YMW CH 30

Cinderella

Xie Guilan stood there with a dark expression, head lowered, for half an hour without any intention of going downstairs.

It was definitely broken—something was off. But he didn’t bother with it anymore and simply went back to bed, stiff and straight.

The next morning, when Cen Wu woke up, he found that Xie Guilan was already gone. Assuming he had gone to the hospital, Cen Wu didn’t think much of it—until he arrived at the classroom and saw that Xie Guilan had gotten there even earlier than him.

And judging by the look of things, he had been there for quite a while.

Xie Guilan’s dark, cold eyes were lowered, carrying a hint of exhaustion, as if he had stayed up all night. A chill seemed to radiate from him, and the few students who had arrived early didn’t dare to speak.

Zhang Yuanzhou shrank into his seat like a quail, trembling.

The sky was falling. Just moments ago, he had planned to copy Xie Guilan’s homework, but before he could even open his mouth, he met Xie Guilan’s icy, menacing gaze. A shiver ran down his spine—he nearly thought Xie Guilan was about to kill him.

Cen Wu: “……”

Cen Wu walked over to his seat, set down his backpack, then turned around and leaned against his chair to take a closer look at Xie Guilan’s face. The swelling-reducing medicine from last night had worked pretty well—most of it had already gone down.

Xie Guilan noticed Cen Wu staring at him. His long, cold lashes lifted slightly as their eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away.

“Here… for you.” Cen Wu placed a sandwich and a carton of milk on his desk, having brought them from home.

True to his word, Xie Mingcheng had completely cut off support—not only refusing to cover Song Lingwei’s surgery but also stopping the payments for her regular hospital treatments. That morning, Xie Guilan received a notification about overdue medical bills.

The attending doctor also messaged him, asking how he planned to handle the situation since the surgery was scheduled for next month.

Xie Guilan had 20,000 yuan on hand. Originally, he had planned to hire a caregiver for Song Lingwei after the operation. But now, with the cost of the heart stent surgery, post-op treatment, and hospital stay piling up, he needed at least 150,000 yuan.

Even with the prize money from the chemistry competition, he was still short by 100,000.

Cen Wu noticed that Xie Guilan had been coming to school less frequently. He seemed busy, and when he did show up, he would just nap on his desk. The faint dark circles under his eyes made his already cold gaze seem even more distant.

When the homeroom teacher arrived in the classroom and saw so many students slumped over their desks early in the morning, he sighed in frustration. “At your age, you can sleep like this? When I was your age—”

Before he could finish, a chorus of groans erupted. The students all sat up, covering their ears, reluctantly pulling out their textbooks.

Xie Guilan also raised his head. His pitch-black eyes, deep and unreadable like a midnight sky, locked onto the teacher as if to say—

Shut up.

“You sleep, you sleep,” Meng Liangping wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and quickly backtracked, “Did I disturb you?”

Xie Guilan: “No.”

Without another word, he put his head back down and continued sleeping.

Meng Liangping let out a breath. Who would’ve thought? At his age, he was getting bossed around by a student. Running a hand over his balding head, he resigned himself to his fate and headed to the podium.

Zhang Yuanzhou, grinning like a troublemaker, couldn’t help but tease, “Old Meng, why aren’t you wearing your wig anymore?”

About a third of the students in Class 3 had been in Meng Liangping’s class since first year, including Zhang Yuanzhou and Xie Guilan. Back then, Meng Liangping had worn a wig for over six months.

“……”

Expressionless, Meng Liangping ran a hand over his nearly nonexistent hair and walked on, ignoring the barely suppressed laughter around him.

But he didn’t care anymore. He had come to terms with it—after all, relying on appearances wouldn’t get him far. If he couldn’t win them over with his looks, he would conquer them with his noble spirit.

The classroom was filled with laughter and chatter. Even Lu Wang was giggling at the side.

Cen Wu turned his head and noticed Xie Guilan still lying on his desk, his pale wrist resting on the edge, looking completely out of place in this lively setting.

Without thinking, Cen Wu reached out and gently squeezed his cold fingertips.

Xie Guilan paused, then lifted his head slightly.

Cen Wu placed a piece of candy into his palm before shifting back to his seat.

Xie Guilan stared at the candy for a few seconds, then popped it into his mouth. A burst of lychee-flavored soda candy fizzed on his tongue, and suddenly, the world around him became clearer.

He could hear Meng Liangping’s footsteps as he paced around the classroom, supervising the morning study session. He could hear the barely stifled laughter of students. He could hear the class monitor, Zhou Wenqing, reading aloud in a precise, mechanical rhythm.

It was as if he had been pulled into a dream.

Cen Wu tapped his pen against the desk, looking irritated. He wanted to ask Xie Guilan what was wrong.

But Xie Guilan wouldn’t tell him.

The weekend was approaching, and starting this week, they had classes on Saturdays too—but they were dismissed at 5:30 p.m.

Xie Guilan didn’t show up at school on Saturday. Cen Wu sent him a message, but there was no reply.

He glanced outside at the gloomy weather, his mood just as crumpled.

“Barbecue tonight?” Zhang Yuanzhou suggested after school, turning to Cen Wu and Lu Wang.

Lu Wang immediately packed up his bag. “Let’s go!”

When they arrived at the barbecue stand, Xie Guilan was nowhere to be seen. Cen Wu looked down and sent him another message.

“Why doesn’t Xie-ge tutor students?” Zhang Yuanzhou suddenly asked. “With his grades, being No.1 at Huai Jing First High is basically the same as being a provincial top scorer.”

Lu Wang scratched his head, hesitating. His cousin, who was also a high school sophomore, had parents who once considered hiring Xie Guilan as a tutor.

But after just one lesson, they fired him. Xie Guilan never tutored anyone again after that.

Since only Zhang Yuanzhou and Cen Wu were there, Lu Wang eventually muttered in a low voice, “They said Xie-ge… killed someone. They didn’t want him teaching their kid. Thought it was too risky.”

Zhang Yuanzhou had just taken a sip of cold beer and nearly spat it out. Sure, he was terrified of Xie Guilan—one glare from him felt like a death sentence.

But who in their right mind would actually believe he had killed someone?

“That’s messed up,” Zhang Yuanzhou grumbled, biting into a skewer. “If I had money, I’d hire Xie-ge as my tutor. I wouldn’t even dream of becoming the provincial top scorer—just getting into the top ten would be worth dying for.”

Cen Wu pressed his lips together.

He wanted to ask Xie Guilan for tutoring, mostly just to give him money.

But it would be too obvious. Xie Guilan would never accept.

After thinking about it, Cen Wu started worrying—what if Xie Guilan really took a wrong turn for money?

In the end, he made up his mind.

He would go to Blue Night every day to keep an eye on Xie Guilan. As long as he was there doing his homework, it wouldn’t be suspicious.

More importantly, he’d keep a close watch on anyone who tried to take advantage of Xie Guilan.

That night, the bar was a chaotic mess. Cen Wu found a seat in the furthest corner, pulled out his books, and started doing his homework—like a rare, untainted presence.

The bar patrons walking past fell silent.

Even the manager was at a loss. At first, he thought Cen Wu was here to stir up trouble, but surprisingly, the kid really did just sit there and do his homework every night.

Only when Xie Guilan walked by would he glance up.

Still dressed in his school uniform pants, Cen Wu sat in the middle of the smoky, rowdy bar, looking as innocent as a primary schooler waiting for his parents to pick him up after work.

“Xiao Xie,” the manager leaned against the bar, cigarette in hand, nudging Xie Guilan with his elbow. With a knowing smirk, he said, “I think that Cen kid sees you differently. You better take your chance.”

He wasn’t even teasing—he meant it.

Sure, some people took this job just to make ends meet.

But most weren’t willing to pass up a chance to rise to the top.

Blue Night was called a bar, but it also had a casino inside, and the upper floors were so luxurious that it was more like an upscale club.

It attracted plenty of wealthy guests looking for entertainment.

Cen Wu was young, far more attractive than those older men and rich women, and on top of that, his family was loaded.

Xie Guilan showed no emotion as he stepped past the man and brought Cen Wu a glass of sparkling water.

“Young Master,” Xie Guilan asked, “what are you doing here?”

Cen Wu had nearly dozed off just now. The bar’s deafening music, once he got used to it, was almost lulling him to sleep. Xie Guilan’s sudden appearance startled him, making his eyelashes tremble. He clutched Xie Guilan’s sleeve and stammered, “I—I—I was waiting for you to get off work.”

Cen Wu stayed until midnight every night. If Xie Guilan got off work, he’d leave with him. If Xie Guilan had to work late, he’d go home first.

It was just an hour or so—nothing was likely to happen. And even if it did, A-Ling could keep an eye on things for him.

Midnight was already late enough. Any later and it’d be no different from staying out all night.

He had to behave, earn some goodwill with the Cen family. Otherwise, when the truth about the original Cen Wu came to light—his fraud, his violence, his bullying, his reckless behavior—his whole sordid history…

Especially the fact that the one he bullied the most was Xie Guilan. The Cen family would have no reason to care about him. They’d probably want to kill him instead.

“It’s midnight,” Cen Wu looked at Xie Guilan with hopeful eyes. “Are you off work now?”

Xie Guilan gave a quiet “mm” and packed up his things to leave with him. He didn’t ask why Cen Wu insisted on going home at exactly midnight.

Like he’d turn back into a pumpkin or something.

The night was clear, the moon bright. Cen Wu grabbed Xie Guilan’s wrist and walked home with him.

He talked to him in a halting, stumbling way. Xie Guilan didn’t react at first, so Cen Wu shook his arm. That finally made Xie Guilan look at him, engage with him properly. And in that moment, he saw the reflection of the moonlight in Cen Wu’s eyes.

Like they were supposed to be this close all along.

The route from Blue Night to school was the same as the way to the Cen house. Cen Wu had the driver wait at the school’s back gate, so he and Xie Guilan walked there together. Then he waved goodbye before getting in the car.

Once he got home, he messaged Xie Guilan to ask if he’d arrived safely.

【Xie Guilan: .】

Not even a full sentence. Cen Wu figured a guy like Xie Guilan would probably get dumped two hundred times a day if he ever tried dating.

【Cen Wu: Good night!】
【Cen Wu: (cat tucked under a blanket.jpg)】

Cen Wu had been keeping Xie Guilan company for several nights now, sticking to him like glue. Sometimes, he’d even ask Xie Guilan to open a bottle of alcohol for him—just so Xie Guilan could earn a little commission. He didn’t drink, but he could bring it home for Cen Xiao.

At first, Xie Guilan complied. But after a few times, his already-cold eyes turned even icier, and he flat-out refused. He clearly didn’t want Cen Wu’s money.

So Cen Wu had to give up.

A few days passed.

On Wednesday afternoon, right after physics class, someone knocked on the back door of the classroom. Cen Wu turned his head and saw Xie Shangjing.

That bastard was back in the country already? That was fast.

“Cen Wu.” Xie Shangjing had sharp, handsome features, with a hint of cruelty in his expression. He raised an eyebrow and called him over. “Come out.”

Cen Wu: “……”

He got up and stepped outside.

Xie Guilan’s eyelashes lowered as he focused on his worksheet, the pen in his hand scratching a harsh line across the page.

The dream shattered with it.

Cen Wu was only gone for half a minute. When he returned, he turned to Xie Guilan and said, “I… I probably can’t go to Blue Night tonight. If anything happens, call me.”

Xie Guilan showed no emotion and said nothing.

Cen Wu also skipped night study that evening, leaving even earlier than Xie Guilan. When Xie Guilan left school, he saw Cen Wu getting into a car with Xie Shangjing.

Xie Guilan slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed for Blue Night. Ji Changyu looked up, about to greet him—then immediately thought better of it.

Damn, the guy’s face was stormy as hell.

Ji Changyu glanced around and realized that Cen Wu wasn’t here tonight. Strange. He thought Cen Wu was chasing after Xie Guilan.

But hey, the kid was a young master. He could chase if he wanted to, and leave if he didn’t. Nothing anyone else could do about it.

Cen Wu had said he wasn’t coming. But at around 11 PM, he still showed up at Blue Night. When he arrived, A-Ling happened to be talking to Xie Guilan.

Even A-Ling thought Xie Guilan had been acting off lately. Was this guy really considering “diving into the deep end”?

“I can introduce you to a few clients. Want to add them?” A-Ling tested the waters.

He expected Xie Guilan to refuse. Cen Wu expected Xie Guilan to refuse.

But Xie Guilan’s cold eyes lowered, and in a detached voice, he paused—then said, “Sure.”

A-Ling: “……”

A-Ling: “???”

Wait, dude, are you actually trying to steal business now?

Cen Wu was also caught off guard. Xie Guilan sounded serious, nothing like the casual, half-smiling way he spoke before.

For once, Cen Wu was so anxious he didn’t even stutter. He grabbed Xie Guilan’s wrist and said, “Do you even know what this means?”

Xie Guilan’s dark, almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, carrying a cold amusement. He didn’t understand why Cen Wu was so concerned. If he got tricked, if he got used—so what?

After all, Cen Wu already saw him as that kind of person.

Now that Xie Shangjing was back, Cen Wu didn’t even need him as a distraction anymore.

“How do I add them?” Xie Guilan pulled out his phone and asked A-Ling.

His posture screamed self-destruction.

A-Ling immediately regretted running his mouth. Now, he was stuck. He didn’t want to offend Cen Wu, but he also didn’t dare mess with Xie Guilan. In the end, he just laughed it off like he’d never brought it up.

Cen Wu opened his mouth as if to tell Xie Guilan, Do you not care about yourself at all? But in the end, he said nothing.

Lowering his head, he picked up his backpack and went to a booth to do his homework, ignoring Xie Guilan for the rest of the night.

At midnight, since Xie Guilan was working late, Cen Wu sent him a message before heading home alone.

Xie Guilan stared down at his phone, the cold light of the screen reflecting off his face. His eyes were so dark, they looked almost hollow.

For the first time, Xie Guilan said he wanted to add someone, and a few people overheard him, actually believing it.

But just as someone approached, Xie Guilan suddenly lifted his head. His dark eyes turned cold in an instant, deep and impenetrable, almost inhuman. The person was so terrified they practically ran away.

Fine, fine, no need to add anyone—just don’t get violent.

---

For some reason, Cen Wu started giving Xie Guilan the cold shoulder.

He still brought him breakfast every morning, whether Xie Guilan wanted it or not, just leaving it on his desk. He still showed up at Blue Night every evening to find him. If Xie Guilan didn’t leave at midnight, Cen Wu would leave on the dot.

Xie Guilan, on the other hand, still filled his thermos with hot water, copied homework for him, and left a few candies on his desk whenever he passed by.

But they barely spoke.

Ji Changyu silently observed them for days.

This was ridiculous.

He considered himself Xie Guilan’s only real friend, yet somehow, Xie Guilan and Cen Wu had gotten tangled up together—like some couple skipping straight past dating and heading straight for a cold war.

At midnight, Blue Night always released bursts of confetti, marking the true start of the nightlife.

Cen Wu always left at that exact moment. Ji Changyu couldn’t help rubbing his chin, muttering, “Why does he have to leave right at twelve? Is he actually a princess or something?”

Xie Guilan: “…”

At midnight, when the bar was at its liveliest, Cen Wu walked up to Xie Guilan, staring straight at him with an unhappy expression. “I’m leaving!”

Xie Guilan lowered his gaze. The flickering neon lights played over his face, making his dark, almond-shaped eyes seem even colder, like they were sinking into the abyss—completely indifferent to whether Cen Wu left or not.

Cen Wu: “…”

His head lowered slightly, and then—he stomped hard on Xie Guilan’s leather shoe before turning on his heel and storming out of the bar.