35: Like (7)

No one knew that she was not a complete woman, which was why she had never considered falling in love or getting married.

Especially with someone as precious as Feng Jinyan, who had been the center of attention since birth and would only continue to be so. Reason told her they belonged to different worlds; the kindness Feng Jinyan showed her was poison, not medicine. She feared that one day she would lose control and fall for him, and when that happened, she would only suffer, and so would he.

But... could she still retreat unscathed now?

When Ye Xiangwan stood at the front of the line, her face wore an expression of pure speechlessness. Her fair cheeks were so cold that one dared not even look at her directly. The fur collar on her neck tickled in the wind, and she felt the urge to scratch it, but she immediately felt like a monkey in a zoo exhibit, clawing and scratching, so she stopped her hand halfway.

"What's wrong?" Feng Jinyan’s handsome face leaned in close.

Ye Xiangwan: "..."

Looking at the flowing white wig in front of her, all her previous thoughts vanished.

"Everyone is staring at us; we really are too eye-catching. I suppose it’s only because I am so dashing, handsome, bright-eyed, and refined..."

"..."

Ye Xiangwan’s mouth twitched. This guy was incredibly conceited.

"It’s a pity you’re only second." She figured if she didn't say anything, he would eventually blow himself away with his own boasting. As expected, her words hit home, and the young master turned his head, ignoring her. But soon, the young man turned back to continue his self-promotion.

"Oh? It really is you two..."

Jiang Huan, wearing high heels and a fresh, long dress that was a far cry from her usual stern professional attire, walked over from the playground. "Aside from seeing Class 3 insisting on wearing short skirts in this weather from a distance, you two were the first things I noticed."

"See!" Feng Jinyan tilted his chin toward Ye Xiangwan. "Teacher, don't I look dashing and heroic, and she, heroic and spirited?"

Jiang Huan pinched his white wig: "Hmm, you are certainly dashing..." She then looked at Ye Xiangwan, skipping over "dashing" to finish the phrase: "...and she is spirited."

The "dashing emperor's" white hair practically stood on end.

In truth, Feng Jinyan had excellent taste. Naturally, students of this social stratum carried a sense of arrogance in their bones. When this group of "true royals" dressed in dragon robes paraded to the center of the stands and performed a dashing, synchronized bow, the entire school went wild. They had originally felt that the "Emperor" shouldn't bow, but thinking about how ridiculous it looked to have dozens of students pointing and gesturing from the field, they decided on the classic move instead.

Perhaps because the school’s reaction was so intense—especially the encouraging screams of the girls—Feng Jinyan became visibly excited. After shedding his dragon robe, he changed into a striking blue hoodie, smiling directly at Ye Xiangwan until the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"Can you stop smiling?" Ye Xiangwan rubbed her forehead. "The archery competition is coming up; can you try to be a little nervous?"

"Nervous? The word 'nervous' doesn't exist in my dictionary."

Ye Xiangwan watched him for a moment before asking, "Why aren't you interested in business?"

"There's no 'why,' I'm just not."

"Then what are you interested in?"

Feng Jinyan suddenly raised a finger, pointing toward a magnificent building far outside the campus. A giant screen on the roof was playing a high-end advertisement featuring an actor who had just won the title of "Best Actor."

"Something like that."

Ye Xiangwan was surprised: "You want to become a movie star?"

Feng Jinyan did not answer directly. "Ever since I was born, I’ve lived a life according to a pre-planned path, a life where you can see the end at a single glance. This is not the life I want. I want to climb to the top on my own and become someone in Beijing who is admired and respected by all. Although I haven't reached that point yet, I will definitely do it in the future."

"Aren't you already someone who is admired and respected by everyone?"

"That’s only because I hold the title of the Young Master of the Feng family. Without that identity, I’m just Feng Jinyan, and few people would know me. I want people to know the name Feng Jinyan. In the future, I want people to respect me and call me 'Master Feng,' not 'the Young Master of the Feng family.'"

"Tsk, you rich kids have such unique ideas."

Ye Xiangwan mocked him, yet they say a confident youth carries their own light. Watching the triumphant smile on Feng Jinyan's lips and the defiance and determination radiating from his very bones, she knew he would surely become that "Master Feng" of Beijing, admired by all.

As the sports meet began, the starting gun fired, and the audience erupted into wild cheers. Feng Jinyan stood in the center of the line, his sleeves rolled up to reveal forearm muscles that were not overly bulky but tightly defined. He drew his bow with fluid precision, closed one eye, and released the arrow with barely a moment of aiming.

The electronic screen displayed a 9.6. Amidst the deafening roars of the crowd, Ye Xiangwan saw him turn around, smile in her direction, and give an "OK" gesture.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ye Xiangwan gave a slight nod. It was a small movement, but she felt he saw it, as the corners of his mouth curled up even more noticeably.

In the end, there was no suspense; after three rounds, Feng Jinyan had the highest total score. The Longchuan sports meet used a point system: first, second, and third places received 9, 7, and 5 points, while fourth, fifth, and sixth received 3, 2, and 1. After this event, Class 1, Grade 10, took the top spot.

Feng Jinyan ran back amidst the enthusiastic cheers of his class. Still just teenagers, they were all shouting over each other, their voices high with excitement as they looked at their class sitting in first place on the screen.

"Everyone, don't get too excited. It's just a normal performance. This is only the beginning; let's all work hard together later."

Feng Jinyan smiled as he squeezed out of the crowd and rushed toward the person who had been standing silently at the back all along. He tripped over something, catching himself on Ye Xiangwan’s shoulder to steady his momentum, but the wind stirred by his movement carried an air of excitement.

"Tell me, was that cool? My coach said when I was little that I had a talent for archery. By the way, I have the high jump later; how about I hire you as my photographer for free?"

Ye Xiangwan’s hand, which she had just raised, paused for a moment before she continued the action, gently smoothing out his messy hair. "You drive a hard bargain, don't you?"

Perhaps it was because of the natural curve of his eyes, but Ye Xiangwan noticed that her own reflection in them didn't seem as cold as usual.

"Of course it's a good deal. With how dashing I am, a single photo would sell for at least fifty thousand."