Mu Yiran felt a gust of wind sweep past her face, and in the blink of an eye, she saw Shi Youxi standing in front of her.
The boy was wearing only a thin white shirt, and his faint scent wafted into Mu Yiran's nostrils, making her feel itchy.
He had broad shoulders, and his black suit trousers perfectly accentuated his waistline. With his broad shoulders and long legs, Mu Yiran looked at the back of his head and felt that Shi Youxi seemed to have grown taller again.
Seeing that he was tightly gripping the male classmate's collar, Mu Yiran frowned: "Shi Youxi, what are you doing..."
At the entrance of the concert hall, students and parents came and went, and all of them saw two teenagers confronting each other on the steps, looking as if they were about to fight.
"That's the one from the Shi family... What are they doing?"
"I don't know, is that Cheng Ran in the back? A stepmother attending her stepson's coming-of-age ceremony? That's really surreal."
"Is that Cheng Ran? She doesn't look like the picture at all. She's actually quite... pretty."
"She probably had some minor cosmetic surgery. She used to look so sharp, a completely different type from Shi Yan's ex-wife. She probably got it done to please her husband."
"Young Master was being inconsiderate, grabbing the Mo family's young master in public like that. What was he thinking? Tsk, daughter, didn't you say Shi Youxi was always very polite? How could he be like this..."
The woman was quietly criticizing Shi Youxi's behavior. The young man's face was gloomy, especially his narrow phoenix eyes, which were devoid of any warmth. He looked like a cold-blooded and ruthless murderer, not at all like the handsome and polite young master of the Shi family in the rumors.
She thought no one had heard her, but the next second she saw the woman standing behind Shi Youxi sweep her over with a sharp gaze, and they bumped right into each other.
Feeling guilty under her gaze, the woman muttered a few words under her breath but dared not say anything more.
Mo Yifan's neck was slightly flushed from the collar, but he still calmly met Shi Youxi's gaze, his eyes clearly showing provocation.
"Shi Youxi, let go first, let's talk things out." Seeing that more and more people were talking around them, Mu Yiran raised her hand to pull Shi Youxi's wrist. Because of the force, the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
But for some reason, Shi Youxi didn't listen to her and let go this time. Instead, as if possessed, he pulled tighter and tighter, and Mo Yifan's neck and face turned red and she started to pant.
"What's wrong, Shi? Even though you usually hate me, I just kindly showed your stepmother the way. Even if you don't thank me, you don't have to try to kill me..."
He didn't mutter his words, and everyone around him heard them, especially the last few words.
Mu Yiran frowned deeply. This classmate clearly knew she was Cheng Ran, so why did she pretend not to know on the way?
Now you're deliberately saying things like that.
There are only a handful of top-tier aristocratic families in the capital, and the Mo family and the Shi family happen to be among them. Although the Mo family is not as powerful as the Shi family, this is not Liguo, and the Shi family is not at the level where they can control everything. Every move they make can be used and attacked.
If this boy deliberately said that, how will outsiders view Shi Youxi? If it is maliciously amplified and Shi Youxi is labeled as a school bully, then it will be troublesome!
"Classmate, you've misunderstood. I was kidnapped a while ago, and Xiao Xi was just afraid something might happen to me again. He probably didn't even have time to see who you were," Mu Yiran quickly explained.
Everyone in this circle knows about Cheng Ran's kidnapping at Qinheyu a while ago.
Those around them made the connection and thought it was possible.
“Right, Xiao Xi!” Mu Yiran turned to look at him with a smile. She gripped Shi Youxi’s hand tightly and lightly scratched the back of his hand with her fingertips.
Shi Youxi blinked, and his pupils, which were as deep as black holes, slowly focused, revealing the woman's smiling face.
Finally, she loosened her grip and pushed Mo Yifan away.
Mo Yifan was even more surprised by Shi Youxi's reaction. Did Shi Youxi care so much about Cheng Ran?
He had never seen Shi Youxi so out of control.
Mo Yifan glanced around at the onlookers, then looked at Shi Youxi, who was ignoring him, and said, "If what Miss Cheng said is true, it's not entirely incomprehensible. But we've been deskmates for three years. Doesn't Shi recognize me? Besides, I only wanted to help her up the steps—"
"Yeah, this is school. What could a student possibly do to her? Is it really necessary to go to such lengths? If you ask me, is this kid mentally ill and prone to violence like his biological mother...?"
Mu Yiran's lips curled into a smile as she coldly addressed the woman who had spoken: "Madam, you have to take responsibility for your words. If you say another word about my Xiaoxi, the Shi family's legal team will be happy to oblige."
Upon hearing this, Shi Youxi stared intently at the woman in front of him. She was so petite, yet she always tried to shield him from view.
He blocked everything that attacked him.
Shi Youxi never cared about these comments about him; he had been surrounded by such voices since birth.
He was already used to it. Even if rumors started spreading about him having violent tendencies starting tomorrow, he didn't care. He was just sick, he was just unpredictable. He had indeed wanted to kill Mo Yifan just now, and he didn't care what others thought or said about him.
He didn't care, but Mu Yiran did.
The woman immediately fell silent. Her son, standing beside her, tugged at her sleeve. The woman was jealous because Shi Youxi always ranked first in every exam, while her own son, despite his best efforts, could only get into the top 100. She wondered why Shi Youxi was always first in the grade, despite her son's hard work.
She was so sarcastic that she spouted off without thinking, only coming to her senses after Cheng Ran confronted her.
The Shi family could easily crush her! She can't afford to offend them.
“I’m here for you, Madam,” Ai Ni said, holding two bouquets of flowers in one arm. She stepped forward and looked at Mo Yifan with neither humility nor arrogance. “I am Madam’s bodyguard. There’s no need for others to help you up the steps. If Young Master hadn’t intervened, I would have stopped you.”
Mo Yifan narrowed his eyes and sneered, "You, a mere bodyguard, dare to talk to me like that!"
"No offense intended, but my duty is to protect my wife's safety. If a strange adult male attempts to touch her body, regardless of the reason, I will not hesitate to subdue him, even if it means taking his life!"
Ai Ni stood upright with a dashing air, making people subconsciously feel that what she said was right. The crowd was drawn into her words and began to think that Shi Youxi's actions were normal. As for what Mo Yifan did to Cheng Ran, no one saw it. With Ai Ni's guidance, everyone thought that Mo Yifan had made advances towards a married woman.
After all, the young master of the Mo family has a notorious reputation for womanizing. He's only just come of age, but he's already famous in the industry for his womanizing ways. They usually remind their children not to get close to Mo Yifan, lest they be led astray.
"Well... I was just following behind Aunt Cheng, and you have no idea how sly Mo Yifan is. He kept staring at Aunt Cheng..." Lin Zhi was also in the crowd. She had just followed Cheng Ran in through the side door.
With her mother right next to her, she wasn't afraid of Mo Yifan at all, and she whispered loudly!
Upon hearing this, Lin's mother gently scolded, "You child...why didn't you say so sooner!"
Look at what those women next door said about Shi Youxi. Such an outstanding child, and he is so respectful to his elders. Lin's mother likes him very much.
"Besides, Shi Youxi doesn't usually have time to dislike him. He just loves to compare things with Shi Youxi all the time... comparing the bags she carries, the shoes she wears, copying everything about her exam scores. He's a complete copycat!"
"That's right, that's right! The president is such a nice person. She even helped me with the rehearsals before. Aunt Cheng is also very nice. After the last rehearsal, she even ordered afternoon tea for all of us!"
Ling Keng joined the group chat. He secretly glanced at Cheng Ran and sighed inwardly how lucky Shi Youxi was, with such a kind and beautiful stepmother.
She's nothing like his stepmother; she only ever gives Ling Keng the cold shoulder.
"We know exactly what kind of person someone is!"
"Alright, alright, it's all a misunderstanding. It's good that everyone is alright. Let's not delay the start of the ceremony. Let's go in and cross the gate! There are so many people, we'll have to queue!" Someone in the crowd said this.
As soon as the students entered, they pulled their parents inside, and the parents quickly accompanied their children through the gate signifying academic success.
No one cares about other people's business as important as taking pictures of their own child. In an instant, the crowd dispersed and rushed into the concert hall.
Mo Yifan's face was pale. He glanced menacingly at Shi Youxi, who was listening to Cheng Ran speak with her head down.
His gaze then shifted to Cheng Ran's beautiful face.
Didn't Cheng Ran say she likes those seventeen or eighteen-year-old young men? Why is she pretending to be the dignified and virtuous Mrs. Shi now?
If he wasn't interested in her, why would he have asked her for directions?
Looking at Cheng Ran's bright eyes, which were full of tenderness and care for Shi Youxi, Mo Yifan's lips curled into a sneer. So she thought Shi Youxi was younger and easier to seduce than him?
Ha, that bitch really knows how to do things.
If you're going to seduce Mo Yifan, you can't be interested in anyone else, especially Shi Youxi!
Mo Yifan didn't stay where he was. He turned his head, lowered his head to send a message, and a storm of rage was brewing in his heart.
He doesn't even want Bai Yuning or Chen Tingting.
It's tasteless and bland.
Since Shi Youxi cares most about Cheng Ran right now.
He was determined to get his hands on Cheng Ran!
Ai Ni watched Mo Yifan's departing figure warily, holding two bouquets of flowers in her arms, standing halfway down the road like a flower bed.
"Aini, let's go inside."
Hearing Cheng Ran call her name, Ai Ni followed closely behind the two, looking around as she walked, but inexplicably thinking to herself...
What about Guan Shiyan?
He always seems to show up whenever there's something to do and something exciting...
No! Why is she thinking about this person?
Ai Ni cursed herself for being distracted and immediately snapped back to alertness, determined not to let anyone else disturb the lady and young master!
The dressing room on the second floor of the art building was filled with several students from grades 11 and 12, some as volunteers and others from the school's publicity department.
Chen Tingting sat to the side watching Bai Yuning adjust her dress, surrounded by several female students helping her. When no one was looking, she rolled her eyes repeatedly.
It's just a lead dancer in a duet, but it's being made into a personal coming-of-age ceremony for Bai Yuning.
"Hey hey hey! When I came up here, I saw Shi Youxi and Mo Yifan fighting at the entrance of the concert hall!"
"What!"
Chen Tingting and Bai Yuning both cried out at the same time.
The girl who came in was Bai Yuning's classmate. Jia Jingwen said to Bai Yuning, "It's true, I saw it with my own eyes. I don't know why Shi Youxi was grabbing Mo Yifan so fiercely, although I didn't hear what they were saying."
"But the two of them looked like they were about to fight!"
"Is senior injured?" Bai Yuning asked anxiously.
If Shi Youxi gets injured, I won't be able to dance with her!
"No, no, nothing happened. Anyway, I think Mo Yifan left alone."
"Shi Youxi and his stepmother? It seems like his stepmother went in with him."
Cheng Ran?
She came too.
She really thinks she's Shi Youxi's mother, how shameless!
Bai Yuning scoffed inwardly, secretly thinking that she would definitely tell Bai Shengsheng about it when she visited her in the future.
"By the way, Yu Ning, did you think Shi Youxi and Mo Yifan were arguing about who would dance with you?"
Bai Yuning snapped out of her daze and quickly put on a shy expression. "Ah, maybe. I don't know. I only told my senior and he agreed. I don't know about anyone else."
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