Chapter 2

I do not love Gu Shaoheng.

But it seems no one believes me.

How could anyone not love Gu Shaoheng? He’s so outstanding, handsome, smart, and charming. My indifference seems to trouble him greatly; I often catch him gazing at me thoughtfully, as if searching for answers.

He’s like a hunter waiting patiently for his prey, carefully setting his traps.

He became my deskmate, and at first, the whole class watched us like a show, even starting a betting pool.

I remained unmoved, studying, doing my exercises, memorizing my books. He sat beside me like a wisp of air.

Later, everyone seemed to take it for granted that we were a couple. The math teacher loved to call us up to the blackboard together to solve problems. Every time our names were called, the class would erupt in knowing cheers, and in the midst of it all, he would tilt his head, a faint smile on his lips, watching me intently.

As if he were deeply in love.

Of course, whenever we solved problems together, he never once beat me.

My previous deskmate used to say I was a “stone who doesn’t understand romance.” She said:

“Come on, Suiran, that’s Gu Shaoheng! I know he’s a flirt, but who wouldn’t want to date him? Not hoping for a happy ending, just to have had it once…”

Expressionless, I spread her barely-passing physics test in front of her and said, “Let’s hope your physics scores get a happy ending first. You still get questions wrong that I’ve already explained to you.”

She wailed, grumbling, “Suiran, you’re such a blockhead, a dummy. Young Master Gu is so pitiful.”

I don’t understand what’s so pitiful about Gu Shaoheng. His interest in me is nothing but a passing whim, not genuine, just a desire to conquer.

My relationship with Gu Shaoheng eased a little when my mother was hospitalized with a broken bone after an accident.

I took a week off.

When Gu Shaoheng found me, I was selling fish at the market.

All the neighbors knew about my family’s situation, so as soon as I set up my stall, the fish sold out. An aunt from next door, carrying a black fish, sighed and said, “Suiran, when I finish making the soup, come get some and take it to your mom at the hospital. The college entrance exam is coming up, you should focus on your studies.”

I smiled, “Thank you, Auntie. It’s fine, I won’t fall behind in my schoolwork.”

Then I started cleaning up the mess-water tanks, cutting boards, fish scales everywhere. When I finished stacking the boxes one by one, I looked up and saw Gu Shaoheng.

He stood at the entrance of the market, his aura completely out of place in the noisy, fishy-smelling environment. I had no idea how long he’d been standing there, just quietly watching me.

I ignored him. As I struggled to move the boxes to the back of my electric tricycle, he walked over, expensive shoes stepping through the muddy ground, took the fishy-smelling box from my hands, and placed it steadily in the back.

He said, “This kind of thing should be done by someone strong.”

I didn’t protest, just quietly watched him help me move everything, unfazed by the dirt. Then he sat in the driver’s seat of the tricycle, somehow making it look like a Porsche sports car. He tilted his head and said, “Let’s go. Where’s your house? I’ll take you.”

I paused, standing there and asked calmly, “Do you know how to drive it?”

He was stunned, his handsome face slowly showing a confused expression, probably the first time he’d been stumped, looking helpless.

I couldn’t help but smile a little and said, “Get off.”

He glanced at me, and for some reason, he smiled too, with a sigh in his voice. He said, “Fang Suiran, this is the first time I’ve seen you smile.”

For that week, he came every day on time, helping me set up and pack up the stall. The first time he saw me kill a fish with a swift motion, he just stood there inexplicably smiling.

I looked at him in confusion. He smiled and said, “Suddenly thought of a meme, don’t know if you’ve heard it: ‘I’ve been killing fish at RT-Mart for ten years, my heart is as cold as the knife in my hand.’ I thought it was just a joke, but now it’s reality.”

He half-jokingly asked, “Fang Suiran, what about you? Is your heart as cold as the knife in your hand?”

I smiled at him, responding to his probing directly:

“Gu Shaoheng, you and I are from different worlds. As you can see, I’m not playing hard to get. I don’t have the time, don’t want to play, and can’t afford your games. Don’t waste your effort on me.”

My gaze was honest. He looked at me intently, the smile at his lips slowly fading, then returned. He turned his head so I couldn’t see his expression, but I heard him say, “I understand.”

I finally breathed a sigh of relief.