Chapter 130: Chapter 113: Wait, What Did You Understand?
The bell for the end of morning reading had just rung, and before Shen Yuan could even stretch, Ah Jie, who sat beside him, called him out.
Shen Yuan stood up, looking completely bewildered, only to find that Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu had also gathered around him at some point.
Before Shen Yuan could ask what was going on, the trio pounced on him like hungry tigers, hoisting him up and marching him straight toward the hallway railing.
The September morning breeze ruffled the tips of their hair.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you guys doing?" Shen Yuan, caught off guard by the sudden move, could only stare at the three of them in confusion.
"Spill it!" Ah Jie suddenly roared, slamming his palm on the railing right next to Shen Yuan’s ear with a loud BANG.
The metal railing shuddered violently. Even the sparrows in the trees on the lawn below were startled into scattering.
"What exactly is going on between you and Young Master Li?" Ah Jie’s eyes widened as he stared intently at Shen Yuan, as if trying to find a clue on his face.
Shen Yuan blinked, feeling increasingly baffled. "What are you talking about? I was sleeping all morning. What could possibly be going on with me? Is it a crime to catch up on some sleep now?"
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Yuan suddenly realized something.
’Could it be? Did Li Zhi do something while I was sleeping, and whatever it was had something to do with Ah Jie?’
With a sudden, fluid motion, Shen Yuan lunged forward, turning the tables and pinning Ah Jie against the railing. The railing groaned softly under their combined weight, as if protesting the sudden violence.
Shen Yuan stared intently at Ah Jie, as if he could see the secrets hidden deep inside him just by looking into his eyes.
"Tell me. What did Li Zhi do this morning while I was sleeping?"
The railing creaked under their weight. Ah Jie’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes caught sight of a figure at the back door of the classroom.
Peeking past Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu, Li Zhi’s icy gaze locked precisely onto Ah Jie.
A chill ran down Ah Jie’s spine, and he swallowed the words he was about to say. He let out a dry laugh, trying to hide his nervousness, and stammered, "W-What are you thinking? I-I was just messing with you. Yeah, just messing with you."
Watching Ah Jie’s panicked expression, Shen Yuan suppressed a low chuckle, his Adam’s apple bobbing gently in the morning breeze.
’So that’s how it is. While I was dead to the world, sleeping on my arms, he had already quietly woven an intricate net, silently silencing anyone who might have disturbed me.’
And now, even the September sun seemed to be Li Zhi’s accomplice, illuminating the beads of sweat on Ah Jie’s forehead so they glistened, as if mocking his clumsy lie.
"Ah Jie."
Shen Yuan put a hand on Ah Jie’s shoulder, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. "I get it now."
"Wait, what do you get?" Ah Jie panicked.
’Young Master Li’s warning was still fresh in his mind. If Shen Yuan found out, how was he, Zhou Shaojie, supposed to keep living?!’
But in response to Ah Jie’s frantic question, Shen Yuan simply patted his shoulder and turned to head back to class.
He didn’t get a single step before Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu pulled him back.
"What the hell is going on?"
The two of them, each restraining one of the guys, demanded in unison.
Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu had arrived late to class, so they had no idea what had transpired.
The fact that Shen Yuan and Ah Jie were now being all cryptic in front of them was really starting to get on their nerves.
"Hey, why are you holding me down?"
Shen Yuan struggled. "I only have a rough idea of what happened, for crying out loud! Ah Jie’s the one who experienced it firsthand!"
While Shen Yuan was struggling, Li Zhi, who had just come out of the restroom, was ambushed by He Zhiyu.
"Zhizhi! Zhizhi! You have no idea how cool you looked when you warned Zhou Shaojie earlier!"
Li Zhi’s expression was calm. He flicked his wet hands nonchalantly and said placidly, "Shen Yuan just asked me to keep an eye on things for him."
He Zhiyu nodded eagerly, completely ignoring Li Zhi’s explanation. "Shen Yuan isn’t important!"
The corner of Li Zhi’s mouth twitched.
’How are you supposed to ship anyone without Shen Yuan?’
’When a member of the Kissing Association was this deep into their ship, Li Zhi wouldn’t believe a single word they said.’
"Let’s head back to class."
Li Zhi took out a tissue, dried his hands, and headed for the classroom.
At the entrance to Class 15, Li Zhi saw Shen Yuan wrestling playfully with Ah Jie and the other two.
Shen Yuan was leaning back, his arms held by Yang Ze, but he froze the instant he caught sight of Li Zhi.
The moment their eyes met, a brilliant smile bloomed across Shen Yuan’s face, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
The smile was so radiant that a small dimple even appeared on his right cheek, and the very tips of his hair seemed to dance with joy.
Li Zhi’s gaze, like a bird skimming the surface of a mirror, rested for a fleeting moment on Shen Yuan’s smiling eyes before he turned his head, pulling his focus back into his own dark pupils.
Watching Li Zhi’s back, the smile on Shen Yuan’s face grew even brighter.
"Look, you guys! Just look at him!"
Ah Jie’s voice suddenly cut in. "See? Just look at how happy he is! I don’t even need to explain anything now, do I!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Yang Ze, Chen Mingyu, and Ah Jie formed a united front, interrogating Shen Yuan in unison. "Yuan! Make it clear to us, right now! Are you dating someone? Have you betrayed the organization? Have you abandoned your brothers?"
"What are you talking about? You know I’m not that kind of person!"
Pounding his chest, Shen Yuan declared, "I, Shen Yuan, am a man of loyalty and honor! I would never abandon the organization or my brothers for some romance!"
Seeing this, Chen Mingyu sneered. He struck a pose as if using the Great Wilderness Heaven-Imprisoning Finger and commanded sternly, "Then swear on it! People from Jiyang don’t lie to people from Jiyang!"
Shen Yuan, not daring to hesitate, quickly chanted back, "People from Jiyang don’t lie to people from Jiyang!"
The three of them exchanged a look, then nodded, seemingly satisfied with Shen Yuan’s response.
With that, they released their grip on him.
Feeling like he’d been granted a royal pardon, Shen Yuan brushed nonexistent dust from his uniform and hurried to the classroom door.
However, just as he turned to enter the classroom, he suddenly stopped and said to Yang Ze, Chen Mingyu, and Ah Jie:
"First of all, I’m not a person."
The moment the words were out, Shen Yuan bolted back into the classroom.
"Ah Ze, block the front! Ai Muyu and I will get him from the back!"
Trapped by the three of them, Shen Yuan was quickly caught.
After getting an "Aruba" from the guys to let them blow off steam, Shen Yuan was left whimpering on his desk.
Li Zhi turned to look at the miserable Shen Yuan and let out a soft chuckle. "Did the little puppy lose its mommy? Why are you crying so sadly?"
Shen Yuan’s whimpering stopped. He turned to give Li Zhi a doleful look and said with mock grievance, "Yep. So now I have no choice but to depend on you."
Li Zhi made a disgusted face.
"I refuse. I prefer kittens."
"I can be a..."
Li Zhi cut him off before he could finish.
"I already have a cat. I don’t need you."
"Hey! Next time we go home, you’re on litter box duty!"
Shen Yuan finished, only to see Li Zhi narrow his eyes, his tone turning mischievous as he said:
"And if I say no?"
