Chapter 3
Shen Yu stood there blankly, his ears flushing red. A gloomy male voice came from beyond the door.
“Ah Yu, who are you talking to?”
As though he could wait no longer, the door flew open. Shen Yu shoved his phone into his pocket, while I listened to the sounds on the other end with an amused curve to my lips.
“Where did you… go today?”
Shen Ci had a pleasant voice, but it sounded cold.
I could not see how Shen Yu responded. After several seconds of silence, Shen Ci spoke again.
“Girls you meet online aren’t trustworthy. And given your condition, did she… not mind?”
“Ah Yu, don’t reach for things beyond you.”
The smile slowly vanished from my face.
The screen lit again. Shen Yu looked pale, but he was forcing himself to appear relaxed.
My eyes darkened. I opened my chat with [Bastard].
[All right. See you tomorrow.]
Shen Yu was still pale when I ended the call. I did not pester him for a kiss. Instead, I blew him one.
“Baby, I really, really like you. You’re wonderful. You truly are.”
“I can’t wait to see you again.”
The light returned to his eyes. I forced down the heat of my anger.
I arrived three hours after the time we had agreed on.
I had deliberately chosen the hottest, sunniest place at high noon. Shen Ci stood beside the road, wilted from the heat.
The instant he saw me, his eyes lit slightly and he took two almost-eager steps forward.
“Sunny…”
My brows drew together at the name.
It was what people had called me before the end of eighth grade. After my parents divorced, I took my mother’s surname and changed my name.
How did Shen Ci know it?
I searched my memory but found no trace of him.
Under my stare, his smile slowly stiffened. Only then did he realize he had given himself away.
“Weren’t you unable to speak yesterday?”
I curled my lip, my voice edged with contempt.
Shen Ci licked his lips and answered softly.
“It’s… psychological. It comes and goes.”
I stared at his face and let him keep inventing excuses. The comments went numb.
[Something is wrong. Why does the male lead look like he isn’t here to cause trouble? Why does the villainess look like the one spoiling for a fight?]
[Why is the male lead acting like a lovesick fool? Don’t break up my childhood-sweetheart pairing!]
[Disgusting. Don’t tell me he fell for the vicious villainess at first sight. I have no words.]
[Don’t panic yet. The male lead must be planning something huge. Let’s keep watching.]
Although his face was identical to the one I saw yesterday, Shen Yu still looked better to me.
His eyes were clearer and brighter, his presence cleaner and more comforting.
When Shen Ci noticed me staring, a faint blush colored his cheeks.
“I didn’t know it was you. Do you remember me? I…”
I could not absorb a word he said. The instant I heard his voice, I remembered what he had coldly said to Shen Yu the night before.
“Given your condition, did she not mind?”
So I frowned and cut him off.
“Could you stop talking? Your voice sounds awful. I liked you much better yesterday.”
Silence fell. The smile froze completely on his face.
“All right.”
After a long pause, he drew in a shallow breath and agreed in a hoarse voice.
We walked forward side by side. He took out his phone. He seemed about to speak, then swallowed the words and began typing instead.
My phone buzzed. He had sent me an entire date itinerary.
The comments were completely baffled.