Chapter10 Be My Baby

“Really?”
Shen Junxi’s gaze lowered, and their eyes met by chance.
In the girl’s pure, bright apricot eyes, there was a hint of moisture, like scattered stars in the night sky—dazzling and charming. And at the center of every star was him. His eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, face… It gave the illusion that he filled her entire world.
“Shen Xiaoxi, why are you so nice?”
Su Niansheng murmured, her voice trembling. Just as she was about to lean closer, the boy suddenly reached out, covering her eyes, and pulled back.
“? What are you doing?”
“N-Nothing…”
Shen Junxi tried to stay calm, but the obvious change in his tone betrayed his flustered heart. He just… being looked at by her so directly made it hard to control his racing heart, and even harder to suppress the urge to “tease” her mercilessly.
“Why have you been looking at me like this lately?”
Su Niansheng: “…” Was she really that obvious?
“Because…”
“I’ve realized you’re getting more and more handsome!”
“Your taste is improving fast.” Shen Junxi’s lips curled into a playful, cocky smile. “Though you’re a bit late to notice. I’ve always been this handsome.”
Ugh, such a narcissist!
Su Niansheng laughed and fed him a spoonful of Mont Blanc cake.
On this campus night, the gentle breeze, rich floral scents, and sweet cake aroma blended together. With her childhood sweetheart by her side, everything felt so cozy—it softened the girl’s heart. Things she once took for granted now felt precious beyond measure.
“Oh right, what reward do you want?”
Shen Junxi: “Be my baby.”
“Wha… cough–cough!”
No sooner had he spoken than Su Niansheng was caught off guard, choking on a chestnut puree. She bent over, coughing wildly—was it shock or panic?
Shen Junxi reached out, patting her back. Leaning close, his deep voice brushed her ear, teasing, “I meant ‘soccer baby.’ Where’s your mind wandering?”
“…” Su Niansheng’s face burned with embarrassment. Lifting her head, her glistening eyes were filled with shyness. “You’re the one who spoke ambiguously!”
“Heh.”
Shen Junxi’s gaze dropped, lingering on her flushed, startled face. His eyes darkened slightly as he ground his back teeth, a subtle, indescribable emotion flashing in his eyes.
“Even if it was ambiguous, you wouldn’t be this scared, right?”
Su Niansheng: “Do you have a match?”
“Yeah. The Business School organized a friendly between the International Trade and Finance departments. It’s next Wednesday.”
When he mentioned the Finance department, he glanced at her subtly, watching for a reaction. But her expression remained calm, not a ripple of emotion.
“No problem. It’s just a cheer dance with pom-poms before the match—easy for me.”
“Are you sure?” Shen Junxi raised an eyebrow. “Won’t you check the Finance team’s roster first?”
“What’s there to see?” Su Niansheng’s 疑惑 voice was pure and sincere, her clear eyes shining in the starlight. “No matter who’s on the other side, I’ll always support you.”
This light, casual sentence hit the boy’s heart like thunder, sending waves crashing. For a moment, he froze. After a long pause, he finally turned his head away.
The endless starry sky, the blooming flowers of spring—none could compare to the beauty of his mood right now. The earlier tension vanished, replaced by overwhelming sweetness.
“?”
Su Niansheng looked up, seeing the moonlight dappling his figure. His sharp features cast half his face in light, half in shadow, making it hard to read his expression. But from the clear, thick lashes and the curved, deep smile lines at his lips, she could tell he was smiling—a dazzling, heart-stirring smile.
She didn’t know what he was smiling about, but it infected her. Breaking off a small piece of Mont Blanc, she offered it to him. “Here, have some too?”
“Nope.”
Shen Junxi refused. He was already drowning in sweetness. One more drop, and he’d be overwhelmed.
By ten o’clock, Lin Yixuan, Zhao Menghan, and Xu Yue had returned to the dorm.
Su Niansheng pushed the door open, expecting their usual teasing. Instead…
Zhao Menghan and Xu Yue greeted her as usual, while Lin Yixuan—who’d been so flustered and angry on stage before—was now happily trying on clothes.
“Menghan, do I look better in sporty style or girly style?”
“Sporty.”
“Okay.” She picked up a sporty shirt. “Sporty fits the match better.”
“Match?”
“Yeah, after dinner, Shiyu Bai asked me to meet downstairs. The Business School’s organizing a match—he’s playing for Finance and invited me to be the cheerleading captain! You and Xu Yue should come too; I saved seats for you. Lots of cute guys there!”
When she finished, Zhao Menghan and Xu Yue glanced at Su Niansheng sympathetically. Su Niansheng loved Shiyu Bai so much, yet she didn’t even know about this—clearly, he didn’t want her to know, let alone join the cheerleading team. Plus, she’d angered Lin Yixuan; future chances to get close to him would be slim.
The two shook their heads silently. The object of their sympathy, however, was unfazed—all she could think was: So that’s why Shen Junxi told her to check the Finance roster first. So he still didn’t believe she’d moved on from Shiyu Bai.
Lin Yixuan finished speaking, secretly watching her reaction. Seeing Su Niansheng’s calm face, her proud smile twisted into mockery.
Putting on an act?
Hearing Shiyu Bai invite someone else to be cheer captain—must feel like a knife to the heart, right?
Serves her right!
This is just the start…
Su Niansheng, just you wait!
Wednesday arrived.
At Jingdu University’s soccer field.
The friendly between the Business School’s International Trade and Finance departments drew a huge crowd—almost equal numbers of guys and girls. Even students from other schools showed up after hearing about it.
Most girls came for the two campus heartthrobs—Shen Junxi and Shiyu Bai—famous for their god-tier good looks. Guys, meanwhile, came purely for Shen Junxi—the former “Little Soccer King” of Qingjin, who’d worn the No.10 jersey and never lost a match representing the capital.
Before the match, the stands were packed, buzzing with energy. Cheerleaders filed in one after another.
Lin Yixuan led the Finance cheer team toward the left field.
Shiyu Bai glanced behind her—only Zhao Menghan and Xu Yue were there. His gaze froze in confusion.