The hallway fell into an instant, deathly silence.
The girls opposite them watched this sappy scene as if they had swallowed flies. They rolled their eyes hard, took the money, and scurried away in disgrace.
In Su Ruanruan’s arms, Chu Youyu had stiffened like a piece of red-hot charcoal. Steam seemed to be rising from the top of her head, and even the tips of her ears were a deep crimson.
“Um, I… I’ll let go now.”
By now, Chu Youyu had turned as red as a boiled shrimp, a suspicious shade of pink spreading from her ears to her neck. Her beautiful eyes didn’t dare look directly at Su Ruanruan; she could only look away in a panic, her hands twisting the hem of her uniform skirt with nowhere else to go.
“Don’t… don’t get the wrong idea!”
Chu Youyu stammered, her voice jumping eight octaves in an attempt to use momentum to cover her inner shame. “This—this young lady only said that as a stopgap measure! I just saw you being bullied too miserably and didn’t want an employee from our cafe to lose face out here!”
“I know. Thank you, Boss, for helping me out.” Su Ruanruan nodded obediently. Her soft, delicate appearance—which even carried a hint of relief after surviving a disaster—made Chu Youyu feel like her frustrated punch had landed on a bale of cotton. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.
“Humph, as long as you know! Remember to deduct those 10,000 yuan from your salary!” Chu Youyu stomped her foot guiltily, her black twin-tails swinging in a sharp arc as she turned and ran toward her own classroom.
Su Ruanruan took a deep breath and sluggishly walked into the classroom of Class 2-3.
The first class was history. Just as Su Ruanruan sat down and before she could even open the heavy textbook, a neatly folded slip of paper, carrying the cold scent of cedar, landed gently on the back of her hand.
Su Ruanruan turned her head.
Sitting next to her, Saginomiya Shiori was propping her chin on one hand, looking at her from the corner of her eye.
Shiori was still excessively handsome today. Unlike the standard, orderly way most girls wore them, the top two buttons of her uniform shirt were always open, revealing her delicate and sexy collarbones. Her black suit jacket was draped loosely over her shoulders, her short hair was sharp, and her eyes held a cool, dashing edge.
But the moment Su Ruanruan looked over, a trace of hidden, humble concern quickly flickered deep within Shiori’s normally piercing eyes.
Su Ruanruan opened the note:
“Did they cause you trouble again? I have money.”
The original owner used to accept Shiori’s bottomless devotion without reservation, even taking it for granted. But the current Su Ruanruan only felt her conscience ache. She quickly picked up her pen to reply:
“It’s okay, Shiori. Youyu helped me pay back that money just now. I’ll just work at her place a few more times later to pay her back.”
After passing the note back, Su Ruanruan secretly observed Shiori’s reaction.
She saw Saginomiya Shiori’s fingers tighten around the pen when she saw the words “Youyu helped me pay.” Her fingertips turned white from the force. She pursed her thin lips, a flash of frustration in her eyes—’Damn it, that tsundere Young Lady beat me to it again.’
Soon, a second note was passed over. The handwriting was somewhat messy, permeated with a thick sense of loneliness:
“I’m sorry, Ruanruan. I wasn’t vigilant enough and failed to stay by your side the first time. I’ll wait for you at the school gate even earlier from now on. That money… I can help you pay Chu Youyu back. Can you… lean on me a bit more?”
Looking at the cautious wording on the note, a strong sense of guilt surged in Su Ruanruan’s heart. ‘What an awful scumbag I must have been in the past to treat such a wonderful, loyal knight as a toy to be summoned and dismissed at will!’
Taking advantage of the gap while the teacher was writing on the blackboard, Su Ruanruan leaned in and whispered softly, “Shiori, there’s really no need. You’re already good enough to me. I’m truly grateful.”
Because they were so close, the natural strawberry fragrance from Su Ruanruan’s body drifted directly into Shiori’s nose.
Hearing Su Ruanruan’s soft and sincere gratitude, a rare, faint blush actually surfaced on Saginomiya Shiori’s cool and dashing face. She quickly looked away, her throat moving slightly as she spoke in a voice so low only Su Ruanruan could hear:
“I… I do it willingly. As long as you need me, I’ll always be here.”
Su Ruanruan pulled back, her heart filled with a mix of emotions.
The money she owed Chu Youyu, the favors she owed Saginomiya Shiori… the situation this fragile body faced was of hellish difficulty.
Ring—
The bell for the end of class rang. Su Ruanruan slumped on her desk, staring blankly at a crooked tree outside the window.
“Sigh…”
A weak sigh escaped her lips. Her airheaded Legal Loli mother was currently working at the Gu Family’s company. She wondered what that legendary, black-bellied, and cold CEO Gu would do to her mother.
***
Meanwhile.
The top floor of the Gu Group Headquarters Building, the CEO Office.
Su Wenrou was wearing her old professional suit that had faded slightly from washing. Like a hardworking, soft, and cute hamster, she was kneeling on the soft carpet, organizing the final report.
“CEO Gu, I’ve finished organizing everything!”
Holding a stack of neatly arranged documents, Su Wenrou trotted to the large desk like she was claiming credit. Her eyes were bright, filled with a look that begged for praise.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Gu Hanyan sat in her leather swivel chair. She casually set aside the non-confidential documents—which actually hadn’t needed organizing at all—and pulled an exquisite pink ribbon gift box from under the desk, sliding it in front of Su Wenrou.
Inside the box was a top-tier Strawberry Mousse that radiated a rich milky aroma.
“Eat it. This is a reward for an outstanding employee. If you don’t eat it, I’ll have to deduct your salary.” Gu Hanyan propped her chin on her hand, her tone carrying an undeniable authority and a hint of indiscernible indulgence.
As soon as she heard “deduct salary,” Su Wenrou immediately gave in.
“Then… then I’ll eat a little bit…”
She cautiously picked up the small fork and took a small bite. The sweet and sour strawberry flavor mixed with the milky aroma exploded on her tongue. Su Wenrou narrowed her eyes in happiness. Because she ate too quickly, a bit of white cream accidentally smeared onto the corner of her lip.
Gu Hanyan’s eyes darkened slightly.
She suddenly stood up and leaned half her body over the wide desk, closing in on Su Wenrou with an overwhelming sense of pressure.
“C-CEO Gu?” Su Wenrou was startled by the sudden proximity.
“Don’t move.”
Gu Hanyan’s voice grew somewhat husky. She extended a long, fair forefinger and pressed it gently against the soft corner of Su Wenrou’s mouth.
Her fingertip tenderly scraped away the smear of white cream. Then, under Su Wenrou’s shocked and dazed gaze, Gu Hanyan naturally retracted the finger stained with cream, put it into her own mouth, and slowly licked it clean.
“Mmh… it really is sweet.” Gu Hanyan looked at her, her gaze so deep it seemed she wanted to swallow her whole.
Boom—
Su Wenrou’s face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato, and her brain completely stalled. She hurriedly put down the fork and turned to flee toward her workstation outside like a startled rabbit, her back reflecting a sense of frantic panic that only made her guilt more obvious.
Watching the petite figure flee in a panic, Gu Hanyan sat back in her chair and let out a low laugh.
Her gaze slowly shifted to the computer screen.
‘No rush…’ Gu Hanyan’s long fingers tapped gently on the desk. The soft sensation of Su Wenrou’s lips seemed to linger on her fingertip, and the corner of her mouth curled into a smile of certain victory.