Chapter 69: He Yan (Revised)

Chapter 69: He Yan (Revised)

Shi Yu's cool gaze swept outside. "There are still a few hundred meters to the school gate. Let's drive up there."

"No need. Stop here; I can walk the rest of the way." Lin Yao waved her hand, grabbed her bag and phone, and prepared to open the car door and jump out.

She didn't want anyone to see her with Shi Yu.

Unexpectedly, just as her fingertips touched the car door, she was pulled back.

Shi Yu's palm gripped her waist, while his other hand lifted her chin, tilting her head up. He leaned in and kissed her, a kiss that was both greedy and restrained, soft and sweet lips being slowly parted by his cool breath.

Lin Yao's slender neck arched beautifully, the skin where she had carefully concealed the hickey with powder now flushing a light pink again.

A thin layer of mist clouded her eyes, her cheeks flushed red, and her small mouth opened slightly, allowing him to kiss her deeply as if savoring candy.

Such a good little girl.

His exclusive little tease.

Under the lowered black lashes, his eyes were dark and intense, watching her tremble and nestle softly in his arms, submitting to his kisses.

It was as if this moment confirmed their relationship.

Lin Yao was his girlfriend.

Truly and solely his.

"Mmm... Shi Yu, we don't have time. I really need to go..."

After a long while, Lin Yao finally came to her senses, gently tugging at his hand.

Embarrassed and guilty, she had intended to find a way to break up with Shi Yu quickly, but every time he hugged and coaxed her, she couldn't help but lose herself.

"Let me go to school first, okay?"

She patiently explained, knowing how to coax him into letting her go.

Shi Yu looked down at her slightly tilted face, reluctant but ultimately released her.

"Okay, be careful on your way." He gave her one last deep look, straightened her dress that he had almost messed up, and then let go of her waist.

"Go."

Lin Yao felt a sense of relief and hurriedly reached for the car door.

Just as she opened it and stepped out, her waist tightened again as Shi Yu pulled her back.

"Mmm..." The girl protested, widening her watery deer-like eyes, only to see Shi Yu's chiseled face coming closer.

He closed his eyes, and his cold, restrained kiss carried a hint of intensity as it landed on her lips.

Lin Yao's breath hitched, unable to resist his kiss.

The back of her head was held firmly by his palm, pulling her towards him, leaving no room for retreat.

She felt that this kiss from Shi Yu was different from usual, as if he wanted to devour her, with a fierce intensity.

Until her entire body was infused with his scent, her tongue tingling, barely able to form coherent words.

Finally, Shi Yu released her.

This time, truly releasing her.

He straightened her dress and said in a low voice, "When you start school, there will be military training. If you can't handle it, don't push yourself too hard."

"Okay."

"If you feel unwell, tell your counselor or me."

"Oh."

"Remember to use sunscreen, especially on the back of your neck. Don't get sunburned."

"Sure."

Lin Yao obediently agreed, her attitude perfect, not daring to raise any objections.

She wasn't sure why, but it was an instinctive response to danger.

She felt that when Shi Yu suddenly pulled her back to kiss her, his expression was strange. Her intuition told her that if she went against him now, she would suffer.

"..."

Shi Yu raised his eyes and looked at Lin Yao, who had been very cooperative and obediently nodding along with all his reminders.

Just moments ago, she had been in such a hurry to leave, barely having time for another word. Now, she was acting unusually patient, listening to him quietly.

He frowned, the darkness in his eyes deepening.

A strange feeling of unease tightened in his chest, as if once Lin Yao left this car, she would no longer belong to him.

But when his gaze met her slightly tilted, wet eyes and her pitiful, swollen lips from his kisses, he dismissed the absurd thought.

He was overthinking it.

"Go ahead."

This time, Shi Yu personally opened the car door for her, truly letting her go.

"Once you settle in, I'll come find you."

Hearing the voice behind her, Lin Yao's legs, which had just touched the ground, nearly gave out.

"Mm, we'll talk later. I'm off." She didn't even turn her head, waving her hand backward as she ran away with her backpack on.

Even from the retreating figure, one could see the girl's embarrassment and unease.

Shi Yu watched until Lin Yao's figure disappeared, then his slightly curved lips straightened again as he instructed the driver to start the car.

...

...

In Room 511 of the girls' dormitory.

As soon as Lin Yao returned to the dorm, she was surrounded by her roommates.

"Tell us, Lin Yao, what happened? Where did you sleep last night?"

"Your boyfriend has such a nice voice and is so polite. Why didn't you tell us about him? We should have met him."

"Your boyfriend answered the phone last night, and we mentioned Qi Yanye's name in front of him. It was so awkward. Did he get angry?"

Lin Yao listened and finally understood.

It turned out that when she passed out drunk last night, her roommates were worried and called her, and it was Shi Yu who answered.

That made sense; they had agreed to spend the night together, but she disappeared. They must have been worried.

She hadn't expected Shi Yu to directly admit their relationship over the phone.

"No, it's not like that..." She found it hard to say.

It was embarrassing to say that she and Shi Yu weren't a couple. After all, they had kissed so many times.

But if she said they were... she was still figuring out how to break up with Shi Yu.

Jiang Lingling: "Regardless, your boyfriend said that if you agree, he would treat the whole dorm to dinner."

Qiao Xin: "Yeah, Lin Yao, it's not too much to ask for hot pot, grilled fish, and crayfish outside school, right? You're the first one in our dorm to get a boyfriend."

Xu Dong'er couldn't help but smile, covering her lips.

Lin Yao: "..." How did Shi Yu agree to treat her roommates to dinner?

When did he become so agreeable?

Lin Yao could only nod in agreement, thinking that if she broke up with Shi Yu later, they wouldn't need to have this meal.

Seeing Lin Yao biting her lip and softly agreeing, Qiao Xin, Jiang Lingling, and Xu Dong'er couldn't bear to press her further. Although they knew her boyfriend was also at their school and were curious about who he was, they decided not to make things difficult for her. They would find out when they met him.

"By the way, Lin Yao..." After everyone dispersed, Qiao Xin mysteriously pulled her aside in the corridor. "Do you know the mysterious grandson of the richest man in our school?"

"...?" Lin Yao's heart skipped a beat.

She blinked and pretended to be calm, asking, "Why?"

Qiao Xin: "No reason. Everyone's guessing about the identity of the richest family's descendant. Last night, I was going to take you upstairs to meet him. Guess who I saw when I went in?"

Lin Yao: "...Who?"

Qiao Xin: "Your old classmate!"

Qiao Xin was so excited that she suddenly realized she was speaking too loudly and quickly lowered her voice. "I discovered last night that he seemed to know you, so I looked into it. Turns out you both went to the same school and used to live together."

Lin Yao and Shi Nian, Shi Yu had given interviews together, and the video of 'three Capital University students from one family' could still be found online.

Qiao Xin explained with a smile, "Brother Yan told me that the richest family prefers to keep a low profile, so I shouldn't reveal their identities. But I searched the news and found out that they were once sponsored by your family. You must know them, so I thought I'd tell you first."

Lin Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out that Qiao Xin was just telling her this and wasn't suspecting that her unnamed boyfriend was Shi Yu.

Of course, no one would dare think that.

Lin Yao: "Yes, they used to live at my house, but it wasn't really sponsorship. My parents were just good friends with their parents..."

"What kind of friends? Don't ever say that outside," Qiao Xin covered her mouth and pulled her aside, kindly warning her.

"Lin Yao, you don't understand. The Shi family's status is too high, and people in that circle hate having their past hardships mentioned."

Qiao Xin herself was part of that circle.

But she was telling Lin Yao this purely out of concern, fearing that Lin Yao might suffer if she spoke carelessly.

After all, the Shi family was not only the richest family but also had a prestigious background. Such a family would not want their past hardships mentioned.

"If they gave your family compensation, accept it. If not, never mention it again."

Qiao Xin shared what she knew, though she wasn't very knowledgeable about these matters. She was simply repeating what He Yan had told her last night.

"I've asked Brother Yan for you. Anyway, he told you to pretend you don't know the Shi siblings at school, and definitely don't say anything about them there. Do you understand?"

Afraid Lin Yao wouldn't grasp it, Qiao Xin repeated herself, reminding her with great concern.

Actually, what He Yan said last night was even harsher.

Last night, after Shi Yu saw Lin Yao's photo and left, Qiao Xin curiously searched their names online.

She found out that when Shi Yu and Shi Nian were in dire straits, they lived at Lin Yao's home.

No wonder Shi Yu chased after Lin Yao outside the private room; she was their benefactor.

At the time, Qiao Xin thought Lin Yao was such a well-behaved girl; her family must be kind-hearted too, forming this good connection.

But then, Brother Yan, for some reason, snatched the phone from her hand, staring at Lin Yao's smiling face, which was cuddled up to Shi Nian's arm, for a few seconds.

"Is she your roommate?" He Yan's tone wasn't particularly friendly, as if he were watching a game, relaxed yet amused. "She's lucky but also cunning. Still, she's too hasty."

"What do you mean, Brother Yan?"

"Just stay away from people like her." He Yan didn't elaborate, only giving a faint smile and handing the phone back. "Such girls don't know their limits and will get into trouble without realizing it. Be careful not to get dragged into it."

Qiao Xin was upset. She knew Brother Yan often looked down on others, but Lin Yao was so gentle and hadn't provoked him.

So she couldn't help but ask He Yan how Lin Yao could possibly get into trouble or be unaware of her limits.

Afterward, she relayed those words to Lin Yao.

In their circle, there had indeed been cases where someone tried to leverage past kindness for more favors, but their endings...

Qiao Xin warned Lin Yao about the identities of Shi Nian and Shi Yu, not wanting her to think the grandchildren of the richest man were still the same as before. If she foolishly approached them thinking they were still friends, she might invite trouble.

Lin Yao didn't understand why "Brother Yan" had come to such a conclusion.

However, she could tell Qiao Xin meant well, so she didn't explain further and simply agreed.

"Such a good girl." Seeing the soft nod and moist eyes, Qiao Xin couldn't resist touching her head. "Go inside and find some sunscreen. Your skin is delicate; don't get sunburnt during training."

After saying this, she still wasn't satisfied and applied the expensive sunscreen she had bought all over Lin Yao.

...

...

A little later, when Lin Yao changed into her clothes and gathered with her classmates on the field, she realized that the amount of sunscreen Qiao Xin had applied wasn't exaggerated.

This year, the capital seemed unusually hot, and the scorching August sun made everyone dizzy.

The military training was organized by administrative classes.

Each class stood in formation under the blazing sun, listening to the school leaders speak.

Lin Yao stood at the back of the line, raising her eyes to sneak a peek at the front.

Her mathematics class 2 had a total of thirty students, including two girls, one of whom was her.

The other girl in the class happened to be on her period today and had just asked the counselor for leave due to her pale lips. The counselor approved her request.

Now, Lin Yao was the only girl standing in the formation.

Fortunately, it was the first day of training, and the schedule was light.

After the school leaders finished speaking, each class's instructor arranged their own training.

Lin Yao's class instructor was surnamed Zhou, with a square face, tanned skin, and a stern expression.

From what she heard from other students, this instructor was stricter than the others, known for his iron discipline.

During the actual training, Lin Yao understood what "iron discipline" meant.

Their class trained more than the others.

When other classes were training, they trained.

When other classes were resting, they were still training.

All morning, they stood in formation and practiced marching under the scorching sun.

By noon, when the instructor announced a break, Lin Yao's legs were trembling.

The girl was too delicate.

She had always been pampered by her parents and had never endured such hardship.

Especially during her final year of high school, when every day was spent studying, even physical education classes were canceled. Apart from the junior high school training, she had never stood in the sun for so long.

Instructor Zhou naturally noticed that as the crowd dispersed, Lin Yao gritted her teeth and walked forward with trembling legs.

He even noticed that several boys in the class offered to help her walk back, but she refused.

Although Lin Yao walked with difficulty, she persisted and slowly made her way back to the dormitory.

Back in the dormitory, Lin Yao wished she could lie down without even taking a shower.

But it was too dirty and sticky.

She forced herself to take a cold shower despite her trembling legs, then collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep.

When Qiao Xin, Jiang Lingling, and Xu Dong'er returned, Lin Yao had already been sleeping for over twenty minutes.

"Lin Yao, did you even have lunch?"

"That won’t do. Get up and eat, or you won’t have the strength for this afternoon’s military training."

Jiang Lingling and Qiao Xin’s voices came through, but Lin Yao was so exhausted she couldn’t move. She whimpered that she wouldn’t eat and pleaded to be allowed to sleep a bit longer.

Seeing that Lin Yao could barely keep her eyes open, Xu Dong’er suggested buying some bread so that Lin Yao would have something to eat when she woke up, giving her the energy she needed for the afternoon.

When the alarm for the afternoon military training rang, Lin Yao was practically dragged out of bed by the three of them.

The young girl, tears welling in her eyes, felt like crying but had to force herself to get up.

She thought to herself that if she could endure the morning session, she couldn’t give up in the afternoon.

Otherwise, all the hardship from the morning would have been in vain.

Lin Yao seemed to be challenging herself, refusing to admit defeat. She ate her bread while applying sunscreen.

Her phone vibrated incessantly.

With trembling hands, Lin Yao checked her phone and found that it was all messages from Shi Yu. He had sent two messages during her lunch break, called twice while she was sleeping, and just now sent more messages asking how her military training was going, if she was tired, and whether she had eaten properly.

Thinking about having to endure the scorching sun again in the afternoon, Lin Yao felt too exhausted to even reply.

Even the idea of breaking up with Shi Yu, which she had planned, was temporarily pushed aside.

She decided to deal with it after surviving the military training.

She shoved her phone into a drawer.

In the afternoon, another round of rigorous drills awaited.

Then came the second day, the third day, the fifth day...

Instructor Zhou stood in front of the formation and noticed the petite girl at the corner of their line. Despite her porcelain-white face being almost crumpled with exhaustion, looking pitiful and miserable, she appeared even paler than before.

But just as on the previous days, she gritted her teeth and persisted without a word.

Instructor Zhou had noticed Lin Yao on the first day.

After all, she was the only girl in the Mathematics Department Class 2.

Moreover, her delicate beauty made even the boys around her try to hide their glances, though they couldn’t help but peek at her.

Initially, Instructor Zhou was curious.

He had trained many students before, and those who looked like Lin Yao usually couldn’t handle the hardship.

Many would find excuses to take leave after the first day of training.

Instructor Zhou wondered when Lin Yao would ask for leave.

But on the first day, despite being so exhausted she could barely stand straight, she didn’t utter a single complaint or request for leave.

On the second, third, and fourth days, even two boys in their class took sick leaves, yet the girl remained silent, biting her lip and not backing down.

Instructor Zhou had to admit that he had made a mistake in judging her by her appearance.

Though she looked fragile, her spirit was anything but. She was resilient.

Just then, there was a commotion from the resting formation behind them—

"Who is that? So handsome."

"It’s Senior He Yan from Finance."

"He Yan from Finance? Why is he here suddenly!"

Instructor Zhou glanced over and saw their Mathematics Department Class 2 counselor accompanying a young man with an air of nobility, clearly different from the other students.

Instructor Zhou’s stern face tightened slightly as he squinted his eyes.

He recognized the student beside the counselor.

That was He Yan, the heir of the He family.

Lin Yao stood at the back of the formation.

Today’s sun felt particularly intense to her. She heard the lively chatter from the resting formations around her, but she couldn’t spare any attention for it.

Her head was spinning, and the blazing sun made her feel like she was melting.

Her legs were so weak she could barely stand.

But she had persisted for so many days.

The longer she went on, the less she wanted to give up.

Like during her senior year review, she refused to admit defeat.

For the past few days, she had collapsed into bed right after showering, too exhausted to even respond to Shi Yu’s messages. She had even silenced her phone because his texts were too distracting.

She hadn’t gone to the cafeteria to eat either, relying entirely on her roommates’ care to sustain her.

Counselor: "This is Senior He Yan from the Finance Department, responsible for today’s safety briefing."

The counselor stepped back after speaking, leaving He Yan to introduce himself.

Today, He Yan wore a simple white knitted short-sleeve shirt, khaki pants, and black skate shoes. This starkly contrasted with the others in the formation, who looked somewhat disheveled in their camouflage uniforms.

His features were strikingly handsome and deep-set, with jet-black hair falling slightly over his forehead. His smiling, almond-shaped eyes swept lightly over everyone present before he gave a slight nod.

"This military training is aimed at strengthening the physical bodies and willpower of all students, but the school absolutely does not overlook safety..."

He Yan's voice was pleasant to listen to, with a magnetic tone that carried a certain cool and luxurious quality.

Sunlight fell on him, casting a warm glow around him, making him appear even more distinguished and gentle.

His gaze seemed to fall casually onto a petite figure standing in the corner of the crowd.

Only then did he realize why that figure had seemed familiar at first glance—it was the girl he had seen in a photo, described as 'rather scheming' and 'ignorant of her limits.'

Her name was Lin Yao?

He didn't expect to see her here.

Unlike the brief glimpse in the photo, the real girl, even in a camouflage uniform, appeared softer and more delicate than the others.

Her small face was pure and obedient, her soft, watery deer-like eyes shimmering as if tears could spill out at any moment, exuding an indescribable allure.

He Yan: ...

Even He Yan had to admit that this girl named Lin Yao indeed had the capital to climb higher.

Photos like those online often involve significant post-processing and technological enhancements.

But her face was actually in its natural state, and it was even more beautiful than in the photos.

Still, she didn't forget to apply so much makeup during military training. Her small face looked soft, bright, and even had a sickly pallor.

He Yan's beautiful almond-shaped eyes lowered, concealing a fleeting coldness and detachment.

Did she know he was coming today and deliberately put on makeup?

Such things weren't uncommon for him.

Usually, He Yan wouldn't give such opportunities, but today he unconsciously walked in front of Lin Yao: "So if anyone feels unwell, be sure to report it to the counselor immediately. The school and student council won't..."

Thud—

Before he could finish, the girl swaying slightly in front of him suddenly closed her eyes and stumbled straight into him.

The girl's incredibly soft body collided into his arms.

A cold, mocking glint flashed in his indifferent almond-shaped eyes—

So it begins.

He Yan lowered his eyes to look at the seemingly unconscious girl in his arms...

The method seems a bit lacking, but she certainly is ignorant of her limits.