Chapter 131: An Unlikely Designer

“Third day without Xiao Yu. I miss her.”

After the first class of the afternoon, Liu Hong slumped dejectedly onto his desk. He had lost count of how many times he’d sighed today; he simply couldn’t help it.

Even after discovering that Liu Ying was Xiao Yu, Liu Hong still found the transformative power of makeup hard to believe.

But he liked Xiao Yu for who she was, not just for her face.

That was why he wasn’t angry, even though Liu Ying had intentionally deceived him.

He was just… a little bit down.

Before he knew the truth, he had foolishly tried to play matchmaker, attempting to set Liu Ying up with Lin Qing. The thought of it now made him realize he had only been digging his own grave.

Another heavy sigh escaped Liu Hong as he recalled the things he’d said to Lin Qing.

Why was his love life so cursed?

Whether it was Su Yao or Xiao Yu, every one of his crushes seemed destined to go nowhere. ‘No,’ he thought, ‘it’s not over yet. I can’t give up so soon!’

Lin Qing’s rejection of Xiao Yu had been firm. No matter how hard she pursued him, there was no future for them.

So, he could lie low, bide his time, and then, when Xiao Yu was tired of chasing, he would swoop in as the comforting shoulder to cry on.

He would win her heart in a single stroke.

A sinister chuckle escaped him.

“Brother Liu, what’s with that creepy smile? You’re not missing your little Xiao Yu anymore?”

Just as Liu Hong was lost in his plotting, Zhou Lin’s voice cut through his thoughts.

Liu Hong turned toward the sound, and a phone suddenly appeared, landing on a nearby desk.

It was facing him directly.

The screen lit up, displaying a full-screen, makeup-free photo of Liu Ying.

She looked plain, her face covered in freckles.

Liu Hong cried out in shock, squeezing his eyes shut with a pained expression, unable to look at the screen a moment longer.

“See, Brother Liu? I told you. You’re all about looks. Liu Ying only gets pretty with makeup. You should find yourself a natural beauty!”

As Liu Hong kept his eyes shut, Wang Jian’s voice followed.

Zhou Lin snickered, snatching his phone back and high-fiving Wang Jian.

They were right.

Brother Liu was only smitten with Xiao Yu’s face.

“You two little bastards, are you itching for a kick?”

When Liu Hong opened his eyes again, he saw his two underlings grinning from ear to ear. He shot up from his seat, grabbing the one who got away—Wang Jian—and yanking him into a headlock.

A powerful man restraining another man!

As for Zhou Lin, the instigator, he had seen Liu Hong’s eyes open and immediately made a run for it, escaping capture.

Watching Wang Jian suffer in the headlock, Zhoulin raised a hand and made the sign of the cross over his chest in mock pity.

‘Poor brother,’ he thought. ‘May you rest in peace.’

“What are you all doing?”

As Zhou Lin was enjoying the show from the sidelines, Lin Qing’s curious voice sounded out. Zhou Lin turned to see Lin Qing, who had just returned, and immediately pointed toward the scuffle.

Seeing Liu Hong so full of energy, Lin Qing thought it was a good thing he hadn’t fallen into despair after learning Liu Ying’s identity.

But he wondered how Liu Hong would react if he found out about Liu Ying’s compensated dating.

“Lin Qing, you knew Liu Ying was Xiao Yu all along, didn’t you?”

As Lin Qing watched the scene unfold, Zhou Lin’s sudden question made him turn. He nodded without hesitation.

There was no point in hiding it.

He hadn’t told Liu Hong because Liu Ying had been so insistent on keeping her two identities separate, and Lin Qing had thought he could use that as leverage.

But who would have guessed that Liu Ying would expose herself?

“Hey, Lin Qing, let me be straight with you.”

After seeing Lin Qing nod, Zhou Lin sighed, his expression turning serious. “Liu Ying hid her identity to get close to you. Brother Liu was just collateral damage. You both need to be careful with that woman. She’s definitely not a good person!”

For the usually cheerful Zhou Lin to become so earnest was a rare sight, making him appear remarkably stern.

Both Zhou Lin and Wang Jian had disliked Xiao Yu from the start. Now that they knew she was Liu Ying, their aversion had only deepened.

Unfortunately, Brother Liu was so caught up in his infatuation that he was beyond saving.

Zhou Lin’s warning to Lin Qing stemmed from a genuine fear that he might soften toward Liu Ying, only to get burned in the end.

After all, with makeup on, Liu Ying was quite attractive, and men were often susceptible to women.

No matter what, Lin Qing was still a man.

Even if he had the campus belle Su Yao as a potential partner, an old saying came to mind.

‘The flowers at home are never as fragrant as the ones in the wild.’

What if Lin Qing grew tired of Su Yao and wanted a change of pace?

And with Liu Ying throwing herself at him, it would be even harder to resist.

Zhou Lin had seen many friends go through similar situations. Very few managed to hold back, and even then, it was often due to external reasons, not their own willpower.

“I think you should be more concerned with convincing Liu Hong. There’s absolutely no chance of anything happening between me and Liu Ying.”

Lin Qing heard the warning in Zhou Lin’s words. He couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated. Wasn’t his constant rejection of her obvious enough?

“Brother Liu… let’s just forget it. We can only wait for him to hit a wall and snap out of it himself.”

“But you’ve rarely been around girls, Lin Qing. I’m worried you’ll be tempted by her.”

Zhou Lin shook his head, having already given up on trying to reason with Liu Hong.

Hearing Zhou Lin’s concern, Lin Qing shook his head and offered a firm reassurance.

“Don’t worry. No matter how much Liu Ying tries to get close to me, I will never like her.”

“Though I’ve never been in a relationship, my mother taught me from a young age that when you like someone, you must do so with your whole heart. You only have one, and it cannot be split in two.”

As he spoke, the image of a certain person suddenly surfaced in his mind.

‘Why am I thinking of her?’

Lin Qing quickly shook his head, pushing the thought away.

“Oh my god, Lin Qing, you’re so pure!”

After hearing Lin Qing’s earnest declaration of pure love, Zhou Lin couldn’t help but cover his mouth with his hands. He suddenly felt his worries had been completely misplaced.

He truly hoped Lin Qing would find the one he was looking for.

A man as devoted as Lin Qing was a rare find these days!

“It’s just that my views on love are rather traditional.”

Zhou Lin’s surprised reaction made Lin Qing feel a little shy. He decided to end the conversation there and walked back to his seat.

Zhou Lin was left standing there, still in awe. ‘A man so loyal in love must also be a great friend,’ he mused. ‘Brother Liu’s taste in women is terrible, but his judgment of men is spot on!’

‘Maybe Brother Liu should just forget about girlfriends and find a boyfriend instead.’

“Gotcha, you little punk!”

Just as Zhou Lin was contemplating Liu Hong’s future dating prospects, Liu Hong himself snuck up from behind, catching him off guard and locking him in a swift headlock.

Another powerful man restraining another man.

Wang Jian, finally free, watched Zhou Lin’s predicament with immense satisfaction.

True happiness, it seemed, was built upon the suffering of others.

“Alright, everyone, quiet down. The school festival is tomorrow. Our class decided on a cross-dressing café theme, but while we’ve prepared the venue and utensils, we still haven’t sorted out the costumes. So, we’ll be using this afternoon’s classes to work on that.”

During the afternoon session, the homeroom teacher appeared silently at the front of the classroom. He tapped a rolled-up book on the lectern to get everyone’s attention.

The mention of the school festival immediately quieted the room.

But when they heard they wouldn’t have any more classes today, the classroom erupted into cheers once more.

“Yes! The last two periods are math! We lucked out!”

“We’re finally making the costumes? I was just starting to worry about them!”

“What’s there to worry about? Comet Group is amazing. Making costumes for our class would be a piece of cake for them.”

“I’m going to wear a pretty dress, and no one can stop me!”

The homeroom teacher watched his excited students with a smile. “I know you’re all very excited, but I’m not finished yet.”

“This is the internationally renowned designer invited by Comet Group, Mr. Lin Ran.”

As the teacher finished speaking, the classroom door opened. A figure wearing sunglasses and a vibrant, color-blocked long dress strode in. A woman? She stood at the podium with an imposing aura. Her six-foot-three frame made the teacher standing beside her feel rather small.

Facing the curious gazes of the students, the person removed their sunglasses, revealing the face of a man.

The students were instantly bewildered, but they thought, ‘Maybe they just have masculine features!’

“Hello, everyone. I am Lin Ran. I’ve accepted Comet Group’s commission and hope to create beautiful clothes for all of you.”

However, the moment he spoke, his deep voice confirmed he was indeed a man.

Looking at the garishly colored dress he wore, the students felt they truly did not understand art.

‘Something simple would have been fine…’

“Alright, girls, please head to the changing room for measurements. The boys will stay here in the classroom.”

Seeing his students staring at Lin Ran in stunned silence, the beleaguered homeroom teacher had to rally. He quickly gave instructions and then ushered the girls out of the room.

Several assistants entered from outside, each holding measuring tools, looking utterly professional.

This sight sparked a new wave of anticipation among the students. They were getting custom outfits from an internationally renowned designer for free. What a deal!

“Okay, you can take off your clothes now. Trousers too. Just leave on your underwear.”

Lin Ran’s next words, however, left everyone frozen in place.

‘It’s just for measurements,’ they thought. ‘We don’t need to strip down this much, do we?’

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