He turned and left, deliberately slowing his movements as he closed the door. His gaze briefly met Yu Jiuyuan's, like an invisible thread gently drawing a line between them.
As soon as the door closed, Yuan Xu couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did you and Rong Shenghan do outside just now?" He was rarely so direct, and he even forgot about the petri dish in his hand, almost spilling the culture medium.
Yu Jiuyuan took a sip of ginger tea, the warmth flowing from her throat to her stomach. Looking at Yuan Xu's nervous expression, she suddenly found it amusing: "Why do you ask that?"
“When I went to find you just now, I saw Rong Shenghan standing in the snow…” Yuan Xu bit her lip, “He was smiling, and his smile was a little strange.”
That smile wasn't as gentle as usual; it was more like the satisfaction of a hunter seeing his prey fall into his net.
Yuan Xu couldn't explain it clearly, she just felt flustered.
Yu Jiuyuan put down her thermos, reached out and ruffled Yuan Xu's hair in a natural and affectionate manner: "She was probably too happy to see the aurora."
Her tone was relaxed, but her fingertips precisely caught Yuan Xu's shoulder line tensing up instantly. "Look, your strain seems to be mutating."
Yuan Xu immediately turned to look at the petri dish and exclaimed, "Oh no! The temperature isn't controlled properly!" He frantically adjusted the thermostat, his earlier doubts instantly vanishing.
Yu Jiuyuan watched his busy figure, and the smile on her lips faded slightly.
Yuan Xu's reaction was as she expected; pure-hearted people are always easier to distract.
But Rong Shenghan is different. That man is like a bottomless well; you never know what's hidden beneath the surface.
That kiss in the snow was both a test and bait. It seems the bait worked. My favorability rating of 58 is rising faster than I expected.
Suddenly, the sound of arguing came from outside the door. It was Lin Yanran's arrogant voice: "Rong Shenghan, what do you mean? Why is my name listed last on the list?"
Then came Rong Shenghan's unhurried voice: "It's arranged according to student ID number. If Secretary Lin has any objections, she can raise them with the president tomorrow."
"Don't try to intimidate me by using the president's name!" Lin Yanran's voice rose. "I just saw you and the president arguing in the snow. Don't think I don't know what you're up to..."
Yu Jiuyuan's eyes turned cold as she got up and opened the door.
In the corridor, Lin Yanran, wearing a bright blue windbreaker, stood with his arms crossed and a defiant look on his face.
Rong Shenghan stood opposite him, still smiling, clutching the list of troublemakers in his hand. Several passing members of the Astronomy Club stood at a distance, not daring to approach.
"What's all the noise about?" Yu Jiuyuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable aura.
Upon seeing her, Lin Yanran's arrogance immediately diminished, but she still stubbornly insisted, "President, Rong Shenghan deliberately put my name last!"
Rong Shenghan shrugged and handed over the list: "It's arranged according to the enrollment time. Secretary Lin only joined the student council this week, so she's indeed at the end."
The names on the list were neatly arranged, with Xie Zhecheng at the very top, followed by Yuan Xu, then Yu Jiuyuan herself, Rong Shenghan fourth, and finally Lin Yanran. There was truly no fault with it.
Lin Yanran's face flushed red and then turned pale. She probably realized that she was in the wrong, but she refused to admit defeat: "My dad said that when has the name of our Lin family ever been wronged like this!"
Looking at his spoiled state, Yu Jiuyuan suddenly remembered the pitiful 3 points of favorability on the system panel. She took a step forward, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor: "Does Director Lin feel wronged?"
Lin Yanran felt a little intimidated by her gaze and subconsciously took a half step back: "I..."
“Then you can call Uncle Lin right now,” Yu Jiuyuan’s voice was soft, but it was as sharp as an ice pick.
“Tell him you were at the Changbai Mountain observation station, and because your name was at the end of the list, you had a huge argument with the vice president.” She paused, looking at Lin Yanran’s face, which had turned deathly pale. “Or, you can choose to accept it.”
Lin Yanran's fingers gripped the zipper of her windbreaker tightly, her knuckles turning white.
If his dad knew he was being so arrogant outside, he'd definitely get a beating when he got home.
Rong Shenghan smoothed things over at the right moment: "Officer Lin is probably just tired, after all, she stood for three hours to watch the aurora tonight." He handed the list to Lin Yanran, "Go and get some rest, you have to get up early tomorrow."
Lin Yanran glared at Rong Shenghan, then looked at Yu Jiuyuan, but in the end she didn't dare to say anything more. She turned around and ran back to her dormitory.
The people in the corridor dispersed, and Rong Shenghan looked at Yu Jiuyuan, unable to hide the smile in his eyes: "The president's way of lecturing people is quite frightening."
“When dealing with certain people, harsh words are more effective than reasoning.” Yu Jiuyuan pulled the blanket tighter around her. “Lin Yanran, with her spoiled and arrogant nature, needs to be given a nudge from time to time.”
"And what about me?" Rong Shenghan suddenly took a step closer, the corridor lights casting flickering shadows on his face. "How does the president plan to 'reprimand' me?"
His breath, carrying the chill of the snowy night, brushed past her ear.
Yu Jiuyuan could smell a faint bergamot scent on him, similar to the scent on her scarf, but with a touch of cool cedar fragrance, probably from spending too much time with Xie Zhecheng at the observatory.
The system panel was flashing wildly: Rong Shenghan's favorability was 58, the "positive" emotion value had exceeded 70, and the red progress bar was almost full.
Yu Jiuyuan turned her face away, avoiding his overly intense gaze, her voice calm and even: "The vice president has performed very well and doesn't need any criticism for now." She turned and walked towards her dormitory. "I'm going to rest now. The vice president should also go to sleep early."
Rong Shenghan didn't follow; he just stood there, watching her figure disappear behind the door.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com