BTMDY Chapter 18

With the past as a lesson, Lin Wangye was confident that neither his dad nor Lu Chengxuan would ever break a promise, given their personalities.

 

But when he boldly brought up this verbal agreement, both of them completely ignored him. One kept his head down, eating as if nothing was said, while the other just checked his forehead for a fever.

 

“Are you okay?” Lin Shen asked him.

 

“I’m fine!” Lin Wangye’s determination to change the future burned brightly as he tried to convince them. “It’s just like the oath of the Peach Garden with Liu, Guan, and Zhang. Isn’t it a coincidence that there are exactly three of us?”

 

Lin Shen, pretending to be curious, asked, “Which of the three had a good ending?”

 

Lin Wangye: “Uh…”

 

Out of the three, two were beheaded, and the last one passed away after entrusting his will at Baidi City.

 

Yeah, that might be a bit unlucky.

 

While Lin Wangye was lost in these thoughts, Lin Shen gently patted his head, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he said, “We can swear brotherhood, but we don’t need him. Got it?”

 

Lin Wangye quickly scolded him: “Don’t talk nonsense, Brother Lu even treated us to hotpot.”

 

Lin Shen was puzzled. “You’re going to remember one hotpot meal for the rest of your life?”

 

“Well, why don’t you ever treat me to a meal?” Lin Wangye shot back without hesitation, pointing at his dad. “We’ve known each other for so long, and you’ve only treated me to instant noodles once. Before my paycheck, the three of us would eat out, and any time the bill was over ten bucks, Brother Lu paid for all of it. He’s been so good to us, and you keep talking bad about him. Apologize already.”

 

Lin Shen wasn’t at all fazed by this, and even got bolder. He responded right away, “You were just talking about swearing brotherhood, and now you’re counting every little penny? Brothers don’t keep score like this! Xiao Lin, I’m disappointed. This world has already tainted you. I can’t see any of the innocence you had at the beginning.”

 

“Are you two doing a comedy routine?”

 

Suddenly, a voice interrupted from behind. Lin Wangye and Lin Shen turned around to see Zhao Youyou holding a tray.

 

She turned halfway and walked to an empty seat next to Lu Chengxuan, placing the tray down, picking up a hotdog, and taking a bite. “Is this seat taken?”

 

Lin Wangye stopped arguing with his dad and waved at her.

 

“No, no, please sit down.”

 

Zhao Youyou clearly knew there was no one here; she was just being polite. After getting a response, she bent down to sit but couldn’t help glancing toward the cafeteria window. Lin Wangye absent-mindedly followed her gaze and accidentally made eye contact with Shi Shi, who was in line for food.

 

As soon as he turned his head, Shi Shi, who had been paying attention to that direction, quickly and subtly looked away.

 

The gossip-loving part of Lin Wangye immediately kicked in, making him glance around the room.

 

Though more people tended to eat in the cafeteria as the weather cooled down, the cafeteria at No. 7 High was still huge, with a second floor. Even though the first floor was a bit more crowded, there were still plenty of scattered seats available.

 

Because Lu Chengxuan always emitted this strange vibe, no one usually sat at their table.

 

It was obvious that Zhao Youyou had intentionally chosen this spot.

 

If there was one thing different today, it was that Shi Shi, who had been abroad for treatment, was back at school.

 

Zhao Youyou snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks and let out a cold snort, her tone pointed as she spoke to Lu Chengxuan, “Not even a word of thanks?”

 

In response to this abrupt comment, Lu Chengxuan, who usually liked to stay above it all, nodded and said, “Thanks.”

 

Lin Wangye’s antennae shot up immediately as he tried to pick up on the signal.

 

“What’s going on? What’s really going on?”

 

“If I hadn’t come, you would have had to sit with her,” Zhao Youyou said, tilting her chin toward Shi Shi’s direction. She lowered her voice and made sure to shield her lips as she continued, “Could you really eat if you were sitting with Princess?”

 

Lin Wangye quickly imagined the scene and shook his head at lightning speed.

 

Shi Shi was beautiful, but the kind of beauty that felt untouchable, like she didn’t belong to the mundane world.

 

Some people are just born to be actors, and Shi Shi’s life was like one big performance. Every move, every smile, every gesture was like a perfect scene from a script.

 

She had the same flawless appearance as Lu Chengxuan but was nothing like him in terms of authenticity.

 

Even though she acted much more approachable than Lu Chengxuan.

 

Lin Shen couldn’t be more pleased with Zhao Youyou’s comment. He raised his hand and gave her a thumbs-up. “Sister Zhao, you’re a good one.”

 

Lin Wangye, of course, knew that Zhao Youyou was someone who could be trusted.

 

Putting aside her carefree, easygoing personality, this woman had two things going for her: first, she was a successful CEO who had earned his dad’s approval, and second, she was a good friend who had earned Shi Yuan’s recognition.

 

With these two major ‘buffs’ in her favor, it was a wonder anyone would say she wasn’t easy to get along with.

 

But Lin Wangye still hadn’t been able to gather any information about Shi Yuan’s whereabouts from her before, and this issue still had him on edge.

 

“So, you guys don’t like her?” Lin Wangye lowered his voice, his curiosity piqued. “Sister Zhao, why’s that?”

 

The mention of this topic made Zhao Youyou angry, and she couldn’t hold back.

 

“I get it—girls care about their image and reputation, but isn’t she taking it a bit too far? After the class split in the second year, I sat next to her. We were also assigned to the same hygiene group, responsible for cleaning the hallways. This young lady never once touched a broom, while I spent the entire year sweeping the floors just so our class could keep the mobile flag!”

 

“That’s outrageous!” Lin Wangye asked, surprised, “Why didn’t you tell the teacher?”

 

Zhao Youyou bit into her grilled sausage angrily. “I did tell the teacher! The teacher said she’s allergic to dust, and that she had already handed in a medical certificate.”

 

Lin Wangye scratched his head. “Uh… well, I guess that makes sense.”

 

Zhao Youyou slammed the table in frustration. “But back then, the school didn’t even have multimedia equipment or electronic blackboards! She was fine when she wiped the blackboard for Lu Chengxuan—no dust allergy at all!”

 

“Hahaha…” Lin Shen couldn’t contain himself and burst out laughing, “The princess wiped the prince’s blackboard and cured her dust allergy. Do you realize how miraculous this is? It’s a modern medical marvel!”

 

Lin Wangye turned to look at Lu Chengxuan.

 

“Brother Lu, has she ever written you a love letter?”

 

“She wouldn’t know how to write a love letter,” Zhao Youyou scoffed. “Anyone can see through her little act. I bet she’s just waiting for Lu Chengxuan to chase after her first.”

 

Lin Wangye’s eyes lit up, as if something clicked in his mind. “Brother Lu, have you ever written her a love letter?”

 

The question hung in the air. Zhao Youyou didn’t respond, and Lin Shen stopped teasing. All three of them turned to look at Lu Chengxuan.

 

Lu Chengxuan, who had shown no interest in the gossip, had been quietly eating the whole time. Now, as if forced, he put his chopsticks down and calmly replied, “No.”

 

“Hahaha!”

 

Zhao Youyou leaned back, bursting into laughter, and excitedly slapped her thigh as she looked at Lin Wangye and Lin Shen. “Doesn’t he look hilarious, answering a joke so seriously?”

 

The father and son duo nodded vigorously, both flashing mischievous smiles as if they had just pulled off a successful plan. They high-fived with perfect timing, as if they had found a kindred spirit in Zhao Youyou.

 

Lu Chengxuan didn’t seem upset. He calmly glanced at them with a look of mild resignation before lowering his head to continue eating.

 

The four of them sat across from each other, the atmosphere light and cheerful. The guys ate quickly, but Lin Wangye and the others didn’t rush off. They stayed, chatting with Zhao Youyou while she finished her meal.

 

Just as Zhao Youyou put down her chopsticks, an unexpected guest suddenly appeared by the table.

 

Lin Wangye looked up just in time to see Shi Shi gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her fingertips. She spoke softly to Lu Chengxuan, her tone light and gentle:

 

“This weekend, I’ll continue taking vocal lessons from Aunt Lu. Would you like to join me?”

 

Lu Chengxuan glanced at her indifferently. “I don’t have time.”

 

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