Chapter 6: If I Go Bald, Will You Still Love Me? (6)

Perhaps spurred by Bai Yao, Bu Zhongyao held a gathering of considerable scale; nearly every notable student in the school was present. The girls in attendance were all dressed to the nines, unwilling to let themselves be outshone in beauty by anyone else on such an occasion. Yet no matter how meticulously they adorned themselves, the moment Bai Yao appeared, she outshone them all.

Today, Bai Yao wore a blush pink mermaid dress with delicate straps. Her long, slightly wavy black hair cascaded freely, adorned only by a single silver hairpin encrusted with rhinestones by her ear. Each step she took in her white heels sent gentle ripples through her dress, as if stirring waves in the hearts of all who looked upon her.

This girl was breathtakingly beautiful, so exquisitely perfect that she seemed not merely to represent the name Bai Yao, but to embody the gilded dream of the entire academy. To win her would be to seize boundless glory.

There was no shortage of wealthy, attractive young men in this academy, yet the boy standing by Bai Yao’s side was remarkably ordinary. Shen Ji wore a black suit Bai Yao had selected for him, which accentuated his lean, tall figure, making his broad shoulders and slender waist all the more apparent. In terms of stature, he matched Bai Yao well, and his handsome features and sunny disposition added to his appeal. But in a school brimming with good-looking boys and girls, many surpassed him in looks; thus, he failed to stand out.

More importantly, not long ago, Shen Ji was known only as someone to be bullied. Yet, overnight, he had become Bai Yao’s boyfriend. How could others accept this?

Strictly speaking, students were not allowed to drink, but certain rules simply did not apply within the insular confines of this school. Amidst the neon lights and flowing wine, the sounds of flattery mingled with music, creating a scene both lively and clamorous.

Shen Ji, feeling a bit drowsy, whispered, “Yao Yao, when can we eat?” He had not planned on attending, but an unknown girl in his class mentioned there would be plenty of delicious food, which was reason enough for him to come.

Bai Yao first greeted Lu Xiaoran, who was wandering about, then picked up a small cake from a nearby table and placed it in Shen Ji’s hand. “Eat this first.”

Whenever students held a party, the kitchen staff, having received some benefits, would prepare tasty food. Anyone qualified to be a cook at this school was hardly lacking in culinary skill, and the quality of the food depended on the generosity of the “benefits” they received.

Bai Yao glanced over the spread of food; all looked exquisite. Clearly, Bu Zhongyao had spared no expense.

Shen Ji accepted the small cake, but instead of eating it right away, he plucked the strawberry from the top and offered it to Bai Yao’s lips. Only after she ate it did he scoop a large bite of cream cake into his own mouth.

“Yao Yao, you’re finally here!” Bu Zhongyao, dressed in a beautiful princess dress—coincidentally also pink—beamed at Bai Yao as she linked arms with her boyfriend. “We’ve been waiting for you. Yue Shuo thought you weren’t coming, but I knew you would.”

The tall, striking boy beside Bu Zhongyao was Gu Yue Shuo. He looked the part of a gentleman but was rumored to be quite the playboy in private—second only to one on the school’s heartthrob list, with considerable popularity.

Gu Yue Shuo grinned as he extended his hand to Bai Yao. “Bai Yao, it feels like ages since we last met.”

Shen Ji glanced at Gu Yue Shuo’s outstretched hand.

The next moment, a girl bumped clumsily into them, prompting Gu Yue Shuo to instinctively retract his hand and steady her.

The girl was Lu Zhizhi, who apologized shyly, “Sorry, I lost my balance. I didn’t mean to!”

Lu Zhizhi smelled faintly of alcohol—clearly, as the party’s “star,” she had not escaped the attention of others. Gu Yue Shuo, ever patient with girls, found Lu Zhizhi especially unique. Amidst the crowd of girls vying for attention, she resembled a pure little cabbage—rare and therefore special.

Gu Yue Shuo disentangled his arm from his girlfriend’s, gently steadying Lu Zhizhi as if worried she might fall, and said warmly, “It’s nothing, don’t worry. Rather than you accidentally bumping into me, I’d much rather not see such a lovely lady take a tumble.”

Lu Zhizhi had never been treated this way by a boy before and blushed faintly.

As for Bu Zhongyao, the legitimate girlfriend, she didn’t mind at all. After all, when Gu Yue Shuo flirted with other girls, she was busy sneaking looks at the handsome boy standing apart from the crowd.

That boy, cold and aloof with striking features and a silent, distant air, was like a flower high on a mountain—Xuan Yuan Mo, the top-ranked heartthrob at the school. Even his impressive name hinted at his extraordinary quality.

Indeed, Bai Yao suspected that Xuan Yuan Mo was the protagonist of this world.

Bai Yao stared at Xuan Yuan Mo for a couple of seconds before a hand suddenly turned her face away, bringing the boy’s face close before her eyes.

Shen Ji bent down, nearly brushing his face against hers, completely occupying her field of vision. He blinked innocently and said, “Yao Yao, look at me.”

Bu Zhongyao, who had also been gazing at the handsome boy, came back to herself and shot Bai Yao a knowing smile—the meaning was clear.

See, for all her usual aloofness, Bai Yao was no different from her, equally fickle.

Lu Zhizhi, however, seemed uncomfortable in this setting. The new classmates were simply too enthusiastic for her, and she struggled to cope, looking to Gu Yue Shuo for help whenever she felt overwhelmed.

Gu Yue Shuo, overflowing with protective instinct, shielded Lu Zhizhi from much of the mischief directed her way.

Bu Zhongyao gritted her teeth in frustration. Gu Yue Shuo really didn’t know where his priorities lay—his attention should have been on Bai Yao, yet he was wasting time on Lu Zhizhi.

To regain control of the gathering, Bu Zhongyao suggested a game—no truth-telling, only dares. This group of young people loved excitement and eagerly agreed.

Bu Zhongyao produced a box and said with a smile, “Everyone draws a number. Those with matching numbers are paired up, and then each pair draws a dare from another box. Whatever it is, you both have to complete it together.”

Lu Xiaoran asked, “What if you fail?”

Bu Zhongyao replied mysteriously, “Then you get punished—both of you have to spend the night locked in the little black room.”

If it was two boys or two girls, that would be fine, but if it was a boy and a girl, spending a night alone in a dark room—who could say what might happen?