Song Lian was not provoked by Su Qinghuai's blatant challenging gaze. His expression when looking at Su Zhiyi and the way he spoke to her remained as gentle as ever.
"And this is?"
Su Zhiyi's expression didn't change much either. She gave Song Lian a sweet smile and lowered her voice, speaking softly enough for only the two of them to hear: "I told you yesterday, that's Su Qinghuai. We're just classmates."
"I see." Song Lian looked over at Su Qinghuai again, a hint of concern creeping into his brows. "His temper seems a bit unstable... Since you're in the same class, try to keep your distance as much as possible."
"Mm-hmm." Su Zhiyi hummed perfunctorily, as if she had taken his words to heart.
Song Lian opened his mouth, then closed it again. His gaze fell on Su Qinghuai several times, as if he was hesitating.
Su Qinghuai, however, only gave them a cold glance before lowering his head to do his problems again.
He didn't say a word, nor did he spare them another look.
As if the silent clash of gazes with Song Lian moments ago was just a minor interlude.
After hesitating for a moment, Song Lian sighed softly and said gently to Su Zhiyi, "Sorry, Zhiyi, but I want to say something unpleasant. People born in the slums... their upbringing and refinement are... You mentioned that you've asked him for help with questions a few times. I know you're just classmates, and I trust you, but... from now on, I hope you'll keep things strictly at that level."
He ended with a warm, gentle smile on his flawless handsome face—a smile that could make anyone lose focus in an instant: "Now that I'm back, if you have any questions you don't understand, you can ask me. No need to ask anyone else."
"I know~" Su Zhiyi said in a coaxing tone. "I only asked him because you weren't around. Since you don't want me to ask him anymore, I won't."
She was lying to Song Lian, but it wasn't a complete lie.
Everything she said was true—how could that be called a lie?
From Song Lian's perspective, she seemed innocent and harmless. Every word she spoke was a sweet plea, agreeing with whatever he said, never refusing his requests, always accommodating.
When Song Lian told her not to get close to Su Qinghuai, she agreed without hesitation. In Song Lian's eyes, her relationship with Su Qinghuai was merely that of classmates who had exchanged a few words—she was obedient enough to disarm all his defenses.
What she said was indeed the truth, and she had keenly picked up on the jealousy in Song Lian's words. Using her expertise in sweet talk and a demure demeanor, she charmed Song Lian into a dizzy stupor.
Song Lian told her not to ask Su Qinghuai questions, but she had never actually asked Su Qinghuai anything about academics.
Song Lian didn't know Su Qinghuai before, yet he immediately started criticizing Su Qinghuai, all while maintaining a gentle exterior. In reality, he was badmouthing Su Qinghuai, no different from those other rich young masters, showing nothing but disdain and contempt for Su Qinghuai, who was born in the slums.
Deep down, Song Lian still harbored some pride as a wealthy man. If he ever found out that she was not the real eldest Miss Su, but actually lived in the slums like the lower class...
Would he look down on her the same way he looked down on Su Qinghuai?
A faint coldness flickered in Su Zhiyi's eyes. She lowered her gaze to conceal it, and when she looked up at Song Lian again, her expression was as innocent as ever.
She naturally hooked her arm through Song Lian's, drawing closer to him as if they were inseparable lovers: "Brother Song, I heard the basketball club is having a match at noon on the court. I want to go watch. Let's go together!"
"Alright." Song Lian agreed, but he stood still, not moving to leave with her.
Just as Su Zhiyi was wondering why, he said softly, "Go downstairs first. I have something to do. I'll come find you in a bit."
"Fine." Su Zhiyi pouted in disappointment, reluctantly letting go of his arm. "Then I'll wait for you downstairs. Make sure you come down soon."
"Mm." Song Lian hummed in acknowledgment.
Su Zhiyi walked over to the window, where her two friends were chatting while watching the basketball game downstairs.
"I really didn't expect him to transfer to our school. But he's pretty handsome playing basketball, and he's ruthless against those rich kids from the basketball club. See, that eldest young master Zhao's face is black as charcoal. Honestly, I've always hated his arrogant attitude ever since he started pursuing Zhiyi. Finally, someone's teaching him a lesson. But... isn't it too much to show no respect to the eldest young master Zhao?"
"Don't you know his family? Forget about not giving face to the eldest young master Zhao—he wouldn't even give face to old man Zhao. His family isn't just any ordinary wealthy household. His family is..."
"Hey, Zhiyi, you're done talking with Song Lian?"
Li Yuexin and Xia Wan had been gossiping about the rich young masters playing basketball on the court. When they saw Su Zhiyi approach, they stopped their gossip, greeted her warmly with a cheerful "Zhiyi!"
Su Zhiyi had also caught snippets of their conversation—"eldest young master Zhao," "wealthy family"...
"Are you watching the basketball game?" Su Zhiyi squeezed between them.
She remembered the eldest young master Zhao quite well.
The Zhao family was not only rich and powerful but also a clan involved in both business and politics. Even in A City, where wealthy families were a dime a dozen, the Zhao family had their place.
The eldest young master Zhao, Zhao Chengfei, was the only son of the Zhao family. Because of his extraordinary status as a young master from a wealthy and powerful family, he swaggered around St. Desmo Academy like a crab, and many from smaller families scrambled to curry favor with him.
Confident as he was, he was also one of the few who dared to openly pursue Su Zhiyi after her engagement with the Song family was called off.
He had asked whether the Su family would consider an alliance with the Zhao family.
But Su Zhiyi had no interest in Zhao Chengfei. The man was too arrogant, full of the typical young master's temper.
She didn't like people with too much pride. Besides, while he was passably good-looking, he wasn't as handsome as Song Lian or Su Qinghuai, so he simply wasn't her type.
Zhao Chengfei offered nothing she could use. To avoid getting tangled in unnecessary trouble, it was better to reject him outright and avoid exposing her identity.
She had politely refused Zhao Chengfei, and though he wasn't discouraged, he still came looking for her from time to time.
It seemed... this usually arrogant eldest young master Zhao had finally met his match?
"Yes, we're watching the basketball club match." Xia Wan pointed at a vigorous young man on the court who skillfully dribbled past Zhao Chengfei. "Zhiyi, look—Eldest Young Master Zhao's face is blacker than ever! His face wasn't even this dark when you rejected his confession. Now you can see his foul expression even from the third floor. This is a rare sight."
Su Zhiyi's gaze fell on the most dazzling young man on the court—the handsome one. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and her thoughts drifted away.
Even Zhao Chengfei dared to offend, and from what they had just said, it seemed to hint...
This person's background was no ordinary one?
"Let's go downstairs and take a look."
*