He wasn’t angry either, tossing the tissue aside as he watched Sang Yu’s retreating figure. His gaze inadvertently fell on her waist before quickly shifting away. He played with the pen in his hand, his expression unreadable as if lost in thought.
Sang Yu hadn’t actually cried. If she wanted to, making herself appear pitiful wasn’t difficult for her.
Earlier, it wasn’t just Jiang Yi who noticed Huo Yan’s gaze—Sang Yu had sensed it too.
No matter how cold and indifferent he pretended to be, some things were like ingrained preferences—impossible to change.
Until school ended, Sang Yu hadn’t exchanged a single word with Huo Yan, causing Zhang Qile’s eyes to dart repeatedly between the two of them.
Only after Sang Yu left did Zhang Qile sidle up to Huo Yan, winking and nudging as he asked, “What’s up, Yan Ge? How did you offend our little classmate?”
“What do you mean, ‘I offended her’?” Huo Yan retorted, his eyes flickering as he watched the distant figure.
“Yan Ge, let me tell you, girls need to be coaxed. You have to go along with them. Our little classmate is so well-behaved and good-tempered—she definitely wouldn’t want to pick a fight with you.”
Huo Yan remained noncommittal. Hearing Zhang Qile’s assessment of Sang Yu, he found it nothing short of ironic.
Since when did “well-behaved” mean turning around to threaten someone?
Since when did “well-behaved” mean pretending to be pitiful at the slightest disagreement?
Since when did “well-behaved” mean wearing a completely different expression in private?
Zhang Qile kept chattering away, even progressing from basic interactions between the two to future scenarios.
Huo Yan grew impatient listening to him and flatly uttered a single word: “Get lost.”
Zhang Qile’s voice cut off abruptly. Faced with the choice between his friend’s happiness and his own survival, he resolutely chose the latter.
Little did Sang Yu know that in Zhang Qile’s mind, she and Huo Yan were already starring in a full-blown family drama.
As she reached the school gate, she spotted a car parked not far away, with a petite figure standing beside it, looking as if a gust of wind could knock her over.
Upon seeing Sang Yu, Shen Yanyan instinctively broke into a smile. Her pale face carried a touch of innocence and naivety, and when the wind blew, her body swayed slightly, appearing fragile and heart-wrenching.
“Sister… You haven’t come to see me in so long. I’ve missed you so much.”
As she spoke, Shen Yanyan reached out to grab Sang Yu’s hand but was dodged. Shen Yanyan froze, looking pitifully at her as tears welled up in her eyes, as if she had suffered some great injustice.
“Sister?”
Sang Yu smiled calmly. “Yan Yan, since your health isn’t good, you shouldn’t move around too much. Go back to the car.”
“I heard from Brother Yi that you don’t want to return to the Shen family, is that true? Did Dad, Mom, or I do something wrong?”
“No,” Sang Yu replied, not yet ready to tear off the facade with Shen Yanyan but also unwilling to act as she had before. “The Shen family just isn’t right for me. It has nothing to do with any of you.”
This version of Sang Yu was unfamiliar to Shen Yanyan. It seemed that ever since that day, Sang Yu had changed in some way. A sudden emptiness filled Shen Yanyan’s heart, as if something had slipped beyond her control.
“Is it because of the blood?” Shen Yanyan asked, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head and clutched her chest, her voice choked with sobs. “Sister, I don’t care about any of that. I only care about you. If it’s because of the blood, then I’d rather not have it.”
Look at this! What a touching display of sisterly affection!
How deeply moving!
Anyone who saw it would surely praise her for being so understanding.
But Sang Yu couldn’t be bothered to watch Shen Yanyan’s performance. She lowered her head, her body trembling slightly as she shook it, her soft voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.
“No, it has nothing to do with Yan Yan. It’s my own issue. I feel like I don’t belong in that family. Please don’t blame yourself.”
“I need some time to calm down. Really, don’t take it to heart.”
After saying this, before Shen Yanyan could react, Sang Yu “emotionally” walked away, leaving Shen Yanyan no time to stop her.
As soon as Sang Yu left, Shen Yanyan’s previously pitiful expression instantly darkened. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides, with no trace left of her earlier innocent vulnerability.
The gloom in her eyes was something one would hardly believe could belong to a young girl.
She stared at Sang Yu’s retreating figure as if her gaze could pierce right through her.
Sang Yu naturally sensed this. The moment she turned around, her expression returned to complete impassiveness, followed by a faint smile.
This was only the beginning. She wanted to see just how long Shen Yanyan could keep up the act.