Lu Mingfei: What? They're all real!

“That won’t do, I’m waiting for someone.” Lu Mingfei shook his head.

"I think you just think Chen Wenwen likes you!" Su Xiaoqiang couldn't help but get anxious, as if Lu Mingfei next to her was a stubborn mule. "No way, take off your filter, okay? I don't like to talk bad about people, but don't you know? If everyone hadn't been saying that the pretty girl came to confess to you, do you think she would have even given you a second glance?"

She was so anxious that she leaned over and wrapped her arms around Lu Mingfei's stomach, completely disregarding social distance.

“That little bit of empty fame is nothing compared to a grand display. People who like empty fame won’t pay attention to their true feelings. She definitely won’t choose you.” She took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and then slowly shrank back. “Anyway, I’ve said all the nice things I could. You can decide for yourself.”

"I feel like you're about to become a philosopher." Lu Mingfei didn't comment on the matter.

"You're the one who made me angry." The girl snorted and turned her head away.

What she didn't tell, and didn't have the courage to tell Lu Mingfei, was that she was so aware of "empty fame" because she was a pitiful creature trapped by "empty fame."

She had been trapped by his words all along. His comment, "Chen Wenwen is probably the prettiest girl in our class," had made her tremble with anger. Now, he patted her shoulder and said, "You're much prettier than Chen Wenwen," effortlessly untying her knot in her heart with just one sentence. It left her feeling empty. Everything she had cared about and clung to before had become a joke in the blink of an eye. Looking back, she suddenly realized that she had only cared about his opinion, and it had always been that way from the beginning...

He said Chen Wenwen was pretty, and she always wanted to compete with Chen Wenwen to see who was prettier, to the point of being obsessive. Now that he says Chen Wenwen isn't as pretty as her, she's all smiles again and no longer cares how many eyes a girl in a white dress can attract.

For the first time in her life, the proud little fairy felt incredibly pathetic.

She was both worried that this jerk would really make a fool of himself, and also wanted to see him give up on Chen Wenwen with a heartbroken look on his face… If he saw Chen Wenwen holding hands with someone else, maybe this idiot would go to America because of it, but that might actually be for the best. She'd heard her father say these past few days that he was going to try to find connections to see if he could get a recommendation letter from Stanford… Having a friend in a foreign country would definitely make things much better…

The girl crossed her legs and leaned lazily back in her movie theater seat, pretending not to care about anything. After a long while, she secretly glanced at the idiot next to her and saw that he had an expectant smile on his face. She felt a pang of sadness in her heart and suddenly began to doubt whether what he had said before was just to comfort her.

She couldn't help but feel anxious and uncertain. Then, the already dim lights in the theater were turned off, and images began to move on the screen.

The movie was chosen by Chen Wenwen; it was an obscure, niche art film. Su Xiaoqiang was actually a very ordinary person and didn't like these artsy and mystical things. She wasn't interested in the movie and kept glancing at the boy next to her. He didn't seem interested either, which made her secretly relieved.

He yawned, and she yawned as if she had caught his yawn.

“How boring,” he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, it's so boring." A faint smile appeared on her lips, but no one could see it in the darkness. Her tone was flat, as if she were really about to fall asleep.

"Chen Wenwen has such poor taste. She should only watch blockbusters in such a nice theater!" he complained.

“Yes, I’d rather watch Iron Man. I saw it in an IMAX theater in Macau, it was amazing,” she chimed in.

"The nouveau riche are inhuman!" he wailed.

"When will I take you to see it too?" That's how she showed off her wealth.

"Hehe, that's great. It seems the organization was right. There are good landlords and tyrannical landlords. Good landlords can't hang streetlights." He started to act cheeky.

"One day I'll find you to die in my place!" she said fiercely, her brows furrowed.

"Please let me go~"

No way! I'll haunt you even if I die.

In the darkness, the corners of her mouth turned up higher and higher. The girl felt from the bottom of her heart that arguing like this was a joyful thing. She had often argued like this with the people around her for a long time, but it wasn't until now, until they were about to graduate, that she realized how happy it was to argue with him like this.

How foolish I was... How can a man and a woman be such innocent enemies for three years?

However, she also felt she wasn't that stupid. After all, her first thought after Lu Mingfei bumped his head was, "Taking care of this guy is going to be tough." She had even planned out her future days... It seems the subconscious doesn't lie after all...

As the terrible movie on the screen neared its end, the lights in the theater suddenly and uniformly turned on, as if pre-arranged. The spotlights began to find their angles and focused uniformly on Zhao Menghua, who stood in the light.

The girl's heart leaped into her throat for the guy beside her, and also for herself.

Chapter 38 The People Who Came to Steal the Wedding

"Today is our literary society reunion. It's a rare treat to have such a strong bond as classmates. I've prepared some entertainment for you all. It's not a movie, but I'm sure it will be great. Please do me the honor of joining us."

Zhao Menghua stood in the open space in front, like a host. He was good at this kind of occasion, and today he was wearing a custom-made suit. Perhaps Ye Sheng's image that day inspired him. He looked radiant now, and his clothes had a faint matte finish, like a TV star.

Zhao Menghua's underlings started to jeer. This guy had a lot of underlings, and when they all spoke together, it was like a mountain roaring and a tsunami. The entire theater was filled with their voices, and no dissenting voices could be heard.

Of course, no one wanted to object. Today there is a real "good show" to watch, and how can people resist the urge to watch the excitement?

The theater door opened, and a group of young girls in white dresses filed in, their style vaguely resembling Chen Wenwen's. Lu Mingfei realized that Su Xiaoqiang was right; Boss Zhao had indeed gone all out. He estimated the price and found that he had no idea what it was all about.

"Xiaoqiang, Xiaoqiang..." He could only call out to the girl beside him, asking in a low voice how much it would cost.

Su Xiaoqiang held up her slender, white fingers and announced a number. She couldn't help but feel secretly delighted. She did hope that Lu Mingfei would completely give up his feelings for Chen Wenwen, but she didn't want him to lose face too much, as that might leave him with psychological trauma.

It's best if he backs down now.

Lu Mingfei was startled by the number, but he was only doing the financial part. He roughly calculated that it was enough for him to fly directly to Tokyo and live near Ginza for several more years. So Lu Mingfei couldn't help but lament in his heart that Boss Zhao was foolish. If he wanted to save face, he might as well have just transferred the money directly... He could have shouted "Zhao Menghua is awesome" all day long.

Of course, he wouldn't do anything more outrageous. Lu Mingfei wasn't the kind of person who would bow down for five pecks of rice; he'd need at least fifty pecks.

The girls began to dance gracefully. Most of the students at Shilan Middle School were from respectable families, so there were no vulgar guys whistling. But they were truly beautiful, with graceful dance moves and elegant figures. As a result, cheers rose in waves, one after another.

Then people started shouting "Well done, Zhao Menghua!" and the momentum of praising the host was formed in an instant. Lu Mingfei didn't even need to guess; he knew that this momentum must have been created by Zhao Menghua's underlings.

But the boy in the center of the spotlight only had a humble smile on his face. He stood in the spotlight and gently waved his hand, asking everyone to watch the performance quietly, like a shy child who did not care about fame or fortune.

But how could that place suddenly have light? It's obviously designed, okay?! What's with that humble expression on your face?!

Lu Mingfei cursed this guy for being hypocritical in his heart, but helplessly realized that most people were just vulgar, or rather, everyone was a practical person. Zhao Menghua spent a lot of money to let everyone see a corner of the upper class, so he was indeed awesome. Maybe it was Xu Miaomiao or Xu Yanyan who started it, but the students also sincerely thought Zhao Menghua was amazing.

Then Zhao Menghua emerged from the halo and walked towards the center of the dancing girls. The halo followed his figure, always remaining focused on him.

Lu Mingfei turned around abruptly and saw an old man on the second floor acting as a lighting technician, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He guessed that Zhao Menghua might have slipped the old man a whole carton of Zhonghua cigarettes; the only way he could think of to bribe the old man was by slipping him a cigarette.

In short, Zhao Menghua was always the focus of everyone's attention. He slowly blended into the dancing swans, who circled around him, some near and some far. He looked like a dashing prince. Lu Mingfei could hardly deny that this guy was actually quite handsome, so at such an appropriate moment, Zhao Menghua did look incredibly handsome.

The girls danced around Zhao Menghua for a long time. Their movements were clearly pre-planned, and they coordinated skillfully, all to make the male lead in the center more dazzling.

Then, Zhao Menghua raised the microphone and began to whisper in a voice that sounded almost like a broadcaster.

He recounted how three years had flown by since they were classmates, and how he was about to part ways with everyone. The audience cheered with reluctance. He then mentioned that he had always been attached to someone and that there were some things he had to say now. The audience seemed to have known about this all along and had rehearsed it beforehand, so they started to cheer.

"If you like someone, you should say it out loud!" Xu Miaomiao rarely spoke with such conviction. Who knows who came up with the lines for him? He kept shouting like a flag waver, "Boss, who do you like? Just say it out loud, okay!"

The beautiful girls around Zhao Menghua were still dancing, constantly highlighting Zhao Menghua standing in the center, like countless petals setting off the stamen of a flower. Everything was perfectly natural. At this moment, Lu Mingfei suddenly understood what "heavy bleeding" meant. It wasn't just about spending money; there must have been a lot of effort involved. Perhaps they had even rehearsed... He found it hard to imagine how much determination and hatred Zhao Menghua had in mind to do all this.

Lu Mingfei was filled with awe.

Zhao Menghua began to lay the groundwork, starting with "the first time I saw you at the beginning of the semester" and continuing to "I didn't want to like you for three years until graduation without being able to say it." Lu Mingfei muttered to himself that this was too cliché, and that the romance novels Lu Mingze liked to read were better than this. Su Xiaoqiang, on the other hand, quietly pinched his arm with her fingertips to remind him to be careful.

Lu Mingfei then realized that Zhao Menghua's eyes had been looking in his direction the whole time, and no one would suspect that they were looking at Su Xiaoqiang; they were right on Lu Mingfei's forehead.

Hey bro, are you going to confess your feelings to me?

Lu Mingfei narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but shiver.

"Chen Wenwen".

Fortunately, Zhao Menghua called out the real female lead's name, which reassured Lu Mingfei a little. He was no longer worried about being chased to Brokeback Mountain today.

The girl whose name was called stood up abruptly. The scene was too grand today, which made her feel a little pressured. She stood there stiffly, even more nervous than when the teacher called on her to answer a question.

Zhao Menghua's financial offensive was undoubtedly very effective.

At this moment, Lu Mingfei felt a little relieved. Although he had felt a surge of violence in his heart ever since he remembered many things that day, he also genuinely wanted to be a kind person. He didn't want to hurt the girl he had been thinking about for three years. His three years of unrequited love for Chen Wenwen were bittersweet, but he couldn't say he hated Chen Wenwen.

Now that someone has caught her, preventing her from being filled with anticipation only to have her heart shattered, that's a good thing.

Despite these thoughts, Lu Mingfei's eyes gradually turned fierce, becoming somewhat unlike himself, more like that of a guy who hated the whole world. He didn't even realize it himself; he was gradually becoming like a ferocious dragon, guarding the treasure in a cave, not allowing anyone to take anything away from him, not even a girl who wasn't that important... Stripped of the cloak of morality, this was his true thought, and at the last moment, he wouldn't let that happen.

The boy was completely unaware of his own change, but the girl beside him couldn't help but tense up. She didn't glance at the men and women in front of her for even a second; she had been secretly watching Lu Mingfei the whole time! Now, seeing him slowly become serious, as if facing a formidable enemy, her heart jumped into her throat once again.

She really wanted to stand up right now and say something for Lu Mingfei.

Zhao Menghua's sentimental and cheesy emotional outburst finally came to an end. He no longer cast glances at Lu Mingfei, but instead gazed affectionately at Chen Wenwen:

So, will you say yes?

Finally, he made the formal confession, and the audience in the theater began to shout, "Say yes!" This time, there was not much of a plot orchestrated by Zhao Menghua himself; anyone would have shouted the same thing after such a grand confession.

Apart from Chen Wenwen herself.

The girl stood in the spotlight, dressed in white, echoing the dancing girls posing on stage. She looked like the leading lady of the day, and she should accept the prince's confession.

But as if possessed, she suddenly turned her head and glanced at Lu Mingfei behind her. She looked somewhat conflicted, like a child who would struggle with whether to go to Tsinghua University or Peking University.

The audience, who were waiting to see a good show, became even more excited. There used to be quite a few boys surrounding Chen Wenwen, but now they had all lost their competitive spirit and all became bloodthirsty spectators. The scene became chaotic, and finally someone started whistling and jeering.

Lu Mingfei's heart was as agitated as if firecrackers had been set off. He felt that strange thing inside his body was about to tear him apart and break out, but he didn't resist it. It was as if greed had become his nature. He might not confess to Chen Wenwen today, but he would never let anyone else trample on his face.

But Zhao Menghua's words suddenly interrupted all the sounds.

“It’s alright, Wenwen. I know there are other people who share the same thoughts. It’s normal. Everyone loves beauty. At weddings, we always say, ‘If anyone objects, you can speak up now.’ I’m an upright person, so of course I’m not afraid of any dissenting voices.” He said gently, like a gentleman.

Then Zhao Menghua turned his gaze to Lu Mingfei. Although his tone was not specific, everyone knew who he was referring to: "If anyone wants to say something, please feel free to do so."

Lu Mingfei inexplicably calmed down.

He blinked slowly, then suddenly realized that all eyes were now on him. It seemed that everyone knew who Zhao Menghua meant by "others," and everyone held their breath, waiting for him, the "bride-stealer," to speak.

Su Xiaoqiang was right! Lu Mingfei finally realized that denial from the parties involved wasn't enough. Everyone in the room thought he was going to say something, that he was going to stand up and fight Zhao Menghua for the girl.

Zhao Menghua's initial goal was not just to confess his feelings; he was determined to drag the guy he hated into the arena—that was his true objective!

Lu Mingfei felt like a lone boat adrift at sea, swept along by violent waves, carried by fate. He realized that nothing he said, or even if he remained silent, would work; whatever he did would lead him into Zhao Menghua's trap—

Even if he stood up now, waved his hands and said, "Don't look at me, I don't object," everyone would just think he was a coward. He didn't dare to confront Zhao Menghua, which would be the complete victory that Zhao Menghua hoped for, a victory gained by stepping on his face.

Lu Mingfei's mindset also changed. Since that day, Lu Mingfei's "moral self" and "desire self" have been constantly arguing with each other. But no matter what he is like, one thing is certain—he will never allow anyone to challenge his authority... He had thought about it long ago. This matter is actually very simple. In the end, no matter what, he will just be determined to say some hurtful things and erase his conscience of "not wanting Chen Wenwen to be hurt". But he is not a cunning character. He underestimated Zhao Menghua. He was tricked.

He admitted he made a mistake... but what's next? Is he going to fall into Zhao Menghua's trap and become the one who's going to steal the bride?

Lu Mingfei is now in a dilemma.

Chapter 39 What if she told you she liked you every morning?

Every pair of eyes was fixed on Lu Mingfei, making him uneasy and irritable. He felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown onto an execution platform, about to be dismembered piece by piece. Everyone was an executioner, and everyone was stabbing him from the shadows. He had absolutely no chance to resist.

Lu Mingfei rarely stands in the spotlight, but now he's been put in this position. He means he's really standing in the spotlight—an old man with a cigarette in his mouth pushes the lamp stand in his direction, and a pure white halo surrounds him, making his eyes dazzled.

Are Zhonghua cigarettes really that good, sir? Why are you so interested? If I give you two packs of Liqun cigarettes, can you move your gaze away?

Lu Mingfei complained indignantly, but he had to focus on his current predicament more... The problem had been there all along, and if he had a solution, he would have done it already.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a solution that satisfied both sides.

Actually, Su Xiaoqiang's suggestion was the most effective. He should have turned around and left right now. In this situation, not responding was the best course of action...

But that would be embarrassing.

Lu Mingfei is much braver now, so he can bravely admit that he just doesn't want to lose face. He doesn't want to become a laughing stock, doesn't want Zhao Menghua to succeed, and doesn't want to leave a laughing stock in the history of Shilan Middle School. Whenever someone wants to confess their feelings, they might be dragged out and used as a joke.

He doesn't want to leave, and he won't leave.

He didn't want his authority challenged, even though he hadn't built any authority in his previous eighteen years of life. This was an instinct from the depths of his soul, an instinct that was roaring in his ears and seizing control over his will.

Lu Mingfei had no desire to "escape".

It was as if a gleaming sword hung over his head, constantly urging him not to run away at any time—not today, not tomorrow, not next month—but if he chose to run away, he would one day regret it for the rest of his life.

He dared not gamble that any time he ran away would make him regret it, so he never dared to run away.

Lu Mingfei remained silent for a long time without uttering a word, which made Zhao Menghua seem to have finally regained his usual domineering manner of kicking the loser like a real dog. He smiled gently, like a prince standing in a church or in front of a pastor, still able to remain calm and composed in the face of an overconfident bride-stealer.

"Say something, shall we? Everyone's waiting," Zhao Menghua said, turning towards them.

This is a gentle invitation, this is a vicious attack. The vengeful fellow will stop pretending and turn his attention to his enemy. This is the signal to start a gladiatorial contest.

The quiet gazes gradually turned into whispers, then into a cacophony of noise, all aimed at Lu Mingfei. Everyone was pressuring him to say something, everyone felt he should say something, but everyone had already made their judgment on Lu Mingfei; in reality, there was mostly mockery now.

The crowd cheered and shouted for Lu Mingfei to at least stand up. Then, as if an invisible hand was supporting him, he slowly got off his seat.

People started calling for other content, their bloodthirsty mentality fueled by a desire to see rivers of blood for entertainment.

Lu Mingfei's head was throbbing from the noise; he wanted everything to stop.

"What else can we do? Kill them!"

The little boy's voice echoed softly from the empty space beside Lu Mingfei, and then only that voice remained. The entire place suddenly became extremely quiet, and the light stopped shining on anyone else, only on Lu Mingfei and the people around him.

This is Lu Mingfei's dear younger brother. He always appears and disappears so mysteriously, as if Lu Mingfei were a mental patient. This is just his imaginary friend; otherwise, physics wouldn't exist.

Lu Mingfei turned his gaze and was startled. Lu Mingze was now wearing a bright red hat, a bright red cloak, and a fake beard that was long and black, making him look like the Great Western King who had come down from the main hall of a temple.

He almost took off from the spot.

"Don't be afraid, brother. Shouldn't we kill all these despicable guys? That's exactly what you were thinking just now. No problem. You're such a fool, so we have to use simple and brutal methods. You're not good at using your brain." Lu Mingze clapped his hands, and everything around him exploded into smoke and disappeared. His clothes transformed into a formal suit, elegant and serious.

“There’s at least a company of men here. You’ll have to lend me a knife first.” Lu Mingfei actually started to consider the feasibility.

"You can ask me to do it for you, I guarantee not a single one will be left alive." Lu Mingze patted his chest and began to promote himself.

He spoke casually, as if he could easily accomplish such a horrifying feat.