Chapter Nine: Young Master Jiang Sacrificed His Happiness

For three consecutive days, morning, noon, and night, Jiang Changyuan appeared in Class 2 with the precision of an alarm clock. Each time, he would drop off a mountain of gifts and immediately depart.

His strategy was simple: as long as he ran fast enough, no one could catch him to reject him.

Even Chen Xiang, who was typically indifferent to anything outside of her studies, found this a headache. She didn’t care how much thought Jiang Changyuan put into his gifts, nor did she care about his persistent thirst for knowledge.

The problem was, she was a girl, and she cared about her reputation!

Was Jiang Changyuan deaf or blind? Could he not hear or see how people were gossiping about their relationship?

And there was more!

Even if she loved sweets, being force-fed desserts every single day meant she would be needing dental implants before she reached middle age!

"Jiang Changyuan, are you even a man?"

"Since you're pursuing Yingying, why are you still messing around with other girls?"

Gu Qing blocked Jiang Changyuan’s path back to his seat, questioning him with deep, piercing eyes.

Jiang Changyuan rolled his eyes. Which eye of his saw him pursuing Su Yingying?

To take a step back, if he stayed close to Su Yingying, Gu Qing got angry; if he stayed away, Gu Qing still got angry. Was there any way to live?

Being a villain was truly exhausting!

"Thanks for the invite, but I'm not a man."

Gu Qing, not expecting such a straightforward admission, was stunned on the spot.

"I haven't turned eighteen yet. Please call me a youthful, invincible, handsome boy."

"Shameless!"

With his expression cracking, Gu Qing managed to spit out that one word. Jiang Changyuan suddenly stepped forward, slammed his hand against the wall, and radiated an imposing air.

From a distance, it looked like a "wall-pin." Gu Qing’s heart skipped a beat due to the sudden movement.

"Jiang Changyuan, you..."

"You have the nerve to call me shameless? Was it 'shameful' when you declared war on us in public?"

"As the mighty Student Council President, you issued a challenge to a bunch of underachievers. You felt smug, you got to show off your power, but what about us?"

Jiang Changyuan’s expression was solemn and cold. He didn’t give Gu Qing a chance to speak, seizing the opportunity to lecture him relentlessly.

He wanted Gu Qing to experience the frustration of having words stuck in his throat.

"We were clearly trying so hard to improve, yet you kept dismissing us, looking down on us at every turn."

"Sure, we’ve made mistakes, but in your eyes, President Gu, are we not allowed the chance to turn over a new leaf?"

"Chen Xiang is the only one in school capable of tutoring us. If we don’t look to her, are we supposed to look to you, President Gu?"

At this, Jiang Changyuan withdrew his hand, a mocking smirk curling his lips.

"I’m afraid that if I sought out President Gu, all I’d get in return is a round of humiliation!"

"I took you as my motivation for studying, but to think you’d misunderstand me like this. In the end, my efforts were wasted."

Accompanied by a heavy sigh, Jiang Changyuan walked away in low spirits, his back looking desolate and miserable, much like a cub forced to swallow his own grievances.

It looked so convincing because... out of Gu Qing's sight, the corners of Jiang Changyuan's mouth were twitching violently. If he hadn't been so far away, he would have burst out laughing on the spot.

Triggering the protagonist’s guilt so he wouldn't be able to swing his blade!

He was just too clever!

"Could it be... that I really was too harsh on Jiang Changyuan?"

Standing there, Gu Qing’s gaze wavered.

Asking himself honestly, he realized he had indeed looked at Jiang Changyuan through colored lenses, but what the latter just said also made a lot of sense.

Using the advantages of the Student Council to compare against the disadvantages of the Student Association didn't seem like a very honorable tactic, no matter how you looked at it.

But how could a bad person suddenly turn good?

Yet, everything Jiang Changyuan had done recently suggested he was truly trying to head in a better direction...

"No!"

"This must be Jiang Changyuan’s sugar-coated trap. He wants to lower my guard so he can win the monthly exam. I can’t slack off!"

Suppressing the guilt in his heart, Gu Qing regrouped, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

Even if not for himself, he would give it his all just to let Su Yingying see Jiang Changyuan’s true colors!

As soon as he returned to the classroom, the whole class looked over—some with ambiguous expressions, some just there for the drama, others with complicated thoughts...

When Jiang Changyuan’s gaze swept over, Su Yingying quickly lowered her head, hiding the complexity in her eyes.

So, was Jiang Changyuan using her as an excuse to declare war on Gu Qing?

She had foolishly thought he had changed for the better; it turned out he had just found a new way to fool everyone.

An indescribable feeling of discomfort welled up in her heart.

Suddenly, Su Yingying patted her cold cheeks and reopened her textbook.

Her focus should be on her studies. She and Jiang Changyuan had no relationship, and they wouldn't have any in the future!

The little fatty and the others crowded around Jiang Changyuan.

"Young Master Jiang, don't tell me your method to win over Chen Xiang was to offer yourself up?"

"So touching! Young Master Jiang sacrificed his own happiness for our sake."

"Since Young Master Jiang went to such lengths for us, we can't let him down!"

Hearing this, Jiang Changyuan raised his hand and gave each of them a flick to the forehead. A bunch of traitors.

"Do you know what a 'grand strategy' is? Forget it, you wouldn't understand."

"You just need to wait for Chen Xiang to tutor us. Don't worry about the rest."

Ding Shi rubbed the back of his head, and his next words instantly drew everyone’s attention.

"But Young Master Jiang, if you're hooked up with Chen Xiang, what about... Su?"

"Actually, that's easy to handle. With Young Master Jiang’s status, you could easily have both."

At that exact moment, Gu Qing, who had just returned, walked into the classroom and heard every word.

His cold, sharp gaze shifted instantly—filled with suspicion, doubt, and a touch of darkness.

How absurd!

Jiang Changyuan actually wanted to have both!?

Jiang Changyuan’s eyelid twitched, and his temper flared.

Damn it, was this kid sent by Gu Qing?

"Bullshit!"

"We have a pure, platonic friendship. If you dare spout nonsense like that again, I'll sew your mouth shut."

In the pin-drop silence of the classroom, everyone’s eyes were full of disbelief.

Who would believe that?

He fought with the Student Council for Su Yingying's sake, and even boasted about ousting the Student Council to become the president himself—wasn't that just to win Su Yingying’s heart?

He delivered food to Chen Xiang three times a day, every day, and catered to her tastes—if that wasn't affection, what was?

Pah, scumbag!

"I really don't have any other motives. Trust me."

Jiang Changyuan glanced at Gu Qing from the corner of his eye. As soon as he said this, he successfully saw Gu Qing’s expression transform... into a dark scowl.

"You dare do it but don't dare admit it, Jiang Changyuan! I look down on you!"

"Yingying, do you see his true colors now? He’s a villain who says one thing to your face and another behind your back!"

Gu Qing walked up to Su Yingying’s desk. She kept her head down, but her hands were gripping her textbook so hard she was nearly tearing it.

Jiang Changyuan panicked. The tiny bit of favor he had finally built up was plummeting, and even dipping into the negatives.

He glared fiercely at Ding Shi; sooner or later, he would ship this traitor off!

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Changyuan forced a smile.

"Su Yingying, you know me. You believe me, right?"

As long as the heroine said she believed him, the plummeting favorability would surely stop.

"I, I don't..."

Su Yingying stood up, her body swaying slightly, and Jiang Changyuan’s smile froze on his face.

Then, the next second, his expression changed drastically, and he lunged toward Su Yingying.