Several of them grew more and more animated as they spoke, as if they were genuinely thinking for Fu Qingfeng’s sake, their tone filled with sincerity and earnest concern.

Like strategists advising someone in love.

But to their disappointment, Fu Qingfeng sat with his head lowered on the chair, his expression unchanged, as though he had not heard a single word.

It was as if he had been isolated in another world.

Only when he heard the words “soft heart” did his pitch black eyes pause slightly, his fingertips curling unconsciously.

Had he… gone soft on Wen Ruyu?

It seemed… he really had.

If it had been before, he would never have given Wen Ruyu even the slightest hope, nor would he have accepted any gift from him.

But yesterday, when he rejected Wen Ruyu and saw his reddened eyes on the verge of tears, he had inexplicably taken the gift.

And not just yesterday.

It seemed that since yesterday, he had been making exceptions again and again, constantly going soft on Wen Ruyu.

Fu Qingfeng had never been in love. Growing up, he had never felt his heart move for anyone. He did not know what it felt like to like someone.

He lowered his gaze gently. After several seconds of silence, he inexplicably took out his phone, his fingertips slightly stiff as he tapped open the search page.

Slowly, he typed a line on the screen.

[Why do I always go soft on someone?]

The search results loaded quickly. Almost the moment he pressed search, the page appeared.

[Always going soft on someone may be because you have strong empathy and a sensitive personality, allowing you to quickly resonate with the other person’s emotions. It may also be due to strong dependence on the other person and fear of losing the current relationship. It may also be a sign of deeply loving someone.]

Fu Qingfeng did not see a single other word. His gaze seemed fixed, landing directly on the final sentence.

[It may also be a sign of deeply loving someone.]

Deeply loving?

Those two light words felt like a stone thrown into his heart. His previously tangled thoughts abruptly stilled, and even the suffocating tightness in his chest paused along with it.

Did he… deeply love Wen Ruyu?

Even Fu Qingfeng himself could not answer.

If it had been before, he could have answered without hesitation that he did not love him. But now, he was not certain.

He was not sure whether he loved Wen Ruyu, but the moment he imagined Wen Ruyu no longer speaking to him in the future, no longer clinging to him, no longer walking him back, his heart tightened again and again, so tight that he could barely breathe.

That kind of discomfort felt worse than being beaten.

He seemed… to have truly fallen for the person he once found annoying.

Fu Qingfeng was not someone who wavered or hesitated. After thinking this through, the pent up irritation in his heart and the suffocating blockage in his chest both disappeared.

A hint of lightness unconsciously surfaced in his eyes.

He would just tell Wen Ruyu his feelings directly.

Wen Ruyu liked him so much. Hearing his confession, he should be very happy, right?

The corner of Fu Qingfeng’s lips lifted imperceptibly. He picked up his phone, about to send Wen Ruyu a message and tell him that he also liked—

But before he could finish editing the confession, his slender fingertips paused on the screen.

He looked thoughtfully at the chat interface with Wen Ruyu. A trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and a hint of conflict appeared on his handsome face.

Would directly sending a message to confess be too perfunctory?

Should a confession be more romantic?

He had heard that the person being confessed to seemed to like a sense of ceremony.

Would Wen Ruyu like that?

He probably would.

Thinking this, Fu Qingfeng immediately deleted the confession in the text box. Lowering his head, he tapped open the search page again, rare seriousness in his eyes as he began searching about confessions.

[How to confess romantically?]

[How to confess to someone you like?]

[What do people usually say when confessing?]

On the other side.

Wen Ruyu returned to the dormitory.

The moment he pushed open the dorm door, a faint scent of sandalwood rushed toward him, cool and oppressive.

It belonged to Chu Junheng.

Chu Junheng was sitting on a chair, one hand casually supporting his chin, his gaze heavy as it fell on Wen Ruyu. He had clearly been waiting for a long time.

And clearly heard him return together with Fu Qingfeng.

Chu Junheng’s gaze did not pause for even a moment. It immediately shifted to Wen Ruyu’s left hand. The finger that should have been wearing a ring was empty.

His already gloomy eyes darkened several degrees instantly. The air in the dormitory nearly froze.

Chu Junheng slowly opened his mouth. His voice was languid and lazy, yet carried an indescribable danger.

“I seem to have said you are not allowed to take it off, didn’t I?”

Wen Ruyu’s fingertips unconsciously tightened around the strap of his bag, his knuckles turning slightly pale from the force. He lowered his eyes faintly, long lashes covering the emotion within.

“I’m not used to wearing these things. It makes my finger uncomfortable.”

Chu Junheng let out a cold laugh. The sound was filled with undisguised mockery, and the suppressed hostility in his voice could not be hidden.

“Is it because it wasn’t given by Fu Qingfeng that you feel uncomfortable?”

Wen Ruyu did not hesitate even half a second. He lifted his eyes to look at Chu Junheng and answered cleanly with one word.

“Yes.”

He admitted it openly and directly, without the slightest concealment.

Chu Junheng clearly had not expected him to admit it so bluntly. The pressure around him instantly dropped to freezing point. His fingers clenched sharply, veins bulging faintly across his knuckles.

He abruptly stood up from the chair. His tall figure advanced step by step, his shadow instantly engulfing Wen Ruyu. The oppressive presence pressed down overwhelmingly.

“Wen Ruyu, your courage is getting bigger and bigger.”

He grabbed Wen Ruyu’s wrist. His voice was lowered to an extreme, carrying near obsessive gloom and anger.

“For Fu Qingfeng, you even dare to treat my words as—”

“Let’s be together.”

Before Chu Junheng could finish, Wen Ruyu spoke calmly, interrupting him.

Chu Junheng: “...?”

His entire body stiffened abruptly. The hostility around him stopped in that instant. His pitch black eyes were filled with astonishment, even doubt that he had misheard.

“What did you say?”

Wen Ruyu raised his eyes calmly, meeting Chu Junheng’s gaze without avoidance. He repeated clearly, word by word.

“I said.”

“Let’s be together.”

Wen Ruyu was not joking, nor was he trying to placate Chu Junheng.

He was doing it for Fu Qingfeng.

He could not protect Fu Qingfeng.

What happened at the hospital tonight was probably only the beginning.

When the original host’s group of admirers had no memories, he still could not protect Fu Qingfeng. Let alone now that they had memories.

The original host had burned those people to death in a single fire. That was an irreconcilable blood feud, and the trigger had been Fu Qingfeng. They would definitely make another move against him.

Seeking cooperation with Chu Junheng was the best choice.

Among the original host’s admirers, Chu Junheng had the best family background and the greatest power. He had the ability to protect Fu Qingfeng, at least far more than Wen Ruyu did.

And doing this did not break character.

If the original host had known someone wanted to kill Fu Qingfeng, he would have sacrificed himself without hesitation to find someone to protect him as well.

After fully processing what Wen Ruyu had said, Chu Junheng was completely stunned.

He had always been calm and self controlled, yet now his eyes widened slightly. His heartbeat pounded uncontrollably. Even his speech became somewhat unsteady.

“Be, be with me?”

“Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know.” Wen Ruyu looked up at him. His expression was calm, but his eyes carried a firmness as though he were prepared to risk everything.

“Fu Qingfeng almost died tonight.”

He paused, his tone deepening slightly. “That was definitely not an accident.”

“That man went straight for him. His target was clear. He wanted Fu Qingfeng’s life.”

“I suspect someone instructed him.”

Chu Junheng was not stupid. In just one second, he vaguely understood what Wen Ruyu meant. The excitement and astonishment in his eyes faded bit by bit, replaced by inescapable gloom and anger.

His grip on Wen Ruyu’s wrist unconsciously tightened, pressing hard enough to leave a faint red mark on his skin.

“You’re doing this for Fu Qingfeng?”

Wen Ruyu seemed not to feel the pain at all. He continued to look at him calmly, his tone as flat as if negotiating a transaction.

“Yes.”

“I’ll be with you. You protect Fu Qingfeng.”

“As long as you guarantee his safety, guarantee he won’t die, I will belong to you forever.”

His voice was calm, yet carried a trace of finality.

“If he dies.”

“I will die with him.”

Chu Junheng’s handsome face turned completely dark. He said nothing, only stared at Wen Ruyu with fixed intensity.

It was as if he had already begun counting down Fu Qingfeng’s remaining days.

Anyone who stood in his way.

Should not be allowed to live.

Rage churned violently in his pitch black eyes. From the moment he decided he wanted the person before him, he had never planned to let Fu Qingfeng live long.

And now, ironically, that same person was asking him to protect Fu Qingfeng.

Beyond the rage in his eyes was unwillingness and suffocation, and a trace of bitterness he refused to admit.

He had used every means at his disposal, willing to offer everything of himself. What he received was not affection, nor willing devotion, but a transaction using Fu Qingfeng as a bargaining chip.

What did Fu Qingfeng have that he did not?

Why was he inferior to him?

Because Chu Junheng remained silent for too long, Wen Ruyu assumed he had refused. He gently shook free of his hand.

“If you’re unwilling, then forget it.”

He turned and walked toward his bed, his tone still calm, as though discussing something trivial.

“I’ll find someone else.”

The moment he took a step, his wrist was seized again, this time with even greater force, nearly out of control.

Chu Junheng’s face was so dark it seemed it could drip water. Veins bulged across the back of his hand. Through gritted teeth, he forced out two words from his throat.

“Fine.”

He stared at Wen Ruyu, thick darkness rolling in his eyes. Every word carried hostility suppressed to the extreme.

“But I have one condition.”

“From now on, you are not allowed to have any involvement with Fu Qingfeng.”

“Not even a fraction.”

Wen Ruyu had never intended to have deeper involvement with Fu Qingfeng. The deeper the entanglement, the faster Fu Qingfeng would likely die. It would be best if everyone knew he no longer loved Fu Qingfeng.

And best if everyone knew he was together with Chu Junheng.

So upon hearing those words, Wen Ruyu did not hesitate at all. He raised his eyes to meet Chu Junheng’s gaze and responded calmly and decisively.

“Okay.”

Chapter 57

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