Friday morning carried the chill of early winter. Yu Jiuyuan sat in the car heading to the old house, her fingertips casually tracing the thin frost that had condensed on the car window.
The system panel floated in her mind, with the information of the four targets clearly arranged. Her gaze lingered briefly on Rong Shenghan's "Affection 100" column, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of her lips.
"Young Miss, the old mansion is already waiting." The driver's voice broke the silence.
Yu Jiuyuan withdrew her hand and straightened the collar of her beige cashmere coat: "I understand."
As soon as the car came to a stop outside the ornate iron gate, the butler came up to her and took her coat as he spoke in a low voice, “Master and Madam are in the study, and... the young master of the Ji family is also there.”
"Ji Nianqin?" Yu Jiuyuan raised an eyebrow, her face showing just the right amount of surprise as she pushed open the door. "Why is Brother Nianqin here too?"
The boy sitting in the living room turned around at the sound. His well-fitting dark suit accentuated his tall and straight figure. He was Ji Nianqin, who had recently enrolled at Saint Sakura Academy.
He stood up with a smile in his eyes, his tone familiar yet teasing: "Yuanyuan, haven't seen you in so long you don't recognize me? You didn't call me that when we were little."
As Yu Jiuyuan approached, she deliberately paused slightly, revealing just the right amount of embarrassment: "Those are just jokes from the elders, Nianqin-ge, don't take them seriously."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the door to the study on the second floor was slightly ajar. Knowing that her elders were listening, she took the opportunity to sit down on the single sofa next to Ji Nianqin, her voice clear and bright.
"Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me you were transferring to Saint Sakura? I was quite surprised when I saw you in the student council office last week."
She acted out her role without making a sound.
"I wanted to give you a surprise." Ji Nianqin's smile deepened. "But it seems you have more 'surprises' than I do."
He chose to acquiesce.
He glanced meaningfully at the silver chain on her wrist, a gift from Xie Zhecheng, with a subtle "Z" engraved on the clasp.
Yu Jiuyuan gently stroked the chain with her fingertips, naturally changing the subject: "The elders called us here, they're not really going to bring up that thing from when we were kids, are they?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu's parents came out of the study, followed closely by the elders of the Ji family.
Yu's mother took her daughter's hand, her tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable air: "Yuanyuan, you and Nianqin have been close since childhood. Now that he's back at Shengying School, it's only right that you two spend more time together."
“Mom,” Yu Jiuyuan frowned slightly, subtly revealing a hint of resistance, “we are all students now, and our studies should be our priority. Besides…”
She paused, then looked up and glanced at the elders present. "Shengying's classmates all know about the jokes we made when we were little. Nianqin just transferred here last week, and some classmates were already teasing me about it."
Her words, seemingly a complaint, were actually an implication that the term "engaged couple" had attracted attention, and that acknowledging it would only bring trouble to Ji Nianqin.
As expected, the elders of the Ji family hesitated. Yu's father spoke up at the right time: "The children have their own ideas. There's no need to rush this. Let them get along naturally."
A seemingly serious "discussion" quietly came to an end thanks to Yu Jiuyuan's skillful maneuvering.
When they left the old house, Ji Nianqin drove her back to the city. The atmosphere in the car was much more relaxed. He casually asked, "You seem to be very busy at school? Whenever I see you, you always have someone with you."
“The student council has a lot of things to do.” Yu Jiuyuan said calmly, gazing at the street scene flashing past the window.
"Xie Zhecheng is the president of the literary society and often has to liaise with the student union. Yuan Xu is currently working on a biology competition project and occasionally comes to ask me for the lab key. There's also Lin Yanran, who just joined the student union as a member, so I have to mentor him."
Yu Jiuyuan looked at him with innocent eyes, as if none of what happened at school had ever occurred.
He deliberately mentioned the names of several people one by one, speaking at a steady pace, making it sound like he was simply stating facts, but precisely avoiding mentioning Rong Shenghan.
This was her own selfish wish, and also a deliberate oversight.
It was already evening when I returned to my apartment near St. Sakura Academy.
As soon as Yu Jiuyuan opened the door, she was enveloped by a chilling aura.
Rong Shenghan sat on the sofa in the living room, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his aura incredibly low.
"You're back." He looked up, his gaze falling on her, his seemingly calm tone concealing a barely perceptible tension.
Yu Jiuyuan paused in changing her shoes, then smiled softly, walked over and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck: "Why didn't you turn on the light?"
The moment her fingertips touched his cheek, he grabbed her wrist and pressed it against the sofa armrest.
Rong Shenghan lowered his head, his nose almost touching her earlobe, his voice hoarse: "You went to the old house?"
"Yes, an elder in my family is looking for me." Yu Jiuyuan didn't struggle; instead, she turned her head and kissed the corner of his lips. "What's wrong? Are you sulking?"
"Ji Nianqin." Rong Shenghan's knuckles tightened slightly as he uttered the name.
“Yu Jiuyuan, you seem to have forgotten who has been sleeping in your bed for the past two months.”
His tone carried a clear possessiveness, and even a hint of barely perceptible grievance.
Yu Jiuyuan's heart stirred slightly, knowing that this was one of the few times he would reveal his true emotions.
She tilted her head back and kissed his lips, her tongue gently licking his lower lip until his breathing became erratic, then she whispered, "It was just a joke from when we were little, something the elders were playing around with."
"A joke?" Rong Shenghan raised an eyebrow, his hand sliding up her waistline. "And me? Am I a joke too?"
“You are different.” Yu Jiuyuan looked directly into his eyes, her tone earnest to the point of being almost seductive.
“Rong Shenghan, only you can live here, only you can…” She leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, “touch me.”
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