Chapter 72: A Daring Gift

Not long after Xiao Moyuan left, Su Mian was still immersed in the complex emotions of having escaped danger when Lu Yang’s characteristic loud voice rang out behind her.

“Mianzi! Wait up!”

Lu Yang caught up in a few large strides, his face etched with worry and barely contained curiosity.

“What exactly happened yesterday?”

“Did Xiao Moyuan really take you home?”

“He actually came to pick you up personally? When did your relationship get so good?”

Three questions in a row left Su Mian flustered.

Su Mian nodded, guiltily avoiding his scrutinizing gaze as she vaguely replied, “Mm… he took me home.”

“No, when did you two get so close?”

Lu Yang scratched his head, looking utterly bewildered. “Isn’t he your love rival? I remember you two had quite a few conflicts before, didn’t you?”

Su Mian was speechless.

She couldn’t possibly tell Lu Yang that she had only forced Xiao Moyuan to come by using the shocking ‘threat’ of, ‘We’ve slept together,’ could she?

She quickly searched her mind for a plausible explanation, finally resorting to the excuse of her previous hospitalization.

“Actually… after I was hospitalized that time, he later treated me to a meal. It was… a reconciliation, I guess.”

She said this without much conviction herself.

Lu Yang was even more confused. “Reconciliation? So, what’s your relationship now? Are you… are you not going to pursue Campus Belle Shen anymore?”

He clearly remembered Su Mian’s persistence in chasing Shen Zhixia.

Su Mian pursed her lips, trying to make her words sound more convincing. “He and I are now… in a fair competition, I suppose.”

She paused, then added, “And, for the National Day mixer, Zhixia agreed to come with me.”

“Alright, Mianzi!”

Lu Yang’s eyes lit up instantly. “Progress! You actually managed to get Campus Belle Shen to come!”

She said meekly, “She… said she wanted to go to the haunted house.”

Su Mian whispered.

“A haunted house is great!”

Lu Yang slapped his thigh, revealing a ‘knowing’ smile that only bros shared. “The guys and I will definitely find an opportunity then. Girls are all scared of those things, so we’ll help create a chance for you and Campus Belle Shen to be alone. We *must* make it happen!”

A hint of a smile had just appeared on Su Mian’s face, but it quickly faded as she murmured, “But… Xiao Moyuan will also be there.”

Lu Yang’s smile instantly froze. His eyes widened, and he stared at Su Mian as if she were an idiot.

“No… Mianzi, is your brain squashed?”

“Who invites their love rival, and then eagerly creates opportunities for them?”

Su Mian lowered her head, her voice faint but with a strange persistence. “I… I used to shamelessly pester him for Zhixia, and he… he didn’t reject me.”

“Actually… he’s quite a good person. So, I want to be… fair.”

“This isn’t fairness, you’re just clueless!”

Lu Yang sighed helplessly, looking utterly exasperated. “Forget it, forget it, I give up on you. We’ll see then; we’ll try our best to find a way to distract Xiao Moyuan and reduce his interaction with Campus Belle Shen.”

Su Mian looked up, a genuinely grateful smile gracing her lips. “Thank you, Boss Lu!”

Lu Yang involuntarily paused, looking at her smile.

Even though her thick bangs and unfashionable black-rimmed glasses almost obscured half of Su Mian’s face, this smile was unusually clear and sweet, carrying an unconscious softness.

He suddenly felt that his buddy had been displaying a growing, indescribable ‘feminine charm’ lately.

He shook his head, casting aside the strange thought, and waved his hand. “What’s there to thank? We’re brothers! Besides, you just treated us to a meal yesterday. Didn’t you always clamor for us to split the bill before?”

“Finding a new place is a housewarming celebration, so treating you is only right.”

Su Mian’s mood lightened somewhat, and she even joked, “When you get a girlfriend someday, Boss Lu, you’ll have to treat me to a meal too.”

***

However, upon returning to her new apartment alone, the forced ease Su Mian had displayed quickly dissipated, replaced by an indescribable vexation and unease.

In the empty room, it was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

Xiao Moyuan and Shen Zhixia’s seemingly natural interactions in the classroom earlier that day replayed repeatedly in her mind.

After the inexplicable events of yesterday, Xiao Moyuan and Shen Zhixia’s relationship also seemed to have made significant progress.

Thinking of this, Su Mian felt a blockage in her heart.

Not only that, but deep within her heart, a bitter emotion, which she herself didn’t want to delve into, was quietly spreading.

Every time this feeling emerged, her rationality would quickly crumble, replaced by an urgent impulse to attract Xiao Moyuan’s attention.

It was as if only by using the ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ persona to tease and entice Xiao Moyuan could she barely suppress this inexplicable panic and bitterness.

Su Mian’s gaze fell upon the JK uniform in her wardrobe and the dress she had worn the last time she met Xiao Moyuan.

‘I can’t possibly keep wearing just these two outfits, can I? The new clothes Xiao Moyuan bought for me are also in his room…’

She muttered to herself, as if trying to convince herself, ‘I need… something new.’

She almost petulantly picked up her phone, opened a shopping app, and began searching for so-called ‘man-slaying gear.’

Her finger slid aimlessly across the screen until a pink slip dress caught her eye.

Her movements froze.

It was an extremely daring dress.

The two thin shoulder straps looked as if they would snap with a tug, the back was almost completely open, and the hemline was surprisingly short.

The model photos on the product details page were even more provocative; to be honest, it was somewhat similar to a certain ‘QQ’ style…

Su Mian’s face instantly flushed crimson, and her heart rate suddenly accelerated. This dress… was too much!

But… a seductive voice whispered in her heart, ‘This, at first glance, is a style that can instantly grab a man’s attention and make him unable to look away.’

Driven by a combination of shame and a certain ‘what-the-hell’ impulse, her fingertips trembled slightly, but she still clicked ‘buy.’

***

The express delivery was unexpectedly fast, arriving two days later.

Holding the flimsy package, Su Mian felt as if she were cradling a hot potato. She locked her door, drew the curtains, and slowly unwrapped the packaging.

When the dress was fully revealed, Su Mian was still shocked by its ‘reality.’

It was even more… revealing than it had appeared in the pictures.

The fabric was pitifully scarce, smooth and cool to the touch, and the alluring pink stood out strikingly against her pale fingertips.

She took a deep breath, then went to take a bath, a hint of unnoticed anticipation stirring within her. Slowly, she put on the dress.

Standing before the full-length mirror, Su Mian almost dared not look up.

The figure in the mirror was unfamiliar and alluring.

The two thin shoulder straps outlined her distinct collarbones, the deep V-neckline boldly exposed the curves of her chest, and the faintly visible lace only added to the temptation.

The hemline barely covered her upper thighs, completely showcasing a pair of straight, slender legs. The ice-silk fabric clung to her body’s curves, accentuating a waist that could be spanned with one hand and subtly rising hip lines.

Her cheeks burned fiercely, even her earlobes and neck were tinged with crimson.

This… it was truly too ‘cool.’

A mixture of extreme shame and secret excitement surged within her. She knew that her current appearance was enough to make any man’s blood boil.

And right now, she only wanted one person to see it.

Impulse triumphed over reason. She switched to her ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ account and opened the chat window with ‘Yuan.’

Her fingertips trembled slightly from nervousness and a strange anticipation.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege~ What are you doing? I just finished showering, and I smell so good~ (Kitten rolling around)]

After sending the message, she nervously stared at the screen, her heart pounding.

She barely had to wait long before her phone lit up.

[Yuan: Just finished handling some matters. What, you miss me?]

His reply carried his usual composure, with even a hint of subtle teasing.

Su Mian pursed her lips and continued typing, trying her best to play the part of the bold, seductive little temptress.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Yes, yes, I miss Gege so much! (Pouting sadly)]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege doesn’t want to see me? Today… I feel especially different~]

She deliberately left an ambiguous hook.

[Yuan: How different?]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Hmm… I just changed into a new little dress I bought~ I feel… a bit too shy, I don’t even dare to look in the mirror (blushing face)]

She played hard to get, trying to pique his curiosity to the maximum.

This time, Xiao Moyuan’s reply was a few seconds slower.

[Yuan: Mm, let me see.]

Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat. This was the phrase she had been waiting for.

She didn’t agree immediately, but continued to tease.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Gege is so naughty~ You just want to see me shy! (Pinching your chest)]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Then… Gege, promise me first, don’t laugh at me! And don’t… screenshot it!]

[Yuan: Okay.]

Upon receiving his assurance, Su Mian took a few deep breaths before her trembling fingers tapped the video call invitation.

The ringtone only sounded once before it was answered.

Xiao Moyuan’s figure appeared on the phone screen.

He seemed to be in his study, with a wall-to-wall bookshelf behind him. The lighting accentuated the deep contours of his chiseled profile.

He wore simple dark loungewear, his collar slightly open, exuding a relaxed laziness. His gaze, piercing through the screen, landed precisely on her.

Su Mian instinctively held the phone further away, ensuring the camera captured her full body, yet she dared not meet his eyes on the screen—eyes that seemed to see through everything.

To be honest, making the video call was still nerve-wracking.

Her cheeks were flushed, her gaze darted away, and her voice became even softer due to nervousness: “Gege, Gege.”

On the other end of the screen, Xiao Moyuan’s gaze fixated on her.

The ‘girl’ in the camera wore an almost alluring pink slip minidress.

The extremely thin shoulder straps looked as if they might slip from her smooth shoulders at any moment. The deep V-neckline boldly displayed the full curves of her chest, with skin faintly visible beneath the lace trim, adding to the allure.

The hemline barely covered her crucial areas, revealing a pair of long, straight, dazzlingly white legs.

Xiao Moyuan’s eyes instantly darkened, like an unfathomable cold abyss.

His fingers, clutching the phone, tightened imperceptibly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

His Adam’s apple bobbed gently, but the expression on his face was perfectly controlled; apart from his gaze being more profound and somber than usual, not much ripple was visible.

‘This is what you meant by… a new dress?’

His voice came through the earpiece, a few shades deeper and huskier than usual, carrying a restrained calmness.

“Mm…”

Su Mian was so shy she could barely lift her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Is… is it… too strange?”

She nervously tugged at the overly short hemline, a movement that only further accentuated the curve of her chest.

Xiao Moyuan did not immediately reply. His gaze, as if tangible, slowly swept over her entire body, from her flushed cheeks to her slender neck, then to the suggestive neckline, the waist that could be spanned with one hand, and her long, uncertain legs.

After nearly ten seconds of silence, just as Su Mian was on the verge of breaking under this wordless scrutiny, he finally spoke slowly, his tone devoid of obvious emotion: “Not bad.”

Just two simple words, but Su Mian’s heart gave a sudden leap.

“It suits you very well,” he added, his gaze still firmly locked on her.

Xiao Moyuan thought seriously for a moment, instantly guessing the reason why Su Mian had called him today, dressed so revealingly.

His interactions with Shen Zhixia had indeed been a bit frequent these past two days. Was this jealousy, a fear that Shen Zhixia would be seduced by him, prompting her to display herself so aggressively?

As for why he had interacted more with Shen Zhixia:

Firstly, it was to stabilize Shen Zhixia, to confirm the ‘big fish’ behind her.

Secondly, he had noticed a change in Shen Zhixia’s feelings for him recently. Although she acted as intimately as before, a subtle chill occasionally flickered in her eyes.

Su Mian’s face grew even redder, but a secret joy and triumph swelled in her heart due to his affirmation.

For some reason, an even bolder idea sprang into her mind.

“Gege, I’ll send you a gift later.”

Xiao Moyuan’s interest was piqued: “What gift?”

Su Mian bit her lower lip. “I won’t tell you yet. I’ll have a delivery service send it to you later.”

She knew Xiao Moyuan’s home address.

“Mm,” Xiao Moyuan responded faintly, without pressing for more details.

An hour later, Xiao Moyuan received Su Mian’s gift.

It was a beautifully packaged box.

The box was very light, and Xiao Moyuan was curious about what might be inside.

He slowly opened the box, then froze.

Inside was none other than the very dress Su Mian had been wearing during their video call.

Xiao Moyuan, puzzled, opened his phone.

[Yuan: I received your gift.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Then, does Gege like it?]

[Yuan: I’d like it even more if you wore it yourself and came to find me.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: But this dress, I haven’t washed it yet…

I think if Gege misses me, you can hug it to sleep.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: It still has my scent on it~]

Xiao Moyuan’s lips twitched.

He now understood Su Mian’s meaning.

So, this gift referred to this ‘worn’ dress.

To give this as a gift to him, she truly was a vixen. Her methods of teasing and seduction were endless.

Online, she was incredibly provocative, yet in reality, she blushed at a mere touch. This timid yet playful personality was practically begging for discipline.

To be honest, Xiao Moyuan was indeed quite aroused at the moment.

[Yuan: I’ll hold onto the dress for now. You can wear it next time you come over.]