Duan Zong said to Bai Peng in a voice so gentle it was creepy, "Do you remember the request I made? You should look at me expressionlessly. Yes, just like that. Your eyes must be cold."
Bai Peng forced himself to calm down, controlling his facial expressions according to Duan Zong's demands.
Since childhood, Duan Zong had always appeared before the world with a gentle facade. His family was famous for its fierce internal competition, valuing only capability.
His father had no less than ten mistresses, and there were also many illegitimate children outside. They all coveted the position of the future head of the Duan family.
For Duan Zong to securely hold the position of the future family head, his methods could easily be imagined.
Due to the suppression from his father's mistresses and the abuse from his mother during his childhood, he detested women. Being born into the Duan family, he had seen many twisted aspects of human nature.
He thought the world was entirely dark, until he met Yan Heng.
At first, he was simply attracted by Yan Heng's appearance and temperament. Yan Heng's looks were outstanding, just not in line with Duan Zong's previous tastes. Furthermore, Yan Heng himself was not to be trifled with; he was cold and sharp, like a dagger, and not easy to control.
In his heart, Yan Heng was just a lowly, empty-headed fool with nothing but a pretty face.
But the first exam of the school year slapped him hard in the face. He, who had always been in first place, was actually defeated by the impoverished Yan Heng.
Duan Zong always pursued perfection and could not allow himself to be defeated by someone of such status.
After gathering information about Yan Heng, he widely spread slanderous rumors about him in school. At that time, Yan Heng was ostracized by almost the entire school. He provoked the homeroom teacher's dissatisfaction with Yan Heng, forcing Yan Heng to leave Class One, which had the best learning atmosphere, and go to Class Seventeen, where the poor students gathered.
But Yan Heng was not affected by his surroundings at all; he focused on doing his own things. The petty tricks Duan Zong played seemed to have no impact on him whatsoever.
The second time, the third time...
Every time there was an exam, Yan Heng ranked ahead of him. Gradually, Duan Zong also came to acknowledge Yan Heng's abilities.
Yan Heng was a worthy opponent.
He thought to himself that if he could win Yan Heng over, Yan Heng might become a great asset to him.
One night during the second semester of their freshman year, he was set up by one of his father's illegitimate sons. He had to face several burly men all by himself. Just at that moment, Yan Heng appeared. He easily took down those burly men, didn't even glance at Duan Zong, and walked straight away.
Watching his retreating back, Duan Zong's heart beat incredibly fast at that moment.
From then on, Duan Zong's view of Yan Heng underwent a massive transformation. He silently paid attention to Yan Heng and saw the tenderness behind Yan Heng's cold exterior.
The seemingly unapproachable Yan Heng would give up his seat to the elderly, would rescue cats stuck in trees, and would carefully take care of his mentally ill mother without any disgust.
Duan Zong's infatuation with Yan Heng deepened.
When he saw Bai Peng, who looked somewhat similar to Yan Heng, at the Daffoil Club, he forcefully coerced Bai Peng into being Yan Heng's substitute.
However, the substitute Bai Peng was ultimately not as good as the original Yan Heng!
Just as he was coveting him, he never expected that Zhu Yaya would suddenly appear beside the habitually solitary Yan Heng.
He could tell that Yan Heng's attitude towards Zhu Yaya was very different. The look in Yan Heng's eyes when he looked at her was full of tenderness and joy. He was only special to her alone.
Backstage at the New Year's Day gala, when he saw Yan Heng pressing Zhu Yaya against the vanity table to kiss her, Duan Zong was mad with jealousy. Even later, when he found out that Yan Heng didn't kiss Zhu Yaya but was just helping her wipe off her lipstick, he was still jealous.
The former Yan Heng would never interact so intimately with anyone else.
Based on his understanding of Yan Heng, unless it was someone he had chosen for a lifetime, with Yan Heng's personality, he would never be so intimate with Zhu Yaya.
Duan Zong pretended to pursue Zhu Yaya. He deliberately made a big scene out of it, making sure Yan Heng knew.
As expected, Yan Heng couldn't hold back and came to find him in person. This was the first time Yan Heng took the initiative to seek him out, even if it was for Zhu Yaya.
Yan Heng even struck him.
Yan Heng would never know.
But when Yan Heng raised his hand to hit him, beneath Duan Zong's gentle exterior, he was incredibly thrilled!
Today was Valentine's Day. He had originally intended to use Bai Peng as bait to spend Valentine's Day with Yan Heng. But he never expected that Yan Heng wouldn't show up!
Thinking of this, Duan Zong's grip on Bai Peng's chin tightened, and Bai Peng felt a twinge of pain.
Duan Zong let go of his hand and lazily said to Bai Peng, who was kneeling at his feet, "Come up! Just like before."
Bai Peng lowered his head, a look of humiliation flashing across his face, but thinking of his seriously ill younger sister, he gritted his teeth.
Because Yan Heng had to work at the Tiantian Breakfast Shop in the morning, he woke up very early the next day. But as soon as he turned on his phone, he saw a text message—
[Why didn't you come!]
Yan Heng frowned, turned off his phone screen, and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
But not long after, the shop manager called again.
Yan Heng answered the phone, and the sound of the manager slurping instant noodles came through the receiver: "Last night, that kid didn't say anything."
"Didn't say anything?"
"Yeah! Slurp~" The manager ate his noodles while talking on the phone. "But why does that kid look a bit like you? If your Little Bean Sprout sees him and mistakes him for you doing whatever, what are you going to do! Tell me, is someone coveting you, so they ran over there to find him as a replacement? Hey, why is there no sound? Hello, hello, hello, Yan Heng, are you there? Yan Heng? Damn! This kid hung up on me!"
The manager shook his head, put his phone down, and continued slurping his instant noodles. After finishing, he wanted to change his clothes. As soon as he took off his top, a small ball of paper gently fell to the ground.
"What's this?" The manager noticed the small paper ball on the floor and muttered to himself.
He was wearing a hooded jacket, so someone must have stuffed this paper ball into his hood.
The manager picked up the paper ball from the ground and curiously unfolded it. The paper was covered in densely packed small writing. After the manager clearly read those words, his eyes widened uncontrollably.
When Yan Heng saw Zhu Yaya, whose face was full of excitement, in the Tiantian Breakfast Shop, his eyes softened.
Upon seeing Yan Heng, Zhu Yaya blushed but still brazenly walked over: "Ahem, this handsome young man, I want a red bean bun and a custard bun."
"Do you need soy milk?" Yan Heng's eyes carried a gentle ripple.
"Then I'll have a cup!"
Yan Heng handed Zhu Yaya her breakfast: "Hold it carefully."
When Zhu Yaya took the breakfast, she brushed against Yan Heng's fingers. It was like a signal, and the two of them smiled at each other.
As Zhu Yaya ate the bun, she felt as if she were eating a piece of candy.
It was after Zhu Yaya left that Yan Heng received a call from the shop manager.
"Yan Heng, I'm afraid you'll have to take the morning off today."
