Chapter 81: Unexpected Confessions and a Close Encounter

The dinner venue, as expected, was Xiao Moyuan’s choice.

It was a Western restaurant of exquisite taste, enveloped in a serene ambiance. Every detail, from the sophisticated decor to the gleaming tableware, hinted at an unspoken nobility, showcasing an undeniable grandeur.

Having spent considerable time with Xiao Moyuan, Su Mian had become accustomed to such extravagant settings.

She could now face the astronomical, heart-stopping prices that would stun ordinary people without a flicker of emotion, handling them with an air of practiced composure.

Internally, however, her heart would still ache with a pang of pity. Yet, outwardly, she managed to maintain a basic calm, revealing little surprise—a demeanor identical to the Su Mian he had first encountered.

Lu Yang, on the other hand, found his fingers stiffening as he stared at the dizzying string of numbers. He scrutinized the menu several times over, but ultimately, too embarrassed to order, he simply snapped it shut.

He chuckled sheepishly. “Uh, Xiao Moyuan, why don’t you order? You’re more familiar with this place, so you’re sure to pick something delicious!”

Xiao Moyuan did not decline. He took the menu, calmly naming a few dishes without any hesitation.

The meal proved to be incredibly satisfying. The high-quality ingredients and superb culinary artistry offered an unparalleled delight to their taste buds.

Lu Yang, patting his distended belly, leaned back into the comfortable chair and let out a contented sigh.

He spoke, half-joking and half-envious.

“Ah, Xiao Moyuan’s life is my dream! I truly envy you rich folks, getting to enjoy places like this every day. I certainly can’t do it. How about you, Su Mian?”

Su Mian was delicately sipping her post-meal yogurt. Hearing his question, she almost instinctively blurted out,

“Even rich people don’t eat at places like this every day.”

She paused, a simple yet perfectly palatable home-cooked meal flashing through her mind, and added,

“Besides, the cooking skills were excellent; the taste wasn’t… not inferior to what’s served here.”

The moment the words left her lips, Su Mian realized the immense blunder she had made. The dining table instantly fell silent. Three pairs of eyes simultaneously converged on her.

Two of those gazes held a peculiar expression. Lu Yang’s face had contorted into a remarkably strange look. His eyes wide, he glanced from Su Mian to the inscrutable Xiao Moyuan opposite him, his voice filled with shock.

“Mianzi… the way you put that, it sounds as if you’ve… eaten Xiao Moyuan’s cooking before?”

Su Mian’s heart hammered wildly in her chest, threatening to burst from her throat.

She knew that if she couldn’t offer a plausible explanation at this moment, it would undoubtedly arouse serious suspicion, especially from someone as meticulous as Xiao Moyuan.

“I, I certainly haven’t eaten it!”

She forced herself to put on a natural smile, trying desperately to prove the truth of her words without revealing any tells. Yet, it felt like a complete self-deception—strained and rife with subjective conjecture.

“My point is… just look at how handsome Xiao Moyuan is, and with such great气质 [temperament/aura], he gives off the impression of being… well… an all-rounder, skilled in everything!”

“So I just assumed his cooking skills must be excellent too!”

Lu Yang let out a dubious “Oh,” rubbing his chin. He seemed to accept the explanation, after all, it was based on compliments and speculation about appearance.

He then turned his curious gaze to Xiao Moyuan, seeking confirmation. “So, Xiao Moyuan, can you really cook?”

Xiao Moyuan elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a tissue and nodded, his tone utterly placid. “A little. However, the food I’ve cooked has, so far, only been for one person.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “one person.”

Su Mian stiffened abruptly, her gaze instinctively sweeping over Xiao Moyuan opposite her, whose body had instantly tensed. He slowly, clearly, and deliberately stressed the point, adding a sentence with a calm, scrutinizing air.

Because her recent real-life interactions with Xiao Moyuan had become too frequent, and their relationship seemed to have softened considerably, the invisible boundaries in her heart had begun to blur.

This caused her to completely overlook their differing statuses just now, leading her to utter such easily suspicious words.

She instinctively looked at Xiao Moyuan, meeting his gaze. It was deep, carrying a calm, scrutinizing quality.

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze lingered on Su Mian for a moment.

‘She is sitting here as ‘Su Mian’ right now! Not as ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ who had the privilege of eating Xiao Moyuan’s home-cooked meals!’

Lu Yang’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. He pressed on eagerly.

“One person? Let me guess…”

Xiao Moyuan did not deny it, his lips curving into a slight smile as he replied, “Now, it is.”

Lu Yang automatically ignored Xiao Moyuan’s qualifier, “now,” only grasping the ambiguous “I knew it” expression. However, these three words, when heard by Su Mian, made her brain hum like a buzzing explosion.

“Now, it is?”

‘Why add “now”? That sounds as if the person who ate his cooking might not have been a girl before, but only became one now?’

A terrifying thought surged through her mind. ‘Could it be… that he already knew? Not just that ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ was me, Su Mian, but even the unspeakable changes happening to my body… he knew it all?’

A tremendous fear washed over her, chilling her to the bone. She suppressed her panic, cautiously raising her eyes to look at Xiao Moyuan again.

He maintained his usual composed demeanor, as if the words he had just spoken, which contained a shocking secret, were nothing more than a casual remark. He then naturally picked up his water glass to drink, his face betraying no ripple of emotion.

‘Exposed?’

Su Mian felt a dizzying wave of nausea, her hands and feet growing cold. Her mind was in turmoil.

‘Could it really be that I’m overthinking things, simply because I have a guilty conscience, leading me to overreact to every related word?’

Su Mian desperately tried to reassure herself, ‘No! No way! Besides my mother, I haven’t told anyone!’

‘How could Xiao Moyuan possibly know? If he truly knew all along, given his personality, how could he not have turned hostile?

Putting myself in his shoes, if someone ‘deceived me with a fake female identity’ and even confirmed an online relationship, I would undoubtedly explode with rage and severely punish the other party.

How could he remain so calm, even… seemingly cooperating with her, occasionally revealing a composed demeanor?’

After a round of self-comforting thoughts, her heart finally calmed down a bit, though a chill still lingered. She didn’t notice the fleeting gleam in Xiao Moyuan’s eyes at the moment her gaze became flustered.

Lu Yang’s gossip-loving soul was still burning brightly, oblivious to her subtle emotional shifts. “That girl… isn’t she…”

In his limited understanding, he could only think of Shen Zhixia. After asking, he cautiously observed Su Mian’s reaction.

‘Mianzi was always so concerned about Xiao Moyuan’s ‘old flame,’ so why does she seem so uninterested now? I’m trying to help her find out about Xiao Moyuan and Shen Zhixia’s progress, but she acts as if it’s none of her business?’

Xiao Moyuan shook his head, directly denying it. “It’s not her.”

He paused, as if stating a perfectly natural fact, then added, “Actually, it’s another girl.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang quickly nudged the distracted Su Mian under the table, his voice low and excited. “Did you hear that, Mianzi! Xiao Moyuan said it’s another girl!”

“It seems he and your ‘white moonlight’ haven’t confirmed their relationship yet! And by the sound of it, his relationship with that mysterious girl is quite unusual! Your chance has come!”

Su Mian, startled by his nudge, snapped back to attention. She forced an awkward smile and vaguely replied, “Ah… is… is that so? It seems… there might be a chance…”

Lu Yang seized the opportunity, turning to Xiao Moyuan with a casual, friendly tone. “Xiao Moyuan, judging by what you said, it sounds like you really like her, don’t you?”

This time, Xiao Moyuan didn’t hesitate. He answered cleanly and crisply, his gaze steady. “Yes, I like her very much.”

Bang—!

Su Mian felt as if her heart had been struck by something powerful, then began to pound uncontrollably. Her chest went numb, and a flush of crimson rapidly spread to her earlobes.

She had expected to feel immense excitement and triumph upon hearing those words. After all, her target had personally admitted to liking “her”—her “revenge” plan was making substantial progress!

However, the anticipated excitement never materialized. Instead, she was engulfed by an indescribably complex swirl of emotions.

There was unease and tension, for she was unsure if this so-called “liking” was built upon deception.

There was guilt, because Xiao Moyuan, recently, had treated her quite well, both as “Su Mian” and “Sweetheart Marshmallow,” even showing her considerable care.

But what truly made her feel flustered and desperate to escape was the sweet flutter in her heart…

It was as if this statement was something a corner of her deepest self, a corner she had always refused to acknowledge, had secretly yearned to hear.

This last emotion terrified her. She instinctively suppressed it, unwilling to delve deeper or confront the truth it might imply.

***

Dinner concluded, and the four of them exited the restaurant. The cool evening breeze brushed against her face, gently dissipating the heat from Su Mian’s cheeks.

Lu Yang sidled up to Su Mian, hooking an arm around her shoulder, and whispered his analysis, his tone quite optimistic.

“Mianzi, I think your chances are pretty good! Xiao Moyuan doesn’t seem to like Shen Zhixia that much!”

“And from what he said, it sounds like you’re the only one who sees him as a rival in love; he doesn’t seem to have any competitive feelings towards you in that regard at all?”

He paused, then added sincerely,

“To be honest, putting aside the ‘love rival’ aspect, I think Xiao Moyuan is a really good guy! He’s loyal and generous, not like some of those fierce school beauties. I think it would be great if we could just be buddies.”

After tonight’s dinner, Lu Yang’s impression of Xiao Moyuan had risen significantly.

Su Mian’s internal alarm bells blared at the mention of “just be buddies!”

Without thinking, she blurted out, her voice betraying an urgency she herself didn’t detect, “No! I don’t want to be buddies with him!”

Her plan was to completely “capture” Xiao Moyuan, making him utterly devoted to “Sweetheart Marshmallow,” then discard that identity. She didn’t want Xiao Moyuan to have too many deep entanglements with her current persona.

‘What if, in the future, we truly become “buddies” and constantly hang out? What if I drink too much one day, or let something slip when I’m relaxed? Wouldn’t that be the end of everything?’

Furthermore, every time she saw Xiao Moyuan, she would be reminded of all the awful things she had done, and guilt and a bad conscience would overwhelm her. There was simply no way she could interact with him with a clear conscience.

Lu Yang was amused by her intense reaction and chuckled mischievously, teasing her. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to be buddies? Then what do you want to be? Don’t tell me… you want to be more than that?”

He was only casually teasing. Yet, the interactions between Su Mian and Xiao Moyuan undeniably carried an unusual air of ambiguity.

The last time Su Mian got drunk, Xiao Moyuan carried her away, and this time she slept leaning on his shoulder. If it were any other man and woman, they would have long been assumed to be a couple.

Qin Xuan, who had been quietly observing, pushed up his glasses. He looked at Lu Yang and said in his unique, flat tone,

“If you have something to say, you can say more next time.”

Su Mian’s face flushed crimson, the color spreading down to the base of her neck. She bristled like a cat with its tail stepped on, flustered and embarrassed, her words stumbling.

“L-Lu, Lu Yang! You… how could you… don’t talk nonsense! I… I…”

Lu Yang burst into laughter, seeing her cute, red-faced, frantic attempts to deny it. “Oh, Mianzi, why are you so nervous? Still so thin-skinned. Your Lu Ge was just joking! Look how flustered you are!”

Xiao Moyuan, standing a little ahead, overheard every word of their conversation.

When he heard Lu Yang’s “want to be more than that” and Su Mian’s indignant denial, he almost couldn’t suppress the stubborn upward curve of his lips. He had to turn his head slightly, using the cover of night to conceal the overly obvious smile on his face.

He cleared his throat, then turned back, resuming his usual cool demeanor, and said, “It’s getting late. I’ll drive you guys home.”

Lu Yang immediately grinned and replied, “That would be great! Thank you, Xiao Moyuan, we won’t be polite!”

Back in the car, Lu Yang and Qin Xuan, still perfectly in sync, quickly climbed into the back seat. Xiao Moyuan drove smoothly back to the dorm area.

Lu Yang and Qin Xuan were the first to get out, saying their goodbyes from outside the car window. “Xiao Moyuan, thank you so much for today! Next time, we’ll treat you! Please take Su Mian a bit further!”

Su Mian also quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, intending to get out. “I’ll get off here…”

However, before she could finish speaking, Xiao Moyuan had already swiftly pressed the central lock. At the same time, he decisively restarted the engine.

“Vroom—” The car let out a low growl, slowly pulling away from the dorms. Suddenly, only the two of them remained inside the car. In the enclosed space, the atmosphere seemed to instantly shift.

Su Mian could even distinctly hear her own slightly accelerated heartbeat. She shifted uncomfortably, then whispered, “I… I’ll send you my address…”

Xiao Moyuan kept his eyes fixed on the road, his tone calm. “No need. I know where you live.”

Su Mian froze. “Huh?”

Xiao Moyuan added, “Last time, when you were drunk, didn’t I take you home?”

Su Mian: “…”

She was instantly speechless, her face starting to flush again. ‘That’s right, how could I forget about that… that mortifying, unforgettable social death experience.’

There was no conversation on the way. The neon lights outside the car window flashed by, casting flickering shadows on Su Mian’s face. She secretly glanced at Xiao Moyuan, who was focused on driving beside her, his profile sharp and perfect.

Recalling everything that had happened today… being rescued by him in the haunted house, his attitude towards “Sweetheart Marshmallow” during dinner, and Lu Yang’s teasing that made her heart race… The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt.

The car finally came to a smooth stop downstairs at Su Mian’s newly rented apartment. “We’re here.” Xiao Moyuan turned off the engine.

“Tha…thank you…”

Su Mian whispered her thanks, her fingers fumbling with her seatbelt, desperate to escape. Too many things had happened today; she needed to be alone to calm down.

However, just as she pressed the seatbelt buckle, and a soft click sounded—

“Wait.”

Xiao Moyuan’s low voice echoed beside her. Before Su Mian could react, he suddenly, without warning, turned and leaned his entire upper body towards her side! The movement was swift, carrying an undeniable, irresistible sense of pressure.

In that instant, the distance between them drastically closed! It was so close that Su Mian could clearly see the texture of his skin, feel his warm breath faintly caressing her cheek, and smell the familiar, crisp scent of pine from him.

Su Mian froze completely, her mind blank. Her body instinctively tried to shrink back, but she was pressed tightly against the car door, with no escape.

She even forgot to breathe, her eyes wide with terror and helplessness as she stared at his handsome face, now so close. She didn’t dare to move, fearing that any slight motion would cause their skin to truly touch.

Her heart pounded so loudly she wondered if Xiao Moyuan could hear it. “You… you… what are you doing?”

Her voice trembled uncontrollably, laced with nervousness, as her slender fingers instinctively gripped the fabric of the seat beneath her.