Chapter 54

As Su Miao Miao stood on tiptoe and kissed him, she thought she must have gone mad.

Otherwise, why would she do such a thing?

Her left hand tightened on Shang Yan’s collar, her fingertips turning white. The warmth of the bright red tattoo in front of her lips was scorching.

It felt like she had been burned, and she quickly dropped back on her heels, her eyes filled with panic.

Before she could regain her composure, a sudden scream burst in her ear—

“What are you doing!?”

“…!”

Startled by the voice, Su Miao Miao shrank back, her gaze filled with alarm.

At the edge of the streetlight’s glow, where it intersected with the next, the returning Wen Chengzhou couple stared at them, dumbfounded.

Beside them, after that scream, Wen Susu’s face had turned deathly pale, almost bluish.

Because of that light and seemingly insignificant kiss, Shang Yan stood frozen in place, only snapping back to reality after hearing the scream.

He took a deep breath.

Turning sideways, Shang Yan pulled Su Miao Miao behind him, shielding her with his hand.

Wen Susu’s expression became almost twisted.

She even wondered if what she had just seen was a hallucination. However, seeing Shang Yan’s actions now made everything crystal clear.

—

What she saw was the truth.If before this moment, even with Shu Wei saying those things, she could choose not to believe; even when she saw the intertwined silhouettes in the library, she could think it was just a misunderstanding. But just now…

Wen Susu clenched her fists, her nails unconsciously digging into the flesh of her palms.

Just now, she had seen it with her own eyes—

The girl had reached up, grabbed Shang Yan’s collar, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his collarbone.

And that same Shang Yan, who at school wouldn’t let any other girl get close, had just stood there the whole time, hands in his pockets, whispering and laughing softly, allowing the girl to do as she pleased.

Wen Susu was consumed with jealousy.

Her whole heart felt as if it were being gnawed and torn apart by countless insects.

He was the boy she had liked for over a year.

To her and all other girls, he was always indifferent, but with Su Miao Miao, whom he had known for only a few months, he acted as if he were deeply in love, unable to be without her.

How could she accept this!

“Su Miao Miao!” Wen Susu, nearly driven mad with anger, felt a rage born of having the boy she liked taken from her, making her almost lose her sanity, “How can you—”

Shang Yan’s eyes turned cold.

Before he could speak, Wen Chengzhou and his wife regained their senses. Gao Shuowen’s expression changed slightly, and she quickly pulled Wen Susu back, scolding her in a low voice—

“How can you speak to Miao Miao like that!?”

“Mom, it’s clearly her—”

“Shut up!”

Gao Shuwen cut her off angrily.

“…!”

Wen Susu was so furious she almost cried. She forcefully shook off her mother’s hand, her eyes red with tears, and gave the girl protected by Shang Yan a fierce glare before running into the villa without looking back.

Gao Shuwen looked very displeased but had no choice but to turn her attention away from Wen Susu’s retreating figure.

She exchanged an awkward glance with Wen Chengzhou before slowly stepping forward and cautiously asking, “Miao Miao, is this… your classmate?”

Under the nearby streetlight, Gao Shuwen’s initially indifferent gaze towards Shang Yan now held a hint of admiration.

—-

A moment ago, she hadn’t seen clearly; in fact, she had been too shocked to pay attention. Now that she was closer, Gao Shuwen noticed that the boy, who seemed to have a budding romantic relationship with Su Miao Miao, had a flawless and strikingly handsome appearance.

In terms of looks and demeanor, she had not seen any other boy their age who could compare to him.

Putting aside her initial disdain, Gao Shuwen’s smile became more genuine.

“Miao Miao?”

She looked at Su Miao Miao, seemingly waiting for her answer.

Standing before the Wen Chengzhou couple, the girl remained silent, her lips pressed together, returning to her extremely quiet state.

Shang Yan frowned, displeased with the way this woman was staring at Su Miao Miao.

He spoke up.

“I’m Su Miao Miao’s desk mate, Shang Yan.”

“…”

Gao Shuwen’s eyes flickered.

This wasn’t the first time Gao Shuwen had heard Wen Susu mention the name “Shang Yan.”

According to Wen Susu, this boy had an impressive family background and extraordinary personal abilities to a remarkable extent.

Considering Wen Susu’s reaction just now, Gao Shuwen understood the situation and exchanged a glance with Wen Chengzhou.

When she turned back, she wore a kind smile.

“Since you’re Miao Miao’s classmate, you must have been in the same class as our Susu for over a year, right?”

“Yes,” Shang Yan responded coolly.

Gao Shuwen frowned slightly but quickly smoothed it out, smiling as she asked, “So, where are you two coming back from?”

Her gaze fell on Su Miao Miao.Shang Yan stepped in front of the girl and answered for her.

“The training group. Our self-study session ended early, so I brought her back ahead of time tonight.”

“…”

An unusual emotion flashed in Gao Shuwen’s eyes, but she quickly concealed it, smiling faintly.

“Ah, so when Susu said Miao Miao had to stay late for self-study, it was because she was with you?”

Shang Yan casually responded with a “hmm” and turned to look at Su Miao Miao, who was hidden behind him. The girl kept her head slightly lowered, her expression unclear.

Shang Yan frowned lightly.

At that moment, he heard Gao Shuwen behind him, smiling as she asked, “Since you’re all classmates and it’s still early, why don’t you come inside and sit for a while, Shang Yan?”

Shang Yan paused.

At the same time, Su Miao Miao looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze.

The emotions in her eyes were indeed still somewhat panicked.

Shang Yan didn’t care about the Wen Chengzhou couple’s gaze behind him. He raised his hand and gently rubbed the girl’s long hair, bending down slightly to whisper:

“Remember what I told you. As long as I’m here, don’t be afraid of trouble. I’ll take care of it.”

After speaking, Shang Yan turned back, a faint smile playing on his thin lips.

A slight light flickered in his dark eyes.

“Thank you. Sorry for the disturbance.”

Gao Shuwen was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Shang Yan to accept her invitation so easily.

But she quickly regained her composure and adjusted her expression, welcoming Shang Yan and Su Miao Miao into her home with a beaming smile.

As they entered the main door, Wen Susu, who was sitting on the living room sofa sulking, glanced over and then froze in disbelief.

Facing away from the entrance, the household servant standing beside her looked embarrassed.

He turned back and spoke, “Sir, Madam, as soon as Miss Susu came back, she sat down and started sulking. I tried to persuade her, but…”

Under Gao Shuwen’s desperate gaze, the servant’s voice abruptly trailed off.

She looked at Shang Yan, momentarily stunned.

“Who is this…?” she asked.

Gao Shuwen’s smile stiffened.

“This is Shang Yan, a classmate of Susu and Miao Miao,” she said, signaling to the servant. “Go make a pot of tea, don’t keep our guests waiting.”

“Oh, yes, Madam…”

The servant turned and headed to the kitchen on the first floor.

Gao Shuwen then turned back to welcome the two. “Shang Yan, Miao Miao, please, let’s sit on the sofa.”

Su Miao Miao remained silent, but Shang Yan interjected, politely refusing half of the offer.

“I’ll accompany Uncle and Aunt for a while. Miao Miao seems tired today; let her go back to her room to rest first.”

As the words fell, not only Wen Chengzhou and Gao Shuwen were momentarily stunned, even Su Miao Miao looked at Shang Yan with surprise.

The girl’s dark pupils were filled with unmistakable worry and unease.

“Be obedient,” Shang Yan said, raising his hand to stroke her forehead.

A gentle smile softened the darkness in his black eyes.

“Go rest.”

“…”

Feeling reassured by his every word and action, Su Miao Miao’s inner unrest slowly dissipated, enveloped by a sweet, sugary sensation, softening and muddling her thoughts.

Su Miao Miao nodded slowly.

She whispered softly, “Then… Goodnight, Master.”

“Yes, goodnight.”

“…”

Watching the girl disappear into the stairwell, her figure gradually fading on the stairs, Shang Yan lowered his gaze and turned back.

His smile diminished considerably.

Beside him, Wen Susu witnessed Shang Yan’s exclusive tenderness towards Su Miao Miao once again, and her eyes nearly reddened with anger.

She swiftly stood up.

“I’m going back too,” she said, her voice stiff, and she lifted her leg to head towards the stairs.

Almost reaching the edge of the sofa area, Wen Susu heard Shang Yan’s calm voice, neither fast nor slow, as he added, “Don’t disturb her.”

“…!”

Wen Susu’s steps came to an abrupt halt.Unable to hold back any longer, she abruptly turned back.

“Why are you defending her so much?! How long have you known each other!?” she exclaimed.

Wen Chengzhou and Gao Shuwen were both startled.

The living room fell silent for two or three seconds, and Wen Chengzhou’s expression darkened completely.

“Wen Susu, what’s gotten into you? Have you caused enough trouble tonight?”

“…”

Wen Susu’s face turned pale.Unlike Gao Shuwen’s scolding, Wen Chengzhou rarely lost his temper. If he said a stern word, she often wouldn’t dare to make a sound.

Feeling helpless, Wen Susu lowered her head, tightly pursing her lips, her palm almost bleeding from her own nails.

In the quietness, Shang Yan suddenly chuckled softly.

Wen Susu instinctively looked up, only to meet the gaze of his dark eyes as he glanced sideways.

“I like her. What reason do I have not to defend her?” he said softly.

“…!”

Wen Susu’s face paled, the last trace of color drained by his words.

Shang Yan turned away, seemingly unwilling to look at her again.

“Wen Susu, I’m asking you—don’t disturb her,” he continued, his smile cooling with each word. “If you have any questions, come to me.”

Wen Susu’s face flushed hotly, tears of frustration and anger welling up in her eyes. Without looking back, she ran up the stairs.

Gao Shuwen’s expression changed.

She glared at Wen Chengzhou resentfully, displeased that he had scolded their daughter earlier. In her heart, she also harbored a deep hatred towards Su Miao Miao, who seemed to be surpassing her daughter in every aspect, be it family background or appearance.

But in front of this mysterious young man, Gao Shuwen naturally wouldn’t reveal those emotions. She simply turned back, wearing a gentle and charitable smile.

“Shang Yan, please don’t mind. Susu has been spoiled by us. If there’s anything she did wrong—”

“Uncle and Aunt are the same.”

“…Huh? What do you mean by the same?”

After Wen Susu ran off, Shang Yan casually sat down on the sofa.

Now, as Gao Shuwen spoke, he lifted an eyebrow, his gaze cool and unreadable.

“No matter what happens—like what you saw tonight—please don’t mention it to her at all,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “If you have any questions, just come to me.”

“…”

Being confronted with such a firm stance from someone much younger, even Gao Shuwen found it difficult to maintain her smile.

She straightened slightly, her smile fading slightly.

“This… Shang Yan, right? You may not fully understand, but even though Miao Miao is staying with us temporarily, we treat her like our own daughter—since her parents entrusted her to us, we have a duty to fulfill their responsibilities, like tonight—”

Gao Shuwen’s voice abruptly halted.

Her complexion turned slightly unpleasant in an instant, and she turned her head to look at the sofa beside her—

Just now, while she spoke, Shang Yan had given a slight sneer, and now he was looking at her with indifference.

The facade of maintaining respect for elders disappeared in an instant. Shang Yan leaned forward slowly, his hands resting on his knees, a lazy smirk playing on his lips.

His eyes were pitch black, with a smirk that was both mocking and ambiguous.

“I might understand a little more than you think,” he said.

“W-what…?”

“For example…” Shang Yan leaned his hands on his knees, pressing against his forehead, and let out a low chuckle.

He raised his eyes, a mocking curve forming at the corner of his lips.

“For example, the position of the Su family, and the position of your Wen family; and also…”

Shang Yan turned his head to look at Wen Chengzhou, who was silently assessing him, his smile deepening.

“The majority shareholder of Uncle Wen’s company happens to have the surname Su.”

Admiring the expression on Gao Shuwen’s face, which resembled a palette overturned, Shang Yan chuckled softly, then leaned back on the sofa.

“So, all this talk about ‘parental responsibility’ and ‘treating her like our own daughter,’ Auntie, you don’t need to mention it to me at all—talking about it would just be a waste of breath.”

“…”

Exposed in front of him, Gao Shuwen’s face not only looked unpleasant, but her mind was also in a panic.

“How… How do you—how do you know about the Su family?”

As if realizing something, Gao Shuwen’s expression turned cold—

“Did Miao Miao tell you?!

“…”

The curve of Shang Yan’s lips flattened abruptly.

He raised his eyes coldly.

“Mrs. Wen, I’ll say this one last time. Don’t mention her, and don’t ask a single question in front of her.”

Intimidated by his gaze, Gao Shuwen’s body instinctively stiffened. It took her a while to regain her composure, her palms already covered in cold sweat.

It almost made her feel ashamed.

—-

Being intimidated back by a teenager who was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old with just a glance made her feel ashamed.

She was about to speak when she heard the lazy chuckle from the young man beside her ear.

“As for why I know…”

Shang Yan tilted his head and looked at Wen Chengzhou.

“Mr. Wen should… have already guessed, right?”

“!”

Gao Shuwen abruptly turned her head to look at her husband.

But Wen Chengzhou didn’t look at her, his gaze instead focused complexly on the young man sitting on their sofa.

—

From outside the door, he had been observing the other person.

On this young man, he found no trace of timidity or unease. From start to finish, the young man behaved as if he were strolling in his own backyard, speaking and acting freely.

And there was no deliberate display, just a natural and relaxed demeanor.

Gao Shuwen had just misspoken.

What was considered “being indulged” for Wen Sulei was nothing compared to this young man in front of her, who had been truly pampered from childhood to adulthood as if he were made of precious gems.

And this kind of wild young master was not someone from their kind of family.

“Chengzhou, what’s going on…?” Gao Shuwen asked him in a hushed voice, “Do you know him?”

Wen Chengzhou sighed silently.

“I don’t know him. But… with the surname Shang, and being able to speak like this while knowing those things, I think…”

Wen Chengzhou looked up at Shang Yan.

“At the very least, I can guess where you came from.”

Shang Yan remained the same, with that half-smile that didn’t change because of his words.

Wen Chengzhou furrowed his brow lightly.

“It seems that the rumors were not groundless. The secret marriage between the Shang family and the Su family was not just hearsay.”

Shang Yan’s expression shifted slightly.

—-

Shang Xiao and Su He’s marriage has not been announced yet due to the direct interests of both families.

Wen Chengzhou probably misunderstood when he saw how close Shang Yan and Su Miao Miao were, and wrongly blamed them.

But Shang Yan couldn’t explain at this moment.

With gritted teeth, Shang Yan reluctantly took the blame for Shang Xiao, showing no emotions on his face, not even the slightest change in his eyes or eyebrows.

Wen Chengzhou, however, took this as an acknowledgment.

“Since that’s the case, we naturally have no right to intervene in your and Miao Miao’s affairs.” Wen Chengzhou glanced at his wife with mixed emotions, then withdrew his gaze. “Rest assured, we won’t mention it to anyone, we’ll just pretend this never happened.”

Satisfied with the outcome, Shang Yan stood up from the sofa.

“Since that’s the case, I won’t bother you anymore…”

As he spoke, Shang Yan suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

He didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He stopped for two seconds, then asked directly and sincerely:

“Can I go upstairs to see Miao Miao?”

Although it was phrased as a question, when the words came out, Shang Yan did not leave any room for refusal from the two of them.

Wen Chengzhou naturally nodded.

“Feel free.”

Shang Yan nodded back, then turned and headed upstairs.

Once the tall figure of the young man disappeared in the staircase, the pent-up Gao Shuwen couldn’t hold back any longer. She looked at Wen Chengzhou with frustration.

She was considerate enough to keep her voice extremely low—

“Who is this kid after all? How dare he talk to us like this at such a young age!?”

“…”

Wen Chengzhou looked at her with a complex expression.

“Didn’t you hear what I said, Gao Shuwen? They are from the Shang family.”

Gao Shuwen impatiently replied, “I’ve been in City C for so many years, how come I’ve never heard of a prestigious family with the surname Shang?!”

“…A frog in a well!”

Wen Chengzhou couldn’t bear it any longer and reprimanded her in a low voice.

Gao Shuwen was taken aback, then her expression changed drastically.

“You, Wen Chengzhou, do you think that by getting close to the Su family, you can just abandon me?! Have you forgotten how much my dad supported and helped you in the beginning?!”

“You shut up!”

Wen Chengzhou finally lost his temper.

But then he remembered something and glanced tabooedly towards the direction of the staircase.

Suppressing his anger, he suddenly stood up and pointed at Gao Shuwen whispering angrily, “Do you have a brain? Didn’t you hear what I just said?—If they can form an alliance with the Su family, do you think the Shang family would be just some insignificant player in City C!?”

“You mean…?”

Gao Shuwen’s voice suddenly lowered.

Her emotions changed like a color palette on her face several times before finally lowering her voice, asking anxiously, “The Shang family, are they perhaps… like the Su family…?”

Wen Chengzhou took a deep breath before slowly speaking.

Relying on his manners cultivated over the years, he managed to temporarily suppress his anger and said in a calm tone, “The two circles are different, but the influence of the Shang family is no less than that of the Su family. Moreover, within the upper echelons, the Shang family has always been known for their mystery. With my status, I only know that the Shang family has two sons—nothing more.”

“…”

Although Gao Shuwen was impulsive and narrow-minded, she wasn’t completely foolish. Hearing Wen Chengzhou’s vague words, she also sensed that the identity of the young man upstairs was not someone their Wen family could afford to provoke.

Gao Shuwen pinched her fingertips and muttered to herself in annoyance, “I thought the Su family had long forgotten about this troublesome girl… I never imagined they would keep such a talisman for her here!”

“Yeah…” Wen Chengzhou was equally surprised.

But more than that, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

—

After all these years, he couldn’t see any sign of the Su family valuing Su Miao Miao, their granddaughter. But if she’s truly to marry the son of the Shang family, they wouldn’t easily deceive her about her identity…

Wen Chengzhou sighed, “It seems that Su Miao Miao will eventually return to the Su family in a grand manner.”

“…,” Gao Shuwen didn’t want to agree, but deep down, she couldn’t help but admit it.

The couple naturally didn’t know that they had misunderstood the matter of the Shang-Su marriage.

…..

Meanwhile, in the second-floor guest room, Su Miao Miao was surprised to see the person outside when she heard a knock on the door.

“What are you doing…?”

“Shh,” Shang Yan lowered his eyes, chuckling softly at her. “I sneaked up here, we can’t make any noise.”

Su Miao Miao : “…”

Of course, Su Miao Miao didn’t believe him. But she still opened the door and let him in. The room wasn’t lit, only the curtains were fully drawn. The moonlight tonight was beautiful, casting large patches of cold white light on the floor, clustering with mottled shadows and snow-like fragmented light.

Shang Yan entered the room.

“Why aren’t the lights on? Are you going to bed so early?”

“…,” Su Miao Miao felt a bit embarrassed. “No, just sitting here lost in thought.”

At this moment, Shang Yan also noticed a round cushion on the floor amidst the dappled moonlight from the French windows. He could almost imagine how the girl would sit on it, hugging her knees, her chestnut-colored long hair cascading down from her shoulders, hiding her lovely and charming face, brushing against her pretty and delicate collarbones, draping over her nightdress…

Shang Yan’s gaze shifted slightly backward. As expected, he saw that the girl was barefoot.

The originally petite and fair toes now seemed even more translucent, resembling creamy jade, with the pink nails obediently resting on the tiny toes.

As if sensing his gaze, they nervously tapped together.

“Shang Yan…?”

In the dim moonlit room, Su Miao Miao felt inexplicably flustered under the boy’s gaze.

She instinctively moved back, “I should turn on the lights, just wait…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her wrist was gently pulled back.

Her cheek pressed against what seemed like a chest radiating warmth.

Su Miao Miao was stunned.

“…Just now thinking of turning on the lights?” A husky laugh came from that chest.

Someone leaned down over her, their presence enveloping her ear, their warm breath brushing against her —

“But, the wolf is already inside because of you… What should we do?”