Chapter 86: The Game Unmasked

Xiao Moyuan’s voice, devoid of discernible emotion, merely asked, “Are you having fun?” It struck Su Mian’s ears like a sudden clap of thunder.

She instantly resembled a startled rabbit, her entire body trembling with unease.

She instinctively glanced at Wang Liang, who was still on the ground clutching his calf, grimacing in pain. Then, she quickly stammered an explanation to Xiao Moyuan:

“Brother, brother… please don’t misunderstand! I’m not familiar with this person at all! He just inexplicably latched onto me!”

Xiao Moyuan’s expression remained unchanged, yet his deep-set eyes were still fixed intently on her.

He responded with a faint, “I know.”

Of course, he knew.

From the moment this little fox stepped onto the basketball court, to Lu Yang, that big oaf, excitedly handing her water, and then to this reckless fellow bothering her—he had witnessed everything clearly from a short distance away.

He could even roughly piece together the cause and effect: it was nothing more than Lu Yang squabbling with someone and dragging her along to fill a spot.

However, knowing was one thing. Seeing her don women’s clothes for another man, play the role of an admirer in front of everyone, and even be coveted by irrelevant people…

An unspeakable surge of irritation and displeasure still festered and grew within him.

He took a small step forward, closing the already precarious distance between them. Ignoring the annoying ‘obstacle’ on the ground, he repeated his initial question, his tone calm yet imbued with invisible pressure:

“I merely asked if you’re having fun at university.”

Enveloped by his encroaching presence, Su Mian felt the surrounding air grow thin.

She dared not meet his gaze, lowering her eyes, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz:

“It’s… it’s alright…”

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze, almost tangible, swept slowly and meticulously over her entire form.

The off-white trench coat accentuated her slender, upright figure. The neckline of her light-colored dress revealed a stretch of fair, delicate neck, while the exquisite makeup on her face, combined with her current appearance, created a breathtaking beauty.

He suddenly reached out, his movements natural as he subtly adjusted her collar, which wasn’t actually disheveled. His fingertips brushed almost imperceptibly against the sensitive skin on the side of her neck.

Su Mian trembled violently, stiffening as if struck by a faint electric current.

“You’re dressed quite properly and beautifully,” Xiao Moyuan’s voice was low, carrying a hint of praise that was hard to discern as genuine. Then, his tone shifted abruptly, imbued with an obvious chill, “And you secretly came to university without telling me in advance?”

He leaned in slightly, his warm breath caressing her flushed earlobe. His voice dropped even lower, carrying a dangerous mix of temptation and interrogation:

“Could it be… you came here to meet another boy behind my back?”

This question completely shattered Su Mian’s strained nerves.

She gasped in alarm, a tremor of panic and a hint of a sob she didn’t even realize was there escaping her lips:

“No! Brother, believe me! I only like you! How could I possibly meet other boys?”

She frantically searched for an excuse, her mind a whirlwind of confusion:

“I just… I just finished up with something. The campus festival seemed lively, so I just came by to take a look… It really was just a look.”

Xiao Moyuan watched her, her eyes slightly red-rimmed from distress. Those moist eyes, framed by her delicate makeup, appeared even more pitifully charming. The displeasure in his heart was strangely soothed a little, but his expression remained impassive.

He inquired coolly, “Have you finished looking now?”

“Y-yes, I’m done…” Su Mian nodded repeatedly.

“Perfect then.”

Xiao Moyuan straightened up, his tone brooking no argument, “Come with me to eat.”

“Now?”

Su Mian instinctively resisted.

Her male attire was still at the performance club, and these clothes needed to be returned. She didn’t know what time it would be after dinner.

Moreover, she was currently flustered and weak-kneed, wishing only to disappear immediately. “I… I’m feeling a bit unwell, my legs are a bit weak… Brother, why don’t you… wait for me to recover a bit? Or maybe we could another day…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt her body lighten!

Xiao Moyuan gave her no room for discussion. He simply bent down, one arm around her shoulders and back, the other scooping under her knees, and lifted her into a perfect princess carry!

“Ah!” Su Mian let out a short gasp, her hands instinctively wrapping tightly around Xiao Moyuan’s neck to prevent herself from falling.

Her entire weight rested in his strong, firm arms. Through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel the warmth from his chest and the steady beat of his heart.

His clean, crisp cedar scent instantly enveloped her completely.

“Since your legs are weak, don’t force yourself to walk.”

Xiao Moyuan looked down at the girl in his arms, who had completely stiffened and whose earlobes were flushed crimson. He stated calmly, as if this were the most reasonable arrangement.

Then, holding her, he walked steadily towards the parking lot. Throughout, he didn’t spare another glance for the dumbfounded Wang Liang on the ground.

***

Not long after Xiao Moyuan left with Su Mian, Lu Yang, worried that Su Mian was being harassed by Wang Liang, also rushed out from the basketball court.

He had just witnessed the entire process: from Xiao Moyuan’s appearance, to Wang Liang being taken down by an unknown method, to Xiao Moyuan and Su Mian’s bewildering conversation, and finally, that jaw-dropping princess carry!

Lu Yang stood frozen in place, his mouth agape, his heart reeling from an unprecedented shock.

‘Does Xiao Moyuan know that the person he’s carrying is Su Mian???

Also, Su Mian’s repeated ‘Brother’s were so natural and sweet, and that ‘I only like you’… The amount of information is too much! Lu Yang felt his CPU was about to burn out!

‘Could these two… be dating?!’

Once this thought took root, all the previous oddities seemed to instantly make sense!

No wonder Xiao Moyuan’s attitude towards Su Mian had done a complete 180 lately!

He picked up a drunk Su Mian, tacitly allowed Su Mian to lean on him and sleep at the KTV, and even seemed to indulge Su Mian…

No wonder Su Mian’s reaction was so fierce, outright refusing, when he suggested that he and Xiao Moyuan become ‘brothers’ last time!

That’s right! If they’re dating, what kind of brothers could they be?

Lu Yang recalled the whispers of the girls Xia had brought, and at this moment, he felt they had hit upon the truth—

How could these two be rivals in love?

They were clearly a couple with intimate gestures and an ambiguous atmosphere!

Just as Lu Yang’s worldview was being violently shaken, and he stood questioning life, a calm, unruffled voice spoke beside him:

“You’re clever once again.”

Lu Yang jumped in fright, sharply turning his head to find Qin Xuan had silently appeared beside him at some point. He was pushing up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as calm as ever, as if everything before them had been within his expectations.

“Damn it, Xuan! Can you make some noise when you walk! You’ll scare someone to death!”

Lu Yang clutched his chest, still shaken. Then he eagerly grabbed Qin Xuan’s arm, lowering his voice as he urgently asked,

“You mean… you already knew they were dating?!”

Qin Xuan calmly pushed his hand away, his tone flat: “To be precise, their ‘dating’ has more or less something to do with us.”

“Something to do with us?” Lu Yang was even more bewildered. “What relationship? Why don’t I know?”

Qin Xuan reminded him: “Do you remember a while ago, when Su Mian sought your advice to pursue Shen Zhixia?”

Lu Yang frowned, trying hard to recall: “It seems… there was such a thing. What did I say back then? I said Mianzi should start with Xiao Moyuan, find a way to make Xiao Moyuan get into a relationship, so that School Belle Shen might give up…”

“Yes, the logic is sound.”

Qin Xuan nodded, then slowly delivered the crucial information:

“The problem lies in the specific execution. At that time, you asked me to give Su Mian a concrete idea.”

Lu Yang vaguely felt something was amiss: “And then? What idea did you come up with?”

Qin Xuan glanced at him, stating calmly: “I said, online dating also counts as being in a relationship.”

He didn’t continue speaking, but Lu Yang’s pupils suddenly dilated!

“Holy crap?! You mean… Mianzi… he went and online dated Xiao Moyuan?!!!”

No wonder!

No wonder Su Mian’s words and actions had become increasingly ‘sister-like’ recently… and she even learned skills like voice mimicry!

Was it all preparation for online dating Xiao Moyuan?

What kind of ‘entering the game with one’s own body’ was this, for crying out loud!

Lu Yang felt his brain was about to short-circuit: “But… if it’s online dating, what’s happening between them in reality? Is the person online dating Su Mian?”

Qin Xuan looked at him with an expression reserved for idiots: “Does online dating not require meeting in person?”

Lu Yang: “…”

He was utterly speechless.

He digested this bombshell, then asked the most crucial question:

“So… Xiao Moyuan knows that the ‘girlfriend’ he’s online dating and now dragging away is actually Su Mian herself!!”

Qin Xuan adjusted his glasses and retorted: “Does Xiao Moyuan’s recent attitude towards Su Mian look like he doesn’t know?”

Lu Yang recalled Xiao Moyuan’s indulgence and care for Su Mian, which transcended the boundaries of ordinary classmates, and even ‘love rivals’, and fell silent.

It certainly didn’t seem like he was unaware.

“Then… does Su Mian know she’s been exposed?”

Qin Xuan looked in the direction where Xiao Moyuan had disappeared with Su Mian, his tone flat yet incisive: “Given the current situation, whether she knows or not, does it still matter?”

Lu Yang was completely silent.

‘Yes, does it matter?’

Xiao Moyuan was clearly aware and accepting, perhaps even enjoying it, choosing to embrace the ‘male’ pursuit.

As for Su Mian… judging by her earlier reaction, she was probably still foolishly thinking she was disguised well, nervously acting out her role.

His emotions were incredibly complex. He truly hadn’t expected that his casual suggestion, combined with Qin Xuan’s ‘online dating’ idea, could trigger such a ridiculous chain reaction, ultimately leading his good roommate down the dramatic path of ‘infiltrating enemy territory, only to be turned and abducted by the enemy leader.’

If Su Mian really ended up with Xiao Moyuan… what about School Belle Shen Zhixia?

Wouldn’t she become a huge joke?

Her past actions towards Xiao Moyuan, and Su Mian’s pursuit of her… This complicated relationship made Lu Yang’s scalp tingle.

“Forget it, forget it! It’s beyond me!” Lu Yang shook his head vigorously, deciding to give up trying to untangle this mess.

The situation had escalated to a point completely beyond his ability to intervene.

What else could he say?

As long as Xiao Moyuan wasn’t toying with Su Mian, anything was fine.

He was quite open-minded. Whether Su Mian dated Shen Zhixia or Xiao Moyuan, she would still be his good buddy.

Although he couldn’t accept dating someone of a different ‘caliber’, as a brother, he would silently offer his blessings:

‘No matter who you are, since you’ve chosen this ‘difficult’ path, then… I wish you happiness.’

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