SBAB Chapter 28

Thanks to Wu Lian’s incredible extravagance, the fireworks lost their fleeting quality. The display, prepared exclusively for Shang Xiaoxia, lasted a full half-hour before it began to dwindle.

For thirty minutes, Shang Xiaoxia and Wu Lian shared the experience through the magic of mobile communication, while Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin spent the same time, unbeknownst to one another, quietly admiring each other instead of the fireworks.

When Lin Xin raised his phone to take a picture, Cheng Shiyin turned her gaze away from the dazzling fireworks and onto Lin Xin, who was capturing the scene—and her—on camera.

Lin Xin had no idea what expression he wore, but Cheng Shiyin, who was sharing this beautiful moment with him face-to-face, could see it.

• Entranced.
• Enraptured.

Perhaps thinking that the darkness would shield him from Cheng Shiyin’s notice, Lin Xin made no effort to manage his expression. He didn’t realize that the bursts of light from the fireworks exposed every bit of his emotions to Cheng Shiyin’s gaze.

His love overflowed from his eyes, while his infatuation was preserved in his camera.

Such a display of emotion, laid bare on Lin Xin’s face, didn’t strike Cheng Shiyin as inappropriate. Instead, under the alternating bursts of fireworks, it revealed an inexplicable beauty. For a fleeting moment, she was reminded of the faint blush on Lin Xin’s face the first time they met.

So this is what profound affection looks like, she thought. It’s so beautiful it’s hard to look away.

Cheng Shiyin had never encountered such a raw and unfiltered outpouring of love, even if Lin Xin’s feelings were, at that moment, directed at the fireworks.

Perhaps this is what it’s like to truly, deeply love someone, she mused.

Even during her initial time with Gu Nian, Cheng Shiyin had never felt anything so intense. Reflecting on this, she began to realize that this might have been her greatest failure in past relationships: an inability to recognize or reciprocate such emotions.

Having come to this understanding, Cheng Shiyin quietly resolved to learn what it meant to love, even if Lin Xin never noticed her efforts.

When the fireworks finally stopped, Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin tucked away their feelings and awkwardly met each other’s gaze. Almost in unison, they said, “It’s late, let’s get to sleep.”

“Mm.” They both answered simultaneously before climbing into their respective beds in silence.

While Cheng Shiyin fell asleep as she said she would, Lin Xin waited until he was sure she was asleep. Quietly, he tiptoed to her bedside. Leaning in close to her peacefully sleeping face, he hesitated. In the end, he left a light kiss on her pillow and whispered a silent “Good night” before returning to his bed and drifting off.

He didn’t dare kiss her cheek because he knew it wasn’t something Cheng Shiyin would want. Even in a moment of temptation, Lin Xin respected her boundaries and refrained, restraining himself from crossing a line.

The next morning, the unusual events of the previous night were tucked away into the memories of those involved. He Xiangtong and Zhang Yun, preoccupied with eating and sleeping, remained blissfully unaware.

After boarding Wu Lian’s luxurious extended car and returning to school, everyone resumed their normal routines.

As the last person, aside from Cheng Shiyin, stepped out of the car, Cheng Shiyin suddenly turned to Shang Xiaoxia and announced, “Now, I declare that you must follow my orders without question, and…”

Cheng Shiyin deliberately dragged out her words, letting Shang Xiaoxia’s anxiety build. After glancing at Lin Xin’s mischievous expression and fully enjoying herself, she continued, “…and before the end of the month, you’re going on a date with Wu Lian.”

“What?!”

Shang Xiaoxia had no idea whether this was a prank Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin had conspired to pull on her or some secret deal Cheng Shiyin had struck with Wu Lian. Before she could ask, Cheng Shiyin quickly closed the car door, leaving the driver to speed away.

Shang Xiaoxia turned to Wu Lian, but he only shrugged with an innocent expression. Meanwhile, Lin Xin stood off to the side, one hand clutching his stomach as he pointed at Shang Xiaoxia, laughing hysterically.

Oh, you’re the one, huh.

Determined to get back at Lin Xin, Shang Xiaoxia trailed him relentlessly, pestering him with pointed questions. “How are you and Gu Nian’s girlfriend so chummy? Are you planning to cozy up to her, learn all about Gu Nian’s habits and preferences, and then use that to pursue him? What a devious woman—uh, man—you are!”

Her provocation worked. Lin Xin stopped in his tracks, pulled Shang Xiaoxia aside, and snapped, “I would never do something like that! Besides, she’s not Gu Nian’s girlfriend anymore.”

“Oh? So you’ve successfully taken her place?” Shang Xiaoxia teased, pretending to ignore Lin Xin’s frustration.

“Of course not!” Lin Xin’s voice grew louder as he struggled to control his anger. Desperate, he tried to shift the focus. “What about you? Aren’t you all buddy-buddy with Wu Lian?”

Shang Xiaoxia immediately caught the flaw in Lin Xin’s words and repeated mockingly, “Also?”

Realizing his slip, Lin Xin quickly shut his mouth and turned to walk away, but Shang Xiaoxia wasn’t about to let him off so easily. She jogged a few steps to catch up, placed a hand on Lin Xin’s shoulder, and whispered mischievously in his ear, “So, by that logic, you’ve got a thing with Cheng Shiyin?”

Before Lin Xin could defend himself, Shang Xiaoxia jumped back a step and burst into laughter. “So it’s true! You’re the real deal, falling for your crush’s girlfriend!”

She saw Lin Xin’s expression darken and quickly corrected herself. “Oh no, wait—it’s your crush’s ex-girlfriend!”

Lin Xin lunged at her to cover her mouth, but Shang Xiaoxia slid to the ground, laughing uncontrollably as she escaped his grip. Clutching her stomach, she deflected with another jab: “So, do you have feelings for me or He Xiangtong and the others? We’re real girls, you know!”

Lin Xin, hearing this, instantly lost his temper. With a mocking tone, he retorted, “You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror first!”

“Damn it!” Shang Xiaoxia, incensed by the insult, sprang to her feet and tackled Lin Xin. The two scuffled, but aside from Shang Xiaoxia’s initial advantage, Lin Xin easily overpowered her.

In less than a minute, Shang Xiaoxia cried out, “Mercy! Mercy, Lin Xin!” Finally, she wriggled free from his grip.

“How are you so strong now? We used to be evenly matched!” Shang Xiaoxia complained, glaring at him.

Lin Xin, equally puzzled, shrugged and suggested, “Want me to punch you again and see if it’s just me?”

Before he could finish, Shang Xiaoxia bolted, disappearing without a trace.

Left alone, Lin Xin clenched his fists, looked around, and spotted a familiar cherry blossom tree. Taking a deep breath, he wound up and punched the tree’s sturdy trunk with all his might.

“Ahhh! It still hurts!” Lin Xin yelped, clutching his fist and squatting at the base of the tree, tears in his eyes.

Meanwhile, on the drive back to school, Cheng Shiyin received a call from Wu Lian via the driver.

“Hello, what can I do for you?” Cheng Shiyin asked politely.

Wu Lian replied curtly, “…Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. We were just watching the drama unfold—it wasn’t anything special for you,” Cheng Shiyin responded. Then she added slyly, “But since it’s all for fun, how about letting Lin Xin and me secretly tag along on your date to watch?”

“Absolutely not.” Wu Lian rejected the idea outright, wanting a private outing with Shang Xiaoxia, not a double date in disguise.

After a brief pause, he offered a compromise. “But since you just want to watch, how about a live broadcast with miniature cameras and drone footage? If needed, I can even arrange for subtitles in real-time.”

Cheng Shiyin was stunned by Wu Lian’s extravagance. After some consideration, she agreed to his plan, opting to watch the date’s livestream with Lin Xin instead.

However, Lin Xin had other ideas. He secretly struck a deal with Shang Xiaoxia.

“You said it—you’ll help me pursue Cheng Shiyin, and I’ll leak some of Wu Lian’s plans to you,” Lin Xin promised. What he didn’t tell her was that he had no insider information about Wu Lian’s plans, nor was he in any collaboration with Cheng Shiyin or Wu Lian.

This one-sided deal was Lin Xin’s way of getting back at Shang Xiaoxia for pushing him toward Gu Nian in the past.

But Lin Xin hadn’t anticipated that, even without Shang Xiaoxia’s meddling, Gu Nian remained an ever-present annoyance. This time, though, Gu Nian hadn’t done anything unethical. Yet his actions still elicited groans from Lin Xin and the entire freshman class.

“Attention, attention. On the 15th of next month, our school will host one of its grandest events: the Radio Calisthenics Competition. All freshman classes, please participate enthusiastically and start practicing immediately…”

Gu Nian’s voice echoed through the campus loudspeakers, triggering complaints wherever it was heard. Lin Xin, who had wasted 20 yuan on one of Gu Nian’s short videos, spat bitterly, “Scumbag.”

A passing vice principal overheard and stopped in his tracks. “Which class are you from, young man? The student council president works hard to keep you informed about school events. Even if you dislike the activity, why insult him? You—3,000-word reflection, due tomorrow to your advisor!”

Caught red-handed, Lin Xin had no choice but to bow his head and reply, “Yes, sir.” Inside, his hatred for Gu Nian deepened further.