The Campus Heartthrob’s Secret and a Shocking Revelation

Huo Siyi watched the entire performance without blinking, wishing he could record every moment with his eyes alone. His heart rate never dipped below 120 beats per minute. Not only was the performer handsome, but he also played beautifully, clearly having dedicated considerable effort to practicing the piano.

As the last notes of “Confession Balloon” faded, the entire stadium seemed to shimmer with pink bubbles of romance, leaving everyone feeling as though the beauty’s piano had confessed to them.

Watching the stage lights dim and the beautiful figure disappear, Huo Siyi gripped the arm of the male student beside him.

“What’s his name?”

“The host announced him as Si Xi, a third-year senior.”

‘Si Xi… Si Xi, a name as lovely as picking flowers at dawn and gathering them at dusk.’

Just then, Huo Siyi’s phone vibrated with a ‘buzz,’ a message from his cousin, Huo Siyuan.

[Third Brother: What do you think of that guy who just played the piano?]

Huo Siyi had no idea what possessed Huo Siyuan to show up today.

As freshmen, their seats were pre-arranged by class, so he didn’t know where Huo Siyuan was sitting.

Seeing his message, Huo Siyi’s eyebrow twitched.

[Huo Siyi: Don’t tell me you’re interested in him too?]

[Third Brother: ???]

[Third Brother: Too?]

[Huo Siyi: Yes, I fell in love with him at first sight and intend to pursue him.]

[Huo Siyi: If you’re interested in him, then we’re rivals from now on.]

Huo Siyuan, holding his phone, stared at Huo Siyi’s two messages in shock for a moment before bursting into laughter.

‘What the hell kind of dramatic turn is this?’

He had expected to see his cousin discover that his father had found a stepmother only three years his senior – a senior from his own university – and feel his world come crashing down, leaving him furious, vexed, and utterly disillusioned.

Who would have thought an even more outrageous development would unfold?

He couldn’t bear to imagine the scene when the father and son realized they both liked the same person.

The sheer thought of it was explosive.

Indeed, live long enough, and you’ll witness all sorts of bizarre spectacles.

****

After Si Xi’s performance, he went to the backstage lounge to change into the casual clothes he had worn that morning, then used the cultural committee member’s toner to remove his makeup, before slipping out through the back door.

Jing Chen had also left after watching his performance and was waiting for him outside. Seeing Si Xi emerge stealthily, he remarked, “I checked; there’s no one around.”

Si Xi breathed a sigh of relief, for he had no desire to be surrounded by a throng of adoring fans, like a celebrity, clamoring for his WeChat ID.

“How did I play?”

Si Xi stood on the steps, tilting his head as he asked Jing Chen, looking like a docile child awaiting praise.

“Excellent, on par with a professional,” Jing Chen replied objectively.

Si Xi chuckled, then handed a box to Jing Chen. “This is my gift for you.”

Jing Chen eyed the three bags Si Xi offered, two of which were even larger than the shoebox he had given Si Xi, and raised an eyebrow, unsure what they contained.

He took the bags; they felt neither heavy nor light, and the packaging suggested they were not inexpensive items.

“You’re so willing to splurge on me?”

Si Xi, still immersed in the bittersweet regret of their fleeting reunion and impending farewell, murmured wistfully, “If you could serve your sugar daddy a little better, I’d be even more generous.”

Jing Chen replied, “Then I’ll start nourishing my body tonight and strive to serve you until dawn tomorrow.”

Si Xi’s face instantly flushed, and he glared at Jing Chen. “Who’s talking about that! No nourishing!”

Jing Chen was already so formidable it terrified him; he couldn’t imagine what he’d become if he ‘nourished’ himself further.

Jing Chen was merely joking. Living close to vermilion makes one red; spending time with Si Xi, this little lecher who constantly coveted his body, was turning him into an old lecher himself.

Previously, with his temperament, he would never have dared to crack such a risque joke.

Noting that it was still early and the rebellious scion wouldn’t be returning so soon, Jing Chen suggested, “It looks like there’s no one behind the stadium. Shall we take a stroll?”

Si Xi let out a soft hum, deliberately feigning reluctance, and extended his hand to Jing Chen.

“Then this sugar daddy will be magnanimous enough to accompany you for a little longer.”

****

Si Xi’s performance became an overnight sensation among the freshmen at Yan University, with everyone discussing him and inquiring about his major, dorm, and WeChat ID.

The forums were flooded with posts about him, and some even unearthed old threads, discovering that previous seniors had not only been captivated by Si Xi but had also given him a very fitting title: “The Most Beautiful Campus Heartthrob.”

Furthermore, someone posted Si Xi’s academic results, revealing that he not only played the piano well but also excelled academically; he was not merely a pretty face with nothing substantial beneath the surface.

For a time, Si Xi’s popularity was unrivaled.

Huo Siyuan had also come to Yan University today bearing the task of taking Huo Siyi home.

Inside the swiftly moving car, Huo Siyuan watched his cousin scroll through the forum with complicated eyes, full of fervent interest, as other students unearthed old posts about Si Xi. He felt compelled to say something, yet was unsure what.

“Are you really going to pursue this Si Xi?” Huo Siyuan probed.

“Of course. It’s the first time I’ve been so moved by a man.”

Huo Siyuan took a deep breath. “Have you ever considered that he might already have a partner?”

The words struck Huo Siyi like a bolt from the blue, and he shuddered.

He genuinely hadn’t considered that possibility.

Huo Siyuan, seeing his words had an effect, immediately added, “I overheard some Yan University students in the audience saying they saw Si Xi entering and leaving places with a man, behaving intimately. It’s highly likely he’s his boyfriend.”

Of course, he hadn’t heard any student say such a thing.

However, his uncle had indeed been there today, and they had indeed entered and left together, and it was impossible for their behavior not to be intimate.

So, it wasn’t exactly a rumor, was it?

Hearing this, Huo Siyi’s fists clenched.

His romance had lasted less than two hours before he was heartbroken.

Huo Siyuan, seeing his crestfallen expression, sighed and patted his shoulder. “Try to be more open-minded. You’re still young, and with your background and status, you’ll have no shortage of beauties in the future.”

“Right, with my background and status, what kind of beauty could I not have!”

Huo Siyi echoed, and just as Huo Siyuan began to show a relieved expression, his cousin continued, “So, why should I give up? So what if he has a boyfriend? As long as I wield my hoe well, what wall can’t be dug down? Hmph!”

Huo Siyuan was speechless.

“…………?”

‘There’s no saving him. Just let it all burn.’

Huo Siyuan was attracted to women. While he found Si Xi very handsome, people of their status had seen all sorts of beauties, even the most glamorous and seductive ‘man-woman queens’ had been summoned for their amusement.

He utterly failed to grasp why both his father and his cousin were so utterly infatuated with Si Xi alone.

Watching Huo Siyi resume scrolling through the forum, Huo Siyuan couldn’t bear to look.

Huo Siyi had already seen several of the top posts on the homepage. He refreshed, and a new post titled, “The Most Beautiful Campus Heartthrob? Merely an Old Man’s Little Lover,” caught his attention.

He frowned, his long fingers moving to tap on the post.

Then, his eyes widened slightly.

The poster got straight to the point, without any preamble, directly sharing over a dozen photos.

The photos were very straightforward: Si Xi meeting a man in an underground parking garage, the man giving Si Xi gifts, Si Xi happily reaching out to hug the man, and the man embracing him, stroking his head.

The intimate gestures, without needing any words, confirmed their unusual and ambiguous relationship.

However, with same-s*x marriage being legal and Si Xi being an adult, having a male partner didn’t necessarily mean anything scandalous.

Yet, the poster had blurred the man’s face, preventing anyone from seeing it. But judging by his striped polo shirt and suit pants, a mature outfit, the man was at least 40, if not older.

Moreover, the final picture the poster included was secretly taken when Si Xi wasn’t paying attention, showing the contents of the gift the man gave him.

The packaging box clearly belonged to a well-known brand of sneakers, the latest commemorative edition, BL47.

These sneakers retailed for 12,888 yuan on the official website. In a university student’s world, giving such expensive shoes was a clear sign of being ‘kept.’

The post had been made five minutes ago, and due to its explosive content, it already had over two hundred replies.

Huo Siyuan noticed Huo Siyi’s unusual behavior and leaned over to look at his phone, just in time to see the picture of Si Xi embracing the man with the blurred face. He too was startled.

He reached out, swiping Huo Siyi’s phone screen, and was dumbfounded by the succession of photos and the devilishly clever post title.

Although the person in the photos was blurred, Huo Siyuan, knowing about Si Xi and his uncle, easily deduced that the man with the ‘dad-like’ attire was indeed his uncle.

‘Ah, this…’

His cousin clearly hadn’t connected this older man with his own father. He watched as Huo Siyi’s fists clenched, his face a picture of extreme displeasure. It was unclear whether he was angry that Si Xi’s partner was an old man or angry at the person who posted the thread.

Just then, the car arrived at the Huo family residence. The Huo family’s servants, having not seen their young master Huo Siyi for over twenty days, eagerly rushed forward to greet him. Seeing that he was not only tanned but also thinner, they were deeply concerned and crowded around him as they led him into the house.

Huo Siyuan followed, stepping through the Huo family’s main door. His uncle had already returned and was sitting in the living room, drinking tea.

Seeing his uncle, now changed into casual home clothes, Huo Siyuan couldn’t help but cover his face.

Huo Siyi would likely not discover the truth anytime soon.

****

The post caused a sensation on the forum and throughout Yan University, yet Si Xi, the person involved, only saw it the next day.

After parting ways with Jing Chen yesterday, he had intended to return to his dorm, but was ambushed by a crowd of younger students asking for his WeChat, so he quickly ran home to avoid the commotion.

Moreover, he didn’t learn about it from a classmate, but from the “Eating Watermelon in Haute Couture” group chat, a gathering place for Yan Jing’s wealthy playboys. The group was as lively as it had been when his engagement was first broken off, tagging him dozens of times and rousing him from sleep.

[@You’reNotGoingToHeaven, is this true or false? Come out and debunk it.]

[With photos practically thrown in our faces, how could it be fake?]

[Looking at this old man’s pampered hands, he’s probably one of the uncles we know.]

[Tsk tsk, at least send luxury cars and mansions. Sending a pair of sneakers worth tens of thousands is being ‘kept’? I feel like our group’s standards have been lowered.]

[He must have let himself go after the engagement was broken off.]

[Hiss, even if his engagement was broken, he shouldn’t stoop so low as to find an old man @You’reNotGoingToHeaven]

Si Xi was utterly speechless. Yesterday, he had been too engrossed in talking and being intimate with Jing Chen in the parking lot, never imagining they’d be photographed, and it was just a coincidence that Jing Chen was dressed that way.

The deliberate blurring of Jing Chen’s face revealed the malicious intent of the person who posted it.

He glanced at the original sharer: an unregistered small account, deliberately obscure, clearly harboring ill intentions.

To ruin his reputation at school was one thing, but posting it in this group meant it would effectively spread throughout every corner of Yan Jing’s elite circles, making him a laughingstock once more.

It was truly malicious.

However, Si Xi wasn’t angry at all.

He was actually worried about being too popular, constantly having younger students ask for his WeChat wherever he went. Having his image tarnished a bit was quite good.

He even forwarded the post to Jing Chen.

[You’reNotGoingToHeaven: Bro, we’re famous now.]

[You’reNotGoingToHeaven: Don’t go to the construction site anymore, let’s pack up and start live-streaming sales.]

[You’reNotGoingToHeaven: Earning a million a day won’t be a dream. Soon we’ll defeat the Huo family, become the richest person, and reach the pinnacle of life.]

[Jing Chen: Look up.]

[You’reNotGoingToHeaven: Huh?]

[Jing Chen: Look at your WeChat nickname.]

[You’reNotGoingToHeaven: …]