“You want Xu Shiyan to give you a ride?”
Shen Xiaozhou’s lips pressed into a hard line, a sinister smile creeping across his clean-cut, handsome face.
It was the first time Huai Yin had ever seen him look like this. Frozen in place, she felt like a frail, helpless animal facing an apex predator in the wild. Terrified to her core, she shrank into the corner, not daring to move an inch.
So scary, but I can’t back down now. He can’t do anything to me in broad daylight.
Once her panic eased slightly, Huai Yin swallowed hard and gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Yes.”
“Shiyan is my fiancé. Isn’t it completely normal for him to take me home?” Bolstered by her own logic, she glared bravely—and huffily—at the youth, her beautiful almond eyes wide. “Besides, if anyone sees us going home together, people will start gossiping.”
“An heiress of the Huai family riding home with a scholarship student, who knows what kind of rumors that would spark? Not to mention, Shiyan doesn’t even know you’re living with me right now. What if he thinks—”
Huai Yin’s voice trailed off as she watched Shen Xiaozhou’s complexion turn terrifyingly dark.
He looked down at her coldly, wild, obsessive emotions swirling in his light brown eyes.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the bedsheet. Averting her gaze guiltily, she mumbled, “Move aside. I’m going to find Shiyan.”
Unconscionable young lady. Just moments ago, she had been snuggling in his arms, acting sweet and dependent.
He had served her hand and foot like a dutiful servant—worrying she’d catch cold, giving her his own clean clothes to wear, treating her wound with delicate precision for fear of hurting her, and even thoughtfully blowing on the scrape to soothe the pain.
The young lady had taken his care for granted, casually enjoying it all, only to turn around and kick him to the curb the moment she wanted to run off to her so-called fiancé.
Shen Xiaozhou’s jaw tightened so hard he almost ground his molars to dust.
If he had known, he never would have meddled in the first place. Why had he gone out of his way to do such a thankless task?
He really wanted to see whether Xu Shiyan would step up if he found out his fiancée had fallen.
Could a pampered young master like Xu Shiyan possibly possess his level of attentiveness?
Ungrateful brat.
Xu Shiyan clearly felt nothing for her, yet she insisted on clinging to him anyway.
All day long, her fiancé’s name was on her lips. She trailed behind him like a little shadow, so relentlessly clingy. No matter how terrible Xu Shiyan’s attitude was, she didn’t care in the slightest. It was as if merely getting a word out of him was enough to make her day.
Did she really love Xu Shiyan that much?
What was so great about a spoiled, arrogant young master like him anyway?
Was he really better than him? Was it just because Xu Shiyan came from wealth and power?
That was right—he was just a scholarship student. Without Huai Yanli’s financial support, he wouldn’t even be able to afford an aristocratic academy like this. How could someone like him ever dream of earning the young lady’s favor?
They belonged to entirely different worlds.
Shen Xiaozhou was completely oblivious to the fact that he looked exactly like a resentful, neglected husband right now.
He clenched his fists tight, a dark seed taking root deep within his heart.
He was going to give Huai Yin better. Better than anything Xu Shiyan or Huai Yanli could ever offer her.
Seeing Shen Xiaozhou stand there motionless, Huai Yin felt a prick of unease. If this deadlock continued, she wouldn’t be able to complete her task.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed. As she sat on the edge, her slender, pale legs dangling, Shen Xiaozhou remained planted right in front of her. His tall, upright frame blocked out the sunlight streaming through the window, casting a heavy shadow that engulfed her completely.
“Could you please move?” Huai Yin spoke weakly, trying her best not to provoke him, even though she had no idea why he had suddenly flown into a rage.
“You’re wearing my clothes, yet you’re in such a rush to find your fiancé,” Shen Xiaozhou said, his voice icy cold. “Aren’t you afraid Xu Shiyan will misunderstand?”
Huai Yin’s pale ears flushed crimson, turning as red as a ripe tomato.
She glared at him in embarrassment. “Misunderstand what? I’m only wearing your clothes because mine got wet.”
Unable to go on, she bit her lip, anxiously curling her fingers.
Shen Xiaozhou’s eyes subtly swept over her face before slowly shifting downward.
His school uniform was far too big for her, making her look ridiculously disproportionate. The fabric bunched loosely around her waist, and the long sleeves had to be rolled up several times just to reveal her slender arms. The hem was so long it almost completely covered her hips and thighs.
She looked just like a little child who had snuck into an adult’s wardrobe.
Yet, the shirt’s material was thin. Under the ambient light, the soft, delicate curves of her figure were faintly visible.
Is she really planning to meet Xu Shiyan looking like this?
The foolish young lady had no idea how enticing she looked right now. What was the difference between dressing like this and directly seducing Xu Shiyan?
And in another man’s clothes, no less. Was this some kind of kink of hers?
Whatever it was, Shen Xiaozhou refused to let Xu Shiyan see her like this.
“’Only wearing my clothes’?” Shen Xiaozhou swallowed hard. “Dressed like this, aren’t you practically telling Xu Shiyan that there’s something secretive going on between us?”
Unsettled by his words and at a loss for how to retort, Huai Yin panicked and scrambled up from the bed. A soft, rosy flush bloomed across her fair face, as if brushed with delicate rouge.
Shen Xiaozhou was remarkably tall. The height difference between them was stark, with the top of Huai Yin’s head barely reaching his Adam’s apple.
She had to tilt her head back just to make eye contact with him, straining her neck in the process.
“What ‘secretive thing’ is there between us?” Huai Yin sniffled softly, her eyes drooping in aggrieved frustration. “Don’t you dare talk nonsense to Shiyan!”
Her beautiful light brown eyes narrowed slightly.
Shen Xiaozhou pulled his lips into a hollow, mocking smile. “I don’t need to say a word. You’re going to Xu Shiyan wearing my clothes—unless he’s an absolute idiot, he’s going to figure it out himself.”
“It’s none of your business!”
Huai Yin was genuinely angry now. Even a cornered rabbit would bite back.
“This is between Shiyan and me. You’re just staying at my house—it’s not like you’re actually my brother!”
Realizing her words might have been too harsh, she quickly added, “I’ll wash the clothes and give them back to you!”
Accustomed to being spoiled and willful, the young lady was used to doing whatever she wanted without caring about what others thought. No matter what Shen Xiaozhou said, she insisted on having Xu Shiyan take her home.
In reality, Xu Shiyan didn’t like her at all and had always considered her a massive nuisance. Whether he would even bother to help was an open question.
But Huai Yin didn’t care about any of that.
She grabbed her coat and trotted out of the infirmary in her small high heels.
Shen Xiaozhou watched her leave his field of vision without giving chase, his shadow stretching dark and heavy beneath him. Unconsciously, his hands clenched into tight fists.
Huai Yin didn’t go far. She sat down on a roadside bench, pulled out her phone, and sent Xu Shiyan a message:
【Shiyan, can you give me a ride home? I accidentally fell, and my clothes got wet. It’s so cold.】
She held her phone eagerly, waiting for a long time, but received no reply.
Oh no, he’s probably ignoring me.
Just as she was racking her brain for a way to get the male lead to agree, a message popped up from him.
【Send me your location.】
It was brief, but Huai Yin could easily picture the impatient scowl on his face as he typed it out.
Surprised and touched, she thought: As expected of the male lead, he really does have a sense of chivalry after all.
【I’m over by the faculty and student dining hall.】
【Got it. Don’t wander off.】
Even though Xu Shiyan couldn’t see her, Huai Yin nodded obediently.
She folded her hands neatly over her knees. Just as she was wondering why Xu Shiyan was being so easy to talk to today, the sound of tires gripping the pavement caught her attention. Looking up, a black Maybach pulled to a stop right in front of her.
The door opened, revealing Xu Shiyan’s handsome, striking face.
He wore the white-and-gold academy uniform, which accentuated his tall, lean frame. The interior of the car was spacious enough for him to stretch his long legs comfortably. Seated in the back, he casually swirled a wine glass in his hand, casting a nonchalant glance at Huai Yin outside.
The girl looked quite pitiful. The scrape on her pale knee was especially glaring, causing Xu Shiyan to pause slightly.
“Get in.”
Hesitating for a second, Huai Yin stood up, stepped forward, and slid into the backseat.
They sat facing each other as the car smoothly pulled away from the school campus.
【Task completed.】
Hearing the system prompt, Huai Yin let out a long breath of relief. She was in a great mood, but she didn’t want to make it too obvious.
Lowering her head to stare at the tips of her shoes, she stayed quiet and kept her lips pressed tightly together, looking utterly despondent on the surface—though inside, she was practically bursting with laughter.
What Huai Yin didn’t know was that Xu Shiyan was silently observing her.
The youth had gorgeous phoenix eyes—deep, sharp, with perfectly upturned corners and long eyelashes that cast delicate shadows.
The moment he had received her message asking for help, he hadn’t felt annoyed at all. Instead, he had felt a surge of secret triumph.
See? She still can’t do without me in the end.
What good was that Shen Xiaozhou anyway? She still came running back to me.
Still, he didn’t blame Huai Yin. It was all because Shen Xiaozhou kept meddling where he didn’t belong. Why did that guy have to show up everywhere?
Xu Shiyan felt immensely annoyed thinking about him.
None of that mattered now, though. Xu Shiyan knew very well that his place in Huai Yin’s heart would always be number one. That was an indisputable fact no one could ever change.
Inside the car, the air conditioning was set quite warm.
Huai Yin raised her arms to take off the uniform jacket draped over her shoulders.
Xu Shiyan’s expression froze, his eyes locking onto the oversized, ill-fitting shirt she was wearing underneath.
The atmosphere inside the cabin instantly turned eerie.
Huai Yin, however, remained entirely oblivious.
The corner of Xu Shiyan’s mouth twitched. Expressionless, he demanded in an icy tone, “Whose clothes are you wearing?”
Huai Yin blinked in surprise, her fingers nervously clutching her collar. “Th-this, it’s Shen Xiaozhou’s.”
A flash of cold fury passed through his pitch-black eyes.
“Why are you wearing his clothes?”
Before Huai Yin could even answer, Xu Shiyan added frigidly, “Take it off.”