Chapitre 11: Of course I want it all

Wang Yi felt a bit out of place at Lin Youyu's birthday party, realizing that aside from Lin Youyu and Gao Yurong, he didn't know anyone else. Yet, when he glanced at Lin Youyu's bright, sweet smile, his earlier doubts about coming faded away. He decided that it didn't really matter—he was there to wish her a happy birthday, nothing more.

Sitting alone, he observed the crowd, noticing the whispered conversations and curious glances directed his way, especially as both Lin Youyu and Gao Yurong—two of the most stunning girls in the room—came over to sit beside him. He could feel the weight of people's attention and the quiet gossip.

Lin Youyu, sitting to his right, asked curiously, "Wang Yi, how did you meet Yurong?"

Wang Yi explained, "We met about a year ago. I had just started as a senior student at the martial arts gym, and I needed a tutor. Yurong became my tutor back then."

Lin Youyu's eyes widened with interest. "Wow, so you've been balancing martial arts and tutoring this whole time?" She sounded a little regretful. "If I had known, maybe I could have..." She stopped mid-sentence.

"Hmm?" Wang Yi looked at her, puzzled.

Before Lin Youyu could respond, Gao Yurong, seated on his left, chimed in with a teasing smile. "Lin Youyu, I thought you didn't like spending time alone with boys or practicing martial arts. Do you want Wang Yi as your tutor now?"

Lin Youyu quickly replied, "Wang Yi is different. He's not like other boys." Realizing what she had just said, her face flushed bright red, embarrassed by her own admission.

"Oh, I see," Gao Yurong teased, her tone playful. "It sounds like you have a thing for Wang Yi."

Caught between the two girls, Wang Yi felt increasingly uncomfortable, as though ants were crawling all over his body. He didn't know where to look or what to say.

Lin Youyu, now blushing even more, protested, "Yurong, stop teasing! If you keep this up, I'll stop talking to you." But despite her protest, she couldn't help but sneak glances at Wang Yi, hoping he wasn't too affected by the teasing. However, to her dismay, Wang Yi seemed lost in thought, his gaze wandering off into the sky, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.

Feeling even more flustered, Lin Youyu pouted slightly.

Gao Yurong, unfazed, shrugged and said, "Okay, enough teasing. Wang Yi, let me ask you this." She leaned in slightly, her eyes focused intently on him. "If both Lin Youyu and I asked you to be our tutor, who would you choose?"

The playful tone in her voice belied a deeper curiosity, and both girls now looked at Wang Yi, awaiting his answer.

Caught off guard, Wang Yi responded honestly, "I'd choose both, of course." His reasoning was simple: one tutoring job paid well, so why not take both and double his earnings?

Gao Yurong and Lin Youyu were momentarily stunned by his answer.

Gao Yurong quickly followed up, "But what if you had to choose only one?"

Wang Yi, still puzzled, replied, "Why would I have to choose? Don't you two get along?" He found the question odd and couldn't understand why they would force such a decision.

Gao Yurong felt a twinge of frustration. Wang Yi was so clueless when it came to understanding girls' emotions. She couldn't help but think to herself, How did I end up liking such a dense guy? Still, his straightforwardness was part of his charm, even if it made her feel exasperated.

Lin Youyu, on the other hand, felt a bit relieved by Wang Yi's response. It reassured her that Gao Yurong hadn't yet developed a closer relationship with him. However, she also felt conflicted. For years, she had secretly liked Wang Yi, and with the college entrance exams approaching, she knew they might drift apart afterward. This birthday party had been her chance to express her feelings, but seeing her best friend Gao Yurong also show interest in Wang Yi left her feeling uncertain.

The atmosphere between the three grew quiet, and the once playful banter subsided into an awkward silence.

Sensing that Wang Yi might feel left out, Lin Youyu tried to keep the conversation going, but her attempts were interrupted by a middle-aged couple nearby, who were watching them with disapproving expressions.

The woman, who bore a striking resemblance to Lin Youyu, approached and whispered, "Who is he, dear?"

"Mom, I've told you already. He's my friend," Lin Youyu said, slightly embarrassed. She knew her parents were becoming suspicious of her growing attachment to Wang Yi. At school, she had always been a model student who kept her distance from boys, but today, she found herself unable to stay away from Wang Yi.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi felt the eyes of others around him watching, and his keen hearing as a martial artist picked up on the whispers and murmurs about him. He smiled bitterly to himself, thinking, Being too popular has its downsides.