Chapter 23: Stay Calm

The moment Qin Cheng saw Xie Xu, Lu Yiqi, and Xia Jing’an appear, his feet began to involuntarily retreat. Damn it, how did they find him? He had hidden himself so well, even deliberately avoiding the surveillance cameras. He had barely turned to sneak away when Xia Jing’an called out his name.

“Qin Cheng!”

Qin Cheng froze in his tracks.

“Why did you do it?”

Stiffly, Qin Cheng turned around. “Miss Xia, what are you talking about? I don’t understand. What have I done to upset you?”

Xia Jing’an snorted coldly. “Don’t you know exactly what you’ve done?”

“You must be joking. If I haven’t done anything, what could I possibly have on my conscience?” Qin Cheng replied smoothly.

“You!” Xia Jing’an was so angry she could barely speak.

Watching the scene, Lu Yiqi tugged at Xie Xu’s sleeve, signaling him to bend down. Xie Xu pursed his lips, clearly reluctant to indulge her.

Are you kidding me? Would someone like me, Young Master Xu, really bend down just because she asked?

Lu Yiqi tugged at his sleeve again. The next moment, Xie Xu actually bent down. Lu Yiqi leaned in and whispered in his ear, “What if Qin Cheng refuses to admit it? As long as he insists it wasn’t him, there’s nothing we can do to him.”

Her breath brushed lightly against his ear, tickling him. Xie Xu felt awkward and, after murmuring a quick “Don’t worry,” straightened up, his ears tinged with red.

Meanwhile, Xia Jing’an and Qin Cheng were still locked in a stalemate, with Qin Cheng adamantly denying any knowledge of what she was talking about.

Seeing this, Xie Xu knew the time had come.

His deep voice rang out, “Classmate Qin Cheng, you say you don’t know what made Xia Jing’an unhappy. But are you aware of the video of Xia Jing’an being rejected?”

“That video is so popular—of course I know about it.” Qin Cheng was unfazed. “Besides, the male lead in the video is you, Xie Xu.”

“Oh? You knew about it and still acted indifferent? Weren’t you always one of Miss Xia’s admirers? How can you be so calm while she’s so heartbroken? Or… are you this calm because you were the one who filmed the video?”

Qin Cheng let out a laugh. “You must be joking. That whole business of me being Miss Xia’s admirer was ages ago. I’ve long since let go of any feelings for her. Besides, I decided long ago never to meddle in her life again, so why would I have filmed that video?”

“Is that so? Then you probably don’t know, do you? There’s a hidden camera in the stairwell, right where the video was shot,” Xie Xu said, feigning a sigh. “Lu Yiqi, let’s go to the surveillance room this afternoon and see if the hidden camera caught the culprit.”

“Alright,” Lu Yiqi responded, playing along perfectly.

Qin Cheng’s face went pale. “Impossible!”

“Why impossible? Anything is possible.” Qin Cheng opened his mouth, pretending to yawn. “So sleepy. I’m going back to the classroom for a nap.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xu turned away and started walking. As he passed Lu Yiqi, he casually reached out, and Lu Yiqi was pulled along behind him. Seeing that Xie Xu and Lu Yiqi had both left, Xia Jing’an didn’t linger either and walked away herself.

As soon as afternoon classes ended, Qin Cheng was the first to slip out of the classroom, racing straight toward the guard’s office. He had to confirm whether the hidden camera Xie Xu mentioned really existed. If it did, he had to destroy the footage before Xie Xu, Lu Yiqi, and Xia Jing’an arrived.

After finally persuading the guard to let him in, he opened the door—only to find the three of them standing right in front of him.

Qin Cheng: “...”