Chapter 69: A Tangled Web of Deception and a New Home

Shen Zhixia scoffed internally, finding the situation utterly ironic.

The man’s acting skills were truly masterful. Had she not witnessed him intimately feeding another woman at a high-end restaurant last night, she might have actually believed the palpable chill in his eyes stemmed solely from jealousy over her proximity to Su Mian.

The depth of her former affection was now matched only by the intensity of her current revulsion.

She ceased her attempt to remove the necklace, fixing Xiao Moyuan with a profound gaze. It was a complex look, imbued with piercing mockery and a barely perceptible hint of despair.

Ultimately, she uttered no words. Instead, she quietly withdrew her hand, redirecting her gaze to the podium as if the preceding tension had never occurred.

***

At that moment, an exceedingly strange atmosphere settled among the three, the air so thick it seemed to solidify, each breath heavy with unspoken tension.

Su Mian, among them, was the most bewildered and the most beleaguered.

To her left was Shen Zhixia’s sudden closeness and inscrutable protectiveness; to her right, Xiao Moyuan’s formidable, icy countenance.

Her mind raced, frantically trying to decipher the current situation:

Had Xiao Moyuan discovered her true identity?

Why was Shen Zhixia acting so uncharacteristically today, shunning Xiao Moyuan while drawing close to her?

Could it be… had Xiao Moyuan truly confessed the existence of ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ to Shen Zhixia?

Time crawled by in suffocating silence.

Su Mian took a deep breath, deciding to take the initiative and break the stalemate, while also subtly probing Shen Zhixia’s attitude.

Mustering her courage, she turned slightly and whispered an invitation, her voice tinged with hopeful anticipation: “Zhixia, our dorm is having a small get-together for the National Day holiday. It’s kind of a mixer. Would you like to… come with me?”

Shen Zhixia responded with virtually no hesitation, a gentle smile instantly blossoming on her face, as if she had been waiting for precisely those words: “Yes, of course I will.”

Her reply was swift and decisive, carrying an intimacy clearly intended for a specific audience.

Just then, a cold voice interjected, brooking no argument: “I’ll come too.”

Su Mian: “???”

She whirled around, staring at Xiao Moyuan beside her.

Xiao Moyuan, however, suddenly leaned in, his lips brushing Su Mian’s ear as he whispered in a voice only they could hear. His warm breath deliberately caressed her sensitive earlobe, sending a shiver of delightful numbness through her.

“You said we’d compete fairly. You forced your way into my car back then, and I didn’t refuse you, did I?”

Upon hearing this, much of Su Mian’s confusion dissipated.

Firstly, Xiao Moyuan didn’t seem to have revealed the existence of ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ to Shen Zhixia.

Secondly, he clearly hadn’t connected ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ with Su Mian, who was right beside him, either.

Thirdly, he remained intent on competing with her for Shen Zhixia in the real world.

So, what was the real reason behind Shen Zhixia’s unusual behavior today?

Xiao Moyuan was equally perplexed. Shen Zhixia’s attitude today stirred a faint unease within him.

Shen Zhixia coolly observed the overly intimate whispers between Su Mian and Xiao Moyuan, as well as Su Mian’s instantly flushed profile and softened demeanor. That peculiar feeling resurfaced in her heart.

The atmosphere between these two… seemed a little too subtle?

Yet, she couldn’t quite pinpoint what was amiss. She could only attribute it to Xiao Moyuan once again using his deceptive tactics to influence Su Mian.

However, she had no intention of exposing Xiao Moyuan’s true colors at this very moment. Her plan required a more opportune time.

****

The bell for class dismissal rang, but Shen Zhixia proactively approached Xiao Moyuan, who was preparing to leave, a hint of apology on her face.

“Moyuan, I’m sorry about today,” she said softly, her eyes conveying a perfectly calibrated sense of grievance. “I didn’t mean to upset you, it’s just… after my long-awaited date fell through yesterday, I felt a bit unhappy, and that’s why…”

Xiao Moyuan paused, his deep gaze scrutinizing her, his tone flat and unreadable: “So, you did it on purpose?” He needed to understand the true reason behind her abnormal behavior.

Shen Zhixia lowered her lashes, concealing the fleeting coldness in her eyes, her voice remaining soft: “Yes… I just wanted you to experience the feeling of disappointment too. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”

She perfectly portrayed the image of a petty young girl, sulking because her expectations had been dashed.

‘Sometimes, she truly is unfathomable,’ he thought. He didn’t dwell on it, merely stating blandly, “Hmm.”

And so, they tacitly decided to let this small disagreement pass quietly.

They walked out of the classroom side by side, seemingly reconciled, their relationship perhaps even a step closer than before.

Su Mian remained rooted to the spot, watching the two ‘chatter happily’ as they walked away, her face practically a physical manifestation of question marks.

???

So, what exactly… had she just experienced?

She had inexplicably become a tool for Shen Zhixia to ‘anger’ Xiao Moyuan, then Xiao Moyuan had declared his right to compete with her, and finally, those two had simply made up as if nothing had happened?

A surge of inexplicable frustration and grievance welled up in her heart. The small thrill that had arisen from Shen Zhixia’s unexpected closeness was instantly doused by this bucket of cold water.

After all that, was she the clown?

***

School off-campus accommodation application.

She deliberately called her mother, Lin Xiangwan, in front of the counselor.

On the other end of the line, Lin Xiangwan, upon hearing Su Mian’s intention to move out of the dorms, decisively agreed and cooperatively cited ‘family reasons’.

With her family’s consent, the counselor quickly approved the application and issued the necessary certificate.

Holding the thin piece of paper, Su Mian breathed a sigh of relief, but it was immediately followed by the practical pressure of finding a place to live.

She promptly began contacting real estate agents.

Almost simultaneously with Su Mian’s actions, Xiao Moyuan received a report from his subordinate.

“Young Master, the person you asked us to keep an eye on just completed the off-campus accommodation application and is now contacting agents to view apartments.”

Upon hearing this, the corners of Xiao Moyuan’s lips curved into a barely perceptible arc of satisfaction.

This little fox was quite self-aware. She understood that with her increasingly noticeable physical changes, she was no longer suited to living in a male dorm.

This saved him a great deal of trouble; he had been wondering how to ‘naturally’ guide her to move out.

“Through the agent, ‘recommend’ the apartment we prepared earlier to her, at the lowest possible price.”

He commanded in a deep voice, his tone exuding the calm assurance of someone in complete control.

He had originally intended to arrange an apartment next to or in the same building as his own residence for Su Mian, for closer ‘supervision,’ but unfortunately, there were no vacancies recently.

However, the apartment his subordinate found was in an excellent location with a superior environment, and not too far from his own residence, barely meeting his requirements.

“Young Master.” The subordinate acknowledged the order, then reported again, “Also, there are significant doubts about the identity of the transfer student, Xia, whom you asked us to investigate thoroughly.”

Xiao Moyuan’s eyes sharpened: “Speak.”

“We found that the name ‘Xia’ is likely fake. His records in China for the past year are almost blank, as if they were deliberately erased. Even stranger, we used some special channels but couldn’t find any trace of his life abroad before entering the country. This person… seems to have appeared out of thin air.”

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze turned completely cold: “Understood.”

After hanging up, a layer of frost settled on Xiao Moyuan’s face.

Indeed, just as he suspected, this Xia was far from simple. To hide his identity so deeply, without a single leak, his underlying purpose and identity were absolutely extraordinary.

Perhaps he was the ‘Special-Grade Bloodkin’ he had been tracking, hidden behind Shen Zhixia…

***

Meanwhile, Su Mian followed the agent to view several apartments. They were either cramped partitioned rooms with noisy environments or old, dilapidated units with outdated facilities—none of which inspired any desire to live there.

“Um… although my budget isn’t high, the conditions can’t be too bad either,” Su Mian said to the agent, a little embarrassed. “Do you have any apartments with a relatively higher safety rating?”

The agent’s eyes darted, and a warm smile immediately spread across their face:

“I actually have just such an apartment! It perfectly meets your requirements! Although it’s a new place, the landlord is desperate to rent, so the price is incredibly reasonable!”

Holding onto a hopeful mindset, Su Mian followed the agent to what appeared to be a rather high-end residential area.

The moment the apartment door opened, she froze.

This wasn’t just ‘meeting requirements’; it far exceeded all expectations!

A spacious, bright living room, a clean, modern kitchen, a separate walk-in closet, a bathroom with wet and dry areas—the decor was exquisite, and all furniture and appliances were included, even emitting a faint, fresh scent.

This setup was comparable to, if not better than, Xiao Moyuan’s apartment.

Su Mian’s first reaction was to shrink back: “The apartment is wonderful, but… it must be very expensive, right? I’m just a student, I probably can’t afford it…”

Although she carried Xiao Moyuan’s supplementary card, she subconsciously didn’t want to use that money; it would only make her feel truly ‘kept’.

The agent, however, smiled mysteriously and lowered their voice: “Miss, don’t be intimidated by appearances. This apartment… it has a slight issue, which is why the landlord is renting it out cheaply and urgently.”

“An issue?” Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, allegedly… the feng shui isn’t very good.”

“People who move in here tend to have bad luck; it’s a bit strange. That’s why the price is incredibly cheap—only two thousand a month, and no deposit! If you’re brave and don’t mind that, it’s an absolute steal!”

Two thousand? No deposit?

Su Mian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In this area, an apartment of this quality would have a market price at least five times her budget!

To live in such a place for two thousand yuan?

Forget bad feng shui; even if the agent told her there was a ghost living inside, she felt she could consider coexisting peacefully with it!

After all, being poor was far scarier than any ghost!

With hardly any hesitation, after confirming the contract terms were correct, Su Mian quickly signed the lease agreement.

Receiving the fingerprint password for the lock and standing in her own ‘little sanctuary,’ Su Mian felt much of the recent gloom dissipate.

From now on, this would be her little home!

No longer would she have to worry about being caught changing into women’s clothes in the dorm, and she could be even more uninhibited when video chatting with Xiao Moyuan at night!

She eagerly pulled out her phone, opened the 304 dorm group chat, and her fingers flew across the screen:

–Brothers! I’ve sorted out the apartment; tonight I’ll temporarily bid farewell to the warm embrace of the organization!

–To thank all of you for your care these past days, I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight! You pick the place!

–And while we’re at it, let’s properly discuss the direction for our National Day mixer.