No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

There were clearly more than a dozen people present, but once this punishment card was played, the number of main characters immediately decreased to three.

Everyone silently worried for Feng Heng.

An Rui and Xu Qing felt that they were doomed.

Who doesn't know that Pei Jingnian is Shi Qiao's most devoted fan and a staunch supporter who refuses to share her fandom?

An Rui and Xu Qing hid under the table, pretending to tie their shoelaces, but actually whispering their plot:

An Rui lowered her voice, "Should we try to smooth things over?"

"But to be honest, if Feng Heng accepts this punishment..."

"Isn't this just a real-life battleground?"

"You've discovered a blind spot in 'An Sheng'," Xu Qing said thoughtfully. "Is this really something I can watch for free without spending any money?"

"Sigh, but Feng Heng seems a bit timid; he's unlikely to just..."

"Shi Qiao, do you find this challenge difficult?" Feng Heng's voice interrupted An Rui's spellcasting.

She looked up abruptly, and Feng Heng was already standing in front of Shi Qiao, looking as if he was about to accept punishment.

Holy crap?! There's actually a chaotic scene to watch?!

Feng Heng kept his head down, staring at Shi Qiao's scattered shadow on the ground, his lips opening and closing several times.

Perhaps he had drunk a little too much, because he was feeling a bit tipsy.

A lot of courage emerged that many people had never had during their three years of high school.

Jiang Xin stood frozen behind Feng Heng, staring at his buddies, and couldn't help but mouth the question, "Is he crazy?"

Feng Heng adjusted his breathing, and seeing that Shi Qiao did not answer immediately, he slowly raised his head to meet Shi Qiao's gaze.

"It'll only be two minutes. I'm just saying this casually, don't take it seriously, Shi Qiao."

He closed the distance between them slightly, not giving Shi Qiao a chance to refuse.

Pei Jingnian's eyelids narrowed, his dark eyes fixed on Feng Heng, his knuckles turning white from unconscious exertion.

He picked up the iceberg glass filled with liquor in front of him and sipped it down, trying to suppress his rising anger.

This is insane.

[This kind of boring game, making me watch my wife being confessed to by another man right in front of me?]

[If I stop now, people will think my wife can't handle it and that I'm embarrassing her.]

[That ungrateful bastard.]

Shi Qiao glanced at Pei Jingnian out of the corner of her eye, her inner thoughts filled with incessant cursing.

He cursed relentlessly, in his mind Feng Heng had already been chopped into a pile of minced meat.

He was so engrossed in his own world that he seemed to have completely forgotten that she could also hear his thoughts.

However, how dare Pei Jingnian call someone "giving in to a nose"?

He's clearly the one who's most likely to take advantage of others and push his luck!

Forget it.

She looked away, thought for a moment, and then suggested changing the punishment.

She didn't want to see Pei Jingnian unhappy either.

Of course! I feel a tiny bit sorry for her, but more than that, I don't want to suffer the consequences myself.

Also, Feng Heng's face was so red it was almost bursting, and he scratched his face.

Isn't this bullying honest people?

Look how suffocated the child is; he can't even breathe properly.

Shi Qiao muttered softly, "It's okay, Feng Heng, you don't have to take this punishment so seriously."

"I know you're a pretty introverted person, so don't push yourself too hard."

"If all else fails, shall we talk to An Rui and ask her to choose someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Heng immediately shook his head and clenched his fists.

He was too timid to express his feelings for her.

That's why I missed the opportune moment.

Although Shi Qiao already has a boyfriend, this challenge may be God's last chance for him.

He thought that at least he should express his feelings and convey them to Shi Qiao in a sincere way.

He doesn't need a response, nor does he need a result.

He wanted to live up to his three-year unrequited love.

"No, Shi Qiao, please listen to me."

"I've liked you for a long time, Shi Qiao." Feng Heng's voice trembled slightly, but his eyes were much more determined than they had been a few seconds ago.

The silence was broken, and the students who had been watching the show in silence couldn't help but start chattering.

"I like that you always look people in the eye when you're listening to them, and I like that you're more thoughtful than most people."

"Even though I'm an introverted person, you still remember me and take good care of me."

"I also really like how you take things one step at a time once you have a goal." His voice wasn't trembling as much anymore. "After everyone leaves for evening self-study, you'll make an excuse about doing cleaning duty, but you actually stay in class very late."

"When you're studying, you'll habitually use a clip to tuck stray hairs behind your eyes. When your friends see this, you'll take the clip off in embarrassment and say your hairstyle looks silly."

"But actually, what I want to say is... you were very beautiful back then, or rather, you were the most beautiful in my eyes back then."

Feng Heng rambled on and on, even exceeding the original two-minute punishment requirement.

Finally, he stopped, took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

"I've said everything I wanted to say." Feng Heng finally lowered his head, not daring to look at those almond-shaped eyes again.

He relayed it, perhaps emboldened by alcohol, for he himself hadn't expected to say so much to Shi Qiao.

The group of brothers couldn't help but give a thumbs up from behind, and even An Rui and Xu Qing were a little red-eyed and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

An Rui gently dabbed her eyes with a tissue, being careful not to smudge her makeup. "Damn, why does this feel more like a real confession than a challenge?"

"To be honest, Feng Heng is actually a pretty good guy, it's just a pity that Qiaoqiao has a boyfriend."

Xu Qing shook her head. "Yeah, what a pity. If I had discovered Feng Heng's feelings earlier, I might have already started dating him and Shi Qiao."

"They were deskmates for half a semester. What about you, my deskmate?"

An Rui nudged Xu Qing, "Keep your voice down, don't let Pei Jingnian hear you! Oh my god, oh my god, don't look! You'll get killed if you look even once more!"

"Let's see how Qiaoqiao responds. I think even if Qiaoqiao is a bit slow, she can tell that Feng Heng isn't joking, right?"

The others shared similar thoughts, and all eyes were on Shi Qiao, who remained silent.

Shi Qiao blinked intently and turned to look at An Rui and Xu Qing.

"So our punishment is over, right?"

An Rui was speechless, clearly not expecting Shi Qiao to throw out such a statement.

She hurriedly got up.

"Oh right, yes, we even exceeded our target."

Shi Qiao nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Feng Heng. I really didn't expect this..."

An Rui/Xu Qing: Are you here?! (Response!)

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shi Qiao gave Feng Heng a big thumbs-up.

"Wow! Feng Heng, you're amazing! I never imagined you were not only a great painter, but also such a great actor."

"I feel like your acting skills could easily surpass many young, handsome actors!"

She smiled openly, without the slightest discomfort.

Looking at Shi Qiao's smile, Feng Heng forced a smile back, "Um...yes."

The terrifying punishment finally ended, and the two returned to their respective positions.

An Rui and Xu Qing leaned against each other.

Well, that was to be expected.

Shi Qiao is a blockhead when it comes to relationships; his thought process is completely different from that of ordinary people.

Otherwise, not everyone could see that Pei Jingnian liked her, but she was the only one who felt that Pei Jingnian was targeting her.

However, this is the best response that can maintain the dignity of both parties.

At this moment, Pei Jingnian swallowed the last sip of wine in his glass, his jawline taut.

His brow furrowed slightly for a moment, his chest feeling as if it were blocked by a wall, filled with anger.

Especially when he thinks of the wonderful campus days that Feng Heng described, he has never met Shi Qiao back then.

They got even angrier.

Do you really think I'm dead?

[Hold on.]

I can't embarrass my wife, I can't let her lose face in front of others.

Feeling irritated as he swallowed, he got up.

"I'm going to the restroom."

I need to process my emotions.

[This is so annoying.]

I've never been this annoyed before.

Shi Qiao was taken aback and subconsciously reached out to pull Pei Jingnian, but the corner of her sleeve slipped away from her fingertips.

Pei Jingnian simply walked away and disappeared from her sight.

Not good.

This is very bad.

Two minutes later, he suddenly stood up.

She grabbed her small bag, trying to cover up her misunderstanding, and said, "I'm going to... touch up my makeup."

We need to comfort Pei Jingnian quickly.

This time, the vinegar jar wasn't overturned.

It exploded.

*

She followed the waiter's directions, rounded two corners, and finally found the restroom.

The bar's restrooms were unisex. Shi Qiao pushed open the stall door, poked her head out, and whispered something.

"Pei... Pei Jingnian? Are you alright?"

The next second, a pair of hands reached out from the blind spot behind the door, and her lower abdomen was tightly encircled by the hot, long arms.

Pei Jingnian pressed most of his weight against her from behind, his fluffy head drooping listlessly beside her ear.

"I'm not doing well, wife."