Chapter 23: I Believe in Him

Faced with the girl's questioning, Yang Fan couldn't even be bothered to respond; he simply sat quietly to the side.

Seeing that Yang Fan was ignoring her, Liu Meimei felt irritated.

"Hey, what are you pretending to be all aloof for? Let me tell you, if you want to pursue Qingya, you better show some skill. Our Qingya is a dazzling beauty, surrounded by admirers, all wealthy young men," Liu Meimei said to Yang Fan. "If you don't have what it takes, you'd best give up now."

Observing Yang Fan's indifferent demeanor, Liu Meimei felt a surge of contempt.

Yang Fan, meanwhile, was annoyed by Liu Meimei’s pointless provocations.

To him, such comparisons were the height of childishness.

"Did I ever say I was one of Qingya's admirers?" Yang Fan glanced at Liu Meimei, his tone cool.

At his words, Liu Meimei's expression turned sour.

Especially seeing the annoyance in Yang Fan's eyes, Liu Meimei felt uncomfortable.

To Yang Fan, Liu Meimei was simply meddling in affairs that were none of her concern.

"Come on, if you don't have feelings for Qingya, why would you come along?" Liu Meimei sneered. "You're just stubborn, too proud to admit it. And you call yourself a man!"

Yang Fan found the girl before him amusing.

He had no intention of engaging with Liu Meimei.

He was only here because Zhang Mei had asked him to accompany Zhang Qingya and ensure she returned home safely.

"Heh, I must have hit the mark. You’re definitely penniless," Liu Meimei mocked. "A pauper trying to court Qingya—you're nothing but a toad lusting after swan meat."

"Meimei, give him a break. A poor guy should know he's not good enough for Qingya," another girl sitting beside Liu Meimei laughed.

"Meimei, you two should stop. He’s just here to accompany Qingya," another girl interjected, unable to watch any longer.

Hearing the two girls ridicule Yang Fan, Mo Chenxi felt they were going too far.

Yang Fan had hardly spoken since arriving, yet Liu Meimei kept pestering him with biting words.

Yang Fan glanced at Mo Chenxi and smiled.

He felt some fondness for Mo Chenxi.

At least Mo Chenxi wasn’t as materialistic as Liu Meimei.

Mo Chenxi had a pure, lovely face; she was a beautiful girl.

"Oh, Chenxi, don’t tell me you’re interested in this guy?" Liu Meimei teased. "It’s true, he’s quite handsome, just a bit poor."

"What are you talking about? I am not!" Mo Chenxi retorted angrily, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"You all should stop," Zhang Qingya finally spoke up. "Yang Fan is here because my mom asked him to accompany me. It’s not what you think."

Liu Meimei shrugged and smiled. "Alright, but when Gao Yang arrives and sees a man by your side, I wonder what he'll think?"

"Who I spend time with is none of his business," Zhang Qingya shot Liu Meimei an irritated look.

Liu Meimei said nothing but her eyes glinted with amusement.

She knew that once Gao Yang arrived, there would be drama.

Everyone in the class knew Gao Yang had feelings for Zhang Qingya and had confessed openly.

Though Zhang Qingya never accepted his advances, the whole class believed they were a perfect match.

Gao Yang’s family was prestigious and wealthy.

To marry such a prince was every girl’s dream.

Yang Fan glanced at Mo Chenxi beside him, noticing a faint chill emanating from her.

Perhaps others couldn’t sense it, but Yang Fan could.

He was certain that Mo Chenxi harbored a cold energy within her.

He also saw her face was unusually pale, her expression unwell.

Yang Fan suddenly moved closer to Mo Chenxi and said, "You haven’t been feeling well these past few days, have you?"

As Yang Fan suddenly leaned in, Mo Chenxi felt a surge of nervousness, her cheeks flushed.

She really had been unwell for days, which showed on her face.

She was used to it by now.

Every month, she suffered from this, and there was no cure.

"Pfft, what an old-fashioned way to strike up conversation. I’m embarrassed for you," Liu Meimei sneered.

Liu Meimei saw Yang Fan’s actions as a clumsy attempt at flirting.

Zhang Qingya looked at Yang Fan, her brows furrowed, but said nothing.

Yang Fan ignored Liu Meimei and kept his gaze on Mo Chenxi. "If I’m not mistaken, you feel ill every month, and each time you experience a wave of cold in your body."

"Ugh, your words are disgusting," Liu Meimei pretended to retch.

Zhang Qingya regretted bringing Yang Fan along. She hadn't expected him to be so full of nonsense.

But Mo Chenxi stared at Yang Fan in surprise—everything he said was true.

"If you give me your hand, I can cure your illness so it never recurs," Yang Fan told Mo Chenxi.

Mo Chenxi was even more astonished.

She’d had this illness since childhood, seen countless doctors, and none could cure it.

The doctors said it was rare and incurable, a strange and complicated disease.

Now, hearing Yang Fan claim he could cure it, Mo Chenxi found it unbelievable.

"Chenxi, don’t fall for it. He must be trying to take advantage of you because you’re pretty," Liu Meimei hurried to warn her. "Spotting illness with a glance? He's obviously spouting nonsense. Who would believe it?"

"Meimei’s right. He just wants to touch you, but his tricks are so cheap," another girl mocked.

"Yang Fan, if you keep this up, please leave," Zhang Qingya said, glaring at him.

She was truly angry now.

To her, Yang Fan was nothing but a lecher trying to take advantage.

She couldn’t understand why her mother had brought him home.

Bringing Yang Fan along, Zhang Qingya felt embarrassed.

Yang Fan ignored their words and looked calmly at Mo Chenxi. "Do you believe me?"

Mo Chenxi’s cheeks reddened under his gaze, and she felt a little shy.

Gathering her courage, Mo Chenxi looked at Yang Fan. "I believe you."

She had no choice but to believe him—everything Yang Fan said was true, not a single mistake.

"Chenxi, are you crazy? How can you believe that?" Liu Meimei exclaimed.

Mo Chenxi flashed a sweet smile. "Of course I believe him. He’s telling the truth, and I know my own condition."

At her words, Liu Meimei and Zhang Qingya were momentarily stunned.

Mo Chenxi didn’t seem to be lying. Could Yang Fan really tell she was ill?

"Give me your hand," Yang Fan said with a handsome smile.

Mo Chenxi glanced at him with embarrassment, her heart pounding faster, perhaps from nerves.

Liu Meimei pursed her lips; she didn’t believe it. How could simply holding hands cure an illness? Who would fall for that?