After Thinking I Was the Top, I Was Taken by a Cold Beauty - Chapter 3

The sky was cloudless and a gentle breeze brought a refreshing chill.

Along the roadside, winter jasmine flowers bloomed in dense clusters. The large patches of tender yellow blossoms looked even more vibrant and delicate against the backdrop of green leaves.

Aside from students, few people frequented this road. Further ahead lay the city’s Youth Palace and Gymnasium, while behind them were the city’s key high school and its affiliated primary school.

Yun Deng drove while allowing Xia Shisheng, who sat in the passenger seat, to give him haphazard directions.

“Hey, do you actually remember where that café is located?”

At that moment, Xia Shisheng was also lost. He rubbed the back of his head and leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed, trying hard to recall how he had found that remote café two days ago.

Coincidentally, a wave of students began crossing the road after school, and Yun Deng came to a stop at the intersection. Many boys could not help but turn their heads to admire his car, offering words of praise as they crossed. Yun Deng rarely drove this car; he had only chosen this specific sports car today because its color matched the dark-patterned burgundy shirt he was wearing.

Seeing the students greeting him, he used his left index finger to slide his sunglasses up onto his head, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes as he smiled back at the teenagers. Once the students had passed safely, Yun Deng drove forward, looking for an intersection to make a U-turn.

“We have been circling this area for several laps. Do you think my gas is free?”

“I really forgot. That day, I just told the driver to drop me off at any intersection. However, I do remember there being a viaduct nearby,” Xia Shisheng replied. “Besides, I have always been bad with directions. I did not expect to meet your ‘Mr. Right’ at that café back then.”

Xia Shisheng was in complete despair; he truly could not remember the way. After wandering around the vicinity for one more circle, the duo’s plan to find the handsome stranger was declared a failure.

…

By evening, Yun Deng managed to find the café Xia Shisheng had mentioned by looking through store exploration notes on a popular social media platform.

That afternoon, they had actually been very close to their destination. However, Yun Deng had taken a wrong turn and was forced to turn right. Combined with Xia Shisheng’s erratic directions, they had missed it.

The location was found, but a more fatal problem remained: in this vast city, they could not find a single parking space. They finally found a spot five hundred meters away. However, a black Rolls-Royce was parked to the left and a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon was to the right. The space in the middle, which was originally a standard size, appeared incredibly narrow when squeezed between those two vehicles.

Xia Shisheng leaned his head out to measure the distance before turning to Yun Deng. “Which is more expensive, your Porsche or that Rolls-Royce?”

Yun Deng knew he could only barely fit inside, but he was terrified of scratching either of those cars.

“I knew there were many wealthy people in the capital, but I did not expect this many. Both of these cars are worth a fortune; we cannot afford to offend them,” Xia Shisheng sighed.

“Just shut up. You have nice cars yourself, yet you refuse to drive them,” Yun Deng grumbled. “And you even use me as your free chauffeur.”

As Yun Deng spoke, he began to reverse, intending to look for another parking spot further ahead. The two circled the nearby streets twice before eventually returning to the same spot.

“I am so frustrated. I cannot believe we cannot find a single space. This is the only place left to park,” Xia Shisheng said as he opened the door and stepped out.

If it were perpendicular parking, it would be fine, but Yun Deng was truly afraid of the Rolls-Royce on the left during this parallel park. He reversed the car a few meters and stopped, shouting to Xia Shisheng, who stood three meters away, “I do not dare to park it!”

“Do not look at me; I do not dare to do it either!” Xia Shisheng’s face was full of resistance. Seeing Yun Deng looking at him with pleading eyes, he turned his back stubbornly. He then waved his hand behind him, signaling his friend to get it over with quickly.

Yun Deng closed his eyes, grit his teeth, and decided to try one more time. After maneuvering for about five or six minutes, he finally straightened the wheels and parked perfectly into the space.

“Impressive, man. But the cars are so close together. Will you be able to pull out later?”

“Do not worry about that; at least we are in.”

Yun Deng took off his sunglasses and clipped them to his collar. He leaned against the car and surveyed the surrounding scenery. After five o’clock in the evening, the streetlights began to flicker on. The nearby skyscrapers and the decorative lights hidden in the greenery and trees lit up, creating a prosperous scene.

A cool night breeze brushed against his face. After taking a moment to compose himself, Yun Deng walked toward the café with Xia Shisheng.

“I assume that guy frequently works at that shop. I wonder if he is still there at this hour,” Xia Shisheng remarked.

“If he is not there, I will come back tomorrow to wait for him. Anyway, I have plenty of free time,” Yun Deng replied.

He and Xia Shisheng had known each other since childhood. He knew that Xia Shisheng was a narcissistic person who was very attentive to his own appearance. When he heard his friend claim to have met a man even handsomer than himself last night, his curiosity was immediately piqued.

The entrance of the café featured a brown and white design with fairytale patterns painted on the walls. As they approached, the rich aroma of coffee drifted toward them. Upon pushing the door open, the wind chimes let out a pleasant melody.

There were not many customers at this time. On the left sat a couple and four female students. On the right, a beaded curtain blocked the view, making it hard to see clearly. From the outside, the shop looked small, but the interior held hidden depth. The third floor even featured a stargazing platform. The menu stated that customers with a coffee voucher could use the astronomical telescope upstairs for free.

“This is probably a side business for some wealthy person to satisfy their hobby. Just like that dessert dance hall in the west of the city, which was opened by the son of a real estate tycoon,” Xia Shisheng commented.

“Not necessarily. Maybe the owner just genuinely likes it,” Yun Deng said as he looked around the interior.

Before entering, they both knew they might not run into that man at this hour. Nevertheless, they sat down to have a cup of coffee and rest before considering their departure.

Yun Deng had gone wild last month. Out of thirty days, he spent at least fifteen nights soaking in bars. Once, he was so drunk he collapsed on the street; afterward, he was so embarrassed that he did not return to that street for a week. Sitting quietly in the café now, tasting the mellow latte, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. It seemed that living such a quiet and tranquil life would not be so bad.

Unfortunately, that thought had only existed in his mind for ten seconds before Xia Shisheng interrupted him.

“There is an underground pub nearby with a Gothic horror theme. It seems quite interesting.”

Xia Shisheng bumped Yun Deng’s shoulder, frantically signaling his interest. Normally, Yun Deng would have agreed immediately. However, because his alcohol intake had been so high lately, he was worried about his health and hesitated for a moment. He felt he should cherish his life a little more.

“I am afraid of what will happen if I get alcohol poisoning again. My stomach cannot really handle it.”

“What are you afraid of? You will not die,” Xia Shisheng urged.

Fifteen minutes later, the two stepped out of the café together. Yun Deng walked behind his friend, holding his coffee which still held a lingering warmth.

On the viaduct not far away, a long traffic jam had formed. As night fell, even the number of pedestrians on the road increased. Xia Shisheng had his phone navigation open to lead the way, but after leading Yun Deng in a circle, he lost his sense of direction again. Finally, they stopped in front of a high school.

“Unbelievable. The gate of this school is designed to look like the gate of the Forbidden City.”

Hearing this, Yun Deng looked up at the building in front of them. He then remembered that there was a high school in this area, and it was a top-tier one. Several teaching buildings were currently lit up, and it seemed the students were still attending evening self-study sessions.

“Did you not say you were taking me to a bar? How did we end up at a school?”

Xia Shisheng stammered for a moment before finally admitting he was lost again. He then added a defense, “You know that I have had a terrible sense of direction since I was a child.”

Just as Yun Deng was about to criticize him, the phone in his pocket vibrated. It was a call from a stranger. Recently, there had been an increase in scam calls, so Yun Deng usually avoided answering them. However, seeing that the number was local, he hesitated for a moment before choosing to pick up.

Before he could speak, the person on the other end stated their purpose. The voice sounded like a young man: clear, deep, and refined. Every word was spoken with a gentle tone, making one listen to him instinctively. Even after the man finished speaking, Yun Deng remained immersed in that pleasant voice.

“Answer him! Why are you dazing out?” Xia Shisheng pinched Yun Deng’s arm and reminded him in a low voice.

“Oh, oh, okay. Sorry, I am nearby and will be there immediately,” Yun Deng replied to the man as he snapped out of his daze and hung up.

After briefly explaining the call to Xia Shisheng, the two hurried back the way they came. Because the angle at which he had parked was so awkward, either the owner of the Rolls-Royce or the G-Wagon had called him to request that he move his car.

After walking so much throughout the evening, Yun Deng felt like his legs were about to give out. He tugged at the necklace around his neck as he walked. To be a proper trendsetter, he had specifically chosen a silver necklace with rivets today. Although the style was somewhat exaggerated and niche, it accentuated his neck well and matched his outfit perfectly.

The walk back took less than ten minutes. When they were a short distance from the parking spot, Yun Deng saw the person who had called him.

The man was tall. Although he wore only a simple white shirt, he could not hide the noble temperament that seemed to be innate. Yun Deng’s gaze instinctively stuck to the man. He stopped in his tracks, not daring to move forward.

“Holy crap. The other guy is a handsome man.”

“Where?” Xia Shisheng looked around.

“Next to the car,” Yun Deng signaled to his friend with his eyes.

Xia Shisheng only needed one look to understand why Yun Deng was so excited. That man’s appearance and type perfectly hit every one of Yun Deng’s aesthetic preferences. In other words, this was his ideal wife.

However, Xia Shisheng had a faint feeling that this person looked familiar. He was about to tell his friend to seize this opportunity to get a contact number, but in the next second, Yun Deng stuffed the car keys into his hand and told him to drive.

Xia Shisheng was confused at first but eventually resigned to moving the car for him. Yun Deng actually really wanted to get to know the man, but he was not blind; he could estimate the man’s height. He was very self-aware about his own conditions. Even though the other party perfectly matched his aesthetic, he felt outmatched.

He watched as Xia Shisheng walked over, greeted the man, and sat in the driver’s seat. It took a while of reversing before Xia Shisheng could create enough space for the other party. It had to be said that the design of this parking space was indeed very tricky. There were only three spots in total, and the far left was a green belt; if the car behind did not give some space, it was impossible to even back out.

After about five or six minutes, Yun Deng watched the stranger leave before strolling over to Xia Shisheng to ask what the man looked like up close.

Upon hearing this, Xia Shisheng clicked his tongue and shook his head helplessly. “You should forget about this one.”

“Why?” Yun Deng asked with a slight tilt of his head.

“The guy is very handsome and definitely your type. However, I feel that he does not look like the type to be a ‘0’ (Bottom).” Xia Shisheng continued, “If he happens to like women, you have even less of a chance. Not only would people like you be interested in him, but those young girls would like him too.”

Xia Shisheng said everything on his mind in one breath.

Yun Deng replied with a trace of a smile, “Then, do I look like a ‘1’ (Top) to you?”

“No,” Xia Shisheng said decisively.

Immediately, Xia Shisheng felt a pinch on his arm, causing him to cry out that Yun Deng was trying to murder his childhood friend.

“What do you mean he ‘does not look like’ a Bottom? By that logic, I suppose I am the one who looks like one,” Yun Deng said, speechless.

Someone was always questioning his ability to be a Top. Who did they think they were looking down on?

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