Being "Crushed" - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“If you don’t understand a question, don’t come to me—I’m not your tutor…”

Song Yuhan was chatting animatedly with Zhou Su when suddenly she received a message from the gossip subject. Her heart skipped a beat; she typed back those few words somewhat guiltily, then turned back to continue her conversation with Zhou Su.

After all, since enrolling, she only had a handful of friends on her list for various reasons. Besides, she had just met Lu Sifang and was in a different class. They only had a little interaction recently, and she hadn’t yet decided whether to exchange contacts with him…

What if he turned out to be a big trouble?

Meanwhile, Lu Sifang had just finished training and immediately checked his phone.

The moment he saw the reply, the hopeful light in his eyes dimmed considerably. He stared unblinking at the rejection message, scratching his head as he pondered for a long time, utterly confused.

The Mimosa thing didn’t work, the partner request didn’t work—didn’t they agree to team up? So why reject his friend request?

“…”

Suddenly, a mischievous “watermelon-head” beside him chuckled eerily in the quiet snowy night:

“Hehe~~~ Brother Fang!”

The deep-in-thought Lu Sifang was startled. Seeing it was Zhou Shangqing, the annoying watermelon-head, he fought the urge to hit him and took a deep breath.

“What’s with the surprise?”

Not offended by the shout, Zhou Shangqing grinned mysteriously, slowly extending a finger:

“Who could be the divine presence that makes the Yunsheng ‘Little Tyrant’ pine day and night? The truth can only be one! That is—”

“Slap!” Accompanied by a yelp, Zhou Shangqing was smacked on the back of his head by the embarrassed Lu Sifang.

“It’s you, watermelon head. If you keep talking nonsense, I swear I’ll send all your drawer’s love letters out!”

After the fierce words, Lu Sifang didn’t linger, hands in pockets, he took a short run-up and then stylishly rode off on his skateboard… leaving Zhou Shangqing puffing hard, chasing after his chubby self.

“Hey, Brother Fang, wait for me~! You said no running!”

“You said we had to prove everyone who called you fat wrong!”

“…Ah! I’ll fight you!!!”

With a shout, all the passersby saw a fiery-eyed chubby watermelon-head chasing a skateboarding boy at full speed. If they didn’t know better, they’d think it was a debt collection chase.

They stopped in front of a roadside stall. The stall mainly sold milk and drinks, both hot and cold. The owner was a plump, kindly old lady who looked very pleased to see them.

“You’re here, young man? Still want cocoa?”

Lu Sifang smiled and raised his eyebrows, “That’s right, you have a good memory.”

The old lady laughed as if used to his praise, no need for formalities, and immediately began skillfully making hot cocoa.

By the time Zhou Shangqing arrived, gasping, Lu Sifang was already sitting on a bench, leisurely sipping the fragrant hot cocoa.

Zhou Shangqing swallowed hard, looking around, spotting only one cup, he pitifully asked, “Brother Fang, what about mine?”

“What are you thinking? No share for you until you lose 20 jin.” (About 10 kilograms)

Hearing that, Zhou Shangqing instantly wilted, as if losing all strength, slumping over the table, pounding his chest and lamenting, “Too much, way too much! You can’t bully me just because I found out your little secret, Brother Fang!”

Lu Sifang snorted, indifferent: “You know what you know.” Yet, his eyes never left his phone, clearly a mix of disappointment and anticipation.

Hearing this, Zhou Shangqing perked up. He sprang from the table, eyes bright and sharp, staring at the distracted Lu Sifang with an expression that said, “I know everything,” and said:

“You underestimate me, bro. I’ve been a player for years. For a naive little boy like you—”

“Slap!”

Another loud smack.

Zhou Shangqing quickly corrected himself: “A passionate and handsome young man!! Usually, when you see someone glued to their phone like this, there’s only one reason—”

He glanced sneakily at Lu Sifang’s face. Seeing no objection, he dared to continue: “That is—love but not &*,” the last two words said rapidly with obvious survival instinct.

“What nonsense.” Lu Sifang didn’t catch the last words but knew it wasn’t good. He snorted coldly and said, “Player for years, you mean… confessing to girls since elementary school and getting rejected all the way to sophomore year?”

Zhou Shangqing’s hair fluffed up in frustration, whining, “Didn’t we agree not to mention that? Besides, being rejected so many times but still standing strong—that’s a kind of player too!” His voice softened, mumbling, “Not everyone’s a handsome guy like you who can just stand there and get tons of fans…”

“Enough with the self-pity. If you like someone, just go for it. There’s nothing shameful about that.” Lu Sifang was only annoyed at Zhou Shangqing’s pretentious attitude, but unintentionally comforting him.

Understanding the tone was meant to encourage, Zhou Shangqing quickly adjusted, “As expected of Brother Fang. You figured out the key yourself.” Then he immediately changed his expression, pretending to be a kind spiritual mentor, repeating Lu Sifang’s words:

“If you like someone, work hard to get them. There’s nothing shameful about it. This applies to everyone~ Besides, someone like you—if you just lower your stance a bit and show sincerity, you shouldn’t even struggle to get a single friend request…”

Rarely did Lu Sifang fall silent. He glanced again at the unanswered message on his phone, then drank his hot cocoa down to the last drop.

Even so, if she was scared of him or didn’t like him… then his insistence on getting close would only be a disturbance.

Thinking this, he once again typed a self-introduction message carefully and sincerely. After checking it over, he nervously pressed send and closed his eyes, leaving it to fate.

On the other side, Song Yuhan was still listening to Zhou Su vividly telling gossip and rumors about Lu Sifang.

“Don’t you know? This ‘Little Tyrant’ is said to be extremely rebellious and wild. Even the most notorious delinquents fear him. His influence is growing, with lots of followers running around! But his grades are surprisingly good, and he’s excellent in sports… They say he won multiple major competition medals and might get a direct admission to a prestigious school, so the school turns a blind eye.”

Song Yuhan was dumbfounded, “Ah? Is he really that scary… Could there be some hidden story?”

Zhou Su replied, “Who knows? Everyone says so, probably true! I really don’t know how a good girl like you ended up tangled with someone like him. It’s dangerous! Unless absolutely necessary, don’t get involved, okay?”

Song Yuhan silently noted this and promised to protect herself, but inside, she felt the rumors sounded a bit exaggerated or off.

Just as she put down her phone, a clear notification sounded. Lu Sifang’s new friend request appeared on her list:

“Song Yuhan, can you give me a chance? I really want to get to know you. — Lu Sifang.”

What? Suddenly so serious? It’s like he’s a different person.

She blinked slowly, but for some reason, a strange ripple stirred inside her.

…Better accept it. After all, they’re partners.

As for those rumors… she remained skeptical. Since she was quite different from the rumors about herself, she preferred to learn about a person firsthand—only her own genuine feelings wouldn’t lie.

After accepting the request, they didn’t chat further. Seeing this, Song Yuhan breathed a silent sigh of relief and set the phone aside, ignoring it.

Meanwhile, Lu Sifang, having received the acceptance, was overjoyed, making a victorious gesture in secret, his delighted smile impossible to hide. But when he glanced at Zhou Shangqing’s “still teachable” expression, he immediately returned to his usual cool and aloof demeanor.

“Cough, let’s go.”

Zhou Shangqing’s smile faltered, voice cracking: “Wait, why run now…? Is this losing weight or risking your life?!”

Halfway running, Lu Sifang, who had been leading at a moderate pace, suddenly stopped, eyes cold as he stared at a group of threatening delinquent boys ahead.

“Brother Fang, why stop?” Zhou Shangqing panted, confused.

“Turn around, don’t come any closer.” Lu Sifang turned his head and replied, then kicked his skateboard sharply. In less than a second, it slid smoothly to Zhou Shangqing’s feet.

“Oh oh!!” Zhou Shangqing wasn’t dumb; this wasn’t his first time in such a situation. He immediately jumped on the board and sped off…

After many lessons learned, he deeply understood himself! Now wasn’t the time to be loyal—it wouldn’t help and would only become a burden while Brother Fang fought alone. Better to escape and get backup…

“Hmph, that kid runs fast.” The leader, a blond youth with an evil grin, looked at Lu Sifang viciously.

“Lu Sifang, it’s time we settle the score.”

After speaking, the blond leader tilted his head, and his colorful gang surged forward threateningly.

Seeing this, Lu Sifang started arranging his belongings one by one. He took his phone from his pocket and placed it on a nearby stone step. His finger accidentally triggered the fingerprint unlock…

Because the last time he turned off the screen, the phone was still on the chat screen with Song Yuhan, he inadvertently pressed the call button.

This startled Song Yuhan, who was deeply focused on her homework. After hesitating several times, she finally answered.

Lu Sifang, unaware, calmly said to the approaching gang:

“Hey, isn’t this about when I stopped you from collecting protection fees at enrollment, accidentally kicked you so you flew, and you’ve come after me six times since?”

This made the blond leader even more furious. He shouted angrily:

“If it weren’t for you, I’d be so glorious! Why am I mocked until now? And how would you have gained the ‘Yunsheng Little Tyrant’ reputation? Don’t act all innocent now! Today, I want to see if you’re always this lucky!”

Facing the encirclement, Lu Sifang wasn’t afraid.

But tomorrow was the first official day for him and Song Yuhan to team up. He was already annoyed that those rumors might have reached her ears. If he got injured tonight, how could he explain it tomorrow without being mistaken for a delinquent?

Thinking this, he grew restless, clenched his teeth, and impatiently said three words:

“Don’t slap.”

Blond leader: “…Why didn’t you say that before?”

Lu Sifang: “Because before, it didn’t matter.”

“Yo~ Trying to act cool now? Guys, get him! Slap him!”

At his command, a group of colorful-haired followers rushed in, but Lu Sifang agilely dodged their hits.

At that moment, his phone suddenly shut down due to battery running out, ending the call abruptly.

Song Yuhan, silently listening: “…”

Hmm, she felt like she’d just learned something pretty serious?