Chapter 90: That pandemonic confession (5)

Frenzied celebration erupted all around. Xu Tingsheng was flung into the air by his teammates, before...slamming onto the ground. His teammates already no longer had the energy to catch him.

He was hugged by his teammates, hugged by strangers, hugged by friends. Fu Cheng came up and punched him lightly on the chest, “Heck, well done...”

Huang Yaming made as if to come up as well. Xu Tingsheng told him to hurry up and hide, lest those of his university see him and kill him.

The chicks from the cheerleading squads asked for hugs as well.

Such a matter...think about it. With the chicks wearing as little as that on a cold winter’s day having stood for more than two hours amidst the cold winds, they must surely be feeling terribly cold. So, how could anyone find it in their hearts to refuse them?

Hugging is hugging; don’t think any untoward thoughts. This was ‘sending warmth’, ‘doing public service’. Moreover, his teammates who had originally been lying limply and exhaustedly on the ground were already struggling up to their feet, joyfully going up for the hugs.

Today’s tale actually went like this:

Year one Xu Tingsheng, a new addition to the squad, had only entered the list of substitutes at the last moment due to an accident.

Then, he had sat out an entire game on the substitutes’ bench.

Yet afterwards, with the team one goal down and with ten final crucial minutes of extra time left in the match, he had been sent on by the coach because there had simply been no other option.

Six minutes after going on, he scored the equaliser...Yanzhou University was saved from the jaws of death, their humiliation washed away.

In the final moments of the match, he struck the free kick that he had won himself...scoring the second goal and killing off the match.

At this point, the tale was actually already sufficiently legendary. However, the spectators, unwilling to depart even after so long due to being filled with too much joy and emotion, were still yet to know.

There was still another show that would be coming right up.

Amidst all the chaos, Xu Tingsheng saw Lu Zhixin. Sitting quietly right at the front, it would not be difficult to spot her at all, because she was just much too conspicuous. Her tall figure, her woolen sweater of pure white that made her seem like a beautiful snowman, her jet-black hair that fluttered lightly amidst the winter winds...

She looked at Xu Tingsheng, opening her mouth yet not saying a word.

Xu Tingsheng wanted to pretend that he hadn’t seen her. In truth, he had remembered, but...if he could muddle things through, that was just what he would happily do. The current scale of things was already much too great. It was already no longer just a problem of him being embarrassed.

The original intent in acting out this show had been to bring an end to this matter.

Now, however, as soon as Xu Tingsheng, Yanzhou University’s hero, did so, this show would immediately implode out of proportions. It would follow him for four years, and it would follow Lu Zhixin for four years as well. The incident of the faculty’s flower confessing in front of the dorms would not come to an end as a result. It would only intensify more and more.

This was not a result Xu Tingsheng wanted. He felt that Lu Zhixin would not want it as well.

Therefore, Xu Tingsheng shook his head, shooting Lu Zhixin an apologetic look. He decided that he would call her to explain later on, explaining his rationale and his worries.

Seeing this, Lu Zhixin nodded in a piteous manner, indicating that she accepted his decision. Then, she tried earnestly, tried very earnestly to force out a smile...

However, even as she smiled, her eyes were filled with pain as well as a sense of grievance. When a girl’s tears were about to flow but were kept from flowing, her brows knit tight, there were actually sometimes when one’s heart would ache more, soften more than if the tears were trickling unceasingly down her face.

Actually, Xu Tingsheng had underestimated Lu Zhixin all along. While the two had only interacted in the simplest form before, Lu Zhixin was no ordinary person. She was the type of woman who was truly ‘remarkable’ in the sense of the word. Over these days of interacting with Xu Tingsheng, she had already analysed him, come to understand him to the greatest extent.

She wouldn’t have taken the initiative to confess to him despite her position otherwise.

In this way, the current Lu Zhixin was the woman who had come to understand Xu Tingsheng the most up till now. In this regard, she really surpassed Apple far, far too greatly.

Apple had originally thought herself to be rational and benefit-driven. However, after having interacted with Xu Tingsheng and descended into love, Apple had actually had been completely overwhelmed by and subject to her true feelings and emotions, laughing when she felt like laughing, crying like she felt like crying...when feeling conflicted and troubled, she would be completely helpless...

She had never tried to grasp and manipulate Xu Tingsheng through any schemes or methods, never even having thought to do so.

If she were truly calm, rational and benefit-driven enough, she would unquestionably have been able to make use of such schemes and methods to invoke and make use of Xu Tingsheng’s feelings for her to as great an extent as possible...She would have unquestionably been able to gain a stable grasp over the overall situation. However much Xu Tingsheng was unable to forget about Xiang Ning, it also wouldn’t have reached the point of her being pushed away as she had been now.

Silly, foolish her.

Lu Zhixin was not foolish. She had grasped Xu Tingsheng’s nature and weakness. Xu Tingsheng wasn’t afraid of intimidation, wasn’t afraid of coercion, wasn’t afraid of ceaseless harassment and shamelessness. For one of his age, there was virtually nothing he might be unable to deal with...

The only way that he might be defeated was through his heart-causing his heart to soften to the greatest extent whilst definitely not letting her heart be clouded and overwhelmed by emotions, getting flustered in the midst of her offensive.

Apple was actually able to cause Xu Tingsheng’s heart to soften as well, being able to do so through her true, natural self. However, she got too easily flustered and in effect compromised in her interactions with him.

Yet, Lu Zhixin was different. Now, she just looked at Xu Tingsheng like this, trying hard to smile, sniffling slightly once in a while...

Near her were close to twenty of her roommates and classmates who were in the know. They all watched her, watched her get hurt yet again by Xu Tingsheng’s breaking of his promise, watched her, though having suffered an injustice, only being able to forcibly bear it.

She should actually leave now, but she didn’t.

She could ask her roommates and classmates to leave first, but she didn’t. The presence of her roommates and classmates and everyone’s watching eyes could allow the injustice she had suffered and her piteousness to be played up to the greatest possible level.

Because this would cause one to involuntarily wonder: What would she do after she had returned? How would she be able to face these close classmates and roommates of hers?

Xu Tingsheng saw all of this, also wondered as Lu Zhixin wanted him to.

Therefore, his heart softened.

“It’s just a show anyway. As long as its scope is limited to just within the university, with Xiang Ning not present and Apple not present as well, since this matter wouldn’t hurt the two girls I’m truly most concerned about, so be it then.”

Yanzhou University’s greatest hero this day, Xu Tingsheng, suddenly broke free of the celebrating crowds and headed to a stretch of shrubbery by the side. Amidst the chaotic situation, some people noticed his actions. They watched him, guessing what he was going to do.

Xu Tingsheng found that black plastic bag amidst the shrubbery, carrying it along as he came before the stands, standing before Lu Zhixin.

Everyone here had noticed this unexpected spectacle by now.

Many people had earlier heard of the matter of Lu Zhixin having been rejected in confessing to a boy before the male dormitories. Instead, it was Xu Tingsheng who had been least known in the matter. Before today, he had been far, far less famous that Lu Zhixin.

Now, things seemed to have become much clearer.

Firstly, the male lead was this very day’s hero of Yanzhou University, Xu Tingsheng.

Secondly, the faculty’s flower had not been rejected. It was just that the male lead had wanted to confess himself and in a grander manner. Look, he had hidden something amidst the shrubbery beforehand, having long been prepared...it could not be any more evident..

This was the largest scale ‘audience’ Xu Tingsheng had ever been subject to, surpassing even that day back in Libei Senior High when he had returned as their top scholar.

Lu Zhixin mouthed ‘thank you’, very sincerely.

Xu Tingsheng could hesitate no longer. He...passed the plastic bag over...hey, something seemed a little wrong here.

“Why are you...sigh, take the flower out!” Lu Zhixin’s roommate reminded Xu Tingsheng.

“Oh, right,” Xu Tingsheng felt a little troubled, but since he had already acted it out to this point...he opened the plastic bag, taking out the rose, raising it high as he extended it before her.

“Following this, I’m just waiting to be rejected,” Xu Tingsheng thought, “Girl, just shaking your head and leaving is fine, or saying a ‘sorry’ is okay as well. Just don’t do anything major like flinging the rose towards my face! The rose...has thorns.”

The reason Xu Tingsheng was thinking this, was suspecting that Lu Zhixin intended to throw the rose at him, was that he saw Lu Zhixin currently actually in the midst of lowering her body to receive the upraised rose.

Lu Zhixin held the stem of the rose with one hand.

Xu Tingsheng didn’t let go.

Xu Tingsheng mouthed, “What’s with this? You don’t have to receive it?”

Lu Zhixin said, “Okay.”

She had not mouthed it, nor had she said it softly. She had said loudly with a joyful, radiant smile on her face, ‘Okay’. Her voice had come off as lively and adorable, but it had been too loud, loud to the extent that virtually all here had been able to hear it.

Xu Tingsheng was left completely dazed, the doubts coming unceasingly within his mind, “What...what’s with this? Girl, what’s the meaning of this? This expression of yours isn’t right!”

Lu Zhixin’s grip grew slightly stronger.

Xu Tingsheng adamantly refused to let go.

Then, originally just having been pinching the stem of the rose with two fingers, Lu Zhixin’s...entire hand closed in. Roses had thorns; the thorns of this rose pricked into Lu Zhixin’s palm, blood trickling out from her the edge of her clenched fist...

Xu Tingsheng could only let go.

Lu Zhixin stood up as she held the rose, flashing the most radiant smile and displaying the perfect level of nervousness and shyness as she said happily, “Xu Tingsheng, thank you...I, I’m willing.”

The hero’s confession had just been accepted by the faculty’s flower. Such was the dramatic spectacle that had just unfolded before the eyes of all the members of the ‘audience’ here...and how blissful it was.

Then, applause and whistling resounded, accompanied by well-intended hoots.

Xu Tingsheng finally understood now. He didn’t know why Lu Zhixin had wanted to do this, but he at least understood one thing. This had been a set-up all along. Lu Zhixin had designed this trap specifically for him, and he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

“It can’t be that she knows that I am a rebirthee, with a great, glorious future ahead of me, right?” Xu Tingsheng could not understand the rationale for this, did not know what he had that was worth Lu Zhixin doing this.

Amidst the cheers, the dazed Xu Tingsheng had a forced smile on his face while Lu Zhixin appeared shy yet radiant. She had already relaxed her grip that was on the rose, carefully holding it before her...

A hand reached over, snatching away the rose in Lu Zhixin’s hand.