Ah! The Villains I Forced to Turn Evil Can Read My Mind

Qiao Chuchu took a closer look and noticed his expression was normal, with no trace of tears.

She found it strange. "Where are you going?"

Shen Zhuoyan’s lips quivered downward as if he were about to cry, but he forced them into a smile instead. "I’m going to see a friend. Don’t worry!"

He gave her a deep look, then turned and walked away.

Qiao Chuchu grew increasingly uneasy and called after him, "Shen Zhuoyan, wait a second!"

Shen Zhuoyan didn’t turn back. Instead, he quickened his pace.

Ji Yanchuan gripped her arm tightly, coaxing her in a gentle tone. "Miss Qiao, let him go. He’s a grown man—it’s not like he’ll get lost. My head is still hurting. Why don’t you come with me to the hospital?"

Qiao Chuchu didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on Shen Zhuoyan’s retreating figure.

As Shen Zhuoyan reached the corner, he glanced back in her direction, as if wanting to see her one last time.

But in the end, he didn’t turn around and strode out of her sight.

Qiao Chuchu never looked away.

Ji Yanchuan stepped in front of her, bending down to grasp her shoulders, speaking as if soothing a child. "Miss Qiao, how about this? Come home with me now, and we’ll retrieve your mother’s painting. I’ll give it to you as a gift, and we can consider it the start of our friendship. How does that sound?"

Qiao Chuchu remained silent, hesitating before shifting her gaze to Ji Yanchuan.

She was thinking.

Ji Yanchuan eagerly ushered her toward the car. "Come on, Miss Qiao, let’s go!"

Qiao Chuchu furrowed her brow and suddenly pulled away. "No."

Ji Yanchuan: "Huh? What do you mean ‘no’?"

"Shen Zhuoyan doesn’t have friends." Her expression darkened as she untangled the messy thoughts in her mind. "Shen Zhuoyan only has me as his friend!"

With that, she broke into a run!

Ji Yanchuan: "Huh?! Qiao Chuchu?! Qiao Chuchu!!"

Qiao Chuchu sprinted in Shen Zhuoyan’s direction, pulling out her phone to call him.

But Shen Zhuoyan’s phone was turned off.

Shen Zhuoyan stood listlessly by the roadside, waiting for a taxi.

An empty cab pulled up, and he raised his hand before climbing in with his head down.

Qiao Chuchu reached the corner just in time to see it happen. "Hey! Shen Zhuoyan!!"

She choked back her frustration. "Why are you taking a *taxi*, Shen Zhuoyan?!"

She scanned a nearby electric scooter with her phone, hopped on, and gave chase!

Shen Zhuoyan gave the driver an address: "Tangqing Academy."

Leaning against the window, he recalled the day he and Qiao Chuchu had first met.

It was a week into the school year, and he was spacing out in the stairwell.

His parents had been fighting again.

He couldn’t stand it and had urged his mother to divorce his father.

But his mother refused, insisting his father would change his ways.

He truly couldn’t understand—how could someone love another person so deeply that they’d willingly stay by their side, even when hurt?

As he sat alone in the stairwell, he suddenly overheard a group of students gossiping upstairs.

"That Shen Zhuoyan guy is such a pretentious jerk," one said.

He frowned, ears perking up.

A ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍girl chimed in, "Right? My friend tried talking to him, and he barely reacted. She even invited him to eat, but he refused. No matter what you invite him to, he turns it down. Who does he think he is? It’s ridiculous."

Another boy sneered, "Same. I just wanted to get to know him so our parents could connect for business, but he acted all aloof with me too. I invited him to go abroad with us, and he still said no."

"Don’t you get it? He has no friends. He’s just cold to everyone."

"People like that annoy me. Who are they trying to impress?"

"Hey, what if we put bugs in his desk? It’s not like anyone likes him anyway—he probably wouldn’t even care if we pranked him."

"Ooooh, great idea!"

They burst into laughter, eagerly discussing what kind of bugs to put in his desk and which brand of glue would work best on his chair.

His disdain grew, and he stood up, ready to confront them.

But then a bright, bold voice cut in: "If you’re so brave about pranking him, why don’t you say all this to Shen Zhuoyan’s face?"

He froze, quietly ascending the stairs to peek.

Back then, Qiao Chuchu hadn’t dyed her hair yet. Her black curls cascaded neatly as she stood on the higher steps, looking down at them. "What if he’s just reserved and doesn’t like socializing? Does he have to conform to *your* expectations? Who do you think you are?"

The gossipers were troublemakers from various classes, and at the sight of Qiao Chuchu, their expressions shifted. They shoved each other and hurried off. "It’s that freak Qiao Chuchu—don’t mess with her. Let’s go!"

Once they were gone, only the two of them remained in the stairwell.

Qiao Chuchu lifted her chin proudly, like a victorious peacock, and descended the steps—only to run straight into him eavesdropping.

He flushed with embarrassment. "Thanks for standing up for me."

Qiao Chuchu said nothing, just hugged her tablet and studied him.

He was bad with words—not because he disliked people, but because he genuinely didn’t know how to talk to them. So he turned to leave.

But then a crisp voice called from behind: "Shen Zhuoyan, let’s be desk mates!"

He turned in surprise.

Qiao Chuchu clutched her tablet, feigning nonchalance but clearly a little awkward. "My current desk mate doesn’t want to sit with me, and Tangqing Academy has that dumb ‘two-to-a-desk’ rule. Since no one wants to sit with you either, why don’t we pair up? Saves us both the trouble."

He was puzzled. "How do you know your desk mate doesn’t want to sit with you?"

"She asked the homeroom teacher to switch seats, and I overheard." Qiao Chuchu grinned at him. "The teacher said no one wants to sit with me and told her to tough it out. I don’t want to force anyone."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you’re forcing me instead?"

Qiao Chuchu burst out laughing, brushing past him. "If you don’t want to, forget it!"

He quickly backtracked. "No, I’m willing."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

He nodded stiffly. "Really."

Little did he know, over the next two years as desk mates, he would never refuse a single suggestion of hers.

He always told her, *I’m willing.*

Shen Zhuoyan swallowed the lump rising in his throat.

He really *should* leave Qiao Chuchu and stop burdening her.

Meanwhile, Qiao Chuchu tailed the taxi on her electric scooter, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Shen Zhuoyan! Look back at me, Shen Zhuoyan!! If you won’t turn around, at least turn your phone on!!"

Inside the cab, Shen Zhuoyan’s heart pounded. He clutched his phone, desperate to check if Qiao Chuchu had called.

But if he was going to cut ties, he had to do it cleanly—no room for her to suspect anything.

Gritting his teeth, he stuffed his phone away and glanced out the rear window.

An electric scooter was speeding alongside the road. "Shen Zhuoyan!"

His face paled. He rolled down the window and stuck his head out.

Qiao Chuchu waved at him. "Don’t go! At least explain yourself!"

Shocked, he hastily handed the driver a hundred-yuan bill. "Stop here! Keep the change!"

He scrambled out of the car, staring at her in disbelief.

Qiao Chuchu, still on the scooter, had cranked the speed to max. Spotting a bike parking zone ahead, she quickly pulled over.

If she went any farther, she wouldn’t be able to return the rental.

She shouted at him, "Wait right there! Let me return this scooter first!"

Shen Zhuoyan stood frozen, watching Qiao Chuchu return the rented bike by the roadside, when suddenly a pang of emotion hit him.

He loved her so much.

Truly, deeply loved her.

He loved her sincerity, the way she responded to every little thing, how she always kept her heart open for him.

During those unbearable days in prison, whenever it got too hard, he’d imagine himself back in the classroom—attending lectures with her, sharing meals, listening to her gush about shoujo manga.

He didn’t want to leave her.

Not even for a second.

Shen Zhuoyan strode toward Qiao Chuchu, his steps quickening, then breaking into a run before he pulled her tightly into his arms!