Chapter 67: Disappointed at His Weakness

If the approaching person had been He Yuting, Yang Rui would have actually breathed a sigh of relief, as greasing his soles and slipping away would have been the best strategy!

However, when the corner of his eye caught two all-too-familiar figures at the alley entrance, a chill instantly shot straight up his spine from the base of his back. Run! He had to run! His mind raced, calculating which alley would offer the quickest escape.

Yet the moment the thought formed, a crisp female voice—cold as shards of ice—struck him, completely freezing off his path of retreat:

"Try running just an inch and see what happens! Don't doubt for a second that I won't make you regret it!"

Such a threatening remark paradoxically came from an extremely pretty girl, her tone of voice almost melodic. Yang Rui felt the world go dark before his eyes, as if the apocalypse had arrived ahead of schedule, and a wave of utter despair seized him.

"What? Haven't seen each other in just half a year, and now you're pretending we're strangers?" That icy voice rang out once more, carrying a scrutinizing edge.

Yang Rui squeezed out a smile that looked far uglier than crying, bracing himself as he shuffled forward. He had been too panicked earlier, but now he noticed that standing beside each of the two young women was a tall, well-proportioned, and smartly dressed young man. Among them, a refined-looking youth wearing gold-rimmed glasses showed a clear flash of bewilderment in his eyes upon spotting Yang Rui.

"Oh! Well, if it isn't Meng Yu and Xiaojie!" Yang Rui slapped his thigh in an exaggerated gesture, his face piling up with a nearly obsequious smile. "What a coincidence, what a wonderful coincidence! If I'd known you were coming, I would have treated you all to a proper meal no matter what!" He rubbed his hands together, his gaze deliberately avoiding Liu Jie's frosty face.

The arrivals were none of other than his childhood sweethearts who had grown up with him in the same courtyard—Liu Jie and Meng Yu. Both were beauties possessing entirely different styles: one resembled a perennial snow-capped mountain, her sharp gaze keen enough to strip flesh from bone; while the other was like a leaping flame, currently examining him with playful interest, the corners of her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

The three of them had been born in the same residential compound and had run around barefoot together since childhood. Meng Yu's family lived just a wall away from Yang Rui's, and Liu Jie's family lived directly across the hall. Although Yang Rui was a few years older than them, they never treated him like an older brother, nor were they ever reserved around him. Meng Yu in particular had never missed an opportunity to bully him from childhood to the present, and their relationship was as close as that of actual siblings.

What was even more infuriating was that both young women excelled academically, successfully gaining admission to Zhejiang University and subsequently being recommended for graduate studies without examination. This made Yang Rui, who had grown up alongside them, feel even more inadequate in their presence.

Meng Yu walked over to Yang Rui with a brisk, light-footed stride and, with total naturalness, reached out to affectionately lock her arm through his. Her smile was sweet enough to drip honey. "Yang Rui, what were you busy doing here just now? All cloak-and-dagger?" She tilted her head, her long eyelashes fluttering.

Yang Rui's body stiffened, feeling as though his arm had been clamped in a red-hot iron vise. He could only force a dry laugh and let her hold onto him, while his eyes darted toward the two young men in an attempt to change the subject. "Heh... these two handsome gentlemen possess extraordinary bearings; one can tell at a glance they are extraordinary individuals! Are they your boyfriends? Why don't you hurry up and introduce them?" He deliberately used exaggerated terms of praise.

"Cut the nonsense!" Liu Jie crossed her arms and paced forward as well, her sharp gaze piercing him like a scalpel. "Confess! What were you doing just now?"

Yang Rui felt his scalp tingle under that stare. Subconsciously, he rubbed his nose, pulled a crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket, shook one out, lit it, and took a deep drag. The pungent smoke temporarily numbed his nerves and bought him some precious time to think. What should he do? The two madams before him—one calm and rational, the other eccentric and clever—were neither of them easy to deal with, especially Meng Yu, who had made him suffer no small amount of grief since they were kids...

Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes rolled as a scheme formed in his mind. He cast a mysterious look at the two young men before turning back to Liu Jie, his tone carrying a hint of "I understand everything": "Ahem, to tell you the truth, I've been waiting here for you guys for half a day!"

"Waiting for us?" the two girls asked in unison, their faces full of astonishment.

"That's right!" Yang Rui slapped his thigh and spoke with utter conviction, "I specifically went to your school to look for you today! But your classmates told me you'd come to the pedestrian street! In the middle of the night like this, two blooming flower-like maidens—what would happen if you ran into some blind scoundrels? I was so worried inside! However..." His gaze swept over the two chivalrous escorts, "now that I see these two dashing gentlemen protecting you, I can rest easy! So... you guys carry on shopping and have a great time! I'll take my leave first!" As he spoke, he attempted to subtly slip his arm out of Meng Yu's "clamp" and turned to slip away, still rambling, "Get back to school early! Studies come first!"

"Stop right there!" Two shrill reprimands struck him like a immobilization spell, instantly pinning him to the spot.

Yang Rui's back stiffened. When he slowly turned around, his face had rapidly switched into a serious and concerned expression. He inched forward a couple of steps with utmost caution and earnestly added, "Oh right! Almost forgot the main point! You guys are still students, in the prime of your youth, and studying is the top priority! Don't let this flashy world blind your eyes and let play ruin your ambitions!" His tone was the spitting image of an overwrought, fretful father.

"Oh, cut it out!" Meng Yu let out a sudden snort of laughter, amused by his playacting. She released his arm, rose slightly on her tiptoes, and poked him on the forehead with a delicate index finger using an affectionate amount of force, playfully scolding, "Little brat, haven't seen you in years, but your skills have grown, haven't they? You're even pulling out the 'besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' tactic?"

Liu Jie's tightly pressed lips curved upward for the briefest fraction of a second before returning to their stern hardness. She shook her head helplessly, looking at Yang Rui with a mixture of exasperation and disappointment. "You... I really don't know what to say to you! Running around pulling stunts again? Just how old are you? Can't you settle down and find a proper job? Think about your future! Honestly... you're driving me crazy!" The concern in her tone was masked by deep disappointment and annoyance.

Yang Rui could only let out an awkward, dry laugh. He was used to Liu Jie's tongue of daggers and heart of tofu, but being lectured like this in front of outsiders still made it hard for him to save face.

"My dear Miss Liu!" Yang Rui said with a bitter face, complaining half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Can't you be just a little... just a tiny bit gentler? Every time we meet, it's like you're chewing out your grandson. You'd better watch out or you really won't get married in the future, and no one will dare have you!" This remark carried a hint of reckless, devil-may-care teasing.

"You... what did you say?!" Liu Jie clearly hadn't expected Yang Rui, who usually cowered before her, to dare talk back like this. She was momentarily choked with anger, a flush of red flying to her cheeks, leaving it unclear whether she was embarrassed or furious.

Seeing that the momentum was turning bad, Yang Rui instantly cowered his neck and hid behind Meng Yu. Meng Yu cooperated smoothly, stepping forward like a mother hen protecting her chicks with her arms slightly spread. This comical scene left Liu Jie both exasperated and amused; she gave a fierce stamp of her foot and turned her back to them.

Yang Rui peered out with one eye from over Meng Yu's shoulder and muttered under his breath, "It's true though... didn't leave me an ounce of face..."