Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Su Su’s deep-set eyes fixed on his expression, her palm slowly caressing downwards as she asked, "Is there anywhere else you need ointment?"

Tao Youming slowly lowered his head, the woman’s hand still lingering on his abdomen. He immediately reached out, seized her wrist, and lifted it. "That’s enough, I’ll do it myself."

Watching the man’s face flush and his lips press tightly together, Su Su’s eyes curved into a smile. She probed, "Don’t need my help anymore?"

Tao Youming took a slow, deep breath. "No need."

"Weren’t you just screaming in pain?" Su Su’s voice turned slightly cold. She switched hands, slowly placing her fingers back on the bruise on his chest and circling gently.

*That’s what you get for tattling, for insisting I apply the medicine!*

With the subtle, teasing contact, Tao Youming’s tense body seemed to ignite a slow, smoldering fire. He pursed his lips, watching the woman’s mischievous smile, and a thought flickered in his mind.

*Heh~*

*Playing this game?*

"Then… move a little more to the left," Tao Youming released her hand, his body slowly relaxing. "Your hand, a bit more to the left, gently… slowly caressing my body."

Su Su bit her lip at his words, her hand pausing for a moment before pressing down with sudden force. "Is it here?"

The woman’s sudden increase in pressure sent a dull ache through Tao Youming’s chest, and he let out an involuntary gasp.

Su Su gritted her teeth, pressing down even harder. "How’s this pressure?"

"Comfortable?"

"Still okay?"

Tao Youming endured the pain, not stopping her actions, and quickly let out a theatrical moan. "Ah… comfortable…"

"Right there… ah!" His moans carried a hint of breathlessness, as if they were truly engaged in *that* kind of activity. "You, you… be gentler…"

"Too much force…"

Su Su listened to the man’s cries and looked at his face, which still seemed flushed with lingering pleasure, utterly dumbfounded.

Tao Youming looked back at her. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her earlobes were red, making her look utterly bashful.

A smirk played on his lips, and he let out a whistle. "Keep going."

Seeing his triumphant expression, a wave of irritation welled up in Su Su’s chest.

*What am I doing??*

*Why am I foolishly playing these little games with this Third Young Master?*

*I should just ignore him, walk the other way whenever I see him—not act like that just now!*

With that thought, Su Su abruptly stood up and tossed the ointment aside, her eyes darkening as she glared at Tao Youming. "Tao Youming, I’m going down for dinner."

"You’re not done?" Tao Youming slowly rose from the bed, shirtless, and walked towards her, his tone roguish. "We haven’t finished applying it yet?"

He pointed to his perfectly sculpted, defined six-pack abs. "Look here…"

"I know you’re not hurt!" Su Su cut him off directly. "Go back to the Tao family tomorrow, or I’ll kick you out."

After shooting him one last fierce glare, she turned and walked away, leaving him behind.

"Hey, it’s an old injury!" Tao Youming called out to her retreating figure. "An old injury is still an injury, you know? It flared up because of those punches you gave me!"

The moment his words fell, the door slammed shut with a *bang*.

Tao Youming flinched at the sound, taking a sharp breath. The memory of the woman’s expression while applying the ointment suddenly muddled his mind.

*Why does Su Su keep blushing every time she resists contact with me lately?*

*This doesn’t quite make sense…*

Soon, a servant called his room, and Tao Youming threw on his clothes before heading downstairs.

Su Su cast an indifferent glance at the man sitting across from her, then silently lowered her head to eat.

Su Yaobo, however, was in high spirits, chatting with Tao Youming as if they were father and son, their conversation spanning everything from heaven to earth.

Su Su subtly lowered her gaze, feeling that Su Yaobo truly regarded Tao Youming as a son.

A quiet worry nagged at her—*Would Su Yaobo agree to her calling off the engagement?*

After dinner, the two men began discussing a recent project Tao Youming had invested in, so Su Su abandoned her plan to discuss the engagement and went upstairs instead.

The next morning, Su Su’s phone displayed a bank transfer notification.

Tao Youming had transferred money to her card—a total of 188,000.

A very auspicious number indeed.

After breakfast, Su Su took a car to school. The morning traffic was heavy, and she was about to be late.

*The original Su Su had a record of being late too!*

After getting out of the car, she dashed towards the teaching building. As she rounded a corner in the hallway, someone suddenly appeared.

Su Su yelped, abruptly stopping, but momentum sent her body pitching forward—*thud*—she sprawled onto the floor.

"Are… are you okay?" A soft, slightly flustered voice came from above. "I’m sorry, I didn’t realize someone would suddenly run around the corner."

Her entire body ached with a dull pain. Su Su hissed, then looked up at the person crouching beside her—and froze.

It was Liu Ruoxi, the heroine of this book.

Yesterday morning, Su Su had only caught a distant glimpse of the female lead in class. She never expected to meet the female lead face-to-face in such a situation.

*Is this the unlucky plotline for the villainess Su Su in the book?*

*Why do I have no memory of this at all?*

Liu Ruoxi’s heart sank slightly as Su Su stared at her without blinking.

*This young mistress has never given me a good look. Now that she’s hurt and has the upper hand, I’m afraid…*

Liu Ruoxi looked at her, biting her lip slightly as she tentatively asked, "Should I… help you up first?"

Hearing her soft voice, Su Su quickly snapped back to reality and glanced around the hallway.

*Thankfully, there weren’t many people outside right now, otherwise, her current state would be utterly humiliating.*

She quickly extended her hand, letting Liu Ruoxi help her up.

Up close, Liu Ruoxi had a small, palm-sized face with fair, luminous skin. Beneath her delicate, arched brows were a pair of beautiful, peach-blossom eyes, their outer corners gently upturned, her gaze clear as if washed by water. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, like freshly bloomed rose petals, exquisitely charming.

Su Su now understood why the original owner had been so obsessed with opposing the female lead.

Because Liu Ruoxi truly possessed stunning beauty, and the original owner was jealous of her.

Liu Ruoxi, seeing her silent, felt a slight tremor of concern. "Are you okay?"

"No, I’m hurt," Su Su said, her body aching. She slowly lifted her long skirt, revealing her knees, and told her, "My knees really hurt."

Liu Ruoxi gasped softly at the sight of the obvious subcutaneous bleeding on her knees, her voice laced with apology. "Then… should I take you to the infirmary now?"

Su Su studied her expression, then spoke, "The teacher will call roll, right?"

Liu Ruoxi paused, then nodded. "Probably."

"Then let’s go after roll call," Su Su said slowly.

The two entered the classroom and slipped out to the infirmary after the teacher finished roll call.

After waiting through a short class, Su Su’s knees felt swollen and aching. As soon as they entered the infirmary, she found a seat and sat down.

The infirmary was mostly empty; a nurse was preparing medicine behind a counter, and a man not wearing a white coat sat at a desk, head bowed, examining something in his hands.

"Doctor, my classmate fell and got hurt. Could you take a look?" Liu Ruoxi said, addressing the man.

He looked up at the sound, his well-defined brows lifting slightly. His dark eyes blinked gently, their depths like a bottomless black hole, as if capable of drawing one in.

Su Su looked at him and suddenly heard her own heartbeat. She even thought she detected the subtle fragrance of peach blossoms drifting in the air around them.