If there were no darkness, then light wouldn’t have a splendid cloak; if there were no bad people, what meaning would good people have？ My existence is merely to make good people feel more justified.
——Quotes of Ye Wudao
Having figured it out, Ye Wudao looked relieved and said casually, “Trash like Zheng Yan, I don’t give a damn. Those who don’t bother me, I won’t bother; those who do, I’ll hit back double!” Even though I’m also what you call trash, Ye Wudao murmured in his heart.
Seeing the smile gradually appearing on Ye Wudao’s face, the girl’s pure face actually blushed, and there was a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she stammered, “Thanks a lot for today. How should I thank you？”
‘She could marry me to repay the debt!’ Ye Wudao almost blurted out, but immediately put on a look of lofty righteousness and said： ‘Helping the downtrodden and drawing my sword to aid the weak is a duty every citizen in the martial arts world should fulfill. After all, not helping while watching injustice might even become illegal in the future! Besides, it’s not every lucky dog that gets to run into a beauty in distress! If you really want to thank me, just tell me your beautiful name, and while you’re at it, your home address, phone number, birthday...’ He almost blurted out ‘measurements’ too—close call!
The girl was amused by Ye Wudao’s rambling nonsense. Her previously gloomy mood brightened, and she replied with a hint of a smile： “My name is Shi Ya, a sophomore in high school. I’m your senior！’
“Why would you be going there at this hour？’ Ye Wudao asked with a hint of conspiracy, his face showing concern while hiding calculation and cunning behind it. The icy coldness and indifference in the depths of his eyes formed a huge contrast with his expression. Being saved by me is like escaping from a wolf’s den only to fall into a tiger’s lair—just waiting to be devoured clean by me.
Know why I don’t give a damn about Zheng Yan？ Because he’s a bad guy, and I, Ye Wudao, am an even worse one. Running into me is like a small-time crook meeting a bigger fish！
Actually, the main reason Ye Wudao helped her was because Zheng Yan once declared he’d seduce Ye Wudao’s “forbidden woman,’ Murong Xuehen, within a week. This made Ye Wudao furious, so he seized this chance to settle things with Zheng Yan once and for all. Heh heh, Zheng Yan, you’ve had your time in the sun—now just watch how I ruin you！
“Senior！’ Ye Wudao suddenly hoisted Shi Ya onto his back. She almost screamed. Although she was dating someone, she had never even held hands, let alone had such intimate contact with the opposite sex. For a moment, she was both embarrassed and angry, not knowing what to do, unsure what this junior was trying to do. But what confused even herself was that she wasn’t particularly repulsed by this obviously boundary-crossing move.
"You sprained your ankle, I'll take you to the medical room. If you keep walking, it'll get worse. I really don't know how you managed to run so fast earlier！" Ye Wudao said with a hint of hypocrisy, but who could detect that hypocrisy? After all, Ye Wudao was a true method actor！
Faced with Ye Wudao's domineering tenderness, Shi Ya felt a strange emotion spreading through her heart—a warm feeling, cozy, and even a little sweet. Dating Liu Sichen was purely out of girlish curiosity, just to satisfy the vanity of competing and comparing among girlfriends.
At the medical room, a pretty female medic helped Shi Ya with her treatment. Ye Wudao hovered around eagerly like Shi Ya's boyfriend, making the nurse sister think the two were really a couple. Although the girl was fresh and lovely and the boy was handsome with a charm that verged on wicked, the nurse's intuition told her this boy seemed a few years younger than the girl—which struck her as novel. A May-December romance with the woman older？
Shi Ya took out her cute pink phone to call a classmate. Ye Wudao knew his role as the knight in shining armor was about to end, so he deliberately avoided answering Shi Ya's question about his name, leaving behind a mysterious smile that hinted at unrevealed secrets, and walked away in style.
I gently go, as gently as I came; I wave my sleeves, taking not a single cloud away.
Yet I take away a piece of someone's heart.
This is what they call playing the long game to land a big fish.
After sleeping to his heart's content on the lawn, it was just about lunchtime. Ye Wudao sighed and headed toward the school cafeteria. Mingzhu Academy had three dining halls: the junior high section, the senior high section, and one for faculty. Their food was no less luxurious than a three-star hotel's, but Ye Wudao really couldn't muster any interest—compared to the dishes Murong Xuehen made with her own hands, this was practically garbage. If it weren't for the chance to check out some pretty girls, he'd have slipped out long ago.
The junior high cafeteria had five floors. Ye Wudao liked to go to the top floor. Besides the fact that the food here was the least bad, the most beautiful girls were here, and the easiest money to spend, there was also a female server here who greatly interested him. She was a senior high student, with a voluptuous and alluring figure that always made people's imagination run wild. But inversely proportional to her figure was the icy coldness on her face that made people instinctively back off. Ye Wudao wanted nothing more than to tear off that arrogant veil of hers.
In a corner by the window on the third floor, Wu Nuanyue finished getting Ye Wudao's meal and began to stare blankly at the sky. The worry on her face added to her mature appearance. She was responsible for Ye Wudao's lunch every day, and of course she was the one who paid. It wasn't that Ye Wudao was unwilling to pay; it was just that Wu Nuanyue's daily allowance was several times his. Even though a meal cost at least a hundred yuan, she didn't care at all. Everything she wore was bought from New York's Fifth Avenue — the top shopping destination in the world, with an annual rent of 74,000 yuan per square meter, a real money pit. Even Ye Wudao, who had never been interested in money, wanted to know what her family did for a living.
Today, Ye Wudao's behavior made her heart pound like a deer, at a complete loss. Although she knew about all kinds of his misdeeds, she still didn't feel the slightest bit of disgust. Instead, she was somewhat infatuated with that playboy-like decadence. At all times, she thought only of his bad side. And precisely because she knew the depths of his wickedness, Wu Nuanyue was captivated by the gentleness he inadvertently showed her.
Ye Wudao swaggered over to his seat and began eating the most expensive food in the cafeteria with a clear conscience. Lifting his head, he suddenly noticed that Wu Nuanyue's increasingly attractive little face was staring at him. From those beautiful eyes that still didn't know how to deliberately hide their inner thoughts, Ye Wudao proudly spotted a not-too-thin, not-too-thick layer of affection. This was a good omen. Ye Wudao quietly took her hand. Wu Nuanyue's face instantly flushed red, but she obediently didn't pull away. However, she immediately lowered her head and started eating her food, not knowing what to do.
Somehow the waiter wasn't there today, and Ye Wudao felt a bit disappointed. Just then, several beauties sat across from him, the most stunning among them being his little woman, Murong Xuehen. The little sprite shot him a sly, playful smile, her eyes clearly saying, 'I brought you so many beauties, how are you going to thank me?' Ye Wudao shot back a look that said, 'I'll give myself to you tonight.' Murong Xuehen spat at that, turned her head, and chatted with her friends, but the occasional glance she threw his way told Ye Wudao she was always watching him.
The tacit understanding between the two childhood sweethearts was almost comparable to that of a single person. Sometimes, Murong Xuehen could even predict Ye Wudao's next move using his way of thinking. He and she—the two could no longer lose each other.
Looking at the beauties at Murong Xuehen's table, Ye Wudao thought to himself that birds of a feather really do flock together. Four or five girls—some charmingly seductive, some pure and innocent, some voluptuous, some slim—were all there. Except for Murong Xuehen, who stood out like a lone flower anywhere, the others had looks no less than Wu Nuan Yue; they could all be considered head-turners of their class. So a bunch of guys, including Ye Wudao, stared at them with lecherous eyes. What a feast for the eyes—why bother eating！
Wu Nuan Yue gave a cold snort, shook off his hand, turned her head away, and stabbed at the poor veggies on her plate with her fork. Ye Wudao smiled gently and whispered in her ear, 'After looking around, you're still the prettiest. They say home flowers aren't as fragrant as wild ones, but I think home flowers smell the best.'
These words were full of hidden meaning. First, they gave him a perfect excuse for his earlier lecherous behavior—to prove Wu Nuan Yue's beauty. Second, they flattered Wu Nuan Yue—'home flower' you're more fragrant than all those 'wild flowers'！ Most importantly, it subtly emphasized one thing—you, Wu Nuan Yue, are already a 'home flower,' you belong to me, Ye Wudao！
Sure enough, Wu Nuanyue's face instantly brightened. She pulled an exquisitely wrapped gift box from her light pink handbag and held it out to Ye Wudao with both hands, saying in a cutesy voice, 'This is my first time skipping class—I picked it out just for you！' Perplexed, Ye Wudao opened it to find a Corum 'Meteorite' series watch. He could accept it if a wealthy relative had given it to him, but Wu Nuanyue's gift, worth over a hundred thousand, made him a bit uneasy.
Seeing Ye Wudao hesitate, Wu Nuanyue's expression darkened. She had finally mustered the courage to skip class and buy him a gift—her first time giving someone something, and now she was being rejected. Her first crush on a boy, and it felt so awkward. Tears welled up in her eyes. Just as Ye Wudao moved to take it, she slammed the gift box to the ground, abandoned her bag, and ran off crying.
Ye Wudao cursed himself for being an idiot, picked up the watch and bag, and chased after Wu Nuanyue. So even geniuses make such stupid mistakes—was it because he was afraid of hurting this girl who had always looked after him? When did he become such a good guy? Ye Wudao kept reminding himself that he was a damn villain.
Watching Ye Wudao's receding figure, Murong Xuehen smiled softly—a smile laced with understanding, concern, and a hint of jealousy toward Wu Nuanyue.