Qi Yanheng’s gaze clung to her, thick and deliberate, carrying an unspoken scrutiny that made Cen Zhi Ning deeply uncomfortable.
Was this guy brewing some filthy thoughts again?
She tugged at the hem of her skirt, put away her phone, and shot him a vicious glare before glancing back at Cen Zhenguo by the door.
“Dad, aren’t there any other cars at home? I don’t want to ride in the same car as him.”
Cen Zhenguo still had a meeting that morning and brushed her off.
“It’s your first day at school. How can you not make an entrance? Let Yanheng take you to register—it’ll make our family look harmonious.”
“Harmonious?”
Cen Zhi Ning let out a cold laugh. This ungrateful wolf, Qi Yanheng, had never once cared about family harmony.
Cen Zhenguo opened the car door himself and half-pushed her into the back seat.
“Yanheng, it’s Ning Ning’s first day. Take good care of her.”
Qi Yanheng nodded and politely entered from the other side.
The originally spacious back seat suddenly felt cramped with his presence. The car was filled with his scent.
She frowned and shrank toward the window, chin lifted.
“You. Go sit in the front.”
As if he hadn’t heard her, Qi Yanheng shifted even closer. His long leg brushed against the hem of her school uniform skirt, fabric rustling softly.
She tried to pull her leg back, but in the tight space, it ended up grazing his instead.
Qi Yanheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He turned his head slowly, his gaze drifting to her pale neck, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Uncle Cen said I should take good care of you. We can’t let people think our family isn’t getting along.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Since when are you so obedient?”
“I’ve always been obedient…”
She clenched her teeth and turned to stare out the window.
Obedient, my ass. His behavior was erratic—if she wasn’t careful, he could do something shockingly outrageous.
【Wow, this kind of forbidden romance is kind of interesting. Look at Qi Yanheng’s eyes—he looks like he wants to crush you and swallow you whole.】
【If you just gave in to him, he wouldn’t fall for the little white flower. He’s completely infatuated right now—thinking about pinning you down and kissing you hard.】
【Too bad we have a mission…】
Listening to the system’s chatter, Cen Zhi Ning shuddered, goosebumps rising all over.
What nonsense was this?
Maybe it was the system’s influence, but she could clearly feel Qi Yanheng’s gaze like a hook, tracing the outline of her profile and the curve of her neck again and again.
Shameless psycho.
She took a deep breath and snapped fiercely,
“I’m warning you—stop getting ideas about me! I have a fiancé now.”
Qi Yanheng suddenly moved.
It wasn’t a large motion—just a slight lean toward her. Cen Zhi Ning held her breath and instinctively raised her arm to block him.
“Y-What are you doing?”
Her nerves tightened. He was too close—his chest almost pressing against her arm, trapping her between himself and the window.
She swallowed.
Don’t tell me this shameless bastard is going to force something—
His breathing hovered above her as his arm seemed to pass over her shoulder, pressing the window control.
The window lowered a crack. A breeze slipped in.
His eyes locked onto her flushed profile as he slowly leaned back into his seat, as if nothing had happened.
“It was a little stuffy.”
Cen Zhi Ning ground her teeth, furious.
“Don’t you have your own window? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Stay away from me!”
Qi Yanheng met her gaze, a faint curve still on his lips, his voice oddly pleasant.
“Oh? You know what I’m trying to do?”
She fumed silently. Calm down. Stay steady.
Seeing she didn’t respond, he glanced at her again. The short haircut was indeed sharp and neat, highlighting her jawline and swan-like neck.
But the makeup was too bold—fiery red lips, sharply winged eyeliner, aggressive and unsuitable for her.
His gaze drifted lower.
Her originally neat shirt had its top two buttons undone, revealing delicate collarbones and a sliver of pale skin—faintly visible, suggestive.
From the very beginning, he had been focused on how she was dressed. He had endured long enough.
Without hesitation, he reached out and precisely grasped her collar.
She jolted in shock.
“Beast! Let go of me!”
Ignoring her cry, he pinned her shoulder with his left hand and, with deliberate slowness, used his right to button her shirt up one button at a time until every inch of exposed skin was concealed.
“Much more pleasing to the eye.”
“……”
Shameless pervert.
She clearly felt it—while fastening the buttons, his fingers had brushed lightly across her chest.
Her eyes reddened with anger.
After finishing, his gaze swept down to her skirt. The tailored uniform skirt had been hiked high by her earlier tugging, her long legs almost fully exposed.
His expression darkened, as if he were about to do something again.
She understood instantly. A wise person yields when necessary.
She quickly tugged her skirt down hard, trying to cover her thighs.
Only then did he say lightly,
“This is Silan Noble Academy, not a place for you to act recklessly.”
She glared at him.
“Pervert. Who asked for your opinion? Do you even realize you just touched me?”
“Touched what?”
Her face flushed deeper.
“You—”
His fingers twitched faintly before he slipped them into his pocket, casting her a calm glance.
“Oh. It’s indeed fuller than three years ago.”
“You’re shameless!”
She was livid. How could he say something so lewd with that refined, aristocratic face?
“I’ll fight you!”
“Enough. Don’t make trouble—it’ll distract Uncle Li while he’s driving.”
“Who’s making trouble? You’re the one acting like a pervert!”
“Purely accidental. I just didn’t want you dressing so revealing. You were the one struggling, so I touched you by mistake.”
She clenched her fists.
“Who asked you to button my shirt? Since when do you control more than my dad?”
“If you dress that conspicuously, you’ll become a target. Don’t create trouble for yourself.”
She shot him a sharp look.
“I have the freedom to dress how I want. What are you, some old fossil?”
“Yes. I am.”
“……”
They rode the rest of the way in tense silence.
The car stopped at the gates of Silan Academy—an imposing complex of retro European-style buildings.
Just as she was about to get out, she noticed a crowd gathered near the wall.
In the center, a boy was being pinned to the ground and beaten by several people.
She immediately spotted Mu Chenchuan towering among them. His black, tousled hair fell over arrogant eyes laced with cruelty.
Surrounded by followers, a roguish smile curled at his lips. One foot casually ground against the boy’s face while his hands remained in his trench coat pockets, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
The atmosphere was oppressive and eerily quiet.
Cen Zhi Ning lowered the car window and heard his lazy voice drift over—
“Tsk. How boring. You can’t handle it already? There’s still one tooth left.”