Chapter 25

Lu Xingzhou acted quickly.

That very afternoon, he brought Shu Baiyu to a hair salon.

He was probably a regular there, because the moment he entered, an employee greeted him with a smile.

Lu Xingzhou did not say much. He glanced at Shu Baiyu.

“Cut his hair first.”

Shu Baiyu had no particular requirements for his hairstyle. Faced with the visibly eager stylist, he fell silent for a moment before saying:

“Just cut it shorter.”

The stylist looked regretful, but quickly adjusted. After making a reassuring [bailiantales.com]gesture, he began preparing.

Lu Xingzhou did not sit beside him. He merely waited off to one side.

While cutting Shu Baiyu’s hair, the stylist continually changed positions around him and occasionally muttered a few words that Shu Baiyu could not hear clearly.

Before long, Shu Baiyu grew sleepy and simply closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he had been startled awake by an excited voice in front of him.

The stylist had already finished and was looking at him with shining eyes.

Shu Baiyu examined himself in the mirror.

His hair had indeed been cut much shorter, fully revealing his brows and eyes.

The black strands fell neatly beside his ears, making him look far fresher and cleaner than before.

Fairly satisfied, he stood and said to Lu Xingzhou, who had been waiting:

“It’s your turn.”

Lu Xingzhou’s gaze remained on his face for a long time before he nodded, seemingly satisfied as well.

The stylist who had cut Shu Baiyu’s hair immediately approached again and persistently began recommending other services.

“Handsome, are you sure you don’t want to style it? Your face would suit dyed hair really well. Blue would be especially striking. You truly don’t want to consider it? Really, I’m not lying…”

Shu Baiyu had no interest whatsoever and directly refused.

Only after confirming Shu Baiyu’s appearance after the haircut did Lu Xingzhou stand and sit in the chair.

He also merely instructed the stylist to shorten his hair a little.

Shu Baiyu sat where Lu Xingzhou had previously been and quietly waited.

He had not even settled down for two minutes when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

When he took it out, he discovered a message from Jiang Min.

Jiang Min apologized, saying that he knew he had been wrong and deeply regretted it.

These sentences did not stir much emotion in Shu Baiyu.

Lu Xingzhou had already told him about the situation that morning.

The university had issued a clarification regarding the online rumors and posted the truth along with Jiang Min’s punishment. Under mandatory orders, Jiang Min had also publicly apologized to him.

Therefore, Shu Baiyu paid little attention to these private messages.

However, the next message caught his interest.

Jiang Min: I know I was wrong, and I hope you can forgive me. I want to meet you because there are some things I need to tell you. Can you come?

An address followed.

It happened to be near the salon.

Shu Baiyu examined it carefully and saw that Jiang Min had chosen a café.

It truly did look like a place for a conversation.

His gaze lingered for several seconds on the words there are some things I need to tell you.

Then he raised his head and told Lu Xingzhou, who was still getting his hair cut:

“I’m going out for a while.”

Lu Xingzhou did not ask further and gave a brief acknowledgment.

Shu Baiyu moved quickly.

After deciding to meet Jiang Min, he replied to the message, entered the location into his navigation app, and headed there directly.

He had read enough novels to know that when a cannon-fodder character requested a meeting while claiming to possess a secret, useful information might genuinely be revealed.

Besides, Shu Baiyu vaguely understood that Jiang Min could not have operated the rumor campaign entirely by himself.

Tang Yan and others might also have been involved behind the scenes.

Yet Jiang Min had ultimately been the only one punished.

It was not impossible that he would betray them because of that.

Shu Baiyu was not worried about a trap.

Unless Jiang Min’s brain had been crushed by a door, no matter how others manipulated him, he could not be naive enough to attempt kidnapping someone in broad daylight.

With the intention of obtaining more information from this cannon-fodder character, Shu Baiyu arrived at the café listed in the message.

It was quiet inside.

Many patrons had brought laptops and were working.

The moment he entered, the bitter fragrance of coffee filled his nose.

Only afterward did he see Jiang Min sitting beside the window with a faintly anxious expression.

Upon seeing him, Jiang Min first looked surprised before asking:

“You cut your hair?”

Shu Baiyu did not bother with pleasantries.

He walked over and went straight to the point.

“What is it?”

Jiang Min had not expected him to be so direct.

After pausing, he awkwardly said:

“It isn’t really anything important…”

The moment Shu Baiyu heard the beginning of that sentence, he abruptly stood, clearly preparing to leave.

Jiang Min was frightened and hurriedly grabbed him.

“Hey, wait! No, I’ll say it directly. Sit down first.”

“It’s… It’s about the mixer our university is holding with the neighboring university next week…”

He hesitated for two seconds before cautiously asking:

“You’re going, right?”

Shu Baiyu rapidly searched his memory.

The mixer did indeed exist in the original novel and served as a moderately important point of plot progression.

In the book, Tao Xi agreed to attend after repeated requests and invitations from the cannon-fodder Jiang Min.

At the mixer, he encountered another cannon-fodder Alpha who had long coveted him and fell into his first “dangerous” situation.

Qi Yan eventually found him and retaliated against that Alpha.

It was a fairly important event in the early plot.

However…

Shu Baiyu raised his eyes toward Jiang Min.

“Why are you inviting me?”

Wasn’t Jiang Min supposed to be asked by one of his ambiguous romantic unauthorized copyinterests to invite Tao Xi?

“I…”

Jiang Min faltered before hurriedly covering it up.

“I just… I just hope you’ll attend too…”

Shu Baiyu did not investigate further.

“All right. I’ll go. But you also need to invite someone else.”

Unrestrained delight immediately appeared on Jiang Min’s face.

“Who?”

“Tao Xi.”

No matter what happened, Shu Baiyu still needed to ensure that Jiang Min fulfilled his duty as cannon fodder.

Jiang Min did not think much of it and directly agreed.

“All right. I’ll invite him. You’ve already promised me, so you must attend the mixer when the time comes!”

Shu Baiyu nodded.

He genuinely did intend to go, since he needed to ensure that the plot proceeded correctly.

Seeing this, Jiang Min felt an enormous weight lift from his heart.

The entire university now knew that he had “spread the rumors,” and many people had begun condemning him.

Fortunately, Yu Zhaonan, a [Read on BaiLianTales]relatively wealthy Alpha whom he had previously hooked, had promised to help him.

All Jiang Min needed to do was bring Shu Baiyu to the mixer.

At this thought, he looked again at Shu Baiyu’s figure as he left through the door.

A dark glint flashed through his eyes.

Yu Zhaonan had only become interested in Shu Baiyu’s face.

For a flirtatious Alpha like him, playing with Shu Baiyu would be effortless.

When that happened, not only could Jiang Min silence the classmates condemning him, but he could also enjoy watching Shu Baiyu fall miserably at his feet.

Once Lu Xingzhou saw him in such a state, he certainly would not continue caring about him.

The corner of Jiang Min’s lips curved upward.

After leaving the café, Shu Baiyu inhaled deeply.

Truthfully, he did not like the smell of coffee very much.

Whenever he smelled its fragrance, he seemed to see Jian Jiaheng.

A lingering bitter coffee scent had always seemed to surround his older brother.

However, he immediately suppressed the thought because he noticed Lu Xingzhou standing not far away.

He was about to walk over when a girl suddenly jogged up to Lu Xingzhou and spoke to him with a flushed face.

Shu Baiyu’s steps paused.

At times like this, he believed he still possessed enough tact.

As long as the cannon-fodder Alpha did not provoke the protagonist Omega, Shu Baiyu would not interfere with whomever Lu Xingzhou wanted to date.

Therefore, he changed direction and prepared to return home first, leaving Lu Xingzhou plenty of time.

However, after walking only a few steps, his phone vibrated.

Lu Xingzhou: Where are you going?

Shu Baiyu froze.

When he turned around, he discovered Lu Xingzhou following him.

His gaze instinctively moved toward the girl who had approached Lu Xingzhou earlier.

She was now looking at Shu Baiyu with both envy and excitement.

He slowly realized something and turned toward Lu Xingzhou’s calm face.

As though understanding what Shu Baiyu had been thinking, Lu Xingzhou said:

“I take engagement seriously. While I remain engaged to you, I won’t become involved with anyone else.”

Shu Baiyu remained silent.

He only thought that Lu Xingzhou had better keep his word and not interfere between Tao Xi and Qi Yan.

Still, Lu Xingzhou’s statement sounded somewhat pointed.

Shu Baiyu inexplicably remembered how the original character had previously cheated on Lu Xingzhou with Qi Yan.

“I know about what happened bailiantales.combetween you and Qi Yan before. It doesn’t matter. I won’t hold it against you,” Lu Xingzhou said.

Shu Baiyu glanced at him in surprise.

Then he remembered that Lu Xingzhou liked Tao Xi and might actually have wanted Shu Baiyu to keep pestering Qi Yan so he could be with Tao Xi.

He silently closed his mouth.

When he spoke again, his tone was firm.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do that again.”

How could he possibly allow the cannon-fodder Alpha to get his way?

Naturally, he had to remain firmly beside Lu Xingzhou and prevent him from getting any opportunity to approach Tao Xi.

Lu Xingzhou seemed to pause briefly.

Then he continued in an indifferent voice, as though mentioning it casually:

“Mm. I simply don’t know what Qi Yan thinks about your decision to live with me. If he treats you badly because of it, that would be my fault.”

Shu Baiyu choked.

He vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but could not identify exactly what.

In the end, he still answered:

“It’s fine. It isn’t your fault. He never liked me much anyway.”

He was only stating the truth and saw nothing strange about it.

Lu Xingzhou nodded as well.

“Mm. Then if someone asks, may I tell them that we’re engaged?”

Shu Baiyu considered it.

If Lu Xingzhou publicly announced their engagement, then he would no longer be able to openly approach Tao Xi.

That was exactly what Shu Baiyu needed.

Therefore, he nodded directly.

“All right.”

Lu Xingzhou’s expression did not change.

“What about you?”

Shu Baiyu faltered and finally raised his eyes.

“What?”

Without his long bangs concealing him, he still felt somewhat unaccustomed.

Looking at Lu Xingzhou this way meant their eyes met directly, leaving him no opportunity to hide the emotions within his gaze.

“What will you say if someone asks you?” Lu Xingzhou asked without revealing anything.

Shu Baiyu needed a moment to understand what he meant.

His eyes remained on Lu Xingzhou as he spoke.

Lu Xingzhou’s voice was still cold and calm, revealing nothing suspicious.

“For example, Qi Yan—or another Beta.”

Shu Baiyu remained silent for quite a while.

“…I’ll try?”

“Mm.”

Lu Xingzhou paused.

“I only hope that no one disturbs us during this treatment period.”

Shu Baiyu immediately understood.

That was only natural and entirely reasonable.

By the time they returned from the street to the residential compound, it was exactly six o’clock.

After going upstairs, they happened to encounter Jiang Ji, the Beta, exiting the elevator.

Upon seeing Shu Baiyu again, delight immediately appeared in his eyes.

“Hello! We meet again. You cut your hair too? This hairstyle suits you really well!”

Shu Baiyu gave an “Mm” and politely responded:

“Finished with class?”

“Mm. I don’t have any more classes today.”

Jiang Ji was about to continue when a series of electronic beeps suddenly sounded.

The smart lock emitted several tones.

Only then did Jiang Ji notice the Alpha standing in the shadow before the door.

Lu Xingzhou showed no emotion in his eyes as he called:

“Shu Baiyu, come here and register your fingerprint.”