CIFB Chap. 44-46 Summary

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONFESSION! KISS!! CONFRONTATION!!!

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Chapter 44:

The night of the event, the large auditorium was packed with people.

Compared the to Pianist Society who could only hold their concert in the small auditorium, the Pop Music Society’s Top 10 Most Beautiful Singers Competition was hosted w/ huge fanfare.

A week prior, the top 10 finalists’ pictures had been made into huge posters and hung outside the large auditorium as hype.

After people saw that Qi Feng was also a finalist, they went on the forums to discuss if he made it due to his face or his actual singing abilities.

Riding on the fame of the “Campus Idol”, this year’s competition was an even hotter topic than in previous years.

Therefore, the other clubs all avoided organizing an event tonight, with the exception of Ling Ke’s club.

The Pianist Society’s president was someone who loved Chopin, Liszt, and other such classical composers while disdainfully looking down upon all pop music.

This mindset wasn’t just the president’s alone, but shared by most of the club.

Due to this, they’d always specifically choose the same date to compete with the Pop Music Society, forcing everyone else to make a choice of us or them.

But the result of this stubbornness was of course, losing terribly every year. Of the 150 tickets available, in past years, it’d be considered a success if they could sell even half. With Ling Ke present this year, they barely sold 2/3, but that still couldn’t compare to the popularity of the singing competition.

Though for Ling Ke, he felt that it was better if there were fewer people.

The small auditorium’s stage was directly connected to the backstage and also had a monitor room where one could see the situation in the audience. Since there weren’t a lot of people, the performers were all pretty relaxed and stayed in the monitor room to observe.

Ling Ke looked around and discovered that neither Xie QiBao nor Gao JunFei came, but 2 girls from their class, Zhang WenQin and Yao Jing, did.

He was a bit surprised that they’d come here instead of going to Qi Feng’s competition, but since that started later at 7:30, perhaps they only planned to listen here for half an hour before heading to the large auditorium.

There was a group of girls in the first few rows, and one of them held a bouquet of flowers.

Seeing this, the other club members teased Ling Ke: “Wow, is that one of your suitors?”

Ling Ke replied indifferently, “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

To this kind of response, no one knew what to say… Aye, any girl who’s brave enough to confess to this iceberg definitely deserves the title of a man amongst men!

 

At 7:00pm, the concert officially began.

The 1st few who went onstage were all “minor mobs” that most people had never heard of. As one of the more famous members, Ling Ke’s performance was near the end.

Although the theme was “Christmas”, some people chose to play typical classical pieces, and 2 of them actually went and performed their piano level-test repertoire. Truth be told, when he heard those familiar tunes, even Ling Ke felt this was the furthest thing from festive.

And as expected, some people left not long after.

After 7:30, the lively opening music from the large auditorium drifted over, and another group of people left.

The club members all chuckled in self-deprecation, saying things like how only the people who stay until the end were their true fans.

Ling Ke glanced at the audience and saw that Zhang WenQin and Yao Jing were still there.

Just as he was puzzled, he received a text:

Yao Jing: Ling Ke, Zhang WenQin and I came to hear you play. When will you be performing?

Ling Ke: Thank you… I’m towards the end, there’s still 7-8 people until my turn.

Ling Ke took this chance to ask if their tickets came from Gao JunFei and Xie QiBao, and getting an affirmative, then asked:

Ling Ke: Why didn’t you go listen to Qi Feng sing?

Yao Jing: Almost our entire class went to support him, so even without the 2 of us, it’s no big deal. Besides, QinQin doesn’t like crowded places, so she dragged me over here to listen to you play! In any case, you’re still our department’s “Idol”, so someone’s gotta give you face by coming. 😛

His heart warmed.

Ling Ke: It’s fine.

Yao Jing: And then there’s Qi Feng. Given how he sticks to you like glue, shouldn’t he have abandoned singing and come over here to listen to you instead?

Seeing this, Ling Ke thought about Gao JunFei’s previous comment on how “Qi Feng’s still weaning”, and couldn’t help but smile as he sent:

Ling Ke: 🤭

Looks like Qi Feng’s clingy behavior was public knowledge at this point?

This made Ling Ke feel great. It was as if he had branded Qi Feng with his personal seal. No matter where the other went, people would automatically treat them as a set……

Ling Ke tapped on Qi Feng’s avatar, and after deliberating for a while, sent:

Ling Ke: What are you doing?

After waiting a few minutes and not receiving a response, Ling Ke guessed that the other was busy, and just as he was about to put away his phone, he saw a string of messages:

Qi Feng: Ah!

Qi Feng: …I just changed clothes, currently preparing backstage.

Qi Feng: Senior Liang’s also here. He’s one of the judges, I was chatting with him earlier.

Qi Feng: The signal’s not that good, did you receive these?

Ling Ke: Yes, I received them.

Qi Feng: What about you? Did you perform yet? Originally, I was planning to see if I could sneak away and go listen to you, but things seem really tense over here. A bunch of people have their eye one me, so it doesn’t look like I can sneak away. 😖

Ling Ke smiled.

Ling Ke: Don’t come. It’s not like you’ve never heard me play.

Qi Feng: 😢😢😢

Ling Ke: “……”

Seeing Ling Ke smile so happily, one of the Pianist Society members asked curiously, “Ling Ke, who are you talking to?”

“Eh?” Ling Ke looked up: “Oh, my classmate, Qi Feng.”

That club member’s lip twitched as he silently swallowed ‘Is it your girlfriend?’ back down his throat.

Not long after, Qi Feng sent another message:

Qi Feng: Finished drawing lots, I’m performing 6th.

Ling Ke calculated in his head: 7-8 minutes per person, around 40 minutes total, so if he rushed over after he finished playing, perhaps he could make it in time.

Just as he was thinking this, Qi Feng typed:

Qi Feng: Will you come later and listen to me sing?

Ling Ke: We’ll see.

Qi Feng: 😢😢😢

Seeing those 3 emojis, Ling Ke really wondered who taught Qi Feng to act spoiled like this.

That club member saw Ling Ke grinning as pleased as punch, and doubting the other’s earlier response, scooted over to glance at the screen. Sure enough, the chat log showed the name “Feng”.

Of course, that also meant he saw that lovey-flirty convo of theirs, including the emojis Qi Feng sent.

Speechless, he thought: The Campus Idol actually behaves so childishly in private…… Do those girls know?

 

A few minutes later, live broadcasts of the large auditorium’s pompous event appeared online. Even some members of the Pianist Society couldn’t sit still as they itched to sneak away, after their performance that is.

The small auditorium didn’t have wifi, so Ling Ke couldn’t even open a single video to watch.

And finally, it was his turn. With his entire head filled with Qi Feng, Ling Ke absent-mindedly finished performing as he planned to rush over as soon as he completed his bow.

Right at this time, the girl in the audience with the bouquet got pushed forward by her friends as they jostled and clamored. Due to this commotion, even the club members in the monitor room came out for a look-see.

Ling Ke rigidly stood on stage, not knowing what kind of expression he should have.

…This would be the first time since the start of college that he’s received a confession.

Although he was given a teddy bear during the Freshman Welcoming Ceremony, the girl back then had run off as soon as she gave him the gift. Moreover, Qi Feng was right beside him at the time and took away most of the attention, so he didn’t feel all that awkward.

But this time, he could tell with one look that this girl came prepared.

She had put on makeup, wore very formal clothing, and while blushing, walked to stand before him: “Ling, Ling Ke……”

Right after saying his name, the girl grew so nervous that she couldn’t continue.

Her friends below the stage shouted out encouragements: “Su YiXuan! Stay strong!”

With this, the rest of the audience also started to clap and shout, “Fighting!”

That girl was originally staring at the ground, but hearing everyone’s cheering, looked up directly at Ling Ke.

But with this one look, her face flushed a deeper crimson, and she quickly lowered her gaze once more. In a voice softer than a mosquito’s hum, she said, “I’m the economic department’s Su YiXuan,” before presenting the flowers in her arms.

In front of such a crowd, Ling Ke could only accept the gift, but before he could even say a “Thank you”, she had turned around in a panic and ran off the stage.

The girls waiting for her below stamped their feet out of frustration and exasperation, and one of them called out in her stead, “Ling Ke! Su YiXuan likes you! She was also the one who gave you that teddy bear last time— Hey!”

Ling Ke: “……” No wonder that fleeing silhouette looked so familiar.

The girl called Su YiXuan resentfully covered her friend’s mouth to prevent her from saying anything else, and perhaps due to an easily embarrassed nature, dragged all her friends away and left the auditorium.

The rest of audience started to giggle. They thought they’d get to see a good show, but while the girl had a strong start, her finish was way too weak.

On the other hand, Ling Ke let out a sigh of relief. He left the stage and got teased another round by his fellow club members before finally managing to break free.

He looked at the time: almost 8:30pm.

Since the concert was almost over, Ling Ke gave an excuse and then quickly headed towards the large auditorium.

It was only after he left that he realized he was still holding that bouquet. This…why did it feel like he was going there just to give Qi Feng flowers?

These flowers were a gift for him, so it wouldn’t do for him to give them to Qi Feng.

There would be a lot of people watching the singing competition, and he was only a drop in the ocean, so maybe he wouldn’t get noticed… Besides, perhaps Qi Feng had already finished singing.

Thinking of this, Ling Ke shook his head, calmed his emotions, and hiding the flowers behind his back, walked towards the large auditorium.

As soon as he walked through the outer doors, he heard a sudden outburst of screams and cheers, along with people chanting “Qi Feng”.

He blinked, then quickly walked into the auditorium’s main hall. The place was so packed that a lot of people didn’t have seats and were just standing in the back.

Ling Ke also stood in the back and looked towards the stage— He actually came right on time for Qi Feng’s performance!

—

[A small interlude]

The Pianist Society’s president: “Aye, any girl who’s brave enough to confess to this iceberg definitely deserves the title of a man amongst men!”

Qi Feng: I’m definitely a man, no doubt about it.

—

After coming back from the old hamlet, Qi Feng secretly looked up a lot of online analysis on a Scorpio’s personality.

Seeing Ling Ke take the initiative and send him a “What are you doing?” text, his mind automatically recalled:

When a Scorpio says, “What are you doing”, what they really mean is, “I really miss you.”

……Qi Feng instantly burst forth with joy!

Qi Feng: Ah!

I also miss you! I really really miss you KeKe!!

…No, he can’t expose himself. If he responds like that, he’ll scare KeKe!

And thus, suppressing his excitement, he calmly replied:

Qi Feng: …I just changed clothes, currently preparing backstage.

[[OMG these two are so cute I’m dying over the fluff ahhhhhhhhhhhh]]

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Chapter 45:

Qi Feng wore a white hoodie with chains, black pencil pants, and matching sneakers with a studded belt hanging low on his hips. His hair had been specifically treated and shone under the lights, and he looked both fashionable and stylish.

This was a vastly different look compared to the formal wear he donned for their piano duet, and it was also many times more flashy than how Qi Feng usually dressed. This was the 1st time pretty much anyone saw him wear such clothes, so it’s no wonder the reactions were so intense.

Ling Ke didn’t know what song the other planned to sing, but he wasn’t worried. Qi Feng could sing a lot of songs really well, so even if the other was forced to improvise, there wouldn’t be any problems.

But when the music started and a repetitive string of yo’s sounded, even Ling Ke blinked in surprised.

What…song was this?

Qi Feng soon began to sing: “If you suddenly sneeze, that means I was thinking about you~! If you’re woken up by your phone at night, ah~ That’s because I care about you!”

The atmosphere in the entire auditorium exploded! As if under a spell, the audience, especially the ones who were already standing, all started to move with the beat and clap along!

“…I often wonder if the words you say have a hidden meaning, and even though I want to believe, I can’t help but suspect…” With one hand holding the mic and the other clutching his heart, Qi Feng smiled as he swayed his head: “In your heart, am I #1? Love~~ is why I keep pestering you~~!”

Ling Ke stared at the stage, at Qi Feng singing and dancing about, dumbstruck. He had thought that the other would choose a sentimental love song, since after all, no one could resist when he sung in that incredibly loving and adoring way.

But never in a million years did he think that Qi Feng would choose such a…maiden-in-love-esque, upbeat love song!

Ling Ke had never heard Qi Feng sing this song before, but it didn’t sound bad at all. On the contrary, it made Qi Feng seem even more passionate, even more lively, even more charming……

“…So~ baby~ tell me more words of love, look for me more when you miss me…” Reaching this part, Qi Feng even winked towards the crowd.

Shrieks and squeals came from below in response to this electrifying gesture. Ling Ke also felt like he was struck by lighting, numb from head to toe.

Unable to look elsewhere, he stared at that shining, radiating figure on stage, his heart madly beating inside his chest……

“…Oh~ bye~ In short, I want to accompany you for more than a day, please let me love you with all my heart~~ a bit more!”

During the chorus of the song, Qi Feng repeated “Tell me more words of love” while pointing all across the audience, stimulating the entire hall.

Crazy……

At this point, this singing competition had turned into Qi Feng’s solo concert.

…….

By the time the song ended, everyone was still immersed in the lively atmosphere Qi Feng created, unable to shake off their excitement.

The person himself then announced: “Everyone, good evening…”

Applause and cheers thundered endlessly.

Smiling, Qi Feng made a “time-out” hand gesture.

When the volume lowered, he continued, “I’ve very happy I could sing this song, ‘Love You’, for everyone here tonight…”

His voice sounded a bit breathy from all the singing and dancing he just did, yet this added a unique, erotic appeal.

“But actually, I prepared this song specifically for a single person, though I don’t know if they came or not……”

Qi Feng swept his gaze across the hall, as if looking for that person.

Catching the scent of potential gossip, everyone immediately quieted down as they also glanced left and right.

Thus, the Ling Ke hiding in the crowd was soon discovered! And especially when people saw he brought flowers, that area in the back became restless and noisy!

But in the end, Ling Ke was a guy, and despite people gossiping about him and Qi Feng on the forums, most didn’t take it seriously.

So even spotting him, no one really did anything other than move to the side and leave a circle of emptiness around him as they looked on with varying gazes.

Qi Feng also noticed this corner, and following his eyes, many others looked this way too.

Ling Ke was so nervous he wanted to curl up into a ball, completely out of his wits.

At this time, Qi Feng suddenly piped up, “Everyone, as a personal favor, no matter who you think it is, please don’t jump to conclusions……”

This smoothly rescued Ling Ke from his predicament as everyone turned their attention back to Qi Feng. But at the same time, he felt a bit empty…… Could it be that Qi Feng knew he was here, and thus didn’t want people to misunderstand?

Qi Feng then explained: “I don’t want to force them to give me a response in this kind of situation……”

Ling Ke’s heart once again started to pound.

Qi Feng’s breathing had already become even, and with a deep, gentle gaze, he looked into the distance and said, “I only wanted to use this opportunity to tell them, even though I’m currently unable to say I ‘Love You’, this song represents my feelings for you.”

This both ambiguous yet clear-as-day confession caused the entire hall to descend into a raging sea of discussion.

……The Campus Idol has someone he likes? And it’s a one-sided love where he’s unable to confess his feelings?

Holy fuck! This was a shockingly big news story!

“Lastly, thank you everyone for your applause.” Concluding with this, Qi Feng bowed, and then slowly walked offstage.

Although some people still looked dubiously at Ling Ke, most thought about how close their relationship was and didn’t believe that between them, saying “I love you” was a hurdle… In other words, these two guys were obviously just acting gay, and the person Qi Feng liked was someone else.

Speculating to this point, most people automatically removed Ling Ke from the list of possible suspects.

But Ling Ke’s entire mind had blanked out as his whole body trembled.

He recalled what Qi Feng told him that night at the old hamlet……

Connecting that to Qi Feng’s “don’t know if they came or not”, “don’t want to force them”, and “unable to say I ‘Love You'”… …Every word made him unable to not see a connection, and every clue seemed to point to himself.

The next singer came onstage, and in order not to attract suspicion, Ling Ke stood there and listened.

But following Qi Feng’s performance, this song sounded very dull, and the audience also seemed lacking in enthusiasm.

Ling Ke took this opportunity to calm down, but he still couldn’t conceal his excitement. Finally, he impatiently turned around and left the auditorium, walking towards the backstage area.

He wanted to personally see Qi Feng, personally verify this conjecture.

If Qi Feng really liked him……

Gods, he wanted to squeal, to howl with laughter……

The more he thought, the more excited he became, and the faster he walked… He really want to sprint madly, to rush to Qi Feng, and then, confess!

There was nothing more wonderful than the person you love also loving you back. Nothing in the 19 years he’s been alive could compare, and nothing in the following 90 years could either!

When he arrived near the backstage area, Ling Ke didn’t dare to just barge in. So standing next to the side door, he pulled out his phone and sent Qi Feng a text:

Ling Ke: I’m outside the backstage door.

If the person Qi Feng talked about onstage was him, then the other would definitely come out to see him.

Clutching his phone, Ling Ke’s heartbeat pounded in his ears.

Qi Feng didn’t immediately respond. After waiting a while, Ling Ke was afraid of this location being too conspicuous and attracting unwanted attention, so he headed towards a place where people wouldn’t likely walk past.

Just as he was about to send Qi Feng another text telling the other he changed locations, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“……Why didn’t you let me know ahead of time?”

Ling Ke lifted his head and saw the person he so dearly wanted to see, standing not too far away under the shade of a tree.

And in front of him stood…a girl.

That girl was currently facing Qi Feng as she sweetly replied, “I wanted to give you a surprise. If I didn’t come secretly, then I wouldn’t have heard that marvelous confession… I posted that I was returning on WeChat a few days ago, and didn’t you like that post? Tell me, did you already know that I would come here to find you?”

Hearing this, Ling Ke felt like he just got drenched by a bucket of cold water……

His earlier giddiness and impulse rapidly faded.

He felt incredibly ridiculous. To actually delude himself into thinking that Qi Feng was confessing to him just based on a few vague words…

This kind of him, how was he any different from those girls?

Looks like the Campus Idol never lacked for delusional admirers who secretly loved him, lol.

That girl continued, “Ah, you’re really much too famous. The first random person I asked knew about you…”

“I—” Qi Feng only uttered this one word before he noticed Ling Ke standing not far away.

Eyes flashing, he called out, “Ling Ke”, and then shook off that girl and walked over.

That girl followed him out from the shadows, and the lamppost lit up her exquisitely sweet face and gracefully seductive body.

Not waiting for Qi Feng to introduce them, she already extended her hand and smiled at Ling Ke, “Hello, I’m Xu JunZhu, Qi Feng’s close friend.”

Ling Ke stared at her— He actually recognized this girl!

Her QQ username was “Windchaser Shoujo”. (trivia: Qi Feng’s ‘Feng’ is a homonym with the word ‘wind’, so this namd also has that kind of double meaning)

During middle school, Ling Ke once crazily stalked Qi Feng online and often saw this account leave comments on the other’s page. Out of curiosity, he had clicked her name and flipped through her photo album, and her beauty left a deep impression on him.

She was a naturally stunning and beautiful, and with her high family background, seemed to exude a noble aura.

Based on his deductions, this girl should have known Qi Feng since elementary school……

Xu JunZhu was also observing Ling Ke. After introducing herself, she glanced between him and Qi Feng, then asked, “You are……?”

For some reason, this question stabbed Ling Ke in the wrong way. His previously suppressed impulse reared its head again, only this time, it transformed into the rage from having his feelings toyed with and the injustice from a burning hate and jealousy.

Ling Ke raised an eyebrow, wore a smile that’s not a smile, and replied, “I’m Qi Feng’s boyfriend.”

This response instantly turned the other two dumbstruck.

As if feeling that this wasn’t shocking enough, Ling Ke cast Qi Feng a glance, then wrapped an arm around the other’s neck, and right in front of “Windchaser Shoujo”, leaned in for a kiss.

He even imitated Qi Feng’s previous kiss and strongly sucked on the other’s lips.

Xu JunZhu: “……”

Qi Feng: “……”

Ling Ke let go of Qi Feng, and seeing the two completely flabbergasted people before him, experienced an unprecedented form of thrill.

Now, he finally understood why Qi Feng laughed the way he did after sneak attacking him that night at the hamlet……

Because as long as it’s done under the name of “fake boyfriends”, one didn’t need to take responsibility for this kind of prank. And honestly, this felt really, really, great.

—

[A small skit]

Xu JunZhu: “You are……?”

Ling Ke: “……” Look, I stalked Qi Feng to the point of even knowing what all his other secret admirers look like, and you, you dumb broad, don’t even know who I am? You fail as a fellow stalker!

—

Ling Ke: “I’m Qi Feng’s boyfriend.”

Qi Feng: “???”

Ling Ke kisses him……

Qi Feng: “!!!” All this unexpected happiness, I…I’m dying…… KeKe, I want more~~

[[OMG I’M DYING TOO which is why there’s 3 chapters this post b/c I can’t /not/ keep reading ok]]

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Chapter 46:

Witnessing this scene before her, Xu JunZhu really wanted to question this entire world.

She rode on a plane for 15 hours, flying all the way from London. She came back partly for Christmas, but mostly so she could check up on the childhood friend she’s one-sidedly been in love with, Qi Feng.

They went to the same schools since children, all the way until she left the country her 1st year of high school.

There would never be another person like Qi Feng, someone who was with her for 10 years, someone who was beside her as she went from an ignorant child to a young woman blossoming to love…… And somewhere along this journey, he captured her heart.

She also saw firsthand how he transformed from a boy with a not-too-pretty smile into a man everyone adored and revolved around, and in the blink of an eye, the entire world became her rivals in love.

Her departure 3 years ago was partly due to her own stubbornness and indignation. The person she loved for so many years still hadn’t returned her feelings, and her heart was just so tired.

Before she left, she had once regretted this choice, wanting to take it back due to her unwillingness to part with Qi Feng.

But her mom advised her that absence would make the heart grow fonder, and when they’re both a bit older, Qi Feng will naturally come around; he didn’t have that many choices.

This was the real world, and due to his upbringing and having seen all sorts of people, he had his sights set very high. When the time comes, he’ll definitely take notice of her.

After all, she had a lot of advantages over other girls.

Or perhaps, their distance will let this one-sided love of hers cool. She might find someone even better than Qi Feng and completely forget about him.

That would be fine too; there were plenty of fish in the sea.

But in these 3 years, from a language school to a private high school, and from that private high school to a famous university, she had gone to all sorts of parties, met all sorts of suitors, but in the end, no one could compare to Qi Feng.

She originally hoped that Qi Feng would choose a college in England, and at that time, they could start all over again in London.

But half a year ago, she heard that Qi Feng applied for a college in China.

This time, she couldn’t keep waiting.

Three years. Due to her experiences overseas, she’s changed a lot. She became more fashionable, more beautiful, and more confident.

She believed that to Qi Feng, she was an existence like no other.

Christmas finally arrived, and from Shen YueZhe, she learned of Qi Feng’s school and major, and specifically chose to come to F University on Christmas Eve, wanting to surprise him.

But she never expected that Qi Feng would give her such a “surprise” instead.

“……Boy, boyfriend!?” She stared at Ling Ke in disbelief.

The young man before her looked very elegant, and although he remained expressionless, he gave off an icy arrogance that demanded the respect of others.

And that domineering kiss earlier was as if he was declaring his ownership, marking Qi Feng with his own brand.

Xu JunZhu’s face paled. She had long known about Qi Feng’s ability to attract people left and right, and back at MMIA, pretty much every girl who looked somewhat decent wanted Qi Feng. But no matter how popular he was, she’d never seen him get together with a guy before!

No, perhaps Ling Ke’s actions were merely a joke. What’s important was Qi Feng’s reaction……

Xu JunZhu looked towards Qi Feng, her eyes full of questions.

And yet, Qi Feng reached over to hold that boy’s hand, locked their fingers, and after tenderly gazing at the other, finally replied, “Yeah… It’s as you see. This is my boyfriend, Ling Ke.”

In this moment, Xu JunZhu’s heart broke.

With a somewhat remorseful smile, Qi Feng apologized, “Sorry, we might have scared you just now. My boyfriend easily gets jealous……”

Ling Ke: “……” Easily, easily gets jealous?

Qi Feng: “Perhaps he saw us together and thought that you were one of those… You get my meaning.”

Xu JunZhu: “……” Get your meaning? What meaning am I suppose to get? How could you possibly compare me to those crazy suitors of yours?

As if wanting to pacify Ling Ke, Qi Feng explained, “She’s just a former classmate.”

Xu JunZhu almost fainted on the spot— What do you mean by “just”?

She treated him as the moon illuminating her nights, as the sun of her life! Yet to him, all she amounted to was “just a former classmate”???

This attitude of throwing everyone else under the bus just to make your lover happy insulted the proud Xu JunZhu to no end: “What are you talking about, Qi Feng? I’m your ex-girlfriend, you know.”

That “ex-girlfriend” was angrily bit out through gritted teeth.

Ling Ke’s eye twitched as he cursed inside, then shook off Qi Feng’s hand without a 2nd thought.

Qi Feng: “……”

Xu JunZhu crossed her arms and mocked, “Qi Feng, I never knew you would get together with someone of the same sex. When did your appetite grow so big? Putting your hands not only on girls, but on guys too?”

Qi Feng looked at the 2 people before him with a headache, not knowing how to explain. He tried to hold Ling Ke’s hand again, but the other avoided it.

Xu JunZhu saw this and felt even more offended: “Do Shen YueZhe and the others know about this?”

Qi Feng knit his brows: “No, no one knows yet……”

Xu JunZhu, arching an eyebrow: “You’re dating a guy, and you didn’t even tell your best friends?”

Qi Feng’s brows wrinkled further: “Coming out of the closet isn’t such an easy thing, ok? Besides, I never met someone I liked before now……”

He used his gaze to tell Ling Ke to continue “cooperating”, and then (forcefully) grabbed the other’s hand.

Ling Ke: “……”

Xu JunZhu’s expression changed again and again, and finally unable to continue enduring, stomped her foot and huffed, “Well, I’m leaving. We can chat another day.”

Qi Feng asked out of courtesy, “Let us…send you off?”

Xu JunZhu whipped her head around and scoffed, “No need!”

Seeing Xu JunZhu click away in short heels, Ling Ke shook off Qi Feng’s hand again.

His earlier hotheadedness had already cooled, but all sorts of emotions still surged in his heart: grievance over acting on such an impulse, shame over forcefully kissing Qi Feng and liking it, anger over Qi Feng lying to him… Didn’t the other say that he never dated before? Then what the heck was with this “ex-girlfriend”?

Qi Feng quickly explained: “You definitely can’t believe what she said! That time, I just started middle school and had no idea what being boyfriend/girlfriend meant… Once, she joked that she wanted to be my girlfriend, so I agreed without thinking… …What I told you before, the girl that tried to steal a kiss, that was her. Later, I rejected her and she was really angry, saying that she wanted to break up. I only played that boyfriend/girlfriend game with her for a week, no, not even a week, so I never thought of that as my first……”

Of course, the reason they broke up wasn’t just b/c Qi Feng wasn’t willing to let her kiss him, but also b/c he still chatted like normal with all the other girls. She obviously didn’t like that and told him to stop.

Qi Feng’s response was that if being boyfriend/girlfriend meant that he couldn’t even talk to other girls, then that was way too scary, so it’d be better if they weren’t together.

……

Qi Feng never expected that this dark history would end up becoming such a landmine and explode in his face like this!

He anxiously explained with all his might, fearing that Ling Ke would avoid him, dislike him…… But to Ling Ke, the more he explained, the less convincing he sounded.

Especially when hearing that “boyfriend/girlfriend game” part, Ling Ke seriously raged from the bottom of his heart— Great, another one of your games.

So he simply stared at the other with “I’ll just stand here quietly and watch you pretend” written all across his face.

When Qi Feng finished talking, Ling Ke finally asked, “Why did you tell me all that?”

Qi Feng blinked, only now realizing that he really didn’t need to explain himself to a “fake boyfriend”.

His heart froze.

However, he immediately recalled Ling Ke’s passionate kiss, and looking at the other with bright eyes, asked, “Earlier, you—”

Ling Ke immediately interrupted, “I thought you met another one of those, thus came to help.”

Qi Feng: “Oh, then why—”

He wanted to ask why did you kiss me as soon as you walked over, but Ling Ke didn’t give him the chance: “Since we had practiced before, I might as well use what I learned.”

Even if a hurricane raged in his heart, Ling Ke’s expression revealed not even a single ripple.

Qi Feng: “Oh……”

He then looked at the flowers in Ling Ke’s hand, something he noticed as soon as the other had appeared.

He thought: At least I’ll still get flowers……

Thus, he asked somewhat expectantly, “Are those flowers for me?”

Ling Ke hid the bouquet behind his back and coldly replied, “No.”

Qi Feng: “……”

Alright, his heart completely shattered into pieces now……

Feeling that the mood was somewhat off, Ling Ke coughed and tried to find another topic: “Are you sure it’s fine not to send off your former classmate? It is pretty late.”

Qi Feng: “It’s fine, she has a chauffeur who’ll come when she calls.”

Ling Ke: “Oh……”

Right at this time, Qi Feng’s phone vibrated and when he picked up, a loud voice boomed out: “Qi Feng where are you! Everyone finished singing and it’s almost time for the public reveal of the results! So where the hell are you!!!”

Qi Feng replied with a “Coming”, hung up, and turned to Ling Ke: “The club president’s calling me…… It’s cold outside, so let me bring you backstage.”

Ling Ke originally didn’t want to go, but in this situation, it wasn’t quite appropriate for him to just leave, thus he followed Qi Feng inside.

A girl wearing smokey makeup waved at them. She was also one of the singers and had met Ling Ke before.

Seeing him holding a bouquet, she cheerfully exclaimed, “This is for Qi Feng, right? Oh wow, you two are so romantic! I reckoned that Qi Feng’s words were for you, so was I right?”

Before Ling Ke could respond, 2 other girls came over and started teasing him:

“Hey, how did you feel hearing that confession earlier? Moved? Even I was moved to pieces, and I was backstage!”

“You two are officially together now, right?”

“Who tops and who bottoms?”

“Hahahaha……”

Unable to keep listening, Qi Feng reached out an arm to block them: “Don’t tease Ling Ke anymore. What I said onstage was just for fun, in order to…embellish the mood.”

Ling Ke: “……”

Luckily, Liang RuiXi came over right then: “They’re about to announce the results, so get ready to go onstage.”

Before Qi Feng left, he turned to Ling Ke, and as if worried, implored, “Wait for me to come back.”

—

[A small interlude]

Qi Feng: “This is my boyfriend, Ling Ke.”

Xu JunZhu: “……” Fuck my goddamn effing life!

[[I love these two dorks, I love them so much, and I’m so glad that this is the kind of misunderstanding they ended up having lmao~]]