After his blunder in the handsome guy's comment section was exposed.

Xi Chenzhou remained in the kitchen, his dark eyes deep. He glanced at the dishes already prepared on the island, then turned around and took a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator.

I unscrewed it, tilted my head back, and took a sip.

The cold liquid slid down my throat, but it couldn't suppress the irritation in my heart.

He just saw the voice avatar.

It's that annoying number 12 jersey.

So what exactly is her relationship with him? Are they in a flirtatious phase?

What did he want with her?

Who will she choose?

A series of questions weighed on his mind. He leaned against the island counter, holding a bottle of sparkling water in one hand and resting the other on the edge of the counter. His eyelids were slightly drooping, and his thin lips were pursed in displeasure. A cold sense of distance enveloped him.

A short while later, Lin Xuechun finished her call and came in with her phone.

The moment she stepped into the kitchen, Xi Chenzhou raised his dark eyes, straightened his previously casually leaning posture slightly, and lowered his hand that had been resting on the edge of the island counter.

His gaze was fixed on her.

Lin Xuechun's eyes darted away, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around her phone.

Gong Shaoyang insisted that she go to a place immediately.

She had refused, but the other party knew where her weakness lay.

One poke and it's a sure thing.

She had no choice.

She glanced at the washed and chopped ingredients on the island counter, her red lips pursed and relaxed repeatedly, her face filled with hesitation and confusion.

I'm a little unsure how to start the conversation.

She had promised to repay the favor, and now that everything was ready, she had no choice but to leave.

After a few seconds of silence, she looked at him, her voice filled with apology: "...I'm sorry, I have to go now."

"How about I make it for you again next time?"

The air was briefly still.

Xi Chenzhou's gaze swept across her face, and he placed the sparkling water back on the table. The bottom of the bottle hit the marble, making a very soft tapping sound.

He neither said it was good nor bad, but the atmosphere around him noticeably cooled down.

He didn't speak, and Lin Xuechun didn't know what to say next. Her eyelashes trembled, and she said very softly, "Then I'll go first."

She glanced at him one last time, took a step, and turned around, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a burning palm.

She paused, turned her head, and saw Xi Chenzhou looking at her with a very deep gaze that made her heart clench slightly.

"Is it alright if we don't leave?"

His low voice resonated in her ear, and the prominent Adam's apple on his pale neck bobbed as he spoke.

Lin Xuechun felt as if her heart was being hooked by a thin thread.

At that moment, she really wanted to say yes.

However, when they were walking home together, Gong Shaoyang's teammates saw them. Gong Shaoyang threatened her that if she didn't show up within half an hour, he would send the screenshots to Xi Chenzhou first.

She was scared.

She didn't want him to know that she was a two-faced girl.

Moreover, the time shown in the chat screenshots coincides with the time when Xi Chenzhou said he wanted to pursue her.

It's like she was chatting with other people online while also flirting with him.

Lin Xuechun hesitated and tried to pull her hand back, but Xi Chenzhou held it tightly, and she couldn't budge it.

She tried her best to control her expression, not letting him see anything: "I'm sorry, I really have something to do. Maybe next time?"

She tried to pull her hand back again, but this time Xi Chenzhou loosened his grip, and she pulled it back easily.

The light surging in his eyes dimmed inch by inch until it became pitch black and calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

He turned away with a cold expression, walked to another island platform, and began packing his things with his back to her.

Looking at his tall and dejected figure, Lin Xuechun felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She said "I'm sorry" to him again, then turned and left the kitchen.

The sound of the door closing echoed quickly from the entryway.

Xi Chenzhou paused in his packing, glanced sideways, chuckled lightly, and curled his lips in a clear mockery.

Then he raised his arm, lowered it, and all the food on the plate went into the trash can.

……

Lin Xuechun was walking on her way to the school gate.

Her long eyelashes drooped, her red lips were pressed tightly together, and she seemed to be weighed down by something invisible, making every step she took feel incredibly heavy.

My mind is hazy, with all sorts of thoughts drifting through my mind.

I felt worried one moment and fearful the next.

I wonder how long these days of living in fear and being threatened will last.

I've had enough.

Are we just going to be controlled by Gong Shaoyang forever?

Before she knew it, she had reached the school gate and saw Gong Shaoyang across the street.

Gong Shaoyang leaned against a black sedan, his face full of impatience, clearly having waited a long time.

Seeing her finally appear, his impatience subsided somewhat. He gave her a sly whistle, gesturing for her to come over.

Lin Xuechun crossed the road and walked to the other side.

Gong Shaoyang stared at her and looked her up and down. He noticed that she was wearing a loose plaid shirt, the buttons of which were fastened tightly, and the hem covered her thighs, making it impossible to tell her figure.

"Didn't I say we were going out? And you're wearing this?" He frowned in annoyance.

"Yes. I'm usually like this." Lin Xuechun's face was as cold as ice.

"Fine." Gong Shaoyang grinned slyly, "Don't think I'll let you off just because you did this on purpose. Get in the car."

Lin Xuechun glanced warily at the car in front of her, reluctant to get in: "Where are you going?"

"Join my friend's party, don't dawdle—" Gong Shaoyang paused, took out his phone and waved it in front of her, "If you dawdle any longer, I'll send the chat history to Xi Chenzhou right now."

He knew she was with Xi Chenzhou after the basketball game that afternoon.

I was holding back my anger.

Threatened again, Lin Xuechun's face paled for a moment. She bit her inner lip tightly, the rusty taste spreading on her tongue. She dug her nails into her palm, but finally opened the back door.

Gong Shaoyang took her to a private club.

Upon entering the private room, a strong smell of smoke hit you; the room was filled with swirling smoke, making it difficult to breathe.

The lighting was dim, and the private room was filled with people, both men and women. They all looked quite young, but not like college students; they seemed to be working professionals.

Lin Xuechun followed Gong Shaoyang inside, and all the people smoking looked over.

"Hey, Shaoyang, you've changed girlfriends again?"

"I should have gone to play basketball too. What a waste of such a tall guy. Maybe I could have slept with all the pretty girls in school."

"Come on, do you have Captain Gong's stamina and physique? Everyone knows our Captain Gong is the Silver Spear Little Tyrant of Peking University!"

This was followed by a burst of laughter.

Lin Xuechun's face flushed red, her head lowered, her fingertips clenched tightly into her palms. Gong Shaoyang sat down comfortably and pulled her to sit down next to him as well.

Gong Shaoyang chatted and laughed with his friend, bragging to each other.

Lin Xuechun kept her eyes down the whole time, remaining quiet and unnoticed.

She hated the smell of smoke, and she hated these people.

"Hey girl, wanna have a drink?" Someone offered her a glass of wine.

"I told you not to scare her, she's a freshman at our school."

Lin Xuechun looked up and saw that Guan Ying was also there, with a cigarette between her fingers, smiling and winking at the person who asked the question.

He seems quite at ease in this situation.

Lin Xuechun and Guan Ying's eyes met. Guan Ying smiled, and Lin Xuechun nodded slightly before lowering her head again to take out her phone and start scrolling.

I was a little surprised that Guan Ying also smoked.

However, that's other people's freedom, and she never interferes in other people's lives.

A stylishly dressed woman walked around from the other side of the sofa, carrying a large designer shopping bag, and tossed it at Gong Shaoyang's feet: "Here, I brought this over for you as soon as I got back from the country. Which girl are you planning to give it to?"

Gong Shaoyang picked it up and pushed it in front of Lin Xuechun, raising his chin in a pretentious manner: "This is for you, open it and take a look."

Another uproar immediately broke out around them—

"Holy crap, Captain Gong's going all out to woo this girl!"

"Every purchase is an LV!"

"Extravagant!"

Lin Xuechun's hands hung at her sides without moving, her face expressionless. Everyone around was watching, and Gong Shaoyang felt embarrassed, so he gave her a threatening look.

Lin Xuechun reluctantly reached out and took it, but didn't even open it before placing it aside.

Gong Shaoyang looked very unhappy, but he didn't lash out because his friends were there.

Lin Xuechun ignored it, keeping her head down and continuing to scroll through her phone. In fact, she didn't read a single word, her mind preoccupied with how to completely get rid of Gong Shaoyang.

She now realizes that blindly obeying the other party will only make them more demanding.

They simply won't delete the screenshots.