By the time Zhu Yaya emerged from the examination hall, several other students had already finished as well. She headed down to the first floor of the teaching building, intending to look for Yan Heng, but she was intercepted by a familiar face.
It was Duan Zong from Class 1, Grade 11. Zhu Yaya had previously collaborated with him and their classmate Wu Jie for the New Year's Eve gala. Following that performance, he had seemingly lost his mind and started pursuing her with great fanfare. Despite her multiple rejections, he refused to give up.
Zhu Yaya had thought that after the winter break, he would have cleared his head and stopped pestering her. To her surprise, he had returned for another attempt.
Duan Zong smiled with refined elegance. "Junior Zhu, long time no see."
The cheerful expression on Zhu Yaya’s face vanished instantly. she widened the physical distance between them. "Senior Duan, hello. What are you doing here?"
Duan Zong’s smile was gentle, like a warm spring breeze. "One day apart feels like three months; I have been thinking of you to the point of madness. I just wanted to come and see you. This is a small gift I prepared for you. It’s a book; I hope you like it."
Zhu Yaya sighed, feeling a headache coming on. She rubbed her temples. "I'm sorry, Senior Duan, but I cannot accept your gift."
"It’s just a book," a flash of obvious hurt crossed Duan Zong’s face. "Please, just take it. You rejected me so many times last semester; are you going to start the new semester by rejecting me again?"
"Yes. No matter what, I will not say yes to you." Zhu Yaya decided it was best to make him lose hope quickly so it wouldn't interfere with his studies. Her voice turned cold as she said, "Senior Duan, I'm sorry, but you should just give up. Please stop bothering me and focus on your schoolwork. You’ll be entering your senior year next semester. It’s better to prioritize your education."
Duan Zong looked as if he had been struck, but despite his wounded expression, his gaze remained firm. "Yaya, I still won't give up. Even if I never receive the answer I want, I will wait."
Zhu Yaya was speechless.
The moment Duan Zong finished speaking, she had a sudden urge to pry open his skull just to see what was inside. Why was this guy so difficult to deal with?
Zhu Yaya felt her head throb even more.
They stood there in a stalemate. As more and more students left the exam halls, they began to gather around out of curiosity. Some girls who knew about last semester’s drama cast indignant glances toward Zhu Yaya.
Zhu Yaya was suffering in silence.
To others, Duan Zong’s relentless pursuit looked like true love. However, she felt that this "love" of his was far too sudden and felt incredibly surreal. Besides, Duan Zong really wasn't her type. No matter how good he was, he could never compare to Yan Heng in her heart. Why on earth would she agree to date him?
At that moment, Yan Heng stepped through the crowd.
"Yan Heng!"
Seeing Yan Heng was like seeing a literal lifesaver. Zhu Yaya called out his name in excitement.
Yan Heng walked straight toward her. Without even glancing at Duan Zong, who was still holding out the gift, he grabbed Zhu Yaya’s hand and led her away. His face was dark throughout the entire encounter.
Zhu Yaya hadn't expected him to hold her hand in front of so many people. A blush crept across her cheeks, but she didn't pull away, following him obediently.
Gasps erupted from the crowd of onlookers. Zhu Yaya even heard an excited female voice among the gossip-seekers.
"I told you the Hengya CP was real, and you guys didn't believe me! You actually tried to ship Zhu Yaya with Senior Duan."
Zhu Yaya was at a loss for words.
Marvelous!
The representative of the gossip-seekers had ended up becoming the gossip herself.
Seeing Yan Heng lead Zhu Yaya away, a strange, dark glint flashed in Duan Zong’s eyes. He called out to their retreating backs, "Yan Heng! Why are you interfering between me and Junior Zhu? I just wanted to give her a small gift."
"She doesn't want it." Yan Heng paused his steps but did not look back.
"You aren't Junior Zhu, what right do you have to decide for her?" Duan Zong’s face showed a mix of sorrow and resentment. No one noticed the touch of madness deep in his eyes.
Yan Heng didn't bother responding. He simply held Zhu Yaya’s hand and left the area.
"Don't accept it."
Just as Zhu Yaya’s heart was fluttering like a trapped bird, Yan Heng suddenly spoke.
Zhu Yaya wondered if he was acting this way because he was jealous.
She smiled inwardly, but on the surface, she pretended to hesitate, saying tentatively, "But, I think..."
"I don't want you to think, I want me to think!"
Zhu Yaya was stunned.
Wait, something felt off. How could Yan Heng say something like that? Had he been possessed by Boss Huang?
Wait a minute, that didn't sound like Yan Heng’s voice! The sound hadn't come from right beside her!
That voice... that was Murong Beichen!
Zhu Yaya snapped out of it and sure enough, she saw Murong Beichen and Xu Chun not far away. They were standing face-to-face under a withered tree.
Murong Beichen’s voice was emotional as he looked at Xu Chun with an intense, soulful gaze—a gaze that carried the characteristic arrogance found only in a bossy CEO.
Zhu Yaya thought to herself: Ah~, so greasy! The Huaxia Imperial Capital's Bossy CEO Murong is pure grease! Non-GMO grease!
Xu Chun’s expression was subtle, but when she spotted Yan Heng and Zhu Yaya, she covered her face with her hands and ran away, sobbing "ying ying ying" as she went!
Murong Beichen had originally had his back to Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng, but he followed Xu Chun’s gaze and looked behind him. He shot a harsh glare at Zhu Yaya before chasing after Xu Chun. "Chun'er, don't run so fast, Brother Chen can't keep up!"
Zhu Yaya, who had been glared at for no reason, was baffled.
What did she even do? Why was he glaring at her!
Zhu Yaya huffed in annoyance, not even noticing that her hand was still clasped in Yan Heng’s.
Yan Heng looked down at Zhu Yaya’s puffed-out cheeks and felt an itch in his heart. He really wanted to pinch them, he thought impassively.
But he restrained himself. He cleared his throat, successfully drawing Zhu Yaya’s attention back to him. "What... what were you going to say just now?"
Zhu Yaya had originally intended to tease him, but after the interruption from Murong Beichen and Xu Chun, she was no longer in the mood. "Forget it, it was nothing. Don't worry, I won't accept any gifts from Senior Duan."
"Don't accept things from other boys besides Duan Zong either. If there’s something you want, tell me, and I'll buy it for you." Yan Heng’s gaze was incredibly serious.
Zhu Yaya felt like her heart was a bottle of soda, bubbling over with sweetness.
She tried to stay composed, but she couldn't help it. She grinned widely, showing all her teeth. "Yan Heng, you sounded just like my dad just now! Hahaha!"
Yan Heng was silent.
"I got it!" Zhu Yaya gave him a sweet smile. "I don't care about other people's gifts. Besides, you still owe me money, so if I want to buy something, I'll just come to you."
"Okay."
"However," Zhu Yaya’s smile faded as she turned serious, "you really need to take better care of your health. I've noticed you haven't looked very energetic these past few days. Stop taking on so many temporary jobs."
