After listening, Su Niansheng was even more confused.
Rebellious phase? Picking up bad habits?
Shen Xiaoxi? Are you kidding?
In her eyes, he was clearly sunny-natured, academically excellent, full of athletic talent—a perfect model student through and through.
He had nothing to do with words like “rebellious phase” or “delinquent youth.”
“Yes, Young Master has been insisting on moving into the dormitory recently, saying he doesn’t want to stay at home anymore.”
The butler nodded along, and only then did Su Niansheng begin to feel suspicious.
Really? Or not?
She decided to go upstairs and see what was going on.
Shen Junxi crushed the mouse in his hand.
As he stood up, he accidentally brushed against a figurine nearby. The figurine depicted a young girl standing on a vast, white ice rink, balanced on a single foot. She wore sharp ice skates and a dazzling competition uniform, her long hair flowing gracefully. Her posture was elegant, like a noble and graceful white swan, yet also like a warrior charging into battle—radiant, beautiful, and utterly captivating.
—Su Niansheng.
He gently picked it up, caressing and stroking it over and over in his hands, then closed his eyes and brought it to his lips for a kiss, just as he always did.
But the curve of his lips was completely different from usual, filled with an eerie strangeness, and the gaze hidden beneath his eyelids was as dark as night. “Little princess, I told you—this time, it was you who begged me to stay. No matter what, don’t even think about escaping my grasp again…”
His nearly twisted tone was abruptly broken by a clear, pure girl’s voice. “Shen Xiaoxi, are you trying to become immortal? You haven’t eaten all day.”
With a sudden jolt, the figurine almost fell. He fumbled frantically to catch it firmly, as if caught red-handed doing something wrong, then froze in place.
Sheng Sheng?
Was he hallucinating?
“No sound? Could he have fainted from hunger?”
Su Niansheng muttered to herself, then quickly stepped forward, ready to knock on the door.
Unexpectedly, just as she raised her hand, the electronic door buzzed and automatically swung open. But she couldn’t retract her movement in time, and her hand landed squarely on him.
One second, two seconds, three seconds—she stood frozen for a full five seconds before pulling her hand back.
She had touched his abs.
Young, warm, vibrant, supple, and elastic—completely different from the purely hard, rigid male abs she had imagined.
The feel… was amazing.
Shen Xiaoxi, not bad~
Well-trained.
She looked up at him, somewhat awkward yet appreciative, but the boy didn’t notice her expression at all. Instead, his eyes were urgent and incredulous as he stared at her. “Why are you here?”
Seeing her, the gloom that had shrouded his heart all day instantly dissipated, replaced only by the scorching, boiling beat in his chest.
“?”
Su Niansheng raised an eyebrow.
He didn’t know?
Aunt Hua Hua had made such a big deal about it.
Jian Hua really hadn’t told him. In fact, all the preparations these days had been kept quiet, meant to be a surprise for him.
Since Aunt Hua Hua hadn’t said anything, she would keep him guessing too!
Su Niansheng clasped her hands behind her back, a deliberately mysterious smile curling at the corners of her lips. “I have some news to tell you.”
Hearing the word “news,” the light that had just sparked in Shen Junxi’s eyes instantly dimmed again, as a storm of emotions swept back over him.
What kind of news could make her so happy that she’d come all the way to his house to tell him?
Had Shi Yubai finally responded to her feelings?
Or… had they gotten together?
He didn’t dare think about the latter. Just the thought made his fists clench, and he struggled to control his emotions.
“I don’t want to hear it.”
He turned to leave, but Su Niansheng swiftly grabbed his arm.
Huh? He really did seem off. When had he ever given her the cold shoulder like this? Thinking back, it seemed he never had… except when it came to Shi Yubai.
“You’ll listen whether you want to or not!”
“Let’s go downstairs to eat, and we can talk while we eat.”
Without giving him a chance to refuse, she pulled him by the hand and headed downstairs.
Shen Junxi didn’t want to hear a single word about Shi Yubai from her lips, but he couldn’t resist her touch at all. Like a puppet on strings, he let himself be led along.
He even quietly unclenched his tightly balled fist and intertwined his fingers with hers.
In less than two minutes, Jian Hua witnessed the scene: a girl domineeringly pulling a boy downstairs. Though the boy wore a dark expression, he followed closely without missing a step.
It looked as if his resistant, awkward mind was at war with his obedient body.
Exchanging a glance with the equally astonished butler, she couldn’t help but laugh.
Junxi, why did he look so much like a wronged, bashful little bride? Was this still their little tyrant?
The butler was also dumbfounded. Wait, where was the young master who had been radiating such fierce energy just moments ago, the one whose every word made people tremble? This unfamiliar version was almost frightening!
“Auntie Hua Hua, we’re here.”
“Good, let’s get ready to eat then!”
Outwardly calm, Jian Hua secretly gave her a thumbs-up.
Impressive!
As expected of Sheng Sheng—she always had a way to handle him!
She had thought that not even the heavens could drag that stubborn boy down today, yet he hadn’t lasted two minutes.
To welcome their guest, the Shen family had prepared a lavish spread of delicious dishes.
As Su Niansheng took her seat and looked at the extravagant, feast-like presentation on the table, she couldn’t hide her surprise. “Auntie Hua Hua, is it just the three of us today?”
“Mhm, your Uncle Shen had an important commitment and couldn’t make it back in time. He asked me to welcome you on his behalf.”
“Thank you, but this is too extravagant. There’s no need for this in the future.”
“Alright, from now on, just tell me what you like or what you’d like to eat, and I’ll have the chef prepare it!”
Hearing the word ‘future,’ Shen Junxi’s expression momentarily softened.
In the past, he often visited Royal Mansion to play, and Sheng Sheng would come back with him too. Every corner of both families’ estates—the gardens, the pool, the sports courts—bore traces of their presence.
But ever since she fell for Shi Yubai, she had never come again.
Would she come in the future?
At this thought, his face darkened even further.
“Here, try this and see if it suits your taste.”
Jian Hua placed a piece of red oil garlic sea cucumber onto her plate.
Su Niansheng looked at it hesitantly. Just as she was about to brace herself and eat it, a pair of chopsticks beat her to it, whisking the sea cucumber away.
“She doesn’t like the taste of garlic.”
These were the first words the boy had spoken all day. Though he didn’t even lift his head and his tone was heavy, it was enough to astonish everyone.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sheng Sheng. Auntie didn’t know.”
Jian Hua was about to serve her something else, but that same pair of chopsticks was already placing one dish after another in front of her: crystal shrimp dumplings, tangerine peel duck tongue, pepper salt spare ribs… all her favorites.
Su Niansheng propped her chin on her hand, watching him with a smiling gaze.
Even with a dark cloud over his head and in a terrible mood, he still remembered her preferences and was serving her food with a cold face?
Shen Xiaoxi, how could he be so adorable?
So adorable that she couldn’t resist teasing him a little. She served him a dish too—but a spicy one.
As everyone knows, Shen Junxi couldn’t handle even a hint of spiciness.
Seeing the situation, Jian Hua was about to speak up when the young man silently ate it down.