Chapter 9

Everyone looked in the direction Li Zhe indicated.

When they clearly saw the girl sitting by the window, everyone was momentarily stunned.

Her skin was as white as snow, dressed in a red dress, white as curdled cream.

From forehead to jawline, every inch of her delicate oval face was exquisitely beautiful—almost to the point of radiance.

The girl’s demeanor and gaze were exceptionally pure, with a hint of ethereal beauty; yet, because her features were so strikingly beautiful, they paradoxically gave her an enigmatic allure.

One glance and it was clear, she was a breathtaking sight.

Shang Yan lazily shifted his gaze away.

A thought quickly crossed his mind.

—It seems that the child also had such snow-white skin, I wonder how their features turned out…

“…Brother Yan! I’m in love! I’m really in love—”

Next to him, Li Zhe jumped up excitedly.

“She’s so beautiful, I’ve never seen such a pretty girl in my life! I want to—”

At this point, Li Zhe finally became aware of the icy stare coming from Shu Wei.

Li Zhe: “…”

He had forgotten that Shu Wei, the school beauty, was still standing right there.

Li Zhe guiltily shifted his gaze to others.

After a brief exchange of excited glances, it was clear that everyone was thinking along the same lines—but given Shu Wei’s presence, they were all desperately trying to restrain themselves.

Li Zhe sighed regretfully and took one more reluctant glance at the table by the window.

“Let’s, let’s eat first.”

Shu Wei glared at Li Zhe, then turned to look at Shang Yan.

Seeing that Shang Yan’s expression remained calm, Shu Wei’s face finally softened slightly.

The group gradually took their seats.

However, throughout the meal, whether ordering food or making small talk, the boys couldn’t help but sneak peeks in that direction now and then.

Shu Wei looked displeased.

She had thought that, dressed to the nines, she would naturally be the star of the evening, but she hadn’t expected to be upstaged by a young girl who appeared out of nowhere.

Facing beautifully plated and delicious Western food, Shu Wei lost her appetite.

As she was brewing her own confession plan and exchanging glances with her close girlfriends, she suddenly heard a male student at the table exclaim—

“Hey! Isn’t that the school beauty from Brother Yan’s class sitting opposite that little beauty?”

“…”

This statement immediately drew the attention of everyone, willing or not.

“Damn, it really is…”

“That’s Wen Susu, the little goddess?”

“Wow, is their family’s genetics that exceptional?”

“I used to think Wen Susu was pretty, but next to this little beauty, she seems so ordinary now.”

“…”

Shu Wei clenched her knife and fork tightly.

Her expression turned cold.

Although the comment was made casually and was about Wen Susu, to her it felt as if it pointed out that she was no better than that unfamiliar girl.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. Shu Wei furrowed her brows and looked at Li Zhe, trying to signal him as she prepared to confess her feelings.

However, at that moment, Li Zhe was clearly distracted, his eyes glued to the other table.

After a moment, he suddenly turned back earnestly to Shang Yan sitting next to him—

“Brother Yan, you know Wen Susu, since we’ve bumped into her, shouldn’t we at least say hello?”

The only one at the table who was focused and wholeheartedly enjoying his lunch was Shang Yan.

Hearing Li Zhe’s words, he paused his methodical cutting of the steak and scoffed lightly.

“Familiar with her? I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Brother Yan… save your poor and helpless little brother here—”

Li Zhe was nearly in tears.

Shang Yan initially wanted to refuse, but inadvertently catching a glimpse of Shu Wei’s anxious and frustrated expression across the table, he slightly furrowed his brows.

Remembering Shu Wei’s sudden approach in the lobby earlier, he put down his knife and fork and stood up.

“Hey—Brother Yan, where are you going??” Li Zhe, who was halfway through crying, stopped abruptly.

“…” Shang Yan lazily dropped his gaze and stared at him, “Don’t want your little beauty anymore?”

Li Zhe was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly jumped up as if his seat was on fire, his face lit up with excitement—

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

Under the envious and eager gazes of the other boys, the two of them walked one after the other towards that table.

Shang Yan followed behind, walking neither fast nor slow.

Li Zhe led the way, occasionally sprinting forward in anxious bursts, only to have to wait because of the person behind him.

After observing for a few seconds, one of the boys sighed and shook his head, turning back—

“Hey, don’t you think Brother Yan is like he’s holding a dog leash?”

“Hahaha, that’s a vivid image!”

“I’d be willing to be the dog for a little beauty too.”

“…Sure, but no need, bro.”

As the group was enjoying the joke, suddenly there was a loud snap from the table.

They turned to see Shu Wei with a grim expression, having just thrown down her cutlery, surrounded by her close friends trying to console her in low voices.

The boys looked at each other and fell silent.

Wen Chengzhou hurriedly returned to the table.

With a look that was both regretful and complex, he didn’t immediately answer and instead gazed at Su Miao Miao, who had been quietly facing the window.

She turned her head slightly, her amber eyes clear and pristine.

Feeling uneasy under such a gaze, Wen Chengzhou cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Miao Miao… It seems there’s been an urgent matter, and your mother can’t make it after all.”

A moment later, Wen Susu looked at the girl across with a mix of schadenfreude and sympathy.

However, to her disappointment, upon hearing the news, Su Miao Miao only paused briefly.

A faint and almost imperceptible emotion flashed through those beautiful eyes.

Then her fine eyelashes lowered, casting a slight shadow on her porcelain-white eyelids.

“It’s okay.”

Though she had secretly hoped for it in her dreams.

Though she had woken up very early today, imagining what her mother looked like now.

Though she was willing to peel off her protective disguise for this meeting.

Though before coming here, she had practiced anxiously countless times how to start the first sentence with her….But it’s okay.

What can she expect from someone who neither likes nor cares for her?

Wen Chengzhou sighed silently, “Your mother has already contacted your grade’s headteacher. She wants you to start in Class 1 of Senior Year Two from next Monday and attend classes as usual.”

“…!”

Wen Susu suddenly looked up, about to say something, when her gaze caught sight of Wen Chengzhou behind him—

Across most of the dining hall, Li Zhe and Shang Yan were approaching, one after the other.

Remembering the girl sitting across from her, Wen Susu’s expression changed drastically.

She turned to her parents: “Let’s go back then!”

“No—”

Wen Susu thought quickly, then her eyes lit up, she whispered to Wen Chengzhou, “Dad, since Auntie suddenly can’t come… Miao Miao definitely won’t want to stay here anymore.”

Wen Chengzhou frowned upon hearing this but nodded.

“Alright, let’s go home.”

The four of them got up to leave the table.

Just after taking a few steps, they heard Li Zhe shouting from behind—

“Class beauty!”

Wen Susu hurriedly responded to Li Zhe, who was waving at her, with a rushed smile.

Before he could approach, Wen Susu lowered her voice—

“You mustn’t speak. If Shang Yan recognizes you… you’ll have a hard time at school, he’ll definitely bully you…”

Even without Wen Susu mentioning it, Su Miao Miao wouldn’t let the two recognize her, wanting to maintain peace at school.

Hearing Wen Susu’s words, she quietly nodded her head.

Wen Susu’s heart, hanging in suspense, finally relaxed.

At this moment, Li Zhe had already run up to them. Suppressing his excitement, he nervously glanced at Su Miao Miao, then turned to Wen Susu: “Are you here to eat too… What a coincidence, today is Yan’s birthday, so we came too!”

Shang Yan stopped in his tracks and scoffed upon hearing Li Zhe’s foolish words.

“Can’t you be more dignified?”

His words had barely faded when he felt the gaze of the little beauty in the red dress looking over.Shang Yan lowered his gaze.

The girl was very beautiful, especially up close.

The corners of her eyes were long and slightly upturned, and her amber eyes seemed to silhouette two lakes in the spring.

Especially now, seeming slightly surprised and bewildered when looking at someone—although her delicate and beautiful face showed little emotion, it was still enough to stir a faint itch at the heart.

The two locked eyes for a moment, causing Li Zhe and Wen Susu beside them to become a bit anxious.

Li Zhe cleared his throat forcefully twice, drawing the attention of all three, and then with a smile asked Wen Susu, “Who is this girl?”

Wen Susu looked a bit uncomfortable, “She’s my aunt’s daughter.”

“Oh…” Li Zhe turned to Su Miao Miao, “And how may I address her?”

Wen Susu instinctively stepped forward to intervene.

“Her—her throat is not well, she can’t speak.”

“…Ah?”

Li Zhe suddenly felt disappointed and muttered to himself quietly, “A mute beauty…”

Before he finished speaking, he received a kick to his behind.

“Ow—Yan, why’d you kick me…”

Shang Yan: “You deserved it.”

Realizing he had spoken his thoughts out loud in his disappointment, Li Zhe awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

“Well… since we’ve met, why not have a meal together?”

Wen Susu’s eyes lit up, then dimmed again.

“We have something else to do later, today might not be possible.”

After saying this, she turned and glanced at Su Miao Miao with annoyance, “…Let’s go.”

Su Miao Miao paused, nodded, and turned to leave.

Watching Wen Susu’s figure also disappear at the staircase, Li Zhe turned back with a look of disappointment.

Talking to himself:” *sigh* —such a beautiful girl, but a mute?”

“It would be great if she was at our school—such a delight to see every day, how lucky!”

“But if that were the case, Shu Wei’s position as the school beauty might seriously be in jeopardy…”

Li Zhe was feeling sentimental when he suddenly looked at Shang Yan strangely.

“But Yan, I think your charm seems to have diminished a bit?”

“…”

Shang Yan was casually leaning against a single-seater sofa next to him, his eyelids drooping with sleepiness. Upon hearing the comment, he lazily glanced over.

“Look, that beauty didn’t even try to get close to you, and now even Wen Susu has turned down your birthday invitation! Just yesterday, she was still eagerly asking me about the location! If it weren’t for senior Shu Wei wanting—”

He abruptly stopped speaking.

Li Zhe was stunned for a couple of seconds, then came to his senses and lightly slapped himself.

“…I thought I was imagining things.”

Shang Yan’s eyes narrowed slyly, a coolness seeping into his dark pupils.

His lips curled slightly—

“A setup?”

Li Zhe’s face fell: “…A honey trap, a honey trap, I was forced, Brother Yan.”

Shang Yan’s eyes turned cold, and he strode away.

“Hey—Brother Yan, where are you going now?”

“Back to sleep.”

Li Zhe: “…………”

When Shang Yan reached the lobby on the ground floor, he saw through the revolving door a girl with snow-white skin and a red dress bending to get into a black private car on the porch outside.

The young man’s legs paused in place until the car drove off, then he snapped back to reality.

Watching the tail lights of the car fade away, Shang Yan narrowed his eyes slightly.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the figure seemed familiar.

—

Was it just his imagination?