Gu Jingchuan: "..."
The left side of Gu Jingchuan's face burned with pain. He said indignantly, "Lin Mo! You didn’t even ask what happened—how do you know I was the one bullying him?"
Lin Mo wanted to morph into an octopus and slap Gu Jingchuan in circles. "I saw you kick him with my own eyes!"
Gu Jingchuan was momentarily speechless, then gritted his teeth and argued, "He provoked me first!"
Lin Mo ignored Gu Jingchuan and reached out to help Xie Guanyan up from the ground.
But Gu Jingchuan blocked her. "Don’t touch him! He doesn’t deserve it!"
Xie Guanyan stood up on his own and walked away without a word.
He really didn’t deserve it.
He hoped Lin Mo would forget this scene—just remember how he looked this morning.
Lin Mo shook off Gu Jingchuan’s hand and chased after Xie Guanyan. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
Gu Jingchuan’s nostrils flared in anger. "Lin Mo! Stop caring about him!"
As they stepped under the streetlight, the bruises on the beautiful boy’s face became even clearer.
Head bowed, silent, he looked even more pitiful.
Lin Mo was so furious she turned and kicked Gu Jingchuan again. "The Qing Dynasty only had 400 million people. Now there are over a billion—there aren’t enough souls to go around. Who knows how many animals reincarnated as humans!"
Xie Guanyan stopped in his tracks.
This girl was standing up for him. How could he be so cowardly as to leave without even saying thank you?
Gu Jingchuan, face and foot throbbing, was on the verge of tears. "Lin Mo! I’m your boyfriend!"
Lin Mo smiled sweetly. "You’ve been my ex for a while now!"
Ex-boyfriend?
Xie Guanyan turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Mo.
She and Gu Jingchuan had broken up? When did that happen?
Gu Jingchuan had been going out every few days these past two months, sometimes coming back with lipstick marks on his face.
Hadn’t he been on dates with Lin Mo?
Seeing Xie Guanyan turn back, Gu Jingchuan was filled with regret.
He shouldn’t have said that.
The jig was up!
For the past two months, he’d been staging fake dates with Lin Mo just to provoke Xie Guanyan.
In reality, he’d been at internet cafes playing games—and even had friends kiss his cheeks with lipstick on.
His friends thought he was a freak!
But the words were already out.
Gu Jingchuan’s eyes darted around. "Lin Mo, do you know how heartbroken and crazy I was after our breakup? I played basketball in a rainstorm, shirtless, for six whole hours!"
He’d been working out over summer break.
The internet said girls liked guys with good bodies, and now he even had a faint six-pack.
Lin Mo would definitely be interested—maybe even willing to get back together!
Lin Mo did seem interested—so interested that she slapped his right cheek. "How tragic for you! Let me give you another one on behalf of your poor abs!"
Gu Jingchuan: "..."
Now both sides of his face burned.
Satisfied, Lin Mo walked over to Xie Guanyan and grabbed his wrist. "Come on, I’ll take you to the school infirmary."
The soft touch at his wrist sent a jolt through Xie Guanyan.
His body stiffened slightly, but excitement instantly lit up his eyes.
Lin Mo was holding his hand again!
Gu Jingchuan, witnessing this, completely lost it.
He’d pursued Lin Mo for three years, even staged an extravagant confession—yet he’d never so much as touched a strand of her hair.
What made Xie Guanyan so special?
Like a raging bull, he charged forward. "Lin Mo!"
Lin Mo kicked him away without hesitation. "Get lost!"
Xie Guanyan felt like he was floating on clouds.
The sweet scent of the girl beside him filled his senses. Dazed, he stared at her face, his feet moving automatically to match her steps.
She wasn’t holding his wrist anymore, but it felt like an invisible string still connected them.
Only when they reached the infirmary door did Xie Guanyan snap out of it.
The pale, slender boy’s voice was rough. "No need for the infirmary. I’ll just buy some ointment. Thank you for helping me."
Lin Mo couldn’t force him. She blinked. "Alright then."
The night sky was full of stars, breathtakingly beautiful.
But to Xie Guanyan, none of it compared to the girl beside him.
"Why did Gu Jingchuan hit you?" she asked, her red lips parting slightly, a glimpse of pink tongue visible.
Xie Guanyan’s head spun with one thought:
I want to kiss her.
Lin Mo noticed Xie Guanyan had gone quiet, his ears and face flushed again. "Hmm?"
Heart pounding, Xie Guanyan snapped back to reality, his long lashes fluttering. "We had a minor disagreement."
Lin Mo frowned. "He beat you up over a minor disagreement? Next time, fight back. He’s weak—didn’t you see me kick him halfway across the field?"
Xie Guanyan couldn’t help but smile at her words.
With his bruised lips and the tiny mole on his nose, his usually cold features softened into something breathtaking—like spring thawing winter.
Lin Mo was momentarily stunned, her heart skipping a beat.
Xie Guanyan gazed at her delicate face, his lips parting slightly.
But in the end, he said nothing.
If Gu Jingchuan had beaten him just for talking to her, things would be worse if they exchanged contact info.
The beating didn’t matter—it would heal soon.
But if Gu Jingchuan showed Lin Mo those photos he’d taken in Xie Guanyan’s room…
She would despise him.
That was the one outcome he couldn’t bear.
Lin Mo didn’t notice his hesitation. "I’m heading home. See you."
Xie Guanyan’s eyes lingered on her face. "Mm. Be safe."
Back home, after a shower, Lin Mo sprawled on her bed reading steamy novels.
College wasn’t as stressful as high school, but her reading habit had stuck.
Somehow, Xie Guanyan’s unfairly gorgeous face kept popping into her mind.
Lin Mo slapped herself.
Why was she thinking about her rival at a time like this?
Still, the guy was undeniably handsome—and so easily flustered.
Just talking to him made him blush.
An idea suddenly sprouted in her head.
He’d greeted her today. Would it really be that embarrassing to add him on QQ?
Their school had a group chat, and Xie Guanyan’s QQ username was just his real name.
Lin Mo sent him a friend request through the group.
No immediate response.
Shrugging, she went back to her novel.
Over an hour later, the request was accepted.
Lin Mo, engrossed in the book and squeezing her legs together in excitement, saw a message pop up:
[Xie Guanyan: Need something?]
Lin Mo narrowed her eyes. Did he not realize this was her QQ?
Remembering how adorably flustered he’d been earlier, she typed back:
[Hello! This is CK brand management. We’re selecting a new ambassador, and our data shows you perfectly match our aesthetic. Please send one photo with underwear and one without for a chance to become our global spokesperson.]
