Chapter 29 i can’t accept it 😭

The idiom ‘drinking poison to quench thirst’ had never felt more apt.

To prevent Ye Ziwei from disrupting his business, he had resorted to an action almost akin to a confession.

Under that kind of emotional impact, Ye Ziwei had temporarily set aside her suspicions, but only because she had fallen into the web of lies he had spun.

Should she ever discover that he had not only deceived her but also had a ‘girlfriend’ who called him ‘baby’ every day, Pei Xingyan genuinely had no idea how terrifying her perfectly flawless, adorable smile would become.

He had to keep all of this a secret, no matter what.

****

After stumbling out of the dormitory, Pei Xingyan vaguely made his way toward the classroom.

Morning classes were always the hardest to endure, yet they were inexplicably always scheduled for the morning.

Pei Xingyan sometimes found himself questioning why he was even bothering with this wretched university, but he also knew that a diploma was like chicken ribs (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to something of little value but which one is reluctant to discard); it truly was useless, but to reject it outright was simply not an option.

Thankfully, he would be free once he got through this period.

“Baby, baby~”

A girl dashed out from the roadside, pushing through the zombie-like stream of dazed students heading to class, and rushed to his side.

Her repeated calls of “baby” startled the sleepy youths hurrying to class, who, after searching for a moment, discovered it was merely a couple already engaged in an overly affectionate display so early in the morning.

Filled with indignation, the people on the road scoffed, letting out an exasperated puff of air through their noses, then quickened their pace and continued on their way.

With her arm clamped around his, Pei Xingyan knew from the touch alone that it was Su Sanshan.

She might not be an obvious problematic girl (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘dilei nü,’ referring to a girl who is emotionally unstable or overly clingy, prone to causing trouble in a relationship), but she was most certainly a hidden one.

The soft, clinging sensation irritated him, devoid of any worldly desires; Pei Xingyan could only recall last night’s dream.

He gently pushed Su Sanshan’s shoulder, his strength feathery light, wanting to put a little distance between them.

But to a girl utterly immersed in the joy of new love, such a small gesture inflicted immense pain.

Her eyes wide with alarm, she grabbed Pei Xingyan’s sleeve, her voice flustered as she quickly apologized:

“Baby, are you still angry? Angry that I did something bad before? Please don’t be angry, I truly won’t do it again!”

Her voice was so pathetic that it drew the eyes of passersby once more.

This time, the crowd felt less indignation, replaced entirely by the distinct excitement of relishing an unfolding drama.

Pei Xingyan had no choice but to shrink back closer to her, gently comforting her, “No, of course not.

You’re so wonderful, why would I ever be angry with you?”

As if afraid of being pushed away again, Su Sanshan tightened her grip on him.

She shook her head, “You just pushed me away… You must have remembered the bad things I did, so you don’t like me anymore.”

He stifled the urge to retort, ‘I never even liked you to begin with,’ as a sudden question arose in Pei Xingyan’s mind.

Why was Su Sanshan suddenly bringing this up after so many days?

It was as if she had only just learned of it.

The consultation with Teacher Li earlier flashed before his eyes.

He knew he needed to be patient and understanding when dealing with someone like her.

He gently patted Su Sanshan’s shoulder, then gave it a firm squeeze to show affection.

Su Sanshan gradually calmed down, snuggling further into the embrace of the man she adored, uncaring that their posture had become a little strange.

She clung tightly, completely oblivious to the gazes of others, simply murmuring sweet nothings as if in a dream:

“Baby, I know you might not believe me, but I really, really like you and love you so much.

Even though we’ve only known each other for such a short time, I can’t live without you anymore.

So if I’ve done anything wrong, you can hit me or scold me, just please don’t leave me, don’t abandon me, okay…?”

Pei Xingyan’s mind was in turmoil.

Such words of affection should have brought him joy, but now he only wished Su Sanshan’s feelings for him were feigned.

If this girl, whom he had only met a few times, had truly given him her heart, then the situation would be dire if she were to ever encounter Ye Ziwei.

At the very beginning, Pei Xingyan had once self-deprecatingly joked to Tang Xin that his approach was the ‘scum-man strategy,’ never imagining that before anything even began, he would truly become a ‘scum-man.’

The sensation of Ye Ziwei resting on his shoulder last night had yet to fade, and now another girl was leaning there.

Pei Xingyan could only silently reflect on his actions, vowing to quickly understand Su Sanshan’s symptoms and resolve this complicated mess.

Su Sanshan knew nothing.

She had no idea what the man she clung to so tightly was thinking; she merely held on, walking beside him, continuously murmuring ‘don’t leave me’ like a sleepwalker.

It wasn’t until he stopped that she startled awake from her reverie.

“I’m going to class now, bye-bye~” Pei Xingyan softly bid her farewell.

But Su Sanshan refused to let go, pulling at Pei Xingyan’s clothes until they were somewhat distorted.

“What’s wrong?” Pei Xingyan asked.

“I don’t want to go.”

“But class is about to start.”

“I want to go with you…”

Pei Xingyan suddenly found himself in a predicament.

This was a small class, and the teacher knew almost everyone.

Bringing a girl in with him would undoubtedly invite trouble.

Yet, Su Sanshan’s gaze was too meek; she clutched Pei Xingyan’s sleeve, her head bowed, lightly biting her lower lip, her nose twitching.

He hardened his resolve, telling himself to grant some leniency to a patient, and continued forward, pulling her along.

Su Sanshan was overjoyed; her steps became lighter, and she circled around Pei Xingyan, showering him with endless praise.

Though he had heard such words many times, Pei Xingyan still felt a sense of感慨 (TL Note: A complex feeling of emotion, reflection, and sighing, often evoked by past events or profound observations) each time he heard them.

Su Sanshan truly seemed to believe he was the most perfect man in the world, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

He sat in the back row, tucking Su Sanshan into the corner, hoping the teacher wouldn’t be too sharp-eyed today and notice an unfamiliar face.

Soon after, others also arrived, including his roommates, who, upon seeing Pei Xingyan’s seat, rushed over en masse.

“Old Pei, guess who I saw? Your—” Fan Jian teased in a mischievous tone.

He casually glanced over, saw the girl beside Pei Xingyan, and suddenly stopped.

He abruptly punched Pei Xingyan, winking at him.

Fan Jian’s expression was incredibly complex; just a few days prior, he had seen a cool, aloof girl intimately leaning against Pei Xingyan, and now, only a few days later, he saw another beautiful girl resting on Pei Xingyan’s shoulder like a kitten.

In that instant, Fan Jian thought of many things, particularly his countless unreturned ‘warm man’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term for a considerate and caring man, often used ironically for someone who tries too hard to be nice) messages, and a wave of sorrow welled up in his heart.

Could it be that all his efforts were still no match for Pei Xingyan’s casual gestures?

“You, this, I…” His voice was filled with anguish, “I can’t accept it! I can’t accept it!”

“Accept a hammer (TL Note: A Chinese slang term meaning ‘what are you talking about?’),” Pei Xingyan was in no mood for jokes now, not wanting to draw any conspicuous attention.

“Just sit down properly.”

Fan Jian sat woodenly, dumbfounded, in front of Pei Xingyan, but then, as if by some strange impulse, he turned around, his expression blank, and finished what he had started to say: “I just saw Teacher Shen in the hallway.”

Pei Xingyan’s heart tightened; he had a bad feeling.

Immediately afterward, that premonition was confirmed.

“Tap… tap… tap…”

The sound of high heels echoed in the hallway as Shen Zhishu entered through the front door.