Chapter 13: I Like Her

Ning Qiutang pursed her lips slightly. Yes, he’s always been so domineering. Even if she disagreed, he would find a thousand ways to make her compromise.

Confined in front of him, the girl felt stifled and pushed him away silently.

But Jiang Sheng grabbed her hand and placed it on his neck.

Suddenly, he picked her up in a single motion, holding her in a fatherly embrace, not allowing her to move.

Ning Qiutang was terrified. Why was he suddenly so intimate?

The lunchbox she was carrying was placed on the table.

Jiang Sheng instructed Yu Jiaojiao, who was strutting around triumphantly, “Get her backpack.”

Yu Jiaojiao giggled and went to get the backpack, watching as he packed the lunchbox for her, carrying the backpack with one hand and the girl with the other, leaving the classroom.

As they stepped out, the boy’s cold gaze swept over Shen Wanwan, who stood in the middle with a disgruntled expression.

The emotionless look was like a steep mountain, a barren desert, a vast ocean, a single glance felt like a death sentence.

Shen Wanwan was sweating cold, feeling guilty, her legs weak, she couldn’t help but take two steps back, knocking over the chair by the table.

“Ah, Wanwan, what’s wrong with you?” Shu Hui supported her, looking puzzled.

Yu Jiaojiao watched with amusement, “What else could be wrong? She can’t accept that Jiang Sheng is good to women other than herself, right?”

“He was nice to you for a few days, you really thought you were flying up a branch and becoming a phoenix? It’s laughable.”

“Who doesn’t know that this young master is the most heartless and unfeeling? Don’t think he’s good because he doesn’t have a girlfriend. In reality, he’s arrogant and looks down on you.”

“Matching social status is a hurdle you’ll never be able to cross in your lifetime.”

After saying that, she left.

Shen Wanwan leaned on the table, her eyes flickering, her expression difficult to read.

“Don’t listen to Yu Jiaojiao’s nonsense. What era is this? It’s all about free love. As long as you’re good enough, you won’t lack someone equally good who likes you.”

Shu Hui comforted her, afraid she would be upset.

“What’s Jiang Sheng? There are people better than him, and there’s always someone better than the best. If it weren’t for his surname Jiang, he’d be nothing.”

Shen Wanwan clenched her fists. Who cared? They were all just paper figures in a cage. If it weren’t for the mission, she wouldn’t come here to suffer.

But as a popular female lead, she had never failed in her previous world. All the male leads and antagonists revolved around her. She didn’t believe there was a man who could resist a carefully planned beauty scheme.

“I know, you’re right. And there’s nothing shameful about admitting you have a crush on Jiang Sheng. People who like him are lined up all the way to France.”

Shen Wanwan said softly, looking at her shy expression and hinting, “This is the era of free love. As long as you have the ability, why can’t you like him? He doesn’t have a girlfriend, anyone can be the only one.”

“Wanwan, how can you be so good? I do have a crush on him, but the gap is too big, I feel…” Shu Hui blushed, her secret exposed.

Shen Wanwan comforted her thoughtfully, “As long as you take 99 steps, he’ll definitely see you.”

“Ah, but what about you? Don’t you like him too?” Shu Hui looked at her with admiration. How could someone be so kind and good?

Shen Wanwan said with understanding, “Fair competition. In the world of love, no one can back down.”

“Really? Do you think I can?” Shu Hui was like she was being brainwashed.

Shen Wanwan smiled mysteriously, “Of course, it’s all up to you.”

—

Downstairs, people came and went.

Ning Qiutang buried her face in the boy’s neck, feeling too embarrassed to see anyone.

How could he be so high-profile?

“Let me down, I can walk by myself.”

Jiang Sheng let her down, but he held her wrist tightly, as if he was afraid she would run away.

“I’ll walk you to and from school from now on.”

His tone was like a direct notification.

Ning Qiutang looked at him, confused. He wasn’t joking, and he wasn’t the kind of person who would joke. She looked up at him in surprise, “Why?”

Jiang Sheng’s tone was flat, “To cultivate feelings.”

Ning Qiutang stared at her wrist, which he was holding, feeling uncomfortable. “I don’t think that’s necessary. We’re going to break off the engagement anyway, there’s no need to make things complicated…”

“Just try it.” Jiang Sheng’s tone was irresistible.

Ning Qiutang was full of questions. What was he trying to do?

She was no longer the naive girl who would chase after love blindly. She knew very well that he didn’t like her.

What was he doing all this for?

The two of them walked side by side along the tree-lined path on campus.

Jiang Sheng released his other hand. There was a bloody thumbtack in his palm. When he had suddenly hugged Ning Qiutang, a mysterious force had pressured him to push her away.

A voice told him he couldn’t let Shen Wanwan be sad.

Screw that, mind your own business.

He looked expressionless as he threw the thumbtack into the sewer drain. His palm was bleeding, but he didn’t seem to notice, as if he didn’t feel the pain.

Ning Qiutang walked out with him in silence, then got in the car and went home.

Jiang Sheng turned and left, his vicious and violent expression hidden under his fair-skinned mask, his dangerous eyes like black holes, filled with intense interest.

This boring, dead-end life finally had something interesting.

Ning Qiutang and Shen Wanwan, who will die first?

Dr. Zhao’s office.

Old Zhao looked at this uninvited guest, a little headache from his “no illness, but looking for illness” attitude.

“Jiang Sheng, if all else fails, I’ll prescribe you some sleeping pills.”

Jiang Sheng sat in the chair where Ning Qiutang had sat before, his eyes gloomy as he looked at the doctor, “You don’t believe what I said.”

“According to your description, there’s a girl in your dream who keeps bothering you, but you don’t remember her face. So who do you think it is, what do you think?”

Old Zhao put on his professional attitude. Maybe this young prince really was sick.

Jiang Sheng thought for a minute and said, “I like her.”

Then he took out a sketchbook, opened it, and it was full of sketches without faces.

Old Zhao frowned at the drawing, “When did you start having dreams?”

Jiang Sheng, “Three years ago.”

“I have to find her.”

The young man’s tone was light, but it hid a murderous intent.

Old Zhao looked at the young man’s face, filled with a strong desire for revenge, and wanted to ask, “You really like her, or do you want to kill her?”

“Maybe you’ve seen her before, but you just can’t draw her face. But as long as you’ve seen her, you’ll recognize her the moment you see her again.”

That was his conclusion.

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment, and two people came to mind.

Ning Qiutang and Shen Wanwan.

Since Ning Qiutang had gone straight, she had been wearing the floral dresses he liked, and she looked more and more like the girl in his dream.

Shen Wanwan, however, was more like a cheap substitute. Every word and action of hers was carefully designed, aimed at him.

It seemed like there was more than one cheap substitute.

Interesting, Jiang Sheng’s eyes filled with an excitement he hadn’t felt before.

“Give me the same medicine you prescribed for Ning Qiutang.”

Old Zhao sighed, “Alright.”