Gu Yizhou was jolted back to reality by Su Mianmian's slightly trembling voice. Long past the age of youthful vigor, he couldn't believe that he had almost lost control for a moment.
Releasing his grip on her hand, he noticed a red mark on her delicate wrist where he had pinched her. His eyes darkened, and he placed a black card in her hand.
"I forgot to give this to you before. This is my supplementary card. Use this to buy whatever you want."
Su Mianmian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. So that's why he suddenly pulled her aside. She had thought… Thinking of this, she felt a pang of shame and lowered her head. "I have money. My mother usually buys me everything I need. There's nothing particularly expensive."
Gu Yizhou reached out to straighten her disheveled clothes, his tone serious. "Mrs. Gu, from the day you registered our marriage, you're under my control. Don't spend Mom's money anymore." Su Mianmian: "Oh." What did he mean by "under his control"?
Was he some kind of elder to her? …Su Mianmian quietly slipped into the classroom through the back door. Just as she sat down next to Song Zhi, she unexpectedly saw a familiar face. Su Mianmian nodded to Cheng Yuli, then turned to Su Mianmian and whispered, "What's going on?"
Song Zhi sighed, leaned closer to Su Mianmian, and whispered, "Mianmian, I think Cheng Yuli is really falling for you. He actually came all this way to keep you company in class." Su Mianmian's eyes crinkled slightly. "Are you sure he came for me?" "Of course."
Song Zhi quietly slipped a carton of yogurt from under the desk. "He's gone to such lengths to woo you, always afraid you won't accept his things, so he always brings me one too."
Su Mianmian looked at the carton of yogurt in her hand, Song Zhi's favorite flavor, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Then Song Zhi muttered to herself, "It's a pity, the flower is willing, but the water is indifferent. He's destined to become just one of the countless handsome young men you've rejected." "Countless?"
Su Mianmian's lips twitched involuntarily. "Zhizhi, you're exaggerating." Song Zhi: "Exaggerated?
Ever since you became famous with your flying dance at last year's school anniversary, you've captivated countless handsome young men. If it weren't for that scumbag Tang constantly trying to get your attention and mislead everyone, the line of suitors would stretch from the south gate to the north gate!"
Song Zhi was speaking enthusiastically when a loud voice came from the podium. "The girl in the middle wearing the green sweater and with her hair in a bun, yes, you, stand up and answer this question."
Song Zhi was inexplicably called upon, reluctantly stood up, and mouthed to Su Mianmian for help. "What's the answer?"
Su Mianmian quickly covered her face with her book. "I didn't even hear the question..." Song Zhi closed her eyes in despair, about to say she didn't know, when Cheng Yuli silently opened his book and pointed to a line of text. Song Zhi's eyes lit up, and she read the answer aloud.
"Hmm, not bad, but next time you listen to my lecture, you'd better not daydream." Song Zhi sat down and secretly gave Cheng Yuli a thumbs up. "Cheng Yuli, I'm so grateful."
Cheng Yuli gave a shy smile. "Song Zhi, we're all in this together, just remember to pay back." Pay back? Song Zhi understood; he was trying to sell her out again. Why was this guy so persistent, hanging himself on Su Mianmian's tree?!
...Tang Yunzheng's pursuit was intense. For the next few days, he had someone deliver breakfast to Su Mianmian every morning. At lunchtime, he would find various excuses to "bump into" Su Mianmian in the cafeteria.
In the evenings, he would send gifts—flowers or drones—his methods were endless and incredibly ostentatious.
Now, the first thing the girls in the dormitory said when they saw Tang Yunzheng was, "Wow, Young Master Tang is here to woo me again! He's so handsome and romantic..." The second thing was, "Why hasn't Su Mianmian agreed yet? She's really mastered the art of playing hard to get!"
Song Zhi stood in the corridor with her hands on her hips, cursing. "What's all this chattering about? I can hear your sour, obnoxious voices even with the dorm doors closed. Even Sichuan opera's face-changing technique would be ashamed before you!"
She finished speaking, ripped off the small gift box hanging from the drone, opened it, glanced inside, and shouted downstairs, "Tang, you scumbag, you think you're so great just because you have money? Go ahead and send me gifts every day, I don't mind."
The girls nearby exchanged glances. "Song Zhi, who do you think you are? Why should you accept gifts from Tang Yunzheng that Su Mianmian received?"
Song Zhi scoffed. "Don't keep accusing Su Mianmian of playing hard to get. My Mianmian isn't as shallow as you guys, caring about such petty favors."
"Let me tell you, I've taken all the gifts Tang Yunzheng has sent these past few days, and I've eaten all the breakfasts he brings every day. If you have any more complaints, come find me yourself!" She slammed the door shut with a "bang!" Tan Huilin glared at her, annoyed. "Are you crazy? This isn't your home, why are you making such a fuss?" Song Zhi was already in a bad mood, glaring at Tan Huilin. "What's wrong? Are you too loud? Did you mess up your eyeliner?
You're not studying, why are you being so dramatic!" Tan Huilin had finally finished her makeup, and now that her eyeliner was crooked, she felt a surge of anger. "Song Zhi, don't go too far! You're always jumping around like this. Su Mianmian isn't worried, why are you?"
"It's normal for me to be worried. But you, what's wrong? Seeing that scumbag Tang chasing after Mianmian, you're getting anxious again?" "Who's anxious? I…" "Okay, stop arguing!"
Su Mianmian had exams coming up soon. She was listening to her listening comprehension with her headphones on when she heard Song Zhi and Tan Huilin getting louder and louder, so she quickly got out of bed. "We're all in the same dorm, let's talk this out."
Song Zhi snorted. "You can't reason with someone like that!" Tan Huilin was also annoyed, giving Su Mianmian a cold glare. "If you don't like someone, just refuse them directly. Accepting gifts while trying to climb the social ladder, you're the most despicable one."
She spoke the last part in a low voice, and Su Mianmian didn't hear it clearly, but she knew it wasn't anything nice. Her brows furrowed, and she looked directly at Tan Huilin. "How do you know I didn't refuse Tang Yunzheng? Before you understand the situation, please don't make rash comments!"
She pointed to the pile of gift boxes on the table. "Others may not know, but don't you? Although Zhizhi has brought in all the things Tang Yunzheng sent these past few days, she's kept them all safe and untouched.
She did eat breakfast, but that was because she didn't want to waste food. Besides, didn't you enjoy Cai Xuji's steamed buns more than anyone else yesterday?" Su Mianmian rarely acted so aggressively; most of the time she was kind to others. But that didn't mean she was easy to bully.
As she finished speaking, Tan Huilin's face flushed red and then paled. She grabbed her bag and ran out of the dormitory.
Song Zhi made a face at her retreating figure. "Mianmian, you're so cool! If you'd done this earlier, Tan Huilin wouldn't have dared to take advantage of you."
Su Mianmian sighed. "But we're always running into each other, and making things unpleasant affects everyone's mood." She then frowned at the pile of gift boxes on the table.
"Zhizhi, you said before that if you couldn't refuse, you should just let him be and ignore him. But he's been sending gifts for days now, and his enthusiasm hasn't waned but rather increased. Does that mean this tactic isn't working for him?"
Song Zhi was also a little confused. She had previously analyzed that Tang Yunzheng was just someone who only had a short attention span and had never experienced setbacks in relationships.
If Su Mianmian had ignored him for several days in a row, he, the young master, would have lost face and given up sooner or later. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
Tang Yunzheng, that scumbag, seems to have suddenly changed his ways. He's incredibly shameless, completely determined to win Su Mianmian over! "Let's wait a couple more days and see. If it doesn't work, we'll discuss other methods." That's all we can do.
...Su Mianmian climbed back into bed, just in time to see her phone light up. She opened it and saw a photo Gu Yizhou had sent her. In the photo, Tangtang was lazily leaning against the French windows, quietly admiring the bustling night view outside.
Before school, Su Mianmian had specifically asked Gu Yizhou to help take care of Tangtang, and she hadn't expected them to get along so well.
A smile played on Su Mianmian's lips as she zoomed in on the photo. In the French windows, Gu Yizhou's shadow was faintly visible. He sat on the sofa, his long legs slightly stretched out, one hand holding a phone pointed at Tangtang, the other a glass of red wine. A touch of languid elegance lingered in his expression.
Su Mianmian suddenly remembered the ambiguous, entangled scene with Gu Yizhou after drinking that night, and her face involuntarily flushed. As she was cooling her cheeks with the back of her hand, Gu Yizhou sent her a second message. "Guess what Tangtang is thinking right now?"
Su Mianmian thought for a moment, then tapped her phone screen a few times. "Probably thinking, 'The night is so beautiful tonight. It would be even better if I could have some dried fish.'" She added a self-made Tangtang shy face emoji.
"Probably, but maybe she's also thinking... 'Thinking of you…'"