WCHM Chapter 25

Gu Yanyan had been at A University for less than a month. He only half-understood what these young masters and ladies were talking about, so upon reading that, he quickly typed to ask.

[I want to be Lu Chi’s personal ATM]: What do you mean by “prior record”? Does he have a criminal record?! How can A University allow someone like that in?!

[Licking Until the End of the World]: He’s the eldest young master of the Liang family, son of Liang Mingzhu, the CEO. How could he possibly have an official criminal record? We’re just talking about something that happened two years ago.

[I want to be Lu Chi’s personal ATM]: What happened two years ago?

[What’s Wrong With Teacher-Student Romance]: Tsk, are you missing hands or feet? We’re not your parents. Are you gonna ask us for our passwords, too? And by the way, I don’t like your username at all. Who do you think you are?!

Those rich kids didn’t have the best tempers. It was common for them to start quarreling mid-conversation, but whenever it came to Lu Chi, they’d unite on one front to curse Liang Jiashu. Therefore, Gu Yanyan was used to it. His expression didn’t change much as he kept thick-skinnedly asking questions and, soon enough, someone replied to him in the group.

[LC❤️LC]: It wasn’t much. Everyone knows that thanks to his family background, Young Master Liang became the Student Council President the moment he entered school. From freshman year to his third year of graduate school, no one dared to tell him to step down, since A University isn’t like other schools; the Student Council runs on connections, and the president basically has the same authority as the institute’s leaders, with a ton of power in his hands.

But back then, Liang Jiashu hadn’t even turned eighteen. Though a little cold and indifferent, since he’d only just entered A University, he still looked more like a gloomy mute child than a villain. That year, there was a male student from Biochemistry who tried to play dirty, using improper means to secure a guaranteed admission spot for graduate school. However, his boyfriend found out and spread his photos and videos around A University like flyers, to the point where even the old security guards were forced to watch the explicit clips several times.

The male student’s admission was canceled, and several male professors involved were suspended. In the end, that student didn’t dare go to the higher-ups. Thinking Liang Jiashu was young and easy to bully, he ran to his lab entrance, made a scene threatening suicide, and begged him for help. Rumor has it that, while crying, he even started taking off his clothes.

Gu Yanyan’s heart clenched.

[I want to be Lu Chi’s personal ATM]: …And then?

[What’s Wrong With Teacher-Student Romance]: And then what? That wacko dragged him up to the 18th floor rooftop, tied his arms behind him, and hung him head-down from a column by the windows! Even told him to jump right then if he was so eager to die. And then he just left.

That guy was so terrified he pissed himself, hanging there on the rooftop for two whole hours. By the time he was rescued, his mind had already broken, and, within a week, he dropped out and never appeared again.

Gu Yanyan’s face went pale as he couldn’t help but ask: Doesn’t that count as a crime?!

[What’s Wrong With Teacher-Student Romance]: That’s why we all say that the rich bastard is mentally abnormal. Who dares provoke a lunatic?! And besides, wasn’t it that idiot who asked for it first? How is that a crime?

[LC❤️LC]: And that’s not the only incident… There were quite a few other things that made it clear. Young Master Liang’s personality is rigid and old-fashioned, so he especially hates people who can’t be controlled. Teacher Lu is exactly the kind of flamboyant, showy person he detests most.]

[A University’s most delicious Lu Chi]: If it weren’t for Butterfly being so beautiful and dazzling, we might’ve really believed the wacko had fallen for him! That was close, that was close… turns out it’s not love, but hate!

That was close, that was close… turns out it’s not love, but hate!

The group chat was soon flooded with copy-pastes of that phrase, but Gu Yanyan frowned, feeling like things weren’t as optimistic as they thought. And yet, when he thought it over carefully, he realized that every time he’d seen Liang Jiashu with Lu Chi, his expression hadn’t been very good.

Even that night when he hugged Lu Chi and openly declared war on Liang Jiashu, the guy hadn’t come charging over to drive him away. Afterwards, Gu Yanyan even waited nervously for two weeks, but retaliation never arrived.

Clearly, Liang Jiashu hadn’t been that angry.

Maybe during those two weeks, Liang Jiashu had just been buried day and night in the lab. But would someone who really liked another person be that magnanimous?

If it were Gu Yanyan and Lu Chi together… even if the one hugging Lu Chi was his own uncle, he’d still happily stab Gu Jie, that cheap bastard, to death.

Gu Yanyan thought about it, looking at Liang Jiashu’s expressionless face in the distance, then at Lu Chi’s profile as he played piano. Suddenly, he tightened his grip on his phone, hope stirring in his chest.

Piano notes tinkled and flowed, echoing through the vast classroom. Today was an instruments course, and Lu Chi was very professional, his pale, slender fingertips pressing the black and white keys, producing a fluent melody.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding his fine lashes with a halo. When he lowered his eyes, he always gave others an illusion of gentleness, but when the piece ended, he propped his chin on his hand, lazily smiling at them.

“Does anyone know this piece?”

A face full of unconscious charm, like a max-level succubus back in the newbie village.

The students instantly forgot the group chat and raised their hands in a rush. A hundred pairs of bright eyes locked on Lu Chi, like kindergarten kids staring at their beautiful teacher, filled with expectation and adoration.

Even Gu Yanyan, normally invisible in class, raised his hand.

Lu Chi’s classes weren’t the most elite, but the atmosphere was the best. He had both rich young masters and kids from ordinary families, so students who usually hated each other managed to coexist peacefully in the same classroom. However, in that friendly atmosphere, someone kept staring at Lu Chi, dressed in a black shirt that looked like a death god’s uniform… like the next second he’d pull out a scythe and start hacking at them.

Lu Chi ignored him and called on others, smiling as he praised one, then another. The students were thrilled, feeling that attending his class resembled chasing a star up close. At the end, they even begged tearfully: “Can we still see you again? Teacher, take me with you, please, please…”

Lu Chi’s light-brown eyes curved, and he waved with a carefree hand as he left.

For an entire week, all his courses were instrument-related. Sometimes he played guitar, sometimes violin. Since it was teaching, he also called several students up on stage, Gu Yanyan included.

The lecture hall was huge, and the Protagonist Shou had already dyed his hair back to black, his features looking delicate and natural. Fueled by a rush of hot-blooded impulse, Gu Yanyan had raised his hand to volunteer. But once on stage, he was so nervous he didn’t even know where to put his hands as he sat on the piano bench, terrified he might break something he couldn’t afford to replace.

He had never even seen a real piano before. Now, with countless eyes fixed on him, a wave of shame, awkwardness, and inferiority washed over him, his face turning red and pale in turns.

However, Lu Chi acted as if he hadn’t noticed his distress. He quickly bent down at his side, tested a few keys, made sure everything was fine, and then began his lecture.

Gu Yanyan pursed his lips and watched him.

Lu Chi smelled faintly fragrant; whatever soap he used, it was clean and subtle, yet enticing. His speaking tone was also so pleasant. From the back row, it wasn’t obvious, but up close, the light smile in his voice was unmistakable.

Lazy yet earnest, he interacted with the students without hurry, even turning back to guide Gu Yanyan’s hands on the keys, completely at ease. The whole person glowed brilliantly, like the warm, dazzling sunlight outside the windows.

Following his instructions, Gu Yanyan pressed the keys. After a moment, he realized it wasn’t actually that hard. In fact… for him, it was rather easy.

If only… if only when he was younger, he’d had the conditions. If only his parents’ compensation money hadn’t been stolen. If only he hadn’t been born into that remote, impoverished place…

A beautiful voice reached his ears.

“Gu Yanyan.”

Startled, Gu Yanyan snapped back, quickly lifting his eyes only to see Lu Chi leaning casually against the piano, one brow arched at him.

“You can head back now.”

Then, with the slender, cold pointer in his hand, he lightly tapped Gu Yanyan on the shoulder. Looking at his newly black-dyed hair, Lu Chi gave a knowing little smile.

“You played very well just now. Not a single mistake.” Smiling, he even added, “You’re very good.”

“……”

Bang!

Lu Chi froze. Before his eyes, the blushing Protagonist Shou suddenly shot up, knocking over the bench and, in front of everyone, fell flat on his face. Then, scrambling to his feet, he snatched up the pointer stick from his hand, bent over in embarrassment with his ears burning, and bolted out of the classroom. Within three seconds, he was gone.

Lu Chi: “……”

The students: “……”

The system, stupefied after binge-reading yet another avalanche of cheap romance novels: [Uh… what the hell just happened? Did the Protagonist Shou suddenly get urgent diarrhea?]

Lu Chi: […Erase that book from your memory.]

System: […Oh.]

The system sneaked off, crestfallen. As for Lu Chi, he set the piano bench upright, feeling completely baffled. He didn’t know what had gotten into Gu Yanyan, but he quickly regained composure and continued teaching.

Only… how come he suddenly had no pointer stick?!

However, he didn’t notice how the students in front had dropped their heads, typing furiously on their phones. Nor did he see Liang Jiashu snap his pen clean in half, as a chilling, icy fury flashed in his black eyes.

He was staring death at the piano bench Gu Yanyan had sat on, gaze sharp enough to kill.

………………

Inside the very last stall of A University’s Conservatory restroom, Gu Yanyan leaned back, breathing hard while clutching the cold pointer stick in his arms. The lingering touch on his shoulder still burned, and, in his ears, Lu Chi’s voice seemed to echo.

He had praised him for being good… Smiled at him with eyes curving sweetly, a smile so sweet it made one want to lick it…

But when Lu Chi bent down, Gu Yanyan had caught a glimpse through his collar of something that should not have been there… faint traces of kisses.

In that instant, everything snapped into place. Scenes lined up one after another, and suddenly he understood.

There was no need to say who the “other person” was.

His phone buzzed with group notifications. After a long moment, Gu Yanyan let out a low breath, his chest heaving until he calmed down. Then he lowered his gaze and opened the group.

[Butterfly Addicts Anonymous Group 6]

[A University’s most delicious Lu Chi]: Did I see that wrong?! It can’t possibly be what I think it is… right?!

[Licking Until the End of the World]: What shameless rat actually dared to touch my idol… I f***ing swear I’ll—!

[What’s Wrong With Teacher-Student Romance]: Where’s this rat’s info?! I have to bully him!

Reading that, Gu Yanyan gave a small, faint smile. Then he pocketed his phone, stepped out of the stall, and calmly washed his hands at the sink. After drying them, he paused in thought, then opened his contacts to a stranger’s number and began typing.

[183…987]: Please send me Liang Jiashu’s file.

A moment later, several messages came back, but Gu Yanyan didn’t look at them. Through the wall, the sound of A University’s class bell rang. The tall and thin boy raised his eyes, staring at his reflection, his delicate, fair face reflected in the mirror. After a long while, he suddenly thought:

He and Gu Jie were, after all, truly of the same blood.

For the things they wanted, they could recklessly throw every weight they had onto the scale, just for that sliver of a chance at victory.

They were born gamblers.

……………………………

Enjoyed this chapter of WCHM? You can support me and read up to Chapter 32 here, with 5 new chapters coming next week, on 05.12.2025! Happy Reading!