only came over because there were no other seats, and I just happened to be a convenient target for her to order around. If there had been any other spot available, she definitely wouldn't have come near me.
"Excuse me, I'm finished. You can have this spot. I'm leaving."
With that, he picked up his tray and stood to leave, not sparing Chen Ying a single glance from beginning to end.
When I liked you, you were the stars, the moon, a goddess from the heavens, my one and only queen. Now that I don't, you're nothing more than a stranger to me.
"Bro, wait for me!"
Cui Hao hastily grabbed his own tray, shoveling down the last of his food in a few bites before chasing after Xue Yang.
"Bro, you're the man! That's the second time today you've given Chen, the campus beauty, the cold shoulder. I finally believe you've really given up. That move back there was so damn cool, I was starting to fall for you."
Xue Yang shot him a look, and Cui Hao immediately backpedaled with a grin. "I know, I know, you're straight, hehehe."
"So, are you really not going to hand out flyers with me? We might run into the Lin family heiress, you know! One hundred million! A hundred million! We could split it fifty-fifty... okay, a sixty-forty split in your favor is also on the table... That's my final offer..."
"Get lost!"
"You got it."
It wasn't until Xue Yang was long gone from the cafeteria that everyone else snapped out of their stupor.
Had they seen things correctly? Xue Yang had actually… refused to sit with Chen, the campus beauty? Had the sun risen in the west today? Or were they all seeing things?
"Maybe getting rejected by the campus beauty so many times finally broke his brain."
"That's highly likely."
Everyone would rather believe he had lost his mind than accept that he no longer liked Chen Ying. It was a testament to how much effort he had poured into his pursuit over the years.
Wu Xiaoya was also mortified. If she had known this would happen, she never would have brought Chen Ying over. In all the time she had known her, she had never seen Chen Ying suffer such a slight.
Chen Ying's expression remained placid, as if she hadn't even registered Xue Yang's blatant disregard for her. But only she knew the storm of emotions churning inside her.
Xue Yang, how long are you going to keep up this act? First, you made sure everyone knew you liked me, and now you're trying to use public opinion to force me to accept you? Do you really think that highly of yourself?
After his afternoon classes, Xue Yang returned to his rental apartment at four-thirty.
Since the confession was a lost cause, I should just give up this apartment. Three hundred a month is still money. Besides, I spend that on rent and only get to stay here two or three times a week, tops. If I used that money to treat that dude Cui Hao to a few meals, he'd probably start calling me 'Godfather' in a heartbeat. I could probably even make him kneel and sing 'Conquest' on command.
The thought reminded him of all his wasted efforts over the years. He'd spent money renting an apartment, which he could at least sleep in for a few days. In contrast, he'd spent far more chasing a woman whose hand he couldn't even touch, only to be tossed aside like trash and told to disappear.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly and unlocked the door with his key.
Inside the apartment, Lin Xi was wearing Xue Yang's white T-shirt and a pair of what looked like hot pants. The oversized T-shirt enveloped the shorts, revealing just a hint of black fabric beneath. Her pale, slender legs were crossed, and though the shirt was loose, it couldn't completely hide her stunning figure or her narrow waist. It was a sight that would make any man's blood rush.
As their eyes met, both of them froze.
After a moment of awkward silence, Xue Yang blurted out, "Why are you still here?"
"AAAH!" Lin Xi shrieked, jumping up from the sofa. "You… you… you… Close your eyes! Don't look!"
She scrambled into the bathroom, hastily pulling on her still-damp underwear. Feeling a little more secure, she emerged again.
"You're finally back! I was starting to think you weren't coming home tonight."
Xue Yang walked over and sat down on the sofa.
"Weren't you supposed to go home today? Why are you still here? Don't tell me you have no intention of leaving."
Lin Xi pouted. "You told me to go home. I never said I was going to."
"So? You plan on staying here indefinitely?"
Is she planning to mooch off me? I'm just a simple college student; I don't have anything she could possibly want. Besides, I'll soon be too broke to even feed myself.
"Of course not! How could I stay here forever? Your place is small and cramped anyway. I was just planning to stay for a few days."
"And then? What will you do?"
"I'll figure something out."
"Have you considered the fact that I'm just a student? I can't afford living expenses for two people, not even for a few days."
If he hadn't spent so much on the confession, he might have been able to manage. But as it was, he didn't even have enough money left to last until his family sent his next allowance. Supporting two people was completely out of the question.
"Don't worry. I'll pay you back for all my expenses while I'm here."
"The biggest help you can be is to leave now. Find another place to stay. I'm already planning to give up the lease here and move back to the dorms."
Lin Xi grew frantic. She wanted to grab his arm but thought better of it. Instead, she just stood in his path, blocking his way to the bedroom. "You can't give it up! If you do, where will I live?"
"Where you stay has nothing to do with me. I helped you, but I never said I'd help you forever."
Lin Xi threw caution to the wind, grabbing Xue Yang's sleeve and shaking it gently.
"Please, just a few more days. I'll leave as soon as I find a place, I beg you. I swear, I'll pay you back ten times over. A hundred times! Whatever you want."
"If you call the cops, I'll just run away. And if something happens to me, you'll be responsible too. I'm not trying to threaten you, I just... I really, really don't want to go back yet."