Chapter 47 – Exclusive Sweet Romance: The Battle to Save the Campus Heartthrob (09)
For as long as the basketball game lasted, the crowd was force-fed dog food.
“Brother Haocang, want some water~?”
A male student, unable to handle the PDA anymore, mimicked Bai Mo’s tone in a mocking, exaggerated way, his eyes practically radiating hostility.
Bai Mo glanced at him and turned to the campus broadcast assistant, asking indifferently,
“Who’s this guy? He’s really annoying.”
Xiao Bobao looked him up and quickly identified him.
He was a minor antagonist in the original plot—
A nameless extra who, because of his crush on the female lead, tried to sabotage the male lead’s rival.
Originally, he was supposed to appear much later in the story.
But because Bai Mo had revealed his identity to Jian Haocang earlier than expected, the entire plot timeline had shifted—
Bringing this extra onto the stage ahead of schedule.
“Oh, just a throwaway character? Then never mind.”
Bai Mo lost interest immediately. A destined-to-be-forgotten side character wasn’t worth his time or energy. Besides, cross-dressing wasn’t a sensitive issue for him anymore.
The conflict that originally led to the male lead despising him wouldn’t happen now, so this extra wasn’t capable of making any waves.
His name was Mo Qun. And Bai Mo didn’t even spare him a glance. That complete disregard stabbed deep into Mo Qun’s ego.
Because—Mo Qun liked Ran Yunyun.
And Ran Yunyun liked Jian Haocang.
She was always worrying about him, always showing concern for him.
Mo Qun didn’t like Jian Haocang, but he hated Bai Mo even more—
This intruder who had swooped in and stolen Ran Yunyun’s love before she even had a chance. To him, Jian Haocang was a heartless jerk—
A disloyal player who tossed aside years of affection the moment someone prettier came along.
Right in front of Ran Yunyun, he shamelessly flaunted his love with Bai Mo—
Not even sparing a thought for how she felt. Total sc*mbag behavior.
While the crowd continued to playfully tease the “pretty little wife” and the campus heartthrob,
Mo Qun stood at the side, sneering.
Turning to the person next to him, he said mockingly:
“You guys should stop calling him that. Didn’t he already make it clear? It’s not a name just anyone can use.”
“Some people throw away years of love like it’s nothing—”
“The moment they find someone prettier, they just move on.”
“You think you can do the same? If not, then shut up.”
His words carried too much weight. With Ran Yunyun standing right there, looking heartbroken, it was impossible not to read between the lines.
The crowd fell silent. They exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to respond.
Did they not see?
Jian Haocang’s face was already darker than charcoal.
Better not get involved. Better not get involved.
Since no names were mentioned, Bai Mo had no intention of assuming the accusations were about him.
He wasn’t angry, but that didn’t mean Jian Haocang would tolerate Mo Qun’s veiled insults and slander.
Hit a snake at its weak spot.
Jian Haocang let out a cold scoff and directly turned to Ran Yunyun.
“Ran Yunyun, let me ask you, do we have any relationship beyond that of ordinary classmates?”
Originally, Jian Haocang hadn’t wanted to make things difficult for her. But time and time again, people kept targeting and ostracizing Bai Mo.
First Huo Wen, now Mo Qun—
All of them standing up for Ran Yunyun’s sake.
If he continued to let this behavior slide, who knew what kind of trouble would happen next?
“I thought I made it clear to you before—”
“I never had any special feelings for you. We’ve always been nothing more than ordinary classmates. So please, Ran Yunyun, stop doing things that make Mo Mo and me uncomfortable. I’ll thank you in advance.”
His words were completely merciless.
Ran Yunyun’s dignity was crushed and thrown to the ground. Her face turned red and white, shifting between shame and humiliation.
Under everyone’s gaze, she couldn’t handle the pressure anymore.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her face and ran away.
Mo Qun shot Jian Haocang a furious glare. Then, shoving past the crowd, he hurriedly chased after Ran Yunyun. The onlookers stood frozen, too afraid to speak. Yet, their eyes sparkled with excitement.
This was top-tier drama.
Mo Qun standing up for his beloved…
Ran Yunyun’s one-sided love…
Jian Haocang’s cold, rage-filled rejection…
And Bai Mo—completely indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him.
He loved her.
She loved him.
But he loved… him.
What a legendary love triangle.
The air was silent, but gossip was spreading like wildfire. Bai Mo, however, didn’t care about what others thought.
He tugged at Jian Haocang’s hand, rubbed his stomach, and said he was hungry.
Jian Haocang immediately transformed into the perfect devoted boyfriend. He took Bai Mo out for a meal.
It wasn’t that the A University cafeteria food wasn’t good.
But after what just happened, people would definitely stare and whisper about Bai Mo. And Mo Mo didn’t deserve to be the subject of their gossip.
Bai Mo naturally had no objections. Other than admiring handsome men, his only other passion was eating. Food was the most important thing in life, after all. The ancients didn’t lie. He had lived two lifetimes, yet he still hadn’t tried all eight major Chinese cuisines. He needed to work harder.
After stuffing himself with food and drinks, Bai Mo curled up in Jian Haocang’s arms while the latter rubbed his stomach to help him digest. However, Bai Mo strongly protested against Jian Haocang buying him frilly dresses.
“Tell me the truth—do you actually like girls? And because you think I have a pretty face, you insist on making me wear skirts?” The little shameless ferret, having read too many books, was getting better at twisting logic. Pouting his lips, he expressed his extreme dissatisfaction.
Jian Haocang said, “I thought Mo Mo liked them…”
“I don’t like them at all! It’s you who likes them! I knew it! You heartless man—” Tears welled up in Bai Mo’s eyes as he dramatically put on a whole performance.
“And you even bought three of them—so I could rotate them every day?”
Jian Haocang silently grabbed Bai Mo’s three fingers, which were waving in front of his face, and swallowed back the words: “Actually, I already paid the deposit for four more dresses that aren’t ready yet.”
Bai Mo had worn a dress to every single date they had gone on. Jian Haocang had assumed it meant he liked them, so he bought more. Yet somehow, it became his fault.
“But… Mo Mo wore them…” Jian Haocang weakly defended himself.
Bai Mo choked on his words, then mumbled, “That’s only because you like them~”
After all, it was a gift from his dear boyfriend. Though Bai Mo pretended to be annoyed, deep down, he cherished everything Jian Haocang gave him. Even Xiao Bobao once asked to borrow one of his dresses to get a replica made, but Bai Mo refused outright.
“Anyway, I want to wear pants!” Bai Mo declared again. Then, he gestured to Xiao Bobao’s size, telling Jian Haocang to order some skirts that would fit her instead.
Jian Haocang found the request a bit strange. But in the end, he did as he was told, simply altering the size of the ones he had already ordered. No big deal.
Xiao Bobao was so touched she nearly cried. What an amazing host! He knew she liked dresses, so he got some just for her. She absolutely wouldn’t let Mo Mo’s kindness go to waste. She would watch the female lead and supporting actresses like a hawk.
Meanwhile, after the incident at the basketball court, Ran Yunyun hadn’t shown up in front of Jian Haocang for a long time. Even when the Publicity Department held a meeting, she took leave and didn’t come.
However, there was one thing she couldn’t avoid—the Design Competition. It was a crucial turning point in the original storyline, affecting everyone.
Jian Haocang and Ran Yunyun were classmates and both top students. When the professors assembled the design team, they specifically named the two of them to participate. No matter how much Ran Yunyun wanted to avoid Jian Haocang, she had no choice.
Blushing, she walked onto the stage and stood beside him, her head lowered, desperately avoiding his gaze.
The person being avoided remained indifferent, standing calmly while listening to the mentor’s speech.
He neither showed any special concern for Ran Yunyun nor displayed any sign of disgust. Just like before, when discussing design plans, he communicated when necessary and did what needed to be done. This made Ran Yunyun breathe a sigh of relief, yet at the same time, she felt a sense of disappointment.
So, from beginning to end, it had all been just her own wishful thinking.
Jian Haocang never once mentioned what happened on the day of the basketball game, and Ran Yunyun had no intention of bringing up the humiliating incident either. Those who knew the inside story all praised their strong psychological resilience—despite all that had happened, they didn’t seem awkward around each other at all.
But really, what was there to be awkward about?
Jian Haocang had only wanted to clarify Mo Qun’s false accusations against Bai Mo. Since no troublemakers were stirring things up, he saw no reason to create unnecessary problems himself. The upcoming design competition would already take up a lot of his time—he’d rather spend that time with Momo.
The mentor scheduled a brainstorming session for the design competition tomorrow afternoon, which happened to clash with his date with Momo. He wondered if Momo would be upset, but honestly, her pouty face was just too cute~
While his classmates in the design class were voicing their concerns about not performing well in the competition, Jian Haocang found himself lost in romantic daydreams, resting his chin on one hand as a gentle smile curved his lips.
Ran Yunyun saw this, and her eyes grew even dimmer.
After the meeting ended, Jian Haocang apologized to Bai Mo, explaining that because of the mentor’s last-minute meeting, he would have to postpone their date.
Bai Mo, being understanding, reassured him that it was fine—they could see each other anytime. But the design competition only happened once every five years, making it a rare opportunity. If he could win the championship, it would be his ticket to fame in the design world.
For those studying design, this competition is a shortcut to fame—an opportunity to bypass the slow climb from obscurity. Many designers spend their entire lives struggling, yet their works and names remain unknown.
The design competition provides a rare chance for both newcomers and experienced designers to showcase their talent. To ensure fairness, the competition is divided into two sections: the Youth Design Competition (for students and designers with less than five years of experience) and the Gold Design Competition (for those who have been in the industry for more than five years).
In the Youth Design Competition, teams are typically led by a mentor for students who have yet to graduate, while young designers who have already graduated form their own teams with peers. The Gold Design Competition, on the other hand, is an individual competition.
For Xiao Bobao and Bai Mo, this competition posed little difficulty. All potential issues had already been resolved, and Xiao Bobao wasn’t the least bit worried about the so-called “Black Moonlight Redemption” mission—seriously, what was there to redeem? There was nothing to blacken in the first place! Her Mo Mo was pure as ever.
With no real challenge in the plot, the little snow ferret whined about feeling as lonely as drifting snow. His daily routine consisted of either attending classes or going on dates. Coming from a wealthy family, his overly doting parents feared he might suffer any hardship outside. The allowance they sent him each week was ten times the monthly living expenses of an average student.
Staring at the long string of zeros in his bank account, Bai Mo silently gave his generous parents a thumbs-up. Haocang’s family wasn’t ordinary, but neither was his. In terms of financial status, they could barely be considered well-matched.
As for academics, C University was no worse than A University. He was confident that he could gain the approval and affection of the Jian family elders.
But as life often teaches us, when things go too smoothly, disaster is bound to strike.
The next afternoon, Bai Mo arrived at A University in a pretty little dress, waiting for Jian Haocang. He could have switched back to his male attire, but that would undoubtedly push Jian Haocang into the spotlight again.
Word had it that their design mentor disliked troublemakers and preferred students who stayed out of drama.
The reason he valued Jian Haocang was not only because of his outstanding academic performance but also his calm and low-profile nature.
Although Haocang had been trending on A University’s forums for quite some time due to his relationship, dating itself wasn’t an issue, so the mentor hadn’t said anything.
Still, Bai Mo worried that suddenly switching back to his male identity might negatively impact Jian Haocang’s reputation in front of the mentor. Since he had already worn dresses so many times, one more time wouldn’t make a difference. He could return to his male persona after the design competition ended.
Just as he was lost in thought, a girl sitting on the bench next to him suddenly screamed, “Where’s my phone?! Who stole my phone?!”
Bai Mo turned toward the sound and saw Huo Wen whispering something into the distressed girl’s ear. Suddenly, she whipped her head around, pointed straight at him, and accused, “It was you! You stole my phone!”
Bai Mo, utterly baffled, pointed at himself. “Me?”
“Yes! Stop pretending!”
Sitting there minding his own business, only to have trouble drop on him out of nowhere—this was the very definition of being blamed for no reason.