By the time the student council arrived, Xu Man and a few other girls were bruised and battered, their hair and clothes in disarray, with no trace of ladylike composure left.
Chen Keqiao wasn’t injured, but since the other side bore the brunt of the injuries and the blame for starting the fight didn’t fall on her, they all received disciplinary action for the brawl...
The scandal of “a college student being kept” spread like wildfire across A University, and An Ruo was anonymously reported because of it. The professor called her into the office for a harsh scolding.
Professor Zhang had always admired An Ruo for her excellent grades, often guiding her through tough academic problems. It was also thanks to his recommendation letter that she was able to start her internship early in society.
But this time, it was clear he was deeply disappointed in her!
Through rampant gossip, the incident not only spread across A University but even made headlines on social media. Fearing public pressure, the school administration held a meeting and decided to expel An Ruo!
Professor Zhang pleaded earnestly on her behalf, and An Ruo had no choice but to reveal to everyone that she was married, though she didn’t disclose Shen Xiaoxing’s name or identity.
“Since it’s all a misunderstanding, you should have cleared it up sooner!” Professor Zhang lamented her early marriage while gently advising her, “Go home for a few days to lie low. Once the storm passes a bit, bring your husband to the school to make a statement. Once netizens realize it’s a mistake, it’ll blow over.”
An Ruo bit her lip. “My husband... it’s not convenient for him to come.”
If she asked Shen Xiaoxing to come to school to clarify things, and he appeared in front of everyone in his wheelchair, a new wave of舆论 would flood the entire city of Shencheng...
At that point, she could hardly imagine how self-conscious he’d feel facing everyone’s shocked expressions.
“What’s so inconvenient? No matter how busy work is, there’s always time for a meal, right? Or is he just too ugly to show his face?”
An Ruo said nothing, just stared at him blankly.
Professor Zhang instantly understood: “So he really is hard on the eyes.”
“...” An Ruo smiled. If that man found out she was badmouthing his looks behind his back, would he strangle her?
...
The internship ended in an accident, forcing her to stop working. Now, back at school attending classes, she was framed as a kept mistress. The school ordered punishment and temporarily expelled her.
Frowning with worry, An Ruo returned to the villa. Butler Xu saw the injury on her face and asked in surprise, “Young Madam, what happened to your face?”
She touched her cheek absently, feeling the band-aid. It was a scratch from Xu Man’s nail during the fight—luckily just one, and not deep.
“Just a little scrape, it’s nothing.” She forced a smile, changed into slippers, and went upstairs to rest in the bedroom.
Exhausted, An Ruo collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling for a while. Suddenly remembering something, she got up and walked into the walk-in closet, pulling out a black tracksuit and a baseball cap from a suitcase.
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. Since An Qing wanted to destroy her like this, she wasn’t going to take it lying down. If it came to it, she’d fight fire with fire!
Under the hazy night fog, the white-walled, blue-roofed seaside villa glowed with brilliant lights, like a crystal ball from a fairy tale—mysterious and luxurious.
Han Chong pushed the man back into the villa. Butler Xu greeted them respectfully and took the coat draped over his shoulders.
Shen Xiaoxing caught sight of the girl’s shoes at the entrance and his dark eyes narrowed. “Is the young madam back?”
“She’s back,” Butler Xu replied, then recalling the expression on her face when she returned, he added, “The young madam seemed in a bad mood today—quiet and withdrawn, not saying a word.”
“Where is she?”
“Resting in the bedroom. She came down earlier to grab a bottle of wine and took it upstairs...”
Shen Xiaoxing’s eyes darkened. He had Han Chong push him upstairs, then told him to wait outside the door.
In the room, the girl lay on a rocking chair by the window, her bare white feet gently pushing against the floor, making the white fox-fur-covered chair creak as it swayed...
The man pressed the forward button on his wheelchair and glided over, noticing that half a bottle of red wine on the side table was already gone, the bedroom thick with the smell of alcohol.
His dark eyes deep, he called out in a low, cold voice, “An Ruo.”
The girl didn’t move, her eyelashes lightly closed as she slept soundly.
How much had she drunk?
“An Ruo...” Shen Xiaoxing moved closer, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair, his tone softening unconsciously. “Wake up.”
“Mm...” The girl shifted slightly, her small hand grabbing his large palm and holding it to her chest, her cheeks flushed, nuzzling it like a kitten.
Shen Xiaoxing felt the back of his hand grow hot. The girl’s warm, soft lips brushed lightly against it, sending a tingling sensation through his veins straight to his heart. It was warm, soft, like her silky hair brushing against him—an unbearable itch!
He lowered his head, gazing at her moist, cherry-like lips, the prominent lip bead glistening under the light as if coated in a slick sheen...
In his mind, a sudden image flashed of her murmuring like a cat, nestled in his arms, her watery, almond-shaped eyes hazy yet strikingly bright in the dimness.
...
An Ruo tossed and turned uncomfortably, her hand brushing against something soft and fleshy. She snapped her eyes open to find a man’s handsome face right in front of her!
The girl froze, blinking her big eyes at him.
Shen Xiaoxing raised an eyebrow slightly, his deep voice low and magnetic. “Awake?”
An Ruo nodded lightly. Only a wall lamp was on by the bed, leaving the room dark. “How did I get on the bed?”
She remembered lying on the rocking chair drinking, and because she couldn’t hold her liquor and had too many worries, she’d dozed off in a daze...
“Sleeping by the window can make you catch a cold. I carried you back to bed.”
An Ruo sat up, putting some distance between them. “Thanks.”
Even though she’d been married to him for a while and they shared the same bed every night, she still wasn’t used to being so close to a man.
Shen Xiaoxing noticed her awkwardness as she deliberately shifted away from him. His eyes darkened, but he said nothing.
After a moment, he asked, “Why were you drinking?”
Butler Xu said she was in a bad mood, but she kept whatever happened bottled up and wouldn’t tell him.
“Just had a sudden craving for a drink...” An Ruo didn’t like sharing her troubles with others—maybe because there were too few people she could confide in.
Mainly, she didn’t want him to worry. Even if he knew, what could he do?
The man gave her a deep look, a hint of disappointment in his heart, and sighed softly. “Alcohol isn’t good for you. No matter how much you crave it, you shouldn’t overdo it.”
She still wouldn’t tell him anything.
An Ruo nodded. “Mm.”
She checked her phone—it was still early. Remembering that he’d just come back not long ago, she asked, “Have you eaten?”
Shen Xiaoxing curled his lips into a sly smile. “Someone was clinging to me and wouldn’t let go. How was I supposed to eat?”
An Ruo paused, then realized the “someone” he meant was her. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Thinking about how she’d been sleeping so ungracefully, holding onto him without letting go, she felt so embarrassed she could dig a hole and crawl into it.
Suddenly, a weight landed on her head. The man reached out and gently ruffled her hair, like coaxing a child, his movements tender, his eyes brimming with affection. “Hungry? Let’s go eat.”
Her heart raced wildly, but she kept her composure and nodded.
This man was already handsome—the kind of rare, striking good looks—and now he was not only leaning in close but also stroking her head so gently. Who could resist that?