The Pretentious Orange About to Be Slapped in the Face

After the student council vice president finished speaking, he waved his hand, and the disciplinary committee members carrying equipment entered the Go Club. Everyone else was kept outside, which annoyed some people, but given the authority of the student council and disciplinary committee, no one dared to force their way in.

"Alright, everyone can now watch the livestream," the vice president announced before turning and entering the Go Club.

The crowd gathered at the entrance began dispersing into small groups. Some returned to their own clubs to watch the stream on their phones, while others sat on nearby benches and pulled out their devices.

Xuan Ying and her friends sighed in disappointment, though they understood that forcing their way in would likely cause chaos.

Following Wang Guancong's suggestion, they decided to head to the E-sports Club to watch instead—after all, they had a big screen there. Cornelia and Ailiya also tagged along.

As for the younger students, they stubbornly remained at the entrance, determined to stand and watch the livestream. They wanted to be the first to ask Su Cheng for a photo after the match.

Su Cheng's popularity among the underclassmen was sky-high—he was talented in both academics and sports, eloquent, and even skilled at giving motivational speeches.

Honestly, who could resist such charm?

If anyone claimed they could, they were definitely lying!

However…

What they didn’t know was that Su Cheng, whom they regarded as a once-in-a-generation genius, was internally panicking.

Because he didn’t know how to play Go at all!

But outwardly, Su Cheng maintained a calm facade, sitting at the board with his head slightly lowered, staring motionlessly at the pieces in front of him.

To the Go Club members, his expressionless face and the composed confidence in his eyes made it seem like he was eagerly waiting to begin.

Initially, the Go Club had doubted whether Su Cheng could defeat Si Jing. But now, seeing his demeanor, they weren’t so sure anymore.

Could he actually win?

Just the way Su Cheng carried himself made him seem like an insurmountable Go master!

"Su Cheng, have some water."

At that moment, Xu Tianyi, a classmate of his, walked over and handed him a bottle of water, whispering in his ear, "Senior Si Jing might take a little longer to arrive. Please wait a bit."

"Thank you," Su Cheng replied with a slight nod, his smile cool and detached, as if nothing could unsettle him.

Xu Tianyi shivered slightly at his response, hesitating as if she wanted to say more. But before she could, a member of the Publicity Department adjusting the livestream equipment cut in, "The setup is ready. Should we start the stream now?"

Xu Tianyi immediately stepped out of the camera’s view and rejoined the Go Club members. At the vice president’s signal, the livestream began, focusing the camera on Su Cheng.

There was no commentator for this match—the camera simply alternated between the board and the players.

On screen—

Su Cheng sat alone, holding a water bottle, lost in thought with his head lowered.

The scene…

Somehow gave off an air of aloof pride.

High alert! A barrage of comments flooded in—

"Su Cheng-senpai is so handsome (screams)!"

"Gotta admit, he really is."

"With looks like that, victory is guaranteed!"

"Did anyone even notice the board? I only see his face."

"Same."

"If I were playing against Su Cheng, I’d surrender immediately!"

"Right? Hope Senior Si Jing knows what’s good for her!"

"Just passing by—is this a Go match or a modeling competition?"

Comments like these flew across the screen, but within minutes, the student council disabled the chat function.

The screen fell silent again, with Su Cheng frozen like a paused image.

However, as time ticked by, Si Jing still hadn’t appeared.

The Go Club members grew increasingly anxious, their worry evident on their faces.

Some even panicked, murmuring to each other, "What do we do? It’s been over ten minutes, and Senior Si Jing still isn’t here. Could she… not be coming?"

"I doubt it. She’s more serious about Go than anyone!"

"But…"

Just then, the Go Club vice president—a graceful beauty with a slender figure, long glossy black hair, and resolute eyes—stepped forward after failing to reach Si Jing by phone. "I’ll go check her classroom. Maybe she overslept."

"Please do!" the others quickly agreed.

As she was about to explain the situation to Su Cheng, he broke the silence himself. Turning to the crowd with a smile, he said, "Perhaps Senior Si Jing has urgent matters to attend to. Or maybe she’s testing my patience. After all, Go is as much about endurance and wisdom as it is about skill."

His words instantly soothed the restless crowd, redirecting their attention to him.

They realized then that Su Cheng saw Go not just as a game of victory but as a test of character and composure.

The vice president froze for a moment before snapping out of it. She gave Su Cheng a deep look, then headed for the door.

But the livestream audience wasn’t as patient. Many grew restless, though some applauded Su Cheng’s gentlemanly demeanor—how could someone so calmly comfort everyone after being stood up?

……

Meanwhile, Su Cheng was internally screaming.

What kind of villainous vibe is this?!

He suspected Ji Qingyi, Gu Ruoxue, and Li Guanqi had kidnapped Si Jing to stop her from coming.

How else could this be explained?

That morning, all three had assured him not to worry.

So they teamed up to tie Si Jing up?!

His mind was in chaos, but he had to keep up the act. Because in stories like this, the protagonist always made a dramatic last-minute entrance.

Then they’d defeat the villain and expose their schemes.

Leaving the villain despised by all.

And right now, he was the villain!

This was textbook antagonist behavior!

What should I do? Think, Su Cheng, think!

Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his head, his gaze calm and indifferent as he looked into the camera.

Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he set aside his water bottle and checked the time on his phone.

"In one hour, I need to go grocery shopping," Su Cheng stated flatly.

But the moment he finished speaking, he regretted it—because he had essentially set himself up for failure. In all likelihood, Si Jing would make a dramatic entrance at the very last second, just as everyone had given up hope.

Yet, as soon as his words landed, the expressions of the Go Club members froze. Their eyes darted toward the door, silently willing the vice president to bring Si Jing back.

If Si Jing didn’t show, wouldn’t that mean surrendering without a fight?

And in front of so many witnesses? This wasn’t just embarrassing—it was outright humiliating!

About ten minutes later, under the weight of everyone’s anticipation, the vice president returned. But the news she delivered crushed their hopes: "Sorry, Senior Si had something come up last minute. She probably won’t be able to make it."

"Huh? What do we do now?"

"Wait, Senior Si isn’t coming today?"

"Seriously?"

"Ugh, what a letdown!"

Hearing this, Su Cheng stood up. He cast one last, reluctant glance at the unfinished game before shaking his head slightly, a trace of dejection in his voice. "It’s fine. If that’s the case, we’ll just have to reschedule the match for another time when Senior Si is free."

With that, he prepared to make his escape. Just as he exhaled in relief, mentally cheering saved!—

Unexpectedly, as he reached the door, the vice president, who had just returned, suddenly called out to him.

"Su Cheng, wait a moment."

His footsteps halted. His pupils constricted, and his shoulders gave an involuntary twitch—clear signs of his internal meltdown.

Well, I’m screwed.

……………………………