The anchor I was supposed to meet turned out to be my student.

"I don't want to pretend to be a couple in front of my parents anymore, I don't want to argue with Tongtong and the others anymore, I don't want this ambiguous relationship to continue..."

"I understand, Xiaojun... but you also know..."

"I understand, but has the teacher considered how upset Xiaojun is? Nobody wants to see someone they like being shared with someone else..."

Lu Xiaojun grasped my hands again, gazing into my eyes with deep affection, and said, "Teacher, I like you. I've liked you for a long time. This is the first time I've liked a boy, especially one older than me... Xiaojun especially loves being by your side, and I want to stay by your side forever~"

Lu Xiaojun took my hand and pressed it against her cheek.

"Teacher, do you like Xiaojun?"

"Of course I like Xiaojun, just like you like being by my side. I also like you circling around me like a little rabbit..." I can say my feelings for Lu Xiaojun without hesitation.

Lu Xiaojun smiled shyly.

“Since you’re single, and I’m single too, and you want to find a girlfriend, and I want to find a boyfriend, how about we… start dating?” Lu Xiaojun looked at me with all her might.

Faced with her resolute gaze, I lacked confidence and couldn't respond to her feelings as decisively as before.

"Teacher, please don't stay silent. I want to hear your answer right now... I really want to be your girlfriend, to be with you all the time, to have you all to myself, to fall asleep in your arms every night, and to be woken up by you every morning..."

I never imagined Lu Xiaojun would say sweet nothings, let alone that she could say them so captivatingly. I almost couldn't resist holding her tightly in my arms to respond to her...

"Xiao Jun... Xiao Jun..." I whispered her name, but I couldn't bring myself to say it, because there was more than just Lu Xiao Jun in my heart, and I really didn't want to miss out on anyone...

"Teacher, please don't be troubled. Don't think about them anymore, okay? Please choose Xiaojun, okay? Xiaojun will definitely make you happy, both emotionally and... physically... Xiaojun will do her best to love you. You can take anything from Xiaojun..."

Lu Xiaojun took my hand and placed it on her chest; I could feel her heart pounding...

As a tall man standing at 1.85 meters, I was so moved by this petite girl who was only 1.5 meters tall that my vision blurred, and I was completely powerless to resist her confession.

"Xiaojun, I'm taking this..."

Just as I was halfway through my sentence and Lu Xiaojun began to smile, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

"Brother Tusheng, I like you!!!"

(This is the sixth update~ Thank you, Emperor Yan! There will be a seventh update tonight~ More monthly votes, more updates, let's go!)

Chapter 41, Section 551: I Cried (Seventh Update, I Tried My Best)

2021-02-01T22:07:01

"Brother Tusheng, I like you!"

The moment Luo Yao pushed open the door, her confession rang out, startling Lu Xiaojun and me. We both turned to look, only to see Luo Yao still wearing her sailor uniform from the performance. She hadn't even changed before rushing over. I didn't know why she was suddenly here. Didn't she say she'd have a Meituan delivery guy bring a bottle of wine? Why was she alone now? But she didn't have any wine with her.

"Yaoyao, what brings you here..." I asked somewhat awkwardly.

Lu Xiaojun looked at Luo Yao with both displeasure and confusion, completely unable to understand why Luo Yao had suddenly appeared and ruined her almost successful plan.

"If I hadn't come soon, that little vixen would have succeeded!"

Despite Luo Yao's aggressive approach, Lu Xiaojun showed no fear towards her. Instead, she was furious because Luo Yao had ruined the atmosphere she had worked so hard to build.

"Luo Yao, how can you be so rude? This is a private room I booked. What right do you have to barge in!"

Instead of getting angry, Luo Yao laughed and said, "So you think you're very polite? Don't you know the idiom 'first come, first served'? When I confessed to Brother Tusheng, you were nowhere to be found! And now you dare to try and steal my Brother Tusheng? If I hadn't arrived, would you have succeeded?"

After hearing this, Lu Xiaojun looked directly at me, her expression full of grievance, and said, "Teacher, did you send Luo Yao here...? Why, why..."

Just as I was about to explain, Luo Yao spoke first: "Don't wrong Tu Sheng, he didn't ask me to come. I have my own way of finding out."

Although I don't know how Luo Yao found out that Lu Xiaojun was going to confess to me tonight, I'm really glad that Luo Yao didn't let Lu Xiaojun completely misunderstand me at this time, but instead helped me explain things clearly.

Only then did Lu Xiaojun realize she had misunderstood me. She put away her aggrieved look, but then looked at Luo Yao and said in a coquettish voice, "So what if you came first? So what if you confessed first? You still didn't manage to date the teacher, did you? It's just embarrassing to say it out loud... Since you've already failed, please don't disturb me and the teacher. Please leave my private room!"

Lu Xiaojun's defense of love at this moment far exceeded Luo Yao's expectations, and her words made Luo Yao blush and speechless.

Lu Xiaojun didn't get off my lap. Instead, she turned back to look at me and asked softly, "Teacher, were you just saying you wanted to go out with me?"

My lips moved, my face contorted with difficulty and pain as I looked at Lu Xiaojun. I couldn't bring myself to agree to her request as I had before. Luo Yao's appearance had completely disrupted my peace of mind. How could I possibly wait in front of Luo Yao to agree to date Lu Xiaojun? It would be easier for me to hit myself on the head with a brick!

Luo Yao wasn't about to let Lu Xiaojun kiss her so easily. She walked straight up to me and said affectionately, "Brother Tusheng, Yaoyao likes you too, more than anyone else. I've liked you for twelve years, ever since I first met you when we were neighbors in first grade. It's been a full twelve years. Lu Xiaojun's feelings for you are nowhere near as deep as mine. I became an artist for you, all to make myself more feminine and charming. Isn't that love...? So, Brother Tusheng, will you date me? I'll give you more than Lu Xiaojun can give you!"

Lu Xiaojun shook my hand anxiously and said, "Teacher, don't agree to her. Look at me, look at me! Apart from knowing you later than her, what do I lack compared to her? Even if I've known you for longer, my feelings for you are no less intense than hers. Besides, our parents have met and approved of our relationship. So I'm more suitable for you than her!"

"Lu Xiaojun, you're talking nonsense! It's clear that my feelings for Brother Tusheng are deeper. Get off him right now! You're not allowed to cling to him like this. Only I can touch him!"

"Don't touch me, you stinky Luo Yao, you wicked woman who ruined my plans!"

Luo Yao tried to pull Lu Xiaojun down, but Lu Xiaojun refused. Watching them argue like this, I felt no satisfaction as a man from their vying for favor. All I felt was endless pain. I felt like I must have committed some terrible sin in my past life to be experiencing this struggle and pain in this life. It was more painful than being single. Being single meant I could be carefree, but being caught in this emotional vortex would really break me. Choosing one over the other would be like cutting my left or right hand with a knife, causing excruciating heartache.

"Please stop arguing..." I said in a hoarse voice.

"Teacher?"

The two stopped arguing because they both saw the tears welling up in my eyes. Yes, I cried. A tall man of 1.85 meters cried. A man who wouldn't cry even if he were stabbed with a knife actually cried over matters of the heart. A man who wouldn't even cry when breaking up with his ex-girlfriend actually cried now...

"Brother Tusheng, please don't cry..."

"Teacher, Xiaojun, please stop crying, okay..."

The two women panicked and quickly reached out to wipe away my tears.

"Do you know, Xiaojun, you're in pain, Luoyao, you're in pain too, but I'm in even more pain than you. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to keep you all by my side for such a selfish reason. But I really don't know what to do. Do you think I'm really as dense as a block of wood, oblivious to your feelings for me? I want to build a real romantic relationship more than you do, not this ambiguous one. But they're all my flesh and blood, how can I choose..."

Both women lowered their heads and fell silent. I continued, self-deprecatingly, "Do you think I'm a womanizer? Yes, not just the two of you, but also Ye Zhitong and the others, I can't let them go..."

I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, not wanting the tears to fall any further, because I felt really ashamed. But this was my true feeling. I didn't want their sympathy; I just wanted to be honest with them. They had already poured out their hearts, and I couldn't hold back any more.

So, with a mix of nervousness and a sense of impulsiveness, I blurted out to the two of them, "Can the three of us... get along harmoniously...?"

"Harmony, living together in harmony?" Lu Xiaojun and Luo Yao didn't understand what I meant at first.

But I didn't explain further, because just saying that one sentence had exhausted all my energy; those words were truly shameless... But what other choice did I have but to be shameless? It was better than cowering and not daring to speak up, right?

dong dong dong!

Da da da!

"Security! Stop these reporters! Who let them in!"

"The popular star Luo Yao is inside; I saw her come in!"

"Yes, yes, I saw it too. They drove over in a 911 sports car, and they hadn't even changed out of their costumes!"

A series of chaotic footsteps came from outside the private room, and then a group of people dressed like reporters with cameras swarmed around the door of our private room.

(This is the seventh update, I'm exhausted! I really want to keep writing because this little climax isn't finished yet, and we need to keep going... But I really tried my best. Finally, I'd like to ask for your monthly tickets and rewards~ for seven updates today~)

Chapter 42, page 552. This idea is wrong.

2021-02-02T17:13:47

There was no time to figure out why so many reporters had discovered Luo Yao's presence. I took off my coat faster than they could react and press the shutter button, then covered Luo Yao's head with it and shielded her with my hands.

Normally, even if we were spotted by paparazzi, we could calmly sit in our seats, swim, eat, and give them an interview, simply stating that we are friends. But the situation is different now because when these paparazzi came in, Lu Xiaojun was sitting intimately on my right lap, while Luo Yao was sitting on my left lap. It was a classic case of enjoying the company of beauties, with one on each side. Even though Luo Yao had her back to them at the time, it would still be troublesome if these paparazzi captured her face.

Immediately, a cacophony of camera clicks echoed through the private room, but it didn't matter much, because I had already shielded Luo Yao, the most important person in the room. As for Lu Xiaojun and me, we weren't public figures, so they could take pictures if they wanted, and they could use up all their film.

Although Lu Xiaojun was startled by the paparazzi who suddenly barged in, she immediately kicked the security call button under the table after seeing me make a move.

But security couldn't arrive immediately; the paparazzi had already surrounded them, bombarding them with all sorts of questions.

"May I ask what the relationship is between this gentleman and Miss Luo Yao?"

"Sir, you and Miss Luo Yao were just having very intimate physical contact. Are you a couple?"

"Miss, are you and Miss Luo Yao rivals for her affections? Or are you, like Miss Luo Yao, being kept by this gentleman?"

……

The questions became increasingly pointed, causing Lu Xiaojun to blush. Some paparazzi even asked if she was dating or supporting the Mini-pink girl group…

I frowned and replied with displeasure, "I don't know what you're talking about. Please leave my private room, or I'll call the police!"

"Sir, we've had Ms. Luo Yao spotted entering this restaurant. Although she was wearing sunglasses before we arrived, we still recognized her. So, sir, can you tell us what your relationship is with Ms. Luo Yao?"

"Sir, we came in and saw this lady's back. It's Miss Luo Yao's back. Please stop covering Miss Luo Yao and let her come out to be interviewed."

"Security! Get these paparazzi out of here!" I shouted outside, and nearly ten security guards arrived just in time to try and drive the paparazzi out. However, the number of paparazzi outnumbered the security guards by a factor of two, and the guards were unable to completely drive them away. In the end, the three of us could only use the excuse made by the security guards to escape from the private room. Soon, more than a dozen security guards arrived and completely trapped the paparazzi in the private room. The three of us finally escaped their sight.

The saying goes that money can make the devil turn the millstone, and guests at high-end restaurants naturally enjoy the most attentive service. I handed Luo Yao's car keys to a staff member of the high-end restaurant and asked him to drive Luo Yao's car to the designated place. The three of us also arrived at the designated place by the restaurant's pick-up service.

After we got off the restaurant shuttle, we had completely shaken off the paparazzi and were safe for the time being. However, what kind of news would appear online tomorrow was beyond our control. I had done my best to prevent Luo Yao from being photographed by them. The rest was up to Ye Zhi's company's public relations department to handle.

This is the Bund. There aren't many people here at night because Shanghai is a very busy city, and people are too busy to come here to enjoy the beautiful night view. But this used to be a place I liked to come to at night because I loved leaning on the railing and enjoying the feeling of the night breeze, which helped me forget many of my troubles.

However, looking at the two girls in front of me who had been silent since the beginning, my troubles and worries not only couldn't be forgotten, but they also deepened.

"Isn't the teacher going to say anything...?" Lu Xiaojun asked as a boat docked on the riverbank.

"What does Brother Tusheng mean by 'getting along harmoniously'... Does he mean I should get along harmoniously with her? How could I possibly get along harmoniously with my love rival!" Luo Yao glanced at Lu Xiaojun beside her and said.

Lu Xiaojun glared at Luo Yao angrily, but still looked at me and said, "Is that what you mean, teacher? It's not that I don't want to be friends with them, it's that I don't want to see them taking my teacher away. That's why my relationship with Tongtong is getting worse and worse... Teacher, please be friends with me. If you be friends with me, I will definitely become good friends with them."

"Lu Xiaojun, you wish! You stole my Tusheng brother and now you want me to be your friend! Tusheng brother, go out with me! If you go out with me, I can get along well with them and become good friends too!"

"..."

I know they would never have imagined or even believe that the “harmonious coexistence” I’m referring to is that kind of thing, that kind of unrealistic thing. But even if it’s unrealistic, I still want to shamelessly try it one more time. I don’t want to give up without even trying.

So I took a deep breath, calmed my nervousness, and looked them both seriously as I said, "When I said harmonious coexistence, I meant that I hope both of you can..."

I swallowed hard.

"They can all stay..."

The two women's pupils dilated slightly, both shocked and doubtful that they had misunderstood.

So, to make them understand what I meant, I took one of their hands, lowered my head, and said in a trembling voice, "I know this is selfish, but it's the best way I can think of... Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I didn't dare look up to see their reaction. I was sure they understood what I meant, but they needed time to process what I said. Once they had processed it, it would be time for judgment. I was even mentally prepared to be slapped twice...

But as time passed, I didn't get slapped. I slowly raised my eyes to look at them. I saw that Luo Yao's expression was extremely complicated and her gaze was no longer on me, while Lu Xiaojun looked terrified, as if she had heard something shocking.