The Abused Villain is Always Obsessed with Me - Chapter 23

The cafeteria was as crowded as ever at lunchtime, the cacophony of voices mingling with the aroma of food to assault the senses.

Shen Wenyu sat at the table, listening to his friends’ casual chatter, his ankle still throbbing faintly.

Among the group, he occupied the outermost seat, closest to the aisle.

As he propped his head up and listened to their banter, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure once again.

It was Lu Cang.

The moment he recognized him, the hairs on Shen Wenyu’s body bristled reflexively.

He had indeed mocked Lu Cang condescendingly during their last encounter, assuming Lu Cang was the type to turn the other cheek.

This was the first time his judgment of someone’s character had proven so wrong.

Having learned his lesson, he now kept his distance from Lu Cang, regarding him with wary eyes.

Lu Cang carried his tray, walking straight ahead without glancing sideways. His path would take him right past Shen Wenyu’s aisle.

Whatever. There are too many people around for him to cause any trouble.

I only said a few words to Lu Cang, laced with a hint of malice. Surely he wouldn’t hold a grudge over that, would he?

As Lu Cang approached without so much as a glance in his direction, Shen Wenyu felt his anxiety ease once more. He turned to speak to the person beside him, but a crashing sound erupted in his ear.

Shen Wenyu whipped his head around, but before he could make out what had fallen, a sharp, momentary pain shot through his arm.

“Ah!”

He instinctively cried out, shaking his arm frantically. Only then did he notice the sticky, wet patch on his arm, steaming faintly in the air.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

His patience snapped. He glared furiously at Lu Cang, who stood before him, still holding the tray. Lu Cang lowered his head to examine the overturned bowl of soup on Shen Wenyu’s desk.

“I’m so sorry! I tripped just now.”

Lu Cang set the tray on the table and frantically pulled a tissue from his pocket, reaching out to wipe Shen Wenyu’s arm. But before his hand could touch him, Shen Wenyu slapped it away with a sharp crack.

“Are you blind? First you stepped on my shoelace and made me fall down the stairs, and now you’ve spilled soup on me. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Shen Wenyu’s temper flared instantly. Lu Cang’s actions were clearly deliberate, and he refused to tolerate it any longer. Since there were so many people around, he might as well make a scene and let everyone know!

As soon as he spoke, every gaze in the vicinity snapped toward them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see…” Lu Cang mumbled, his head bowed and fingers nervously twisting in his palm, his voice barely audible and his expression one of awkward discomfort.

“You didn’t see? Or were you pretending not to?” Shen Wenyu pressed, refusing to give him any leeway.

When Lu Cang remained silent, he continued relentlessly, “If this soup hadn’t cooled down slightly after sitting out for a while, would you have burned me badly enough to send me to the hospital?”

“Hey, Wen Yu, Wen Yu, calm down,” a friend beside him tried to intervene, but Shen Wenyu was too consumed by anger to listen, desperate to vent his pent-up frustration.

“I’m sorry, let me check…” Lu Cang lowered his head and leaned closer, but Shen Wenyu instinctively recoiled. “Stay away from me!”

The younger boy moved faster than he expected, closing the distance to his ear in an instant.

“Stay away from you?” The voice at his ear suddenly shifted, losing its earlier submissive tone.

His voice, like a venomous snake, slowly coiled around its prey’s neck, tightening with deliberate mockery.

“You already have so much. Why do you still want to get close to him?”

“Stay away from that person, and I won’t waste any more time on you.”

What? Which person?

Before Shen Wenyu could react, Lu Cang had straightened up and retreated to his original position. Shen Wenyu saw that his eyes still held remorse, as if the words he’d just spoken were a figment of his imagination.

“It’s quite severe. It’s even turning red.”

With that, Lu Cang suddenly reached for the tray on the table and picked up the bowl of soup.

“I’m truly sorry. I don’t know how else to apologize, so I’ll do this.”

He stared intently at Shen Wenyu.

Without waiting for anyone to react, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Lu Cang lifted the steaming bowl of soup and poured it directly onto his own arm.

Almost instantly, a large patch of skin turned crimson, the pale flesh reddening as if scalded. Tiny blisters began to form in several places.

“Hey, what are you doing? Put that down!”

The boy behind Shen Wenyu lunged forward and snatched the bowl from Lu Cang’s hand, hissing at the heat when his fingers brushed the rim.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to apologize to make Wen Yu less angry.”

Lu Cang stood obediently as the male student snatched the bowl from his hand and placed it on the table, his expression tinged with guilt.

Compared to the glaring burn on Lu Cang’s arm, Shen Wenyu’s injury seemed insignificant.

The surrounding crowd clearly shared this sentiment.

“Wow, that looks pretty scary.”

“It was probably an accident. He was carrying a bowl, after all.”

“The way he got burned looks so awful. He must have really had no other choice to do that…”

The murmurs reached Shen Wenyu’s ears, his expression shifting between anger and humiliation.

Lu Cang had outmaneuvered him again.

The truth was that the soup in Lu Cang’s bowl was indeed hotter. Everyone eating in the cafeteria knew that freshly cooked dishes were always hotter than food that had been sitting on the table for a while.

This made it easy for everyone to believe Lu Cang was genuinely apologizing to Shen Wenyu.

Caught off guard by Shen Wenyu’s merciless attitude, Lu Cang chose to endure even greater pain than Shen Wenyu himself to express his apology.

But Shen Wenyu knew perfectly well that Lu Cang’s actions were deliberate. It wasn’t just hot soup; if anything could make Shen Wenyu lose face—even scalding water—Lu Cang would pour it on himself without hesitation.

This madman.

This madman who’s even crueler to himself than to others.

How could a sane person compete with a madman? He stood no chance of winning against Lu Cang.

In a corner hidden from the crowd’s view, Lu Cang stared into Shen Wenyu’s eyes, his gaze dark and menacing, his expression sinister and ruthless.

A barely perceptible curve lifted the corner of his lips—the same chilling, eerie smile he’d worn on the staircase.

Shen Wenyu met his gaze, recalling the words Lu Cang had whispered in his ear earlier. He suddenly realized that Lu Cang’s relentless pursuit wasn’t driven by Shen Wenyu’s taunts and mockery.

Stay away from that person.

There was only one person connected to both Shen Wenyu and Lu Cang.

Brother, are you free right now?

Feng Hechi’s phone vibrated. He picked it up and glanced at the screen—a message from Shen Wenyu.

Why is he texting me at this hour? he wondered. It’s still a while before our agreed-upon time to meet at the bar for the interview.

Yes, I’m free. What’s up?

Today was Saturday, a rare day off for Feng Hechi.

There’s something I want to talk to you about, but it’s not convenient to discuss over the phone. Can I make a reservation somewhere?

The cryptic message piqued Feng Hechi’s curiosity. What could Shen Wenyu possibly need to discuss in person that couldn’t be said over the phone?

Thinking this, Feng Hechi replied with a simple “Okay.” Almost immediately, a location popped up on his screen: a restaurant.

This kid can’t possibly be asking me out to dinner, Feng Hechi thought. If it’s about something serious, a café would be more appropriate.

Standing outside the restaurant, Feng Hechi’s doubts began to fade.

It was a Western-style restaurant with lavish decor. The walls were subtly scented with incense, and elegant jazz music drifted through the air. Most importantly, it was quiet—indeed, a perfect place for a serious conversation.

Feng Hechi stood at the entrance, glancing inside. He saw a figure waving at him from a seat and smiled as he walked over.

“What’s so urgent that we couldn’t just talk on the phone?” Feng Hechi asked with a smile as he sat down opposite Shen Wenyu.

Shen Wenyu’s smile faltered slightly. After a moment’s hesitation, he tightened his grip on his cup.

“Two days ago, I tripped on the stairs while going to submit my assignment. I managed to grab the railing, but I still fractured my ankle.”

Feng Hechi frowned, waiting silently for Shen Wenyu to continue.

Seeing his expression, Shen Wenyu took a deep breath.

“Lu Cang was with me at the time.”

In an instant, Feng Hechi understood what Shen Wenyu was implying. He remained silent, listening calmly as Shen Wenyu continued.

“I know it might sound like I’m tattling, but I genuinely think… Lu Cang has been acting strangely.”

Shen Wenyu briefly recounted the events of that day, focusing on the dirtied shoelace and Lu Cang’s reaction upon returning to the classroom afterward.

“Do you think Lu Cang did it on purpose?” Feng Hechi asked, his eyebrow slightly raised, following up on Shen Wenyu’s words.

“Yes,” Shen Wenyu replied, his gaze fixed on the tea in his cup. “When I fell, his expression… there’s no doubt he was smiling.”

It was the kind of smile that still sent chills down his spine even now.

Feng Hechi remained silent, lifting his teacup to take a sip.

Seeing this, Shen Wenyu assumed he wasn’t entirely convinced. He then showed Feng Hechi his scalded arm, where the burn marks had faded but still left a faint ring.

“After that, during lunch in the cafeteria, he deliberately spilled hot soup on me again. I lost my temper and cursed at him. Then…”

Shen Wenyu swallowed hard, still finding the situation utterly absurd.

“He poured freshly boiled, scalding soup over himself, claiming it was his way of apologizing. I think he’s completely, completely insane. I can’t understand what he’s thinking at all.”

After finishing, Shen Wenyu looked up at Feng Hechi, his expression earnest. “I’m not lying. I genuinely think Lu Cang is very strange. I don’t know what he might do next.”

“Why would he treat you like that?” Feng Hechi suddenly asked, his gaze fixed on Shen Wenyu.

Shen Wenyu choked slightly, Lu Cang’s words from that day echoing in his mind. He hesitated, unsure whether to reveal them.

Feng Hechi and Lu Cang’s relationship wasn’t good. Why would Lu Cang warn him to stay away from Feng Hechi?

Thinking back to the words whispered in his ear that day, Shen Wenyu realized they carried undisguised resentment and jealousy.

Jealousy…?

Shen Wenyu’s movements froze for a moment.

A vague suspicion formed in his mind, but he dared not confirm it.

Could it be the reason he suspected?

Lu Cang… could he really…? But Feng Hechi was his adoptive father! How could he…? How could he possibly…?

The image of those dark, lifeless eyes flashed through Shen Wenyu’s mind, and he suddenly understood.

Perhaps for Lu Cang, nothing was impossible.

He slowly said, “Lu Cang told me to stay away from someone.”

Feng Hechi raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Shen Wenyu suppressed the urge to gasp, gritting his teeth. “He didn’t say explicitly, but I think… he meant you.”