Chapter 31 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Chapter 31 An Unremarkable Special Admit

Before Ning Song and the others arrived at school, news of him receiving flowers had already spread throughout the campus.

This was a milestone event! Previously, people either thought he was ordinary or speculated about his relationships with the influential figures. The topics were so repetitive that they became boring. Suddenly, a bouquet of flowers opened up a new chapter!

"Who received the flowers?!"

"Bean sprout got confessed to?!"

"Who, who? I'm more curious about who sent the flowers! Such unique taste!"

"I heard it was Young Master Qin!"

"??! Who??"

Qiao Qiao also stretched his neck to ask Fan Duoduo, "Who?!"

Fan Duoduo cautiously glanced at Ning Song, then in a voice not much better than Qiao Qiao's, said hoarsely, "Qin Yi."

When Qin Yi swaggered into their class with the flowers, everyone was shocked.

The young master had cut his hair short, revealing the scar above his eyebrow. He walked confidently to the podium and asked, "Which desk is Ning Song's?"

The boys in the class, seeing him suddenly, were all too intimidated to speak. The young master frowned, and someone pointed to Ning Song's desk.

Qin Yi walked over, picked up Ning Song's notebook to check the name, and then slapped the flowers on Ning Song's desk before swaggering out.

Ning Song picked up the bouquet and took a look.

The passionate roses were as red as blood, and there was a small card inside.

He took out the card and read the wobbly handwriting, which looked like it was written by a primary school student: "The flowers are beautiful; you are special. —Qin Yi."

Where did this come from... what a surprise!

Not only was Ning Song surprised.

The online spectators on the forum were equally stunned.

"Qin Yi??? What does he have to do with Qin Yi now? Is he trying to sweep up all the rich young masters in our school?!"

"What's up with Qin Yi? Why did he send flowers to Ning Song?"

"L…likes him?!"

"What the hell, Qin Yi's taste can't be that bad, can it?"

"Isn't Young Master Qin supposed to prefer innocent boys?"

"Well, not really. His last one wasn't that innocent, right? Zhang something from Grade One Class Six, with all those tattoos—clearly a little thug."

"At least Zhang Xian looks good, one of the prettiest in Grade One. Young Master Qin likes handsome guys, so his taste has been consistent, right?"

"Is he switching from meat to vegetables?"

"Hahaha, that's a great description. Bean sprout is indeed very plain, like biting into something without any meat."

"But seriously, he does seem to look better than when he first started school."

The forum began posting some candid photos of Ning Song from when he first entered school, as well as recent ones.

In just a few weeks, Ning Song had visibly changed.

"To be honest, I've been following him too. He never stood out before, but people got used to putting him down. Seeing him, they automatically think he's nothing. Wearing colored glasses, of course, they find him lacking everywhere. But actually, he has many strengths. His science scores are impressive, and I bet he'll make it onto the honor roll this time. His personality is also good—he's from the slums but isn't at all insecure, and he gets along well with the influential figures. Honestly, could you be that natural around them?"

"I agree. Being able to get along so well with the influential figures is a skill. Whether it's through cunning or charm, he clearly has talent."

"Although everyone agrees he's not good-looking, if you look closely, his features aren't ugly. He's just too thin. If he gained a bit of weight, he might even be handsome."

"Is his reputation about to change? Praising his grades and connections is one thing, but now even his looks are being praised?"

"His facial features are indeed decent."

Then, someone started posting close-ups of Ning Song's facial features.

His eyebrows were very delicate, though a bit light, but long, giving an elegant appearance.

His eyes were slightly brown, with a downward tilt at the corners, and his double eyelids were thin, wider at the outer edges, creating a slight upward curve.

His nose was average but still graceful.

His mouth, while not full, had a nice shape, with a slight smile at the corners, resembling petal lips or M-shaped lips.

"Wow, are these his eyes?"

"Is this his mouth?!!!"

"Putting them together, I recognize him, but looking at each part separately, they're... quite nice."

"As I said, he's just too thin, making him look like a monkey. But his features are actually good. Now that his face isn't so gaunt, his chin is softer, and he looks much better!"

"Wow, you're making me break out in goosebumps. Don't tell me that the bean sprout we've been mocking for weeks is turning into a handsome guy!"

Ning Song felt he had gained a bit of weight recently and did look better. But he wasn't exactly handsome.

Especially after interacting with top-tier beauties like Sheng Yan, Pu Yu, and Shen Lingsi, his standards for beauty had risen significantly. Even Li You, who was considered handsome, seemed average to him now, let alone himself.

So he didn't understand what Qin Yi saw in him.

He played the cello while troubled, with a small red spot on his finger from a thorn that hadn't been fully removed from the bouquet of roses.

This might be a kind of omen—Qin Yi's love was like this blood-stained rose, piercing and painful.

Ning Song still wasn't very good at playing the cello. He had to admit that learning an art required talent, and he hadn't made much progress; he was still the worst player in his class.

He hit another wrong note, and Pu Yu glanced at him.

He smiled at Pu Yu. The sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating his cello strings, and the orange-red cello reflected the light onto his face, giving his smile a striking allure.

Despite his worries, Ning Song wasn't as anxious as when he first started school. It felt a bit like relying on someone else's power, but he believed that whether it was Pu Yu, Li You, or Sheng Yan, they all had a decent relationship with him. If he asked for help, he felt they would support him.

Especially Pu Yu.

With three powerful figures against a second-generation heir like Qin Yi, he found the scarred and intimidating Qin Yi not so scary anymore...

Thinking this way, he decided to treat Qin Yi's actions as a temporary insanity and ignore him.

But Qiao Qiao was very nervous, constantly saying, "What does Qin Yi want?"

Qiao Qiao's first reaction was that Qin Yi wanted to mess with Ning Song.

Ning Song comforted him, "Don't be too nervous. Maybe he's just having a temporary lapse. Besides, with Brother Yu around, what's there to fear?"

Pu Yu, who had been silent, responded with a "Hmm" and said, "Don't be afraid."

Pu Yu's reaction matched Ning Song's expectations, and he smiled.

Qiao Qiao looked at Pu Yu and said, "You're right."

But he was still uneasy. When Ning Song went to the restroom, he asked Pu Yu, "If Qin Yi bullies Aning, you really can't stand idly by. Qin Yi is disgusting. He changes boyfriends like clothes, and if someone refuses him, he forces himself on them! He relies on his father's influence to bully people at school!"

Qiao Qiao feared that Pu Yu, who seemed emotionally detached, wouldn't take it seriously, so he embellished the stories about Qin Yi's misdeeds... He thought it was understandable to add some details!

Starting from when Qin Yi blocked them in the food street: "He never liked Aning from the start. How could he suddenly fall in love with him? It must be a prank!"

Pu Yu didn't know much about Qin Yi because he usually kept to himself at school. But he knew of him—the young master of Heilong Construction, with a scar on his forehead. Qin Yi was a senior in their third year, and Pu Yu occasionally encountered him in Dormitory Building One. Qin Yi always had a group of people around him, and he would scold junior students with black nameplates who didn't greet him. Pu Yu had a poor impression of him, but thankfully, Qin Yi never bothered him.

After hearing Qiao Qiao's embellished account, Pu Yu realized how truly despicable Qin Yi was. He initially thought Qin Yi was pursuing Ning Song, and while he was jealous, he couldn't say much. He didn't believe Ning Song would be interested in such a person. Now, after listening to Qiao Qiao, he looked at the roses on Ning Song's desk and felt they were dirtying it.

Qiao Qiao thought Pu Yu was too indifferent.

He spoke hoarsely for so long, yet Pu Yu showed no change in expression.

Just as he was thinking about more rumors about Qin Yi, he suddenly saw Pu Yu get up.

Pu Yu walked to Ning Song's desk, picked up the flowers, and threw them into the trash bin outside the classroom.

Qiao Qiao: "..."

Other classmates: "..."

Forum: "Help, help! Although I don't know if I can say this, but... Pu Daxi threw away the roses Qin Yi gave to Bean Sprout!"

"???!?!?"

"Oh my goodness! I'm getting excited!"

"Will the big shots fight over him? No one will dare look down on Bean Sprout anymore!"

"Feeling that emotionless Pu Daxi could do something like this?"

"No picture, no truth!"

Someone posted a photo showing a bright red rose sticking out of the trash bin.

"Heavens, the storm is coming. I'm following this plot!"

"This plot is much better than before. More, please! Did Young Master Qin see this? I want to see his reaction!"

"Let's place bets. Who thinks who will win?"

"Do we even need to ask? In this school, besides Li You, only Pu Daxi can handle Young Master Qin!"

"If Young Master Qin dares to touch Young Master Pu, I'll really admire him."

"Aren't you afraid of being banned for naming names?"

"Talking about Senior Qin like this isn't just about being banned, it might be worse. Hope none of you end up floating in the sea tomorrow."

"Delete the post, delete the post. Let's chat in a group!"

Someone immediately posted a group number, and a few minutes later, the post was deleted.

When Ning Song returned from the restroom, he saw a guy from the neighboring class taking pictures of the trash bin and running away upon seeing him.

He approached and looked at the roses in the trash bin.

Qiao Qiao came out and whispered, "I just told Pu Yu about Qin Yi's crimes, which might have sparked his righteous indignation. He threw the flowers away for you."

Honestly, Ning Song had been thinking in the restroom about how to deal with these flowers.

He didn't want to confront Qin Yi. If someone gives you flowers and you throw them away, it looks like a scene from an idol drama where the heroine bravely resists, making the school bully even more obsessed: "I've never seen such a bold woman!"

He didn't want that kind of plot development!

But bringing them back to the dorm, he feared Qin Yi would become even more irrational.

This is good; Pu Yu took care of it for him.

He walked past the trash can and returned to the classroom.

Pu Yu, acting as if nothing had happened, got up and asked, "Where do you want to go for lunch?"

"Whatever you want to eat, I'll treat you," Ning Song said.

As they left the classroom, Ning Song felt a pair of eyes boring into him.

He glanced back and saw Jin Yang staring at them.

What a headache.

But in critical moments, one should be a bit selfish. As a side character, when he himself was in danger, he shouldn't worry about the main characters' love lives. He wasn't some naive side character!

Maybe he was just there to make the main characters jealous?

They arrived at the cafeteria, everything seemed normal. Now, walking around campus, no one stared at him anymore.

Perhaps everyone had gotten used to it.

He had also gotten used to it.

Suddenly, he realized that he was now very close to the main characters.

He didn't seem like a side character anymore, but more like an important supporting role.

During the meal, he received messages from Shen Lingsi and Li You.

Shen Lingsi asked, "I just heard someone say Qin Yi came to your class to give you flowers?"

Li You: "Did that guy harass you?"

His replies to the two were different. To Shen Lingsi, he replied more politely: "It was signed by him, not sure what his intentions were."

To Li You, he was more casual, expressing his true feelings: "Not sure what he's thinking."

After sending the messages, he saw Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan approaching.

The two of them, inseparable, walked over. Sheng Yan, with his long legs, sat down beside him and asked, "I heard Qin Yi gave you flowers. Is that true?"

"The flowers are still in the trash can outside our classroom," Ning Song said.

Sheng Yan laughed and said, "What's wrong with him?"

Li Qingyuan said, "Could it be because you're getting closer to Li You?"

Ning Song looked up, "Huh?"

Li Qingyuan continued, "Qin Yi doesn't get along with Li You, so he doesn't like those close to him either."

Qiao Qiao, with a sudden realization, said, "That makes sense. We were even blocked by Qin Yi on the food street once. He thought Li You went to the welcome party for Aning, so he caused trouble."

Li Qingyuan: "When did that happen?"

"It was during Aning's first week here. Probably on a Saturday."

Pu Yu: "What's a welcome party?"

Everyone looked at him.

Ning Song said, "You don't need to look at him like that; it's normal that he doesn't know."

"It's a welcome party for new special admissions students," Li Qingyuan explained to Pu Yu.

Pu Yu stopped eating.

"But isn't this ridiculous? Just because I'm getting closer to Youge, he sends me flowers? That's not how you play games."

"He's just a psycho," Qiao Qiao complained. "He does whatever he wants. Anyway, Brother Yu, Brother Yan, you guys will protect him, right?"

Qiao Qiao immediately looked at Sheng Yan, trying to get him on board to protect Ning Song: "Right, Brother Yan?"

Sheng Yan said, "Of course I'll protect him."

Then he turned to Ning Song and said, "Why do you always attract such weirdos, either old men or psychos?"

Pu Yu: "...Old men?"

Qiao Qiao: "Yeah, what old men?"

Ning Song said, "A customer I met at the KTV. Can you believe it? He's a university teacher and he didn't even spare someone like me!"

Qiao Qiao immediately said, "That's not fair, you're not bad at all!"

Li Qingyuan added, "Ning Song does seem to have improved in looks recently."

Ning Song, while eating, said, "I wouldn't dare say I'm handsome in front of such handsome guys."

Pu Yu, of course, thought Ning Song was very handsome, beauty seen through love's eyes. Sheng Yan was slightly more objective; he didn't think Ning Song was particularly beautiful, but he found him very appealing.

After lunch, they headed back to their dorms for a nap. Qiao Qiao lived in Building 2, Ning Song in Building 4, and the other three in Building 1. The weather was warm and sunny, with white ash trees in full bloom. Sheng Yan, with his white hair, chatted casually with Ning Song, shifting from Qin Yi to the Spring Festival performance. Today, he wasn't being cheeky, but rather serious, giving off a relaxed youthful vibe.

Pu Yu, walking behind, thought that Sheng Yan's brilliance was somewhat blinding.

He envied the natural harmony between them, even more than he envied his rival, Shen Lingsi.

Sheng Yan suddenly asked, "I've never been to your dorm before. Which floor do you live on?"

Ning Song asked, "Shall we go up and sit for a while?"

Sheng Yan said half-jokingly, "Sure. It'll be good to give you some company."

Ning Song asked, "Brother Yuan, are you coming?"

Li Qingyuan said, "I won't join you; someone's urging me to get online."

Ning Song then looked at Pu Yu.

Pu Yu glanced at Sheng Yan and Ning Song and said, "I'm going back to the dorm."

He could already imagine the scene of the three of them together.

Going along would just make him a silent third wheel, better to avoid it altogether.

They then parted ways at the skyway.

This was the first time Li Qingyuan was walking alone with Pu Yu. Finding Pu Yu rather quiet, he took the initiative to start a conversation but noticed Pu Yu looking back.

The laughter of Ning Song and Sheng Yan drifted over from behind the bushes. Sheng Yan's white hair blended in with the white elderflowers.

Li Qingyuan said, "Has your team started training?"

Pu Yu turned around and nodded.

"Only on weekends now?"

"Mm."

"Morning runs? Our soccer coach Liu is crazy; he makes us run ten laps every morning."

Li Qingyuan felt his tone had never been so refined before.

Pu Yu said, "We run on our own."

"The coach doesn't require check-ins?"

"Mm."

"You guys have it much easier than us."

Pu Yu didn't respond, seeming distracted.

Li Qingyuan found making friends with Pu Yu quite challenging.

He wondered how Ning Song managed to break through this handsome ice block's defenses.

"Does Sheng Yan still keep in touch with Li Siting?" Pu Yu suddenly asked.

Li Qingyuan was taken aback by the sudden question and said, "You mean Li Siting from middle school?"

"Mm."

"She went to New State in her freshman year. We occasionally chat on FB." Li Qingyuan knew many people thought Sheng Yan and Li Siting were dating back in middle school. To prolong the conversation, he added, "She and Ah Yan are just friends. Their families were close, but now that her family has moved away and their business shifted to Europe, they don't talk much anymore."

"Oh."

"If you need her contact, I can give it to you."

"No need." Pu Yu: "I just assumed they used to date."

He was merely asking about Sheng Yan's relationship status.

Li Qingyuan laughed and said, "No, Ah Yan doesn't like girls."

Pu Yu: "..."

Author's Note

Pu Yu: Should've known better than to ask.