Chapter 9: Little Nemesis?

“You know what? They weren’t even planning on letting us freshmen, still stuck in military training, participate in the competition,” Lu Zhixia said with a proud smile. “I totally charmed my way in with my looks. You owe me a meal.”

Ji Shuyi readily agreed, “I absolutely owe you, anything you want.”

…

The promotional campaign for this soccer match was quite grand. Many of the boys eagerly volunteered to participate, and numerous girls signed up for the cheerleading squad. The enthusiasm was so overwhelming that they ended up with too many people.

Song Ning, a junior from the dance department, was in charge of the cheerleading squad’s rehearsals. It was common knowledge around Jing Da that Song Ning was head-over-heels for Jiang Cheng. She’d been smitten since her freshman year. Once, during the New Year’s Eve gala, she even choreographed a dance titled “Misty Snow for Cheng,” hoping to capture Jiang Cheng’s attention. Alas, Jiang Cheng hadn’t attended a single New Year’s Eve gala, not even as a mere spectator.

She usually took charge of cheerleading during school matches, this was the only time she could get closer to Jiang Cheng, and if lucky, could exchange a few words.

Song Ning was strikingly beautiful and radiant. Students had often gossiped about their chances, saying that the pursuit of a man by a woman is only separated by a thin veil, especially with such a rare beauty. Eventually, she would definitely conquer Jiang Cheng, the aloof and formidable ‘Demon King,’ and he would forever be lost in Song Ning’s gentle embrace.

However, contrary to expectations, three years had passed, and Song Ning hadn’t even managed to deliver a love letter into Jiang Cheng’s hands. Either she couldn’t find him, or he simply brushed past her, completely ignoring her presence. Even now, she didn’t have his contact information.

But Jiang Cheng’s indifference didn’t deter her; it only fueled her desire to explore, so she never missed any opportunity to get in contact with Jiang Cheng.

Take this situation, for example. With so many people signing up for the cheerleading squad, she could have easily selected a few suitable candidates herself. Instead, she insisted on summoning the entire participating soccer team to the indoor stadium to ‘discuss’ who to keep.

When a group of boys in soccer uniforms, fresh from the training field, appeared, some girls felt it was an outright humiliation, as if they were being treated like palace maids in a beauty pageant. No matter how handsome those boys were, it immediately altered the nature of the cheerleading squad, causing several girls to leave without saying a word.

Ji Shuyi shared this sentiment, especially when she saw that the last person to walk in was Jiang Cheng. In that instant, every cell in her body was filled with resistance and disgust. Not wanting to stay a second longer, she turned to leave.

“Hey, where are you going?” Lu Zhixia, who had been engrossed in her phone, flirting with handsome guys, hadn’t noticed what was happening. Seeing Ji Shuyi about to leave, she quickly grabbed her arm, a puzzled expression on her face. When she saw Jiang Cheng approaching, she assumed Ji Shuyi’s reluctance was due to his presence. She immediately tried to appease her, saying, “A woman shouldn’t fuss over trivialities. Being flexible is better than baking in the sun during military training, right?”

Lu Zhixia held Ji Shuyi’s hand tightly, refusing to let go.

Just then, Song Ning, her face filled with joy and anticipation at the sight of Jiang Cheng, hurried to greet him, asking, “Jiang Cheng, look, there are so many people in the cheerleading squad. What should we do?”

The girl’s tone was soft and gentle, with a hint of coquetry. After stopping, she subtly moved her feet towards Jiang Cheng, hoping to get a little closer to him.

“You called me here just for this?” Jiang Cheng didn’t look at Song Ning but turned, slightly impatiently, to Chen Xingyi, who was standing nearby.

When he came, Chen Xingyi said it was regarding the team members.

“It’s not entirely for that reason.” Chen Xingyi, noticing that Jiang Cheng hadn’t glanced even once at the group of girls, meaningfully leaned closer and whispered a reminder, “Didn’t you see your little nemesis is here too? Probably came to escape military training.”

Little nemesis?

In that instant, Jiang Cheng didn’t expect that he would directly think of that little biter, and the next second, he looked toward the group of girls almost expectantly. His gaze landed squarely on Ji Shuyi, meeting her resentful glare head-on.

That little glare was just like a wild rabbit about to bite at any moment, a beautiful wild rabbit. Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile, injecting some vitality into his previously indifferent mood.

This smile stunned everyone present. The cold and perverse Demon King’s smile made everyone wonder if they were hallucinating; it felt extremely unreal.

Only Song Ning carefully followed Jiang Cheng’s gaze to Ji Shuyi in the crowd. She recognized this freshman girl, who had become popular on the school forum on the first day of registration because of her “nation’s first love” face.

When she saw her today, Song Ning was also genuinely amazed. This girl’s beauty wasn’t the aggressive, glamorous type, but was like a lotus emerging from water – pure and lovely, delicate and charming. Looking at her a few more times felt like bathing in a gentle breeze and warm sunshine, making people feel comfortable and refreshed.

Song Ning had to admit that this girl’s beauty was the kind that even girls would admire.

However, at this moment, Jiang Cheng smiled at this girl but didn’t intend to talk to her, not even giving her a glance. For a moment, feeling slightly awkward and embarrassed in front of everyone, Song Ning laughed to cover it up and took over Chen Xingyi’s words, explaining, “It’s because of this matter. Too many people have signed up, and I didn’t know what to do, so I thought of asking you all to discuss it…”

Song Ning deliberately said in a lighthearted, teasing tone, “After all, everyone is here to see you.”

These words were expressing her feelings to Jiang Cheng.

Unfortunately, as soon as she finished speaking, someone in the crowd suddenly retorted sharply:

“I’m not here to see him.”

Everyone looked around in surprise, their gazes all falling on Ji Shuyi. The boys, seeing the beauty’s resentful face, felt that even her anger was captivating. Several boys couldn’t wait to go over and strike up a conversation, feeling that even saying a word would give them a good dream tonight.

But unexpectedly, at this moment, amidst the many intersecting gazes, Jiang Cheng wore a teasing smile on his lips and uttered two words in a clear voice:

“Is that so?”

Ji Shuyi stood at the very back. Jiang Cheng’s gaze was sly, fixed on her with ill intentions as he slowly stepped through the crowd toward her.

Ji Shuyi watched the approaching bad guy, raising her chin without giving way. The boy had probably just finished a soccer game; the high-intensity exercise had flushed his usually pale skin slightly red, and faint traces of sweat could still be seen on his forehead beneath his neat crew cut.

As he got closer and closer, she could even feel the hot-blooded energy that hadn’t dissipated from his body. Rarely, his entire aura wasn’t cold and wicked but somewhat scorching, especially when he stopped in front of her and suddenly bent down, getting close to her. The scorching breath brushed over her, making Ji Shuyi’s eyelashes flutter involuntarily, and she heard his teasing, laughing tone in her ear:

“Then could it be that you’re here to avoid military training?”

He said with a hateful smile, “That’s terrible, I don’t think you are fit to…”

“Who cares!” Ji Shuyi, seemingly guessing what he wanted to say, interrupted Jiang Cheng’s words with angry defiance in front of everyone, saying with disgust, “Self-righteous idiot!”

Having said that, she turned and ran off, as if even staying with him for another second would be torture.

Seeing this, Lu Zhixia immediately dropped a line, “I don’t care either!”

And quickly chased after her.

Leaving the crowd still stunned, eyes wide, as they recalled that word,

Stu… Stupid?

For years and months at the same school, they had never heard anyone dare to speak to their young master Jiang like that. They all thought Jiang Cheng would reach out and grab her back, settling the ‘score’ from the last time on the main road of the campus as well.

But in the next second, they actually saw Jiang Cheng, who had been called names, scoffing indifferently. He returned to his previously uninterested demeanor and slightly raised his chin toward Chen Xingyi, saying, “I have something to do, I’ll leave first.”

He acted as if he would have left this boring place long ago if it weren’t for teasing Ji Shuyi.

Chen Xingyi frowned in frustration, gradually feeling that his brother’s behavior was becoming increasingly strange and abnormal, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

In the end, he suggested selecting people directly according to the order of registration, so as not to offend anyone or make the girls feel embarrassed. “Okay, don’t be angry,” Lu Zhixia, who had chased after her, comforted Ji Shuyi, “If you’re really that upset, find someone to put a sack over Jiang Cheng’s head and give him a beating.”

Ji Shuyi blurted out, “I’d rather not dirty my hands.”

Seeing that she could still joke around, Lu Zhixia felt relieved and said seriously, “Then why don’t you call your uncle and ask him to excuse you? As long as you ask, your uncle will definitely agree. Or tell your brother, they dote on you so much, they will definitely agree if you say a word. Military training is too tiring, I want to ask for leave too.”