I Don't Want To Be Hated By Everyone. - Chapter 17.1

“Do you have a fetish for eavesdropping? Twice now, is there no end to this?”

“Cheng Meng, what are you saying?” Li Shengfei knit his brows, putting on a show of scolding him. “I will not allow you to use that kind of tone with Ningning.”

His acting was altogether too clumsy and entirely half-hearted, or perhaps he simply believed Cheng Shuoning was too foolish to see through it.

This immediately reminded Cheng Shuoning of Han Tian, prompting a genuine evaluation: “You look a lot like Han Tian.”

“What do you mean by that, Ningning?” Li Shengfei froze, feeling a wave of discomfort alongside a sharp prickle of irritation.

Comparing him to Han Tian? Could he possibly be the same as that idiot Han Tian?

That subtle expression of displeasure did not escape Cheng Shuoning’s eyes. Instead of answering, he countered with a question: “Are you finished with your performance? If you are finished, I am leaving.”

These words caused Cheng Meng to let out a disdainful scoff, casting a side-glance at the person beside Cheng Shuoning.

He wanted to draw closer to that person, but he knew he could not do so, as it would only provoke the man’s anger.

Forcibly restraining all his impulses, Cheng Meng found Cheng Shuoning increasingly unpleasing to his eye, simply slamming the door shut with a loud bang. “If you guys have matters to handle, clear them up properly. I will not keep you company.”

“I am not performing.” Li Shengfei desperately wanted to discern from Cheng Shuoning’s expression whether his words were spoken in earnest or merely as a casual joke.

But Cheng Shuoning’s expression was too flat, rendering it impossible to read anything at all. He could only put on a sorrowful, dejected display after being suspected. “Everything I said is true. I only spoke those words because of you, Ningning. If you do not like me acting this way, I will absolutely never do it again in the future. I swear it, will you believe me, Ningning?”

{That idiot Han Tian exposed himself so quickly, I certainly won’t follow in his footsteps. Coaxing you back into good graces is incredibly easy, carrying absolutely no challenge whatsoever. So Han Tian and I are completely different.}

The thoughts concealed within his heart functioned like a grating noise, clearly transmitting into Cheng Shuoning’s ears whether he wished to hear them or not, slicing through his heart like a sharp blade.

Cheng Shuoning lowered his eyes, suppressing the tremor in his voice. After a long while, he exhaled a breath and let out a light laugh. “Am I truly that foolish, Li Shengfei?”

He had known Li Shengfei the longest, and he felt that no matter how terrible his image was in Li Shengfei’s heart, they were at least friends, the closest and oldest of friends.

Yet in Li Shengfei’s eyes, he was merely a fool who could be easily deceived, even harboring such ridiculous and utterly indifferent thoughts that coaxing him was incredibly easy.

That abrupt sentence caused Li Shengfei’s throat to tighten, unable to fathom Cheng Shuoning’s meaning. It took him a good while to shake his head, following along with his words: “How could that be? You aren’t foolish, Ningning”

Those completely hollow words caused a wave of fury to surge through his limbs and bones. Cheng Shuoning’s fingers tightened gradually, the veins on the back of his hand turning highly visible due to the excessive force.

He closed his eyes slightly, interrupting Li Shengfei’s words, “I am not foolish, so where did you guys secure the confidence to constantly deceive me like this? Does deceiving me bring you benefits? Or is it simply that you enjoy deceiving me? Enjoying the sensation of playing me for a fool?”

“No.” Li Shengfei panicked, grabbing hold of Cheng Shuoning as he spoke, “It is not like that, Ningning. I haven’t deceived you, nor would I ever deceive you. Will you believe me, please?”

“Impossible.” Cheng Shuoning pressed his lips together tightly, flinging off Li Shengfei’s hand, his dark eyes turning as cold as a layer of frost.

The depths of his eyes remained entirely devoid of waves, reflecting a state of absolute calm born from the pinnacle of disappointment. “I will never believe you ever again.”

Li Shengfei froze on the spot.

This fair, beautiful face before him used to always blossom into a smile for him, yet at this moment, not a single familiar trace could be found upon it. It was so utterly unfamiliar that he could only watch helplessly as Cheng Shuoning turned around to head downstairs.

An indescribable sensation of panic flared up in his heart, which Li Shengfei forcibly suppressed, compelling himself to ignore it.

The air grew cold and stagnant. Zhou Xundu swept a glance over Li Shengfei, folding the jacket in his hand with elegance as he spoke with seeming reproach, “How could you be so careless as to make Ningning angry? Go reflect on yourself properly.”

He remained thoroughly warm and polite, his smile appearing so perfect and flawless to anyone that it naturally evoked good feelings, causing people to lower all guard and desire to draw close to him.

But Li Shengfei knew that beneath this skin, Zhou Xundu was more cold-hearted and unfeeling than anyone else.

He squeezed out a smile, still harboring a delusional hope: “Ningning cannot possibly be this cruel to me. I will coax Ningning back sooner or later. It is merely a matter of time, there is no rush.”

Zhou Xundu nodded gently, turning around to pursue Cheng Shuoning. “Then, let us wait and see.”

The room door opened, and Cheng Meng stared at Zhou Xundu’s retreating figure, speaking hesitantly, “Brother Zhou”

He wanted to request him to stay, but the man did not linger for him at all, failing to even turn his head as his rapid steps carried him downstairs to seek out Cheng Shuoning, thoroughly shattering the excitement and trepidation in Cheng Meng’s heart.

Cheng Meng bit his teeth, his fingernails close to gouging through the wooden door. His gaze grew increasingly cold and malicious, and his voice involuntarily spiked with a sharp edge, “I was right in what I said earlier, wasn’t I? Cheng Shuoning is the type to take an inch and demand a mile, yet you refused to believe it.”

Li Shengfei uncharacteristically offered no reply to his words. Cheng Meng glanced sideways at him, and seeing him standing there motionlessly like an idiot, he could not help but let out a cold sneer.

The courtyard at the entrance of the villa was very large, filled entirely with cultivated flowers, and a swing hung between two trees.

Different from the lively commotion inside, this place appeared exceptionally quiet and peaceful.

Cheng Shuoning sat on the swing, swaying back and forth as he stared fixedly at the bright red blossoms a short distance away, completely lost in thought.

Han Tian acted this way, and Li Shengfei acted this way too, forcing him into a wave of self-doubt, questioning whether he had committed some wrong to make them treat him in such a manner.

He carefully turned over every single event that had occurred from childhood to adulthood, yet he still failed to recall anything.

He had not offended them, nor had he ever provoked their anger, so why exactly did things turn out like this?

Thinking of how they had put on a gentle front on the surface while intimately discussing behind his back how detestable he was, Cheng Shuoning felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on his chest. The more he entangled himself in it, the harder it became to breathe properly.

The sound of footsteps echoed, and a pair of shoes entered his line of sight.

“Are you crying?” the person who stopped beside him asked softly.

“No.” Cheng Shuoning lifted his head immediately. “It is impossible for me to cry.”

Xu Wangzhi paused slightly. “You look as though you are about to cry.”

He had failed to realize himself that the corners of his eyes were red and his eyes were thoroughly moist. As his long eyelashes blinked up and down, he presented a display of being on the verge of tears yet desperately holding back, appearing highly vulnerable to bullying.

“Do not cry, Cheng Shuoning.” Xu Wangzhi raised his hand, gently stroking his hair. “Today is your birthday. Be happy, and do not allow yourself to look so easily mistreated.”

The wide, warm palm seemed to carry a certain magic that settled his inner heart. Cheng Shuoning looked up at the cold, aloof youth before him, asking in a raspy voice, “Why?”

Xu Wangzhi replied, “Why what?”

“You look as though you are very angry.”

Xu Wangzhi withdrew his hand, lowering his eyes to look at him without denial: “Mm, I am very angry.”

{Angry that they hurt you, angry that you are feeling sad over them.}

Cheng Shuoning froze, speaking subconsciously, “It isn’t over them, it is just”

It was just that he felt a bit aggrieved.

But this sense of grievance could find no suitable justification whatsoever, just as there was no rhyme or reason for Li Shengfei and Han Tian disliking him.

His entire being felt entangled within an invisible, ungraspable net, unable to struggle free, unable to find release, capable only of thrashing blindly within its confines.

“You look very beautiful today,” Xu Wangzhi said in a low voice, gently arranging his bangs. “So do not let anyone ruin your good mood.”

Cheng Shuoning stared at him blankly.

The lights in the courtyard were not very bright. Standing against the cold moonlight beneath the vast night sky, the youth’s eyes clearly reflected his figure.

Cheng Shuoning experienced an illusion, as though his presence was something that naturally belonged within Xu Wangzhi’s eyes. He even discerned a trace of a frenzied