Chapter 138

Jin Fei remarked that Cheng Ang was someone with a lot of romantic luck, always attracting people with his charming appearance and seemingly dependable demeanor. However, when it came to relationships, he was nothing but a scoundrel—hypocritical and shallow, hiding his true self.

But when it came to Sun Yujie, Jin Fei noticed that it was the first time Cheng Ang actually seemed to care about someone.

Su Bin scoffed, “Cared? When Sun Yujie broke up with him, he didn’t even try to stop it!”

Jin Fei replied, “Because he knew he couldn’t give what was needed. He’s always been rational about these things.”

Su Bin questioned, “If he’s so rational, why did he get involved with Xiao Jie in the first place? He knew how Xiao Jie felt about him. Was he just toying with him from the start?”

Jin Fei pondered, “It’s hard to say… Ang has always lived for appearances. He cares too much about what others think, so he tries to maintain a perfect image everywhere he goes. Because of that, he rarely confronts his own desires. Xiao Jie’s situation was the first time I saw him lose control because of his feelings—it was unprecedented… You know about him taking Xiao Jie to Greece for Christmas, right?”

Su Bin nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

Jin Fei continued, “That was also the first time he hid something from everyone because of his own feelings. The old him would never have done that. I’m sure the time he spent with Xiao Jie must have been very difficult for him. So, what he did on New Year’s Eve didn’t surprise me. Their breakup was inevitable; that’s just the way he is.”

Su Bin gave Jin Fei a sidelong glance, “Why do I feel like you’re defending Cheng Ang?”

Jin Fei grinned, “It’s called ‘know your enemy, win a hundred battles.’”

Su Bin laughed, “You’re still holding a grudge against him? It’s been almost five years since your first love, and you still haven’t let it go?”

Jin Fei clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes, “No way am I letting him off so easily. I’m going to make sure I see him looking all pitiful and pathetic in front of me, and then I’ll mock him a bit—that’ll be satisfying!”

Su Bin suddenly understood what Jin Fei meant by the “price” he mentioned earlier. He couldn’t help but imagine a scene where Cheng Ang was begging Jin Fei—

Cheng Ang, frowning, would say, “Jin Fei, tell me how Xiao Jie is doing.”

Jin Fei would smirk wickedly, “Haha, you want to know? Beg me for it, beg me~~”

After holding out for a moment, Cheng Ang would finally swallow his pride and say, “Jin Fei, I’m begging you~~~”

…Ah, QAQ… It felt so twisted, yet so satisfying…

“Speaking of which, for someone to change that scumbag so much, Xiao Jie must be pretty capable,” Jin Fei mused, a mischievous smile on his face. “After all, it’s not like Ang has never been with someone skilled in bed before, so why was he so fixated on Xiao Jie…” Before he could finish, a pillow thrown by Su Bin hit him square in the face.

Damn it, this guy! Even though he’s doing much wilder things with Allen every night, why is he still so shy? Jin Fei thought bitterly.

As Sun Yujie’s friend, Su Bin had watched him get hurt deeply in this doomed relationship, so he naturally took some pleasure in Cheng Ang’s misery. Unfortunately, Sun Yujie probably didn’t want to see Cheng Ang again, so there was little chance of witnessing Cheng Ang’s tearful, miserable breakdown.

However, the next day, Su Bin was surprised when Sun Yujie mentioned a change of heart.

“I still want to go to Cheng Ang’s graduation party,” Sun Yujie mumbled, looking down as if he had done something wrong. “No matter what happened before, he’s graduating. As just a regular classmate, we should at least congratulate him… Besides, I think this will be the last time I see him.”

Su Bin felt a bit powerless seeing Sun Yujie like this…

“If you want to go, just go. Why are you so conflicted?” Su Bin said with a smile to comfort him. “I’ll go with you.”

Sun Yujie looked up at Su Bin with a grateful expression…

“What?” Su Bin asked.

Sun Yujie sheepishly replied, “I thought you’d say I had no backbone.”

Su Bin was speechless.

Sun Yujie sighed, “Yeah, I feel pretty pathetic too…”

“No, Xiao Jie, I think you’re brave.” If it were Su Bin, he would’ve probably just hidden away like a turtle. “You could invite Andy too. Cheng Ang reserved the place and even said people could bring friends. No point in missing out! I’ve seen you getting along well with Andy; you’re practically friends now, right? If you feel down, at least you’ll have someone to go home with.” Su Bin admitted he had some ulterior motives when he said that.

Sun Yujie agreed that it made sense and decided to talk to Andy about it that evening.

On the day of the party, when Jin Fei heard that Sun Yujie was really bringing Andy along, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Come on, let’s go watch the show!” Jin Fei drove, picked up Su Bin, and they headed to Hua Zhixin.

When they arrived at the hotel, it was packed with international students eager to attend the lavish graduation banquet. Su Bin scanned the crowd but didn’t recognize many people, thinking that even if Sun Yujie and Andy arrived, Cheng Ang might not even see them in the crowd!

“Where are you?” Su Bin called Sun Yujie, “Are you here yet?”

Sun Yujie replied, “On the way.”

Su Bin reassured him, “We’re already inside. There are a lot of people, so don’t worry about running into him.”

Sun Yujie chuckled, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

The grand hall of Hua Zhixin had been transformed for the banquet, similar to one Su Bin had attended in D City with Allen. Each table was adorned with flowers, fine wine, and exquisite dishes.

However, compared to the previous event, this one had a bit of a knockoff vibe. You could tell just from the guests’ attire.

Most of them were students, and not many could afford custom-made formal wear. A lot of people were clearly just there for the free food, with all sorts of people showing up.

In contrast, Su Bin’s attire for the evening was quite appropriate. He hadn’t even tried too hard—he just naturally chose a tailcoat Allen had given him. Though not as flashy as Jin Fei’s designer brands, Su Bin still exuded a subtle charm. Having been to grander events, he seemed more composed here.

Jin Fei hadn’t been standing with his drink for long before several people came up to greet him. It was clear that “Boss Jin” was a well-known figure in the Chinese student community in M City. Several people even joked about him throwing a party like Cheng Ang’s.

Jin Fei brushed back his hair and said, “Does your big brother need a party like this to prove his worth?”

“Haha, no, no! You’ve already become a legend among the Chinese international students here over the past three years…”

“Thinking about you leaving, we’re going to feel a bit lost without you around!”

Jin Fei snorted, “Oh, please. It’s not like I organized these things—you guys were the ones clinging to me!”

Jin Fei was chatting and laughing with them, and Su Bin found it interesting to listen in. He had always thought Jin Fei was a slick, unserious person, but now Su Bin realized that Jin Fei had a real talent for socializing. No matter who he was talking to, Jin Fei always had a way of engaging in conversation, with a constant back-and-forth that made people respect him.

Su Bin recalled Qin Chao’s comment about businessmen being inherently crafty and thought that Jin Fei was definitely one of those people. If Jin Fei went into business, he’d probably outperform a whole bunch of professional finance graduates!

Jin Fei had skills that couldn’t be taught in books—skills honed from constant social interaction, including his mindset, perception, and way with words.

Before long, Su Bin spotted Cheng Ang in the crowd. He was dressed in a classic black tuxedo, escorting a female companion, surrounded by admirers.

As the main guest of the banquet, everyone, whether they knew Cheng Ang or not, would approach him with a drink in hand to offer their congratulations. Many even brought gifts. Cheng Ang handled it all with grace, smiling warmly, exuding a charming and elegant demeanor. But Su Bin, observing him closely, couldn’t help but feel that Cheng Ang was wearing a “mask”—though he was smiling, his eyes seemed devoid of that same warmth.

Cheng Ang’s companion was the long-haired girl from earlier, who also smiled sweetly, but with a hint of arrogance in her eyes. From a distance, the two of them looked like a perfect match.

Su Bin shivered slightly and turned away to get some food, thinking about Allen as he ate. The first time he met Allen, Su Bin was overwhelmed by his imposing presence. With every subsequent interaction, Allen seemed to emit an invisible pressure that made people want to avoid him. However, despite the aloofness and coldness in Allen’s gaze, there was never a hint of falseness.

When Allen smiled, it was genuinely from the heart, putting Su Bin completely at ease. Although Allen was proud, he never looked down on anyone with contempt or treated them condescendingly. He restrained his own behavior but never demanded others adhere to the same standards of etiquette. He claimed he wanted to be Su Bin’s master, but now, he seemed more like the perfect boyfriend…

At this moment, Su Bin, wearing Allen’s clothes, could feel the soft deerskin collar hidden under his shirt—a sensation he had become accustomed to, as if Allen was always by his side, holding him, protecting him. After half a year of nurturing their relationship, countless moments of physical closeness, and the “sense of belonging” that had been instilled in him, Su Bin found himself increasingly unable to live without Allen.

Without Allen, he felt incomplete.

Su Bin’s heart began to race, and his palms grew warm. He couldn’t help but take out his phone and message Allen: “Allen~~”

Allen: “?”

—Allen replied almost instantly, as if the response came from within Su Bin’s own mind.

Looking at Allen’s name on the screen, Su Bin gently stroked the phone, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Allen quickly sent another message: “Miss me?”

Su Bin: “…”

Allen: “:)”

Su Bin: “…How did you know?” Seeing that smiley face, Su Bin couldn’t help but want to be playful with him.

Allen: “You used two tilde signs~~ when you called my name.”

Su Bin: “…”

—Alright, you win!

Blushing, Su Bin sent a simple “Mm” and, feeling it was too plain, added, “Miss you.”

Allen: “Haha, kiss.”

Su Bin: “…”

Oh no, seeing that word made him want to rush back to Allen and do all sorts of naughty things o////o… Is there something wrong with me?

Su Bin quickly looked up at the door to distract himself and soon saw Sun Yujie and Andy walking in one after the other.

Because there were so many people between them, Su Bin felt awkward waving or calling out, so he decided to just go over to them. But just then, someone suddenly called out to him, “Hi~”

Su Bin looked closely and saw a Chinese man in a pale white suit standing in his way…

The man smiled and extended his hand, introducing himself: “William.”

“Uh, hello.” Su Bin politely returned the greeting, giving his English name while somewhat puzzled as he sized up the man.

The man seemed quite young, but he didn’t look like a student. There was a maturity to him, lacking the youthful naivety of a typical student.

“Are you here alone?” William raised his glass. “I noticed you’ve been standing here for a while.”

It turned out he just wanted to chat…

“No, I’m here with friends,” Su Bin replied, casually clinking glasses with William.

William took a sip of his drink and asked, “Are you friends with Leo?”

Su Bin answered, “I’m his junior.”

William nodded and glanced at Su Bin’s suit. “Your suit looks pretty nice. Is it Givenchy?”

Su Bin was surprised someone noticed his outfit… but he’d never heard of Givenchy.

“I don’t know,” Su Bin admitted honestly, not pretending to know. “This suit isn’t mine.”

William raised his eyebrows slightly. “It’s not yours?”

Su Bin remembered what Sun Yujie had said earlier about how in Country B, only close friends would give or lend personal items to others. So, rather than saying it was a gift from a friend, he replied, “It’s my brother’s.”

William remarked, “It’s a very nice suit. Do you mind if I take a closer look?”

“Sure,” Su Bin said, not finding William’s request strange. In fact, he felt a bit proud that Allen’s suit had caught someone’s attention.

William nodded in appreciation and then lifted Su Bin’s arm to inspect the elbow and waistline of the suit. “The tailoring and craftsmanship are excellent, but there’s some wear…”

Su Bin recalled that Allen had worn this suit when he was about fifteen or sixteen years old and explained, “This suit is five or six years old.”

William was surprised. “Five or six years? You must be joking.”

Su Bin asked, “Why?”

William shook his head slightly. “The cost of maintaining this suit alone could probably buy you a new one.”

Su Bin was speechless. He hadn’t expected to meet an expert, and now, after what William said, he couldn’t help but feel a bit cautious, worried about accidentally staining the suit.

William then examined the shoulder area and said, “It looks like it’s been altered here.”

“Really?” Su Bin was surprised.

William pointed to the shoulder seam. “It seems to have been tailored specifically to fit your shoulder width.”

“…Are you a fashion designer?” Su Bin was amazed by William’s keen eye. He hadn’t realized that Allen was so attentive to detail.

William chuckled and said, “No, it’s just a personal hobby…” He reached out to touch Su Bin’s collar, and when his fingers brushed against the shirt collar, Su Bin visibly flinched.

“Uh…” Touching someone’s neck area felt a bit too intimate, and Su Bin awkwardly looked away.

William immediately withdrew his hand, saying, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Su Bin replied, though his main concern was whether William had noticed the collar underneath his shirt. He felt a bit tense and added, “I should go find my friends.”

William nodded, saying nothing more, and simply watched Su Bin walk away, a slow smile spreading across his face.

 

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