Lying on the ground is nothing but a scam—an "excessive" demand towards Dr. Tang

At the gates of Dahai City's Noble Academy.

Ye Cheng watched the departing convoy in silence.

"Ah, my meal ticket heiress seems to have run away... So, what’s for dinner tonight?"

Ye Cheng’s sorrow lasted no more than three seconds. After that brief moment, he had already moved on, his mind now occupied with the pressing question of what to eat that evening.

Next, he would channel his grief into his appetite—devouring a feast with vengeance!

Foolish cafeteria, tremble before my wrath!

Ye Cheng prepared to pick himself up from the ground and do a couple of sets of calisthenics nearby to work up an appetite. Later, he would take his revenge on the cafeteria, making it feel the full force of his fury!

"Huh? What are you doing here, kid?"

A white Mercedes slowly pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, revealing Tang Yuyao, who poked her head out with a puzzled expression, blinking as she stared at Ye Cheng lying on the ground.

After hesitating for less than half a second, Ye Cheng sprang up like a carp leaping out of water, followed by a dramatic roll straight under the tires of the white Mercedes. He whipped out his phone, snapped a couple of photos, then tucked it away before launching into a theatrical wail.

"Oww, my leg! My chest! My arm! My head! My whole body hurts so bad! Aiyoo..."

Tang Yuyao: "..."

So... was she being scammed right now?

Behind her gold-rimmed glasses, Tang Yuyao’s eye twitched. The smile on her face stiffened as she took a deep breath, forcing a "gentle" expression.

"Brat, if you don’t get up right now, I’m running you over."

"Aiyoo, my head! Aiyoo, my leg! Aiyoo..." Ye Cheng ignored her, continuing his exaggerated moaning. A crowd had already gathered, filming the scene on their phones, some even jumping to condemn Tang Yuyao preemptively.

Tang Yuyao: "..."

She was so angry she almost laughed. Every time she ran into this little brat, something terrible happened—each encounter another stain on her already tarnished reputation.

Because of past incidents, rumors were now spreading like wildfire across the school. The latest? That the school clinic housed a thirsty female doctor who preyed on handsome young men, recording videos to blackmail them after having her way...

And so on. The more outrageous, the better. The stories made Tang Yuyao’s scalp crawl.

The worst part? The clinic had only one doctor—her. And she was the only woman there. It was basically a direct accusation! No vague "someone," just straight-up naming her! Damn it all!

Right now, Tang Yuyao fantasized about rounding up the rumor-mongers, lining them up on the road, and flooring the accelerator. Ah, what a peaceful world that would be.

Alas, fantasies remained fantasies. Reality was that Tang Yuyao’s reputation was in tatters, branded with all sorts of absurd labels—like "predator," "predator," and... "predator."

She’d discovered this earlier while idly browsing the school’s confession wall. The moment she saw the posts, her soul nearly left her body. After years of living honorably, her good name had been ruined by a single brat. Wuwuwu...

Watching Ye Cheng sprawled on the ground trying to extort her, Tang Yuyao seriously considered hitting the gas. The world would be so much quieter.

After wailing for a while with no response, Ye Cheng decided to drop a hint.

"Ahem, oh dear, my head, my leg, my arm... I reckon 10,000 yuan should cover the treatment. Ahem, 10,000 yuan..."

Tang Yuyao: "..."

So this was your game all along, huh?

Wearing a "gentle" and "kind" smile, Tang Yuyao calmly said, "I have a dashcam."

Ye Cheng: "???"

Still lying on the ground mid-performance, Ye Cheng’s head sprouted a giant question mark. He scrambled up to inspect Tang Yuyao’s car.

Holy crap!

Six cameras!

Damn it!

What’s the point of scamming now?!

With a face full of annoyance, Ye Cheng climbed to his feet, grumbling, "Tch, you could’ve mentioned the dashcam earlier! You have any idea how hot the ground is? No sympathy at all!"

Tang Yuyao: "???"

After his complaints, Ye Cheng turned to leave for the cafeteria. If he hurried, he might still make it in time. But as he passed the Mercedes’ window, Tang Yuyao snatched him up and yanked him inside.

"What’s the big idea? Broad daylight, you’re kidnapping me? You think my 8 million brothers will stand for this? Even if they agree, you’d still have to get past my fists! I’ll have you know—"

"I’ll treat you to a meal."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go, Mama, I’m starving!"

The moment Tang Yuyao made the offer, Ye Cheng dropped his bravado, instantly transforming into a model passenger. He sat properly in the passenger seat, even fastening his seatbelt with care. A delightful aroma filled the car.

But!

It wasn’t Tang Yuyao’s perfume or some natural scent—no, it was something far more intoxicating to Ye Cheng.

In the backseat, piled high, were takeout bags filled with skewers and all sorts of fried food. The smell alone nearly brought Ye Cheng to tears!

The instant he saw the food, his eyes sparkled with childlike clarity.

Tang Yuyao: "..."

She stepped on the gas, driving Ye Cheng to the underground parking lot.

Arms loaded with bags, the two left the garage, heading toward the faculty apartments. The scene felt oddly familiar.

Tang Yuyao hadn’t expected to cross paths with that damn brat again so soon—and in such a way. This time, she played it smart, stopping Ye Cheng at the door to tidy up first.

"Don’t worry, Dr. Tang, take your time. No rush at all." Ye Cheng waved magnanimously, urging her to proceed without pressure.

Tang Yuyao paused. Something smelled fishy. After a moment, realization dawned in her eyes.

She knew exactly what he was up to.

Silently, she took all the skewers and takeout from the bags inside before shutting the door.

Soon, Ye Cheng’s indignant shouts echoed from outside.

"Tang! Where’s the basic trust between people? Am I really such a shameless villain in your eyes? Slurp... Slurp..."

His righteous fury would’ve been convincing—if not for the drooling sounds at the end.

Thankfully, she’d outsmarted him this time. Otherwise, by the time she returned, all that’d be left were empty containers.

Inside the apartment...

Tang Yuyao had learned her lesson from the previous incident. Though Ye Cheng’s last visit to her home had been unexpected, for some reason, she had a gut feeling that someone would show up at her place again.

Right after the incident, Tang Yuyao immediately tidied up everything in her house!

Well… the place still looked a bit messy and far from neat, but at least it was better than before. And this time, no random "mysterious little gadgets" were lying around to embarrass her.

"Good, this time nothing should go wrong," Tang Yuyao murmured, squinting as she scanned the room. After confirming there were no slip-ups, she patted her hands in satisfaction and went to open the door for Ye Cheng.

Click.

Ye Cheng stood outside, embodying the image of a "brooding heartthrob." A cigarette dangled from his lips, its ember burning faster as the breeze swept by. His long bangs swayed gently in the wind, accentuating his handsome features and adding to his charm.

For a moment, Tang Yuyao was stunned.

Wait, who was this gorgeous guy in front of her?

Was it just her imagination, or had this kid gotten fairer? And… had he always been this good-looking?

Thump, thump…

She could clearly feel her heartbeat quicken. Watching Ye Cheng standing there with his "melancholic idol" aura, an inexplicable dryness crept into her throat.

Gulp. She swallowed hard, but instead of easing the tension, it only made things worse.

As Tang Yuyao opened the door, the cigarette in Ye Cheng’s mouth burned down to its last ember. He took one final drag—flavored like iced tea—before pinching it out and flicking the butt downstairs…

"Dr. Tang, can you grant me one request?" Ye Cheng’s voice carried an inexplicable roughness, whether from the smoke or not, it had a magnetic quality to it.

Like a "superb bubble voice" mixed with a touch of youthful softness—whatever it was, it sent a thrill through Tang Yuyao, her pupils dilating in response.

Without even stopping to consider whether his request might be inappropriate or unreasonable, she blurted out her answer.

"Mm, okay, I’ll do it!" Tang Yuyao nodded, utterly mesmerized by Ye Cheng’s current appearance. This kid… had some appeal, didn’t he?

"W-what’s your request…?" Tang Yuyao suddenly felt a little embarrassed, realizing how girlish she sounded. A shyness crept over her, and she began worrying—what if Ye Cheng made some "indecent" demand?

If he really did ask for something "indecent," what should she do? Agree? Or maybe…

"I want two extra sticks of dried tofu and grilled sausage." Ye Cheng smacked his lips, looking utterly famished.

Tang Yuyao: "???"