Pilling
When she went out and saw Shen Xiuhuai again, Su Yuning began to sense the flavor of a novel’s male lead.
—An intelligent male lead, trapped in silence and low self-esteem due to his family background, suddenly finds a lively and cheerful girl entering his life. Like a little sun, she warms his cold, frozen heart.
But the gap between their family backgrounds is vast. The girl doesn’t care, yet her family intervenes to break them apart, sending the female lead abroad… Years later, when she returns, she discovers the male lead has built a successful career. Her family is filled with regret, and the two coincidentally meet again, finally finding their happy ending…
Lost in her thoughts, Su Yuning wore a mysterious smile as she wiped the table, her expression dreamy.
Feeling the strange, intense gaze fixed on him, Shen Xiuhuai felt as if holes were about to be burned into his back. Steadying himself, he turned around, his face still cold, and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Su Yuning averted her eyes. “N-nothing.”
The first day of work went relatively smoothly. When she got off work in the evening, Su Yuning intended to ride a shared e-bike back, but as soon as she stepped outside, she spotted a familiar car.
The person inside seemed to have been watching the entrance, and he stepped out as soon as he saw her.
“It’s so late, you haven’t left yet?” Su Yuning blurted out.
Lu Ji avoided meeting her eyes and softly replied, “Mm. I… I had nothing to do at school, so I wandered around nearby. I just happened to see you come out… Are you heading back to school? I’m going back too…”
He didn’t seem like the type who enjoyed shopping. Could he have been waiting for her on purpose?
Su Yuning amused herself with these wild thoughts, chuckling inwardly. She waved her hand to decline. “No need, I’ll use the yellow or blue bikes.”
Lu Ji frowned and tilted his head. “What bikes?”
Guessing that the young master probably didn’t know about such things, Su Yuning casually explained while waving goodbye.
Just as she took a step forward, she heard Lu Ji’s driver—who had been keeping a low profile—remark as if by chance, “I don’t think there are any parking zones near the Aristocratic Academy.” He glanced at his watch and added, “If we delay any longer, the school gates might close.”
That’s right—the Aristocratic Academy Su Yuning attended was literally called “Aristocratic Academy,” straightforward and blunt.
There were no buses near the Aristocratic Academy, no ride-hailing services, and naturally, no parking spots for shared bikes either.
Lu Ji’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly opened the car door. “Let me take you back. I happen to be staying in the dorm for a few days too.”
Su Yuning hesitated, glancing between them. Lu Ji’s face held a hint of concealed anticipation, while the driver uncle smiled kindly.
Since they had put it that way, refusing would seem impolite. She got into the car and thanked them, all the while wondering if buying her own electric scooter might be more convenient.
But it was only her first day of work, and she didn’t have much money to spare. She also had no idea whether electric scooters were expensive in the capital…
In the car, after a brief silence, Lu Ji spoke up, sounding puzzled. “Are you… really short on money? Why would you work at a place like that?”
What did he mean, “a place like that”?! As if she were doing something improper!
It was a legitimate restaurant—they even had a business license!
“Yeah, I’m short on money,” Su Yuning admitted openly, though she grumbled inwardly. “Don’t I look like someone who’s short on money?”
Lu Ji actually took her words seriously and examined her carefully from head to toe.
Su Yuning hadn’t been paying much attention at first, but being stared at so closely by that face made her shrink back uncomfortably.
Lu Ji observed for a moment, then said, “Your clothes don’t seem to be of very good quality. What’s this?”
Following where his finger pointed, Su Yuning’s face flushed red. “It’s pilling!”
“Pilling?” Lu Ji didn’t understand.
“It’s caused by fabric friction. Ah, someone like you with money probably wouldn’t know.”
For some reason, after she said this, Lu Ji fell into a long silence. He lowered his eyelashes, looking as if he had been rejected and abandoned, appearing melancholy and sorrowful.
Su Yuning didn’t know what nerve she had struck, feeling restless the whole way. When they arrived at the school and the car stopped at the entrance of the girls’ dormitory, she quickly thanked him and ran out of the car, disappearing in a flash.
“Young Master?”
The figure in the back seat seemed frozen. The driver asked softly, “Shall we return to the main residence?”
Lu Ji slowly shook his head. “No. I’m staying in the dormitory.”
As a student at this school, Lu Ji had his own private dormitory, but he had never stayed there. As a homebody, he only ever wanted to stay at home, usually playing the piano or studying sheet music.
Only when his older brother forced him to go out for some fresh air would he leave home and come to the school for a walk, returning in the afternoon. His dormitory had always been empty.
Although cleaning staff regularly went in to tidy up, keeping it spotless, Young Master Lu Ji, who was used to sleeping at home and particular about his bed, still couldn’t sleep well that night. The next day, there were faint dark circles under his eyes.
Meanwhile, his older brother Lu Xu, who had finished work and returned home in the evening, was shocked and deeply puzzled when he didn’t see his younger brother at home.
He immediately called the driver.
This driver wasn’t just skilled at driving; he also served as Lu Ji’s bodyguard. With him around, Lu Xu felt quite reassured about his younger brother’s safety.
Upon hearing from the driver that Lu Ji wasn’t coming home to sleep that night and had actually washed up and gone to bed in the dormitory, Lu Xu’s first reaction was to doubt his own hearing.
Then, after listening to the driver tactfully mention that Lu Ji might have fallen in love at first sight with a transfer student at the school, Lu Xu rubbed his forehead. “Have I been working overtime so much that I’m hallucinating?”
Driver: “No, Young Master, you heard correctly. The young master really does seem to be in love.”
Lu Xu: “Alright, I understand.”
After hanging up, he called his assistant: “There’s a new transfer student at the Aristocratic Academy. Look into her background. I’ll count it as overtime.”
Assistant: “Hehe! Alright! Got it!”
Su Yuning knew nothing about this.
She ran back to her dormitory as soon as she got out of the car, ready to head straight for her warm, soft bed.
But in a shadowy corner by the entrance, she spotted a faint red glow, and someone’s voice drifted out from behind: “Where have you been…”
Su Yuning’s heart skipped a beat. As the person approached, she recognized it was Zuo Xingyan.
He was holding a cigarette, and at his feet lay a scattering of cigarette butts where he had been standing. It was unclear how long he had been waiting there.
“Where have you been? Why did Lu Ji bring you back?”
He interrogated her like a betrayed spouse catching their partner cheating. The overwhelming smell of smoke made Su Yuning frown and take a step back, waving her hand in front of her face to clear the air.
Zuo Xingyan paused, then stubbed out his cigarette.
Su Yining was a little afraid of him and didn’t dare retort with “none of your business,” even though she really wanted to throw those words in his face.
And also—
The light in the darkness fell on half his face, casting his handsome features into shadow, making him look even more striking!
With a face like that, any anger would just melt away.