So that was why He Zongye had shown up at the dance department’s teaching building—he’d been waiting right there for her in person.
He Zongye’s villa was right next to the Shen family’s. The weather was scorching hot, so Shen Jinyao’s mother had made cold jelly dessert and asked her to go next door and invite He Zongye over to share it.
Shen Jinyao went to the neighbor’s house reluctantly.
The sprawling villa was empty and desolate. She checked the outdoor pool and the main hall, but couldn’t find him anywhere, so she went straight to his bedroom.
She knocked for a long time with no response, then pushed the door open and walked in.
The next second, the bathroom door swung open.
The young man’s powerful frame was still damp with steam. His sexy, cold Adam’s apple rolled slightly. His brows and eyes, touched with moisture, were sharp and languid. A single drop of water dripped from his jaw.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist. The muscles in his arms were taut and defined, veins snaking prominently along his forearms. Eight-pack abs were clearly delineated, the tail of his sharp V-line disappearing beneath black boxer briefs.
His long legs were strong and powerful, brimming with explosive force. The whole man was like a beast poised to strike.
Shen Jinyao turned to look, her calm eyes trembling. She let out a shriek and ran.
Even though a month had already passed, thinking about it again still made her toes curl with embarrassment.
She lowered her head and closed her eyes in mortification. She’d known He Zongye would come looking for trouble.
Afraid he’d blackmail her or get revenge, she’d made plans with friends that very night to go abroad. She figured that with enough time, given how strained their relationship was, who would still bring up something so distant and awkward?
But she’d overlooked one thing—He Zongye never played by the rules, and he was a petty, vindictive man to boot.
She’d been avoiding him for this long, and he’d still caught her.
He Zongye’s lowered gaze was casual and indifferent, taking in every expression on her face.
He gave a light smile, his low voice magnetic in the empty dance studio: “Don’t think you’re getting out of this.”
The moment Shen Jinyao heard that, she straightened up immediately, putting on a look of someone who dared to do and dared to own it: “Who’s trying to get out of anything?”
As she spoke, she snatched the charging cable back and stomped on his sneaker. “No shoes on the dance matting.”
He Zongye instinctively stepped back two paces, and that was exactly when Shen Jinyao slipped away while he was off guard.
Not run? Did she look stupid?
He Zongye stared at the girl’s retreating back, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.
That stomp of hers had zero force behind it—she’d done it purely on purpose.
But her reminder made the shoes on his feet suddenly feel extremely conspicuous, and the dance matting beneath him felt like scorching lava.
He leisurely took off his shoes and walked out barefoot.
Shen Jinyao sprinted all the way downstairs. Only when she saw he hadn’t chased after her did she breathe a sigh of relief.
“Jinyao, what are you running from?”
Shen Jinyao grabbed her arm and hurried away. “Quick, let’s go. There’s a dog.”
“What?” Xie Zhiyu was utterly confused. “A dog? How would there be a dog here?”
Though puzzled, she still ran along with her.
Shen Jinyao was a sophomore, majoring in dance performance in the classical dance department. With no afternoon classes, she’d slept in her dorm.
She’d slept straight from one in the afternoon to past four. By the time she accompanied Xie Zhiyu to the track field, the freshmen had already dispersed.
A huge crowd was all rushing toward the cafeteria. They searched for a long time but still couldn’t find the handsome guy Xie Zhiyu had wanted to see.
In the evening, Shen Jinyao had to go to the dance studio for evening practice, so she declined Xie Zhiyu’s invitation to go to a gathering.
The compound had never lacked people with good backgrounds or outstanding talent. The dance department at Jing University gathered the top students from all over the country. To reach a higher stage, you had to put in several times more effort than others.
Shen Jinyao had entered Jing University with the highest score in the dance department and was a key focus of cultivation for both her teachers and the department head.
A boring gathering wasn’t more important than her evening practice.
Besides, the private club Xie Zhiyu frequented was also a favorite haunt of He Zongye and his crowd.
To avoid running into him, she’d avoid it whenever possible.
She was still trying to dodge him—why would she deliver herself right to his door?
Practice didn’t end until past nine in the evening. Shen Jinyao had her hair in a bun, with a few stray strands on her forehead darkened by sweat. She sat on the dance matting, tilting her head back to take a sip of water.
She pulled out her phone from her bag and paused—Xie Zhiyu had called her several times on WeChat.
She habitually kept her phone on silent and hadn’t glanced at it once during practice, so she’d missed all of them.
She called back. A different girl answered.
“Jinyao, Zhiyu’s drunk. Come pick her up.”
“Zhiyi should be at J·F. Go to room 3505 and find him.”
“We already looked. That unreliable guy took off ages ago.”
Shen Jinyao stood up. “Okay, please send me the address.”
Since Xie Zhiyi wasn’t there, He Zongye had probably left too.
Meng Qingqing, who’d been lying on the floor doing a straddle split while playing on her phone, immediately perked up. “Where to? I’m coming too.”
Shen Jinyao slung her bag over her shoulder. “Xiaoyu got drunk at the club. I’m going to pick her up. You shouldn’t come—curfew’s almost up.”
Meng Qingqing’s eyes darted around. She couldn’t miss the chance to see Xie Zhiyu make a fool of herself. She patted her chest.
“I’m not scared. I’ve never been to a club before. Come on, come on, take me to see the world.”
“Then you have to stay close to me.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll stick to you like glue.”
J·F was a famous high-end club in northern Jingbei.
The waiter recognized Shen Jinyao and led her straight upstairs.
Shen Jinyao didn’t come here often—only for friends’ birthday gatherings, and even then, just to sit around. Her parents were strict about such things, so even when she came to places like this, she never touched a drop of alcohol.
Meng Qingqing kept close on Shen Jinyao’s heels, her eyes darting around as she took in the surroundings. “Wow! So luxurious—so this is the legendary private club.”
Shen Jinyao was still in her blue short-sleeved practice top, paired with loose dance pants in the same color, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She looked youthful and radiant, with a fresh, luminous air about her, but it was her face that truly caught the eye. Her striking, vivid features carried a soft, obedient charm that made people linger on her a beat longer than they should.
On the third floor, inside the private room, Shen Jinyao recognized most of the people there. Xie Zhiyu was slumped against a girl, and when she saw Shen Jinyao arrive, she immediately raised a hand. “Yaoyao, you’re here!”
Meng Qingqing jumped out and pointed at her, laughing. “You lightweight—can’t hold your liquor and still try to keep up with the big kids. Yaoyao, don’t help her later. Let her crawl out on her own.”
Xie Zhiyu squinted hard, and once she made out that it was Meng Qingqing, she slammed the table. “You little shadow—who are you calling a lightweight? I’ve done three rounds already. Three! Have you even ever drunk before? Don’t come in here barking.”
Meng Qingqing tossed her bag down. “How dare you question your big sister Meng? I was drinking before you were even born.”
The two of them were at it again, and Shen Jinyao could only rub her forehead in exasperation.
She stopped Meng Qingqing’s hand as she reached for the bottle, putting on a deliberately stern face. “No drinking. Otherwise, you’re both crawling out of here tonight.”
Shen Jinyao’s features were striking, but not sharp—sweet, bright, and sunny. Her attempt at a stern expression carried no bite at all; it only made her seem like she was playfully sulking.
Meng Qingqing giggled and couldn’t resist pinching her fair, soft cheek. “Be good, Yaoyao. Grown-up business is none of a kid’s business.”
With that, she took a big gulp. It was her first time drinking, and she had no sense of measure—the harsh, spicy burn twisted her face into a grimace. She slammed the glass down on the marble table with a clatter and hissed, “What kind of liquor is this? Spicy and bitter—it’s awful.”
Xie Zhiyu clutched her stomach, laughing at her. “And here I thought you had some real capacity. Turns out you were just faking it. Guess the cushion’s off now, huh.”
Meng Qingqing let out a furious shout, her competitive streak flaring up.
“…”
Shen Jinyao couldn’t stop them. She let out a helpless sigh.
There was no way she could carry both of them out on her own, so she stepped out of the room and made a call.
She needed backup.
As she looked up, she saw a group of boys approaching from not far away, led by none other than Xie Zhiyu’s twin brother, Xie Zhiyi.
He raised a hand in greeting. “Jinyao? Didn’t Zhiyu say you were busy?”
For some reason, a chill ran down Shen Jinyao’s spine.
Her grip on the phone tightened abruptly as a bad feeling rose in her chest.
If he was here, then He Zongye…
“Why, delivering yourself right to my doorstep.”
A familiar voice came from behind her—naturally cold in tone, laced with a hint of teasing, like a top-tier hunter who had already made all the right moves.