Chapter 43: The Courage to Love (3)

"Hey, fatty, if you really like him, just go confess your feelings," Ye Lang said, gazing at the love-struck Zhen Xiaoyan and offering a suggestion no one else dared to voice.

"Confess? He'd just reject me. How could someone like him ever be interested in a girl as fat as me?" Zhen Xiaoyan replied wistfully.

"Granted, your chances of catching his eye are slim, but if you confess, at least you have a chance. If you never try, your chances are zero. Love needs to be spoken bravely!" Ye Lang replied bluntly, both discouraging and inciting Zhen Xiaoyan—no, encouraging her. After all, everyone has the right to confess their feelings.

Perhaps even he didn't expect that Zhen Xiaoyan would actually do it.

"You're right. If I never say anything, I'll never have a chance," Zhen Xiaoyan murmured. Whether muddled or suddenly reckless, she actually stood up and walked over.

"Xiaoyan, don't listen to his nonsense!" a classmate called out, trying to stop her, but Zhen Xiaoyan did not turn back.

She walked right up to Master Moya and, with utmost seriousness, said, "Moya, I like you. Will you go out with me?"

"Ah..." In that instant, everyone—including Ye Lang—was stunned. None of them could believe what they were witnessing. Ye Lang immediately turned away, pulled out a book and pretended to read, even producing a teapot as if to sip tea nonchalantly.

"Wait, did I hear that right? Did that fatty really just confess to Moya, and right in front of Shalan?"

"I was about to ask the same! But since you heard it too, I guess we aren't mistaken!"

A commotion erupted in the classroom. Some said Zhen Xiaoyan must have taken the wrong medicine. Others guessed she had a high fever, or perhaps she was sleepwalking.

But while the reasons varied, everyone agreed on the outcome—Zhen Xiaoyan’s confession would certainly be rejected. That was inevitable.

Imagine it: a girl so large it seemed unbelievable. How could Master Moya ever fall for her? For him not to ridicule her outright was already a testament to his self-restraint.

"Sorry, I already have a girlfriend," Master Moya replied, true to his noble upbringing as one of the four princes of the Royal Academy. Even when faced with something most would find unbearable, he maintained his gentlemanly poise.

"I know. Would you mind having one more?" Zhen Xiaoyan shot back without hesitation.

"Pfft..." Ye Lang, who had been pretending none of this concerned him and sipping tea on the sidelines, suddenly spat out his tea. That line was his—he’d given her that exact script once.

Back then, he’d told her, "If you like Master Moya, just go chat him up. Don’t be shy, you’ve got a thick skin anyway."

She had asked, "So how do I approach him?"

He’d said, "Simple. Walk up and ask: ‘Handsome, do you have a girlfriend?’ If he says no, say, ‘Then can I be your girlfriend?’"

"And if he says he does?"

"Then say, ‘Would you mind having one more girlfriend?’"

"…"

"This... I do mind," Master Moya replied after a stunned pause.

"Zhen Xiaoyan, what are you playing at?" Shalan's expression turned ugly, her voice laced with anger.

"I'm going to steal your boyfriend," Zhen Xiaoyan answered bluntly.

"You want to compete with me? Just you? Fine, I'll give you a chance. If there's a single person here who says you can compete with me, I'll let you try," Shalan snapped, perhaps a little angry, perhaps showing a side of herself seldom seen. Her words, so unlike her usual gentle demeanor, were meant to wound.

"You said it! Don’t regret it later! What do you all think..." Zhen Xiaoyan turned excitedly to her friends, fully expecting their support. Instead, she was disappointed.

Her friends looked at her with eyes full of concern, silently urging her not to delude herself. The gap between her and Moya was simply too vast.

Her friends meant well. Why chase after the impossible? It would only bring her more pain. With that thought, one of her friends glared fiercely at Ye Lang—he was the one who started all this.

"Hmph, a toad lusting after a swan. She should take a good look at herself," Shalan sneered. Normally, people called men 'toads,' but the insult stung all the same.

At that moment, Ye Lang spoke up again. "I think she has every right to compete with you!"

"Ye Lang! Stop making things worse. Do you think this is funny?" Zhen Xiaoyan’s friend snapped, thinking his words would only bring her more harm.

"I know it may hurt her, but if this is what she wants, we should support her. Let her give her all—even if she suffers, at least she won’t regret it," Ye Lang replied calmly, his words prompting reflection.

Her friend wanted to object again, but Ye Lang cut her off with another line:

"Wounds only make a person stronger. I believe she is not someone who can’t handle a little pain!"

Thus, with Ye Lang’s support, Zhen Xiaoyan was given a chance. As for Shalan, she began to resent Ye Lang’s meddling, though she couldn't yet foresee that, in time, he would become the one she hated most—this was only the beginning.

"Fine. If you want a chance, go ahead. Let’s see how you plan to win him over," Shalan said coldly, her tone calm, for she realized she had nothing to fear. How could Zhen Xiaoyan possibly steal Moya from her? Judging by Zhen Xiaoyan's appearance, she couldn’t even steal an ordinary girl's boyfriend, let alone hers—unless Moya had some rather unusual tastes, which was obviously not the case.

Her meaning was clear to everyone present. Most believed Zhen Xiaoyan was only setting herself up for humiliation.

Yet, in that moment, everyone admired her courage. For this was no ordinary bravery.