Chapter 17

“Who let you come out?”

Shang Yan, his face ashen, walked back and stood directly in front of the girl.

His tall figure deliberately leaned against the doorframe behind her, easily enveloping her petite form clad in a shirt and her bare legs, sealing her from view completely.

This man was so imposingly close it left Su Miao Miao somewhat astonished, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks.

She shifted back slightly, which made breathing easier, and then spoke softly, “No, I… it seems my shoelace broke after getting soaked—”

She lowered her head to look towards her own toes.

Shang Yan’s eyes, dark and deep, followed her gaze.

Her small, fair toes uncomfortably pressed against the ground, the nails blushing pink and round, resting prettily in front of her delicate toes, as if dotted with a few petals.

Shang Yan closed his eyes for a moment.

His forehead twitched.

Meanwhile, the other young men in the training group had regained their composure, marveling at the real beauty of the girl they had glimpsed just moments before, and began excitedly moving towards them—

“Our little Su is actually this beautiful!?”

“Who was the blind one who called Su Miao Miao an ugly duckling?”

“Mom, I’m in love—”

“…”

Shang Yan opened his eyes, his arm dropping from the doorframe. He hooked his arm around the girl’s slender waist with ease, lifting her up and carrying her back to the bed in the inner room.

“…Before I tell you to come out, don’t move again.”

He leaned down, his gaze somewhat menacing as he “threatened” the girl.

“…”

Su Miao Miao blinked, not understanding why Shang Yan suddenly got angry, but she still obediently nodded, “Okay.”

Only then did Shang Yan turn around.

The curious and amazed eyes peering through the door crack belonged to several onlookers.

Shang Yan casually picked up the white shirt Su Miao Miao had used to dry her hair earlier from the nearby bed, twisted his wrist, and flung it over.

As the male students who had been splattered with the shirt saw Shang Yan turning to leave, they quickly stepped back, but Wu Hongbo at the front was still pushed out with the shirt covering his head.

Shang Yan paused, closing the door to the inner room behind him.

His gaze swept coldly over the excited male students.

“Rebelling?”

Wu Hongbo grabbed the half-wet shirt off his face, grinning foolishly, “Brother Yan, a goddess, I want a hug…”

“…Hug your mom.”

Shang Yan chuckled in exasperation. “My disciple is not for hugging.”

Wu Hongbo looked aggrieved, “I misspoke, Brother Yan.”

Shang Yan gave him a cold glance. “I told you on the first day you entered the group, no coveting.”

The last four words sent a shiver down Wu Hongbo and the others’ spines.

They exchanged glances and ultimately didn’t dare to push their luck at that moment.

They glanced regretfully at the tightly closed door to the inner room, then returned to their respective computer desks.

Assured that no one dared to continue casting furtive glances, Shang Yan withdrew his gaze.

Shu Wei still stood outside the door, her expression grim, her emotions complex and ever-changing in her eyes.

Seeing Shang Yan’s gaze sweep over, she adjusted her tone and spoke, trying to sound indifferent: “I never expected that your disciple was the girl I saw in the restaurant that day… Did you know from the beginning?”

Shang Yan frowned. If he had known from the beginning, he would never have let the girl show her face—

…

His eyes flickered slightly, and Shang Yan suppressed the dangerous thought that had surfaced. “I didn’t know.”

Shu Wei lowered her head, “Then… do you like her?”

“…”

The gossipy gazes in the room focused on him like spotlights.

Shang Yan raised his eyes.

All the craned necks quickly retracted. “She is my disciple.”

Shang Yan paused for a moment, turned around, and spoke slowly. “A pure master-disciple relationship, untainted.”

Shu Wei: “…”

Others in the group: “…………”

Shu Wei’s nervousness finally eased a bit.

Her complexion regained some color, and she took two steps forward, lowering her voice.

“My birthday is the day after tomorrow, it’s inconvenient to celebrate at school, so I was thinking of having a party this Sunday. Can you…”

Shu Wei didn’t finish her sentence, suddenly stopping herself.

After a moment of thought, she leaned in and entered the training group.

“My birthday party this Sunday, I want to invite the whole group to celebrate together. Do you have time?”

The male students who were suddenly named in the group were stunned.

“Us?” Wu Hongbo pointed to his nose, then gestured in a half-circle in the air, “—the whole group?”

Shu Wei nodded, tilting her head with a light smile.

“If the younger brothers have nothing going on, I hope you all can make it… I’ll send the invitation from that club to you later with the specific time and location.”

“Oh my god… an invitation.”

“So fancy. I’ve only seen these on TV my whole life.”

“Are you a damn goldfish? Didn’t you use a dog tag instead of an invitation when you went to that computer exchange event last semester?”

“…So, are we going or not?”

“Why not go? It’s a legitimate reason to eat and drink for free—unless you want to be caught and forced to write scripts by Mr. Huang or Brother Yan on Sunday?”

“……..”

As the last sentence was spoken, several boys who were huddled together shivered simultaneously.

They looked at each other with serious expressions and quickly came to an agreement, then turned back—

“Thank you for the invitation, we’ll be there.”

Shu Wei smiled, then straightened up and glanced at Shang Yan with a twinkle in her eye.

“Shang Yan… you’ll come too, right?”

Shang Yan’s eyelids lowered, his gaze fell, and he glanced at her without revealing his true feelings.

Shu Wei clenched her hands uncomfortably.

She silently took deep breaths, reassuring herself internally—He’s like this with everyone, I’ve gotten used to it.

As long as… as long as the relationship can be confirmed, that’s enough.

Repeating this to herself several times, Shu Wei reached out and lightly brushed a strand of hair from her face, revealing a smile.

“After all, I’ve been your shield for so long… This is my last birthday before I graduate, can you come? There are some things I’d like to clarify with you.”

“… ‘Help’?”

Shang Yan, leaning against the door with one hand in his pocket, his handsome profile adorned with a lazy smile, yet his eyes were cold.

“Alright.”

He rubbed his neck, nonchalantly.

“It’s time to clarify things.”

As soon as Shu Wei left, the gossip-hungry group popped their heads out.

Wu Hongbo: “Brother Yan, so you really have nothing going on with the campus belle? Then why does everyone at school talk like it’s true?”

Luan Wenze: “Sounds like it.”

Another member from their senior year adjusted his glasses, “In our grade, the rumors that you two are boyfriend and girlfriend are the fiercest.”

Shang Yan scoffed, walking towards his computer desk.

Wu Hongbo continued analyzing, “If this isn’t coming from Brother Yan’s side, and no one else dares to spread rumors, then it must be—uh… Shu Wei herself?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Shang Yan didn’t even look up, stopping at his computer desk, he frowned, “Where’s my chair?”

Wu Hongbo: “…”

Luan Wenze: “…”

Both pointed towards the corner of the room.

Wu Hongbo: “Brother Yan, you kicked it away yourself, remember?”

Shang Yan then recalled.

He glanced sideways, “Is it still usable?”

Wu Hongbo shook his head sorrowfully, “A kick rendered it a second-level cripple, it’s been your faithful companion for over a year, Brother Yan, you’re too heartless.”

“…”

Shang Yan gave him a look.

Wu Hongbo quickly changed his tune with a sycophantic air: “But if I had such a fairy-like obedient disciple, not just kicking a chair, but breaking legs would be justified!”

“You’re exaggerating,” Luan Wenze whispered quietly.

Wu Hongbo: “…”

He sneakily glanced at Shang Yan, catching him giving a half-smiling look—”Go ahead, tell me which leg you want broken, I’ll oblige you.”

Wu Hongbo: “…………”

Wu Hongbo: “I’m sorry Brother Yan, take my chair as a tribute.”

Shang Yan naturally did not agree.

He walked over to the phone and pressed redial; once connected, he spoke lazily.

“Add a pair of girl’s shoes.”

“Shoe size? How would I know.”

Shang Yan raised his chin, glanced at the quiet inner room, “… wait a second.”

He set the phone down on the desk and walked towards the inner room.

As he pushed the door open, the girl inside was still sitting quietly on the bed, her clean little legs and feet dangling.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, her pupils dark and bright, “Master.”

Shang Yan responded, kneeling on one knee in front of the girl’s legs. He reached out with his left hand, grasped one of the girl’s slender ankles, and lifted it in front of him.

Su Miao Miao was stunned by his smooth, rascal-like move, her eyes wide and innocent, staring blankly at him.

“Master…?”

“Aren’t you asking for shoes?”

Shang Yan’s right hand pretended to support the foot he lifted in front of him.

Seeing the tips of her toes sticking out from her heel, he couldn’t help but smile, looking up while maintaining the pose.

“Not as long as my hand… Kid, are you really seventeen, or seven?”

“…………”

Su Miao Miao, feeling angry enough to kick him.

Feeling the girl’s snow-white ankle lightly struggle in his palm, the smooth sensation brushing past his hand, Shang Yan’s eyes deepened.

He froze for two seconds, then stood up and walked out as if nothing had happened, his voice lazy trailing behind—

“Still, you’re not allowed to come out.”

“……”

With a trace of undetectable drift in his voice, Shang Yan’s left hand slipped into his pocket, unconsciously rubbing the area between his thumb and forefinger that had just been wiped.

Returning to his desk, he picked up the microphone with his right hand.

Hearing the noise on the other end, the person reluctantly started the conversation, “It’s fine if I give each of them a pair too.”

“I’ve seen it,” Shang Yan replied calmly, “Doesn’t your store have my data? It’s about one centimeter shorter than my palm.”

The person on the other side seemed choked up.

After a few seconds, they asked, “Did you measure it yourself??” with a tone rising in astonishment.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s not… Is that girl unconscious? Can’t you just ask her directly for her shoe size?”

Shang Yan: “……”

The other side: “……?”

Shang Yan: “………”

After a few seconds of silence, Shang Yan lowered his gaze and chuckled.

He moved the hand holding the phone forward, curling the knuckle of his thumb to his forehead.

He laughed helplessly.

“If I said I forgot, would you believe me?”

The other side: “—You heartless old rogue, I’d believe more that you did it on purpose to take advantage of the young lady.”

“……Get lost,” Shang Yan retorted with a laugh.

“Anything else you need? I’ll have them send it over together.”

“The chair broke, replace one…” After a thought, Shang Yan corrected himself, “Make it a pair.”

“Alright, nothing else?”

“Mm.”

“……”

The people delivering the goods arrived at the training group’s office door almost simultaneously with Li Zhe.

A large box with a unique black embossed pattern logo was carried in by several people, followed by a woman with meticulous makeup carrying several gift bags with the same logo.

Upon seeing Shang Yan, the woman nodded with a respectful and measured smile.

“Young Master Shang.”

Surprised to see her, Shang Yan asked, “What brings you here?”

The woman smiled, “The boss said that for a girl whose foot you personally measured, we must not neglect her. I’ve brought a few sets of clean underwear and outer garments for the young lady.”

Remembering the girl’s drenched and disheveled state from falling into the water, Shang Yan did not object.

“She’s in the inner room.”

The woman nodded again with a smile before turning and heading straight into the inner room.

After setting down the box, the delivery people left, and Li Zhe, waiting outside, walked in.

“Brother Yan, the academic office wants the little beauty, ah, I mean Su Miao Miao, to come over.”

“?”

Shang Yan looked over. “What do they want with her?”

Li Zhe replied, “It seems they want to verify some details.”

Shang Yan’s expression was neutral, and after pausing for a couple of seconds, he furrowed his brows. “I’ll take her there later.”

Li Zhe lingered a few more seconds, not seeing the young lady appear, then reluctantly turned to leave.

Just a few steps away from the door, he suddenly remembered something, spun around, and dashed back.

“Almost forgot.”

Shang Yan was interrupted and finally turned his gaze away from the inner room’s door, glancing at Li Zhe.

Li Zhe pulled out a stack of light purple cards from his back pocket—”I ran into Miss Shu on the way, she said these are invitations for your group?”

Wu Hongbo and others curiously took them.

“It even smells nice, don’t know what perfume,” Li Zhe grinned, “You guys smell it, it’s really nice!”

“Scram, kid,” Wu Hongbo swatted at him, “You pull it out of your ass pocket and want us to smell it??”

Li Zhe laughed foolishly.

Before he could continue, the door of the inner room suddenly opened.

The first to come out was the woman in the suit, followed by a petite girl, slowly showing herself.

The woman hadn’t brought any exaggerated clothing, just a very minimalist set of black sportswear.

Long-sleeved and long pants, well-tailored, they outlined the girl’s slender and clean figure, pretty and stylish.

Along the cuffs and the sides of the pants were narrow lines of silver and pink, adding a touch of youthful vitality to the otherwise deep black.

The girl wore a pair of white shoes, her fingertips peeking out from the cuffs also tucked in the pockets, her hood pulled up.

However, this time, without the advantage of an oversized sweatshirt, the hood on this sportswear barely covered her, exposing her small, radiant face.

The others in the room were once again stunned.

The girl hesitantly looked towards Shang Yan.

Shang Yan gazed intently at her for two seconds, the casual smile on his face fading.

He clicked his tongue lightly, unexpectedly looking at the woman beside him.

“Is there no mask in this tracksuit?”

Li Zhe and others: “………???”

The woman paused for a moment, then meaningfully turned her head to glance at the girl before turning back.

“Do you need me to go back and get one, Mr. Shang?”

Shang Yan had blurted out his previous remark without thinking. Now, he calmed down and forced a small smile.

“…Just kidding, no need.”

This lie was clearly insincere.

Standing behind the woman, Su Miao Miao peeled away from her initial hesitation, sensitively wrinkling her nose and sniffing the air in front of her,

“What’s that smell?”

In their stunned focus, the girl’s question snapped everyone back to attention.

Wu Hongbo reacted first, raising his hand with an invitation, “This, the perfume smell is too strong—it makes me want to sneeze.”

Su Miao Miao curiously looked over.

“What is it?”

“…”

Being stared at by such a beautiful young face, Wu Hongbo’s hand trembled, he covered his eyes and passed the invitation to Luan Wenzhe beside him—

“I can’t, I can’t, I can’t talk with Little Su looking at me like this… you go ahead.”

Luan Wenzhe, reluctantly and with a glance at Shang Yan,The boy leaned against the door frame, his eyelids drooping lazily, his dark eyes flickering with indecisive emotions.

It was unclear what he was thinking.

But it seemed he had no intention of stopping anything.

Luan Wenzhe then explained, “This is the birthday party invitation from Shu Wei. She has invited our entire group to attend this weekend…”

His voice trailed off.

And the others in the group also realized—Shu Wei had invited their whole group, but it wasn’t clear whether this “whole group” included Su Miao Miao or not?

“Birthday party…”

The girl curiously looked at the stack of light purple cards.

She knew about such birthday gatherings, but in her memory of the first seventeen years of her life, she had neither hosted nor been invited to one.Instead, at the sanatorium, she had hidden in a corner of the back garden, watching another girl wear a paper crown while other children danced around her, clapping and singing the birthday song…

Later, that little crown was discarded by the children.

It was muddy, damp, and dirty.

Yet Su Miao Miao had picked it up and tucked it into the little window sill of her sickroom.

She also wanted to attend such a party.

She hadn’t sung a birthday song yet.

…

While Su Miao Miao was lost in thought, a somewhat hoarse voice came from above her head—

“Do you want to go?”

Su Miao Miao turned around.

Shang Yan looked down at her, his cool, refined face showing little emotion.

With him, she could tell the truth, right?

Su Miao Miao thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Shang Yan smiled faintly, the indifferent emotion in his eyes dissipating, his thin lips curling up slightly.

He reached out to touch the tip of the girl’s hat.

“Then Master will accompany you.”

“…”

Beside them, Wu Hongbo and Luan Wenzhe exchanged glances, grinning secretly—

Taking Little Su to Shu School Beauty’s birthday party, wouldn’t that cause trouble?