Pei Xingyan had witnessed countless scenes of lavish debauchery, and dancing and singing were nothing new to him, but as he strolled through the territory of the Art Academy, he still found himself a little intoxicated by the atmosphere here.
The classroom doors on both sides were not tightly shut, so it was clear to see what the students inside were doing.
Girls, graceful as swans, held their heads high, tiptoed, and spun in circles, their white thighs swinging in the air. They leaped from one corner to another, lively and adorable.
Boss Xu once had a troupe filled with beauties, but even he rarely saw such scenes where the aura of youth burst forth from the girls like colorful mist. This was dance untainted by any impurity, and only within the school’s classrooms could these girls, freely dancing in their youth, shine with such pure brilliance.
On the other side were the Bailing Birds practicing their vocal exercises. Although Pei Xingyan didn’t quite understand why the vocal department’s and dance department’s practice rooms were next to each other, he thought the scene before him was truly beautiful. The young men and women warming up their voices were providing the perfect accompaniment for the dancing girls.
Su Shanshan dragged him along, turning left and right for quite a while. He hadn’t realized from outside that this building was so complicated—they’d been walking for so long and were still on their way.
Or maybe… Su Shanshan was deliberately leading him in circles?
Pei Xingyan kept a calm face, not turning his head to look at those long, tempting legs. Instead, he recalled every detail about Su Shanshan from before.
The memory paused on the moment when Su Shanshan mentioned she’d secretly watched him for a long time, and when she praised him for not staring at the passing girls.
He rolled his eyes to glance at the girl walking ahead of him. She was always pretending to observe him casually, especially watching where his gaze landed…
Pei Xingyan’s instincts buzzed. For some reason, even though this girl dressed like a “landmine girl” and was quite tactless, grabbing his hand the first time they met…
He still felt she must be a girl who disliked lecherous men.
Letting his gaze linger on these girls’ bodies wouldn’t be a good thing—he needed to act like a gentleman.
He suddenly started humming along to the Bailing Birds’ practice song. Though the pitch was difficult, the rhythm was simple.
He deliberately tapped the beat with his fingers and swayed his arms, clearly letting her feel that he was immersed in the music.
Pei Xingyan closed his eyes, not looking at the radiant, youthful girls, nor searching for beautiful faces in the wonderful voices. He just tapped out the rhythm, resonating with them across the space.
“You can sing too?” Su Shanshan suddenly asked.
“No.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Sorry… Your students here sing so well, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. Got a little carried away.” He scratched his head sheepishly. “So, what are we doing now?”
Su Shanshan fell silent again, but her body trembled. He couldn’t tell if she was angry or happy.
She stopped sneaking glances at him and walked straight ahead with her head down, quickly leading him out of that area.
The air immediately quieted down—there was not a sound to be heard.
Su Shanshan led him into a classroom, which was empty and uncluttered.
“This is our activity room. Usually, no one comes here, and the soundproofing is great. Whatever we do, no one will know.” Su Shanshan introduced casually.
“Mm…” Pei Xingyan nodded silently, expressionless.
But inside, he was already restless.
Why is she saying this?
It feels like a scene from Leihuo Sword…
Just now, when he pretended not to look at the pretty girls and instead appreciated the music, he clearly felt Su Shanshan lower her guard a little. He had seen her carefully let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing—definitely a sign of reassurance.
But now she was deliberately saying such ambiguous things—
With a loud “bang,” Su Shanshan forcefully shut the door.
Pei Xingyan unconsciously moved closer to the door—this time, he wasn’t pretending; he really was a bit nervous.
There were no cameras in this classroom. If this girl suddenly started screaming, there’d be no way to explain himself.
He quietly opened the door again.
Su Shanshan giggled, shutting the door once more. “What? Are you afraid of me?”
“Closing the door isn’t really appropriate, to avoid suspicion in ambiguous situations… Adults should know how to avoid misunderstandings…”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she suddenly asked.
“No.” Pei Xingyan shook his head.
“Then that’s settled,” Su Shanshan beamed, stepping closer and closer. “I should’ve made it clear to Tang Xuemai—I need a boyfriend. Since you’re here, you know what to do, right? If a boyfriend and girlfriend are together, do they still need to avoid suspicion?”
Pei Xingyan backed up step by step, until he had nowhere left to go. “Classmate… Classmate… I’m only providing emotional comfort services, not selling my body…”
He looked anxious, as if he was afraid the girl would try something inappropriate.
But in reality, he was as steady as an old dog inside.
He’d already seen through what this girl was up to. She probably really wanted to find a boyfriend, but was afraid of meeting the wrong guy and being cheated out of her money or her body. She was just testing him.
Otherwise, who would be this desperate?
Such clumsy tactics, hmph~
If he could be tricked by a girl this shallow, he’d have already been locked in Ye Ziwei’s basement.
There’s no way he’d fall for it.
“Really? You think I’m not pretty?” Su Shanshan went straight for physical contact, slapping his shoulder and rubbing it hard, as if trying to tempt him.
Pei Xingyan laughed inwardly. Trying to test an old lecher with a move like this?
What kind of lecher can’t resist this sort of temptation?
His expression turned ugly, even a bit angry. He knocked Su Shanshan’s hand away and made to leave.
But Su Shanshan wouldn’t let up. She blocked the door, her face wearing a seductive smile, though to Pei Xingyan, it looked terribly forced.
She said, “I’m not lying—I really want a boyfriend. I’ve been single for over twenty years, but the moment I saw you, I knew you were the one. If you’re not used to it, just holding hands is fine. Don’t be so resistant~”
Hold hands?
Pei Xingyan didn’t believe a word she said. Young girls’ schemes might seem clever to themselves, but they’re full of holes.
He was certain that if he showed even the slightest sign of interest, this deal would vanish into thin air.
Pei Xingyan ran to another door without a second thought, not looking back at Su Shanshan, leaving as if she were the plague.
But, to his surprise, Su Shanshan didn’t try to stop him or explain anything. She just stood at the door waving goodbye, letting him leave, her expression neither happy nor sad.
He suddenly felt a little regretful. Shouldn’t she have rushed up and explained that she was just testing him?
Could he have misjudged her and ruined this deal?
After a moment’s hesitation, he steeled himself and ran off with his head down.
He was betting that Su Shanshan’s test wasn’t over yet. He wasn’t sure what this girl really wanted, but he trusted his instincts—those odd details didn’t lie.
*****
It wasn’t until nearly eleven at night that he was woken up by a notification from the Sugar Heart App.
Su Shanshan had sent him a text message on the app, her tone full of grievance—nothing like her coquettish softness during the day:
[Now I know you’re a true gentleman. I really like you❤.
Praise for you~ (#pat on head) But next time, don’t make me wait this long, okay? My, boy, friend?]
She also sent a real-time selfie. In the dark, he couldn’t make out her makeup or expression, only vaguely seeing her sitting against the doorframe, still in the same spot as before.
Pei Xingyan was stunned for a moment, then jumped out of bed and ran outside, ignoring his roommate’s bewildered questions.