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n“Hey, look! That ugly monster is so dirty!”

n“Tut-tut, how does he still have the face to come to school? If it were me, I would have long hidden at home!”

n“Hiding at home? With his prostitute mother?”

nThere was another burst of laughter.

nThe boy had black-framed glasses and thick bangs. His head was lowered, with something sticky like egg white clinging stiffly to his hair. His entire being was cowering as he wore his school uniform, which was also messy. In fact, all the clothes on his body were soaked and muddy.

nEveryone around him only had to take one glance before voluntarily moving to the side, holding their breath as they thought they smelled a strange odor from the boy. Their hurtful remarks weren’t concealed from the boy. They were filled with malicious intent, hoping to see him die on the spot.

nAt this age, children were supposed to be the most innocent, but who would have thought that it was the words of these people that were the most vicious?

nXu Sheng’s gaze was always lowered, and his bangs blocked his eyes. So, no one would have guessed that this person who covered his eyes all year round would have a pair of captivating pupils, completely grey like a pool of water.

nXu Sheng tightened his fists.

nIt would be good if they all died!

nXiao Chen looked out the window, his beautiful face involuntarily frowning when he noticed the teenagers downstairs.

nThe girl in front of him followed his gaze, and when she saw clearly what was going on, she couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. “Senior, do you also know him?”

n“What?”

n“It’s Xu Sheng, of course! I’ve heard that his mother is a prostitute.” The girl would score a ten out of ten for her sweet and crisp voice, but she didn’t know how unpleasant her words were.

nXiao Chen withdrew his gaze, his expression cold as he said, “Don’t say that about others!”

nThe girl froze. This was the first time she saw Senior’s indifferent appearance. In her memory, Senior was always gentle, and had a smile on his face. He was patient with everyone, so the girl’s eyes reddened as she murmured, “Yes, sorry.”

nXiao Chen sighed and said seriously, “Don’t talk about others like that in the future!”

nThe girl nodded her head, biting her lip in shame and holding back her tears as she turned around and left the classroom.

nXiao Chen ignored her and peered downstairs.

nThe boy from before was already gone.

nXiao Chen’s thoughts scattered for some reason. He felt that his current self and his past self had become two people. Everything started a few days ago, when he wasn’t able to adjust to the way his past self lived.

nIn the eyes of all his classmates, Xiao Chen was a gentle person, but only he himself knew the hypocrisy that lay beneath the surface.

nAll of his kindness and friendliness merely benefited himself, while his true character was actually selfish and unfeeling. He just decorated himself with a tender facade.

nIf it was the past Xiao Chen who saw the scene downstairs, he might not have had to pretend to be unaware, and he would directly take the boy’s side.

nBut the present Xiao Chen’s heart couldn’t be moved by this demonstration of bullying on the campus.

n“What, b*tch, you want to eat?” The yellow-haired boy blocked Xu Sheng’s way, and several other boys with colorful hair surrounded him.

nXu Sheng silently lowered his head, carrying his food in his hands. He had specifically picked a time with few people and had walked close to the wall to reduce his presence. But he knew that as long as he was on the campus, there would definitely be all sorts of probing eyes. Most of them were curious or disgusted. Even when he went to the bathroom, he would be locked in the stall. When he went to eat, there would be a lot of people bothering him. So, he should be used to it.

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nYellow Hair had been a bully since his first year in high school, and from his perspective, Xu Sheng would always appear like someone who had lost his own parents.

nInitially, he had no reason to bully Xu Sheng, and even if he was muddle-headed, he wouldn’t randomly build enmity with someone. But last month, he was reported when he beat up a boy in the small forest behind the school, where there were no security cameras or other people!

nHowever, he distinctly remembered that Xu Sheng had passed nearby, so he immediately went to find trouble with him, refusing to listen to any explanation.

nXu Sheng was originally someone who didn’t speak much, so he wouldn’t take the initiative to defend himself. He knew the more fiercely he resisted, the more excited his attackers would be. All he could do was protect his head.

nYellow Hair sneered, violently shoving Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng’s balance was off and he staggered back two steps, but he held onto his bowl without letting the food fall, as if it would decide his life or death.

nThe people around the two couldn’t help but look over like they were watching a good show. They murmured as they discussed, and there was even a variety of gloating laughter. All of their loathing was directed towards the weak and lonely person in front of them. Yellow Hair enjoyed this attention.

n“Yo! Alright! You want to eat? Believe me or not……..” His voice hadn’t faded yet before a figure squeezed through the crowd and entered the enclosure.

n“What are you doing?! Fighting is not allowed on campus!” Xiao Chen hardened his expression and held out his hand to stop Yellow Hair from going any further.

nThe surroundings were instantly as quiet as a chicken.

nFew people here did not recognize Xiao Chen, and even Yellow Hair knew him. Xiao Chen’s face was just too flawless, and he would dazzle others when he walked by them. He was the chairman of the second year student union, and also the top student in his year. Within the entire school, at least 80% of the girls were his fans, and even 50% of the boys were bewitched by Xiao Chen’s face. Surprisingly, Yellow Hair was part of that 50%.

nXu Sheng’s head was still lowered, behaving like he had seen a stranger. But the grey eyes beneath his bangs widened slightly, and the hands tightly clasping the bowl shook.

nHow could there be someone willing to help him…

nXiao Chen’s eyes widened. He faced Yellow Hair, his pure eyes reflecting the other’s figure, and said, “In the future, don’t bully other students!”

nYellow Hair stared at Xiao Chen and gritted his teeth. The crowd around them was unable to believe what they were seeing. Yellow Hair could only avert his gaze and reluctantly say, “You’re lucky this time!”

nYellow Hair looked back at Xiao Chen and Xu Sheng every three steps as he led his group of brothers to slowly leave.

nXiao Chen’s eyes raked through the students who had observed the confrontation. Everyone lowered their heads when Xiao Chen looked over, wishing they were invisible and reducing their own presence. Each tore off their previous attitude of scorn.

nXiao Chen calmed down and returned to his cold face. He turned around and inspected the bullied, timid boy, feeling a little distressed. There was something on the boy’s hair, making his looks fit his position as a punching bag for the bullies.

nBut somehow, Xiao Chen felt intimate with the boy when he saw him. Even as a person who loved cleanliness, he didn’t detest the boy because of his sorry appearance.

nWhen Xiao Chen extended his hand, the boy suddenly raised his head and awkwardly stared at the hand in front of him. It was also at this moment that Xiao Chen finally saw the boy’s face clearly.

nAlong with very white skin, he had high cheekbones, a straight nose, and big eyes which reflected Xiao Chen’s outline. His face was comparable to a celebrity’s.

nXu Sheng was taken aback, with shock written across his face. As if he had seen Wen Shen, he ran away with all his might, leaving Xiao Chen standing alone.

nNo, he can’t get used to this kind of gentleness, this kind of gentleness is addictive!

nAfter a long time, Xu Sheng’s footsteps stopped in front of the campus bulletin board. On it, there was a list of the most outstanding students of each grade. In the column for the second year students, first place was Xiao Chen. In the photo, the corners of the boy’s mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were curved into crescents. Even if it was a one-inch photo, it captured a fresh aura.

nXu Sheng’s right hand couldn’t help touching the photo, handling it cautiously as if it were a precious treasure. His eyes held an obsessive love, like a dying man who had found salvation at the brink of death. This was his god and his light.

nXiao Chen.

nHe spoke softly.

nAnd for the rest of his life, these two words would be deeply imprinted in his entire existence.

nDo you know? If you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

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/N: Below and in the future, you will find detailed explanations of the pop-up translator’s notes. I’m doing this so it doesn’t disrupt the overall reading experience. Anyways, welcome to the world, or worlds, of Dating the Strongest Boss! Let’s have a great time together! ＼（＾○＾）人（＾○＾）／

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nNo, it’s not actually Yellow Hair. That’s his hair color. His actual name will be revealed in the future.

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n安靜如雞, the crowd is acting like a chicken because they stop chattering when someone important appears. The phrase “as quiet as a chicken” originated from a post on Weibo made by Jolin Tsai, a famous Taiwanese celebrity. She commented that the chicken must have a special meaning in Mainland China. As context, chickens in rural China can sometimes be observed walking around, until you make a strange noise. Then, they’ll freeze and not let out any other sounds. The post was deleted soon afterwards, but not before a netizen caught it. From that point, it was extensively memed and claimed a spot in Internet sayings. It’s popularity has spurred spin-offs such as “loneliness like a dog” and “cuteness like a goose”.

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nThe text says “Doesn’t your conscience hurt?” This sentence comes from an online post in 2017. Netizens showed evidence that Du Fu wrote many poems for fellow Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai in his life, but Li Bai not only did not appreciate it, but also wrote the poem “My Gift to Wang Lun”. Wang Lun was a local poet, and not as famous as Du Fu and Li Bai. BL jealousy alert (¬‿¬)! So many netizens said, “Li Bai, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

nThis was Li Bai’s (imagined) response: The text says “cold”.

nBTW, any other Chinese person who remembers reciting Li Bai’s and Du Fu’s poems when they were younger? Li Bai’s 靜夜思 had my head spinning.

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