Sorry, this time I won

Originally, being suddenly grabbed like this, Ye Liangchen was actually quite annoyed.

He furrowed his brows—nowadays, even random nobodies dared lay hands on him!

He tried to shake off the person’s grip forcefully.

But after one attempt, not only did he fail to break free, his arm was now being squeezed painfully.

His frown deepened. This scrawny, bespectacled guy had seemed like an easy target at first glance, but who knew he’d have such strength (T University).

He weighed his options silently. Even if they fought, the other guy wouldn’t come out unscathed, but he hadn’t come here today to pick a fight.

So he said, “Bro, we’re both here to pick up girls. How about you give me some face?”

“Besides, Shen Mengjie’s already left. Arguing further won’t do us any good. Come on, do me this favor.”

As he spoke, he theatrically pulled a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket.

Seeing Senior Wang take off his glasses and feeling the grip on his arm grow even more painful, he hastily added another two hundred yuan.

......

“The sea has its limits, the moon its phases. The world is flawed, but meeting you has made up for all of it.”

“Hello, Shen Mengjie. Let me reintroduce myself—I’m Liangchen. Ye Liangchen’s Liangchen.”

Hearing this, Shen Mengjie scoffed, eyeing him with a sidelong glance. “You didn’t come here specifically to find me today, did you?”

“Nothing escapes you, does it?” Ye Liangchen flicked his hair, attempting a confident smirk, but winced slightly.

That guy’s slap was nothing compared to Long Aotian’s, but it still stung a little.

“I came because I was worried about you.”

Shen Mengjie couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Worried about me? And what, pray tell, are you worried about?”

Her laughter made Ye Liangchen stare, mesmerized.

“That guy playing hard to get with you yesterday—if I’m not mistaken, his name’s Long Aotian, right?”

Suppressing the pain, he finally managed that confident smile and flicked his bangs again. “I know him. And because I know him, that’s why I’m worried for you!”

At this, Shen Mengjie, who had been utterly disinterested, suddenly perked up with mild curiosity.

She studied Ye Liangchen with newfound amusement. “You know Long Aotian?”

“Know him? Ha!” The mention of Long Aotian unleashed a torrent of slander and vitriol from Ye Liangchen. “Sharing a city with him is nothing short of an insult to my existence!”

He took a deep breath, his eyes darkening with feigned anguish. “At school, he’s a menace—ruthless, unscrupulous, a bully of the worst kind!”

“There was this girl who adored me, saw me as her salvation. But Long Aotian felt threatened. So one day, when I wasn’t around, he... he forced himself on her!”

“He’s vile. He didn’t want me near her, afraid I’d make him feel insecure again. So he beat me, berated me...”

“When I saw him playing mind games with a beauty like you yesterday, I couldn’t stay silent. Thankfully, fate heard my prayers and led me to you again in this vast crowd.”

“I’m telling you all this so you’ll see Long Aotian for what he truly is. I refuse to stand by and watch him deceive you!”

After this lengthy tirade, Shen Mengjie was thoroughly bewildered.

Was the Long Aotian he described even the same person she knew?

Ye Liangchen flicked his hair once more, his smirk radiating confidence. “After all, we’ve been friends for a whole minute since yesterday.”

Shen Mengjie rolled her eyes. “Could you stop flicking your hair in front of me?”

“Why?” He instinctively did it again. “I don’t mean to, but people say it looks cool.”

With a shrug and another hair flick, he added, “Fine, I’ll own it. Hence the bangs flick.”

“Wait, never mind that. You have to be careful around Long Aotian.”

Admittedly, Ye Liangchen was gambling here.

He was betting on Long Aotian’s notorious weakness for beautiful women, betting on his inherent depravity...

Shen Mengjie frowned, about to retort, but then a thought struck her.

Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Ye Liangchen.

“So you’re saying Long Aotian is actually a bad person?”

Seeing her reaction, Ye Liangchen exhaled inwardly. His gamble had paid off.

“Exactly! He’s downright monstrous!”

“Don’t be fooled by his appearance—inside, he’s rotten to the core.”

“Unlike me. My heart? Pure as an unblemished white lotus.”

Shen Mengjie’s lips twitched. A green tea act in front of her? Tch. How to put it... Well, it was just... kind of hilarious.

“Then what should I do? If he’s as relentless as you say, won’t he stop at nothing?”

“Should I report him to the advisor?”

Delighted by her seeking his advice, Ye Liangchen allowed a triumphant smirk.

With feigned gravitas, he shook his head. “Reporting him won’t help. I know that beast too well. Unless you transfer schools, he’ll...”

“But don’t worry. Providence brought us together for a reason—to save you!”

Watching Ye Liangchen’s poorly concealed micro-expressions, Shen Mengjie found this game utterly entertaining.

Ye Liangchen pretended to ponder. “A guy like Long Aotian will resort to extremes to get what he wants. And I can’t protect you around the clock.”

He inhaled deeply, brow furrowed in exaggerated concern.

Shen Mengjie observed his performance silently, only adopting a worried expression when he glanced her way.

Encouraged, Ye Liangchen unveiled his master plan: “If you trust me, follow my lead. This might be the only way to free yourself from Long Aotian’s clutches!”

“What’s the plan?”

“Pretend to yield to him.” His words came faster now. “Fake compliance—that’ll keep him from escalating.”

“Shen Mengjie, you’re stunning. Among everyone I know, you’re easily top four in looks and figure.”

At this, Shen Mengjie frowned, feigning displeasure—until his next line made her lips curl in genuine amusement.

"But to Long Aotian, you represent something fresh and exciting. If you pretend to submit to him, make him fall head over heels for you, and then—at the peak of his devotion—come back to me, it’ll crush him. At that point, he’ll be no match for us!"

This was Ye Liangchen’s little scheme. If Shen Mengjie agreed, he could use her to gather evidence of Long Aotian’s infidelity.

Once that happened, he doubted Hu Yuying, Li Qingxue, or Lin Wanning could tolerate Long Aotian’s philandering ways any longer. The slightest crack in their trust, and he’d seize the opportunity to slip in.

Ye Liangchen was confident that, while winning over Hu Yuying and the others, he could also make Shen Mengjie utterly devoted to him.

This move wouldn’t just secure Hu Yuying and the other two—he’d have Shen Mengjie too.

Sorry, but this time, victory is mine!