Her brain short-circuited as realization kicked in.
That Cheng Yubin.
The male lead from "A Thorn in the Crown". The genius with the emotional range of a used paperclip. The walking iceberg who would silently take a beating for a friend but ghost them right after.
Cool, the vicious female cannon fodder secretly listened to the male lead's private conversation on the cafe and was caught red-handed. This probably couldn't be washed white.
Lu Qingyan blinked.
In the blink of an eye, her mind decided—no, conspired—to create a full-blown café murder mystery in her head.
Scene opens: dim lighting, clinking of coffee cups, jazz music in the background… then BAM! Cold-blooded high-IQ killer in a buzz cut, freshly dumped by his toxic mother, turns to silence the only witness—her.
W. H. Y???
Why. Why was it always her?
She obviously only wanted to be a passer-by that faded into the background, but why was that so difficult?
She just wanted to recite a book, drink some overpriced iced Americano, pretend to be a mysterious literature girl, and go home. But fate—no, fate with a twisted sense of humor—just had to drop a male lead with social issues and a cold-blooded aura right in front of her.
Why can't I be a tree. A leaf. A napkin in the corner. She lamented in silence.
Cheng Yubin was still staring at her.
Cheng Yubin already looked cold, yet when he furrowed his brows, it looked like he was going to commit murder.
Lu Qingyan even felt that the danger level was like those perverted criminals with high IQ's found in movies.
He faintly tapped the table with his knuckles and said with an inexplicable tone in front of her,
The quiet sound of his knuckles against the table was light, rhythmic—like the ticking of a bomb right before detonation.
"Little girl," he said slowly, his tone too calm to be comforting, "Did you hear everything?"
Lu Qingyan snapped her head up and down in a speed that could've caused whiplash.
Wait. No—she shook it.
SHE MEANT TO SHAKE IT. Not nod. SHAKE.
Too late.
Cheng Yubin raised an eyebrow, then—
Smiled.
Lu Qingyan wished he hadn't. Smiling made it worse. He looked like a mafia boss deciding whether or not to let the side character live for comic relief.
In the novel, it was said he never smiled unless it was for bloodshed—or cycling, which was basically war on wheels anyway. So why now?
Suddenly, she felt that his expressionless appearance was much more adorable.
Lu Qingyan: "I…"
"Good," he said, voice like crushed ice. "Little kids shouldn't hear such heartless and manipulative words. Kids should only hear kind words."
'Little… kids?'
Lu Qingyan felt like something in her soul cracked.
Bro. She was seventeen. In her previous life, she was already eighteen. How was she suddenly demoted to kindergarten just by meeting this guy?
If she had a sword, she would've smacked him on the head with the hilt.
Still, she held back.
Lu Qingyan remembered he was a little silly in the original novel with high IQ and low EQ, yet right now Lu Qingyan felt he's really wise.
In the novel 'A Thorn in the Crown', he was described as a socially awkward genius who only cared about winning academic competitions and hanging out with his ride-or-die friends. But now, seeing him up close—he wasn't cold because he didn't care. He was cold because no one ever taught him how to care properly.
Just like her.
She used to think he was just a plot device with an emotional IQ of a potato. But now she saw it—this was a boy who didn't know how to love people who hurt him. And that… wasn't a flaw. It was a shield.
Beneath all the smugness and cold sarcasm… there was something strange in his eyes. Not murderous intent—thankfully—but something quieter. Like exhaustion. And something warmer underneath, like a bruised peach hiding sweetness under the skin.
And suddenly, it struck her.
Cheng Yubin was like her.
Cheng Yubin stood up, casting a long shadow over her table.
"That's all. Little kid, next time don't eavesdrop on other people's conversations," he said, voice teasing but firm.
He turned to leave.
But then he paused and turned back. His eyes scanned her like he was memorizing her face. Like he might want to remember her. Just in case.
"My name's Cheng Yubin," he said. "Yu as in feathers. Bin as in refined."
Then he walked away with the grace of a final boss exiting a cutscene.
Lu Qingyan sat frozen for a beat.
She had her mouth open for a comeback—maybe "I'm not a kid!" or "Cool name, bro"—but the moment had already passed.
"…What was he pretending to be? A romantic drama male lead?"
She pushed her chair back with a huff, picked up her books, and stormed out of the café, still muttering to herself. "Tch. Buzz cut peacock. Show off. Feather boy. Hmph."
Across the street, Cheng Yubin paused.
Hands in his pockets, he frowned at the pavement.
"Wait… I forgot to ask her name."
He scratched his head.
Or he would have, if he had any hair to scratch.
"…Tch."
He glanced over his shoulder, but Lu Qingyan had already vanished into the crowd.
"Well, whatever. She's wearing a Liyang Private School uniform anyway. I'll probably see her again."
And just like that, he stuffed his hands back into his pockets and continued walking.
Cheng Yubin goes to Zexin Highschool, a neighboring highschool that's only 5 minutes walk from Liyang Private school, it was also considered the best highschool in the country along with Liyang Private School.