22 – This Smile, Ten Years of Merit Gone
The moment Xie Jingchuan opened his mouth, he caught the scent of feminine fragrance wafting past his nose and couldn’t help but let out a dry heave.
Furious, his face turned pale, beads of cold sweat dotted his handsome features, and a strand of silver hair clung to the corner of his eye, making him look unnaturally striking.
The man gritted his teeth fiercely, “…Get…away!”
Today, he was determined to strangle Xie Yurao with his own hands!
Xie Yurao, holding up her skirt, had already dashed up the stairs and was now leaning over the railing, tilting her head to look down at him.
Seeing Xie Jingchuan’s face so pale it almost matched the color of his silver hair, she couldn’t hold back a goose-like laugh.
Chen Yi stood blocking the staircase. Her nature was always compassionate, and she couldn’t help but glance back at her.
“Miss, please stop laughing. One laugh like that could wipe out ten years of good karma.”
Hearing Xie Yurao’s demonic goose-like laughter, Xie Jingchuan was so angry he felt smoke rising from his head.
His deep, gloomy eyes locked onto Xie Yurao, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles bulged repeatedly.
Suppressing the nausea in his heart, he pushed aside the cluster of maids blocking his way.
“Xie Yu…ugh…”
He staggered forward, his face pale as he dry-heaved, shoving the maids aside as he moved toward Xie Yurao.
“You just…ugh…wait…ugh…”
Xie Yurao hadn’t expected Xie Jingchuan’s gynophobia to be this severe. It was rare to see this usually arrogant and proud prodigy in such a pitiful state.
She was nearly doubled over with laughter on the staircase railing.
Her distinctive laughter echoed throughout the entire front hall.
“Goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose, goose…”
Tan Shen: “…”
Finally, Xie Jingchuan managed to suppress the urge to vomit, pushed past the maids, and with trembling lips, sneered coldly at Xie Yurao as he started up the stairs.
But as soon as he took a step up, a hand pressed down on his shoulder.
Then, with a slight force, he was pulled back down the stairs without mercy.
Xie Jingchuan: “?”
He turned around and met Tan Shen’s cold, ascetic face.
The man spoke, “Second Young Master, let’s talk this out.”
Xie Jingchuan’s expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth as he pointed at the figure on the stairs. “Has she ever talked things out properly?”
Had Xie Yurao said a single decent word today?
Tan Shen glanced up toward the staircase.
Xie Yurao met his gaze, remembered the flag she had set for herself, and snorted coldly, turning away.
Xie Jingchuan’s voice rang out again, “Acting like she’s eaten gunpowder, as if she’s been dumped by a man.”
Xie Yurao: “?”
This remark inadvertently stepped on the young lady’s landmine. Her fox-like eyes widened instantly.
“What did you say?”
Now, Xie Jingchuan didn’t even need to go up to her—she came stomping down the stairs herself.
Glaring fiercely at Xie Jingchuan, she demanded, “Say that again—”
Before Xie Yurao could reach Xie Jingchuan, an arm wrapped around her waist from the side.
Her body suddenly went weightless, lifted into the air, and she fell backward into a firm, warm embrace, her back pressed against him.
Xie Yurao looked down at the ground, a question mark slowly forming in her mind.
How was it that with this man holding her waist, she couldn’t even touch the ground with her toes?
Like a kitten being lifted by the scruff of its neck.
Tan Shen held her waist firmly, preventing her from moving, then looked at Xie Jingchuan, his tone flat and indifferent.
“Second Young Master, you don’t look well. Chen Yi, help him to the sofa to rest.”
Chen Yi quickly nodded, “Yes.”
Xie Jingchuan’s expression changed, “Don’t come near me!”
He was truly terrified of these maids; the number of times he felt disgusted today surpassed the entire past year.
Xie Jingchuan knew that with Tan Shen around, no matter how much he wanted to lay hands on Xie Yurao, it would be difficult.
Clenching his fists tightly, Xie Jingchuan ultimately held back, his voice icy as he said, “No need, I’ll leave now.”
He couldn’t stand staying in Xie Yurao’s dilapidated villa full of maids for even a second longer.
“Xie Yurao, we have plenty of time ahead of us.” The handsome yet gloomy silver-haired man gave her one last deep look.
Xie Yurao struggled a couple of times but couldn’t break free from Tan Shen’s embrace.
Hearing this, she raised her eyes in confusion, her fox-like eyes innocent and beautiful.
“Who is Fang Chang? Why should I go with you… mmm.”
Tan Shen couldn’t take it anymore and covered her mouth.
He lowered his gaze, his chin nearly resting on her fluffy head, his tone indifferent and resigned. “Shut up.”
She really dared to say anything.
“…”
This dog of a man! Who does he think he’s scolding?
In the end, Xie Jingchuan stormed off in a rage.
After he left, Tan Shen didn’t wait for her to struggle again. He simply released her and placed her on the stairs.
Xie Yurao wasn’t actually short, standing at 168 cm.
But in front of Tan Shen, who was 190 cm, she seemed particularly petite. Only by standing on the stairs could she barely meet his gaze.
“Who allowed you to touch me?!”
The young lady, who usually couldn’t resist teasing him and loved sticking close to him, was now unusually stubborn.
This time, he was the one who had touched her first.
Feeling somewhat justified, the young lady began to bully him with her authority.
However, Tan Shen remained as calm and unruffled as an ancient well, his gaze steady as he looked at her and calmly stated, “You can’t beat him.”
If he hadn’t stopped her, she would have just walked into a trap.
“…”
With that one sentence, Xie Yurao’s confidence vanished almost entirely.
The young lady, rarely left speechless, puffed up her cheeks in anger. “As if I needed you to tell me!”
Her fox-like eyes glared at him, fierce even when she had no ground to stand on.
Tan Shen suddenly chuckled softly and asked her casually, “Xie Yurao, do you know why so many people want to hit you?”
Her mouth was infuriating, and she loved stirring up trouble.
Tan Shen hoped she would realize this and learn to restrain herself a bit in the future.
But Xie Yurao replied, “I’m too outstanding, so it’s normal for people to envy me.”
“…”
Tan Shen was left utterly speechless.
“Move aside.” Xie Yurao gestured that she wanted to go downstairs.
Usually, she would have pushed him away directly, but this time, to uphold the ‘flag’ she had set for herself, she didn’t lay a hand on him.
Tan Shen paused for a moment before stepping aside.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Xie Yurao bit her lip lightly and simply walked away without looking back.
…
“Second Young Master, are you alright…”
The driver waiting at the villa entrance asked in surprise as he watched the disheveled Xie Jingchuan emerge.
Xie Jingchuan’s face was still pale, his silver hair slightly limp against his forehead. He tightened his expression and said coldly, “I’m fine.”
The man got into the back seat of the car and glanced back at the villa from afar.
He gritted his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter.
“Drive. Get me out of this godforsaken place.”
Seeing his displeasure, the driver quickly responded, “Yes, sir.”
As the car started and slowly pulled away from the villa, Xie Jingchuan leaned back in the seat, wiping his hands fiercely with a wet wipe.
Just thinking about how many women he had touched earlier made him feel sick.
“Wait.”
Xie Jingchuan’s gaze suddenly fell outside the window, where a nervous young man in a white shirt stood beneath a utility pole.
He held a basket of fruit in his arms, his eyes fixed hesitantly in the direction of the villa, too timid to approach. Under the sunlight, his features appeared delicate and handsome.
Xie Jingchuan’s eyes lingered on him as he casually asked, “Who is he?”
The driver glanced at the young man and shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
As soon as he answered, he met a gloomy and cold gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Not sure?”
“I—I mean, I am sure!” The driver abruptly stepped on the brakes. “Second Young Master, please wait. I’ll go ask right away.”
A competent driver must also be a qualified detective.
In no time, the driver returned.
“Second Young Master, I found out. He was quite easy to fool.”
Xie Jingchuan slowly crumpled the wet tissue in his hand, his lips curling thoughtfully.
“Speak.”
The driver replied, “His name is Jiang Mingci. He’s a student in the ballroom dance program at the Sports University, and he’s Miss Xie’s dance partner.”