After Seducing and Abandoning the Untouchable Beauty - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Scene of a Total Wreck

This was the first time Bai Yinqing had replied under non-official circumstances.

Yu Weinian was slightly surprised and replied immediately.

—The counter salesperson helped me take it. Why, is something wrong?

Looking at Yu Weinian’s almost instantaneous reply, Bai Yinqing’s expression showed a hint of annoyance, as if he regretted sending that message in the first place.

He stopped replying, but Yu Weinian’s messages continued.

It was a voice clip. Bai Yinqing remained silent for a moment before putting on his headphones and pressing the play button.

“Who did you think it was?” Yu Weinian always spoke with a teasing, somewhat flirtatious undertone. He asked again, “Student Bai, do you want to start a video call to check if I’m lying?”

After being processed by the electronic device, this seductive, ambiguous tone felt like someone whispering directly into his ear, triggering waves of tiny tremors.

Bai Yinqing: “It has nothing to do with me who it is.”

Yu Weinian quoted Bai Yinqing’s previous message and added two words: Is that so?

In the chat box, the quoted content was—”Who took the photo for you?”

Below it was Yu Weinian’s reply, two brief words—”Is that so?”

Bai Yinqing simply stopped responding.

Looking at the chat history, Yu Weinian found it quite amusing. Propping his chin up with his hand, he imagined Bai Yinqing’s current expression and couldn’t resist letting out two low chuckles.

The salesperson serving him nearby: “Mr. Yu?”

“Yes, I’ll take both of these designs.”

“In two days, we will have a new limited-edition release…”

“Alright, help me reserve them. When the time comes, you can just deliver them directly to my home.”

The brand counter provided a special delivery service. As a super VIP customer, Yu Weinian naturally enjoyed this perk. The salesperson had long known that Mr. Yu was wealthy and generous, and was well aware of this noble guest’s preferences.

Yu Weinian was always willing to pay for “limited edition.” Even if it wasn’t limited, he only looked at the most expensive items. Expensive meant a high barrier to entry, meaning fewer people would buy it. He never bought basic models; he only liked the limited and the rare.

“Mr. Yu, regarding these two pairs of rings, what is the other ring size?” the salesperson asked warmly.

Yu Weinian admired the ring on his hand: “Buy them according to my ring size.”

Salesperson: “Both rings according to your size?”

“Yes,” Yu Weinian said. “Pair them with two necklaces as well.”

The salesperson smiled: “Certainly, Mr. Yu, I understand. Please wait a moment.”

Yu Weinian quite liked both of these newly released couple rings. He didn’t know Bai Yinqing’s ring size, but it didn’t matter. As long as he bought them in his own size, Bai Yinqing could wear it if it fit; if not, he could string it on a necklace. There was another possibility—the most likely one. If Bai Yinqing refused, Yu Weinian would just keep them for himself.

A security guard helped carry the shopping bags, preparing to escort him to the parking lot. After Yu Weinian finished signing, the salesperson leaned in to take the pen, and he caught a whiff of sweet fruit fragrance.

“Your perfume smells very nice.”

“Thank you.” The salesperson smiled graciously. “This is our brand’s new fragrance. Would you like to try it?”

Yu Weinian: “Are you there? Student Bai.”

During a break in military training, Bai Yinqing sat under the shade of a tree. Seeing this message, he chose to ignore it.

Not long after, someone sat down beside him. The person was perhaps extremely thirsty and didn’t notice that the bottle of water he picked up was Bai Yinqing’s. By the time the classmate unscrewed the cap, he realized something was wrong. He had bought a soft drink, not mineral water.

“Sorry, man,” the classmate said awkwardly. “I grabbed the wrong one… My bad. I haven’t drunk it yet, I just twisted the cap…”

“Should I buy you a new one?”

Bai Yinqing: “No need. You drink it.”

Whether it was returning it or buying a new one, he didn’t need it. He had a strong sense of possessiveness and control over his personal belongings.

As Bai Yinqing was about to go to the vending machine to buy water, his pocket vibrated.

Yu Weinian had sent another message: “There are a few typos in the speech draft you sent; they need to be fixed.”

Bai Yinqing: “Where?”

Yu Weinian: “I lied to you.”

Bai Yinqing: “…”

Bai Yinqing could not understand how such a boring person could exist in this world. With a blank expression, he locked his phone screen.

A pair of brand-new grey-blue-and-white sneakers appeared before his eyes. Looking up further were long, straight legs.

Bai Yinqing looked at Yu Weinian without a word. Yu Weinian, who had suddenly appeared before him, curled his lips slightly and said with a light chuckle, “Student Bai, I thought you were just too busy to see my messages, which is why you didn’t reply.”

“So it turns out you’re ignoring me on purpose.”

Under such circumstances, an ordinary person would be more or less dissatisfied. But Yu Weinian’s face was full of teasing, as if he truly didn’t mind at all.

Bai Yinqing said nothing; he stood up and walked away, acting as if Yu Weinian didn’t exist.

Yu Weinian chased after him: “Student Bai, why are you ignoring me?”

Vague glances were cast from the surroundings. At a corner with fewer people, Bai Yinqing stopped his pace: “Is something the matter?”

“Can’t I come find you if nothing is the matter?” Yu Weinian leaned against a railing. “Student Bai, why are you always so guarded against me? I sincerely want to be friends with you.”

The corner of Bai Yinqing’s mouth twitched: “You can find someone else.”

Yu Weinian didn’t mind. Chasing someone was like asking a favor; receiving a cold shoulder was normal. Otherwise, why would he need to “chase” him? Besides, if Bai Yinqing responded too quickly, how would that be different from clearing a game as soon as it started? No fun.

“But I only want to find you. I only want to be friends with you,” Yu Weinian said seriously, word by word. “You are different.”

“Is that so?” Bai Yinqing never believed such things. To him, except for himself, everyone was the same.

Bai Yinqing was completely unresponsive, making Yu Weinian feel helpless: “Student Bai, do you talk like this to everyone?”

“Like what.”

“Cold as ice.”

Yu Weinian was truly curious. He straightened up slightly, closing the distance between them. “Are you like this with your friends too? Do you ever smile at your friends?”

As Yu Weinian suddenly moved closer, a faint scent of perfume wafted over. Bai Yinqing knit his brows slightly; it was a very sweet perfume scent, and he didn’t know where Yu Weinian had rubbed against it, but it was extremely cloying.

Bai Yinqing coldly spat out two words: “Boring.”

“Fine, say whatever you want. I’m not giving up regardless,” Yu Weinian said. “Your military training is almost over for the day, right? Let’s go eat together later. I’ve booked a restaurant.”

Just as Bai Yinqing was about to refuse, he saw Yu Weinian’s eyes curve into a smile. “I have something to give you.”

Bai Yinqing: “What thing?”

“It’s a secret.” Yu Weinian kept him in suspense. He blinked slowly, the watery glint in his eyes reflecting the lush greenery. Before Bai Yinqing could reject him, he spoke first: “I don’t care, we have an agreement regardless. We’re eating dinner together.”

“If you don’t come, I’ll wait for you right here.”

The sun was very fierce. If Yu Weinian waited there the whole time, he would likely get heatstroke.

But did that have anything to do with Bai Yinqing?

Naturally, Bai Yinqing would not accept Yu Weinian’s invitation. He didn’t even give a response, heading straight down the stairs to leave.

The whistle for assembly sounded from the playground. Yu Weinian watched Bai Yinqing leave, his expression looking both aggrieved and determined, like a stubborn little animal.

Only after Bai Yinqing’s figure was completely out of sight did Yu Weinian drop the act and regain his cynical expression. He walked toward the side of a teaching building with a hint of regret; he had wasted that “pitiful” look. He thought Bai Yinqing would look back, but his carefully maintained expression went to waste.

Beside the stairs was a building with square, transparent walls. Yu Weinian walked inside as the sensor doors opened, and he chose a seat close to the playground. While enjoying the air conditioning above his head, he searched for Bai Yinqing’s figure among the crowd.

It was so hot outside; only an idiot would wait out there.

During the training session.

Bai Yinqing followed the formation to an open area. Relying on his height advantage, he spotted Yu Weinian inside the cubic building with a single glance.

Yu Weinian was leaning leisurely in a lounge chair with his legs crossed, one hand propping up his chin, a smile on his lips as he looked earnestly at the person talking beside him. He didn’t know what the other person said, but he lightly pressed his knuckle against the tip of his nose as his smile slowly widened. Soon, the other person moved their chair closer, and the two were talking almost shoulder-to-shoulder, the distance between them very close.

Yu Weinian never knew how to refuse someone moving closer to him. No wonder he was always stained with the scent of others. He could have a “heart-to-heart” with anyone, chatting happily while putting on a facade of sincerity as if he couldn’t do without you.

In truth, anyone would do.

As for Yu Weinian saying he wanted to be friends, and those “sincere remarks,” he didn’t believe a single word. It was just a craving for novelty, a temporary whim. Once time passed, Yu Weinian would quickly toss him to the back of his mind, unable to even remember his name clearly.

Bai Yinqing calmly withdrew his gaze.

The instructor was away temporarily, and whispering voices could be heard from behind. Perhaps Bai Yinqing hadn’t rested well these past few days because he was having hallucinations; he heard the name “Yu Weinian” once again.

But soon, Bai Yinqing knew it wasn’t a hallucination. Although those three words appeared briefly and the volume was light, they still wormed into his ears like a curse.

“What… that kind of rich second-gen, what do you think he is? A good person?”

“No way?”

“Who in the study abroad circle doesn’t know Yu Weinian? The only son of a top tycoon, monthly allowance of seventy million dollars…”

“How much did you say?!”

“My brother was at the same school as him abroad. He’s a famous player. Who knows why he came back to get a second Master’s… If you have friends in New York, just ask around and you’ll know. His private life is very colorful, he takes all comers…”

The person paused for a moment while talking. Then, they lowered their voice, “There’s no one he wants that he can’t get. No matter how hard someone is to chase, once they become his prey, they won’t escape a hundred percent… but it’s all just for fun.”

“Even if he acts deeply affectionate in the beginning, once he’s bored, he breaks up. Extremely heartless…”

The instructor returned, and the gossip abruptly ceased. Bai Yinqing didn’t hear everything, but he could guess most of it. For a freshman who had just started school in the country to know this through friends was enough to show how “renowned” Yu Weinian’s reputation was.

Yu Weinian’s romantic history was even richer than Bai Yinqing had thought. He took all comers, frivolous and casual. Bai Yinqing loathed this kind of playboy with a chaotic private life and didn’t want to have any more contact with him.

He had just started the semester and needed the orientation tutor as a middleman for communication. Once this busy period was over, he would delete Yu Weinian. He would not have any further dealings with him.

While waiting for Bai Yinqing, Yu Weinian chatted while enjoying the air conditioning. Midway through, someone came to ask for directions, and they chatted for a while. This junior wanted to apply to a university abroad and knew Yu Weinian had studied overseas, so he came to seek advice. As they talked, he asked curiously: “Senior, why did you come to A-University for a second Master’s?”

If he wanted further education, Yu Weinian could have easily done a PhD abroad. Yet he chose to return home for a second Master’s and even changed his major.

“Studying is great,” Yu Weinian said lazily. “If I could, I’d want to study for a lifetime.”

The junior didn’t understand Yu Weinian’s meaning, and Yu Weinian didn’t explain. In fact, it was very simple: he lacked nothing and was very intelligent. Most material things in the world were within his reach, and knowledge was easily acquired by him. Over time, he often felt bored with this world. He constantly learned new things and explored new fields just to maintain a sense of freshness toward the world. But since he was studying anyway, he might as well get a degree along the way.

Another session ended, and the time was about right. Yu Weinian looked at the playground; the freshmen in camouflage uniforms were already distracted, waiting for the instructor’s command to run to the cafeteria. Yu Weinian put away his phone and reluctantly left the air-conditioned room for the outdoors, creating the appearance of having waited bitterly under the scorching sun.

Things didn’t go as planned. He didn’t wait for the Bai Yinqing he wanted, but instead waited for his ex-boyfriend.

Duan You appeared suddenly before Yu Weinian’s eyes. Before Yu Weinian could react or turn to leave, Duan You approached with redrimmed eyes, like a large dog abandoned by its master, calling out aggrievedly: “Niannian…”

“Please don’t hide from me, okay?”

Did Duan You not have a clue why he was hiding? After Duan You’s harassment during this period, the last shred of goodwill Yu Weinian had for him had vanished completely.

“Duan You, we’ve already broken up,” Yu Weinian reminded him again, forcing a polite tone. “You deserve better.”

Yu Weinian had conducted this breakup dialogue countless times; he was incredibly skilled. But for Duan You, it was the first time. Yu Weinian was his first love.

Duan You was taller than Yu Weinian, but because of his lonely and dejected expression, he actually seemed somewhat pitiful: “No, I don’t want to break up. Niannian, you said you liked me the most. You said I was different from everyone else, that you’d stay by my side forever, you…”

Again. His last bit of patience exhausted, Yu Weinian interrupted: “Those were all lies to fool you.”

Duan You froze on the spot.

“Are you surprised?” The habitually lazy voice still held a smile, but the mockery and impatience in his eyes could no longer be hidden. Yu Weinian lazily raised his eyes, “Who told you to be so gullible? You came running just because I crooked my finger.”

“We’re both adults. There are some things I didn’t want to spell out. I was just playing around, and you were the only one who took it seriously.”

Duan You’s face turned deathly pale, with a hint of confusion as if he had been struck by lightning. The Yu Weinian before him was still the same as in his memory—gentle and indulgent in attitude, obedient to his every whim. But the words Yu Weinian spoke made his heart tighten, and even breathing began to hurt.

“I thought we were just in a cold war…”

Yu Weinian interrupted impatiently, “Stop deceiving yourself. I’ve said it a thousand times: we’ve broken up, and we can never get back together.”

If he had known Duan You would be this difficult to deal with, Yu Weinian would never have made a move on him. But it was hard to say; after all, Yu Weinian quite liked that cold, artistic vibe he had. It was just that the quality that attracted Yu Weinian the most had vanished after they officially established their relationship.

Still, Duan You’s face was very much to Yu Weinian’s liking. Yu Weinian, who had been irritable and mean a moment ago, suddenly approached gently. He cupped the bewildered face: “Why must you make it look so ugly?”

Yu Weinian’s voice grew even softer, “Why must you make it hard for me, make me look like a bad person?”

“Duan You, I really did like you. But that’s all in the past.”

Warm, long fingers lightly stroked Duan You’s cheek, but the words spoken were incredibly cold.

“Originally, we could have parted on good terms. We could have gone out for drinks and played together. If conditions allowed, we could even have had a friendly tumble in bed as friends-with-benefits.”

Yu Weinian looked up with a hint of distress, like facing a disobedient child, his gaze reproachful. He said word by word, “Don’t make me hate you anymore, okay?”

Duan You stood frozen as if his soul had been snatched away. Yu Weinian hadn’t intended to use such harsh words; he preferred a gentler way of breaking up, the unspoken kind. After this time, Duan You shouldn’t bother him anymore.

Yu Weinian withdrew his hand with satisfaction. Just as he turned sideways, below the stone steps where sunlight and tree shadows interlaced, a tall, slender figure stood beneath a tree.

Bai Yinqing didn’t know when he had arrived, let alone how much he had heard.

Yu Weinian’s mind went blank for a split second. When Bai Yinqing turned to leave, he quickly chased after him.

“Student Bai, this is a misunderstanding.” Yu Weinian calmly searched for the right words, “I broke up with him a long time ago, but he won’t let it go. He makes harassing calls to me every day and stalks me at school… I had no other choice.”

“When it comes to feelings, the person who can’t let go isn’t necessarily the weaker party. It can’t be forced…”

Yu Weinian wasn’t sure how much Bai Yinqing had heard; he could only prepare for the worst-case scenario—that he had heard everything. But the key was, damn it, he couldn’t even remember what he had said! He shouldn’t have said anything too overboard or scummy, right?

Yu Weinian had never imagined that his first time “crashing” would be such a major wreck. Just as he was racking his brains on how to salvage his image, the Bai Yinqing ahead finally stopped.

Bai Yinqing: “Does it have anything to do with me?”

He was backlit, the shadows carving his facial contours into a very sharp relief. His eyelashes cast a dark shadow under his eyes, making his expression look even more indifferent—even cold.

Under the sunlight, their two tall figures were stretched long. Yu Weinian cast aside his usual flippancy and looked directly at Bai Yinqing: “Bai Yinqing, you know I’m interested in you, right?”

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

Bai Yinqing’s reaction was as Yu Weinian expected—calm, not surprised at all. He wasn’t an idiot; of course he could see Yu Weinian’s ulterior motives. Then again, Yu Weinian hadn’t really tried to hide it. He had merely packaged his goal slightly, choosing a way that might be easier to accept.

“Bai Yinqing, when I said I wanted to be friends, it was indeed a lie.” He stopped talking in riddles, “I like you. I fell for you at first sight.”

“And then?” Bai Yinqing said, “I won’t like men. Not in this lifetime.”

They had laid all their cards on the table.

Yu Weinian nodded, indicating he understood. He added: “What if I insist on chasing you?”

Bai Yinqing’s lips curled slightly into a mocking arc: “You chase me, so I have to give a response? Where do you get your confidence?”

Yu Weinian froze for a moment, then let out a low laugh: “Great. I understand what you mean.”

No one had ever been like Bai Yinqing before, rejecting him so cleanly and bluntly. This was Yu Weinian’s first time suffering a setback, but he felt even more excited. He liked high difficulty; he liked challenges. He liked to see someone who originally ignored him undergo a series of earth-shattering changes under his step-by-step conquest, revealing a contrasting side. The colder they were in the beginning, the more precious the later transformation would seem.

“Bai Yinqing, you are indeed my type, but what you just said makes me very unhappy.” Yu Weinian toyed with an exquisite enamel lighter. “Originally I planned to chase you patiently, but now, I’ve changed my mind.”

Giving up? Bai Yinqing looked at Yu Weinian calmly.

Yu Weinian stopped pretending. He took out a long, thin cigarette and lit it. He lightly bit the cigarette butt, then suddenly leaned in close, grabbing Bai Yinqing’s collar and pulling his body downward. His thin, white fingers hooked the collar like a leash. The sudden tightening of the collar brought a momentary sense of suffocation, causing a subtle tremor in Bai Yinqing’s breath.

Yu Weinian pinned Bai Yinqing with one hand while holding the cigarette with the other. He looked down at Bai Yinqing with a lazy and contemptuous posture. Noticing Bai Yinqing struggling, he yanked him closer. His tongue pressed against the cigarette filter as his teeth lightly clicked, popping the flavor bead. A puff of smoke slowly drifted from his thin lips; he intentionally moved closer, maliciously blowing a smoke ring into Bai Yinqing’s face.

The scent of fruitwood and tobacco, mixed with the faint fragrance on Yu Weinian’s body, interlaced into a unique aroma that aggressively and domineeringly invaded Bai Yinqing’s private space, traveling down his breath into his throat, as if he had shared the same cigarette with Yu Weinian.

Bai Yinqing erupted into violent coughing before the hand on his neck let go. He even very thoughtfully straightened the folded collar for him. The white mist looked like gauze under the sunlight; Yu Weinian’s figure seemed somewhat distorted within it, a spark of fire between his slender fingers.

“Since you hate me so much.”

Compared to the composed Yu Weinian, Bai Yinqing could be described as disheveled. Following the violent coughing was a racing heartbeat. Then, he heard Yu Weinian say the second half of the sentence flippantly.

“Then I’ll just have to win you over within a week.”

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