Chapter 73: The Unraveling Plan and a Forced Choice

As Su Mian read Xiao Moyuan’s last message, laced with both playfulness and a certain presumptuousness, the irrationality that had been scattered by jealousy gradually receded from her chest.

Only shame and regret remained.

What exactly had she done just now?

She had actually initiated a video call with Xiao Moyuan, wearing a dress that barely qualified as lingerie!

Even more preposterous, in a fit of impulsive madness, she had actually mailed him the very dress she had just taken off!

“Ahhhhhh!”

Su Mian abruptly squatted down, burying her burning face deep into her knees, letting out a stifled, despairing wail.

Her fingertips dug into her hair, gripping her scalp tightly, while her toes curled in embarrassment against her slippers.

When would she ever break this terrible habit of acting on impulse?

Whenever she caught even the slightest hint of intimacy between Xiao Moyuan and Shen Zhixia, she would become utterly possessed.

She’d insist on getting close to Xiao Moyuan, brazenly testing the dangerous boundaries under the guise of ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’.

She tried to use this childish method to prove her presence and…

‘Next time, will I really have to wear that dress to provoke him? How is that any different from sending it directly?’

What truly alarmed her was realizing this behavioral pattern had become almost a reflex.

Why did she now feel an uncontrollable urge to flirt with Xiao Moyuan and push boundaries whenever she felt jealous?

‘Am I seriously ill?’

Su Mian began to feel lost.

Her initial revenge plan had long since veered off course, becoming utterly unrecognizable.

Her method of retaliation had twisted into something completely distorted.

It was less like revenge and more like a young girl desperately trying to win back her boyfriend’s affection.

“…”

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

“…”

Time flew by, and soon the National Day holiday arrived.

According to their previous arrangement, on the first afternoon of the holiday, everyone would first gather at a highly-rated KTV. They would sing, order drinks to liven the mood, and then move on to the horror-themed haunted house Lu Yang had so enthusiastically recommended, claiming it would scare them senseless.

Su Mian had harbored a subtle intention, hoping Shen Zhixia would also attend.

She ransacked her wardrobe, searching for a masculine outfit that would make her appear handsome and tall, ideally to salvage some of her image in Shen Zhixia’s eyes.

Ultimately, she found a casual suit with a decent cut.

However, when she stood before the full-length mirror, all she saw was an awkward mismatch.

The shoulders were empty, unable to support the garment’s silhouette. Her waist, forcefully flattened by the binder, appeared stiff and unnatural. And her hips, at some point, had become too full and rounded, stretching the trousers taut and outlining curves that were decidedly not masculine.

Even with the chest binder, an unnatural, forcefully constrained bulge was still visible.

It seemed her current figure could no longer fit into her old sizes of men’s clothing.

Su Mian sighed in despair, a wave of powerlessness washing over her.

In the end, she gave up on trying to dress up. She changed back into her safest option: an incredibly loose grey hooded sweatshirt and a pair of faded jeans.

She pulled her chest binder tighter than usual, so tight that every deep breath brought a slight feeling of suffocation. Only then did she feel reassured enough to leave.

***

When she pushed open the door to their reserved private room, it was already filled with a lively, boisterous atmosphere.

The giant screen flickered with the vibrant light and shadow of a fast-paced music video, and deafening music pulsed through the air.

Lu Yang stood before the screen, microphone in hand, his face red and neck bulging as he belted out an impassioned song.

Qin Xuan, as always, remained quiet, sitting in a corner reading a book, completely out of sync with the surrounding clamor.

Xia, true to his word, had brought two strikingly beautiful, elegantly dressed and fashionable girls. They were laughing and chatting with Lu Yang, who had just put down the microphone, seemingly enjoying themselves immensely.

The moment Lu Yang saw Su Mian, his eyes lit up. He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Holy crap! Mianzi! Your face is practically glowing with excitement and a desire to share!”

“You’re finally here! See them?”

Lu Yang secretly gestured towards the two girls Xia had brought.

“Xia’s a good guy, alright! The girls he brought are top-notch!”

“You’re a bit slow, though. Campus Belle Shen arrived quite a while ago.”

Su Mian mumbled an “Mm-hm,” her gaze eagerly sweeping across the private room.

Soon, she spotted Shen Zhixia sitting alone on one side of the long sofa. She held a brightly colored glass of juice, her head slightly bowed as if lost in thought, a hint of melancholy on her face. Su Mian wondered what she was thinking.

When Shen Zhixia’s eyes met Su Mian’s, she visibly froze. The worry on her face seemed to deepen, quickly settling in her gaze.

“Zhixia, have you been here long?”

Su Mian suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, trying to make her voice sound natural. She walked over, greeted Shen Zhixia, and sat in the empty seat to her right.

“I just got here not long ago,” Shen Zhixia replied, lifting her head. She offered a forced smile, her tone faint and somewhat distracted.

Upon seeing Su Mian, a hint of joy, like a predator spotting its favored prey, flickered in Xia’s light blue eyes.

He elegantly rose, clearly preparing to greet her.

However, at that very moment, the private room door opened again. The loud music and laughter abruptly subsided.

Xiao Moyuan, dressed in a sleek black casual outfit of exceptional quality, appeared in the doorway.

His posture was as tall and straight as a pine tree. Simply standing there, he commanded all the attention in the room.

The two girls Xia had brought stopped chatting almost simultaneously. Their beautiful eyes, shining brightly, fixed on the doorway, their faces openly displaying astonishment, curiosity, and eagerness.

Lu Yang clicked his tongue twice, walking over to Su Mian. He lowered his voice. “Campus Ace Xiao’s charm is something else, huh? Xia’s girls instantly had their souls snatched away.”

“But this is good, too. The attention’s on him, Mianzi, so isn’t this your chance? Go and bond with Campus Belle Shen!”

Indeed, in just a moment, the two girls couldn’t hold back and actively approached Xiao Moyuan, surrounding him.

“Classmate, are you also from N University? Which department are you in?”

“Classmate, what song do you want to sing? I’ll help you pick one!”

Their voices were sweet and overflowing with enthusiasm.

Su Mian watched Xiao Moyuan, surrounded by girls, and instinctively pouted. A tiny bubble of sourness, one she hadn’t even realized was there, gurgled up from the depths of her heart.

She turned to Shen Zhixia beside her, speaking with a hint of complaint and an ‘I told you so’ tone. “Zhixia, did you see that? Men like Xiao Moyuan are always the center of attention outside, always surrounded by all sorts of girls.”

“If you were with him, you’d have no sense of security at all, constantly on edge.”

She tried to badmouth Xiao Moyuan to Shen Zhixia, completely unaware of the strong undertone of jealousy in her own words.

“Mm-hm.”

Shen Zhixia responded distractedly, her gaze not lingering on Xiao Moyuan for long. Her entire mind was occupied by something far heavier.

There was the mission Xia had conveyed, which had to be executed today, and the daunting task of protecting Su Mian, who was completely defenseless beside her, without arousing suspicion.

The immense pressure left her no room for other thoughts.

Xia watched Xiao Moyuan, surrounded by girls. The perfect, flawless smile on his face imperceptibly faded a fraction, and a cold displeasure flickered deep within his light blue pupils.

‘This obnoxious, lowly creature, why is he everywhere?’

His gaze lingered on Xiao Moyuan for only half a second before silently wrapping itself around Su Mian again.

Deep within that gaze was only a scrutinizing greed for Su Mian’s alluring presence.

Shen Zhixia keenly caught Xia’s glance towards Su Mian; it was far from ordinary interest.

Her fingers, gripping the glass, subtly tightened, her knuckles turning slightly white from the effort.

Xiao Moyuan seemed completely oblivious to the subtle shift in the room’s atmosphere caused by his arrival, and the various gazes fixed upon him.

With a composed expression, he calmly scanned the room, not even sparing a glance for the two enthusiastic girls beside him, and strode directly towards Su Mian.

Su Mian watched him stop in front of her, his tall figure casting a shadow. She inexplicably felt a pang of guilt and a shortness of breath.

Especially in the identity of ‘Su Mian,’ she always felt an instinctive fear of Xiao Moyuan.

She swallowed, then spoke weakly. “You… what are you doing?”

At this moment, Su Mian was seated to Shen Zhixia’s right, and Xia was to Su Mian’s right.

Xiao Moyuan looked down at her, his eyes devoid of warmth, his voice carrying its usual coolness, yet his tone brooked no argument. “Go sit to Shen Zhixia’s left.”

Su Mian was startled. “Why?”

“I don’t like sitting too far inside.”

Xiao Moyuan’s explanation was concise and sounded perfectly reasonable, yet it carried an inexplicable imperiousness.

Su Mian thought he was being utterly inexplicable, but looking up into his expressionless yet overwhelmingly imposing face, the retort she had on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back.

‘Anyway, even if I change seats, I’ll still be next to Shen Zhixia. I’ll endure it!’

Thus, under Xiao Moyuan’s ‘tyranny,’ Su Mian silently stood up and moved to sit on Shen Zhixia’s left.

Xia, who hadn’t even had a chance to speak to Su Mian, felt the perfect curve of his smile stiffen imperceptibly for a moment before returning to normal, though a shadow flickered in his eyes.

‘This Xiao Moyuan clearly intended to separate Su Mian from him.’

“Su Mian,”

Xia quickly composed himself, picked up a poured drink, and looked at her with a gentle smile, extending an invitation. “How about we play some dice? Loser drinks, what do you say?”

As he spoke, he prepared to stand and move to the other side of Su Mian.

Just as he rose, a strong, remarkably powerful hand, with clearly defined knuckles, pressed down on his shoulder, forcefully pushing him back into his seat.

“She doesn’t drink.” Xiao Moyuan’s voice was not loud, yet it carried an air of absolute finality.

After speaking, he gave Su Mian a cold glance. His gaze, sharp as a blade, clearly conveyed an undeniable ‘warning’.

Su Mian felt a chill run down her spine from his stare, instantly recalling her terrible alcohol tolerance and the potential consequences.

‘What if I get drunk, and ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ takes over, making me call Xiao Moyuan ‘husband’ in front of everyone?’

She quickly followed Xiao Moyuan’s lead, offering Xia an apologetic, awkward smile. “Xia, thank you, but I… I really can’t hold my liquor.”

Xia: “…”

Deep within his light blue eyes, a fleeting crimson flash appeared.

He subtly tried to pull away from Xiao Moyuan’s hand, but found it unyielding, like an iron clamp.

‘This is not the strength an ordinary human should possess!’

Xiao Moyuan also felt the power emanating from the hand beneath his. His eyes darkened, and his last shred of doubt vanished.

Their gazes met briefly in the air, a silent confirmation of each other’s identities—the other was definitely ‘not an ordinary person.’

Xia narrowed his eyes, still smiling, but his tone carried a confrontational edge. “Whether Su Mian drinks or not, it seems to have nothing to do with you, Classmate Xiao?”

Xiao Moyuan remained expressionless. “Ask her if it has anything to do with her.”

Su Mian: “…”

Just then, Lu Yang, noticing the tense atmosphere, rushed over to mediate. “Xia, Mianzi really can’t drink. Her alcohol tolerance is only good for playing with little sisters. How about you pick a different opponent? I’ll play a few rounds with you?”

Shen Zhixia, sitting nearby, imperceptibly trembled.

A cold, direct command from deep within her bloodline echoed—she *must* obey.

Under the absolute pressure of a higher-ranking bloodkin, Shen Zhixia had almost no room to resist.

She bit her lower lip, struggling internally, but finally raised her eyes to Su Mian beside her, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible stiffness. “A’Mian… how about we play some dice? Just the two of us. We won’t drink much, just a little if we lose.”

At Shen Zhixia’s proactive invitation, Su Mian barely hesitated, instantly casting Xiao Moyuan’s warning aside.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded. “Okay! To be able to play a game alone with Shen Zhixia, to get closer to her, this was exactly the opportunity she yearned for!”

Xiao Moyuan’s unyielding voice rang out again. He released Xia’s hand, his gaze heavy as he looked at Su Mian and Shen Zhixia.

Su Mian immediately puffed out her cheeks, feeling a surge of irritation.

‘This Xiao Moyuan really doesn’t give her any chances!’

‘Even when she wants to play a game alone with Shen Zhixia, he has to interfere!’

Seeing this, Xia immediately sneered, his tone clearly mocking. “The two of them want to play a game alone. Classmate Xiao, why must you intrude and spoil their fun? You’re quite tactless.”

Shen Zhixia only assumed Xiao Moyuan was still acting out his ‘jealousy’ for her, and her disgust deepened.

But at this moment, Xia’s command carried an undeniable coercive force, making her speak again, her voice tinged with a plea, yet sounding even more distant. “Moyuan… I, I really just want to play with A’Mian alone for a bit.”

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze rapidly flickered between Xia and Shen Zhixia, keenly catching an unusual connection.

Finally, his eyes settled on Su Mian, his gaze deep and carrying an invisible pressure. “Who do you want to play with?”

To Su Mian, these words sounded almost like a threat.

She swallowed, wavering between the immense temptation of ‘spending time alone with Shen Zhixia’ and the potential risks of ‘disobeying Xiao Moyuan.’

Ultimately, her desire for Shen Zhixia outweighed her fear of Xiao Moyuan. She spoke softly, a little guiltily, “I… I want to play with Zhixia…”

As soon as the words left her lips, she herself was stunned.

She was Su Mian!

She was Xiao Moyuan’s ‘love rival’ in reality!

She wasn’t ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow,’ nor was she Xiao Moyuan’s partner.

Why should she be afraid of him?

Why should she feel guilty?!

A strange surge of courage welled up. She was about to straighten her back and defiantly retort, “Who I play with is none of your business!”

However, before the words could leave her mouth, she looked up and met Xiao Moyuan’s cold, terrifying eyes.

‘Wuwuwu, why is he like that? So scary…’

Su Mian silently swallowed back her defiant words, drooping her head dispiritedly.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Evil Organization Executive, Forced to Become a Magical Girl

ComedyGender BenderGirlsLove

Read Now →
Not interested