Chapter 85: Can You Be Heartless to Me Once?

"I thought you wouldn't come."

Seeing Chen Hansheng's figure, Shang Yanyan stood up from the steps with delight.

"I'm the class monitor, after all. If a classmate needs something, I can't refuse," Chen Hansheng said casually as he sat down, purposely leaving some distance between them.

Shang Yanyan pouted in dissatisfaction, teasing, "Did you only come because of your duties as class monitor?"

Chen Hansheng laughed heartily, thinking to himself that they were both seasoned players and there was no need for any pretense. Might as well get straight to the point.

It was 10:30 p.m., and someone was still playing basketball. The rhythmic thudding of the ball hitting the hoop echoed into the night, carrying a sense of solitude as there was only one player.

Chen Hansheng pulled out a cigarette and asked, "Want one?"

Shang Yanyan shook her head. "I've quit."

Just as Chen Hansheng was about to light up, there was a sudden "click" sound. Shang Yanyan had leaned in to help, the small yellow flame illuminating her deep purple eyeshadow, adding a touch of allure to the night.

"So, you took my lighter," Chen Hansheng remarked, taking it back. Their fingers brushed, but he felt nothing, even considering calling Xiao Yuer for a chat afterward.

"Pop." 

Shang Yanyan opened a can of beer and handed it to him.

Chen Hansheng took it without hesitation and drank a big gulp. The cold beer mixed with the smoky taste filled his lungs, accompanied by the chill of the late-night Jianye air. He let out a loud belch—satisfaction at its peak.

Shang Yanyan was a decent drinker. She downed half a can, wiping her mouth and smudging her lipstick, which stained her lips and chin. Unknowingly, she had leaned toward Chen Hansheng, her eyes hazy and the atmosphere tinged with ambiguity.

Just as her head was about to rest on his shoulder, Chen Hansheng suddenly said, "Does your cheek still hurt from being slapped this morning?"

"Whoosh." 

Shang Yanyan immediately straightened up. His words ruined the mood; she didn't want to bring up that incident at all, yet he deliberately rubbed salt in the wound.

"Jerk," she muttered.

With the mood ruined, Shang Yanyan couldn't continue trying to get closer. She downed the rest of her beer in silence. "Thanks for standing up for me today."

Chen Hansheng, having deflected her earlier seduction attempt, flicked his cigarette ash nonchalantly. "I was just doing the right thing, not for you specifically. I would have done it for any student in our Public Administration class."

"Really?" 

Shang Yanyan glanced at him. "If it were Shen Youchu, you'd probably have taken it to another level and cut them down."

Chen Hansheng fell silent, clenching the cigarette between his teeth as the smoke curled up and burned with a faint "sizzle" in the breeze. His eyes were dark and deep, studying Shang Yanyan intently.

Feeling nervous under his gaze, Shang Yanyan quickly explained, "Don't get me wrong. It's no secret that Shen Youchu is the prettiest girl in our class. We girls don't like to say it out loud, partly out of jealousy, wanting her beauty to stay hidden so we could get more attention. And also because we feel sorry for her circumstances and don't want any troublemakers bothering her."

She smiled faintly. "But if you were her boyfriend, that wouldn't be an issue."

Chen Hansheng didn't want to talk more about Shen Youchu in this context. She deserved to stay in the sunshine, free from trouble. "Shen Youchu doesn't like being disturbed. It's fine the way it is," he said calmly.

Shang Yanyan nodded, understanding his point. 

She opened another can of beer and began to share her past. "That boy from this morning was my first boyfriend. We started dating in middle school. Our parents were both businesspeople who didn't care much about our studies, just gave us money."

"But middle school allowances were small. I was vain and desperately wanted a phone to show off. He saved up his New Year's money and allowance, scrimped and saved, and finally bought me a phone. That night, I went to his house."

Chen Hansheng figured they both had well-off families, as phones cost over 10,000 yuan back then.

"Do you think less of me?" Shang Yanyan looked at him.

Chen Hansheng shook his head and flicked his cigarette ash again. "You were genuinely in love at that time."

"I knew it." Shang Yanyan raised her head, smiling. "I knew you'd understand."

Chen Hansheng grinned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because there's something unique about you. I noticed it when school first started. You have the air of a mature man."

"You noticed wrong," Chen Hansheng replied.

"No, I didn't." Shang Yanyan insisted, "I know, because I've experienced that kind of man."

Chen Hansheng raised his eyebrows, realizing there was more to the story.

"Later, in high school, we went to different schools," Shang Yanyan's voice turned airy. "At first, I thought our love was unshakeable. A senior pursued me aggressively in my first year, but I made it clear I had a boyfriend. He didn't give up, and I felt grateful but never accepted him."

"One weekend that summer, I wanted to surprise my first love, so I went to his school unannounced. And then I saw him kissing a girl on the side of the road."

At this point, Shang Yanyan's breathing quickened. She grabbed Chen Hansheng's cigarette and lit one for herself. As the smoke enveloped her, her voice regained composure.

"I didn't confront them. But after returning to my school, I started dating that senior."

Chen Hansheng stayed silent; the story wasn't over yet.

With alcohol and memories blurring her present, Shang Yanyan continued, "Shanghai is different from other cities, full of indulgence and neon lights. So, I just let go too."

"During the holidays, I'd go out drinking and singing with my girlfriends, and I changed boyfriends three times. But I never broke up with my first love."

"Am I a bad person?" Shang Yanyan asked.

Chen Hansheng clinked his beer can against hers. "A little."

"That's why he caused trouble today, but the worst part is still ahead." 

Shang Yanyan finished her beer in one gulp, exhaling the alcohol. "Later, I met a 40-year-old man. He was wealthy, but I wasn't after his money. My family didn't lack it. I just felt secure with him."

"Was he married?" Chen Hansheng asked.

"Yes, I even knew his wife," Shang Yanyan answered, her eyes misty.

Chen Hansheng sighed heavily.

"Why are you sighing?" Shang Yanyan asked.

"I'm just thinking how you, despite all this, still got into Finance University, while I slogged through three years of high school."

"Hahaha." Shang Yanyan laughed, playfully hitting him. "I didn't get in on my own. My parents paid 150,000 yuan in school fees to secure my spot."

"When I started university, I wanted to cut ties with my past and study seriously, avoiding relationships. Then I met you, and you made me feel safe again…"

Shang Yanyan leaned toward him as she spoke.

Without hesitation, Chen Hansheng moved away. He didn't believe she was actually drunk.

Sure enough, as she leaned halfway and found him gone, she glared silently.

Chen Hansheng extinguished his cigarette and smiled. "I'm also a jerk, not suitable for you."

Staring at him for a moment, Shang Yanyan finally said, "I know you're heartless. Can you be heartless to me just once?"