Wild School Boy Was Picked Up And Brought Home By His Professor Chapter 5
byChapter 5 The Abandoned Cat Effect
Lin Yi sat cross-legged on the bed, his tablet displaying a detailed interpretation page about the “Abandoned Cat Effect.”
“Hot and cold… keeping a distance… making the other person feel insecure, thereby stimulating their desire to pursue and conquer…”
He muttered softly, a spark of eagerness flickering in his Peach Blossom Eyes.
He understood the theory, but the practical application seemed a bit difficult.
He picked up his phone and opened the chat window for “Eiland.”
The conversation was still stuck on the last chat page; Shen Beidao hadn’t sent a single message since.
A subtle sense of frustration welled up again, but it was replaced by a stronger desire for conquest within seconds.
How could Lin Yi, the recognized campus heartthrob of the National Academy of Fine Arts, an invincible presence in the dating world, stumble over a “bookworm”?
He carefully considered his wording and began typing.
This time, he deliberately restrained his usual casual tone, making his message sound particularly serious and polite:
Mr. Shen, good evening.
Regarding the phone from last time, I have prepared the cash. Are you free to meet tomorrow?
After sending it, he stared at the screen, feeling a little uncertain.
Was it too stiff? Did it seem too deliberate?
He pursed his lips and added another sentence, trying to make the invitation seem more natural and “friendly”:
If you don’t accept it, I will always feel indebted to you. Friends helping each other should settle accounts clearly so that we can maintain a long-term relationship.
This statement expressed his firm resolve to repay the money while hinting at the intention of hoping for a “long-term relationship,” all under the safe guise of “friendship.”
Hmm, perfect!
He tossed the phone aside and picked up a pencil, casually sketching lines in his notebook, trying to distract himself, but his eyes kept involuntarily glancing at the phone.
Time passed minute by minute. Just when Lin Yi thought the other party would ignore him again, and he began to reflect on whether his “Abandoned Cat Strategy” was being used on the wrong person, the phone screen suddenly lit up.
He practically lunged to grab the phone.
Shen Beidao’s reply was as concise as ever, devoid of any emotion:
I will be volunteering as a guide at the Provincial Museum tomorrow afternoon. If it’s convenient for you, you can come over.
Volunteer?
Lin Yi blinked, immediately recalling Li Rui’s bitter, resentful face—
“Our academy is insane! If you don’t have enough volunteer credits, you fail the course directly! Now the sight of the word ‘volunteer’ gives me a headache.”
It seemed the graduation pressure at Jiangzhou University was indeed significant!
Even a student who looked like a top scholar, like Shen Beidao, had to rush between various activities for a few measly credits.
Lin Yi’s attitude toward “failing a course” was far more serious than his approach to relationships.
“Dating, you can look at the stars with this person today and the moon with that person tomorrow. If the feeling isn’t right, you switch. It’s all about the experience.
But failing a course is trouble. You have to retake it, which wastes time and could affect graduation and scholarship evaluations. This college student knows exactly what’s important and what’s not!”
So, Lin Yi quickly replied:
No problem, see you tomorrow afternoon.
The next afternoon, the sun was bright.
Lin Yi followed the location Shen Beidao sent and arrived at the Provincial Museum.
The museum’s exhibition hall was connected to a large shopping mall. He bought two cups of Marco Boba Tea along the way before following the signs to the underground parking garage entrance.
“Ding—” The elevator doors slowly closed.
Lin Yi glimpsed a familiar, tall, and thin figure in a Jiangzhou University uniform flash past in the opposite elevator. It looked very much like Li Rui.
But before he could confirm, the elevator doors shut in front of him.
“Maybe I saw wrong?”
Lin Yi didn’t think much more about it and pressed the button for the underground parking garage.
At this moment, his mind was entirely focused on the upcoming meeting with Shen Beidao.
When the elevator arrived at the underground parking garage with a slight sense of weightlessness, and the metal doors slid open again, the sight outside made Lin Yi catch his breath, instantly forgetting all his carefully planned “strategies.”
The lighting in the underground parking garage was the perpetually dim yellow of an old photograph filter, and the air was filled with the cool smell of concrete and engine oil.
In this slightly dull space, Shen Beidao stood beside a black sedan, as if carrying his own spotlight, blurring everything around him into the background.
Shen Beidao was wearing a highly designed velvet suit today. The faint gold pinstripes on the fabric shimmered softly in the dim light.
The slim fit perfectly outlined his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He wore a matching vest underneath, and a delicate silver chain ornament hung from the vest pocket, swaying slightly with his shallow breaths, reflecting fragmented halos of light.
He looked down slightly, his gold-rimmed glasses perfectly concealing some of his sharpness, leaving only his deep contours increasingly clear in the gloom—a high nose bridge, tightly pressed thin lips, and a jawline as standard as the portrait sculptures he often practiced…
When Shen Beidao raised his eyes to look at him, Lin Yi felt the surrounding dull air solidify with that single glance.
He had lived this long, had countless people chasing him, and had seen innumerable handsome men and beautiful women, yet no one had ever combined the asceticism of a mature man, the nobility of the elite class, and an indescribable sexiness as flawlessly as Shen Beidao…
The paper bag of Marco Boba Tea in his hand nearly slipped due to the tingling in his fingertips.
“Lin Yi.”
Shen Beidao called his name. His voice was not loud, but it carried a clear echo in the empty garage.
Lin Yi reacted almost instinctively, like an excited little rabbit summoned by its owner, scurrying over.
All talk of the “Abandoned Cat Effect” and “keeping a distance” was instantly thrown out the window.
In the face of such beauty, strategies were temporarily forgotten!
He had deliberately worn a loose gray hoodie with a funny cartoon print, paired with the most ordinary blue slim-fit jeans and a pair of limited-edition sneakers.
This outfit was the result of half an hour of careful matching in front of the mirror, aiming to project an air of casual confidence—”I look good even when I just throw something on, and I didn’t dress up for you.”
However, standing before the formally dressed Shen Beidao, his little scheme instantly became transparent, and a strange sense of guilt washed over him.
Lin Yi got into the car and sat in the passenger seat.
Shen Beidao’s gaze fell on his face, seeming to linger for a moment on the fine layer of sweat on his forehead.
He said nothing, but subtly reached out and lowered the car’s running climate control system by two degrees.
This subtle, thoughtful gesture made Lin Yi’s heart pound even faster.
He clearly felt his heart performing a wild, erratic rave in his chest cavity.
He was certain that in this very moment,
His feelings for Shen Beidao were not just attraction based on looks, nor merely the urge to conquer, but a genuine, hopeless case of love at first sight!
He tried hard to suppress the tightness in his throat, attempting to make his voice sound as relaxed and natural as usual, but when he spoke, the end of his sentence still carried an uncontrollable, subtle tremor: “I… I bought you milk tea.”
As he spoke, he fumbled slightly, pulling a cup out of the paper bag and handing it over.
When Shen Beidao reached out to take it, his cool fingertips brushed against Lin Yi’s skin. Lin Yi’s gaze caught the emblem in the center of the steering wheel:
Two capital Ms, silently announcing the value of this Maybach.
He had been so engrossed in Shen Beidao’s beauty that he hadn’t noticed this car was different from the previous one.
Shen Beidao took the milk tea and frowned slightly: “Iced?”
“Uh… you don’t like iced?”
“No, I don’t usually drink it,” Shen Beidao’s voice was unreadable. “But I can try.”
Lin Yi wailed internally: Damn it, I forgot to ask about his preference when I bought it. Seeing how good his skin is, he probably takes good care of his health and likely doesn’t like sweet drinks.
He quickly changed the subject: “I had class this morning, so I rushed over and didn’t change.”
Shen Beidao’s gaze briefly swept over Lin Yi’s face and youthful, energetic body, and he said flatly: “You don’t need to be so particular when meeting me. Wear whatever you like.”
His tone was calm, devoid of any formality, as if he truly didn’t care.
“You look really handsome today!”
Lin Yi blurted out, then realized he sounded a bit too excited and quickly explained, “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I mean… it’s this outfit… it’s very well-designed… it suits your temperament.”
The more he spoke, the more flustered he became, feeling like a fake connoisseur stammering in front of a work of art.
Shen Beidao looked at the redness spreading across his ears, and the corner of his lips curved upward. A faint trace of a smile flickered in those eyes that were usually as calm as still water.
He followed up on Lin Yi’s comment: “The organizers provided the clothing. I’m guiding a German inspection team through the historical and cultural hall, and they felt I represent the image of Jiangzhou, so they specifically commissioned this outfit.”
“Oh, I see…”
Lin Yi felt a strange little pang of disappointment. So this stunning outfit wasn’t worn specifically for him.
He quickly handed over the brown paper envelope: “Right, this is the money for the phone.”
This time, Shen Beidao did not decline as he had before.
He took the envelope, placed it on the center console without looking at it, and then said, “I might need an hour. You can sleep in the car for a while.”
He paused, looked at Lin Yi, and added, “Don’t wander off.”
“I’m not a child, why would I wander off…”
Lin Yi stopped mid-sentence, suddenly understanding the subtext—
Shen Beidao was reminding him about the time he had abruptly left to meet a friend.
The true meaning of “don’t wander off” was: You are only allowed to see me today.
Lin Yi quickly explained: “Last time was an emergency. Today, I’m only here for you.”
After saying this, he felt the temperature on his face rise even higher.
Why did that sound so much like pouting and declaring loyalty?
What happened to the “Abandoned Cat” strategy?
What happened to being “aloof”?
“Was that a friend last time?” Shen Beidao asked.
“Yes…” Lin Yi was momentarily stunned by the question and answered subconsciously, but immediately corrected himself, “No, it was my dad.”
“Your dad?” Shen Beidao raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
He recalled the man he had seen at Deer Island Coffee that day—refined and mature, looking very young, not like a father.
“My dad had me when he was twenty-two. He’s only in his early forties now, and he takes good care of himself, so he looks like he’s in his thirties.”
Lin Yi explained, a hint of unconscious pride in his father’s appearance in his tone, despite how much he still disliked Xie Chun.
“Yes, he does look like it,” Shen Beidao responded flatly, not pressing further about his father.
“I should go now. The organizers are rushing me.” Shen Beidao glanced at his wrist.
“Okay, you go quickly.” Lin Yi nodded hurriedly.
Shen Beidao opened the car door, seemed to remember something, and turned back to instruct: “There’s red wine in the refrigerator in the back seat. You can try some, but don’t drink too much.”
“I’ll just drink this,” Lin Yi held up the milk tea in his hand and smiled. “You go quickly. I’ll wait for you.”
Shen Beidao nodded, closed the car door, and with long, steady strides, walked toward the elevator lobby.
Lin Yi’s gaze involuntarily followed that tall, slender figure through the dark car window until he disappeared behind the elevator doors.
The car cabin instantly fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of the air conditioning system and his own uncalmed heartbeat.
The air was filled with a clear, faint scent of old books—Shen Beidao’s unique aroma.
Lin Yi took a deep breath. He had no mind for milk tea now.
He quickly pulled out his phone, opened the familiar social platform, his fingers trembling slightly.
He found the blurry photo of Shen Beidao’s back that he had secretly taken as he walked toward the elevator and clicked send without hesitation.
Poster: [Photo]
Poster: My crush looks like this today. Do I still have a chance?
As soon as the post went up, a bunch of lurking netizens instantly exploded.
[48th Floor] They’re here! The missing poster is finally back!
[49th Floor] Holy crap! Those ridiculously long legs! I totally believe the poster now, he’s definitely 190+! *Sighs*
[50th Floor] Wait, everyone! That suit looks like the AleBla runway collection! I’m in fashion design, I just saw it in a magazine last week!
[51st Floor] [Image] Is it this one? Sister above! Found a picture of the runway model.
[52nd Floor] [Image] Here it is! Price screenshot!
Lin Yi’s fingers trembled as he clicked on the image, seeing the clearly marked number at the bottom: $173,000
Lin Yi: …Is the suit that expensive?
[53rd Floor] Oh my god! Is this a rich second generation?! Is he wearing an apartment on his body???
[54th Floor] Poster! This is a total peacock display! What are you waiting for! Go for it! Are you waiting for the New Year to make a move on such a prime specimen?
[55th Floor] That body, that temperament, that wealth, that face… Poster, are you sure you’re not having some Mary Sue daydream?
[56th Floor] The person above is so sour. So? What stage are you at now, Poster?
Poster: I’m… waiting for him in his car.
[57th Floor] Did he say anything before he left?
Poster: He told me not to wander off and to rest in the car.
[58th Floor] ??? That’s it?
[59th Floor] He let you in his car! By extension, that’s an invitation to get into bed! (not really)
[60th Floor] Listen to me! Now! Immediately! Take off your clothes! Just say it’s too hot in the car!
[61st Floor] Don’t be so aggressive, you might scare your crush away. I suggest just taking off your pants, you’re welcome.
[62nd Floor] Then “accidentally” spill the milk tea on his seat. When he comes back, you can say pitifully, “Brother, I’m sorry, I dirtied your car”…
[63rd Floor] Then strike an alluring pose in the passenger seat and say, “Brother, if you’re really angry, just hit me?” Then you directly stick your butt out…
[64th Floor] Or you could take a few selfies in his car and post them on Moments, visible only to him, with the caption: “Waiting for a friend in his car, bored, feeling itchy~”
[65th Floor] Hey, hey, hey! This is the comment section, not a no-man’s-land!
[66th Floor] I’m a bystander. I agree with floors 60, 61, 62, 63, and 64. I suggest kicking out 65.
Poster: I’m in the parking garage. That doesn’t seem right…
[67th Floor] Poster, you are truly the most timid group I’ve ever led! You’re not seizing such a good opportunity!
[68th Floor] LOL, Poster, are you here to be funny?
[69th Floor] I bet fifty cents the poster is pretending to look at the scenery right now.
[70th Floor] I’m dying of impatience! Poster, live stream the situation!
[71st Floor] Poster, where are you? Did your crush come back?