Zhan Rong Xuan sat in the car, gazing at the scenery outside the window as he listened to Zhan Feng report on the events of the previous night.
“Last night, it was Fu Xiao Si and Shen Yi who followed our car. They stayed outside Miss Xu’s building for five hours.”
“Arrange for someone at the school to keep an eye on her,” Zhan Rong Xuan instructed.
“Understood,” Zhan Feng replied. Considering that Zhan Shao and Miss Xu’s relationship was now out in the open, he asked, “Should I arrange an etiquette tutor for Miss Xu? After all, she may accompany you to some important occasions in the future.”
Zhan Rong Xuan thought for a moment and nodded. “You can arrange it.”
“Very well, Zhan Shao,” Zhan Feng agreed, feeling pleased. Finally, there was a woman by Zhan Shao’s side—this was the first time Zhan Shao had ever accepted a member of the opposite sex.
Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of the Shen family’s Xinglan Hotel, Shen Yi slowly woke up. Seeing his bare upper body and Fu Xiao Si lying beside him, memories of the previous night gradually resurfaced. Unconsciously, he touched his lips, his emotions complex yet tinged with a hint of sweetness.
He quietly got out of bed and noticed the clothes scattered on the floor. Remembering Fu Xiao Si’s aversion to mess, he called the front desk.
“Send two sets of clothes up in my size.”
“Right away, Young Master Yi!”
After hanging up, Shen Yi went to the bathroom. By the time he came out, two sets of clothes were already waiting by the door. He brought them back to the bedroom and removed his bathrobe. His skin was fair, and his figure was slender and lean. Picking up a white shirt, his long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles buttoned it up slowly and deliberately, exuding an elegant, princely grace.
Once dressed, Shen Yi turned to look at Fu Xiao Si, who was still sound asleep. Under the covers, Fu Xiao Si lay in a comfortable, childlike pose, innocent and pure, though the scar near his brow evoked a pang of sympathy.
Shen Yi’s face was pale and thin, his eyes as bright as stars, revealing a deep, unspoken affection. He gazed at Fu Xiao Si for a long moment before turning to leave.
Not long after Shen Yi departed, Fu Xiao Si slowly woke up. Recognizing his surroundings as the Shen family’s hotel, he rubbed his temples, recalling how he had witnessed Zhan Shao and Xu Yueyao going upstairs together the night before and never coming back down. After that, he and Shen Yi had gone to drown their sorrows at a bar, and everything after that was a blur.
Thinking of Xu Yueyao, Fu Xiao Si felt a surge of resentment. A wicked smile curled on his lips. “Xu Yueyao, do you think just because you have Zhan Shao, I won’t dare to touch you? If I, Fu Xiao Si, set my sights on someone, even if I can’t have them, I’ll make sure they’re ruined.”
Unaware that her troubles were far from over, Xu Yueyao stepped onto campus that day. Her classmates greeted her warmly with nods and smiles, their behavior causing her no discomfort or unease. Pleasantly surprised, Xu Yueyao entered the classroom in high spirits. However, the looks her classmates gave her were filled with hidden meanings. It was hard for them to imagine that the once-invisible girl in their class had overnight become someone they needed to curry favor with.Yesterday, Zhan Shao’s appearance at the school not only caused a sensation on campus but also stirred considerable commotion throughout the entire capital. All the prominent aristocratic families were filled with curiosity about this female student. It must be noted that Zhan Rong Xuan had been targeted since birth, and every distinguished family in the capital had gone to great lengths to groom their daughters, hoping to catch Zhan Rong Xuan’s eye and secure a place in the Zhan family. Unexpectedly, after an incident when Zhan Rong Xuan was eight years old, the Zhan family patriarch sent him abroad, and he vanished without a trace. When he returned to the capital at eighteen, just as everyone was growing restless, the Zhan family patriarch sent him off to the military.
Five years later, Zhan Rong Xuan finally returned. His chiseled, handsome features and the commanding aura of a king who could awe the world instantly made him the heartthrob of the capital’s women. They tried every trick in the book, but he remained unmoved. Just as people began to speculate that he might be incapable or prefer men, he suddenly had a woman—a young, inexperienced college student. Everyone was intensely curious about her. Yet, at this moment, Xu Yueyao was solely focused on the plot of the book. Unaware that her deviation had already thrust her into the spotlight ahead of time.
Sitting at her desk, Xu Yueyao noticed Gao Yuyan not far away. There was no malice in her eyes anymore; she merely glanced at Xu Yueyao briefly before pretending to touch up her makeup. Xu Yueyao then scanned the room for Fu Xiao Si but didn’t see him. Instead, she spotted his three inseparable friends: Shen Yi, who was napping with his head on the desk; Wu Haolin, who awkwardly averted his gaze after accidentally making eye contact with her; and Xiao Beichen, who watched Xu Yueyao’s profile from the front row. Pushing up his glasses, Xiao Beichen recalled how, before leaving for school, his father had waited to have breakfast with him just to remind him to build a good relationship with Xu Yueyao after learning that Zhan Shao’s woman was his classmate. Looking around, Xiao Beichen realized that his classmates’ attitudes toward Xu Yueyao were likely shaped by similar experiences.
Unable to find Fu Xiao Si, Xu Yueyao rested her chin on her hand and doodled aimlessly in her notebook. She wondered what Fu Xiao Si’s current attitude toward her was. As the saying goes, “It’s easier to avoid the king of hell than his petty minions,” and Fu Xiao Si was precisely that troublesome minion. As the male lead’s younger brother, he appeared frequently in the story, practically everywhere. In the book, whenever Xu Yueyao was locked in a fierce struggle with someone, he would deliver a fatal blow from behind, causing her to suffer defeat after defeat. Therefore, even if Fu Xiao Si couldn’t become a friend, he absolutely must not become an enemy.
Xu Yueyao wrote “Fu Xiao Si” in her notebook, unable to resist recalling everything about him from the book.
“Yao Yao, could you accompany me to the café near the school after class?” Zhang Beilu whispered.
“Sure, why? Are you going to work a part-time job there?” Xu Yueyao asked, looking at her.
Zhang Beilu nodded vaguely, too embarrassed to admit that she was actually going to see someone. After asking around, she had learned that Fu Zheng had recently taken a liking to the café near the school. She planned to orchestrate a chance encounter. Yesterday’s incident between Yao Yao and Zhan Shao had given her courage. She felt that her connection with Fu Zheng was destined by fate, and she was determined to bravely pursue her love.
When Xu Yueyao and Zhang Beilu arrived at the café, Xu Yueyao looked up at the flamboyant sign above the entrance: “Sidi Café.” Wasn’t this the café where the female lead worked part-time?”Yao Yao, let’s go in,” Zhang Beilu said, linking arms with Xu Yueyao as they walked inside.
Each ordered a cup of coffee. Zhang Beilu looked around, seemingly searching for something, while Xu Yueyao gazed at An Zhiyi behind the counter. The light fell upon her, as if draping her in a golden halo. Standing there, her expression carried a cool elegance—her face small and delicate with sharp features, red lips and white teeth, eyes sparkling like a galaxy. Her straight black hair was tied in a low ponytail, accentuating her fair skin. Even in the café uniform, her beauty was undeniable.
Xu Yueyao lowered her head, gently stirring her coffee, thinking: No wonder she’s the aloof and proud female lead in the author’s writing—she truly has the qualities to make hearts flutter. Yet it was precisely because of her proud and distant nature that Xu Yueyao had given up on the idea of befriending her. Unless one shared a life-or-death bond with her, it was hard to earn her trust; her defenses were too strong. Oh well, better to lower my expectations. If we can’t be friends, at least let’s not become enemies.