Chapter 52: The Evolution of a Class Flower

Chapter 52: The Evolution of a Class Flower

"Pu Yu!"

In the classroom, Jin Yang called out to Pu Yu with red eyes.

He had been secretly in love with him for so long that everyone knew he liked Pu Yu, except Pu Yu himself.

Or perhaps Pu Yu simply didn't care.

There were plenty of people who liked him.

Silent admiration was something he could ignore, but if someone confessed to him directly, they would be rejected without mercy.

So Jin Yang had always held back. This young master, known for his flamboyance and arrogance, had transferred to Upper East Boys' School after seeing Pu Yu for the first time on the rugby field in junior high. He then managed to switch to Class Three by any means necessary.

Even when he thought Ning Song and Pu Yu had become close, he had restrained himself.

But today, Pu Yu looked so handsome on the field that it made him want to cry, and he felt willing to do anything for this person, no matter what.

He couldn't hold back anymore. After keeping it inside all afternoon, he finally confessed to Pu Yu.

Because the contrast between Pu Yu's quiet demeanor in the corner of the classroom and his dynamic presence on the field was just too stark!

He was both a top student and an athlete—how could there be such a sexy and perfect guy in the world?

Even his aloof personality seemed incredibly attractive to him.

"I really like you!"

He shouted loudly, not caring if others heard and mocked him.

Because he knew this was his only chance, and if he didn't pursue it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

For three years, he had liked him for three whole years.

But he was infatuated with someone who had no heart, someone who rejected others without considering their feelings.

"I don't like you. I switched seats because I didn't want to sit too close to you. I hope I won't have to repeat these words."

Pu Yu finished packing his books, grabbed his backpack from the desk, and ran out of the classroom.

He ran out.

Despite being lightning-fast on the field, Pu Yu never ran outside of it, always maintaining a composed and unhurried pace, devoid of any youthful exuberance. Some people accused him of putting on an act, but it was undeniable that few could pull it off as naturally as he did.

But now, he ran out with his backpack, clearly chasing after Ning Song.

Jin Yang chased to the classroom door, only to see the golden sunset illuminating the green leaves. Ahead, Sheng Yan carried a ball, slung a backpack over his shoulder, and walked while talking to Ning Song.

Pu Yu slowed down after a few steps, watching Ning Song and Sheng Yan's backs.

Jin Yang remembered that not long ago, he had approached Ning Song, asked a couple of questions, and then left in frustration. Now he felt foolish for treating Ning Song as a rival.

It turned out he was the one who was ridiculous!

Could Pu Yu really like Ning Song?

He admitted that Ning Song wasn't as bad as the rumors suggested, but he certainly wasn't good enough to win Pu Yu's affection!

They were worlds apart!

Jin Yang turned around and saw several boys in the classroom staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped, all the tenderness and sincerity from his confession gone, replaced by anger.

The boys knew better than to provoke him, so they quickly returned to their seats.

On the forum of Upper East School, Pu Yu's name and photos had flooded the pages today. Many of his secret admirers emerged, posting pictures of Pu Yu and gushing over him.

Soon, a new post appeared: "Breaking news: Someone confessed to my Brother Yu!"

"Who, who is so bold?"

"Is it real? Someone actually confessed to Brother Yu in our school?"

"I can't reveal names, or it would be too easy to figure out. All I can say is that I witnessed it, and the confessor was in tears!"

"Hahaha, that's expected."

"Help, how many people has my Brother Yu made cry?"

"He must not be from our school; everyone here knows he's untouchable."

"Some guys in our school still dream. How could Master Pu ever choose a man?"

"What the hell, it's a new era. What's wrong with choosing a man? Same-sex marriage is legal!"

"After all these years, there hasn't been anyone close to Master Pu, male or female. I suspect he might be asexual."

"Just because he's alone, people assume he's asexual. Why doesn't anyone question Sheng Yan? More people confess to him, and he never dates either."

"Sheng Yan is a natural heartbreaker. Did anyone count how many girls and boys asked him for his contact info today?"

"Someone just said Master Pu doesn't have anyone close. Isn't Ning Song close to him?"

"Hahaha, yeah, remember when people shipped them? The prodigy and the poor boy from the slums!"

"Ha, that was a joke. Even though he beat up Qin, we can call him Big Brother Bean Sprout, but no one seriously thinks he and Pu Yu are a couple, right?"

"I don't think anyone is good enough for my Brother Yu!"

"He can't stay single forever. But it's unlikely he'll chase after someone; we'll just have to see who can catch him."

Pu Yu followed Ning Song slowly from behind.

The sun was low in the sky, and the white ash flowers were so sparse they were almost invisible. The orange sunlight filtered through the new green branches of old trees, casting patches of light on the ground.

Sheng Yan, feeling that he had lost big today and wanting to make amends, arrived at school early to wait for Ning Song.

Though he was very popular, he had never been promiscuous!

When others confessed their feelings to him, he always politely and gentlemanly declined them.

He was determined to show Ning Song how well-behaved and pure he was!

As he chatted with Ning Song, the soccer ball in his hands slipped and fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up but saw Pu Yu walking behind them when he looked up.

He wasn't sure if this was a coincidence. He tossed the ball in his hand and caught it, then said to Ning Song, "Let's hurry up. The food I brought is getting cold."

At lunch today, he noticed that Ning Song particularly enjoyed a dish called Crab Roe Lobster with Tofu. Since there were many people, Ning Song didn't get to eat much of it. Fortunately, his aunt could make it, so he asked her to prepare it and bring it to school. He also brought Ning Song's favorite preserved plum spare ribs from the school cafeteria.

Originally, he planned to serve it for dinner, but he couldn't resist and came to school with the food around four o'clock. Ning Song hadn't arrived yet, so he played some soccer near the teaching building.

While playing, he thought about how unfortunate it was that soccer, though competitive, couldn't compare to the popularity of football. He knew he couldn't match Pu Yu's athletic prowess.

But he believed he would be more famous than Pu Yu in the future.

Pu Yu only showed off in front of a few thousand people in a stadium, while he would sing for Ning Song in front of tens of thousands at a concert.

In terms of grandeur and romance, he felt he could easily surpass Pu Yu!

He sensed that Pu Yu might be making a comeback, a sixth sense.

The mind of a rival is strange. A few days ago, he felt a sense of solidarity seeing Pu Yu's lonely state and even felt a bit of pity. Now, seeing Pu Yu's resurgence, he found everything about him irritating again!

Pu Yu originally intended to catch up with them once they separated.

Unexpectedly, Ning Song went to Sheng Yan's dormitory with him.

Not knowing what Ning Song was doing at Sheng Yan's place or what Sheng Yan was planning, Pu Yu realized that the most important thing now was to talk to Ning Song.

Ning Song knew that Jin Yang liked him.

He had switched seats with another classmate because of this, but before he could explain to Ning Song, they became distant acquaintances.

He felt this needed to be clarified.

Or rather, he needed to follow them.

This wasn't a misunderstanding; it was an opportunity.

Ning Song ate dinner at Sheng Yan's dormitory. He was truly hungry, but Sheng Yan barely ate, watching Ning Song instead. "If you like it, come over this weekend. Whatever you want, my aunt will cook it for you. Freshly made is even better."

"Aren't we going camping this weekend?"

"Then let's do it the following week." Sheng Yan smiled, reached for a napkin, and handed it to Ning Song. "You're always welcome. Eating alone is boring. Qing Yuan has been spending a lot of time with his girlfriend lately."

Ning Song took the napkin and wiped his mouth. "Aren't you eating?"

Sheng Yan replied, "I'm not that hungry."

Actually, he was hungry, having waited all day to eat with Ning Song.

But watching Ning Song eat was more satisfying than eating himself.

Ning Song seemed to be growing taller recently, and his skin had a youthful glow, making his face more vibrant. The soup moistened his lips, and seventeen-year-old Ning Song looked even more appealing while eating. Sheng Yan watched him for a while, then fetched some yogurt cheese from the fridge. He leaned over the table to watch Ning Song eat, straightened up when Ning Song looked at him strangely, and leaned back in his chair, playing with his phone.

Ning Song noticed that Sheng Yan's legs were quite nice, perhaps not as long as Pu Yu's, but straighter and slightly thinner.

"What's the scar on your leg?" he asked Sheng Yan.

Sheng Yan, who was pretending to play a game, froze when he noticed Ning Song looking at his leg. Hearing Ning Song's question, he realized Ning Song was looking at the scar on his knee. He quickly pulled his leg back and explained, "When I was young, I was hit by a woman riding a bike on my way to school. She scolded me, and I didn't dare say anything. I limped home and covered it with my pants to avoid being scolded by my mom. Later... the wound was deep, so it left a scar."

"What happened later?"

"It got infected. I didn't want to ruin your appetite by talking about it."

Ning Song said, "I have a scar on my knee too."

He rolled up his pant leg to show Sheng Yan. "My mom says it's from a dog bite when I was little."

Despite being a bit chubby, his legs were still thin. At nearly six feet tall, he weighed only 110 pounds, and his legs were no thicker than bamboo sticks. There was a noticeable white scar on his knee.

Sheng Yan stretched out his leg for comparison. "Really thin."

Thin legs aren't usually considered attractive on a guy, but these were Ning Song's legs. Though thin, they were smooth and hairless. When their knees touched, the warm, smooth sensation made Sheng Yan feel restless. He immediately pulled his leg back, but the feeling lingered on his skin. He picked up his phone, trying to distract himself from the heat in his lower abdomen, and said, "No wonder you're so scared of dogs."

That wasn't the reason. His fear of dogs stemmed from another incident in another world, where he was bitten much worse, leaving visible scars on both sides of his calf.

Ning Song let down his pant leg, ate the yogurt cheese, and said, "Yeah, seeing your dog Nunu makes my legs weak."

"Nunu was bought when I came to Dong. Grandpa let me choose any dog, and I specifically picked a big one. My stepmom is afraid of it and doesn't visit often."

Ning Song laughed.

He had anticipated that Sheng Yan's family situation was complicated. A few days ago, he saw news about Sheng Yan's father, who was in his sixties. The "Grandpa" he mentioned must be his father. Grandpa had been married three times and had rumors linking him to several veteran actresses, but he only had one child, Sheng Yan, born out of wedlock. Initially, Grandpa denied the child, but eventually brought him back when he realized he couldn't have more children. From the gossip, it was clear that Grandpa didn't treat Sheng Yan well. Now, they were at odds because Sheng Yan wanted to enter the entertainment industry.

Despite such a difficult upbringing, Sheng Yan had grown into a bright and sunny person, which was truly remarkable.

If it were Pu Yu, he would be sulking even more.

Thinking of Pu Yu, Ning Song remembered how stiff he was when he saw him enter the classroom, and couldn't help but find it a bit amusing.

He was originally going to return to his dorm after eating. How could Sheng Yan let him go? With the keenness of a rival in love, he suspected that Pu Yu was waiting for Ning Song either in Building 4 or on the way.

Let him wait as long as he wants; better yet, give up. It would be best if things returned to how they were a few days ago, when Pu Yu kept to himself and almost became a stranger to Ning Song. At that time, he almost went to ask Pu Yu about it out of unease, now thinking he was truly ungrateful back then.

Ning Song did his homework in Sheng Yan's dorm. As soon as he finished, Li Qingyuan arrived.

Li Qingyuan came to assist, having received a message from his childhood friend asking him to come over to play games together.

But he knew Sheng Yan too well. It was obvious that Young Master Sheng was a bit intimidated, wanting to spend more time with his crush but afraid of being too obvious, so he called him over as company.

What could he do?

He had to assist as best he could.

Before he knew it, it was already dark outside. The lights in the hall hadn't been turned on yet. Pu Yu put away his book, checked the time on his phone.

Even though it was past dinner time, he still didn't see Ning Song come out.

Pu Yu could have gone to eat first, but he sat there without moving, the old jealousy resurfacing uncontrollably.

He felt a bit rebellious, wanting to see just how long Ning Song would stay in Sheng Yan's dorm.

Today, he had been feeling restless, so he arrived early in the classroom in the afternoon. He didn't expect not only Jin Yang to confess but also for Ning Song to see it. Following him out, he then saw Ning Song chatting happily as he went to Sheng Yan's dorm, unsure how long he would stay.

His cold hadn't improved; he had pushed himself too hard during the game, making his symptoms worse. Feeling dizzy, he sat in the hall for two hours, feeling chilly all over.

Upstairs, Ning Song and the other two played two rounds of games. Ning Song remembered he still had his English task for today, checking the time: "I can't stay, I need to go."

Pu Yu added some oral practice to his English study plan. He practiced following videos, spending thirty minutes every night. His schedule was tight, with no time on Saturdays due to part-time work, so he made up for it on Sundays.

"One more round," Li Qingyuan grabbed his wrist.

Ning Song loved playing games, but at this crucial moment, his ambition overcame the temptation: "No, we'll play next time."

Seeing him leave, Sheng Yan quickly got up, grabbing an album: "This is for you."

"What is it?" Li Qingyuan asked.

Ning Song opened it, seeing photos they took in the jasmine fields. He had taken many of Sheng Yan, and Sheng Yan had taken many of him, all printed out.

Li Qingyuan couldn't help laughing at the many selfies of Sheng Yan in the album.

There were quite a few hidden intentions.

Ning Song left with the album, glancing at Pu Yu's floor number before pressing the ground floor button.

The elevator arrived quickly. He flipped through the album as he stepped out, the sky completely dark. Few people lived in Building 1, so the hall was quiet. He opened his backpack to put the album in and saw Pu Yu stand up.

He was stunned.

He never expected Pu Yu to be waiting for him here.

Pretending not to see him, he forgot to put the album in his backpack and walked quickly, holding it in his hand.

But Pu Yu followed him.

Waiting too long had made him endure, and his long legs allowed him to catch up at a normal pace, yet he kept a distance, like a stray dog trailing someone home, lacking the confidence of a pet dog.

Ning Song couldn't describe his feelings, feeling a bit unsteady, perhaps from sitting awkwardly while gaming. Walking across the skyway, they encountered some seniors, who stared at them from afar. Ning Song kept his gaze straight, passing by the seniors without greeting them. The wind was strong on the skyway, occasionally blowing his hair, and he started hearing Pu Yu cough. At first, it was brief, then it became continuous, prompting Ning Song to turn back to look at Pu Yu.

Pu Yu was still coughing, stopping when he saw Ning Song turn back.

Ning Song turned and continued walking, with Pu Yu following.

Suddenly, Ning Song turned and said, "Why don't you go rest if you're coughing so badly?"

Pu Yu replied, "It's just a sudden tickle in my throat."

His voice was quiet, almost pitiful. But he was tall, looking gloomy in the night, his brows exposed by the wind, somewhat fierce. Recalling his bulging veins during the game and his powerful thighs, he seemed anything but a sympathetic figure.

One hard bump from him could break him apart.

But knowing his abilities, seeing him silently follow him made him feel even more sorry for him.

Ning Song didn't say anything else, and Pu Yu followed him back to his dorm.

Opening the door, Pu Yu stood motionless at the entrance.

Ning Song said, "Come in or I'll close the door."

Pu Yu entered.

After days of absence, he smelled the familiar scent, entered the familiar place, and saw the familiar person.

Two hours of waiting were not in vain.

Today's screen time wasn't wasted either.

Once inside, both were silent. Ning Song placed his backpack and the album on the table, pursing his lips, and turned around.

"Talk. What's the matter?"

Pu Yu said, "Jin Yang confessed to me, and I rejected him."

"Oh." Ning Song asked, "Anything else?"

"Nothing left."

"How long have you been waiting down there?"

"I followed you out when you left the classroom."

Ning Song: "…"

After a moment of silence, Ning Song said, "I'm going to take a shower. You stay here."

Pu Yu responded with an "Mm," and said, "I'll read for a while."

Ning Song went out to take a shower. While showering, he suddenly remembered that he had left the photo album on the table.

He wasn't sure if he wanted Pu Yu to see it or not. In any case, he took a very long shower.

When he returned from the shower, he saw Pu Yu quietly reading. He didn’t hear him coughing anymore.

The photo album he had left on the table was now placed on the bookshelf by Pu Yu.

He didn’t know if Pu Yu had looked at it.

"I need to practice my oral skills now. You should go back," he said.

Pu Yu replied, "Let me help you."

"No."

"Alright."

Pu Yu stood up, gathered his books, and prepared to leave obediently.

Ning Song said, "Pretending to be so honest, but your actions are anything but."

Pu Yu remained silent.

He had no defense.

In truth, neither knew what to do next. Somehow, their relationship had turned into this—neither friends nor lovers, they found themselves in a gray area, a buffer zone where neither felt uncomfortable.

Pu Yu silently opened the door and left, tall and obedient.

A tight-lipped person.

Shen Lingsi was talking to Chen Mo near the public bathhouse at the base of Building 4 when he suddenly saw Pu Yu coming down from upstairs. He was completely stunned.

Pu Yu also saw him but didn’t greet him.

Watching Pu Yu walk away, his figure seemed as thin as a sharp blade.

This morning, he was still worried, and now, in the evening, he saw the embers reignite.

He moved fast indeed.

There was still a faint minty scent in the room. Ning Song was about to wash his clothes when his phone on the table vibrated. It was a message from the tight-lipped person.

The message read, "Good night, Ning Ning."

Ning Song replied with an emoji of a flying kick.

He knew he would push his luck.

Pu Yu felt the kick right in his heart.

It felt great.

If it were a real kick, he might have felt even happier.