Chapter 28 The True Appeal

Chapter 28 The True Appeal

Zhou Yuwei: "You... You stop lying to me. How could you not like Shi Yu? I clearly saw you holding his jacket, and the photos on the forum that day were also..."

Lin Yao: "That was because I was in a hurry to stop him from dropping out."

"Dropping out..." Zhou Yuwei was stunned.

She had never imagined that Shi Yu would even think about dropping out.

Shi Yu had never shown any signs of wanting to drop out.

But—

Zhou Yuwei: "How did you know Shi Yu wanted to drop out? And you still say you don't care about him or like him..."

"I just care about Shi Nian," Lin Yao said sincerely. "To me, Shi Nian is the one I want to care about. As for Shi Yu..."

She paused, thinking carefully.

Shi Yu didn't need her concern at all.

He had always been indifferent and nonchalant, perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Her opinion of him didn't really matter to him.

Even though he had apologized to her seriously and explained that he wasn't really annoyed with her, Lin Yao felt that Shi Yu wasn't quite as he claimed.

He occasionally treated her well out of consideration for their childhood friendship, or perhaps because his family had helped them when the Shi family was in trouble...

Lin Yao could clearly sense the cold and distant look in Shi Yu's eyes, indicating that he wanted to keep his distance from her.

Thinking of this, the girl lowered her dark eyes and spoke softly.

"Shi Yu... to me, he's just Shi Nian's younger brother. I cherish Shi Nian as a friend, and because I don't want Shi Nian to drop out, I tried to help retain Shi Yu."

"To me, he's just the younger brother of a good friend."

The wind on the rooftop suddenly grew stronger, carrying her words away in the noisy gusts.

As soon as Lin Yao finished speaking, she heard a commotion coming from the stairwell on the rooftop.

A loud "clang."

It sounded like something had hit the metal door.

Curious, she leaned over to see what had happened.

The metal door at the stairwell was tightly shut, completely still.

No one was seen pushing the door open, nor were there any signs of the iron gate moving.

Lin Yao indifferently withdrew her gaze, thinking that no one had come up; it was probably just the wind.

Just then, Zhou Yuwei's astonished voice came through, "What you said is all true? You... only care about Shi Yu because of Shi Nian."

"Mm, yes."

Lin Yao withdrew her gaze and thought carefully before responding.

"But I still think your idea is wrong. Even if I like Shi Yu, so what? Does that mean no one else can like him besides you?"

Zhou Yuwei seemed to have caught something: "Okay, I knew you also like Shi..."

"No, I've already said it's just an example." Lin Yao sounded a bit anxious.

"I'm saying, hypothetically. If I liked Shi Yu, or if someone else liked him, would that be unacceptable? Everyone has the right to decide who they like, whether it's someone else or Shi Yu himself."

Zhou Yuwei was momentarily speechless: "..."

She knew Lin Yao was right, but how could she admit it?

She... she didn't want to lose Shi Yu.

Zhou Yuwei: "My business is none of your concern. You don't understand the relationship between me and Shi Yu."

"I do admit I don't understand," Lin Yao nodded. She had never heard Shi Yu mention anything about Zhou Yuwei.

"But I know this much: liking someone is a beautiful thing, yet you hurt other girls because of your feelings. Think about it, if you were Shi Yu, would you like yourself for doing that?" She winked at her, her lovely face showing an innocent expression.

Zhou Yuwei felt Lin Yao was deliberately pretending to be innocent to provoke her.

But her seemingly ordinary and overly innocent words struck deep into Zhou Yuwei's heart.

Would she like herself?

Would she still like herself?

Zhou Yuwei was deeply affected by Lin Yao's soul-searching question, falling into a profound internal struggle.

It was a question she had always been deeply afraid to face.

She had become the type of person she despised the most.

Even she wouldn't like herself.

She had forgotten how she initially fell in love with Shi Yu...

"It won't... It won't be like that. Shi Yu wouldn't dislike me... You don't understand how special he was to me back then..."

"He must like me..."

"He will definitely like me..."

Zhou Yuwei slowly squatted down, hugging her knees, breaking down in tears as Lin Yao's words hit her vulnerable heart.

She cried so hard, so very hard.

Just like many years ago, the bullied girl who also squatted on the ground, hugging her knees and crying.

Lin Yao's eyes were slightly dazed, as if she saw herself back then.

Her heart felt heavy. Even though she could have ignored it, she inexplicably felt a sense of shared suffering.

Lin Yao walked over, squatted down next to Zhou Yuwei, gently patted her shoulder, and spoke softly.

"Okay... stop crying. If you keep crying, you'll look terrible at school tomorrow and I'll outshine you." The young girl's voice was gentle and soothing, like a warm iron smoothing out the marks of hurt.

"I... I'm not going to be uglier than you!" Zhou Yuwei cried, lifting her head.

She had intended to refute Lin Yao, but when she looked up and saw Lin Yao tilting her head and looking at her with caring, innocent eyes, she felt a warmth as if something was tightly embracing her.

"Wah wah..." Zhou Yuwei couldn't help reaching out to hug Lin Yao, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I don't want you to care about me, I don't want your concern... why do you even bother... wah wah wah..."

On the rooftop, the wind grew stronger.

The girl's suppressed sobs gradually turned into unrestrained cries, fully releasing her emotions.

...

...

Lin Yao finally understood why Zhou Yuwei cared so much about Shi Yu.

It turned out that Zhou Yuwei came from an extremely patriarchal wealthy family where she lacked everything except money. Her father suppressed her, her mother despised her, and her personality became insecure and peculiar.

When she entered No. 5 Middle School, despite being recognized as the most beautiful student, everyone could bully her.

Those who needed money would find her to "withdraw" some.

Those who envied her looks and wealth would deliberately torment her.

"The first time I met Shi Yu was during the midterm exam in our first year. It was raining heavily that day, and once again, I was stopped outside the school. They wouldn't let me take the exam unless I gave them all my money. They threw my backpack into the rain and pushed me to the ground. When I asked for help from passing classmates, they all ran away in fear."

"I was so desperate, convinced that no one would care about me, just like my parents... But then, Shi Yu appeared."

On that rainy day, the black-haired, black-clothed boy appeared at the alley entrance, holding a large umbrella.

He didn't even need to act; he only said two sentences, and the thugs around her fled in terror.

Shi Yu silently helped her pick up her backpack from the ground and handed it to her.

"You don't know, even when he was helping me, he still had that cold, distant demeanor. Throughout the whole ordeal, Shi Yu only said one thing to me..."

"He told me to go take the exam."

Though it was just a calm, ordinary statement, to Zhou Yuwei, it was the only ray of light in her dark life.

"After that, I fell hopelessly in love with Shi Yu. I thought he helped me because he had feelings for me, so I pursued him more fervently, even... even learning to use money to buy the favor of those who could be bought."

"I... I thought that if I became popular at school and made changes, I could catch up to Shi Yu. But he told me he already had someone he liked." Zhou Yuwei lowered her head.

Lin Yao's throat tightened.

She remembered the day she overheard Zhou Yuwei confessing to Shi Yu in the stairwell.

What Shi Yu had said then...

But then, Lin Yao realized she was overthinking it.

Anyone could see that Shi Yu was intentionally deflecting, making a joke that shouldn't be taken seriously.

"You're right. Shi Yu has the right to like anyone, and others have the right to like him. What I'm doing now is no different from what I hated the most—the bullies who tormented me. I've lost myself, no wonder no one likes me..."

Zhou Yuwei looked up at her.

"Lin Yao, I really hate you. Maybe it's because you have something I've never had—the warmth of being loved. You don't understand; someone who has never been loved doesn't know how to love properly. You don't understand my pain... But I can only thank you for waking me up today... Do you know how annoying that is!"

Zhou Yuwei laughed through her tears as she spoke.

A child who had never been cared for, lacking love, suddenly being splashed with water by the person they hated the most, telling them they were wrong.

How absurd.

But no one had ever told her what was right or wrong.

No one.

"Okay, I know I'm being annoying. I won't say anything else, stop crying." Lin Yao couldn't bear it and offered a tissue.

She gently patted Zhou Yuwei's head, staring at her with her moist eyes, afraid she might cry again.

Zhou Yuwei initially felt pitiful.

But when she looked up and saw Lin Yao's small face filled with concern, she suddenly felt the absurdity of being comforted by a childish ghost.

"I'm not crying, I'm not crying..." Zhou Yuwei bumped her head against Lin Yao.

"Oh..."

Lin Yao lost her balance and fell backward.

Zhou Yuwei, who was being pulled by her, also tumbled to the ground.

"Lin Yao, why did you knock me down? Now my snot is all over my face..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Here's some tissue for you..."

"Ugh, it's all your fault..."

"Sorry, sorry..."

"Waaah..."

As a result of the commotion on the rooftop, they were late for their next class.

Fortunately, the next class was a study period.

When Lin Yao was about to leave the rooftop, Zhou Yuwei suddenly came close in a mysterious manner.

"Hey, I have a secret to tell you." Zhou Yuwei naturally leaned over, holding onto Lin Yao's arm, acting very familiarly.

Lin Yao looked at Zhou Yuwei, who was grabbing her right arm: "..."

She seemed so unreserved.

Lin Yao: "What is it?"

Zhou Yuwei: "It's about Shi Yu. I think Shi Yu definitely has a girl he likes."

Lin Yao's heart tightened.

"A girl he likes? Do you know who she is?"

Shi Yu's love interest shouldn't have appeared yet. How could Zhou Yuwei know? Could it be that she also awakened?

Lin Yao looked at her even more nervously.

Zhou Yuwei: "I don't know. I'm just guessing..."

Lin Yao's heart, which had been lifted, finally settled.

She thought so; Shi Yu's love interest would only appear in college. It wouldn't make sense if Zhou Yuwei knew now.

Zhou Yuwei: "But I trust my first instinct. The girl Shi Yu likes must be in our school. You know, when he rejected me, he slipped up and said that he helped me because he doesn't like seeing people bully classmates."

"He said that a girl he liked was bullied this way before."

Lin Yao watched Zhou Yuwei as she earnestly recalled, her long eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably.

"You mean... Shi Yu helped you because a girl he liked was also bullied like that?"

"Yeah, Shi Yu said it himself." Zhou Yuwei leaned closer, "By the way, didn't you say you're close with Shi Nian? Have you heard Shi Nian mention who Shi Yu likes? Who is that girl?"

Lin Yao stared blankly at Zhou Yuwei.

She didn't know.

She really didn't know.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Zhou Yuwei said, "Forget it. Judging by your reaction, you probably don't understand what liking someone means. Let's go back to the classroom."

...

...

For the entire afternoon, Lin Yao was in a daze.

Her mind kept replaying Zhou Yuwei's words.

And...

That time in elementary school, she was supposed to participate in a performance but was stopped outside the venue.

She was pushed to the ground by other children.

The carefully applied bee makeup and costume her mother had prepared for her were all ruined.

The three boys in her class who loved bullying others laughed at her dancing and wouldn't let her perform.

It was raining that day too.

Then, despite having a high fever and saying he wouldn't come, Shi Yu unexpectedly appeared outside the venue.

He handed an umbrella to Lin Yao and rushed towards those boys.

He fought with the tallest and fattest boys in their class.

"Lin Yao."

When the dismissal bell rang, Shi Nian was about to turn around to call Lin Yao to go home together.

Qi Yanye beside him tapped Lin Yao's desk first with his knuckles.

"Hey, little teacher... I need to talk to you."

Lin Yao snapped back to reality, still a bit dazed, looking at Qi Yanye.

Until she saw Shi Nian, who had already packed her bag and wanted to call out to her but was slightly embarrassed because Qi Yanye beat her to it.

Lin Yao came back to her senses: "What's up?"

Qi Yanye directly took out his phone, tapped on a QR code, and handed it to her, "Scan it."

Lin Yao: "Scan it?"

"Yeah, so Dashi won't say I don't even have my deskmate's contact." Qi Yanye's single eyelid drooped, "Why, don't you want to add me on WeChat?"

How could she say no!

Lin Yao hurriedly took out her phone and scanned Qi Yanye's contact information.

With a beep, the friend request was accepted.

Qi Yanye glanced at the expressionless Shi Nian beside him and smiled at Lin Yao, "Are you now very close with her?"

Lin Yao looked at Shi Nian, then at Qi Yanye.

Thinking of Shen Chaowen, the blue-haired guy from next door who had been pestering Shi Nian to date him... Clearly, Qi Yanye is the one in charge here.

Right, she must quickly get the plot back on track.

Lin Yao forced a friendly smile: "Yeah, Shi Nian and I are good friends. Why don't you add her as a friend too?"

Shi Nian: "Yoyo, I..."

"No need, we've already added each other as friends." Qi Yanye pursed his lips.

Lin Yao was taken aback but suddenly felt relieved.

Even though Qi Yanye implied that he added Shi Nian because she was the deputy class monitor, who would add someone just because they were the deputy class monitor? He's the school bully, after all.

Lin Yao smelled the sour scent of love.

The official pairing is indeed the official pairing; they've already added each other as friends privately. It seems she doesn't need to worry about the plot anymore.

But Qi Yanye's next words made Lin Yao unable to smile anymore.

Qi Yanye, "I sent you the address earlier. Come to my house this weekend to help me study."

This casual statement almost caused an uproar in the classroom.

Holy crap, the school bully actually invited Lin Yao to his house for the weekend?

How long have they known each other? Things are moving so fast.

Lin Yao's face turned red, what, what?

"Wait a minute, why should I help you..."

Qi Yanye: "If you don't want to help, that's fine. We'll share our scores anyway. If I get 0 points, you can figure out what to do."

Lin Yao didn't expect Qi Yanye to be so mean.

She got even angrier.

But Qi Yanye wasn't done yet.

He leaned closer to Lin Yao and whispered something only they could hear: "The person tutoring me this weekend is Shi Nian. You two are so close; if you don't come, she'll be bullied by me."

Lin Yao's eyes reddened: "..."

So unfair!

How could someone be so unfair!

But... why is Shi Nian tutoring Qi Yanye!?

In the last row of the classroom, Shi Yu sat in his seat, watching the scene not far away with a dark expression.

Beside him, Zhou Yuwei, who had just returned from crying, propped her face with both hands and wore a smug smile as she looked forward.

"Shi Yu, look, look! Isn't there some chemistry between Lin Yao and Qi Yanye? They're so close."

After being scolded by Lin Yao, Zhou Yuwei suddenly found chasing people for romance really boring.

Romance is not as fun as shipping couples.

Although Shi Yu is great, he clearly doesn't have feelings for her.

She admires and appreciates Shi Yu, just like she finds Lin Yao cute and likes her. That's not romantic love; it's just her craving for warmth because she hasn't seen the sun.

"No wonder Lin Yao said she doesn't like you. I thought she was lying to me before... Do you think Lin Yao likes guys like Qi Yanye?"

The boy sitting beside her suddenly gave her a cold glance.

Zhou Yuwei was startled, "W-what are you doing..."

As far as she knew, Shi Yu never bullied or intimidated classmates at school.

But why did she feel like Shi Yu's gaze was threatening?

"What will it take to switch desks?"

His cold, deep voice.

"Tell Da Shi you no longer wish to sit with me, and the terms are yours to dictate."