Chapter 9: The Gift

Jing Shu Lou.

As soon as Xu Yin stepped out of the elevator, she saw Chi Huanyi.

She leaned against the metal elevator door, chewing gum, and blew a small bubble that stuck to her lips.

Seeing Xu Yin, she raised an eyebrow.

Xu Yin walked past her as if she didn’t see her, but Chi Huanyi lazily stretched out her hand, blocking her way—

“Someone wants to see you.”

Chi Huanyi’s tongue swept over the gum, chewing it again, and turned to walk towards dormitory 308.

After taking two steps and hearing no movement behind her, she realized Xu Yin hadn’t followed at all!

Chi Huanyi turned back impatiently. “Let’s go.”

Xu Yin walked towards the end of the corridor, bypassing her, and said lightly, “If you want to see me, come to 311. Before ten-thirty, I won’t wait.”

“You…!”

Chi Huanyi was rebuffed, her face flushing red with anger. “What are you so arrogant for!”

Xu Yin couldn’t be bothered to look at her and returned to her dormitory.

Behind the gauze curtain, Qi Youwei was hiccupping non-stop and smiled at her apologetically.

In less than a quarter of an hour, there was a knock on the door of room 311.

Qi Youwei opened the door in her slippers and saw Su Wan’an. She was so startled that even her hiccups stopped.

Su Wan’an moved past her and came to Xu Yin’s desk.

The moment she entered, the room was filled with the strong, sweet scent of white tea.

She stood while Xu Yin sat, flipping through an English magazine with a fossil of an archaeopteryx on the cover.

Closing the magazine, Xu Yin looked up at her. “Hello.”

Su Wan’an stared at her side profile, always feeling a sense of déjà vu.

It reminded her of a… past acquaintance.

Suppressing the inexplicable sense of disgust in her heart, Su Wan’an put on a proper smile. “Xu Yin, thank you for your help at the handover ceremony last time. Liu Hui dropped the ball at the last minute, and the etiquette team was all sent out, so we were short-staffed. I thought, since you’re a new student, you might want to experience the atmosphere of our Pu Jing High School’s activities.”

Xu Yin’s tone was calm. “I did indeed… experience it.”

“I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself. My name is Su Wan’an, from the Student Union’s publicity department.”

“I’ve long heard of your great name.”

Su Wan’an always felt that there was a hint of sarcasm in her words, but she couldn’t find any evidence, because Xu Yin was smiling at her.

It was a bit suffocating, yet she couldn’t find any fault.

“Actually, on the first night you came, Chi Huanyi and the others just wanted to play a joke on you to get closer. They just didn’t grasp the right measure.” She leaned naturally against her desk. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“How could I? I quite liked it.” Her gaze passed over Su Wan’an and swept over the sullen-faced Chi Huanyi by the door. “But are they okay after that night? I heard someone had nightmares for several nights in a row.”

Su Wan’an looked at Chi Huanyi behind her. Chi Huanyi leaned against the wall, gritting her teeth and scratching the wall as if it were Xu Yin.

Her freshly done manicure was almost filled with dust from the wall.

Su Wan’an still maintained her composure. “Gao Minglang is a good friend of mine. There will be many opportunities for us to hang out together in the future. By the way, you should be going to the birthday party at the Nan Jun villa on Saturday.”

“Mmm, I heard Duan Sili has already lent him the villa.”

The three words she suddenly mentioned made Su Wan’an instantly wary.

But those three words, which were full of taboo in the mouths of other girls, sounded so casual when she said them.

“Nan Jun is quite remote. You have to cross the city by taxi, and there will be traffic. Do you want to go with us?” Su Wan’an suggested.

“Sure.”

“I’ll call you then.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s add each other on V, so we can contact each other then. You can scan my…”

Before she could finish, Xu Yin’s phone was already turned towards her, the QR code displayed.

It was as if she had anticipated everything she was going to do.

Every step was within her calculations.

Su Wan’an’s breathing hitched.

This girl…

And Xu Yin, with one hand supporting her chin, smiled faintly, her fingertips fiddling with the pages of the magazine, making a rustling sound.

A forced smile hung on Su Wan’an’s lips. With a “beep,” she scanned the code and added her on WeChat.

Walking out of the door of room 311, Su Wan’an’s lungs were about to explode with anger, her face dark and sullen.

Chi Huanyi went up to complain with her, but Su Wan’an went straight into the door of room 308.

With a “bang,” the door was slammed shut with a deafening sound.

The motion-sensor lights on the entire floor lit up.

On Saturday afternoon, Xu Yin went to the Monet Gallery outside the school to pick up her painting.

The shop assistant carefully wrapped the 600×800 painting and couldn’t help but take a few more glances. “It’s so well-painted. It’s rare for a customer to complete such a high-quality work in such a short time.”

She looked up at Xu Yin. “You’re a professional art student, right?”

Xu Yin adjusted the wrapping cloth at the corners of the frame and replied modestly, “I just studied for a few years.”

Carrying the painting to the first floor of the mall, it was drizzling outside.

Xu Yin made a voice call to Su Wan’an, telling her that she had arrived at the appointed place.

– “You wait there, I’ll be right there.”

– “Okay.”

Xu Yin waited on a bench in the mall for about forty minutes, watching the flow of people come and go, but there was still no sign of Su Wan’an.

The rain slanted against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, line after line, like ink wash painting.

She wasn’t surprised and called Su Wan’an.

On the other end of the line, Su Wan’an said with feigned apology, – “Sorry, I went to pick up Liu Hui. There’s no more room in the car. You can take a taxi.”

Just as she hung up, Gao Minglang called. – “Yinyin, where are you?”

“I was at INN99 getting your gift, which delayed me a bit.” Xu Yin’s arm rested on the picture frame as she glanced out the window. “It’s raining outside now, and I’m afraid of getting the gift wet.”

– “INN99, huh? That’s pretty close to your brother’s Huguangyu apartment. Perfect, Master Si said he just left. I’ll have him come pick you up.”

“Is it convenient?”

– “It’s on the way, what’s not convenient?” His speaking speed quickened. “I’m hanging up now, before he gets too far!”

“Mmm.”

Xu Yin sat back down on the chair, her fingertips caressing the smooth edge of the picture frame.

Her phone screen lit up. Su Wan’an had sent her a text message—

Wan’an An: “It’s raining harder now. Did you get a taxi?”

butterfly: “I did.”

Wan’an An: “That’s good.”

Just as she put down her phone, a black Maybach stopped in the rain, waiting for a moment.

But Xu Yin stood primly by the mall entrance, not moving.

The standoff lasted for no more than a minute. Finally, the car door opened.

A man in a black suit came over with an umbrella, his voice respectful. “Miss Xu, the young master invites you to get in the car.”

“My painting, it’s going to be a bother…”

“Leave it to me.”

The driver carried the sealed picture frame with one hand, the umbrella completely tilted towards the painting, while his own shoulder got wet from the rain.

Naturally, Xu Yin also took an umbrella out of her own schoolbag and protected the painting with the driver, afraid of it getting even slightly wet.

Through the dark glass, the boy’s head lifted from his magazine, looking at the thin, slender figure in the rain.

The huge painting was dissonant and abrupt.

What the hell is this thing.

The car door opened, the painting went in first, followed by the little girl, her Mori-style dress slightly damp.

The edge of the painting was almost poking Duan Sili in the face.

Duan Sili moved aside, suppressing his dissatisfaction. “What are you doing?”

“A birthday gift for Gao Minglang.”

Xu Yin’s dense eyelashes were wet with water droplets as she carefully placed the picture frame flat. “If you hadn’t happened to pass by, I really don’t know what I would have done. The rain is too heavy. If it got wet, the oil paint would have dissolved.”

The girl’s smile was pure and innocent. “I’m really troubling you.”

Duan Sili, for a rare moment, became interested and lifted the canvas covering.

It was an oil portrait of a boy playing basketball.

The boy was completing a beautiful three-step layup, the picture frozen at the moment the basketball fell into the net.

It was clear that it was a painting of Gao Minglang.

It looked like him, yet it didn’t.

The Gao Minglang in the painting was so handsome it was as if some strange fangirl filter had been applied. Even Duan Sili couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

The surrounding team members were all rendered as blurry color blocks, becoming his backdrop. The entire painting was specially created for him alone.

If Gao Minglang saw it, he would probably die of excitement.

Xu Yin was still a little apprehensive and asked him, “What do you think of this painting? Will he like it? I was just afraid it wouldn’t look like him. I revised it more than ten times based on the game video.”

Duan Sili didn’t answer her question, only saying, “If you’re not seducing him, I’ll eat this painting.”

With a “pfft,” Xu Yin was amused by him.

A sweet dimple, fleeting.

Duan Sili’s gaze shifted back to the painting.

It was really… an eyesore.

Soon, the car entered the gate of the Nan Jun villa community. The community was built around a lake, winding and twisting.

On both sides were neatly trimmed hedges and rows of low European-style street lamps. The lake’s surface reflected the post-rain sunlight, and a few white egrets skimmed across the water.

In the distance, yachts were moored at the private docks of several lakeside villas.

“Duan Sili, is this your villa?” Xu Yin leaned against the window, looking at the scenery outside.

“Asking the obvious,” he replied lazily.

“The environment here is really nice. Those houses over there, can you fish in the yard without leaving the house?” She pointed to the villa by the lake where the lawn connected to the water. “I like fishing.”

“I can see that, but your technique isn’t very good.”

Xu Yin turned back to look at him.

Duan Sili’s elbow rested on the car window, his fingertips touching his temple, a half-smile on his face.

She didn’t answer this. “Next time, can you invite me to your house to fish? I can also cook fish. My cooking skills are very good.”

“I’m allergic to fish.”

“Is that so.” She tilted her head, her face sincere. “Besides fish, what else are you allergic to?”

“You.”

Xu Yin dodged his gaze with a hint of timidity and looked out the window.

The shower had mostly stopped. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, making the leaves translucent.

“Duan Sili, let me off here. I’ll walk over, so they don’t see me coming in your car.”

“So, you’re a coward who loves to flirt?”

“Why don’t you take a look at who’s been saying strange things all this time.” Xu Yin finally, like a rabbit, took a small bite.

Even her counterattack… was so well-behaved.

A light sneer escaped Duan Sili’s nose.

No need to rush.
The little fox’s tail will eventually be exposed.

He waved his hand, stopped the car at the intersection ahead, and Xu Yin jumped out, opening a light-colored parasol to block the sun.

After she left, the driver had been wanting to remind Duan Sili of something, but ultimately didn’t say it.

It wasn’t until the car stopped in front of the villa and Duan Sili was about to get out that he noticed the 800*600 oil portrait she had so carefully carried into the car was still in the car.

The more he looked at it, the more of an eyesore it became.

He looked back. The little girl was still walking slowly along the mountain road, not in a hurry at all.

“Young Master.”

“What are you looking at? Carry it down.”

The driver quickly came forward to help, carefully carrying the loosely wrapped oil painting out of the car.

The moment he came over, Su Wan’an and everyone present, both boys and girls, all gathered around.

Su Wan’an had specially changed into a very figure-flattering goose-yellow dress today. She was the first to walk up to him enthusiastically and greet him. “Sili, you’re here. It’s hot, isn’t it? Come in and have a cold drink. I’ve freshly squeezed some watermelon juice for you.”

“Mmm.”

Duan Sili’s gaze didn’t fall on her. He looked at Gao Minglang, who was looking around for someone, and said impatiently, “Move this cumbersome thing inside.”

It had been annoying him the whole way.

Gao Minglang trotted over. “What’s this?”

“A gift for you from someone.”

The moment “someone” was mentioned, Su Wan’an frowned sensitively.

Gao Minglang curiously opened the canvas and was stunned to see an oil portrait of himself doing a layup—

“M-Master Si, is this from you? In your eyes, I’m so handsome, dashing, sunny, and cool. I’m bursting into tears! I’m so touched, it’s so beautiful.”

Duan Sili poured cold water on him. “Do you think that’s possible?”

“Then who is this from?”

Duan Sili didn’t answer, only saying impatiently, “Do you want it or not? If not, I’m throwing it away.”

“I want it, I want it!” Gao Minglang seemed to understand who it was from and quickly took the oil painting, carrying it back to his home as if it were a treasure. “Let me be alone. I need to appreciate it properly!”

A group of people surrounded Duan Sili and walked into the villa.

The oil painting of unknown origin was quickly forgotten.

Only Su Wan’an stood there, her hands and feet cold.

It wasn’t because her phone still had the text message from Xu Yin last night saying she was going to pick up the painting, and that painting was personally delivered by Duan Sili.

It was because—

She was just like that b*tch…
The portraits she painted were so lifelike.

Like the beginning of a nightmare.