Chapter 17: Striking Up a Conversation on the Bus

As she thought about it, Zhong Yun’s ordinary face floated before her eyes. He gazed at her, eyes ablaze with fierce fire, as if he wanted to melt her completely.

He grinned mischievously, reaching out with both hands. Her breath quickened, “No, don’t… don’t touch me there…”

In her hazy confusion, Xiao Fen’s voice drifted over.

“We all got carried away earlier. I think Xiao Ruo was swept up by the atmosphere, acted on impulse, and now she’s probably regretting it. Didn’t you bark like a puppy too? You’d never do that under normal circumstances.”

Yes, it was just a game. Relief washed over Xiao Ruo’s heart. I don’t like him—it was only a game…

Xiao Ruo tossed and turned all night, finally drifting into sleep just before dawn.

Around six, her roommate shook her awake. According to the rules, each class was to gather at seven for roll call before heading out separately.

Having not slept well, Xiao Ruo felt groggy and dazed as Xiao Fen led her to a large private room. The lively commotion inside made her a little dizzy.

After finding her seat, Xiao Ruo instinctively glanced around the crowd and caught sight of the figure sitting diagonally across. Her heart skipped a beat, the fog in her mind suddenly clearing.

She lowered her head and tugged at Xiao Fen’s sleeve, whispering, “Let me use your mirror.”

She picked it up and saw a pale face in the reflection, dark circles under her eyes—she looked terrible.

A wave of anxiety hit Xiao Ruo. Did he see me like this? She stole a glance his way. He sat there leisurely, sipping tea, as if nothing at all had happened.

Xiao Ruo’s heart was in turmoil. I’m sitting right across from him—why won’t he look over? Does last night mean nothing to him?

Her thoughts tangled. The teacher spoke up front, but she barely heard a word.

Soon, cheers erupted. Xiao Fen tugged her, snapping her out of her daze. She glanced over again. At his side now stood a graceful, elegant figure. The two stood close, chatting intimately—like a couple.

“Xiao Ruo, Xiao Ruo… What’s wrong?” Xiao Fen’s voice was anxious.

Xiao Ruo shook her head and murmured, “I’m fine. Just tired.” As she spoke, the pair disappeared from view, and her face grew even paler.

Xiao Fen supported her, worry etched on her face. “You look terrible, maybe you should stay at the hotel and rest today.”

“No,” Xiao Ruo shook her head. “I promised Feng—I can’t break our appointment.”

“In your state, Li Dafeng will be frightened off,” Xiao Fen urged. “If not today, there’s always tomorrow.”

Half-forcing her, Xiao Fen led Xiao Ruo back to the dormitory.

――――――――――――――――――――――

Fenghua City was the third largest city of Dal, and its most famous tourist destination, renowned for its beautiful environment and pleasant climate—a perfect place for travel.

Among its ten famous attractions, the Flower Sea ranked first.

Zhong Yun and Liu Yunqi sat together on a bus, silent. The bus was nearly full—most looked like tourists.

Every passenger, male or female, stole glances at Liu Yunqi. Such a beauty was exceedingly rare; wherever she went, she naturally became the center of attention.

As for Zhong Yun, sitting next to her, he was dismissed as little more than a pesky fly—a particularly bold one, to be fair.

“Hello.”

Soon, a handsome man approached, standing half a head taller than Zhong Yun, his golden hair shining, dressed in casual clothes and looking every bit the charming gentleman.

“You’re talking to me?” Zhong Yun pointed at himself, puzzled, thinking he must have misheard.

“I’d like to speak with this young lady. Would you mind moving?” The golden-haired man wore a gentle smile, his tone perfectly matter-of-fact.

Zhong Yun sat by the aisle, making conversation with Liu Yunqi inconvenient.

This fellow was far too confident. Normally, Zhong Yun would admire such bravado, but as the target himself, it was distinctly unpleasant.

Zhong Yun regarded him for a couple of seconds, then pointed at a brown-haired girl across the aisle, “Isn’t that your girlfriend?”

The golden-haired man’s smile didn’t falter. “Yes.”

Zhong Yun shook his head and said nothing, returning to his portable computer, leaving the man hanging.

Ten seconds later, a flicker of anger crossed the golden-haired man’s face; he noticed the passengers whispering, none of them kindly. He held his temper, “Please, move aside.”

Zhong Yun turned, displeased. “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt others?”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly, look at him—pretends to be a gentleman but knows nothing about manners.”

Others chimed in; compared to Zhong Yun’s plain looks, the handsome stranger was far more irritating, and so some took up his cause.

Zhong Yun smiled—he could see the golden-haired man’s face growing darker.

The golden-haired man was furious, not only at the bystanders’ mockery, but even more so at the cold glance Liu Yunqi gave him, as if he were a random passerby. For someone so confident, this was intolerable.

“Refusing someone’s request isn’t polite either,” the golden-haired man retorted.

Zhong Yun looked at him as if he’d just heard the world’s funniest joke, his gaze as if he were staring at a Martian.

A chuckle burst out nearby, from one of those who had spoken up, “I can’t take it—this guy is hilarious, trying to hit on someone else’s girlfriend and acting so self-righteous.”

“He’s a real piece of work.”

Laughter rippled through the bus. If his initial approach had left a good impression, his unreasonable insistence now seemed ridiculous.

Instead, Zhong Yun’s calm and unyielding demeanor won praise. Facing a much more formidable opponent, he handled the situation with composure, countered with finesse, and left his adversary flustered.

Clearly, this was no ordinary “fly.”

“Hello,” Zhong Yun said, his expression suddenly serious, “please call your girlfriend over. I’d like to speak with her.”

“You—” The golden-haired man’s face instantly turned ashen, his fists clenched tight.

The bus erupted in laughter; the teasing was classic, some even whistling.

Just then, the bus reached their stop. Zhong Yun and Liu Yunqi stood. “Excuse me,” Zhong Yun said to the golden-haired man blocking the aisle.

The man glared darkly at Zhong Yun. Never in his life had he been so humiliated, especially in front of the woman he desired.

Zhong Yun met his gaze with a hint of provocation—kid, if you want to steal my girl, you’re far from ready.

In the end, the golden-haired man stepped aside. Despite his urge to strike at this “fly,” he didn’t see the shorter Zhong Yun as a threat, but fighting here would be unwise.

Zhong Yun strode out, head held high, like a victorious lion, leading Liu Yunqi off the bus.

The golden-haired man watched their backs until they vanished.

“Li Ao,” his girlfriend, the brown-haired girl, came over with a teasing smile, “I didn’t expect you to fail at flirting for once.” Yet in her eyes, a jealousy she could not conceal.

Li Ao’s expression was dark, his mood foul beyond words. He swore silently, kid, you’d better hope we never cross paths again.