Dazzling

Qing Ye stared at Ye Yingjian in astonishment, completely baffled as to how a simple conversation could reduce this guy to tears before the dance had even started.

Feeling extremely awkward, she walked over to him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "What are you crying for? Just study harder for the next exam. I can't believe you."

Xing Wu turned his head and happened to see Ye Yingjian covering his face while Qing Ye wore a motherly smile and actually reached out to touch him? His narrow eyes instantly darkened.

Just then, Qing Ye suddenly sensed an unfriendly gaze coming from her left. She instinctively turned and met the eyes of that short-haired girl who had repeatedly picked on her during the day.

If Qing Ye had been completely puzzled earlier about why this girl she didn't even know kept targeting her without any reason, everything became clear when she saw the girl's expression now. It seemed the girl had started harassing her right after Ye Yingjian actively sought Qing Ye out at noon. After a moment's thought, Qing Ye figured it out - this girl had a crush on Ye Yingjian.

With an amused expression, Qing Ye withdrew her gaze and leaned closer to Ye Yingjian. "Someone's watching you. Aren't you embarrassed? Smile for me."

Ye Yingjian also realized that as someone blessed with extraordinary talents, he shouldn't behave like a coward. So he cleared his throat seriously, pulled up the corners of his mouth, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Qing Ye glanced sideways and sure enough, the short-haired girl looked absolutely livid seeing Ye Yingjian smile at Qing Ye, confirming Qing Ye's speculation.

The music started. Boys and girls placed hands together, changed positions, and spun in circles - all very simple repetitive movements. By the time they switched to the second partner, everyone had basically mastered the steps. Qing Ye looked expressionlessly at the boy who had just switched to face her. Recognizing him as from her school, she casually asked, "Which class are you in?"

The boy responded eagerly, "Don't you remember me? I'm Li Jintao from Class One next door. We see each other every day."

"..." Qing Ye began to deeply doubt herself. Every day? Why didn't she have any impression of him at all? Had she become so focused on Xing Wu that she automatically ignored everyone else?

She gave a dry laugh and said something that couldn't possibly be wrong: "Oh... it's you."

Seeing that Qing Ye remembered him, Li Jintao suddenly grinned widely. When it came time to place hands together, he was too shy to actually touch Qing Ye's hand, thinking he'd gather courage to do so in the next round. But there was no next round because they started switching positions again.

This group dance really tested everyone's looks. Basically, all the boys were eagerly watching the pretty girls, wishing their turn would come faster.

The third partner turned out to be Pang Hu. Pang Hu grinned foolishly at Qing Ye: "N-never thought I-I could dance with you. Wh-when I tell Huang Mao, he'll be s-so jealous."

Qing Ye raised her hand to meet Pang Hu's plump palm and said in surprise, "Damn, one of your fingers is as thick as two of mine. How did you even manage to get your fingers so fat?"

"..."

Pang Hu withdrew his hand and compared it with hers again. Instead of dancing, the two of them ended up comparing hands.

Qing Ye suddenly remembered his singing and said to him, "Your singing was amazing earlier. I never expected you could sing 'Nessun Dorma' like that. Did you study it?"Pang Hu said sheepishly, "N-no, never learned it. I just... saw a foreign talent show on B-site last time, s-someone sang this song, so I learned it myself. A-actually, I don't even know what the lyrics mean."

"..."

"Fan Tong, your voice is really suited for opera singing."

It was time to switch dance partners again. Pang Hu actually wanted to chat more with Qing Ye about opera, but he had to step aside.

After cycling through four more people, Xing Wu finally moved to Qing Ye's right side. They exchanged a silent gaze, their eyes holding a fiery intensity only they could understand.

It was then Qing Ye noticed - any girl dancing with Xing Wu must have had the worst luck imaginable. This was a dance requiring palm-to-palm contact, yet this young master kept both hands in his pockets throughout. When it was time to change positions, he'd amble across like he was taking a stroll, completely devoid of rhythm, making all his dance partners extremely awkward. Suppressing her laughter, Qing Ye actually coordinated quite well with this young fellow Jin Zhong.

Finally, it was time to switch positions again. Xing Wu sauntered slowly before her. Qing Ye had intended to tease him about whether dancing with the school beauty felt amazing, but when he actually stood before her - with that familiar curve of his lips and those slightly raised eyebrows - she couldn't help wanting to laugh again.

As the new round began, Xing Wu finally extracted his precious hands from his pockets. In this dance, when men and women approached each other, they weren't supposed to touch - just brush past each other with palm-to-palm contact during position changes. Yet when Qing Ye raised her hand to meet his palm, he suddenly grasped her hand firmly and said in a low voice, "Having quite the enjoyable time laughing and chatting with others, huh?"

Qing Ye suppressed the smile at the corners of her lips: "Aren't you enjoying yourself? With the school beauty."

As they exchanged positions, Qing Ye prepared to break free from his grasp and return to her original spot. Unexpectedly, Xing Wu suddenly pulled her, directly drawing her before him, looking down at her with a commanding gaze: "Enjoy my ass, spinning around like idiots."

The second set of movements began. Everyone started cycling through the routine again, only the two of them remained standing still. Qing Ye glanced sideways at the surprised looks from people around them before looking back at him: "We need to switch partners."

The corner of Xing Wu's mouth lifted as he directly pulled Qing Ye out of the crowd. Behind them, a new round of partner switching began again. Xing Wu's voice was low and captivating: "Still want to switch? You won't get that chance."

The firelight danced across his face, making his features alternate between light and shadow. Billions of stars seemed to have gathered in his eyes, transforming into fragmented streams of light continuously sinking deeper, utterly mesmerizing. Qing Ye's heart seemed to skip a beat at that moment. Between heaven and earth, there was only her and him.

She smiled at him: "Then what do you want to do?"

"You lost," he stared straight at her.

Qing Ye avoided his burning gaze, lowering her head with a smile: "And then?"

Xing Wu directly took her hand and strode away. Behind them were the blazing firelight, the boisterous atmosphere, and the passionate music. Just like that, they slipped away unnoticed. Initially walking quickly, they unconsciously broke into a run, as if eager to escape that ridiculous spinning routine, running faster and faster.Jin Zhong was vast, shrouded in night like an unknown maze. It was Qing Ye's first time here, and after just a short run following Xing Wu, she was already disoriented. As they rounded the teaching building, a security guard suddenly appeared ahead. Xing Wu swiftly pulled Qing Ye into a dark corridor, and the two began running frantically as if fleeing for their lives—though neither knew why they were running. Yet there was an inexplicable thrill to it.

Emerging from the other end of the corridor, they reached a small grove in the southeast corner. Without a word, they plunged into it, running deep into the woods until they were bent over, panting heavily face to face. Seeing each other's disheveled state, they realized their behavior was no better than idiots running in circles. Suddenly, as if tickled, they burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Qing Ye punched his arm lightly. "Why were you running?"

Xing Wu, hands on his hips, grinned. "No idea."

They laughed at each other for a while longer, but then the jangling of keys froze them instantly. The security guard had actually followed them through the corridor with a flashlight, heading to lock the back gate and the guardhouse.

Xing Wu signaled Qing Ye to stay quiet and led her stealthily behind the innermost large tree in the grove. Though they had nothing to feel guilty about, being questioned by a guard late at night would still be a hassle.

The tree was surrounded by tangled vegetation, perfectly concealing them. To be safe, Qing Ye pressed herself against the trunk for cover, but Xing Wu kept peeking out. She yanked him back, and he instinctively raised a hand to brace himself against her.

Dappled moonlight filtered through the withered leaves, catching in Qing Ye's pupils with a captivating gleam. She gazed at him, her sweet breath brushing against his, tickling his senses. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips, his eyes crinkling with amusement as he watched her.

Their bodies were so close they could clearly feel each other's heartbeats. In the hazy moonlight, his handsome outline and roguish smile suddenly made Qing Ye flustered.

She lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering nervously, and whispered, "Why... did you bring me here? What do you want?"

The smile on Xing Wu's lips deepened. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and curled his lips in a teasing, ambiguous look. "You said you'd accept the consequences of losing the bet. Don't tell me you can't handle it?"

Qing Ye felt her heart rate skyrocket. Behind her, the jangling keys drew nearer; in front of her, Xing Wu's intense gaze was inescapable. Her eyes trembled as she stared at him, overwhelmed by a wave of panic she'd never felt before. Finally, her voice shaking, she asked, "Now? Here... in this place?"

Her long lashes seemed misted over, delicate and clear, yet so fragile she looked ready to faint at any moment. When Xing Wu leaned into her, she shuddered violently. His lips brushed her ear, trailing scorching kisses from her earlobe to the shell of her ear, his voice unbearably seductive: "Are you willing?"Qing Ye felt this was no longer a matter of willingness—the situation had already exceeded her tolerance threshold. With a tearful expression, under the sound of keys jingling behind her and Xing Wu's enticing aura, she admitted her legs had gone weak. Her mind went completely blank; for a few seconds, she felt as if she were floating, overwhelmed by surreal sensations.

As the jingling of keys faded into the distance, Xing Wu leisurely straightened up. Qing Ye's face was flushed crimson, the heat spreading from her ears down to her neck. The air was thick with ambiguous tension. She hastily glanced up at Xing Wu and was startled to find him smiling—an utterly innocent-looking grin.

Suddenly realizing he had deliberately scared her, Qing Ye lifted her leg and kicked him. Unexpectedly, Xing Wu seized her leg and hooked it around his waist, pressing her against the tree trunk again as he said lazily, "Still causing trouble? Aren't you afraid I might get serious?"

The position made Qing Ye's mind short-circuit. Instantly transforming into a timid lamb, she lowered her head and froze.

Seeing her delicate, blushing state, Xing Wu released her and stopped teasing. He quickly changed the subject, murmuring to her, "Didn't you say last time you suspected Jin Zhong leaked questions for the David Cup?"

Still bewildered by the sudden topic shift, Qing Ye nodded.

"A few days ago, I hacked into Jin Zhong's server and altered the question bank."

"What?" Qing Ye immediately covered her mouth, glanced around, and stared at him in disbelief. "Really? How did you hack in?"

Xing Wu took a step back, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned against the wall behind him. His expression was indifferent as he replied, "I hacked it once the year before last. Checked a few days ago—their system hasn't been updated, and the vulnerabilities are still there. So I hacked it again."

"Wait, how old were you the year before last? A freshman? Why would you hack Jin Zhong's server?"

Xing Wu glanced at her and took a drag from his cigarette. "Some kid from Jin Zhong was spreading rumors that my nose was surgically enhanced."

"???" Qing Ye looked at his tall, straight nose bridge and couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"So you hacked their school server? I thought you'd beat him up."

Xing Wu raised his brows lazily and explained that he had originally planned to beat the kid up. He and his friends had even headed out, but they turned back because of the sandstorm irritating their eyes. That night, bored, Xing Wu tinkered around and found the kid's forum ID and password. He then used the account to post a thread titled "The Principal Through My Eyes." The next day, the kid was summoned by the principal and even had his parents called in. To this day, the guy had no idea how that post happened.

Qing Ye laughed while looking at Xing Wu, never imagining he could pull off such a devious trick. Then a thought occurred to her: "So that's why you brought your computer?"

Under the bright moonlight, she saw an elusive smile flicker across Xing Wu's lips. He replied casually, "It's useful."

Qing Ye didn't press further but immediately thought of another question: "If there really was a leak, it wouldn't be to many people. I think at most, it would ensure one person wins the championship. The others probably wouldn't know."

Xing Wu flicked his cigarette ash and remarked offhandedly, "Could it be the local rich family's foolish son?"Qing Ye pondered briefly: "It probably isn't him. Although Ye Yingjian is eccentric, he has strong self-esteem. He even challenged me openly during the day."

"Oh?" Xing Wu gazed at her meaningfully.

But Qing Ye suddenly asked: "How much did you alter the questions?"

"Not much. Changed a few conditions and numbers. Anyone who merely memorized answers would notice something off."

"So, you've already seen all the competition questions for tomorrow?"

Xing Wu exhaled smoke leisurely with a half-smile: "What good does knowing the question types do me? I can't solve them anyway. Do you want to take a look?"

Qing Ye decisively refused: "No. If I looked, how would I be any different from those who leaked the questions? I want to compete on my own merit."

Xing Wu raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes. Just then, another set of footsteps approached the woods. Alert, Xing Wu stamped out his cigarette and swiftly pressed Qing Ye into the shadows.