Chapter 13: The Scent on His Body (1/2)

Sang Sui was taken aback and looked up.

It was a boy.

The boy was dressed in a simple and clean white T-shirt and black trousers, his figure tall and lean.

His facial features were exquisite, with clear and gentle lines. When he looked down at her, his bangs fell, lightly covering the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose.

Through the lenses, she could clearly see his eyes, radiating with the gentle warmth of a spring breeze.

Sang Sui felt that he seemed somewhat familiar and hesitated, “Are you… Xie Jingyu?”

Xie Jingyu smiled and raised an eyebrow, “You know me?”

Sang Sui nodded.

Xie Jingyu had come to school a week late and was introduced to the class by the counselor. When he entered, he briefly introduced himself.

At that time, he had only worn a plain white T-shirt and casual trendy pants, with a bag slung over his right shoulder. As he stepped onto the podium, the girls in the class gasped in surprise.

He was very handsome, his features sharp, his temperament outstanding, like a refreshing, clean neighbor boy.

At that moment, she was sitting next to Li En, and Li En kept nudging her arm, signaling her to look at the handsome boy.

Sang Sui looked up. The boy had already turned around, holding a piece of chalk and writing his name on the blackboard—Xie Jingyu.

A handsome face, an outstanding temperament, and a good handwriting…

Each of these qualities was enough to leave a deep impression.

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Xie Jingyu pointed at the box of Autumn Moon Pears on the ground and smiled, “Does it bother you?”

Sang Sui snapped back to reality and quickly shook her head with a smile, “Not at all, thank you.”

Xie Jingyu said nothing more. He bent down and lifted the two boxes of Autumn Moon Pears, walking toward the school gate.

Sang Sui followed behind in small steps, surprised by how effortlessly he carried them. She was amazed by his strength.

However, she still felt a little embarrassed and spoke up, “Is it heavy? If you want, I can take one box. It would make it lighter.”

“It’s not heavy.” He smiled bitterly and explained, “I’ve been doing farm work since I was young. I’ve built up quite a bit of strength, so this weight is nothing.”

Sang Sui couldn’t help but start a conversation, “Does your family have a poor condition?”

Judging by his temperament, he didn’t seem to come from a poor family.

“Yeah, my family’s not well-off. I’ve been living with my grandparents since I was young, and to lighten their load, I often carry heavy things for them. So, I’m quite strong. Don’t worry.”

Sang Sui nodded, “Thank you.”

“Don’t be so polite.” He stopped and turned around, suddenly leaning his face toward hers, his eyes narrowing slightly in a smile, “It’s an honor for us boys to serve the girls.”

Sang Sui wasn’t very good at interacting with boys. When he suddenly got close, she instinctively took a step back.

She didn’t know how to respond to that, so she could only awkwardly laugh.

---

The two walked into the school, along the school path.

There was still a distance of about seventy to eighty meters to the girls’ dormitory. Sang Sui, who wasn’t very talkative, didn’t know how to initiate a conversation. So for most of the way, it was Xie Jingyu who did most of the talking.

However, it was clear that he wasn’t someone who liked talking too much. They only discussed a few topics, with the majority of the conversation revolving around the events on the day of the new student registration.

As they were talking about the registration day, Xie Jingyu stopped in his tracks.

“By the way.” He asked casually, “Do you know Senior Sheng Yize?”

Sang Sui paused, suspicious, “Why?”

“It’s nothing. I’m planning to join the student council, and I heard he’s the vice president. I just don’t know if I’ll be able to catch his eye.”

Sang Sui’s eyelids twitched.

It felt like something was off.

Why did it seem like everyone she knew was concerned with Sheng Yize’s movements?

First it was Leng Siran, now it was Xie Jingyu.

Sang Sui smiled, “Sheng Yize likes smart people. I heard that your college entrance exam scores are really good, so you’ll definitely make it into the student council.”

Xie Jingyu chuckled lightly, “Seems like you really know Sheng Yize well?”

“?”

His smile faded slightly, and his eyes, hidden behind his glasses, became deeper, “Seems like what they said is true.”

“What?”

“Someone said they saw him picking you up for registration on that day, and you even called him ‘brother.’ Are you two… close?”

Sang Sui froze, her discomfort growing stronger.

It seemed like many people were probing about her relationship with Sheng Yize.

Was it because Sheng Yize was too high-profile, or was it because she was just the person others wanted to approach Sheng Yize through?

Boys seemed to be really good at reading situations. Xie Jingyu must have noticed her awkward expression and immediately changed his tone, “Sorry, did I offend you?”

Sang Sui explained, “We just know each other, we’re not close.”

“Ah…” Xie Jingyu dragged out his tone, “What a pity.”

---

Chapter 13: The Scent on His Body (2/2)

He really did look disappointed.

“I was hoping to learn more about him from you. After all, he’s the vice president of the student council, and I have to go through his assessment if I want to join.”

“Didn’t expect Sheng Yize to be this popular, huh?”

As they spoke, a teasing voice suddenly came from behind them.

Both turned to look.

Sheng Yize was leaning casually against a tree, his arms crossed, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

He had changed into a white shirt and black cropped pants, his pale, well-defined ankle showing beneath his shiny black leather shoes.

He fixed his gaze on Xie Jingyu, his smile fading as a trace of coldness emerged in his dark eyes.

Xie Jingyu bowed slightly, “Hello, Senior Sheng.”

Sheng Yize unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt with slow deliberation, folding up the sleeves with a calm and measured pace as he walked over.

He stopped in front of Xie Jingyu, a smile flickering on his lips.

“So, was your inquiry really about the student council, or did you have other intentions, Xie Jingyu?”

Sang Sui blinked in surprise, “Do you two know each other?”

Sheng Yize smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, “Of course, Xie Jingyu is known for being ‘talented and well-known.’ Everyone outside has heard of him.”

The air between them was charged with an underlying tension. On the surface, it appeared calm, but beneath the surface, a storm was brewing.

Sang Sui looked between them, feeling confused.

In the face of Sheng Yize’s sarcastic remark, Xie Jingyu seemed unaffected, still smiling calmly.

“Senior Sheng, you flatter me. I’m just doing things for others.”

His gaze deepened, “Since you’re from the Sheng family, I assume you understand some of the ‘rules,’ right?”

Sheng Yize scoffed.

“Xie Jingyu, you may have the surname Xie, but you’re not from the Jiang family.”

Xie Jingyu’s expression stiffened for a moment, and his fingers, which had been hanging at his side, tightened.

But he quickly recovered, smiling, “Don’t misunderstand, I’m really interested in joining the student council. After all, ‘opportunities’ are hard to come by.”

Sheng Yize’s eyes showed a trace of mockery.

Xie Jingyu set down the box of Autumn Moon Pears and looked at Sang Sui. “Sorry, Sang Sui, I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll leave now.”

“Ah?” Sang Sui didn’t react immediately.

He nodded to Sheng Yize and smiled before turning and walking away.

As soon as he turned his back, the smile on his face quickly disappeared, and his eyes darkened with a sinister glint.

Interesting.

---

“Hey…”

Sang Sui wanted to call out to him, but it was too late.

What kind of person was he?

He left her halfway through carrying the pears. How was she supposed to carry them back?

Sheng Yize watched Xie Jingyu’s retreating figure until it disappeared from view.

After a while, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Sang Sui.

She seemed very flustered, glancing around, but it was already after noon, and the campus was mostly empty during the lunch break.

Suddenly, a boy came out of the administration building. She brightened up, thinking of asking for help.

Sheng Yize suddenly grabbed her arm, his brows furrowed deeply, “What are you doing?”

Sang Sui didn’t even look at him. When she saw the boy heading toward the cafeteria, she became even more anxious. “Let go of me! I need help carrying the stuff!”

“…”

Sheng Yize’s breathing paused, and he reached out with his other hand, grabbing her head and forcing her to face him.

Sang Sui was forced to look at him.

When she froze, he suddenly bent down and leaned in, staring into her eyes.

Up close, she realized her eyes were actually quite beautiful.

Her pupils were black, round and full, like pieces of black amber.

Sheng Yize’s gaze lingered for a moment, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

He raised his brow, his voice dangerously low, “Am I not human?”

“…”

The scent of cedarwood wafted from his body, and as she gazed at his handsome face, Sang Sui’s heart skipped a beat.

She stumbled back, quickly averting her eyes, and took a step back. Her face drooped slightly, her voice sounding a little aggrieved—

“You don’t want the Autumn Moon Pears, so how could you help me carry them…”