Lu Xiaobai almost spat out her mouthful of juice.
Seriously, Xingchen… do you have to be like this?
Lu Jingyuan's face darkened. "No charge."
"Oh, thank you, sir."Only then did Ruan Xingchen feel reassured enough to take the glass and sip from it.
Lu Jingyuan sat down on a small sofa nearby, leaning back slightly with his arms crossed. His long legs overlapped as he frowned at Lu Xiaobai. His deep voice carried an unmistakable authority.
"Didn't you say your senior year studies are intense, and you needed to return to school early to review?"
Lu Xiaobai clearly feared this uncle of hers. She immediately started trembling.
"U–Uncle… I came to find Ruan Xingchen… to go study… at the library together."
Hearing this, Ruan Xingchen looked at her with obvious disdain.
When you bully me, you're so confident—why are you acting like such a coward now?
Lu Jingyuan clearly didn't buy the excuse.
"Does my place look like a library to you?"
Lu Xiaobai felt like her world was collapsing. If her uncle really told her mother, she'd be in serious trouble.
Gritting her teeth, she made a bold decision—
to betray her best friend again.
"Actually, Uncle… it was Xingchen who called me last night and said she was bullied by some really creepy older guy. That's why I came today."
Ruan Xingchen was stunned.
Damn it, Lu Xiaobai! What's with that "it's all her fault" face?!
Hearing this, Lu Jingyuan's expression darkened once more.
He—Lu Jingyuan—executive president of Nanyuan Group, a young master of the prestigious Lu family, the object of admiration for countless socialites in C City…
And yet, in this girl's eyes, he was just a "creepy old man"?
His dark gaze shifted toward Ruan Xingchen. The finger resting on the armrest tapped lightly, unconsciously.
Under his gaze, Ruan Xingchen felt increasingly uneasy. She subconsciously licked her slightly dry lips, her bright eyes darting around, not daring to meet his.
Lu Jingyuan's gaze slowly fell on her lips. His throat tightened inexplicably, and that strange feeling surfaced again.
Realizing something, his pupils contracted slightly.
He actually…
Lu Xiaobai looked back and forth between the two of them.
Something about the atmosphere felt… off.
Her eyes spun, and she suddenly grabbed Ruan Xingchen.
"Uncle, it's getting late—we should head to the library now!"
Before anyone could react, she snatched the glass from Ruan Xingchen's hand, set it on the table, and dragged her out the door.
"Bye, Uncle!"
Bang!
The door slammed shut loudly.
At the same time, Lu Jingyuan let out a low breath.
The tension in his body finally eased.
After dragging Ruan Xingchen downstairs, Lu Xiaobai spoke with lingering shock.
"Is my uncle that scary?"
"Is he?!" Ruan Xingchen pouted.
"He's terrifying, okay!" Lu Xiaobai widened her eyes. "My uncle is a retired soldier. My mom said he once took down a dangerous criminal with his bare hands!"
Ruan Xingchen blinked as she imagined the scene.
That actually… sounded kind of impressive.
Seeing that she wasn't really listening, Lu Xiaobai smacked her shoulder in frustration.
"You idiot! Didn't you see the way he was looking at you just now? Like he could crush you!"
"I'm cute, pretty, and charming. Why would he want to 'crush' me?"
"…Oh."
Lu Xiaobai went expressionless, at a loss for words.
In her entire life, she had only met two people this self-confident.
One was her uncle, Lu Jingyuan.
The other was her best friend, Ruan Xingchen.
She let out a heavy sigh.
"Whatever. Just be careful. I'm going to the library. Don't forget—we have that part-time job tonight."
"Got it, got it."Ruan Xingchen waved casually.
Unlike her—someone always at the bottom of the class and seen as a troublemaker by teachers—Lu Xiaobai was a true top student, consistently ranking in the top three and adored by every teacher.
She might not care about studying, but she couldn't drag Xiaobai down with her.
After seeing her off, Ruan Xingchen returned to her room, planning to catch some more sleep.
A new part-time job had been arranged, and she needed to head out at 7 p.m.
She reached into her pocket to take out her phone and set an alarm.
Empty.
She checked another pocket.
Also empty.
A thought flashed through her mind.
She had taken her phone out earlier… could she have left it at that "creepy uncle's" place?
Not long after the two girls left, the doorbell on the twelfth floor rang again.
Lu Jingyuan, who had been about to return to his bedroom, paused.
After a moment of hesitation, he turned and walked to the door.