Chapter 36: The Icy Aura and a Maid’s Dilemma

My gaze, tentative and discreet, drifted to Mo Yuyan, seated beside me. A wave of exasperation washed over me—it was truly disheartening to compare myself to others when the disparity was so immense. She was simply too exceptional, a figure one could only admire from afar. ‘Oh, great one,’ I thought, half-jokingly, ‘please accept my humble bow! I shall forever gaze upon your magnificence!’

Mo Yuyan, however, remained absorbed in her phone screen. Perhaps she had overheard our conversation and found it too commonplace to warrant her attention, or perhaps she simply hadn’t noticed us at all. Whatever the reason, her eyes remained fixed on the glowing rectangle in her hands.

A sigh escaped me. It was as I suspected: being in the presence of someone on a completely different level truly exerted immense pressure. Senior Mo Yuyan’s icy aura was simply overwhelming. I recalled sensing a similar powerful presence from Mu Rong Xin Xue once, long ago, but it had only been a fleeting impression, and now I couldn’t feel it at all. It must have been a trick of memory, a distant illusion; trying to recall such ancient details was proving quite difficult.

As we neared our stop and I pulled Huang Beifeng off the bus, I couldn’t resist a backward glance. My eyes met Mo Yuyan’s precisely at that moment.

A shiver ran down my spine! In the instant our gazes locked, an inexplicable chill emanated from her, as if my very soul might freeze. Yet, within the depths of her eyes, I perceived something else entirely—a flicker of interest, perhaps?

‘Could it be?’ I questioned internally. ‘No, I must be mistaken. Why would someone as remarkable as her find a mundane person like me even remotely interesting?’ I decided it was best to simply leave. ‘Alright, let’s go, let’s just hurry up and get out of here.’

In truth, Mu Rong Luo Ye had not been mistaken. Beneath the frigid intensity of Mo Yuyan’s gaze, there was indeed a meticulously suppressed trace of curiosity. Throughout the entire school, and among all the people she had ever encountered, very few had managed to pique her interest.

****

“Why did you suddenly drag me into a run?” Huang Beifeng queried, her voice tinged with confusion as she looked at Mu Rong Luo Ye, who had abruptly started sprinting. “We’re not even in a rush; class doesn’t start for another ten minutes.”

She pondered the sudden change in him. They could have simply walked into the classroom, so why the sudden dash? Reviewing their entire journey, she found no logical reason for his behavior. Then, a single, albeit uncertain, explanation surfaced, as no other made sense: “Don’t tell me… you know Senior Mo Yuyan? Is that why you ran?”

“Knowing her is too strong a word,” I replied. “We’ve merely had a few brief encounters.”

Huang Beifeng cast a strange glance my way, clearly bewildered. If he had no connection to Senior Mo Yuyan, then why on earth was he running? Couldn’t he have simply walked? This frantic sprint was quite exhausting. “If it has nothing to do with Senior Mo Yuyan, then what are you running from?”

‘Running from what?’ I mused. ‘I don’t even know myself! It’s true, it has nothing to do with the Senior you mentioned, yet every time I see her, I just want to flee. What am I to do?’ Ultimately, I supposed it *did* have something to do with her. *Sigh*. It was simply because Senior Mo Yuyan was far too outstanding; walking alongside her felt like an immense, crushing pressure.

Still, since we were already running, and the classroom wasn’t far, we might as well keep going. And so, we became an unexpected, vibrant spectacle.

Bursting into the classroom, we flung the door open with a resounding *bang* and promptly collapsed onto our desks, utterly breathless. Truth be told, I hadn’t intended to draw any attention, but alas, it was unavoidable given the dramatic entrance we’d just made.

Observing our gasping forms, Tang Xiao Rou couldn’t help but inquire, “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine,” Huang Beifeng managed to pant out. “It’s just… Mu Rong Luo Ye, for some reason, dragged me here running. We’re a bit tired, that’s all.”

Just like Huang Beifeng before her, Tang Xiao Rou found herself slightly dumbfounded by this explanation. They had been perfectly fine moments ago, so why the sudden sprint? *Sigh*. I had no way of explaining it either, and even if I tried, they probably wouldn’t believe me. The situation itself was rather peculiar, leaving me utterly speechless and unable to defend myself.

Just as I was about to finally catch my breath, Huang Beifeng, that rascal, unexpectedly pushed her water cup into my hands. “My little maid,” she declared playfully, “fetch me some water, quickly!”

‘Huh?’ I thought, stunned. ‘Didn’t I only agree to that for yesterday? Why are you calling me that again today? There are so many people in the classroom! If anyone hears, how am I supposed to explain myself?’ Whether others had heard or not, I couldn’t say for sure, but Tang Xiao Rou definitely had. “Maid?” she echoed.

With a blend of surprise and disbelief in her eyes, Tang Xiao Rou nervously glanced at me. This only intensified her suspicion that my relationship with Huang Beifeng was far from ordinary. “She didn’t say anything!” I retorted, whirling around to glare fiercely at Huang Beifeng. That girl, her every utterance was so utterly unpredictable; it was truly too much!

“Do you not understand the situation?” I hissed, keeping my voice low. “This is school! It’s one thing to joke around like that at home, but don’t you dare shout it out here! Besides, when did I ever become your ‘little maid’?”

“Don’t forget,” Huang Beifeng chirped back, a sly grin playing on her lips, “what I have on my phone.”

“You!” I seethed, glaring daggers at her. Having leverage over me certainly made things difficult. If I meekly went to fetch the water now, Tang Xiao Rou would undoubtedly be even more convinced by what she’d just overheard. *No, no, absolutely not! Fetching water for her was out of the question.* “My dear young lady,” I pleaded, “you’re practically right next to the water dispenser. Why don’t you just get it yourself?”

“I was just teasing you,” she said, beginning to retract her hand and rise to get the water herself. But before she could, another hand suddenly reached out, taking the cup. “I’ll go.”