It was so strange that Ci Ye couldn’t help but feel a doubt. He frowned tightly and asked, “The one facing bankruptcy is actually the Song Family, isn’t it?” Otherwise, why would he and Song Fu get engaged?
Father Ci: “…” He had nothing to say about his son’s thought process. “The Song Family’s company is operating fine. That child Song Fu is at home. If you really can’t figure it out, go ask her yourself and tell her directly that you’re unwilling.”
Ci Ye reiterated, “I didn’t say I was unwilling.”
Father Ci: “…”
Ci Ye tried hard to digest the situation. Good things really did fall from the sky sometimes. Becoming Song Fu’s fiancé was something he hadn’t even succeeded at during their kindergarten playing house games, yet now it had inexplicably become reality. He nodded hesitantly. “I’ll go ask.”
But how should he ask?
Was this a misunderstanding, or some malicious joke? After all, Song Fu had said she was going to do something excessive.
Ci Ye stood in front of the Song Family gates, which he had visited countless times, and for once, he hesitated. He raised his hand, then lowered it.
On the third repetition of this action, the door opened from inside. The person at the door was an auntie about to go out shopping for groceries. She saw Ci Ye and greeted him cheerfully. “Here to find Fu Fu, right? She’s practicing piano. Just head up to the second floor.”
Ci Ye responded with a “Sure” and steeled himself to walk inside.
Standing at the door of the piano room on the second floor, his heart pounded in his chest. He feared that his current actions would shatter the dream like a bubble.
Ci Ye placed his slender hand on the doorknob, then thought maybe he should go back and have his dad confirm again. That way, he—
With a “click,” the door opened from inside again.
This time, it was the still-ill Song Fu at the door.
Song Fu wore a white dress, her light brown hair casually draped, with strands curving in subtle arcs pinned behind her ear. As she lifted her head, her fair and beautiful face came fully into view. Her amber eyes, shadowed by thick lashes, showed no particular emotion; she simply gazed at him quietly.
Ci Ye instinctively acted calm. His prepared questions evaporated, leaving only, “…Are you still sick?”
“Pretty much better.” Song Fu looked away. She actually felt a bit awkward; she wasn’t mentally prepared to face Ci Ye yet. “School holiday already?”
“No, I skipped… No, I took leave.”
Ci Ye changed his wording to make his behavior sound more reasonable. Skipping class sounded pretty bad. “Just half a day. You’ve been missing classes the whole time. Your desk mate was pretty worried.”
Song Fu almost forgot if she didn’t hear it. “Did I get a new desk mate?”
“No.”
“So Zhu Chenxi is still sitting with you?”
Ci Ye nodded.
Song Fu quietly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Good, the male and female leads were still desk mates. The plot where their feelings warmed up next shouldn’t deviate. Also, “You came straight to find me? Didn’t hear anything on the way?”
Ci Ye’s ear tips hidden in his hair burned hot, but his expression stayed calm. He lowered his eyes and said, “You mean our engagement?”
Song Fu hummed in acknowledgment. Once in character, she crossed her arms. “I brought this up.”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Whether you’re willing or not, our engagement is set in stone. That means your current status is my fiancé. Got it?”
“Got it.” Ci Ye responded without thinking.
Song Fu paused slightly at this straightforward reaction, sensing something off, but she continued her lines. “Don’t do anything misleading with others. I’m not the generous type.”
Ci Ye’s eyes sparkled as he nodded eagerly.
[Is this reaction right?]
Facing the System’s doubt, Song Fu showed the same bewilderment.
He shouldn’t nod! He should give a disdainful cold laugh! And it shouldn’t be Ci Ye coming to find her—it should be her going to warn Ci Ye…
Seeing Song Fu furrow her brows, Ci Ye worried his response wasn’t enough and added, “I know.”
“You don’t look like you know.” Song Fu restrained the urge to facepalm. She leaned against the doorframe, pondering her next move.
In the plot, the male and female leads’ feelings were still vague at this point, so the male lead didn’t have much reaction to suddenly having a fiancée—he just found it boring. Thus, Song Fu hadn’t expected Ci Ye to come demanding an explanation. But he shouldn’t be this eager either…
It seemed all the excuses she was about to give were unnecessary.
Was it because their relationship had been too good before?
Though tangled up, Ci Ye still asked the question weighing on him most: “Song Fu, do you… like me?” After asking, he immediately shut his mouth. His dark phoenix eyes were full of seriousness and focus. The unconcealed tension made him clench his right hand behind his back.
Song Fu raised her face, feigning confusion. “Like or not like—those are all vague, fleeting things. Commercial marriages are the most common in our circle anyway. Better us together than some stranger we’ve never even met. At least we know each other inside and out, right?”
After a moment, Ci Ye let out an “oh.” He visibly wilted, his flamboyant red hair seeming to dim along with him.
Silence spread for a bit.
It was broken by Song Fu’s two coughs.
Ci Ye sorted his emotions, not quite ready to give up. In a muffled tone, he pressed, “Is knowing each other inside and out the only advantage?”
Song Fu blinked. “Also, you’re good-looking?”
“Why is it a question?”
“You’re good-looking. Okay?”
Song Fu changed her tone, her smile softening.
The next day, Song Fu returned to school with Ci Ye, who had taken leave. They rode in the same car, which thrilled Ci Ye—they hadn’t gone to and from school together in a while.
Ci Ye had tossed and turned in bed last night, unable to sleep, mulling over one question:
“Are we dating now?”
Right before they stepped into campus, Ci Ye asked casually, as if it were no big deal.
Song Fu halted, turning her head. “Of course not. Puppy love affects studies, and you know that.”
Ci Ye didn’t know, and it broke his heart a little.
But after returning to the classroom, he adjusted himself. Even if they weren’t dating now, he was the one meant to spend the rest of his life with Song Fu. No need to rush.
“Your mood swings are a bit extreme.” Zhu Chenxi finished a problem and couldn’t ignore the complex emotions beside her. He had looked depressed like he’d lost his wife when he arrived, but in minutes, his mouth curved up like he’d found money. “What happened?”
Ci Ye glanced at her. “I’m now…”
He trailed off midway. Zhu Chenxi looked over in confusion.
Ci Ye clamped his mouth shut, pondering another question: Could he say it?
His gaze shifted to where Song Fu sat. He saw her talking to her desk mate. Too far to lip-read, so he didn’t know the details. But three seconds later, he saw Song Fu’s desk mate jump up and heard her shocked retort in a volume the whole class could hear:
“You’re engaged to Ci Ye? Are you crazy?”
“Or did he get some dirt on you?!”
Song Fu herself: “…”
Ci Ye in the back of the room: “…”
Only Zhu Chenxi nodded in realization. So that’s why he was happy.
Song Fu had planned to spread the news anyway, so she didn’t stop or gloss over it. She shook her head seriously. “No dirt. Just a normal arranged marriage.”
Her desk mate’s mouth gaped like she could fit an egg in it. It took her half a day to close it. Their family was pretty ordinary; “arranged marriage” sounded like something from a novel. Experiencing it in real life felt unbelievable. She hesitated to speak. “Feudal bad habit—totally unacceptable!”
Song Fu got her desk mate to sit down quickly and calm down.
The desk mate, now seated, was still dazed. She had so much to say, her mind a mess, finally landing on grades. “How can you be with a dummy?” Dead last— what a joke. Could it be, “You didn’t get first in this monthly exam, so your parents were disappointed and arranged an engagement early…”
“Stop.” Song Fu made a halting gesture. “Can you read fewer melodramatic novels?”
Ci Ye couldn’t take it anymore. “Who’re you calling a dummy?”
Song Fu’s desk mate immediately covered her mouth and scooted toward Song Fu.
Ci Ye was about to explode. It was the first time since childhood anyone called him a dummy. He cracked apart inside.
He wasn’t a dummy.
And Song Fu didn’t even speak up for him.
If Song Fu knew what was in Ci Ye’s head, she’d feel helpless too. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to defend him—she just couldn’t. How do you defend undisputed dead last?
An engagement was super explosive gossip in their strict, rigid high school.
One was the model student secretly admired by countless boys, Song Fu. The other was the notorious delinquent, the playboy who didn’t study, Ci Ye. How did these two end up together? Sure, Ci Ye’s family had money and he was handsome, but they still seemed from different worlds.
Song Fu and Ci Ye were called in separately by the homeroom teacher for talks.
After hearing the rumors, the teacher’s Mediterranean bald spot shone brighter. He kept rubbing his head and asked Song Fu, “Is it voluntary?” Things like parental orders and matchmakers weren’t in vogue anymore.
Song Fu nodded.
The teacher looked like he didn’t know what to say. “Our school doesn’t encourage puppy love. Your situation…”
Song Fu explained through gritted teeth. “We’re not dating, just engaged. Not married yet—that’s for the future. It won’t affect my studies.”
With things said this far, the teacher couldn’t intervene too much. Helplessly, he said, “You two need to watch your influence at school. You’re young—act like normal classmates. Sigh, even if it’s real, why admit it? Keep it under wraps. If anyone asks later, say it was a joke or just deny it.”
He waved her off. “Send Ci Ye in. I’ll talk to him.”
Song Fu had reached the office door.
The teacher spoke again. “Really no need for me to chat with your parents?”
Song Fu refused once more.