"Heh, never expected this, never expected this. How amusing, truly amusing!"
Ye Liangchen swayed the beer in his hand, his lips quirking into a bitter smile.
"I think you're nothing special," Xue Shaohua lit a cigarette, tilting his head at a 45-degree angle as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke. Unconsciously, he had leveled up in terms of sheer pretentiousness.
Last time, Ye Liangchen had blamed his poor performance on Long Aotian's presence.
This time, that guy Long Aotian wasn’t even around Hu Yuying and the others. And yet, the result? Heh...
Seeing this, Ye Liangchen confidently flicked his hair back and downed the entire glass in one go, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each gulp.
After finishing, he flicked his hair again with practiced ease and stared at the empty glass. "The wine I drink turns into wisdom when I exhale."
He let out a slow breath laced with alcohol. "Just like that line I once wrote in my QQ space—'The Knight and the Princess.'"
"The princesses have no idea how heavy the burden on this knight’s shoulders is. No one knows. But I do."
Ye Liangchen chuckled softly, pouring himself another glass. He held the golden beer up high. "Through countless trials, all for a single smile from the princess. This glass—it drowns half a lifetime of sobriety, it drowns my madness for love."And with that, he drained it again.
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Xue Shaohua, inexplicably moved, couldn’t help but applaud. "'Drowning half a lifetime of sobriety, drowning my madness for love'—that’s the most domineering line I’ve ever heard."
"Ye Liangchen, sometimes you really don’t seem like a student. More like a world-weary adult—those melancholic eyes, the carefree way you drink alone, and now these words... it’s all too mature!"
Ye Liangchen waved a dismissive hand. "Mature? No. I’ve just seen through the vanity of this world."
"Xue Shaohua, do you know what life’s redemption is?"
Xue Shaohua shrugged. "What, are you saying you’re some kind of redeemer?"
Snap!
Ye Liangcen pointed at him. "Bingo. You got it."
He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Yes, I am a redeemer. And the three who need my salvation are Hu Yuying, Li Qingxue, and Lin Wanning."
"Don’t laugh. I know you don’t believe me now." Ye Liangchen took a deep breath. "Time will prove everything."
"For now, let me savor this rare moment of amusement."
With that, he slowly stood, closed his eyes, and spread his arms toward the moon.
This was the peak era of the non-mainstream subculture. To future eyes, Ye Liangchen’s words and gestures might seem absurd. But in this moment, they symbolized a spirit of freedom.
Xue Shaohua couldn’t help but feel a strange reverence. For some reason, every time Ye Liangchen struck this pose, he seemed almost... divine.
Especially now, as he lowered his arms and wrapped them around himself in a self-embrace.
"Even if they’re fooled by Long Aotian now, do I look worried?"
Ye Liangchen flicked his hair again, resting two fingers against the bridge of his nose as he lifted his gaze to meet Xue Shaohua’s.
It was the look of absolute confidence—at least, that’s what Xue Shaohua saw in those eyes.
"So what’s your plan, then?"
"I’ve never liked a girl this much before. Hu Yuying—her face, her figure—everything about her is my ideal. To me, she’s like a beautiful angel."
A trace of regret flashed in Xue Shaohua’s eyes. He didn’t understand. He was undeniably exceptional—even in his class, he ranked among the most handsome.
Yet no matter how hard he tried to catch Hu Yuying’s attention, he always failed.
He’d seen Long Aotian before. Objectively, the guy was rougher around the edges.
Just a bit taller, a bit more muscular. That was the only difference.
Such a tiny gap should’ve been bridged by his own charm, humor, and good looks. So why wouldn’t Hu Yuying even glance his way? Why wouldn’t she grace him with that heart-stopping smile?
It made no sense.
He was clearly the better man.
Ye Liangchen scoffed, shaking his head as he walked toward the bar. "Miss, do you have a pen I could borrow?"
Another hair flick, another smirk oozing confidence.
The bartender’s eye twitched, her toes curling in secondhand embarrassment. But professionalism prevailed, and she handed him a pen with a strained smile.
Ye Liangchen took it, turned to leave—then paused mid-step. Without looking back, he raised the pen dramatically, his voice dripping with practiced smoothness: "Thanks!"
Back at the table, he smirked. "See how she smiled at me?"
Xue Shaohua wasn’t sure where this was going but played along with a nod.
"Can’t help it. That’s just my charm. If I weren’t a redeemer, I’d have girls flocking to me left and right."
He spun the pen deftly, then pulled out a cigarette and carefully wrote three names on it.
Amid Xue Shaohua's bewildered expression, he slowly lit a cigarette: "Writing their names on the smoke, then drawing it into my lungs—isn’t that another twisted way of becoming one with them?"