Chapter 5

After calling Grandpa Xie, Gu An’an grew angrier the more she thought about it. That bastard Lu Xingyu, who did he think he was, treating people like this? Just because he donated a lab to the school, he could do whatever he wanted? Even if the security guards dragged her out today, she was going to march straight up to him and slap him across the face. Central City CBD, the e-sports room, right? Grandma’s coming!
When she arrived, the place had already been taken over by a pack of spoiled rich kids.
The fluorescent blue lighting gave the gaming lounge a futuristic feel, the bass-heavy music thumping through the air. A bunch of red, yellow, blue, green, and purple-haired heirs lounged with cigarettes between their fingers, their faces illuminated by the massive display screens behind them.
No one was talking, yet the air felt strangely tense.
Gu An’an pushed open the door and immediately spotted two dominant figures in the center of the room, split into opposing camps. Lu Xingyu sat on a gaming chair in his black-and-white jacket, headphones slung around his neck, legs spread, and an unmistakably sour expression on his face. Across from him lounged a boy with blue-tinted hair, puffing smoke rings toward the ceiling.
Each had their entourage, the standoff palpable.
To be fair, the scene did have the flavor of a “duel between two campus male leads.” Lu Xingyu, the cold and refined school prince. The other, an unruly campus delinquent.
Gu An’an glanced around, searching for the “female lead” of this drama, Su Ruan, but didn’t see her anywhere.
Standing by the door, she hesitated, should she go in?
“Well, well, Gu An’an,” some idiot broke the silence, his voice dripping with mockery. “Didn’t you say you’d stop pestering our Brother Yu from now on?”
All eyes turned toward her, gleaming with the excitement of people about to watch a show.
Gu An’an really wanted to curse, but with so many eyes on her, she swallowed the words down.
“I need to talk to Lu Xingyu.”
Lu Xingyu didn’t even turn his head. His eyes stayed fixed on the boy across from him, face expressionless. As always, in those aloof eyes, Gu An’an might as well have been invisible.
Since he wouldn’t turn around, she went right up to him.
When she stepped into his line of sight, he finally lifted his eyes slightly. “What is it?”
What is it? I came to slap you!
Gu An’an took a deep breath, then said lowly, “Lu Xingyu, come out with me.”
He was already on edge, having clashed with Zhou Jiayu, the boy with the blue-dyed hair over control of the e-sports room. The two of them were the respective “princes” of Beijing and Shanghai. Lu Xingyu, raised under strict discipline, rarely acted out despite his family’s power. Zhou Jiayu, on the other hand, was a notorious Shanghai playboy, new to Beijing and openly arrogant.
Seeing her only made Lu Xingyu frown harder. “This has nothing to do with you. Go back.”
Go back? Not a chance. She was here to settle accounts.
“Well, well, our Brother Yu’s lapdog finally showed up,” one of his friends jeered.
Laughter rippled through the room.
Across the room, Zhou Jiayu raised an eyebrow and blew a sharp whistle.
“Who’s this chick?” His voice was low and teasing, eyes sweeping over Gu An’an without shame.
Gu An’an frowned.
She wasn’t the type to be cast as a “female lead” in any story, her looks were too provocative. Even without makeup, her peach blossom eyes carried a hint of seduction, her long hair cascaded down to her waist, her figure curvy and balanced. With makeup, she looked flirty; without it, she was the embodiment of “green tea.”
In a high school drama, she’d be the cannon fodder every time.
Zhou Jiayu smirked. “Nice legs.”
Before Gu An’an could say anything, Lu Xingyu suddenly turned his head. His expression didn’t change, but the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
Zhou Jiayu chuckled. “Can’t even make a comment?”
Lu Xingyu ignored him and instead reached out, grabbing Gu An’an by the wrist and pulling her to his side. “Didn’t I tell you not to show up here again? What now?” His tone was impatient.
Gu An’an’s temper flared, she yanked free and grabbed his collar in return. With her “transmigrated” body’s strength, it was effortless.
She dug into her bag, pulled out a folded sheet of paper, and slapped it against the table in front of him.
The folds made it clumsy and uneven, impossible to read clearly.
Lu Xingyu: “?”
They were standing close, her hair smelling sweet and clean, the scent invading his nose. He leaned back slightly, uncomfortable.
He glanced at the paper, didn’t understand it, and looked back up at her, face full of disdain. “What kind of stunt are you pulling now?”
“What kind of stunt? Are you blind? Don’t you know what you did?” Her voice trembled with anger. “I already called Grandpa Xie, just you wait!”
She was flushed, furious, eyes glistening like glass.
Lu Xingyu turned his head away, his face still cold, but the tips of his ears under his black hair quietly turned red. He lazily reached for the paper.
Before he could read it, his phone buzzed.
He checked the screen, and his expression changed instantly. “Ruanruan, don’t cry. I’m coming right now.”
He grabbed his keys and bolted for the door.
“Lu Xingyu!”
Gu An’an shouted, trying to grab him, but he was gone in seconds. The door slammed hard enough to nearly hit her in the face.
“Damn it...”
Zhou Jiayu clicked his tongue, grabbed his keys, and strode out as well. Passing her, he caught her wrist and pulled her along.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the back of his motorcycle, black helmet on, wind roaring past her ears.
What the hell is this guy up to?
In front of her, Zhou Jiayu’s long legs straddled the bike as he revved the engine, sending it roaring into motion.
He shouted over the wind, “You know where your boyfriend’s going, right? Su Ruan’s place?”
“My what? Who?”
“Your boyfriend, Lu Xingyu! Isn’t he running to her now?”
The wind whipped her hair across her face. “Who said he’s my boyfriend?”
The bike swerved in a sharp S, nearly hitting the railing. “You’re not his girlfriend?”
“Ah?!”
Zhou Jiayu pulled over abruptly, glaring at her.
She took off her helmet and stared back. Wait, this guy... this had to be that Shanghai second-generation brat everyone warned about.
“He sabotaged my grades to chase some girl. I came to settle the score.”
Zhou Jiayu, the so-called Shanghai Prince, son of a powerful real estate tycoon whose family had their fingers in everything from property and tourism to entertainment. Born rich, spoiled rotten. After getting bored of causing trouble in Shanghai, he came to Beijing to find new toys.
The tall boy clicked his tongue, leaning against the guardrail. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and spoke lazily, “Oh. So you’re that brainless lapdog.”
“...What?”
“You’ve got the wrong guy.” He exhaled smoke, the wind scattering it. “The expulsion? That was me.”
Gu An’an: “!!!”
“You did what?” She gawked at him. “We don’t even know each other, are you insane?”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. Despite the faint femininity of his face, his tall, broad-shouldered frame turned that softness into something dangerous.
“You touched my girl,” he said coldly. “Consider this a warning. Do it again, and it won’t just be expulsion. Whatever hand you used, I’ll cut it off. Understand? Now, get lost.”
“...?”
Gu An’an was so stunned she couldn’t even form words. What century was this moron living in?
The rage shot straight to her head. She lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar, and before Zhou Jiayu could react, she lifted the tall boy clean off the ground.
“Get lost?” she sneered. “No, you get lost.”
Then she threw him straight into the lake.
Zhou Jiayu hit the water with a splash, cursing as he flailed, then snagged her neck in retaliation, pulling her down with him.
The water was rancid, thick with a foul stench.
As it flooded into her mouth, Gu An’an gagged, choking, and floundering. Zhou Jiayu, apparently an experienced swimmer, surfaced first, swearing loudly as he paddled to shore.
She, however, remembered, oh right, she couldn’t swim.
She’d meant to take lessons, but Lu Xingyu had distracted her. Now she was sinking, arms flailing.
“Help, glub glub, help!”
...
A passing auntie ended up hauling her out. Zhou Jiayu, meanwhile, had calmly stood on the shore taking photos of her half-drowned state before hopping on his bike and driving away, leaving her dripping and humiliated.
Fine. She was signing up for swimming lessons first thing tomorrow.
...
By the time Gu An’an dragged herself back to her rented apartment, it was dark. Exhausted and starving, she stripped off her foul-smelling clothes, gagged at the odor, and dashed into the shower.
Later, blow-drying her hair and slurping instant noodles while watching a horror movie, she muttered curses between sneezes. Even the jump scares couldn’t distract her from how pissed she still was.
She turned the volume up, shut off the lights, gotta set the mood, after all.
The doorbell rang. She ignored it at first, but it kept ringing.
Finally, she trudged to the door and opened it. Standing there was a tall man in a crisp suit, looking down at his phone.
Hearing the door, Xie Jinxing raised his head. His dark eyes scanned the dimly lit room, instantly locking onto the large funeral portrait hanging opposite the doorway.
And then he saw her, Gu An’an, pale from nearly drowning, long black hair hanging loose, dressed in a white camisole, bare feet on the cold floor, staring at him wide-eyed. Behind her, the haunting music of the horror movie wailed.
Xie Jinxing: “...”
After a beat, he calmly clicked his screen off.
Beside him, Lu Xingyu suddenly stepped forward, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders.
“Why can’t you dress properly?” he snapped, irritation edging his tone.
Xie Jinxing’s eyes flicked briefly toward Lu Xingyu. Then, smiling faintly, he asked, “Miss Gu, could you turn the music off?”
Gu An’an: “...”