Even though Hua Shu gave no thought to her fans' expectations, she did not disappoint, maintaining a defiant smile while Han Yu's "brothers" strutted arrogantly before her.
Truthfully, the more aggressive they became, the better she felt, believing that this would expose the confession's true colors to everyone. This wasn't an act born of affection and sincerity; it was more akin to a hunt—a way to facilitate the satisfaction of one's own desires without giving any weight to the target's feelings.
The gentleness, the promises, the balloons—they were all just tricks, mere bait to deceive the target. It wasn't as if Han Yu was doing these things solely for the sake of Liu Fengying's happiness.
Furthermore, Hua Shu was convinced that if Han Yu had a more direct way of obtaining Liu Fengying, he wouldn't have hesitated to use it. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't act like a prehistoric man, who would simply club the woman to whom he was attracted over the head and drag her into a cave once she lost consciousness.
But while she had succeeded in ruining the fairytale atmosphere Han Yu had worked so hard to create, Hua Shu was far from satisfied. She intended to demonstrate plainly just how hypocritical Han Yu was, ensuring he would never dare to show his face before Liu Fengying again, and that few would pity him after his failure. So, as soon as Han Yu's supporters quieted down, she launched her counterattack:
"If you, who have no connection to Fengying, are allowed to advise her to accept Han Yu, why shouldn't I, as her best friend, be allowed to express my disapproval? You speak of sincerity... What sincerity? How sincere can someone's feelings be toward a person who is a complete stranger to them? Or is it possible that Han Yu believes that after having nighttime fantasies about Fengying, the two of them are now close…"
Well, this time, no one rushed to contradict Hua Shu. It wasn't that Han Yu's "brothers" agreed with her words; after all, the notion of love at first sight is quite prevalent in society. However, hearing Hua Shu mention fantasies involving Liu Fengying made them feel guilty and exposed.
After all, what young man doesn't start having all sorts of thoughts when he sees an extremely attractive girl? This was also the case for Han Yu's friends; if they hadn't acted on those impulses, it was only because they lacked the confidence to compete with him. But that didn't mean they hadn't imagined all sorts of things.
As for Han Yu himself, he was still bewildered by the turn of events and didn't know which attitude would be best to save the situation. It was similar to a politician being interrupted during a speech by an unforeseen incident—for example, a spectator throwing a shoe at his head; once pushed out of his comfort zone, he found it hard to maintain his charm.
Of course, since Hua Shu didn't give a damn about the opinions of Han Yu or the pack he led, she didn't give them any time to gather their thoughts and moved straight to the next issue.
"And, unless I'm mistaken, just a week ago, Han Yu was asking Fengying's sister out. How does that work? A new 'great love' every week? Not to mention his passion jumped from one sister to the other. Wait, don't tell me Han Yu is like one of those obsessed Pokémon trainers, determined to catch every specimen in the family!
In that case, your 'Brother Han' is truly something to be feared... especially since the two sisters also have a younger brother. Talk about varied tastes! But wouldn't it have been better to start with him? After all, he's younger and easier to fool. Plus, I think they have plenty in common: they both love playing the 'young master' role, despite having zero personal achievements to their names..."
Hua Shu was, indeed, in peak form; she had managed to cram so many heavy accusations into just a few sentences that she left Han Yu and his supporters reeling. They stood there completely frozen, not knowing where to even begin contradicting her.
However, the same could not be said for the bystanders who were there just to watch the show. Hua Shu's accusations sparked all sorts of discussions among them, and many began to view Han Yu in a light completely different from the ideal image they had held until then.
Even the girls who secretly admired Han Yu began to wonder if it would be wise to enter a relationship with someone so fickle. Furthermore, seeing him put in his place so easily, they felt he didn't seem quite so handsome anymore.
But if we were to name those most stimulated by this turn of events, it was, by far, Han Yu's rivals. Some of them told themselves they should send a thank-you gift to Hua Shu—though most likely anonymously, so as not to become her next victims—and a couple of them even started to applaud and cheer for her, stating loudly that she was truly courageous for the way she forced everyone to see the truth.
Seeing the atmosphere shifting around him, Han Yu's face grew increasingly livid; he couldn't fathom how things had taken such a disastrous turn. Well, at least he knew who to blame: Liu Fengying's so-called best friend. He told himself that if Fengying had any flaw at all, it was her taste in friends.
His "brothers" were also to blame. Couldn't they have acted with more grace? Their remarks hadn't just irritated Liu Fengying's friend further instead of calming her down, but also had turned the romantic scene he had worked so hard to create into something resembling a rowdy football terrace.
Regardless, he realized he was in a critical situation. It wasn't just the success of his confession that was on the line anymore—it was his entire reputation.
Nevertheless, he believed he still had a chance at victory; surely his promise to grant her access to his family's influence had to be tempting for someone in Liu Fengying's position. Of course, he hadn't forgotten the rumors that she might already be receiving support from someone else, but Han Yu was convinced that no one in the entire city was more capable than his father of helping Liu Fengying reclaim her inheritance.
Having brainwashed himself into a state of delusion like this, Han Yu regained some semblance of calm, determined to get things back on track.
"Young lady…" he began, addressing Hua Shu.
But Hua Shu didn't give him the chance for a smooth start:
"Hmph, it seems you don't even know the name of the best friend of the 'target' of your affection…"
"....." Han Yu barely managed to maintain the gentle expression he had plastered onto his face.
'I never thought I'd encounter a girl this insufferable…', he cursed Hua Shu in his mind. He swore that once Liu Fengying became his girlfriend, he would convince her to have nothing more to do with this viper.
As for Hua Shu's name, it was true that he didn't know it. Although he thought he had heard one of his supporters use it earlier, he couldn't remember it because he had been too panicked at the time.
"Ahem, I wanted to ask you not to judge me before I have the chance to prove my sincerity to your friend. After all, even a criminal enjoys the presumption of innocence, right? Haha..." Han Yu resumed in a joking tone, trying to mask his annoyance at Hua Shu's treatment and attempting to appear as the bigger person in the eyes of the crowd.
"Anyway, if you like, I can promise in front of everyone that if I ever disappoint Fengying, I'll let you hit me with a wooden club in front of the school as much as you see fit..." he added, hoping this compromise would satisfy Hua Shu and make her back down.
Hua Shu rolled her eyes; did he really think she was as easy to fool as a ten-year-old? Setting aside the fact that the scene Han Yu described would have meant total social suicide for him, he seemed to have skin far too delicate, unaccustomed to such harsh treatment. How could he ever willingly endure a beating with a club?
Moreover, she had no legal or concrete means to force him to keep his word. Even if she ever tried to publicly accuse him of breaking his promise, he would most likely defend himself immediately by saying it was just a "metaphor," not that he ever literally intended to let her beat him.
She also found it ridiculous that Han Yu was acting as if she were the only obstacle to the success of his confession. Was he really that confident in the persuasive power of his promises? Did he think everyone could be bought?
'Or maybe he just thinks he's such a catch...' Hua Shu found a simpler explanation for Han Yu's behavior; as the most popular boy in school, it was impossible for him not to have a very high opinion of himself.
Despite this, she didn't bother contradicting him anymore. After all, her role was only to set the stage; it was up to Liu Fengying to deliver the "coup de grâce". Besides, it was much more painful for him to be put in his place by the person he was interested in than by someone he clearly viewed as a nuisance.
Han Yu breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Hua Shu had stopped causing trouble. It was true she still wore a disapproving expression, but she didn't seem intent on interrupting him further—that was enough for him.
"So, Fengying, are you willing to give me a chance?" he asked Liu Fengying, looking at her with an expression full of hope, yet also with a certain air of inferiority, as if awaiting a queen's verdict.