Chapter 3

With such a promising start, Ruan Ning's confidence swelled. She waited quietly for the banquet to begin.

Iya University had aristocratic roots, but its campus culture was simple and unpretentious. After a brief congratulatory speech from the principal, the banquet officially began.

Well-trained waiters filed in long rows, approaching the students in unison and lifting the dish covers at the same time—a rather spectacular sight.

The banquet had brought in a five-star chef, and the moment the covers were lifted, the rich aroma of the dishes filled the entire hall.

Ruan Ning had little appetite. In her mind, the two-hour countdown was ticking away. She forked a small piece of the chef's signature confit beef shank and chewed it absentmindedly.

Everyone else in the room was fully immersed in the feast for the senses.

Ruan Ning glanced at Zeng Shuya. She was carefully cutting a small piece of the confit beef shank with her knife and fork, chewing it slowly with a blissful expression, completely lost in the world of food.

This was her chance.

Ruan Ning seized the moment, raised her glass, and rose from her seat.

"Miss, is there anything you need?"

Startled, Ruan Ning turned around to see the head waiter holding a gleaming dish, smiling warmly, with a row of waiters behind him looking at her curiously.

Damn. She was blocking their service.

"Um, no, it's nothing." Embarrassed, Ruan Ning obediently sat back down, mentally scolding herself for forgetting that the banquet was served course by course according to state banquet standards.

She had no choice but to wait patiently until the dishes were mostly served. Checking the time, she saw that half of it was already gone.

If she didn't make her move soon, Jiang Yihao would show up.

After the dessert was served, Ruan Ning immediately circled behind Zeng Shuya and, with a deliberate slip of her hand, splashed wine across her back. A conspicuous wine-red bloom exploded on the white gown.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I just lost my grip. I'm so sorry I ruined your dress." Ruan Ning bent over in a fluster, apologizing and trying to wipe it dry, pretending to be deeply upset.

People around them glanced over. Seeing that it was Zeng Shuya who had been splashed, they snickered and turned back to their food and conversations.

Zeng Shuya was momentarily stunned and tried to look at her back but couldn't quite see it.

Ruan Ning quickly grabbed napkins to wipe it for her, emphasizing again, "I'm really sorry I ruined your dress. Let me buy you a new one."

Zeng Shuya, though the victim, wore an apologetic expression and comforted her gently, "It's fine. I'll just wipe it off. Really, no need to trouble yourself."

Ruan Ning pretended to blame herself.

"How can it be fine? Our first ball of the school year should start with everything looking beautiful."

"I just happen to have brought a few extra dresses. If you don't mind, would you wear one of mine?"

Zeng Shuya twisted the stained part of her dress with one hand, her clear eyes full of hesitation. She seemed like a kind, considerate girl who couldn't bear to turn anyone down.

"I'm fine. This dress was cheap. I can just handle it myself."

Ruan Ning grew anxious inside. She softened her voice and coaxed patiently, "But this dress is completely unwearable now. Just listen to me."

"Let's go. We'll change and come back quickly. We won't miss the ball, I promise. You have to trust me."

Ruan Ning's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest.

This was the first time she'd ever tricked anyone, and every time she met Zeng Shuya's bright, innocent eyes, she almost blew it. Please, just stop asking and come along.

Please.

Ruan Ning's palms were slick with cold sweat.

"Alright." Between coaxing and pulling, Zeng Shuya nodded. Ruan Ning's suspended heart finally settled back into place, and she smiled as she took Zeng Shuya's hand.

"Wait!" Zeng Shuya suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ruan Ning's smile froze on her face, almost choking on her own breath.

Zeng Shuya asked with concern, "What happened to your hand?"

Ruan Ning looked down in a panic. She hadn't realized that in her nervousness, she'd dug her nails into her fingers, drawing blood. She quickly withdrew her hand and said, "It's nothing. I just accidentally scraped the skin. I do this all the time. Don't worry."

Zeng Shuya refused to leave. She kindly picked up a napkin and carefully wrapped it around Ruan Ning's wound, looking at her with bright, simple eyes. "Bleeding like that must hurt. I've bandaged it for you. Does it still hurt?"

"Mm, no, it doesn't." Ruan Ning avoided her gaze, feeling guilty.

Only then did Zeng Shuya break into a smile and follow her.

Ruan Ning's heart ached. Her guilt had reached its peak.

Why was she hurting an innocent person?

"I'm sorry."

It was the first time she'd said that to anyone since the semester began.

"I'm sorry."

Just a few minutes later, she said it again—still to Zeng Shuya. But this time, she was standing outside an abandoned lounge, facing the thick pine door.

Because of her deception, the simple and kind-hearted Zeng Shuya had quickly fallen for it and was locked inside a long-abandoned lounge in the corner of the auditorium.

It was a spot she'd chosen carefully.

Like every student lounge at Iya University, it had soft sofas, a spacious fireplace, ancient murals, and diamond-shaped stained-glass windows. But this room had been left untended for years and gradually forgotten. Few people ever came here now, and a thick layer of dust had settled inside—though it was still much better than the dank, smelly dungeon in the original novel.

"Zeng Shuya, please don't blame me. Stay inside and don't move."

"It's safe in there. I won't hurt you. Please, you have to trust me. Once the ball is over, I'll definitely let you out."

Ruan Ning clasped her hands and bowed to the wooden door again and again, then hurried back to the banquet hall.

Her steps were unsteady the whole way.

In less than half an hour, she'd actually managed to lock someone in a secret room and become a real villain.

When she returned to the banquet, the ball had already begun. Students were dancing hand in hand on the dance floor. Only she still had a buzzing mess in her head.

Ruan Ning hid alone in a corner, watching the hall's big clock.

Occasionally, a few male students would come over to ask her to dance. She'd look up blankly, then shake her head just as blankly, her gaze never quite landing on anyone. The boys could only step away regretfully.

Ruan Ning hugged her arms and kept rubbing them.

It was only early autumn. Why did it feel so cold?

The hands of the clock ticked on. Ruan Ning stared at the doors, waiting for Jiang Yihao's arrival.

She'd completed half her task. As long as she kept an eye on the male lead, the other half would be done as well.

She cheered herself on.

Another hour passed, and Jiang Yihao still hadn't shown up. People began to murmur.

What if he doesn't come?

In the game, Jiang Yihao not only came but had a great time—which made the truth all the more infuriating for him.

While he was enjoying himself, the girl he loved was freezing and suffering in a cold, smelly dungeon, and he had done nothing about it.

Ruan Ning held her nerve and kept her eyes on the door.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the figure she'd feared seeing all night—Zeng Shuya.

Every hair on her body stood on end.

Ruan Ning thought she must be seeing things. But behind that white figure was the very wine-red stain she had spilled with her own hands!

She immediately gave chase, colliding with a dancing couple. They complained. Ruan Ning apologized repeatedly and cut straight across the wide dance floor.

How could Zeng Shuya be here?

Shouldn't she be locked in the lounge?

The fatal question hammered her mind again and again. Trembling, she ran back to the lounge.

When she saw the door wide open, Ruan Ning's heavy heart plummeted into the abyss.

"Z-Zeng Shuya?" Ruan Ning's voice quivered. Her hands and feet went cold as she pushed open the thick wooden door.

Feeling guilty, she added, "Have you changed your clothes? I came to get you—achoo!" Before she could finish, the dust in the room made her sneeze.

She had cleaned it thoroughly two days ago, and just two days later, dust had already settled again.

The room was pitch black. Only the moonlight outside the window cast faint shapes, barely outlining the furnishings in an eerie gloom.

She refused to give up and called out softly, "Zeng Shuya?" Her voice echoed through the empty space, but no one answered.

Could she have escaped?

The lounge was so quiet that only her breathing and the distant music from the ball could be heard. Ruan Ning's heart leaped into her throat. In a panic, she shouted, "Zeng Shuya, are you in here? Answer me!"

The dim room remained silent.

It's over.

She had locked the door properly—how could the girl have gotten out?!

She slumped helplessly onto the dirty old carpet, clutching her head. It was splitting with pain. By now, she didn't even have the strength to cry.

Why did so many things go wrong the first time she ever tried to do something bad?

In the end, it was all the System's fault. She'd said it from the start—this job was too much for her.

Sob, sob...

Just as she was at her wit's end, the sound of dripping water came from deeper inside the lounge. Ruan Ning jolted, looked up, and pricked up her ears.

Someone's in there?

Clutching at her last shred of hope, she tiptoed inside.

Following the sound, she found a hidden bathroom tucked away at the back of the lounge.

She coughed lightly, brushed the dust off herself, arranged a composed smile, and slowly pushed open the door. "So here you are..."

The words died on her lips. Ruan Ning froze, rooted to the spot.

There, leaning against the edge of the bathtub, was a tall, strapping young man, breathing heavily in low, pained gasps. The old faucet dripped steadily beside him. There wasn't a trace of Zeng Shuya anywhere.

The young man was wearing athletic shorts. His long, straight legs were bare, and the taut Achilles tendons of his exposed calves faced Ruan Ning, glistening with a dangerously alluring sheen in the darkness.

"Who are you?"

The young man's bloodshot eyes swept over her as he gasped for breath. The moment he saw her, his pupils dilated, and he coughed violently, struggling to breathe. He glared at her like an injured beast baring its teeth in the dark, warning her not to come closer.

Ruan Ning was startled, but even more than that, she worried about what this person might have seen.

She forced herself to calm down and move in slowly, carefully studying his expression. "Are you okay? Have you been here all along?"

"Get out!"

"I said get out! Don't touch me!"

The young man roared at her, his eyes narrowing with a fierce glint.

Ruan Ning felt like a blaze was scorching her back. Terror gripped her to the core, but she managed to squeeze out a trembling line through her teeth: "But you look really weak. I'm afraid something might happen to you. I just wanted to ask if you need help."

"Get out—"

"Can't you hear me? Get as far away as you can."

A strange, unreadable flame flickered in his bloodshot eyes. Ruan Ning didn't know what it meant, but her instincts screamed that she was in danger.

Dark night, two people alone in a room—any other time, Ruan Ning would have cut a wide berth.

But this man looked so frail. If she just walked away and something happened to him, she'd feel guilty for the rest of her life.

"Don't worry, I mean you no harm. I'm just worried—are you really okay alone in here?"

"Don't tough it out. Let me take you to see a doctor."

The young man's tall form trembled slightly. He turned his broad shoulders and narrow waist, facing away from her, straining to suppress some powerful urge. His teeth ground audibly. "Go... don't mind me..."

With that, he collapsed heavily from the edge of the bathtub, unconscious.

"Hey! What's wrong? Wake up!" Ruan Ning rushed forward, patting his face. "Don't scare me. If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do?"

If the police showed up, wouldn't the whole kidnapping thing blow up in her face!

She grabbed his arm and shook him hard. "Pull yourself together! Let me take you to the doctor. We're going right now!"

The young man's disheveled, thick black hair fell across his forehead, swaying slightly. Beneath his jutting brow bone, his deep-set eyes were shadowed, and a refined pair of under-eye bags added a roguish charm. His sharply defined lips were pressed tightly shut.

He was unconscious, but his untamed aristocratic bearing made it clear he was no ordinary person—the spoiled scion of some powerful family, arrogant to the bone.

His muscular frame was over six feet tall and solid as a rock. No matter how hard Ruan Ning tried, she couldn't budge him. After struggling for a long time, her legs were trembling with exhaustion, and she hadn't moved him an inch.

Ruan Ning grew more and more panicked.

I'm trying to save you out of kindness—please, don't do this to me.

Get up, you big lump!

She hauled and pulled at him for a long time until finally, the young man stirred and slowly lifted his head.

"Ha, you're awake."

Ruan Ning rushed forward to help him up, but suddenly, a dangerously seductive aura filled the air.

The young man stared straight at her, his nose slowly closing in. Ruan Ning could see every thick lash of his eyes, sharp and bare. Cold sweat ran down her back.

She instinctively stepped back, but he was quicker—his hand pressed against the back of her head and he kissed her hard.