I Don't Want To Be Hated By Everyone. - Chapter 1

“Turns Out I Am Universally Disliked” By Lian Zhe

The May weather was already scorching. Even though the cinema had the air conditioning on, it could not dispel the heat from one’s body.

Cheng Shuoning felt a tightness in his chest. After picking up his tickets, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths until the feeling finally vanished. He looked around the crowd and finally spotted Han Tian, who had been separated from him.

The young man was wearing a black and white baseball jacket, standing by a long pillar not far away, looking at his phone with a smile.

Cheng Shuoning walked toward him, saying “Excuse me” to the people around him. Just as he reached out to greet him, the baseball cap he was wearing on his head was suddenly taken away. His black, short hair and a fair, exquisite face that lacked a single flaw were instantly exposed.

A woman holding a child patted the child’s hand. She returned the hat the child had been clutching to Cheng Shuoning and apologized: “I am so sorry, my child is too naughty.”

When she saw Cheng Shuoning’s face, which was beautiful to the point of being unreal, she froze and subconsciously asked: “Are you an artist?”

Cheng Shuoning took the hat and put it back on. He smiled at the woman: “No.”

His skin was so white, like snow, and his smile was well-behaved and clean, making it easy for people to feel a sense of favor toward him. The woman apologized again and left with her child.

People who had collected their tickets entered the screening room, and the area became less crowded. Cheng Shuoning walked quickly to Han Tian’s side. Seeing that Han Tian had not noticed his arrival, he reached out and waved in front of him, then tilted his head and looked at him: “What are you looking at? You are smiling so happily.”

Seeing the youth’s exceptionally soft and gentle smile, Han Tian immediately put away his phone. He pinched Cheng Shuoning’s cheek, his face full of indulgence: “I was just about to message you, and you showed up. We really have a telepathic connection.”

Cheng Shuoning stood up straight, pretending not to believe him: “Is that so?”

“It is.” Han Tian took out his phone again, afraid that Cheng Shuoning would not believe him, and showed him the screen. It was indeed their chat interface.

Noticing that Han Tian seemed inexplicably nervous, Cheng Shuoning did not ask further. He handed the ticket to him and said, “We can enter now. Let us go.”

Han Tian did not take the ticket. Instead, he took out a tissue to gently wipe the sweat from Cheng Shuoning’s forehead, then lightly scraped his nose bridge, his voice low: “Little fool, you are sweating from the heat. I should not have let you go to get the tickets with me. Not only did we get separated, but you ended up getting the tickets yourself in the end. I really did not expect it to be this crowded on a weekend.”

Cheng Shuoning looked up, just happening to crash into the youth’s gentle eyes. He froze and quickly looked away.

Having known Han Tian for ten years, Cheng Shuoning knew clearly that Han Tian had a fiery temper and lacked patience for everyone else. Only in front of him did Han Tian always maintain this gentle and patient appearance.

He could not remember when he had fallen into the trap of Han Tian’s tenderness and began to like him, but this liking had been hinted at many times without ever receiving a response.

Thinking of this, Cheng Shuoning’s heart, which had been beating slightly faster, calmed down. He shoved the ticket into Han Tian’s hand and walked toward the ticket gate, keeping a distance.

“The movie is starting soon. Let us hurry in.”

Han Tian followed him, not noticing anything wrong. He glanced at the ticket in his hand and laughed: “There is still time, no need to rush. I am in Row 5, Seat 12.”

He stopped suddenly, grabbed Cheng Shuoning’s hand, pulled him in front of him, and whispered in his ear: “Ningning, what seat are you in?”

His hot breath brushed against Cheng Shuoning’s ear, making him feel uncomfortable with this sudden intimacy. He covered his ear, moved away from Han Tian, and replied softly: “Row 5, Seat 13.”

Han Tian sounded full of regret: “I should have bought Seat 14. Then, together with Ningning, it would be ‘one life, one pair.’ What a pity.”

The tone did not sound like he was lying, which left Cheng Shuoning dazed. He almost wanted to follow up and ask what he meant, but his reason pulled him back. He explained: “These were the only two seats left in this row when I bought them.”

He knew that asking would only result in an ambiguous answer. Cheng Shuoning lowered his eyes, feeling there was no need to ask again.

“Wait for me to get inside; I will swap seats with whoever is in Seat 14,” Han Tian said, raising his hand to ruffle Cheng Shuoning’s hair.

Cheng Shuoning did not speak. After checking his ticket, he walked straight toward Screening Room 3.

The lights in the room had already dimmed, and advertisements were playing. It was dark all around. Cheng Shuoning found Row 5, bent over, and carefully walked to his seat to sit down.

There was already someone sitting in Seat 14 on his right. Just as Cheng Shuoning looked over, the screen lit up with white light, illuminating the expressionless face of the youth staring at the screen.

One could never forget a face like that once seen. Cheng Shuoning instantly recognized who the youth was: his seatmate, Xu Wangzhi.

He had transferred to their school less than two months ago. He never scored below 720 on exams and always stayed at the top of the grade. He had a cold temperament, never went out to play with classmates, and had no friends. Rumor had it he stayed home all day grinding practice problems, and others said he was socially anxious.

So, Cheng Shuoning was somewhat surprised to run into Xu Wangzhi here.

“Ningning, swap seats with me.” Han Tian nudged his arm. Cheng Shuoning realized he had been staring at the other person and withdrew his gaze to swap seats with Han Tian.

“Hello, could we swap seats? I am sitting in Seat 12.”

“I can give you money. Could you swap with me?”

“I want to sit in Seat 14. You can name your price, but could you please not ignore people?”

Whatever Han Tian said, he received no response. Speaking through gritted teeth, Han Tian grew impatient, tugged at his tie, and looked sour.

Cheng Shuoning held him back, feeling there was no need to argue over a seat, and whispered: “Let us just sit here; it is actually quite good.”

Just as he finished saying this, he felt a scorching gaze land on him. He looked up slightly and saw the youth’s deep, inscrutable eyes.

He was hesitating whether to recognize who he was and whether he should greet him when the other person turned his head to look back at the screen. A few seconds later, the youth’s voice, cold and devoid of any fluctuation, sounded: “No swap.”

Realizing these two words were an answer to his previous words, Han Tian’s temper flared: “If you are not swapping, then do not. Did you not have a mouth earlier? Could you not speak?”

Xu Wangzhi ignored Han Tian, acting as if he could not hear him speak.

Cheng Shuoning persuaded him: “Let us swap back. Do not be angry.”

Hearing his voice, Han Tian was suddenly no longer angry. He swapped back and said gently: “I will listen to Ningning. I will not argue with a person like that; it is a waste of my time.”

The person beside them looked over again. The gaze was too intense to ignore.

Cheng Shuoning was not the type to be nervous for no reason, but under Xu Wangzhi’s gaze, he reflexively stiffened his body. He did not answer Han Tian’s words and focused on the movie to distract himself.

It was a romance film about unrequited love. The female lead was even more miserable than him, having loved someone in secret for eighteen years without receiving any response.

Ten minutes into the movie, Han Tian glanced at his phone and suddenly whispered in Cheng Shuoning’s ear: “I am going to the restroom; wait for me here.”

Cheng Shuoning stared at the screen without blinking, nodded, and said “Okay.”

Coming out of the screening room, Han Tian walked quickly to the elevator. He had just pressed the button when a pair of arms behind him wrapped tightly around him.

The person blew air into his ear with a laugh: “I have been waiting for you for a long time. You finally came.”

Han Tian pulled the person to the side to look at them. They were wearing a purple baseball cap, making it impossible to see their face—only their chin was visible. They raised their head when they felt Han Tian’s gaze. Their originally delicate features became incredibly seductive due to a pair of peach blossom eyes filled with smiles.

Cheng Shuoning’s exquisite face flashed through his mind. Han Tian laughed and pinched Cheng Meng’s chin: “How long has it been, and you are already this impatient?”

Compared to Cheng Shuoning, who was usually so well-behaved that it was boring, he preferred Cheng Meng, who did whatever he was told.

Cheng Meng did not speak. He stepped forward, hooked his arms around Han Tian’s neck, and leaned in for a kiss. After the kiss, he toyed with Han Tian’s hair: “You came over like this. Are you not afraid that idiot will find out? If he knew that you were watching a movie with him on the surface but actually came to do this with me, he would be furious.”

Han Tian said indifferently: “You said it yourself that he is an idiot. How could he possibly find out? Besides, my acting is so good, it is impossible for me to be discovered.”

Cheng Meng asked with deep meaning: “Then who do you think looks better wearing this hat, me or Cheng Shuoning?”

The youth holding him did not answer directly but just stroked his face and said: “Do not ask such childish questions.”

Cheng Meng bit Han Tian’s ear hard: “You have already given me the same hat as him. Are you still afraid he will find out?”

Footsteps suddenly approached from outside. Han Tian pushed Cheng Meng, who was within arm’s reach, and glanced outside. There was no one there; only staff members were standing at the entrance in the distance. Han Tian stepped back, no longer worried, held Cheng Meng’s face, and kissed him.

It was incredibly quiet outside the screening room, while inside, the movie had become noisy as it reached its climax. Most people were cursing the male lead for being an idiot scumbag.

Cheng Shuoning checked his watch. Almost twenty minutes had passed, and Han Tian had not returned. He picked up his phone, ready to send a text to ask, when he suddenly heard a cold voice: “Excuse me.”

Cheng Shuoning subconsciously withdrew his feet.

The person walked to his side and sat down. It was Xu Wangzhi, who had also just gone out.

Cheng Shuoning thought of something, leaned slightly toward Xu Wangzhi, and asked in a low voice: “Xu Wangzhi, hello. Did you see my friend when you went to the restroom just now?”

The other party did not answer. Cheng Shuoning tilted his head slightly. The youth was propping his face with one hand, his sitting posture a bit lazy, but his expression was incredibly cold. He was staring at him right now, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

Although they had been seatmates for two months, they had no interaction. Cheng Shuoning assumed the other person did not recognize him, rubbed his nose, and had just straightened his body when he heard him say: “No.”

After saying this, he stood up and left, moving so fast that Cheng Shuoning did not have time to react.

Cheng Shuoning felt he was a bit strange but did not think much of it. He waited for Han Tian for another ten minutes, and eventually, he walked out of the screening room to call Han Tian.

No one answered.

Worried that something had happened to Han Tian, Cheng Shuoning went to the restroom to look for him. Finding no one, he had to continue calling Han Tian. This time, the phone was quickly answered.

“Where are you? Are you not in the restroom?”

A strange voice came from the other end of the line: “I have a stomachache. I came out to buy medicine. I will be back soon. Keep watching seriously; I am waiting for you to tell me the plot I missed.”

Hearing that he had a stomachache, Cheng Shuoning worriedly said: “Do not watch the movie. I will go to the hospital with you.”

He did not hear Han Tian’s answer, but instead heard a clear gasp.

Cheng Shuoning froze and frowned: “What is that sound? Han Tian?”

“It is a sound caused by my stomachache. It is much better now that I have taken the medicine. I am in the elevator,” Han Tian covered Cheng Meng’s mouth tightly and said gently into the phone, “Ningning, are you worried about me?”

“I am. I am waiting for you near the elevator.” After saying this truthfully, Cheng Shuoning hung up the phone and walked toward the elevator.

Before he had even taken two steps, someone slammed into him from behind, knocking him hard to the ground.

“Damn it, are you blind?” a man’s rough and irritable voice sounded.

His forehead was throbbing with pain, and his ears were buzzing. Cheng Shuoning opened his eyes and found it pitch black. He struggled to get up from the ground but fell back down due to weakness.

This time, Cheng Shuoning did not dare to move. He raised his hand to touch the painful spot on his forehead, trying hard to blink for a long time before he could see his hand.

It was covered in blood.

Before he could react, the ringing in his ears intensified suddenly. Cheng Shuoning shook his head, his face pale, and it took a long time before he slowly crawled up from the ground.

That fall had left his brain dizzy and his limbs weak. He had not been standing for more than a few seconds before his legs turned to jelly and he fell backward again.

The staff members, who had discovered the accident and were rushing over, screamed when they saw him fall backward again.

Cheng Shuoning closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the pain to strike.

But this time, it was not the cold ground, but a warm embrace.

He wanted to open his eyes to thank them, but he could not. Finally, he lost control, closed his eyes, and fell into a complete coma.

The smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Cheng Shuoning opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a long time before his blurred vision became clear.

He sat up straight from the bed, only to be held down by someone: “Ningning, do not move.”

It was Han Tian.

Cheng Shuoning’s brain felt heavy. He realized he was on an IV drip and looked at Han Tian, unable to remember what had happened. He said hoarsely: “Why am I in the hospital?”

His face was pale and weak, his lips devoid of color, making him look like someone suffering from a long illness.

Han Tian said nervously: “You have an injury on your forehead, you cannot move around.”

The previous memories slowly returned. Cheng Shuoning rubbed his eyes. He did not remember who had caught him at the end, assuming it was Han Tian: “Did you catch me and send me to the hospital?”

“Hmm? Catch? Sending you to the hospital was someone else… yes, I caught you and brought you to the hospital.” Having started to say something, Han Tian suddenly changed his wording. He stared into Cheng Shuoning’s eyes and said, “You scared me to death with how you looked back then. You were too careless. Do not worry; I have already sent people to find the culprit. They will not escape.”

Suddenly facing those eyes full of worry, Cheng Shuoning could not help but smile and earnestly said: “Han Tian, are you worried about me?”

“If I were not worried about you, would I be sitting here waiting for you to wake up?” Han Tian chuckled at his earnestness.

Before Cheng Shuoning could be happy, he suddenly heard a voice identical to Han Tian’s say something else: But you are really troublesome. You can get yourself knocked unconscious just by watching a movie. If it were not for you, I would be at home sleeping right now, you delicate little thing.

The words “delicate little thing” made Cheng Shuoning freeze, his brain turning blank. His hand on the blanket could not help but clutch it tightly. Because he used too much force, the veins on the back of his fair hand popped up.

He could not believe what he had just heard. After a long time, he looked at Han Tian with eyes like he was looking at a stranger and asked: “What did you say?”