Chapter 32: I Want to Scream

Chapter 32: I Want to Scream

Cen Wu froze for a moment. Xie Guiluan helped him push aside his hair, his fingers almost brushing his face. His snow-white cheeks flushed red, and he clenched the skirt tightly with both hands.

"You’re the princess, your whole family’s full of princesses."

Xie Guiluan hadn’t moved from his half-kneeling position, his scorching palm still gripping Cen Wu’s ankle.

Cen Wu gently kicked his knee, wanting to snarl but not daring to provoke him. He left a small, dusty footprint on Xie Guiluan's school uniform pants and said, "You... get out."

"Miss," Xie Guiluan looked up, seemingly unfazed by being stepped on. His dark peach-blossom eyes held a hint of a smile—or maybe not. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Can I borrow your school jacket?"

The rental shop was packed and stiflingly hot. He had taken off his school uniform jacket earlier and tossed it onto the sofa outside.

Xie Guiluan was cold as ice, but those long, narrow eyes—like dark peach blossoms—gave him an air of both charm and detachment. When he was expressionless, it was fine, but when his thin lips curved, every word dripped with seduction, turning his cold demeanor into a lure that made people willingly follow him, even if it meant walking through fire.

Cen Wu’s mind was in chaos and didn’t understand what Xie Guiluan wanted to do. He didn’t pay attention to him, and Xie Guiluan took his jacket, tied it around his waist to cover up, and then headed outside.

Cen Wu always felt something was off.

What was there to hide? He was still wearing pants, after all.

He wondered if Xie Guiluan had some kind of "perfect guy syndrome," not just acing exams but also setting the standard for male virtue, maybe even wearing bulletproof underwear.

By the time Cen Wu changed and went outside, most of the other students had already tried on their outfits. Xu Lingling had paid the deposit and booked the costumes for the performance days, ensuring they wouldn’t be rented out again.

Then, the class slowly dispersed.

Many students at Huai Jing No.1 High School were boarders, but most would go home on Saturday night, leaving only about ten people. Lu Wang waved his hand and said, "I’ll treat you all to dinner."

Everyone knew Lu Wang was loaded and loved spending, so no one hesitated. A group of them laughingly headed towards the Hunan cuisine restaurant next to the school, which had been open for several years, offering large portions at low prices.

Students often gathered there for meals.

"I’ll go buy some milk tea first." Lu Wang ordered more than a dozen cups of milk tea, spending a little extra to add double toppings for Cen Wu and getting the same for Xie Guiluan.

It was already 8:30 PM, and the evening had settled in. After school on Saturday, the area around Huai Jing No.1 High School was somewhat deserted.

Cen Wu sniffled softly. After a few rainy days, the night had gradually turned cool, and his arms felt chilly.

Xie Guiluan turned around and took the school uniform jacket from his waist to hand it to him.

Cen Wu felt that Xie Guiluan was indeed straight.

Inside the rental shop, everything was fine, calling him "miss," but after coming out, Xie Guiluan didn’t talk much to him, keeping his distance as if deliberately avoiding physical contact.

Could it be that he only liked him in a skirt?

Because he looked like a girl, he was nicer, but Xie Guiluan seemed distant from the girls in the class as well, still with a cold face, treating them no differently than the boys.

Cen Wu pursed his lips.

Xie Guiluan took his backpack and carried it for him, letting him put on the jacket, but even after Cen Wu wore it, Xie Guiluan didn’t return the backpack, just continued to hold it for him.

There weren’t many people tonight, and the milk tea shop soon started calling numbers. Lu Wang ran over, handing Cen Wu a cup of milk tea and another to Xie Guiluan, saying, "One for you, one for you. Here."

Then he went to get the other milk teas.

Cen Wu’s hands were sore, so Xie Guiluan inserted the straw and held the cup for him, offering it whenever he wanted a sip.

The neon lights flickered, reflecting off the puddles left from last night's heavy rain and also reflected in Xie Guiluan's dark eyes. His young and handsome face remained cold, though his posture was lowered.

It was hard to tell if it was obedience or dormancy.

Cen Wu suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. He was becoming bold, daring to let Xie Guiluan serve him.

He reached out to take the milk tea, "I... I can do it myself."

But Xie Guiluan didn't give it to him. His dark, gloomy eyes looked down, and the neon lights intertwined, just enough to suppress the pleasure in his eyes, waiting for Cen Wu to drink from his hand.

In the original novel, every glance and action of Xie Guiluan's was complex, dark, and brooding, with deep schemes. Even if Cen Wu knew the entire 3 million-word original novel by heart, he still might not know what Xie Guiluan was thinking.

But beside them stood the old gate of Huai Jing No.1 High School, the neon lights and last night's puddles on the streets, and classmates in school uniforms laughing and joking, all carrying a youthful air.

Only Xie Guiluan was cold and gloomy, still not looking like a high school student despite wearing the uniform.

If he were to make a movie, this scene would certainly have meaning. Although Xie Guiluan was holding things for him and feeding him milk tea, he had to lower his head to drink—a dynamic that could easily be flipped.

He didn't intend to bully Xie Guiluan, nor did he have the thought of controlling him, but he ended up being controlled by Xie Guiluan.

For someone like Xie Guiluan, whose personality was repressed and sinister, being in a position of power and having his control satisfied brought him pleasure.

Cen Wu had no intention of fighting with him. Humoring him a bit wouldn't hurt, so let Xie Guiluan take his revenge.

He moved closer to Xie Guiluan and lowered his head to bite the straw, his cold, pale nape exposed in front of Xie Guiluan. His deep, long lashes fluttered as he cautiously observed Xie Guiluan's reaction.

At first, Xie Guiluan's eyes changed, the dark, gloomy orbs adding a different emotion.

But as Cen Wu lowered his head, he grabbed Xie Guiluan's wrist, and the wound on Cen Wu's hand brushed against the wrist bone, causing a dense shiver.

Xie Guiluan pressed his lips together again and lifted the milk tea cup slightly higher, making it just the right height for Cen Wu to lean in and drink.

Cen Wu blinked.

As Xie Guiluan met those eyes, he inexplicably felt his dark, murky emotions being seen through. He should hate Cen Wu; he originally had immense hatred for him.

But for some reason, he actually preferred Cen Wu wearing that green skirt and stepping on him, not wanting him to lower his head.

Lu Wang was still distributing milk tea to their classmates.

"He's really rich," a boy behind them muttered quietly, "He just casually treats us to milk tea that costs thirty-two yuan a cup."

The boy beside him stifled a laugh and whispered, "That's nothing. No matter what you ask him to buy, he'll buy it. He only scored six points on the math test—who knows how many numbers he can recognize. Last year during the New Year's class dinner, I ordered a king crab, and he just placed the order without hesitation."

Xie Guiluan held the milk tea cup, his fair, slender knuckles turning red from the cold drink, but his long lashes drooped, and he said nothing as he watched Cen Wu lean in to drink.

Cen Wu took a sip, and the two boys were still snickering. He frowned, turned around, his cold, indifferent face and tone said, "Spit it out."

The two boys didn't realize at first that Cen Wu was talking to them. After all, Cen Wu used to mock Lu Wang behind his back. When they did, they immediately fell silent.

One of the boys had already drunk half of his milk tea. Xie Guiluan walked over, took his cup, and tossed it in the trash before taking the unopened milk tea from another person.

Xie Guiluan had an aura of coldness, and with his height nearing one meter ninety, he was imposing even to other males.

The two boys didn't dare to get angry or speak up; they simply lowered their heads in silence, their faces showing a hint of shame. They had indeed spent Lu Wang's money and secretly thought him foolish.

"Young Master." Xie Guiluan handed the unopened milk tea to Cen Wu, who then gave it to Lu Wang.

Lu Wang opened his mouth wide, "Why aren't they drinking their milk tea?"

"They've eaten too much," Cen Wu said, "They don't eat dinner..."

The two boys, who had been sitting in the milk tea shop, quickly grabbed their bags and left after hearing Cen Wu's words, bidding farewell to Lu Wang as they went.

Lu Wang scratched his face but didn't think much of it. He was very excited to take the milk tea for himself since his family didn't let him eat too much sugar, and he hadn't ordered one for himself earlier.

Xie Guiluan couldn't help but admit that Cen Wu had changed, even treating Lu Wang so kindly.

But Cen Wu must like him. After all, Cen Wu never picked anyone else up from their night shift.

On their way to the Hunan restaurant, they passed over the Huai Jing Bridge. At night, the long bridge's lights flickered, stretching endlessly into the distance.

On this rare outing, someone couldn’t resist shouting toward the river, "I don't want to take the monthly exam!!!"

The exams at Huai Jing No.1 High School were truly difficult, and the competition was intense. Besides weekly quizzes, every major exam came with an analysis, and students were called into the office one by one. Even in the second year, many still couldn't get used to it. Spending half a month at school could drive anyone crazy.

This boy started it, and soon others followed, cursing at Guang Tou Qiang, while some let out meaningless howls.

Except for class monitor Zhou Wenqing, who adjusted his glasses and trailed behind to ensure everyone got back safely, most of the others joined in the shouting.

Cen Wu tilted his head and finished the last sip of milk tea from Xie Guiluan’s cup, even slurping up a coconut jelly.

"Why aren't you joining in?" Xie Guiluan asked with his long lashes lowered.

Cen Wu was confused, "Huh?"

"Don't you want to shout?" Xie Guiluan’s lips curled into a slight smirk, but his tone was so cold it felt almost imaginary.

Cen Wu's ears turned red.

He did have a profile picture of a little cat that looked like it wanted to shout.

But asking a socially anxious person to shout in public was like killing them. Impossible. It would never happen in this lifetime.

They leaned against the railing by the river, the night breeze tugging at their school uniforms. The moon was high, and there were many stars tonight, accompanied by the unrestrained laughter of a group of teenagers.

Cen Wu felt a bit cold and leaned closer to Xie Guiluan. His black hair brushed against Xie Guiluan's shoulder. Xie Guiluan stared at the soft black strands, but his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

Xie Guiluan’s fingers clenched as he pulled out his phone to read a message from Song Lingwei.

"Song Lingwei: Xiao Lan, what time are you coming to the hospital tonight? Mom's asthma medicine is out. See if there's any open pharmacy and buy the same kind as last time."

Xie Guiluan didn't reply for a few seconds. Song Lingwei's anxiety seemed to spill out of the screen, and she carefully sent another message.

"Song Lingwei: Are you still in class? I'm not disturbing you, am I? It's okay if the medicine is bought tomorrow."

Song Lingwei’s asthma wasn’t severe; it only flared up during sudden temperature changes, causing her to cough or have trouble breathing, but it wasn’t serious enough to need immediate treatment.

After bringing Xie Guiluan to Huai Jing ten years ago, she hadn't attended any parent-teacher meetings for him, nor had she joined the parent group for Class 2 of the second year. She didn't even know the school's dismissal time.

Xie Guiluan pressed his lips together and said to Cen Wu, "The second young master, I have to go, to the hospital."

"You... aren't you eating dinner?" Cen Wu asked.

Xie Guiluan said, "I'll eat at the hospital."

Cen Wu didn't stop him.

He had originally wanted to ask Xie Guiluan how much more money he still needed, but he hadn't found the opportunity to bring it up.

Cen Wu went to Blue Night to work in the late hours of tonight until tomorrow morning. Though Cen Wu couldn’t spend the whole night with him, he still went to find Ji Changyu after dinner.

Cen Wu was extremely socially anxious and would avoid speaking if he could. There wasn’t much need for him to interact with Ji Changyu, so this was actually the first time they had spoken alone.

Ji Changyu was also momentarily stunned, unsure of what this young master wanted from him. He found Cen Wu annoying; the rich kid treated them like pets.

But he couldn't afford to offend Cen Wu, so he walked over and said, "Second Young Master, what can I do for you?"

In the later part of the original novel, Ji Changyu became a manager at Xie Guiluan's entertainment company and even became a top-tier manager. Xu Lingling was an actress under him, and he had always maintained a good relationship with Xie Guiluan.

"Can you... help me ask," Cen Wu said, "how much more money is needed for his mother's... surgery?"

He also wanted Ji Changyu to keep an eye on Xie Guiluan, to make sure he didn’t do anything drastic like getting involved in something shady.

Ji Changyu smirked, wondering what Cen Wu was up to. He said, "Second Young Master, I definitely can't tell you that. Even if I knew, I couldn't say. Besides, even if my brother gets involved in something shady, I'd support him."

Cen Wu had no choice but to say, "I... I'll pay you one thousand every night."

"I won't..." Ji Changyu shook his head, intending to refuse.

Cen Wu said, "Three thousand."

Ji Changyu's refusal became more difficult, but he still insisted, "Not even..."

Cen Wu said, "Five thousand."

Ji Changyu: "..."

"Young Master, it's like this," Ji Changyu said, holding a tray of drinks and half-kneeling next to Cen Wu's sofa like a loyal servant. He looked troubled as he spoke, "I really want to tell you, but I can't betray my brother. If you really want me to ask, I can, but I'll have to tell him that you asked me to."

Cen Wu: "..."

That meant he might as well ask himself, so why involve Ji Changyu at all?

Unable to make a deal, Cen Wu went home disappointed.

At midnight, during the shift handover, Xie Guiluan arrived. Ji Changyu was still there, glaring at him with resentment, as if Xie Guiluan owed him millions.

Ji Changyu shook his head sadly, "Xie Dog, you have no idea what I've done for you."

Xie Guiluan: "..."

Xie Guiluan gave him a puzzled look but ignored Ji Changyu’s dramatics as he went to change his clothes.

He had just spoken to the manager, who agreed to advance him three months' salary. Combined with the prize money from the competition and the money he borrowed from various places, he could barely gather sixty to seventy thousand. It wouldn't be enough for the entire treatment, but it would at least cover next month's surgery.

Since Ji Changyu wasn't reliable, Cen Wu decided to anonymously order drinks at Blue Night, specifically requesting Xie Guiluan to serve him. But after a few times, Xie Guiluan became suspicious and started to refuse.

Cen Wu then created several alternate accounts, pretending to be a first-year student. Considering that Xie Guiluan was straight, Cen Wu changed his profile gender to female and sent a friend request to Xie Guiluan.

"Senior, I saw your post on the school forum about selling notes. Do you still have any available? QAQ"

Xie Guiluan didn't accept any of them.

Cen Wu suddenly understood Lu Wang's frustration—the kind of frustration where you want to spend money but can't.

On Monday, when school resumed, Xie Guiluan also returned. Cen Wu considered asking again, but just then, the head teacher walked to the back door of the classroom and motioned for Xie Guiluan to come over.

Get out here, punk.

Xie Guiluan: “……”

Xie Guiluan stood up and went out. “Director, what's up?”

“The chemistry competition results are in,” the director, who always looked stern and serious, now had a hint of joy on his face. “There seems to be an issue with the system; your results can’t be found, but it should be fine. Come with me and take a look.”

Checking the results was just a routine. Xie Guiluan had been participating in various competitions since his first year at Huai Jing No.1 High School, bringing many gold awards to the school. The teachers had complete trust in him when it came to competitions.

Whether he was the top student at Huai Jing No.1 High School or the whole province didn’t really matter.

Xie Guiluan didn’t say anything and followed him to the office.

All the teachers in the grade were paying attention to Xie Guiluan’s results. Meng Liangping was checking the scores, and a few curious teachers with teacups tried to join in but were shooed away.

“Come on, Old Meng, I just want a peek. I’m not stealing your student. Why are you pushing me away?!”

“Old Meng, you’re the stingiest in the whole grade.”

Meng Liangping let them talk, continuously refreshing the page, but Xie Guiluan’s score kept flipping between 0 points and “not yet released.”

Xie Guiluan also checked and saw the 0 points. His face darkened for a second.

Finally, Class 3’s chemistry teacher Hou Zhong arrived, looking serious. He waved Xie Guiluan over from the office door. “Xie Guiluan, come here.”

Xie Guiluan walked over, and sensing something was wrong, Meng Liangping followed him to a more secluded spot.

When they were alone, Hou Zhong spoke with a stern face. “Xie Guiluan, you are suspected of cheating in the chemistry competition. The judging panel is still investigating. Do you have anything to explain?”