Chapter 111

Chen Mian walked on Xu Yanfeng's right, sizing up his face; his gaze slid from eyebrows and eyes to nose, then to mouth, finally settling on his mouth.

Time passed second by second; Chen Mian keenly noticed a slight twitch at the right corner of this person's mouth, which he was desperately suppressing, pressing his lips tightly together, causing his facial muscles to tense slightly, unlike his usual relaxed slight pursing.

This person really has a dead duck's stubborn mouth; clearly he's affected, yet he repeatedly insists he has nothing to do with junior Xia Xi, acting as if he doesn't care at all.

Chen Mian thought it was funny and actually laughed; he had suffered several losses at Xu Yanfeng's hands before, and finally seized the chance—no matter what, he had to regain face.

He gave Xu Yanfeng no face, bluntly exposing his feigned indifference: "Cut the act, bro—your mouth corner is harder to press down than an AK; you must be laughing your face off inside."

Xu Yanfeng's long lashes fluttered, his thin lips pressed even tighter, and he slowly shifted his gaze to Chen Mian's face. He didn't speak, but his expression at that moment conveyed four words: "Who are you talking about?"

This was the first time Chen Mian understood Xu Yanfeng's expression; he had a soy milk straw in his mouth and mumbled eight words indistinctly.

Xu Yanfeng frowned: "Can't you speak human language?"

Chen Mian shook his head and bobbed his body, translating the eight words he had just hummed: "Whoever fits the description, that's who I mean."

Xu Yanfeng wanted to retort but couldn't think of a rebuttal right away, losing the exchange and indirectly boosting Chen Mian's arrogance; he adopted a particularly annoying sarcastic tone and said: "I just said my brother's mouth corner is harder to press down than an AK—why did Old Fang and Old Yu show no reaction, while only Xu turned to look at me? Could it be because Old Fang and Old Yu aren't my brothers? That definitely isn't the reason."

Xu Yanfeng grew angry, a faint throbbing at his temples, his tone icy with warning: "Chen Mian, are you crazy?"

Chen Mian nodded openly, admitting: "These days, what normal college student isn't a nutcase? Hehe."

Xu Yanfeng had nothing to say to someone shameless; he strode forward with long steps, putting distance between them to avoid catching the idiot's aura.

Fang Huaiyuan and Yu Tingbo had just listened to a one-sided verbal barrage; they looked at the victor Chen Mian with admiring eyes: "You beat Xu Yanfeng? You actually beat Xu Yanfeng? Did he run away after you said that?"

Chen Mian spread his arms, striking the victorious pose: "Remember, from now on I'm the boss of 503."

Fang Huaiyuan punctured his fantasy of becoming dorm boss with one sentence: "You've only won once, what's there to gloat about? Before, you were always silenced by Xu Yanfeng's retorts and ended up apologizing meekly."

Chen Mian wished he could shove a fried dough stick in his mouth: "Can't we not ruin this happy moment? A hero doesn't bring up past shame, okay?"

The three of them, with their backs to Xu Yanfeng, chatted freely about his little secrets; upon reaching the classroom door, they naturally quieted down and walked in orderly fashion.

Xu Yanfeng sat in the fifth row, aisle side, with a few books on his blue desk, holding a black gel pen and scribbling. They didn't dare trouble the Young Master to get up and give them a seat, so they walked half a circle around the classroom and took the three empty seats beside him from the other side.

This class was jointly taught by two sections; a few male students from the other class sat in the front row, having studied together for years and being able to call each other by name.

They brought up Xia Xi, which Chen Mian overheard; he glanced sideways at Xu Yanfeng, couldn't help laughing, but feared angering the Young Master, so he covered his mouth and chuckled secretly.

He could avoid mentioning Xia Xi in front of Xu Yanfeng, but as long as she was at this school, someone would always bring her up.

A figure who naturally brings topics of conversation—being talked about is nothing unusual.

"Who did you hear say Xia Xi was reported?"

"What was she reported for?"

"It seems because she pursued Xu Yanfeng, her confession at Nan Guangchang blew up, upsetting some people, so someone wrote a report to the principal claiming she disrupted school order and corrupted campus morals. Xia Xi's class counselor was walking toward the school gate yesterday morning, making a call, asking the person on the other end to handle this; a buddy of mine happened to pass by, overheard it—absolutely true, I stake my life on it! Xia Xi's class counselor is easy to recognize—it's Old Song, the bald one."

"Who's so heartless! What's there to report about this? I feel for my goddess—she won't get punished, will she?"

"I also think it's making a mountain out of a molehill, unnecessary. As for whether Xia Xi has been punished, that's unclear. I heard Old Song was frantic on the phone, sweat pouring down his forehead; I guess this time it's enough to make her drink a pot."

Xu Yanfeng listened to their words, the motion of his pen slowing, and an image of his recent encounter with Xia Xi on the road automatically surfaced in his mind. She looked fine, chatting and laughing with her roommate, even chasing and playing around—not like someone low-spirited after punishment; presumably nothing's wrong.

But it's hard to say for sure; some people who seem carefree on the surface might actually be enduring a blizzard inside…

When he reached this point, his heart jolted, he actually shivered and broke out in a cold sweat. Why was he thinking of Xia Xi? Why worry she'd be punished? Why assume she was putting on a brave face?

Three "whys" in a row, and he had no answers.

Xu Yanfeng felt he was being utterly unreasonable.

"If we're talking about pitiful, Xia Xi is the pitiful one—just chasing a guy, why deserve this? She's got a bad cold and been reported." Chen Mian again took a roundabout jab at someone, dragging others along: "You agree, right? Old Fang, Old Yu."

Fang Huaiyuan lowered his voice: "Stop nagging, the teacher's here."

Chen Mian fell silent, sat up straight, and didn't notice as he sat upright, gazing at the teacher entering through the front door; Xu Yanfeng picked up the phone flipped upside down on the desk, silently placed it beneath the desk, edited a message with one hand, and sent it.

In another classroom of the same teaching building, Xia Xi's phone vibrated once.

The teacher had just arrived, still fiddling with the projector on the podium; Xia Xi seized the moment to light her phone screen and glance— a message had been posted in the External Relations Department group, tagging all members, notifying everyone to meet in the conference room at 6:40 p. m.

Other group members were replying "Received"; Xia Xi tapped twice with her fingertip, then added a "1" after.

After the last afternoon class ended, Xi said goodbye to her roommate and headed alone to the meeting room.

Few people had come; she didn't push forward, just grabbed a random seat and sat down.

Her throat itched; Xia Xi covered her mouth and coughed, but got no relief—instead it grew worse, she couldn't stop for half a minute, feeling like her lungs would explode. She coughed while pulling a thermos from her bag, gulped a big mouthful of hot water, scalding her throat painfully, which finally eased the coughing.

"Oh, you've caught a cold." Zhou Xiaoyu passed behind Xia Xi, as if they were close, placed a hand on her shoulder, bent slightly, and asked, "Are you okay? Why are you coughing so scary?"

Xia Xi shrugged and shook off her hand.

Since that sponsorship incident, they'd completely torn faces; around Xia Xi, there's no need for pleasantries with those she doesn't click with—unlike Zhou Xiaoyu, who wears a concerned smile while likely cursing her in her heart.

"Someone lovelorn certainly looks worse than before." Zhou Xiaoyu slid into the empty seat beside her, opened her notebook for notes, not looking at Xia Xi, but every word was aimed at her: "That night I had something come up and didn't go to the scene; reportedly, Senior Xu didn't even show up, you stood out in the cold for hours and slunk back to the dorm."

Xia Xi, still unwell, had no mind to argue with her; she swept a glance over her face—that trash‑looking stare was enough to sting.

Under Xia Xi's gaze, Zhou Xiaoyu couldn't force a smile; she dropped the pretentious façade and launched a frontal attack: "Xia Xi, what are you putting on? You've lost all face. Still the campus belle of Nan Da? You probably don't know how everyone's laughing behind your back, calling you a cheap…"

The conference room fell silent all of a sudden; Zhou Xiaoyu realized something was wrong, her words cut off abruptly, she turned her head and saw Xu Yanfeng walking in with a cold, stern expression, his backpack in hand, even the sharp hem of his windcoat looking so unapproachable.