Chapter 3

Huang Qisheng, though just a trainer, had long heard about Shang Yan’s “exploits” at Sanzhong.

Upon Shang Yan’s acceptance, he felt a bit uneasy.

“Shang Yan, don’t bully the new members,” Huang Qisheng cautioned.

Wu Hongbo’s gaze shifted, and he chuckled, “Mr. Huang, what are you worried about? Is Shang Yan the type to bully the weak?”

He glanced at the others and gestured with his eyes.

“…Besides, the rest of us are still here.”

Huang Qisheng felt slightly reassured.

Seeing that it was getting late, he gave a few more instructions and then hastily left with his briefcase and laptop.

Once Huang Qisheng disappeared from view, Wu Hongbo’s smile faded, and he nodded to someone nearby.

That person understood, walked over to close the door, and leaned against it.

A muffled sound of the door closing echoed.

The figure of the child in the chair stiffened slightly.

Wu Hongbo walked over to the desk where Su Miao miao was facing and leaned against it.

“Shang Yan, what do you think? Should we set some rules for the new member?”

“…,”

Shang Yan, still in the same bent-over position near the girl’s hat, asked.

“Did you hear that, kid?”

“…,”

Under the hood, there was only quietness, with the sound of faint breathing.

Shang Yan paused for a moment, then scoffed lightly.

He straightened up and walked lazily towards the cabinet, his lazy voice trailing behind.

“It’s up to you guys to handle it.”

Wu Hongbo, who was still bewildered, laughed.

“You, the newcomer, why are you so clueless? If you don’t even cling to Shang Yan’s thigh, don’t blame us for dealing with you.”

“…,”

The room fell silent for a while, except for the sound of Shang Yan flipping through books at the cabinet and the child sitting quietly in the chair.

Wu Hongbo’s smile remained, but he couldn’t help but frown.

“Are you mute? Can’t you speak?”

With an impatient tone, Wu Hongbo kicked the chair where the new person was sitting.

The swivel chair made two dull sounds as it was kicked.

“…,”

With his back to the room, Shang Yan stood at the cabinet.

He held a programming book in one hand, and as he heard the sound of the chair being kicked, his slender fingers, about to turn the page, suddenly paused.

His pitch-black eyes, covered by finely lowered eyelashes, revealed no discernible emotions inside.

After a two-second pause, he turned the page.

Shang Yan didn’t move.

In the room behind him, another chubby boy from the group walked over to the chair and interjected:

“This kid is a bit stubborn, just now too. He even dared to ignore Shang Yan’s words?”

“Maybe he needs a good beating?”

“Don’t.”

Wu Hongbo, having been ignored earlier, grinned with clenched teeth.

“Sitting there like he’s as tall as Shang Yan. If he messes up again, Mr. Huang will hold us accountable.”

“…,”

A certain verb in that sentence made Shang Yan’s fingers, which were tracing down the page, pause once again.

“Not speaking is one thing, but not even taking off your hat? Such an impolite kid, at the very least, needs to be taught some manners.”

Wu Hongbo said, jumping off the desk and reaching to flick the hood of the child in the swivel chair.

“Don’t hide, or else if you get hurt, don’t blame me.”

* thud *

A sound of a book being closed neither too light nor too heavy.

This sudden movement stopped Wu Hongbo in his tracks.

He turned his head, hesitantly looking towards Shang Yan, who still had his back to the room.

“Shang Yan?”

“…,”

Shang Yan turned sideways, calmly lowering his eyes, his gaze falling on the child—

Su Miao Miao’s two wide sleeves laid on her knees, the cuffs revealing slightly trembling fingertips wrapped together uneasily.

Shang Yan closed his eyes, turned back, and placed the book in the cabinet.

“That’s enough.”

“Huh? You’re not going to deal with him anymore, Shang Yan?”

Shang Yan didn’t respond.

He pulled out a laptop from the cabinet and walked back to the swivel chair where the girl was sitting.

Resting his hand on the back of the chair, he tightened his long fingers and exerted force—

With one hand, he pulled the swivel chair, dragging the bewildered girl into the office area.

“From now on, consider this kid half my apprentice. Don’t you dare lay a finger on her.”

…Lay a finger?

The others were stunned.

As he dragged the chair to the door of the office area, Shang Yan stopped.

While the other boys were still in a daze, Shang Yan’s gaze fell on the hood.

He chuckled.

“If anyone dares to bully you, tell me. Got it, kid?”

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then a relieved and soft “Mm” came from under the hood.

The others were petrified.

Wu Hongbo: “…A girl???”

Shang Yan raised his hand, pulled the chair and the girl on it into the room.

With a bang, the door closed.

After a beat, cries and pleas could be heard from outside the room—

“Brother Yan, why are you doing closing the door??”

“Oh my god, please spare us, Brother Yan!”

“In the whole group, we only have this precious sister, Brother Yan, at least let us take a look at her true appearance——”

Inside the room, Shang Yan let go and chuckled softly.

“What a mess.”

His gaze glanced down at the hooded coat.

Apart from instinctively grabbing the armrest when he suddenly pulled the swivel chair, the girl had been quiet, without any movement.

So obedient it made one itch.

Shang Yan’s eyes flashed, and he casually placed the laptop on the empty table.

He then sat down at the edge of the table.

“Kid.”

He called out to her in a hoarse voice that seemed to carry a hint of amusement.

Su Miao Miao responded with a reluctant tone.

“What’s your name?”

“…”

“Speak up.”

“Su Miao Miao.”

“…”

A faint glimmer shone in the boy’s pitch-black eyes.

After a moment, he curled his lips, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, almost reaching towards the girl’s hood.

The girl seemed to sense it and shrunk back slightly.

His voice remained husky but with a hint of a smile—

“Su what?”

“…”

Su Miao Miao pursed her pale lips, and her face hidden under the hood tightened slightly.

He clearly heard it.

“Su… Miao mao.”

Shang Yan’s gaze slightly intensified.

From his current position, the large hood couldn’t completely hide the girl’s face, revealing a small portion of her jawline.

Although it was just a segment, it was translucent white, as if it had been meticulously crafted from the purest and cleanest jade, captivating one’s gaze.

Su Miao Miao sensed something and pressed the hood lower.

Shang Yan snapped out of his trance, his eyes slightly deepened.

Just a glimpse of her chin, and he found himself distracted.

Shang Yan self-mockingly chuckled lightly and turned back.

As he typed the name on the screen, he opened his mouth with a smirk:

“Su—”

He glanced sideways. “Meow Meow?”

“…”

Su Miao Miao squeezed her fingertips.

“It’s ‘Miao,’ the distant ‘Miao’.”

Shang Yan still smirked, but instinctively furrowed his brow.

The slender fingers hovering over the keyboard paused for a moment, then confidently typed “Su Miao Miao.”

Su Miao Miao: “…”

Although somewhat frustrated, Su Miao Miao could still discern that Shang Yan’s joke was harmless.

Silence filled the room.

The laptop, unused for a while, was being reinstalled by the boy sitting at the table.

From Su Miao Miao’s perspective, she could only see the boy sitting casually, leaning against the wall behind the table. His hands were long and fair, with distinct and beautiful joints. He typed on the keyboard with ease, his demeanor casual, exuding a bold, unrestrained, yet indifferent confidence.

He was captivating….

In ancient books, they talk about “youthful charm,” is this what they mean?

Su Miao Miao thought to herself.

Her gaze lowered.

The boy’s long legs were lazily resting just below her eyelids.

The unsupported leg stretched particularly long, with the tip of the foot almost touching her.

Su Miao Miao slowly retracted her legs.

Shang Yan caught a glimpse and lightly tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Are you afraid of me?”

“…”

Shang Yan’s tapping fingers paused.

Unable to hear clearly, he lowered his eyes and looked at the girl.

“What did you just say?”

Then he heard the soft voice repeat:

“…Aren’t you disgusted with me?”

Shang Yan grinned.

“Why would I be disgusted with you—Su Miao Miao?”

The nickname at the end was bitten low by his teasing tone.

Su Miao Miao also spoke slowly, calling him word by word.

“Shang Yan.”

“…”

Shang Yan’s movement paused, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Before he could sense his own emotions, he heard the second half of the sentence, still in that soft tone.

“You’re not afraid of me… so I’m not scared of you either.”

As if afraid of him changing his mind, the girl added softly:

“We agreed.”

Shang Yan was taken aback.

After a moment, his black eyes gleamed slightly, his tongue swept over his palate, and a playful smile played on his lips.

“Alright.”

An hour later, as Shang Yan emerged from the room, he looked up and met a pair of plaintive eyes.

Wu Hongbo: “Brother Yan, my heart aches.”

“?”

“I’ve been working diligently by your side for over a year, and in the blink of an eye, you’re ready to replace me with a newcomer.”

“…”

Shang Yan glanced at him.

From his expression, it seemed he was thoroughly disgusted.

“What do you want to say?” The young man stretched his long legs and walked to his designated desktop computer, bending down to shake the mouse on the table without turning back to ask.

Wu Hongbo’s face changed instantly, and he ingratiatingly approached—”Brother Yan, have you seen this new member in our team before?”

“Yeah.”

Another head leaned in from the side, “Brother Yan, is the new member good-looking?”

“You guys haven’t seen her?”

Wu Hongbo said, “No, we’re talking about her face—her hat is so big, it’s almost like a sack. How can we see her face?”

“I don’t know.”

Shang Yan typed on the keyboard at a steady pace, his slender fingers pleasing to the eye.

“—Brother Yan, you haven’t seen her either?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that’s it.” Wu Hongbo leaned back in his chair. “Originally, I thought with your demeanor, that girl should be very good-looking, at least as good as Shu Wei—turns out you haven’t even seen what she looks like?”

The sound of Shang Yan typing on the keyboard finally stopped.

He raised his eyes, with a smirk that was not quite a smile.

“Why is that?”

Wu Hongbo stood up, lowering his voice:

“Brother Yan, think about it, this new member looks delicate and weak, but if her appearance was just average, she wouldn’t cover herself so tightly in the middle of summer!”

Shang Yan raised an eyebrow, “So?”

Wu Hongbo clapped his hands, “So, in my opinion, this new member must be ugly— and not just ordinary ugly, it must be the kind that affects the city’s appearance. Let me describe it to you, like her mouth—”

* slap *

Wu Hongbo was stunned by the slap, it took him two seconds to cover his head and cry out, “Brother Yan, why did you hit me?”

Shang Yan had already withdrawn his hand, calmly wiping his palm.

“You talk too much.”

“I’m just worried that Brother Yan, with your current attitude, might miss out on someone like Shu Wei, and go down the wrong path…”

“…”

Shang Yan glanced at him with a smirk, as if about to raise his hand again.

Wu Hongbo covered his mouth and moved aside.

Two boys from the team next to them chuckled, one of them tried to smooth things over for Wu Hongbo, “Maybe it’s just bad skin.”

“Bad skin covered up so tightly? How dark must it be?”

Wu Hongbo couldn’t help but be sarcastic.

After saying that, he regretted it and quickly looked at Shang Yan cautiously.

But the boy seemed unusually absent-minded.

The room was quiet for two seconds, then Shang Yan lowered his eyes and chuckled.

“Fair skin.”

Not just fair?

It even made people unable to resist the thought that if they pressed their fingertips onto that smooth white skin and applied a little force, they might leave behind a blushy, ambiguous mark.

“What? What did you say, Brother Yan?”

Wu Hongbo asked curiously.

Just then, the office door was pushed open, and the fifth boy from the team walked in, shaking the water off his hands and looking at Shang Yan.

“Brother Yan, someone’s looking for you outside.”

Wu Hongbo suddenly became interested, “Oh, new semester, new atmosphere— who is it this time? Which bold girl dared to come all the way to the training group?”

The boy who came in to deliver the message nodded knowingly, teasing Wu Hongbo, “It seems to be the class flower from Brother Yan’s class.”

Wu Hongbo said, “Oh, that proud little peacock?”

Seeing Shang Yan’s lack of response, the boy who came in smiled bitterly.

“Brother Yan, that class flower from your class is waiting at the corridor. If you don’t go, I think she’s going to stay until the last self-study session.”

“…”

Shang Yan pushed the keyboard aside, got up, and walked out.

On his handsome and bold face, there was still a smile, but there was also a hint of coldness in his brows and eyes.

When the office door closed with a bang, Wu Hongbo and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief—

“That little peacock is so silly. Doesn’t she see how tightly Shu Wei is clinging to Brother Yan? Why doesn’t she come to the training group?”

“Yeah… I bet she came here just to delay things. She doesn’t stand a chance with Brother Yan.”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

“Want to bet?”

“…”

When four guys gathered to discuss their bets, the door to the inner office creaked open.

Standing there was still the girl, completely enveloped in an oversized hoodie and baggy jeans.

Despite being accustomed to the office as a purely male space, the four young men froze, each in their own way, upon realizing it was a girl, although possibly unattractive.

Until a soft voice emerged from beneath the tightly pulled hood—

“He said I couldn’t do it, but I could find some books… Can you tell me where they are?”

After a long silence, Wu Hongbo, representing the group, stuttered out a response, his face turning red with embarrassment.

“Out of the office… past the staircase, the first door on the right is the library…”

“Thank you,” Su Miao Miao replied softly.

She walked to the office door, quietly exited, and closed the door behind her without a sound.

Just as her fingertips slid off the door handle, a voice echoed from the staircase behind her—

“…Didn’t you hear? I have a girlfriend?”

The voice was clear, with a slightly weary tone, striking a chord within Su Miao Miao.

She paused.

She recognized the voice, of course—just moments ago in the inner office, this person had ridiculed her and patiently taught her programming.

It was lazy yet attentive, as if careless yet not fully awake.

“Shang Yan, you never acknowledged your relationship with Shu Wei. In fact, you’re not even officially dating, right?”

A voice tinged with a hint of grievance spoke up.

“If you don’t like her, why can’t you try to accept me?”

If Shang Yan’s voice caused Su Miao Miao a startle, this female voice left her completely stunned.

It was none other than the precious daughter of the Wen family where she was staying, Wen Susu.

This morning, she had warned Su Miao Miao to stay away from Shang Yan, referring to him as the “God of Death” at Sanzhong.

The air behind her suddenly fell silent.

Moments later, Su Miao Miao heard the huskiness fade from the voice.

The boy seemed to laugh lightly, like a feather brushing against the heart, causing a tingling sensation—

“Shu Wei is indeed not my girlfriend.

“Wen Susu looked surprised. “You admit it? Then, am I…”

“Because I’m not interested in women.”

Wen Susu froze.

Shang Yan sneered, his eyes flashing with coldness. He casually gestured behind him, his tone mocking—

“Does the training group behind know? It’s full of my harem.”

Su Miao Miao: “…”

Wen Susu: “…”

Despite sensing the mockery in his words, Wen Susu subconsciously looked in the direction indicated by the boy’s arm.

As she looked, her pupils contracted.

“You—”

“…”

Seeing Wen Susu’s inappropriate reaction, Shang Yan also turned slightly, his gaze flickering over.

He saw the petite figure of a girl trying to slip away without a sound.