Chapter 14: He Actually Came

Xu Yueyao exchanged a glance with Zhang Beilu, who immediately understood and pulled Xu Yueyao to find a seat.

Wu Haolin, Fu Xiaosi’s close friend, explained what had just happened and mocked, “Do you think that girl is crazy?” His father was the chief legal officer of the Fu family, yet even he had never met Zhan Rongxuan. But Xu Yueyao actually claimed to be Zhan Rongxuan’s woman. Wu Haolin shook his head—she had to be insane.

Another friend, Xiao Beichen, looked at Xu Yueyao with a glint in his eyes and commented, “It’s not entirely impossible. Looking at her today—her face, her figure—she’s definitely top-tier.”

Wu Haolin punched him. “Come on, you think Young Master Zhan hasn’t seen beautiful women before?”

“Enough, cut it out,” Shen Yi said, looking at Fu Xiaosi. “What do you think?”

Fu Xiaosi was known for playing around but never getting emotionally involved. However, Shen Yi couldn’t help but feel a little bitter as he recalled Fu Xiaosi’s uncharacteristic reaction that night at the nightclub.

Fu Xiaosi walked up to Xu Yueyao, gently lifting her chin. She frowned, staring at him warily. What was he trying to do? Was he planning to kiss her?

“Xu Yueyao, you have quite the appetite. If you can’t handle the consequences, come to me.” Fu Xiaosi smiled at her indulgently.

Gao Yuyan was in the middle of touching up her makeup when she saw this scene. Her grip tightened on her compact, and she secretly vowed: Xu Yueyao, after today, I’ll make sure you wish you were dead.

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At lunchtime, Xu Yueyao found a quiet spot and called Zhan Feng. She had rehearsed several reasons in her mind—she had to persuade Zhan Feng to show up.

In the Empire Group office, Zhan Rongxuan was listening to Zhan Feng’s report on a gold mine deal with the Nangong family when his phone rang.

Zhan Rongxuan glanced at him impatiently. Zhan Feng quickly checked his phone and said, “It’s Miss Xu.”

Xu Yueyao? Zhan Rongxuan thought for a moment and said, “Answer it.”

Xu Yueyao anxiously picked at the peeling paint on the wall.

“Miss Xu,” Zhan Feng’s voice came through the phone.

She jumped slightly. “It’s me. I ran into a bit of trouble and need your help.”

After speaking, she lightly knocked herself on the head, scolding herself for being nervous. She needed to be bold.

“Please go on, Miss Xu.”

Taking a deep breath, she went all in. “I’m being pursued by a lot of influential male classmates and bullied by a lot of powerful female classmates at school. I need Young Master Zhan to make an appearance and intimidate them a little.”

She swallowed and continued, “Brother Feng, could you pick me up at school at 4 PM today?”

After finishing, she shut her eyes, waiting for a verdict.

A long silence followed. Her heart pounded. This wasn’t too much to ask, was it? She hadn’t done anything for Zhan Rongxuan yet, but… but she did save his life! Sure, he gave her a house and money, but… but his life was priceless! This small favor shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Zhan Feng looked at Zhan Rongxuan, who had heard everything on speakerphone. Zhan Rongxuan frowned. Why was she asking Zhan Feng instead of him? Shouldn’t she be asking him directly?

Zhan Rongxuan nodded. Zhan Feng picked up the phone again. “Alright, Miss Xu. See you at 4 PM at the school gate.”

After hanging up, he noticed Zhan Rongxuan’s displeased expression.

“Look into it,” Zhan Rongxuan ordered. Then he frowned. “She doesn’t have my number?”

Zhan Feng shook his head. “No. Very few people do. Most contact you through me.”

Zhan Rongxuan didn’t say anything else and returned to his work, signaling Zhan Feng to continue discussing the Nangong family deal.

Xu Yueyao, on the other hand, collapsed onto the ground in relief. She knew they wouldn’t abandon her! Holding her phone, she felt grateful. She vowed to serve Young Master Zhan well in the future—and while ensuring her survival, maybe she should also give him a little warning so his ending wouldn’t be too tragic.

After resting for a while, she happily skipped back to the classroom.

Not long after she left, a shadow appeared where she had been standing. An Zhiyi bit her lip. So Xu Yueyao really did know Young Master Zhan. No wonder she had changed so much—her entire aura and presence were different now. Watching Xu Yueyao’s departing figure, An Zhiyi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

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“Yueyao, you didn’t eat lunch, so I brought you some milk and bread.” Zhang Beilu handed them to her.

Gao Yuyan sneered. “Zhang Beilu, you really love meddling, huh? Do you think she can even eat right now?”

Laughter erupted around them.

Xu Yueyao unwrapped the bread and took a big bite. Hmph! Laugh all you want. Let’s see if you’re still laughing this afternoon.

After a whole day of classes, Xu Yueyao was surprised that she actually understood the lessons. It seemed that both she and the original host had some talent for studying. That was a relief—she only had a year until graduation. If she were completely clueless, this year would be miserable.

When Xu Yueyao left the classroom, no one was in a rush to go home. Everyone followed her, eager to witness the spectacle. In just a few hours, the entire school had heard about the showdown between Xu Yueyao and Gao Yuyan.

Gao Yuyan walked ahead of her, shaking her head. “Xu Yueyao, if you beg me now, I might reconsider and change your punishment. But if you have to streak across campus, do you think you’ll still have the face to live?”

Truthfully, Xu Yueyao was a bit nervous. She reassured herself—Zhan Feng had promised her. He wouldn’t stand her up, right? She pulled out her phone, ready to text him and ask if he had arrived.

Zhang Beilu was equally worried. Looking at the crowd of onlookers, she felt weak in the knees. Glancing at Xu Yueyao, her best friend, she immediately noticed her tension. Her own legs nearly gave out from the pressure.

Sitting inside the car, Zhan Feng watched the vibrant young girl walking in front of the crowd and joked, “It looks like Miss Xu is quite popular.”

“Look, that seems to be a Zhan family car!” someone in the crowd shouted.

“It does look like one.”

“Oh my god, is she really connected to Young Master Zhan?”

The crowd erupted into speculation. Gao Yuyan felt a pang of anxiety, and even Xu Yueyao’s heart pounded. Just then, she saw Zhan Feng step out of the passenger seat. Instantly relieved, she happily ran toward him.

Gao Yuyan was utterly stunned. She recognized Zhan Feng—he was one of Young Master Zhan’s closest men. Many of the wealthy heirs and political elites in the crowd also recognized him. This meant Xu Yueyao was under the Zhan family’s protection. Everyone started recalculating their strategies.

Zhan Feng opened the backseat door, bowed slightly, and gestured. “Miss Xu, please get in.”

Xu Yueyao smiled at him. “Thank you, Brother Feng.” Then she looked up—and saw Zhan Rongxuan sitting inside.

She was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

The people behind her also saw him. Dressed in an impeccable suit with an elegant tie and a sophisticated watch, every detail exuded power and taste. His noble aura, his cold yet refined demeanor—he was breathtakingly handsome.

After waiting a moment, Zhan Rongxuan turned his icy gaze toward Xu Yueyao. “Are you getting in or not?”

“Oh!” She snapped out of it and quickly got in.

As the door closed, cutting off the outside noise, the car drove away. At the intersection, Xu Yueyao spotted An Zhiyi staring into the car.

Zhan Rongxuan noticed her look and asked, “What is it?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

But in her mind, she thought—she had to keep him away from school. If he met the female lead too soon, where would that leave her? At the very least, she had to stall until graduation.