Chapter 21

Song Hanyue looked at Wen Shuran’s gentle, well-mannered face and suddenly felt a toothache coming on.
“Oh, come on. It’s just us, drop the act,” she said, voice full of disdain.
Wen Shuran didn’t comment, nor did he bother to drop the gentle mask. He just looked as flawlessly polite as ever.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back. Class is about to start.” He checked his watch.
“Hold it. I need to ask you something,” Song Hanyue cut in sharply, blocking his path. Wen Shuran could only look at her, helpless, his tone soft: “Hanyue, you know me.”
They really were childhood friends. Wen Shuran knew exactly what Hanyue wanted to say, and she knew what excuses he’d make in return.
But if Song Hanyue decided to just let things slide, she wouldn’t be Song Hanyue.
“What are you scheming with Yun Zhuoqing?” she shot straight to the point, brutal honesty was the only thing that ever worked between them.
“Hanyue, when have I ever said I’d use her? Is that really what you think of me? Ouch, harsh.” Wen Shuran paused, genuinely looking hurt.
Hanyue actually wondered for half a second if maybe she had misjudged him. But after a decade of reading Wen Shuran like a book, her instincts overruled her doubt.
“Stop pretending. I’m not that easy to fool, you and credibility just don’t go together.” Hanyue dropped her voice, which, for her, was already showing a lot of restraint.
Wen Shuran’s lips quirked up, unfazed. “Oh, is that so?” Her opinion clearly didn’t concern him in the slightest.
And sure enough, Hanyue could see the cool indifference in his eyes, and she let out a silent sigh of relief, she’d almost fallen for that act, again.
“I don’t care what you plan to do with her. But from now on, if you so much as touch a hair on Yun Zhuoqing’s head, I promise I won’t let you off, Wen Shuran.” Her words were grave and serious.
“Fine, I’m not as cunning as you, but I’m not stupid either. I can protect at least one person.”
Wen Shuran caught the shift in her tone and gave a chilly, mocking smile. “Well, well, look who’s become all protective, Miss Song. I didn’t expect that from you.”
The polite mask slipped, and for a moment, Wen Shuran looked nothing like the boy everyone else saw. This was the Wen Shuran she actually knew.
Song Hanyue hesitated, stumbling over her words. “I… I just can’t stand watching you scheme against people again, okay? And, what’s that supposed to mean? Am I really that heartless in your eyes?” She threw his words right back at him.
But Wen Shuran just shrugged it off. “Pretty sure nobody would disagree with that.”
Song Hanyue: “…”
She’d never understand why people constantly tried to pair her with Wen Shuran. How could she be into this scheming, sharp-tongued jerk? She’d rather run for her life.
The thought alone left her face frozen in exasperation.
She saw Wen Shuran trying to leave again, so she quickly cut him off. “Hey! Did you even listen to me? Stay away from Yun Zhuoqing, got it?”
Wen Shuran’s steps paused. He glanced over at her and replied, “That’s my business, Hanyue. You can’t control me.”
His tone was suddenly icy, leaving zero room for negotiation, so different from his usual polite self.
As Song Hanyue nearly lost it, Wen Shuran added, “I’m getting close to her because I want to. I like her. Isn’t it normal to spend time with someone you like?”
Song Hanyue felt every word die in her throat. She gaped at him as if he’d just said the most outrageous thing in the world.
“You… You’re saying you like her? You like Yun Zhuoqing?” She could barely believe it.
“Is that so hard to believe? Even you can’t help wanting to be near her, right?” Wen Shuran never doubted Yun Zhuoqing’s charm. She might be oblivious, but he’d seen her brilliance from the start. He wasn’t like that blockhead Huo Jing, thinking he was the only one who could spot a hidden gem in the dark, and so just did whatever he wanted.
Wen Shuran had always understood one thing: never fool yourself into thinking you’re the only one who sees a treasure’s light. There will always be others who want her too, but there’s only one treasure out there.
Wen Shuran thought he'd made everything clear to Song Hanyue. After all, Song Hanyue just suspected he might hurt Yun Zhuoqing. Now that she knew he meant her no harm, she should finally give up and leave him alone.
As he turned to go, Song Hanyue couldn't help but call after him, "Wait! You'll drag her into trouble!"
Afraid Shuran would just walk away, Hanyue spoke in a rush: "Think about your family for a second, do you honestly think they'd let you get close to a special-admission student? They care about your reputation way more than you do. If word gets out that you're hanging around a girl, it doesn't matter what you want. Unless she's good enough for them, there's no way your family will tolerate this."
Wen Shuran paused in his tracks, back to her, but didn't turn. "I won't let them hurt her."
"Really? Can you swear that's true, hand on your heart? Can you really protect her? You can't even push back against them yourself, Wen Shuran." Seeing he'd stopped, Song Hanyue softened her tone.
"I'm serious, if you like her as much as you say, then do her a favor: stay away."
Song Hanyue's words weren't malicious, just blunt honesty, and Wen Shuran knew it.
And because he knew, he wanted to hear it even less.
The Wen family he was born into was notorious for favoring girls over boys.
The Wens built their fortune on marrying daughters into other elite families. Their girls just needed to be obedient and pretty. But raising a son outstanding enough to catch the eye of a wealthy clan cost much more. So, when Wen Shuran's parents found out he was a boy, they were furious, some even considered not keeping him.
In the end, because Wen's mother was in poor health and couldn't risk another pregnancy, she grit her teeth and gave birth, for fear their fortune would end up in the hands of Wen's father's illegitimate children. As the only son, Wen Shuran was raised as nothing but a bargaining chip for alliances. His parents dictated which girls he played with, even who he dated, everything under their tight control.
That last girlfriend? She was handpicked, too. Her family outranked the Wens, and once she made it clear to his parents that she wanted to date him, it just... happened. Wen Shuran had no say, no way to resist.
Song Hanyue knew all this, so it was no wonder Wen Shuran turned out two-faced. The whole upper crust was well aware of how the Wen family operated, and exactly how they'd deal with any girl they saw as "seducing" Wen Shuran, like Yun Zhuoqing.
Wen Shuran stayed silent for a moment, and just as Hanyue thought he might concede, he said coldly, "Stay out of my business."
Then he walked away, leaving Song Hanyue so angry she stomped her foot right on the spot.
Neither of them noticed someone else had been eavesdropping on their whole conversation, hiding nearby while everyone else was in class.
Even after seeing Wen Shuran's true colors, she still couldn't let go of her obsession with him.
“So she isn't Song Hanyue..." That girl Wen Shuran liked was no Song Hanyue; she didn't have Hanyue's clout, just an easy target.
Wen Shuran's "ex-girlfriend", her name was Zhou Linlin, blinked slowly.
Ever since breaking up with Wen Shuran, she'd inexplicably fallen out with her best friend, had all her secrets spilled, and now not a single guy would go near her.
So all she had left to cling to was Wen Shuran, and there was no way she'd let him go.
A sickly glint flashed through Zhou Linlin's eyes.
In the days that followed, sure enough, Wen Shuran stopped lingering outside their classroom. To be fair, he hadn’t shown up all that often anyway, but seeing Song Hanyue felt relieved every time he didn't appear, convinced he’d finally given up.
On the weekend, Yun Zhuoqing arrived at their meeting spot right on time. The other day, Wen Shuran had apologized, asking if they could change the location to a café; Yun Zhuoqing hadn’t minded at all. Two familiar faces were already waiting for her when she arrived.
Wen Shuran saw her and broke into a rare, beaming smile, waving her over.
Next to him, Song Hanyue looked like she was suffering from constipation.
She never thought Wen Shuran would drag her along, too. So that was his trick, using her for cover?
Song Hanyue had never done this kind of thing before, so she was quietly fuming but had no choice but to show up. Within minutes, she’d already snapped at Wen Shuran several times, but he just took it in stride, and to outsiders, they looked exactly like an awkward couple in a lovers’ quarrel.
Yun Zhuoqing, for her part, had spotted them even before Wen Shuran saw her. She thought, so that's why they asked me out, he wanted someone to run interference so he could actually meet with Song Hanyue. Makes perfect sense.
Not that being a prop bothered Yun Zhuoqing. In fact, she was just kind of amused. With her doubts settled, she felt lighter than before.
Completely at ease, Yun Zhuoqing walked over to them. Just as she reached the door, someone was coming out, so she stepped aside politely, waiting for them to exit before she took the handle.
As she passed, a faint trace of perfume lingered in the air, but Yun Zhuoqing barely registered it.
Focused on heading inside, Yun Zhuoqing didn’t notice that after she entered, the other person stayed put for a moment. Once she’d taken the door, the girl in front stepped forward a couple of steps, standing silently, watching Yun Zhuoqing go in.
She looked about Yun Zhuoqing’s age, but everything about her screamed elegance, a posture that only comes from years of careful training.
Watching Yun Zhuoqing’s retreating figure head toward the other two, she dropped her gaze.
“Why are you standing there?” A young man’s cold voice sounded behind her.
She looked back, a little embarrassed, and smiled. “It’s nothing, brother. I just thought I saw someone I knew.”
The onlookers, attracted by the two siblings’ good looks, were quietly shocked: who would've guessed they were brother and sister?
Must be the big brother taking his little sister out, how enviable!
Other people’s brothers weren’t just handsome; they were the kind who actually doted on their sisters. Dream guy alert.
“Want to go say hi?” The young man was dressed in an expensive, bespoke suit, he’d just left a meeting to take his little sister, fresh off the plane from abroad, out for a meal.
She shook her head and smiled thoughtfully. “No need. I doubt she’d want to see me right now.”
Her expression was impeccable, flawless.
In her mind, a mechanical electronic voice chimed in:
“The heroine has entered the scene. Host, please expedite your mission.”