Wang Ziqin had brought his favorite red supercar worth tens of millions. Such a luxury car was a rare sight, and students passing by couldn’t help sneaking glances. Once it stopped at the school gate, it immediately became a striking scene. The front trunk was open, filled with flowers: a pink floral base topped with red roses arranged into a bright red heart, decorated with LED star strings. On closer inspection, all the flowers were preserved, not fresh.
He wore a crisp white suit, had styled his hair with wax, looking exceptionally dashing.
Even a fool could tell he was a rich heir making a grand romantic gesture. Many students pulled out their phones to snap photos and record videos to post on social media, hoping for likes.
Shen Yuan, following his usual route home from the south gate, noticed some students hurrying over, curious about the commotion. Glancing over, he saw a crowd gathered. Curious, he leaned in—and his eyes met Wang Ziqin’s, who looked anxious and scanning the crowd.
They froze.
In an instant, Shen Yuan saw the car, the trunk full of flowers, and understood immediately. His face twisted in shock.
He panicked, wanting to escape. But Wang Ziqin reacted faster, calling out: “Shen Yuan!!”
Shen Yuan tried to step back, but the crowd pressed in, pushing him forward instead.
Once Wang Ziqin’s call revealed him, everyone turned their attention to Shen Yuan. Being somewhat well-known at school, the onlookers gasped. Shen Yuan wanted to hide, but people pushed him straight in front of Wang Ziqin.
His face turned green with embarrassment.
Wang Ziqin knelt on one knee before him, presenting a small box and looking up at him.
The crowd erupted:
“Whoa! I’ve never seen a man propose to another man in public, and he’s so handsome!”
“Isn’t that Vice President Shen? I always thought he was… gay.”
“So romantic! And so rich!”
It was winter, dusk falling. Wang Ziqin couldn’t see Shen Yuan’s expression clearly but had anticipated resistance. Still, the atmosphere moved him to tears: “I’ve done many wrongs to you before. I promise from now on, I will never hurt you again. I will love and cherish you forever. I won’t stray. If you forgive me, I will spend my life making it up to you. Be with me, Shen Yuan.”
Shen Yuan: “……”
Wait, something felt off.
Damn it—what is Wang Ziqin trying to do?
Wang Ziqin opened the box. Instead of a ring, it held a Patek Philippe watch. Expensive, still drawing a gasp from the crowd.
With the car, roses, handsome guy, and luxury watch, plus a backstory of twists and romance, the crowd went wild. Someone shouted, “Say yes!” Others joined in, chanting: “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!”
Shen Yuan’s hands trembled with anger.
Public proposals were romantic if both were in love and just one last barrier remained. Otherwise, it was forceful and overbearing.
Taking a deep breath amidst the cheers, he coldly said to Wang Ziqin: “You’re insane.”
His voice was light, almost floating, and instantly silenced the crowd.
Shen Yuan turned and gave the people blocking his path a cold glare. They shivered and moved aside, letting him pass. He left Wang Ziqin standing alone, red and pale, nearly in tears, while he didn’t even look back.
Wang Ziqin’s public proposal had drawn attention—videos were taken, posted on school social media, and local news outlets. A rich heir proposing to a handsome guy was rare; everyone recognized both parties. Shock rippled across the student body.
During the ten-minute walk home, Shen Yuan opened WeChat to find messages flooding in:
Friend A: [Did Wang Ziqin propose to you??? What the hell happened?]
Friend B: [I suspected something between you two… When did this start?]
Friend C: [I just realized you’re into guys. No wonder you never dated girls. It’s okay, I support you!]
Friend D: [You’d better accept him, or he’ll go bother other girls.]
Shen Yuan was speechless. He had hidden his sexuality for years, been with Qiao Hailou for months, and never came out—and now Wang Ziqin had inadvertently outed him.
He decided to play dead, blocking Wang Ziqin, posting a neutral statement denying any relationship, then uninstalled all news apps to avoid seeing it. He’d deal with it later.
Unfortunately, bad news spreads fast.
One video made it to K City news’ social media accounts. High-profile subjects, luxury car, watch, and a shocking headline drew massive attention. Now not only was he outed at school, but K City’s million followers knew too.
That evening, Aunt Hui was the first to notice: [Don’t worry about Wang Ziqin. I’ll contact the media to delete it.]
Shen Yuan panicked: [How much will it cost? I’ll pay.]
Lin Zhihui: [Don’t worry, won’t be much. I have connections in PR.]
Aunt Hui went to handle it. Shen Yuan insisted on sending five thousand yuan, unsure if it was enough. Heartbroken, he cursed Wang Ziqin for draining his wallet.
Then Li Lin called frantically: “Bro, what happened? I saw a male proposal video on TikTok… that guy looks like you?”
Shen Yuan sighed: “Send me the link and uploader ID. I’ll get it deleted.”
Li Lin: “Wait, that’s really you?! You accepted? Didn’t you say no romance before exams?”
Shen Yuan: “I didn’t. I rejected him. Now go back to study—focus.”
Minutes later, Aunt Hui confirmed: [It’s handled, all videos deleted.]
Shen Yuan reinstalled the apps and saw: all content marked deleted. He finally relaxed, realizing only Qiao Hailou could have pulled it off.
Thinking of this, his feelings became complicated.
Now calm, he worried: he had publicly humiliated Wang Ziqin. Ziqin wasn’t always patient; what if he retaliated and exposed Shen Yuan and Qiao Hailou? He couldn’t exactly beg him not to.
Qiao Hailou, frowning, thought: Wang Ziqin’s actions, even unsuccessful, were like a public slap. He immediately devised several ways to deal with him, determined to permanently prevent any further interference with Shen Yuan.
Just then, Qiao Hailou’s custom ringtone rang—Shen Yuan calling. His fierce expression softened instantly: “What’s wrong?”
Shen Yuan stammered: “Wang Ziqin… did you hire PR to handle him?”
“Yes,” Qiao Hailou said, unapologetically. “Don’t worry, I took care of it.”
Shen Yuan asked: “I’m worried… if he finds out about us, what if our secret is exposed?”
He felt guilty, subtly guiding Qiao Hailou to agree to handle it. He still hadn’t reconciled with him, but only Qiao Hailou could resolve this.
Qiao Hailou didn’t immediately promise, making Shen Yuan anxious.
Finally, he said gravely: “If it comes to that… I’ll take responsibility. We’ll get married, making it clear we’re in a legally recognized relationship, not an improper affair.”
Shen Yuan froze, cheeks burning: “Are you crazy?! I haven’t agreed to get back together!”
Qiao Hailou laughed heartily: “Relax, just kidding. I’ve got it handled, trust me.”
He reassured Shen Yuan, hung up, then his smile faded, leaving him slightly melancholy. He tested the waters, but the situation remained tricky…