Damn it! The girl he likes insists on dragging him to a blind date.

Sheng Zongche was wearing a black tracksuit, and the scent of laundry detergent emanating from his clothes hit his nostrils directly.

At this moment, he had one hand in his pocket and the other around Xia You's waist from behind, the girl's back pressed tightly against the boy's burning chest.

The posture was very ambiguous.

In an instant, Xia You's heart pounded like a drum, and she quickly placed her hand on Sheng Zongche's arm, "Senior, let go of me..."

Sheng Zongche said, oblivious to everyone else, "Let you go? If I hadn't caught you, you'd be sitting on the ground right now. Can't you stop making people feel sorry for you?"

Xia You: ? ?

The surrounding students: ?! !!

He Yunqi stared wide-eyed at Gu Chi: "Brother Chi... what did I just hear?"

Gu Chi slowly picked at his ear with his little finger. "No, I'm getting old. I'm having auditory hallucinations. I need to go to the ENT hospital for an outpatient appointment."

Beside her, Wen Mian clenched her fingers, her eyes blazing with anger. "Senior, Xia You started it all with those hurtful words! She called me a monkey in a circus!"

Cheng Yuyao, her eyes red with anger, chimed in, "Exactly! Xia You is awful; she just pretends to be pitiful in front of others!"

"You two are talking nonsense! You were the ones who provoked her first! Youyou's chest is all red from Wen Mian's scratches!" Jiang Yunqian shouted.

As the group argued, more and more people gathered around to watch. Sheng Zongche, seemingly oblivious to their conversation, lowered his eyes and asked Xia You, "Are you done with your physical test?"

Xia You paused for a moment before realizing what she meant, "Ah, right..."

Sheng Zongche released her waist, then grabbed her wrist, his eyes falling on her trouser legs, which were wet with mineral water.

"Whoever did this without thinking, I'll have to pay for her retinal repair."

Xia You: "..."

Cheng Yuyao's face flushed red and then turned pale. She didn't dare to speak, so she just bit her lip and kept quiet, while tugging hard at Wen Mian's sleeve.

Sheng Zongche took out a tissue from his pocket and was about to squat down in front of Xia You, "Want me to wipe it off?"

At that moment, countless eyes were fixed on them. Xia You almost jumped up on the spot and quickly took a step back. "No need, senior, I'll wipe it myself."

"Okay," Sheng Zongche stuffed the tissue into the girl's hand, then grabbed her wrist again. "Come on, I'll take you to buy milk tea."

Xia You: "Why did you take me to buy milk tea?"

Sheng Zongche: "Didn't we agree on a reward after the physical fitness test? Did you forget?"

"what?"

The man didn't say anything more. He grabbed Xia You's wrist and, amidst the throng of people and the commotion on the playground, led her away from the public eye.

……

The two walked from the school's side gate to the student street, and Xia You then remembered that her bag and phone were still left by the playground.

She pulled her hand away in the opposite direction. "Senior, my bag is still there..."

The implication was clear: Can you let me go back?

Sheng Zongche stopped and turned to look at her. "Xia You, why do you always react this way when I help you? You never even say thank you?"

Xia You obediently said, "Thank you, senior."

Sheng Zongche: "..." What the hell, he went through all that trouble just to hear the word "thank you"?

Anyone can say thank you. Give the stinky tofu a good training, and who knows, it might even be able to say it.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Xia You suddenly remembered something, raised her eyelashes, and asked, "Senior, what did you mean when you said the next social event was?"

Sheng Zongche rolled his eyes and suddenly felt like slapping himself twice.

After the social gathering ended, Xia You vanished without a trace and never contacted him again. He finally convinced himself to go find her, accompanied by Chou Doufu, but the woman's attitude remained lukewarm.

After much thought, could it be that in her heart he was only valuable for making money through matchmaking?

Even so, it still has value.

Sheng Zongche asked, "After that event, how was your social club's business?"

Xia You shook her head. "No, same old story. I'm not going to do it. It'll take too much effort to promote it. I'll think of some other ways to make money."

Sheng Zongche scoffed. "Other ways to make money? Be Qin Chiyu's girlfriend? He'll give you 50,000 a month?"

Why should I be his girlfriend?

The man's tone was tinged with jealousy, "He's tall, handsome, loves you, and is willing to spend money on you. If you were his girlfriend, you wouldn't have to work so hard, wouldn't that be better?"

Xia You didn't understand the meaning behind those words; she only felt that Sheng Zongche was being sarcastic. She pursed her lips and retorted without hesitation, "Senior, you speak so highly of Qin Chiyu, why don't you be his boyfriend?"

Sheng Zongche: ?

"I'm so poor I can't afford to eat, so I might as well starve to death. I can't sell myself."

Xia You angrily left those words behind and turned to leave.

Although she had been used to being looked down upon since childhood, being mocked by the person she secretly admired was still unbearable for her.

Sheng Zongche looked at that stubborn back and thought to himself that Xia You looked sweet, but he didn't expect her to be so stubborn at heart.

I just helped her and she's ignoring me like this? She's got some nerve.

"Xia You, stop right there."

Xia You turned around, her big eyes wet, staring at Sheng Zongche with a pitiful expression.

In that instant, Sheng Zongche's heart melted completely. He put his hands in his pockets, bent down, and leaned closer to her. "Are you angry? You get angry so easily?"

Xia You felt a pang of heartache, bit her lip, and turned her face away, deliberately avoiding looking at Sheng Zongche. Half of her cheek flushed a bright pink. "Most people would think that way. Senior's logic is sound. I'm not angry."

Sheng Zongche straightened up and stopped dwelling on the topic. "Let's go, let's have some milk tea."

Xia You was a little confused. "Huh? I didn't bring my phone..."

"I'll buy you a drink."

Why did you buy me a drink?

Sheng Zongche's face darkened.

Xia You is really something, really amazing, she turned her back on everyone after the social event.

What else could he do besides shamelessly approach her?

Thinking of this, Sheng Zongche glanced at her with a half-smile, "Can I talk to President Xia about the second matchmaking event?"

Upon hearing this, Xia You's eyes lit up like two little light bulbs. "Really, senior? Are you really going to participate in another social event? Is your crush among the group of girls who came to see you last time?"

Sheng Zongche: ?

Xia You strode over and asked, "Really? Is there really one? Why don't you secretly tell me which one it is, and I'll arrange for you to have coffee together?"

Sheng Zongche's Adam's apple bobbed twice, his voice low, hoarse, and tense, "Who do I have a crush on?"

"I didn't know. That day at dinner, Senior He said you had a crush on someone..."

"He Yunqi's head and butt are reversed; his mouth spews nonsense like an anus. Can you believe anything he says?"

"..." Xia You choked, thinking to herself that it's no good if you don't have someone you secretly love, so why get so angry.

"So... so... you don't have a crush on anyone?"

"What a load of rubbish!"

"Oh……"

If it were anyone else, they would be overjoyed to hear that their crush doesn't have anyone they like. But Xia You is different. Although she likes Sheng Zongche very much, she has a clear self-awareness and understands the gap between them. She has never dared to hope that she could be with him.

Therefore, if Sheng Zongche finds someone she truly loves, she will definitely be the first to offer her blessings.

Xia You walked up to Sheng Zongche, smiled, and looked up. "Senior, let's go talk about the second social event. You pay for the milk tea first, I'll transfer the money to you later!"

Sheng Zongche took a deep breath. "Xia You, you studied Sichuan Opera? You can do face-changing? The moment you mention the social club, you immediately transform from a pitcher plant into a tulip?"

Xia You nodded as she walked, "Mmm, whatever you say I am, that's what I am."

Sheng Zongche put his hands in his pockets and didn't say anything more.

Okay, at least I've found an excuse not to cut off contact with Xia You.

It's just attending a social gathering; each one only lasts an hour and goes by quickly, it won't kill you.