Chapter 17: The Unwanted Attention

Shen Yu thought he had enough on his plate with Lu Zhixuan's constant teasing, but things took a turn for the worse when another student started paying attention to him.

Ji Yifan, the vice president of the student council, was a well-known flirt with an easygoing smile. He had never spared Shen Yu a glance before, but suddenly, he was showing up everywhere—offering to help with paperwork, inviting him to lunch, and even casually draping an arm over Shen Yu's shoulder whenever he got the chance.

Shen Yu didn't know what was worse: Ji Yifan's blatant interest or Lu Zhixuan's increasingly dark expressions whenever he saw them together.

It all came to a head one afternoon in the student council room.

"You're more fun than I thought, Zhao Rui," Ji Yifan mused, handing Shen Yu a can of soda as they sat side by side. "I always assumed you were just obsessed with Bai Xue, but lately... you seem different."

Shen Yu forced a nervous laugh, taking the soda with slightly shaky hands. "Haha, yeah... character growth?"

Ji Yifan leaned in slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Or maybe you were just misunderstood."

Before Shen Yu could respond, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him to his feet. He barely had time to process what was happening before he stumbled right into a familiar chest—Lu Zhixuan's.

Lu Zhixuan's gaze was dark, his grip firm as he stared down Ji Yifan. "Shouldn't you be busy with student council work?"

Ji Yifan smirked, completely unfazed. "I could say the same to you. Since when did you become so possessive?"

Shen Yu, caught between them, could feel the tension crackling in the air. Oh no. Oh no no no.

Lu Zhixuan's grip on his wrist tightened for a fraction of a second before he pulled him away entirely. "Let's go."

"H-Hey! I wasn't done talking—" Shen Yu protested as he was practically dragged out of the room.

Lu Zhixuan didn't let go until they were outside, away from prying eyes. Only then did he release Shen Yu's wrist, his expression unreadable.

Shen Yu rubbed his wrist, heart still pounding. "What was that about?"

Lu Zhixuan's jaw tightened. "Stay away from Ji Yifan."

Shen Yu blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"He's annoying."

"That's not a reason!" Shen Yu exclaimed, exasperated.

Lu Zhixuan narrowed his eyes. "Do you like him?"

Shen Yu choked on air. "W-What?!"

Lu Zhixuan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Do you?"

Shen Yu's face burned. "No! Of course not!"

For a brief second, Lu Zhixuan's lips curved upward. Then, as if satisfied, he stepped back. "Good."

And just like that, he walked away, leaving Shen Yu standing there, flustered beyond belief.

Shen Yu groaned, running a hand through his hair. "What just happened?"

A passing student gave him an odd look, but Shen Yu ignored it. His life was spiraling out of control, and the worst part?

He wasn't sure he wanted it to stop.