Surprise! My online crush turned out to be... - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ever since Shu Yang and his pigeon finished their video chat that day, his pigeon seemed to have vanished. He didn’t reply to messages, and he didn’t answer calls.

Shu Yang lay in bed, staring at the chat screen on his phone, feeling a surge of grief and indignation.

“Is this so real?!”

Just because of Shen·Shuchubby·Yi’s chubby face, was his magical online connection over?

Shu Yang was heartbroken. In this abhorrent society where looks are everything, finding a partner as loyal and interesting as Xu Mengran was truly difficult.

No, why would he compare this pigeon to a partner?

He quickly rolled over on his pillow, trying to get the idea out of his head. Was it anything more than a dangerous and immature thought? This is simply a nagging attempt at a suicidal online romance…

“Shu Yang, hurry up and get up! It’s time to go! Otherwise, you’ll still be last this year, and I’ll be ashamed of you.” Fatty Shen carelessly turned the doorknob and entered without a care in the world.

“What are you doing?” Shu Yang howled, quickly wrapping himself in the blanket. “You saw me naked. Can you take responsibility for that?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Shen Yi leaned against the doorframe, picking his teeth with a toothpick as he glanced at Shu Yang, a lewd and lewd smile on his face. “Okay, you’ve been getting more and more lewd lately. When you and I shared a dorm, we even showered together in our underwear. You can take responsibility for that…”

“Ugh, ugh, get out of here. Even if you were the only man left in the world, I wouldn’t want you.” Shu Yang flung back the blanket. His clothes were clearly still intact. It looked like he had gotten up and then lay back down again.

Shu Yang finished speaking, but before he could even think about it, he heard Fatty Chen scoff. Only then did he realize what nonsense he’d just said.

“Don’t use your filthy mind to think about me. I’m still a straight guy who likes young ladies. Straight as a stick, right, that’s right.”

Shu Yang said as he walked past Fatty Chen and headed out. Before he even took a step, he heard Chen Yi say leisurely beside him, “What’s wrong? Haven’t you been on a video call with your Da Ge lately?”

“…” Shu Yang paused, ignoring Fatty Chen and continued walking. He firmly believed it wasn’t because Da Ge was tired of his interesting soul, but because he was tired of Fatty Chen’s 200-pound body.

Speaking of which, Fatty Chen’s aesthetic seemed quite different from everyone else’s.

A year ago, Fatty Chen wasn’t this fat, just slightly chubby. He didn’t know what had happened when he went crazy, pursuing fatness as beauty, and he went from being an average-looking, handsome guy with clear facial features to what he is now.

Moreover, when others called him fat, he took pride in it, believing it was a compliment. Shu Yang couldn’t understand this every time he thought about it. However, every time Shu Yang kindly tried to persuade him, he’d always be met with a “How can a weakling like you look good?” Then, the two of them would engage in a daily, mutually hurtful exchange.

As time passed, Shu Yang stopped trying. After all, everyone has their own opinions. As long as Fatty Chen wasn’t ill, it was fine.

So, as a good friend, Shu Yang would take Fatty Chen for a checkup every year. If anything was amiss, he’d definitely pressure the fat guy to lose weight.

Shu Yang glanced at Chen Yi, then silently walked past him, leaving Chen Yi standing there, bewildered.

But after him, Chen Yi quickly emerged. “The competition is today. You practiced well the past two days, but if you perform normally, you’ll definitely be second to last this year.”

Shu Yang, sipping his porridge, nearly choked on this. He swallowed and squinted at Chen Yi. “Thank you so much for your kind words.”

“We’re brothers, it’s only natural.”

I really wanted to beat this pig to death.

No matter how much he secretly complained, they were still just fake brothers on the surface. Shu Yang straightened his expression and repeated what he’d said three times in three years: “No matter what, safety is most important, the competition comes second.”

“I know, don’t worry, Comrade Shu,” Chen Yi mumbled, slurping his porridge. But the words stung Shu Yang’s heart all over again.

You’re the comrade…

Even before he even left the house, Shu Yang felt his heart shattered. The thought of going to H City for the competition and meeting people there—familiar, unfamiliar, or even unpleasant—made him too lazy to move.

“Chen Yi, if I tell them right now that I have something urgent to deal with, what are the chances they’ll believe me?”

“0.1 percent. Not only will they not believe you, they’ll even laugh at you for running away.” Fatty Shen spoke frankly. He didn’t really enjoy these kinds of activities, but some socializing was necessary because he didn’t want to give way to his stepmother and his “brother” in the future.

He wouldn’t let go of anything that was his.

As they say, “birds of a feather flock together.” Shu Yang and Shen Yi share similar personalities. They might seem unapproachable or difficult to get along with, but once they’re in their circle, they’ll crack any joke, treat you like a brother, and let you speak up no matter what. But if they don’t, who are you sorry for? They won’t give in even a little, and they’re fiercely protective of their own shortcomings.

So, to outsiders, Shu Yang might seem strange hanging out with them, but only they know. Despite his seemingly unmatched style, Shu Yang is still a similar person, even more cheeky than them. “Alright, alright, let’s go.” Shu Yang stood up first, the chair behind him scraping against the ground with a sound.

…

By the time they reached the outskirts of H City, many people were already waiting.

Lush trees covered a wide highway. On the roadside stood a large, factory-like building, filled with luxury cars and sports cars.

Some of the people coming and going were dressed lavishly, others in unusual attire. Many scantily clad women were flirting with these playboys. The scene looked chaotic.

Shu Yang frowned at the sight. Some people simply didn’t share his values, yet he still had to go to the trouble of maintaining social connections. Why did he have to put himself through this?

He really had to put himself through this. Kids like them understood the importance of networking better than anyone else.

“Another grand event.” Shu Yang smiled and looked at Chen Yi.

Chen Yi understood the unspoken words from his smile and eyes, and simply smiled. He was more comfortable with such occasions than Shu Yang. He had attended countless banquets with his father and had seen far more than a young boy like Shu Yang.

“You’ll get used to it, brother.” Chen Yi turned the steering wheel and drove towards the factory.

As they exited the car, they saw Tao Zi and a few acquaintances approaching.

“Shu Yang, here.” Tao Zi tossed over a pair of keys as she walked.

Shu Yang quickly caught them. A small, shield-shaped car key—the one he would need soon.

“Can’t you just come over and hand it over? You have to act so pretentious.” Fatty Shen curled his lips, disdainful of Tao Zi’s behavior.

Before he could finish his words, Tao Zi took two or three steps forward and locked his neck with her elbow.

“Call me daddy, or I won’t let you go.” Tao Zi whistled, clearly in a relaxed and cheerful mood. Of the group, he was the most obsessed with this project. With the results about to be inspected, he felt confident.

Shu Yang didn’t have time to bother with their bickering. He clutched his keys and asked Tao Zi, “Where’s the car?”

“It’s parked over there. You’ll see it when you get there,” Tao Zi signaled with her eyes, her arm still locked tightly around Fatty Chen.

“Don’t go! Save your dad… cough.” Fatty Chen said nothing as he watched Shu Yang, completely oblivious to his “dangerous situation,” go off to find his car.

The area surrounding the factory was filled with all sorts of cars. Some had similar brands, but all had been modified or repainted to stand out from the crowd. While not many people actually participated in the competition, many who didn’t were still using it as an excuse to expand their network.

A competition was no longer pure; this was probably why Shu Yang disliked it.

Taozi hadn’t modified his car much. The white sports car had a black stripe running down the middle, with random spots of light scattered throughout the black. The brand explained that this represented astrological signs.

Well, Shu Yang didn’t understand any of that. He only knew that this car was the technologically advanced one among the three amazing cars Taozi had chosen for him. That was enough.

Normally, Shu Yang wouldn’t drive such a flashy car himself. To be more precise, he never drove himself. So, he was inevitably a little nervous at this moment. Even after training for quite a while, he wasn’t expecting any particular ranking. He was just thankful to complete the course safely and smoothly.

“Hello~”

Shu Yang had just gotten into the car, trying to get a feel for it, when he heard a soft female voice from outside the window.

“What’s up?” Shu Yang glanced at the girl outside. She looked very young, dressed in a white dress, and looked like someone from a completely different world than the sexy car models passing by.

“Um, do you have a female companion?” the girl asked quietly, as if afraid of being rejected.

“No, but I don’t need one,” Shu Yang said calmly.

“Oh, okay.” The girl looked disappointed. She had been brought here by accident. She only knew one person here, but that person had disappeared.

She had thought that since this boy looked friendly and was about her age, he’d be easy to talk to, but she was still rejected. She just wanted someone to be with, so it wouldn’t seem so strange.

“Wait a minute,” Shu Yang called out again, watching the girl walk away.

He often complained about not having any girls, but here was one ready? Had he lost his mind? His first reaction was to refuse. Shu Yang was about to ask her to stay when he heard his phone, which hadn’t rung in a while, start to ring.

“What’s wrong?” the girl turned around, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Shu Yang glanced at his phone and, before answering, said to the girl, “It’s okay.”

Then he placed the phone in front of him, smoothed his hair, and quickly answered the phone, fearing the other party would hang up.

“Who are you, Da Ge?”

Francis on the screen didn’t understand Shu Yang’s meaning for a moment. He saw the young man in the car resting his arm on the scissor door of his beloved car, tilting his head and saying slowly,

“Long time no see. I almost forgot you existed.”