25-
He actually dared to pinch her cheek.
Ruan Tiantian was hunched over, half-crouching, her clear, round eyes looking up at the man in surprise.
Piao Li stood tall, looking down at her from above. The collar of the girl’s shirt was wide open.
His gaze could trace the fair line of her neck, down to her delicate collarbone, and even catch a faint glimpse of the milky-white depths beyond.
Piao Li stood with his back to the light, his eyes dark like ink that refused to dissolve.
Ruan Tiantian realized her current posture was less than ideal and immediately straightened up.
Awkwardly, she asked, “Shop Owner Piao, you’re here.”
Piao Li walked over and took a seat at the nearest spot. “Yeah, just got back from training with the racing team.”
Then he asked, “How was business today?”
“Not bad. A lot of people came during the lunch hour.”
Piao Li nodded.
Ruan Tiantian glanced at the clock on the wall. “Shop Owner, I’ll head back now.”
Then she hurried into the changing room, swapped her work uniform for her own clothes, grabbed her bag, and left the cat café.
What she didn’t know was that Piao Li had been openly watching her from behind the entire time.
As soon as she stepped outside, she ran into Shen Xiuyu. She walked over and asked, “Shen Xiuyu? What are you doing here?”
Shen Xiuyu didn’t look at her. Instead, he locked eyes with Piao Li, who was still sitting inside the shop, through the glass window.
He had clearly seen the look of interest Piao Li had given Ruan Tiantian.
As a man himself, how could he not recognize it?
Piao Li’s brazen scrutiny of Ruan Tiantian had left him feeling uneasy.
His expression darkened as he lowered his gaze to Ruan Tiantian, the upward tilt of his eyes carrying a hint of cold severity.
His eyes fell on the girl’s fair, smooth legs—pale and soft to the touch. Even he couldn’t help but be drawn to her whenever he saw her.
In the summer, Ruan Tiantian liked to wear shorts or short skirts.
She was beautiful, pure, and sweet, with skin as if soaked in milk.
She was practically a walking, talking peach of a girl.
“Don’t wear such short clothes next time.”
As soon as Ruan Tiantian saw him, his cold and unpleasant tone left her baffled.
Was he trying to restrict her freedom to dress as she pleased?
Why would he do that?
Ruan Tiantian ignored him, her lips tightening as she simply walked around Shen Xiuyu and continued forward.
She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Shen Xiuyu pulled her back.
Then he took off his own jacket and tied it tightly around her waist.
She looked down at the sudden addition of a white jacket around her waist and said, “Shen Xiuyu, what are you doing? I’m really hot.”
With that, she tried to untie the jacket from her waist.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t undo it—Shen Xiuyu had tied the knot exceptionally tight.
Ruan Tiantian frowned, her fingers turning red from the effort, but the knot remained stubbornly in place.
Shen Xiuyu, feeling restless, reached out and pinched her cheek, threatening, “Try untying it, I dare you!”
He didn’t dare use too much force, afraid of hurting her. The girl’s face contorted slightly in his grip, her pink lips puckering from the pinch.
The sensation under his fingertips was surprisingly soft, tender, and smooth.
The color in his eyes deepened a shade.
Ruan Tiantian stared wide-eyed at Shen Xiuyu in disbelief.
He actually dared to pinch her cheek!
She reached out to pry Shen Xiuyu’s hand away.
Angrily, she said, “Let go of me!”
Shen Xiuyu watched her movements—like a little kitten whose tail had been stepped on, hopping around in a fluster.
It was unbearably cute!
Shen Xiuyu leaned in slightly, lowering himself closer to her ear. His magnetic, deep voice taunted her arrogantly.
“If I let go just because you tell me to, wouldn’t that make me look bad?”
For the first time in her life, Ruan Tiantian wondered how there could be such a shameless man in this world.
She stopped trying to pry his fingers away and instead went straight for his forearm, pinching it hard.
Even though she didn’t have much in the way of nails, she was ruthless, leaving his forearm bruised and purple.
Shen Xiuyu released her and looked at his fair forearm.
“You really don’t hold back, do you?”
“You asked for it!”
Shen Xiuyu chuckled, completely unfazed, then took off his helmet and shoved it into her arms.
“Put it on. I’ll take you back to school.”
She glanced at the young man’s motorcycle—black and undeniably cool when it sped off.
Seeing she still hadn’t moved, Shen Xiuyu took matters into his own hands, helping her put on the helmet and pulling down the visor.
Her vision instantly turned monochrome, yet remained sharp and clear.
Shen Xiuyu swung his long leg over and mounted the bike in one smooth motion.
Ruan Tiantian wanted to get on too, but the bike was a bit too high for her, and she had no idea how to climb up.
She stared helplessly at the motorcycle.
Just then, Shen Xiuyu reached out, supporting her arm. Using his strength, she managed to scramble onto the bike.
The motorcycle was tall, forcing her to press close against Shen Xiuyu’s back.
The moment she leaned against him, she distinctly felt the young man’s body stiffen slightly.
She then subtly put a little distance between them.
Shen Xiuyu smirked mischievously, twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle lurched forward.
Startled, Ruan Tiantian let out a yelp before tightly wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing herself completely and firmly against his back.
The girl’s body was soft and fragrant.
Shen Xiuyu glanced sideways at the man sitting behind the glass window.
With a cocky, provocative lift of his brow, he sent a clear challenge.
Piao Li received the young man’s challenging gaze, his expression remaining unchanged. Only after Shen Xiuyu looked away and revved the engine to leave did his eyes begin to frost over, inch by inch.
Shen Xiuyu rode fast, making Ruan Tiantian’s heart leap into her throat. Though terrified, holding onto his waist gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
The wind rushed past them, the scenery blurring as it sped by. All that remained in her ears was the roar of the motorcycle slicing through the air.
Shen Xiuyu rode with a wild, reckless speed, yet steadily—much like his own persona, forever appearing unruly and untamed.
Yet, paradoxically, he was also the most reliable.
They passed through the university district, the flashy motorcycle, the handsome young man, and the petite girl drawing the gazes of every passerby along the way.
He took Ruan Tiantian straight to the entrance of the girls’ dormitory.
With Shen Xiuyu’s help, she got off the bike.
She had just taken off her helmet when she noticed passing girls stopping in their tracks.
Staring at her and Shen Xiuyu, it finally dawned on her.
Shen Xiuyu was already something of a campus celebrity.
Now, because of this, she’d probably be the talk of the school for a while too.
She returned the helmet to Shen Xiuyu. “Thanks, I’m heading off first.”
With that, she dashed into the girls’ dormitory building as if fleeing.
Shen Xiuyu watched her retreating figure, a slight smile curving his lips. His gaze swept over the onlooking girls, and the smile faded.
He twisted the throttle and rode straight toward the boys’ dormitory.
Ling Yushi and Xu Qi were walking along the path. Before Xu Qi could call out to Ruan Tiantian, she had already run off.
Ling Yushi’s expression was grim. Not a word was spoken on the way back to the dorm.