An Ruo glanced at him but said nothing, pulling the key from her pocket to unlock the door.
The man squeezed in right behind her, afraid the girl might turn on him and shut him out.
An Ruo walked over to the sofa area and sat down, lifting her hand to pat the spot beside her. "Come here."
Shen Xiaoxing immediately obeyed, walking over and sitting next to the girl. An Ruo opened the iodine to disinfect his wound, but this seating position made it awkward to apply the medicine.
Just as An Ruo was about to kneel in front of him, the man stood up first and sat on the coffee table across from her, tilting his chin slightly to signal her to continue.
The scrape on his cheekbone had already started to scab. An Ruo carefully applied the ointment and then covered it with sterile gauze.
"All done."
"That fast?" The man raised an eyebrow in disbelief, leaning his handsome face toward her to nuzzle. "Take another look, I'm sure there's still a wound."
An Ruo leaned back slightly, pushing his head away. "There isn't!"
The man mimicked her by lightly pursing his lips. "Just take another look."
If this had been before, An Ruo would have fallen for it, but now she kept her face expressionless, directly shoving his handsome face aside and standing up to head to her room.
"If you want to stay, behave yourself." The girl shut the door without mercy.
Shen Xiaoxing rested his hands on his knees, staring at the closed door, and let out a soft sigh.
...
The next day, An Ruo coldly kicked the man out. Throughout the morning lectures, she kept zoning out, her mind full of him lying beside her last night, begging for her forgiveness.
Chen Keqiao turned around, saw her dazed expression, and came over to nudge her with an elbow. "Hey, what are you thinking about so intently?"
"Nothing."
Chen Keqiao, sucking on a lollipop, suddenly squinted and leaned in. "Are you thinking about that handsome guy in the Audi?"
An Ruo glanced at her and quickened her pace. "No."
"Why are you panicking?" Chen Keqiao caught up, chattering nonstop. "Honestly, are you really into him?"
"..."
"You already have Young Master Shen, so why not introduce this guy to me? I promise I'll treat him well and never let him suffer a bit."
An Ruo: "..."
She pressed her lips together, about to say something, when her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.
She pulled it out and saw it was Zhou Mingyue's private number.
Without hiding it from Chen Keqiao, An Ruo hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
The voice on the other end was still condescending. "You're really a busybody. Why did it take so long to pick up?"
"I was in class..."
"Any classes this afternoon?"
"One class."
"I'll have someone get you excused. The driver will pick you up from school later."
Again?
An Ruo remembered going to the bar with her that day, getting drunk, and nearly making a huge mistake, which earned her a harsh scolding from Shen Xiaoxing.
She swallowed a sip of water. Even though they were in a cold war and she could challenge him, going to a bar like that was out of the question.
"I have plans tonight."
"I have a major banquet tonight. I'll take you to broaden your horizons. Don't embarrass me."
"I..." An Ruo opened her mouth to refuse, but the line went dead.
"Who's that, with such a big attitude?" Chen Keqiao leaned in to listen. It was clearly a woman. If it had been a man ordering her best friend around like that, she would have grabbed the phone and cursed him out!
"Zhou Mingyue."
Chen Keqiao covered her mouth, incredulous. "That Miss Zhou, the pearl of Shencheng?"
"Yeah."
"Impressive. You even know her. I've heard that princess-level Zhou Mingyue has quite the temper. Plenty of people want to suck up to her but aren't even qualified."
An Ruo gave a bitter smile. "Do you think knowing her is something to be proud of?"
Setting aside Zhou Mingyue's bossy attitude, she was decent to people, but her lifestyle was completely different from An Ruo's. They didn't run in the same circles.
After leaving Lanzhen, An Ruo had returned to a normal life and didn't want to be dragged around by Zhou Mingyue, especially since this spoiled little princess loved high-end entertainment venues.
That made An Ruo, always the good girl, hate those noisy places.
"Look on the bright side. If you can get on her good side, you could walk sideways in Shencheng without anyone daring to say a word." Chen Keqiao paused. "But then again, you're now the young mistress of the Shen family. Even without clinging to her, you can still walk sideways. After all, your husband is also a big shot!"
An Ruo sighed heavily.
As she and Chen Keqiao linked arms and stepped out of the school gate, a silver Bentley limousine pulled up to the curb. The driver, in a black suit and white gloves, was the epitome of elegance. This was an elite academy full of wealthy kids, so luxury cars were common. Still, a limousine stopping like that inevitably drew a few glances.
The impeccably dressed Zhou family driver recognized An Ruo. Seeing her come out, he immediately walked over. "Miss An, our young lady invites you to join the Ji family banquet. She sent me to pick you up. Please."
Chen Keqiao, drooling at the sight of the majestic limousine, shook An Ruo's arm and whispered, "Go, go. It'll be good to broaden your horizons."
"Do you want to go?"
"Me?" Chen Keqiao shook her head. "Forget it. They didn't invite me. Besides, didn't you hear? The Ji family banquet isn't for just any small fry."
An Ruo thought that was true.
After all, she was only attending on Zhou Mingyue's coattails. Following behind her already made her feel like a maid. If she brought Chen Keqiao along, would they end up as a pair of maids looked down on?
Chen Keqiao patted her shoulder. "Go check it out. Have some fun."
An Ruo pressed her lips together, nodded at her, and followed the bodyguard into the Bentley limousine.
At school, An Ruo was the student-elected campus beauty. Many people knew her, and her photos on the forum and bulletin board had earned her the title of national goddess. Now, seeing her get into a luxury car, quite a few people whispered among themselves, and some even took photos with their phones, threatening to stir up another wave of baseless scandals.
Chen Keqiao pointed at them. "What are you taking pictures of? And you, stop it. I'm talking to you, four-eyes. You're always causing trouble!"
...
The Ji family estate was ablaze with lights. The grand castle, backed by a mountain, was festively decorated and buzzing with activity.
It was Old Master Ji's eightieth birthday banquet. The courtyard was packed with luxury cars, and the scene was a gathering of stars. All the dignitaries and prominent families of Shencheng had come to offer their congratulations.
Huo Jinyan, in a sharp dark suit, bowed gracefully to the elderly man in a traditional Chinese tunic suit. His attendant handed over the birthday gift.
"Grandfather Ji, on behalf of my father, I congratulate you on your birthday. May your happiness be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your life as long as the Southern Mountain. This is a modest gift, please accept it."
White-haired Old Master Ji, leaning on his cane, stroked his beard and laughed heartily after hearing this. "Send my regards to your father."
The Huo and Ji families had been on good terms in recent years, and Huo Jinyan was here today to offer birthday wishes on his father's behalf.
Another noble family came to pay respects, and Old Master Ji smiled as he went to greet them. Huo Jinyan, having completed his task, turned and slipped into the crowd to hunt for some fun.
A Bentley limousine drove into the Ji family estate.
The driver opened the door, and Zhou Mingyue, in an extravagant evening gown, stepped out in high heels.