Chapter 4: A Bitter First Class and a Sweet Revenge Plot

The lecture hall buzzed with a mix of excitement and apprehension as the first specialized course for university freshmen began.

Su Mian had arrived particularly early, securing a seat with a clear view of the entrance. He waited with eager anticipation for Shen Zhixia.

When her familiar silhouette finally appeared, a wide smile instantly blossomed on his face, and he raised a hand to wave.

However, his smile froze the very next second. Shen Zhixia was not alone; beside her stood Xiao Moyuan, a figure who seemed to radiate an aura of brilliance wherever he went.

As the two walked into the classroom side-by-side, Shen Zhixia tilted her head, speaking animatedly. Her eyes and brows held a bright, joyful smile that Su Mian had never witnessed before.

Xiao Moyuan, though still maintaining his usual detached demeanor, subtly inclined his head, listening intently and occasionally nodding.

The sight pierced Su Mian’s heart like a delicate needle.

“Zhixia, over here!” Su Mian forced down the bitterness, calling out to her.

Shen Zhixia looked his way, offering a smiling nod, but made no move to approach him. Instead, she turned to Xiao Moyuan and asked, “Shall we sit over there?” She gestured towards a window seat in the front row.

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze swept casually across the room. When it passed over Su Mian, he barely paused, as if Su Mian were nothing more than an irrelevant piece of furniture.

This inherent sense of superiority inexplicably ignited a fury within Su Mian.

“Mm.” Xiao Moyuan responded with a faint hum, and the two walked directly towards the front.

Su Mian stood alone, feeling like a complete joke. He clenched his fists, a surge of indignation and jealousy clouding his mind.

Seeing Xiao Moyuan about to settle beside Shen Zhixia, he found an unknown courage, striding over and speaking in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:

“Oh, so even a top scholar like you is interested in our basic specialized courses? I thought a genius like you would have already self-studied all your university material.”

The words, laced with a sharpness he himself detected, hung in the air. Several curious classmates turned to look.

Xiao Moyuan, who had been about to place his books down, paused. He finally lifted his eyes, looking directly at Su Mian.

His gaze was cold and scrutinizing, sweeping from Su Mian’s overly long bangs, which almost obscured his eyes, down to his unfashionable black-framed glasses, and then to his slender body, slightly tense with nervousness.

“Classmate,” Xiao Moyuan’s voice was utterly flat, yet it struck like a shard of ice,

“if you have questions about the teaching progress, you can suggest to the professor that they open a separate course for you. As for what interests me, it hardly seems necessary to report it to you.”

His tone was not aggressive, but it carried an undeniable condescension, instantly casting Su Mian as an unreasonable nuisance.

Shen Zhixia also frowned slightly, tugging on Su Mian’s sleeve. “A’Mian, don’t be like that,” she whispered.

Su Mian’s face flushed crimson. Xiao Moyuan’s undisguised assessment made him feel like a defective product being evaluated, a potent mix of inferiority and humiliation washing over him.

He parted his lips, yet found himself unable to utter a single rebuttal. Under the subtle gazes of his peers, he turned away in mortified defeat, practically fleeing to the last row of the classroom and sinking into a corner seat.

For the entire lecture, he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. Not a single word the professor spoke registered in his mind.

His eyes, against his will, kept darting to the front row, watching Shen Zhixia occasionally lean in to whisper with Xiao Moyuan, observing Xiao Moyuan’s tall, straight back.

The resentment and anger in his heart grew like rampant weeds.

When the dismissal bell rang, Su Mian was the first to bolt out of the classroom.

He couldn’t bear the sight of the two of them leaving side-by-side.

***

Back in his dorm, he flung himself onto his bed, burying his face in his quilt.

The embarrassment of the morning still clung to him. In reality, he felt like a mere clown, utterly outmatched by Xiao Moyuan. But… wasn’t there still the internet?

Thinking of “Sweetheart Marshmallow,” a spark of vengeful fire ignited in Su Mian’s eyes. ‘You humiliated me in real life; online, I’ll make you obsessed with me, then ruthlessly dump you!’

He snatched up his phone, tapping on the pink cat avatar.

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, what are you doing? I’m in a bad mood today, I really want Gege to comfort me~ (crying emoji)

After sending the message, he thought savagely, ‘Hook, line, and sinker, you bastard!’

The other party’s reply was still slow, but significantly faster than before.

–Yuan: ?

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: It’s just a really annoying person! So arrogant and pretentious, and they made me lose face in front of so many people… boo hoo.

–Yuan: Mm.

It was a single, cold word.

Su Mian gritted his teeth, deciding to up the ante.

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, do you want to see what I’m wearing today? Maybe if you see it, your mood will also improve~

He resolved to administer a strong dose. Since Xiao Moyuan seemed susceptible to “seduction,” he would play to his preferences and thoroughly enchant him first!

Su Mian’s heart pounded, a mix of vengeful thrill and the tension of venturing into unknown territory.

There was no cross-dressing involved. Since it was about seduction, Su Mian chose a somewhat neutral yet refined outfit – a slightly oversized, soft knit sweater with a wide neckline that slipped down slightly, revealing his distinct collarbones and a small portion of his shoulder.

Fortunately, his roommates hadn’t returned yet. He changed into the clothes, adjusting his angles in the dorm mirror to ensure his bangs and glasses obscured most of his face, leaving only his chin visible.

He took a deep breath and pressed the shutter.

In the photograph, the loose neckline slid diagonally, clearly displaying his slender yet elegantly sculpted collarbones, along with a small portion of his dazzlingly fair shoulder.

Just below his left collarbone, a tiny, crimson mole stood out prominently against his almost translucent skin. He himself paid no mind to it.

He checked several times, ensuring his facial features were completely hidden, before sending the photo.

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: [Image]

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege, is it nice? I took it just for you, you know.

This time, the other party’s silence stretched longer than ever before.

Su Mian gripped his phone nervously, his palms growing sweaty. Was the suggestive level not high enough? Or… had something been discovered?

Just as his anxiety mounted and he was on the verge of recalling the message, the other party replied.

–Yuan: Your collarbones are beautiful.

Su Mian had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief.

–Yuan: But I don’t like things hidden.

–Yuan: Dare to show your face?

Su Mian’s heart plummeted.

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: Ah? Gege, I… I’m a little shy. I didn’t put on makeup today, so I don’t look good…

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: But if Gege is willing to have an online relationship with me, I can try to show my face.

–Yuan: Then we can talk about an online relationship after you show your face.

Though Su Mian was eager, he understood the principle of not rushing things.

What he wanted now was more than just a simple online relationship; he wanted the other party to fall for “Sweetheart Marshmallow.”

Only then would dumping the person later bring him the satisfaction of revenge.

Over the next few days, Su Mian daily pestered Xiao Moyuan with flirtatious messages, calling him “Gege” incessantly. Practice made perfect, and the photos he sent gradually became more revealing.

–Sweetheart Marshmallow: Today is another day of missing Gege. My mind misses you, my whole body misses you [Attached: photo of legs].