Shen Xiaozhou was the only one left in the bedroom, yet he could still clearly smell the faint, sweet fragrance lingering from Huai Yin. It was a subtle scent reminiscent of warm milk laced with honey, wafting softly through the air. Rather than dissipating, it seemed to grow only more pronounced.
Closing his eyes, Shen Xiaozhou swallowed hard, his breathing involuntarily turning shallow and rapid.
What a restless young heiress. Even after leaving, she managed to torment him. A self-deprecating smirk touched his lips, and he let out a quiet chuckle.
In truth, it wasn’t her fault at all; it was simply his own lack of self-control.
Shen Xiaozhou lowered his gaze to the rumpled bed. Because the young heiress had slept on it, the sheets were slightly disheveled, even bearing the faint outline of her resting posture.
Huai Yin had just been sleeping in his bed. The realization sent his pulse racing. Walking over, he hesitated for a brief second before pressing his open palm against the mattress. The sheet still retained a trace of her body heat, feeling pleasantly warm—just like a spot where a little cat had taken a nap.
Only now, he had driven the cat away. Before leaving, the young heiress had looked thoroughly confused and a bit gloomy. Luckily, she hadn’t lost her temper or insisted on staying behind to demand a full explanation.
Shen Xiaozhou didn’t want her to see him in such a disheveled, wretched state; it would have undoubtedly frightened her. He could easily imagine her cheeks flushing red as she scolded him for being shameless.
Yet, deep down, he harbored a faint sense of anticipation.
He wanted her to scold him fiercely, slap his face, and trample him beneath her feet to humiliate him. Perhaps then his conscience would feel a little better, easing the bitter guilt and torment of coveting his enemy’s daughter.
His light-brown eyes darkened. This was an insurmountable rift between him and Huai Yin.
On second thought, however, it was all Huai Yanli’s fault. That man had wronged his mother; in truth, the young heiress was entirely innocent. At first, Shen Xiaozhou had redirected his resentment onto Huai Yin, so it was only natural that she had never given him a pleasant look.
He wanted to take her away from Huai Yanli. If that man ever found a new love in the future, he would inevitably abandon Huai Yin—Shen Xiaozhou took that for granted, because that was precisely how Huai Yanli had treated his mother.
It wasn’t an impossibility, either. What did blood relations matter in the eyes of such a cold-hearted man? Shen Xiaozhou simply didn’t want to see the young heiress suffer a single bit of grievance.
Then there was Xu Shiyan, who was hardly a good match either. He had been dating Su Yi just moments ago, yet now he was displaying such intense possessiveness toward Huai Yin. A fickle, double-dealing man like that didn’t deserve her.
Only he was the right choice for her.
Yet, the young heiress only had eyes for Xu Shiyan, simply because they belonged to the same social standing, whereas he was merely a scholarship student. Now that Xu Shiyan had had a change of heart, would he and Huai Yin start dating?
An inexplicable surge of inferiority and jealousy washed over Shen Xiaozhou—emotions he had never experienced before. It was the very first time such thoughts had taken root in his mind.
He wanted to give the young heiress the very best, making her willingly choose to stay by his side. He wanted to become someone worthy of her, and he was willing to pay any price to achieve it.
Shen Xiaozhou lay down on the bed, cocooned by the sweet, powdery scent she had left behind. Heat gradually spread through his body, locking every muscle in a tight strain. An overwhelming sense of emptiness flared up deep within his chest. He clutched the duvet tightly in his arms, holding it as though he were holding the young heiress herself.
Huai Yin.
He murmured her name over and over again. Finally, an unprecedented wave of intense pleasure coursed up his spine. A flash of blinding white light crossed his mind, followed by the gradual relaxation of his tense shoulders.
At the exact same time, in another room, Huai Yin suddenly let out a sharp sneeze. With reddened eyes, she rubbed her nose softly.
What was that? Huai Yin thought groggily. Was she catching a cold?
The following afternoon, Huai Yin—having slept in and taken half a day off—stepped into her classroom. The boisterous noise instantly ground to a halt, every single gaze fixing directly on her. Just as she was feeling bewildered, Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou grabbed her hands and dragged her outside.
“W-Wait! Did something happen?” Huai Yin’s fair face flushed a light pink as she let them pull her along. Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou were walking at a brisk pace as if facing a major crisis, and Huai Yin tried her best to keep up.
She was almost running out of breath! Huai Yin panted softly.
Leading her to a deserted corner, Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou finally came to a stop, both staring at Huai Yin with eyes full of gossip.
“Huai Yin, what happened between you and Xu Shiyan?”
Utterly baffled, Huai Yin shook her head blankly, her lovely face a portrait of utter confusion.
“What do you mean ‘what happened’?” She tilted her head in question.
Li Qing exclaimed excitedly, “You don’t know? Xu Shiyan broke up with Su Yi—just this morning!”
“And it wasn’t even Xu Shiyan who said it to her face! He had one of his cronies deliver the message to Su Yi!” Xu Zhouzhou clicked her tongue sharply. “Why do I feel like Xu Shiyan is acting like a total jerk?”
“Even though Su Yi is pretty pitiful, at least Xu Shiyan finally found his conscience,” Li Qing chimed in, taking a stand. “The two of them had no future together anyway. Breaking up early is better for everyone.”
“Totally agree! Isn’t it much better for Su Yi and Shen Xiaozhou to be together? They have way more in common, after all.”
Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou went back and forth in perfect harmony, making Huai Yin’s head spin just listening to them. She hadn’t even processed the news yet.
Xu Shiyan actually broke up with Su Yi? He was serious? Now things have completely spiraled out of control!
Seeing Huai Yin’s utterly lost expression, Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou exchanged a glance, realizing that she genuinely knew nothing about it.
“I honestly thought Xu Shiyan broke up with Su Yi because of you,” Li Qing stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Then what’s deal with those two? Could it be some weird relationship drama?”
Huai Yin felt like crying, though no tears came. She really was the culprit who had torn the lead couple apart!
“Whatever, isn’t it great that they broke up?” Xu Zhouzhou waved her hand dismissively, then turned to Huai Yin with utmost seriousness. “Huai Yin, you have to seize this opportunity! Don’t let anyone else snatch him away again!”
“Exactly! It took zero effort to get what you wanted—it seems even Heaven was moved by your feelings for Xu Shiyan!”
Feeling thoroughly conflicted, Huai Yin nodded absentmindedly.
On their way back, the three of them happened to run into a crowd of students rushing outside. There were so many people that they nearly bumped into Li Qing, and Huai Yin was squeezed into a corner.
“Are you all rushing to a fire?” Li Qing rolled her eyes and snapped testily. “What on earth are you all running for?”
Though her words were harsh, Li Qing reached out and pulled Huai Yin in front of her, shielding her from being jostled by the crowd.
“Xu Shiyan just called Su Yi out! Word is they’re up on the rooftop,” the student replied, casting a hesitant glance at Huai Yin. “Aren’t you guys going to check it out?”
Before Huai Yin could even say a word, Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou grabbed her hands and sprinted toward the rooftop.
“Hurry, let’s go!”
As they passed the neighboring classroom, almost like a moment of telepathy, Shen Xiaozhou glanced up and caught sight of Huai Yin’s figure. He froze for a second, then stood up without hesitation, chasing them out into the hallway.
“What happened?”
“None of your business, scholarship boy!”
Li Qing and Xu Zhouzhou threw the words over their shoulders and vanished around the corner of the corridor.
Shen Xiaozhou pressed his lips together, his cold gaze lingering on the empty hallway for a long time.
Arriving near the rooftop, a crowd had already gathered. The moment they saw Huai Yin, they consciously parted to make a narrow path for her. Li Qing nudged her from behind, leaving Huai Yin with no choice but to step forward.
She caught sight of two tall, lean figures in the distance—recognizing almost immediately that they were Xu Shiyan and Su Yi.
They seemed to be saying something, but the distance made it impossible to hear. Li Qing tiptoed to her side and pulled her behind a nearby raised flowerbed to hide.
Ducking down together, they were completely hidden from Xu Shiyan and Su Yi’s view.
“At first, I thought it was a prank,” Su Yi’s voice drifted over.
Xu Shiyan stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, maintaining a clear distance from Su Yi. Without offering her a single glance, he spoke in an offhanded yet firm tone: “I’m serious.”
“Alright, then. May I know the reason?”
After a long silence, Xu Shiyan slowly uttered, “Huai Yin.”
Hearing her name so abruptly, Huai Yin thought she had been spotted by Xu Shiyan. She instinctively took a step back while crouching, nearly tumbling over if Li Qing hadn’t caught her in time.
Li Qing covered Huai Yin’s mouth and pulled her entirely into her embrace. The girl’s frame was exceptionally tiny, like a porcelain doll, and her soft strands of hair tickled Li Qing’s neck. Feeling a slight flutter in her heart, Li Qing unconsciously held Huai Yin a bit tighter.
“Are your legs numb from crouching? Do you want to sit on my lap?”
Huai Yin knitted her lovely brows and shook her head softly, her eyes glistening with a faint mist, feeling almost breathless from the tight hold.
“Do you like her?”
Su Yi’s tone carried a peculiar edge. While she had remained composed when Xu Shiyan brought up the breakup, her expression finally shifted the moment he mentioned Huai Yin.
“Yes. She is my fiancée. I was out of my mind before, but now I only want to make it up to her properly.”
Su Yi let out a cold scoff, as if mocking him. For some reason, Xu Shiyan had originally felt a small pang of guilt, but Su Yi’s reaction left him inexplicably annoyed.
Xu Shiyan’s brow furrowed. “So, let’s stop seeing each other.”
His meaning was crystal clear: they wouldn’t even remain friends. Xu Shiyan’s stance was uncompromising and absolute.
Hearing those words, Huai Yin panicked. She shifted her body, but Li Qing patted her back, soothing her in a low whisper: “This is a good thing!”
“Fine by me,” Su Yi replied, her tone completely cool and detached. A faint smirk touched her lips, carrying a mix of impatience and subtle disdain. “Though, are you really so certain Huai Yin will stay with you?”
Her words carried a blatant edge of provocation. Xu Shiyan knew the feeling all too well—Shen Xiaozhou had said something very similar to him before. Immediately, Xu Shiyan raised his guard.
“What do you mean by that?” He demanded sharply.
Su Yi sounded as though she were planning to snatch Huai Yin away from him, and Xu Shiyan wasn’t about to let anything like that happen.
First one, now another—was Huai Yin some kind of rare prize that everyone couldn’t stop eyeing? Did they completely forget that she was his fiancée?
After returning home yesterday, Xu Shiyan had finally come to terms with his feelings for her. No matter what, Huai Yin was meant to be with him, and only him.
Once he realized where his heart lay, everyone around her suddenly rubbed him the wrong way. Men or women—he suspected every single one of them of harboring filthy, unspoken intentions toward Huai Yin.
Just the thought of it made him impossibly restless. He wanted to lock Huai Yin away where only he could look at her, forbidding anyone else from even dreaming about her.
“I am going to marry Huai Yin,” Xu Shiyan said, enunciating every single word.
Su Yi narrowed her eyes, subjecting him to a cold, calculating glare, refusing to back down an inch. “Who can really say what the future holds?”
Agitated and bursting with unvented rage, the young master lashed out, kicking over a nearby trash can with his long leg. The sudden noise startled Huai Yin, causing a soft whimpering gasp to slip past her lips.
Because Li Qing was covering her mouth, the sound was muffled and tiny—sounding like a kitten’s squeak—yet it was instantly recognizable to Su Yi as the voice of a certain silly young heiress.
Darkening her gaze, Su Yi let her eyes sweep across the area, finally catching sight of two faint, subtle shadows crouched behind the flowerbed.
“Whatever happens between me and Huai Yin is none of your business. Now that everything’s clear, don’t ever come looking for me again.” Xu Shiyan turned to leave, but as if realizing something, he added with a dark face, “And don’t you dare come looking for Huai Yin, either.”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away without looking back. Confronted by the crowd gathered near the stairwell, he flew into a rage: “Get the hell out of here! What are you all staring at?”
The onlookers quickly scattered, terrified that the short-tempered young master would take his anger out on them.
Li Qing muttered in confusion, “What on earth is up with the two of them?”
Something sounded distinctly off—definitely not what she had imagined. Was this even a breakup? Su Yi and Xu Shiyan felt far more like two rivals competing against each other.
“Huai Yin, do you have any idea what—” Li Qing began, only to realize that the girl in her arms was trembling uncontrollably.
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Qing followed Huai Yin’s gaze, only to freeze in her tracks. Unnoticed by either of them, Su Yi was now standing directly in front of them.
Leaning down slightly, Su Yi stared at Huai Yin in complete silence. Her dark pupils resembled ink pools, her cold, detached expression laced with an unyielding, unapproachable obsession.
“You heard everything just now, didn’t you?”