I Don't Want To Be Hated By Everyone. - Chapter 15

“Since you know I am the best, you should just lay things open, break off the relationship, and be with me instead.” Cheng Meng wrapped his arms around Han Tian’s neck, smiling seductively. He poked Han Tian’s cheek and added with seeming nonchalance, “Being with someone like Cheng Shuoning is so incredibly boring. Besides, you dislike him so much anyway. You should just kick him to the curb so you will not have to worry about him anymore.”

“Although everything you said is correct, now is still not the right opportunity.” Han Tian was not led astray by his words. He pinched Cheng Meng’s face and shifted the topic. “It is quite lively downstairs. Why did you not go down to play? Staying upstairs is so boring.”

“Just like you, looking at that appearance of your dear Ningning makes me lose my appetite.” Cheng Meng sat on the table, stretched his body lazily, and adopted a relaxed posture. “You should go back. You took so long just to change your clothes. What if he flings his face at you again? Go and coax him properly. I do not mind.”

Knowing that Cheng Meng spoke these words deliberately, Han Tian narrowed his eyes, walked over to lift his chin, and planted a fierce kiss on his lips. He teased, “Wait for me, babe. I will come find you as soon as this is finished.”

He turned around and walked a few steps toward the door. For some reason, his heart suddenly began to throb with unease. He turned his head to look at Cheng Meng, discovering that Cheng Meng was staring straight at him. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Can you not bear to part with me, babe? To tell the truth, have you been secretly paying attention to me from upstairs all this time, rushing over to find me the moment you saw me come up? You are truly bold.”

“How could I manage if I were not bold? Right now, I am wondering what kind of relationship actually exists between you and me.” Cheng Meng swung his legs, glancing sideways at Han Tian. “Lovers? Ordinary friends? Or what?”

“Of course, you are the person I like.” Han Tian finished speaking with a smile, opened the door, and prepared to step out.

However, upon seeing clearly the person standing before him, his smile instantly froze, and he even took two steps backward.

The beautifully featured youth stood at the door holding a cage. He paid no heed to the sound of the door opening, continuing to stroke the parrot inside the cage to play with it. A gentle smile played upon his lips, making him look precisely like a refined and handsome youth who had stepped out of a painting, rendering it impossible for anyone to look away.

To Han Tian, however, that smile appeared incomparably terrifying, driving him close to madness.

When did he arrive? Did he hear their conversation? How much did he hear? More importantly, why was he here?

Cheng Meng did not know someone was standing before them. Noticing Han Tian’s strange behavior, he jumped off the table and walked over. “What is wrong? Have you seen a ghost?”

It was no different from seeing a ghost, and it was even more frightening than seeing a ghost.

His heart, which had been close to sinking into silence, resumed beating the moment the youth looked over. Han Tian exhaled a sharp breath, only then realizing that he had unconsciously been holding his breath just now.

His mind was completely blank, and he did not know what to say. He could only stare straight into the youth’s eyes, unable to force out even a shred of a smile.

{The house has good soundproofing. If he had heard it, he definitely would not be able to smile like that. So he definitely did not hear it.}

Thinking of this, Han Tian finally retrieved his consciousness. He forced a smile with effort and said, “Ningning, how long have you been here? Did you get impatient waiting for me, coming over because you were worried about me?”

Cheng Shuoning stood there silently, looking at him without offering a reply.

He possessed a pair of very beautiful eyes, bright and spirited, as though they concealed shining stars. At this moment, however, the depths of his eyes were filled entirely with a chilling frost.

Under that kind of scrutiny, Han Tian felt a sensation of having no place to hide his shame, yet he also could not help but straighten his back. He felt that this was nothing major, hypnotizing himself: He will not necessarily discover it. Yes, so I have nothing to feel guilty about. I can just explain it away casually.

Cheng Shuoning’s face was as cold as frost. He tried his best not to care, speaking in a soft voice, “It has been hard on you, Han Tian. Even though you dislike me and find me annoying to such an extent, you still had to treat me well and put on a gentle pretense. But do not act like this in the future. It is useless anyway. What benefit can you possibly gain from treating me well? Or is it just as Cheng Meng said, that you are keeping me as a backup option?”

“If you like Cheng Meng, then just like Cheng Meng. There is no need to play those convoluted games with me. It is a waste of time.”

After speaking, Cheng Shuoning turned around with the cage, preparing to leave.

He had imagined many possible outcomes of being discovered, but this specific reaction was the only one Han Tian had entirely failed to anticipate.

He had already prepared himself to be mocked by Cheng Shuoning or to have Cheng Shuoning strike him out of fury. Yet, he never expected that Cheng Shuoning would simply say these few calm sentences and prepare to leave, as though he were of absolutely no importance.

He was so unimportant that Cheng Shuoning did not want to waste a single shred of extra time or emotion on him.

People are truly strange. Being pestered makes one feel annoyed, yet being ignored and dismissed causes even greater irritation.

Fury flared in Han Tian’s heart. Without a second thought, he chased after him, desperate to secure an opportunity to defend himself. “Ningning, it is not like that. Do not leave.”

Cheng Shuoning paused in his tracks. Han Tian assumed he had a chance, grinning as he spoke, “Ningning, I knew you believed me. Listen to me”

As it turned out, Cheng Shuoning merely turned around, looked past him toward Cheng Meng, and smiled with exceptional tenderness. He said, “Thank you for delivering this gift to me. I like it very much. However, this gift is truly unexpected.”

Meeting Han Tian’s questioning gaze, Cheng Meng, who was not panicked at all and was preparing to watch the drama unfold, froze. ” ?”

He spoke subconsciously, “I did not call him over here. I had absolutely no idea he was outside the door. It has nothing to do with me.”

This explanation sounded altogether like a clumsy excuse. Cheng Meng was angered to the point of laughter. The gift he intended to deliver had not even been presented yet, so why was Cheng Shuoning dragging him into this here?

“Listen to my explanation, Ningning. Everything I said in the room just now was false.”

The incident had unfolded too abruptly, leaving Han Tian with no presence of mind left to worry about Cheng Meng. He grabbed Cheng Shuoning’s hand, his throat dry as he spoke, “How could my good treatment of you all these years possibly be a performance? You should also be able to feel it. I was just talking nonsense to enjoy a fleeting moment of gratification.”

“Furthermore, I was just provoked because you have been acting like this recently, Ningning. These are words spoken in anger. How can you believe words spoken in anger?”

“Could it be that you want to keep him as a backup option? That is quite a calculation.”

“Why do you constantly bring him up? It is such a mood killer. Right now, whenever I think of his cold face, I find it thoroughly disgusting. You are still the best, babe. Disgusting, disgusting.”

“Although everything you said is correct, now is not the right opportunity.”

The parrot inside the cage suddenly produced sounds, functioning like a tape recorder. It perfectly repeated the words it had heard earlier, even mimicking the inflections of Han Tian and Cheng Meng with extreme accuracy.

Han Tian: “?”

He lowered his head mechanically to look at the parrot inside the cage, his eyes bloodshot and his fists clenched tightly. If Cheng Shuoning had not been holding the cage, he would have kicked it flying directly.

The parrot grew even more excited, speaking slowly yet with extreme clarity: “You did not see it. I gave him a gift, and he showed me that cold, detached face. He thinks too highly of himself. What does he amount to, to fling his face at me constantly? He is becoming increasingly annoying. Haha, haha, haha~”

” ”

These words were all too familiar. They were the complaints Han Tian could not help but vent the moment he entered the room and saw Cheng Meng. He never imagined that he would hear them from the beak of a parrot, carrying a distinct tone of mockery to boot. His face blackened completely in an instant.

Cheng Shuoning had not heard the parrot mimic these words previously, but he could discern from Han Tian’s hideous expression that these were remarks Han Tian had uttered before his arrival, which the parrot had overheard.

He picked up a piece of food from inside the cage and held it by the parrot’s beak to feed it.

The parrot consumed it, rubbed against Cheng Shuoning’s finger, and chirped pleasingly, “Ningning, Ningning.”

Cheng Meng had no desire to involve himself in this matter, turning around to return straight to his own room. Han Tian, on the other hand, stood entirely frozen on the spot as though nailed to the floor.

The corridor fell silent. Cheng Shuoning felt that everything that needed to be said had been completed, leaving no reason to linger further. Before he could head downstairs, Han Tian grabbed his wrist and yanked him back forcefully.

He struggled with all his might, discovering that Han Tian used even greater force. Without a shred of hesitation, he stomped hard on Han Tian’s foot, his facial expression cold and detached.

Han Tian’s face contorted in agony. The pain forced him to release his grip, yet he blocked the path in front of Cheng Shuoning to prevent him from leaving. “You heard all those words I said? I can explain it to you, everything can be explained.”

“I feel it is unnecessary,” Cheng Shuoning said, rubbing his reddened wrist.

“It is necessary,” Han Tian countered. “I cannot allow you to misunderstand me.”

Cheng Shuoning offered a half-smile. “Your disliking me is a misunderstanding? Finding me disgusting is a misunderstanding? Liking Cheng Meng is a misunderstanding? Feeling all this time that I am annoying and high-maintenance is a misunderstanding?”

Those words functioned like a succession of slaps, leaving Han Tian speechless.

He recalled Cheng Shuoning’s strange reactions recently. Lowering his eyes, he asked in a deep voice, “Did you know about this from the very beginning?”

Cheng Shuoning did not speak.

The excessive silence stimulated Han Tian. He directly concluded that Cheng Shuoning had known from the very start. He reached out to grip Cheng Shuoning’s shoulders tightly, his blood boiling and his eyes turning bloodshot.

“So you knew from the very beginning, yet you said nothing, simply watching me stick close to you? Is it highly amusing, Cheng Shuoning? Watching me rush forward to treat you well is highly amusing? You just enjoy this kind of sensation, do you not? Enjoying having everyone revolve around you, treating you well, and serving you like an ancestor?”

“I made everything perfectly clear to you a long time ago.” Cheng Shuoning pressed his lips together, his expression cold. “Take your hands off me, and stay away from me.”

Seeing him like that, Han Tian let out a low laugh, feeling that he had never truly seen through Cheng Shuoning.

He had always believed that Cheng Shuoning was highly obedient, a rabbit kept inside a cage that could be easily manipulated with a few smiles. But looking at it now, that was not the case.

When this fellow turned cold, he was far more formidable than he had imagined.

Han Tian released his grip and asked slowly, “Do you know why I dislike you?”

Cheng Shuoning’s long eyelashes lowered slightly, his expression growing increasingly immobile and indifferent. “I do not know, and I have no desire to know.”

“Yes, it is precisely this kind of attitude that is truly detestable.” Han Tian curled his lips, deliberately mocking him. “Even if you just lost your temper at me casually, I would not dislike you to this extent. Every time something happens, you directly seal the matter completely, and then adopt this high-and-mighty, unapproachable display. Cheng Shuoning, people are not perfect. Is it not normal for me to feel a bit of dislike toward you? Do you mean to say you have never experienced a time when you liked someone yet occasionally found them annoying or detestable?”

Losing his temper at Han Tian? Cheng Shuoning felt it was completely unnecessary.

He listened expressionlessly until the end, remaining entirely unmoved. “I am sorry, I have not. Nor would I act like you, being hypocritical and pleasing on the surface while venting complaints behind someone’s back. Han Tian, have you been using those words you just said to brainwash yourself all this time?”

Despite speaking so many words, he failed to shake Cheng Shuoning in the slightest. Han Tian fell silent for a long time, then suddenly grabbed Cheng Shuoning’s hand and spoke in a low voice, “I am sorry. I was wrong, Ningning.”

The sheer speed of his attitude shift caused Cheng Shuoning to freeze momentarily. Snapping out of it, he flung off his hand and knit his brows. “Do not touch me casually.”

Han Tian took two steps forward, his eyes turning tender. “Do you not like me, Ningning? Did you not always want to be with me previously? In truth, I like you too. We can be together right now. My involvement with Cheng Meng was just playing around, truly. He took the initiative to approach me and treat me well in various ways, so I simply did not refuse.”

“I do not truly like him either. I only like you, Ningning.”

Those words caused a wave of indescribable aversion to rise in Cheng Shuoning’s heart, leaving him feeling a sense of desolation. “Is there something wrong with your brain?”

“What?” Han Tian was stupefied, unable to process that such a sentence could issue from Cheng Shuoning’s mouth.

“You clearly dislike me so much, so why are you still saying these things now? What benefit can maintaining a relationship with me possibly bring you?”

Cheng Shuoning widened the distance between himself and Han Tian, his brows tightly furrowed.

Han Tian fell into a sudden silence.

Why? Naturally, it was because he only occasionally found Cheng Shuoning annoying or detestable; he did not harbor genuine hatred for him.

He would not remain together with Cheng Meng permanently in the future. If he had to choose one person to remain with permanently, he would choose Cheng Shuoning.

Obedient and compliant, though not the type he would fall passionately in love with, he was the most suitable choice for him.

These words could certainly not be told to Cheng Shuoning. Han Tian said in a warm tone, “Ningning, why must you care about so much? You like me, and I like you. Is that not sufficient?”

“I did not give you an answer previously because I felt you were still young and should not engage in early romance. Now that you are an adult, I can give you my answer.”

He looked at the person before him, enticing him with a face full of anticipation. “Let us be together right now, okay?”

The tender voice failed to evoke any heartbeat whatsoever. The youth merely offered him a slight smile, one filled with aloofness and resistance.

“No. Han Tian, my liking for you ends up to this point. I have no desire to see you right now either. Leave, and let us act as though we do not know each other in the future.” He turned around and walked downstairs, his retreating figure resolute.

Since the brainwashing failed, the smile on Han Tian’s face gradually solidified. “You no longer like me? What kind of joke is this? Cheng Shuoning, who do you think you are? My good treatment of you all these years has truly been entirely useless.”

“Do you truly intend to act like this? Do not regret it!”

“I am offering you an opportunity right now and you refuse it. It will be impossible for you to secure it later even if you want it.”

Cheng Shuoning departed without turning his head, which left Han Tian even more disgruntled.

He kicked the wall fiercely, his facial features contorting with rage into a hideous expression, appearing as terrifying as a piece of cloth wrung into numerous wrinkles.

“If I must leave, then I will leave. I never particularly wanted to stay here anyway. Furthermore, you talk about acting as though we do not know each other, which is exactly what I could only wish for!”

Not a minute later, someone came upstairs to request his departure, their attitude firm.

Han Tian did not allow them to lay hands on him, arranging his clothes himself and heading downstairs.

Cheng Shuoning sat on the sofa, playing with the parrot to amuse it. When Han Tian passed by his side, he did not spare a single glance at him. Even though the look Han Tian cast at him was incomparably fierce, he did not divide any attention to give to him.

“What is going on here?” Li Shengfei perceived that something was amiss. Seeing Han Tian’s furious state, he expressed some surprise. “What kind of madness is he throwing again?”

“It is nothing,” Cheng Shuoning replied without any rise or fall in his tone. “Perhaps he forgot to take his medication before leaving the house.”

This sentence caused Li Shengfei to feel even more that something significant had occurred. He took out his phone to frantically message Han Tian to ask what had happened, but the other party was likely so enraged that he began venting his fury upon stepping outside, failing to check his phone entirely.

He then sent a message to Cheng Meng.

Cheng Shuoning closed the door at the top of the cage. Just as he was feeling a wave of exhaustion, he heard someone call his name: “Cheng Shuoning.”

He could not help but lift his eyes to look over.

Xu Wangzhi, dressed in a white shirt, stood before him. His face carried no expression, yet his gaze turned exceptionally gentle as he handed a gift over to him.

“Happy eighteenth birthday.”

{You look very cute today.}

The youth stood against the light, the brilliant glow silhouetteing his figure into a somewhat hazy outline.

Hearing that praise issuing from his heart, Cheng Shuoning’s eyes widened slightly, and the tips of his ears began to burn uncontrollably.