Chapter 33

Jiang Yihao was bundled up in a puffy black down jacket like an unpeeled ear of corn, dark sunglasses perched on his nose, and a fluffy rabbit-ear hat pulled over his head, wrapping him up tight. When he tugged the plush strings on either side, both ears immediately perked up—a far cry from the cool, athletic style he usually sported.

Ruan Ning couldn't help but burst out laughing, tilting her head to look him over. "Master Jiang, what kind of fun are you having in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Yihao shushed her, quickly covering her mouth and pulling her into the shadows of the trees, nervously scanning the passersby. "Keep your voice down. I risked my life to come find you because I was worried something happened. This isn't the place to talk."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ruan Ning quickly led Jiang Yihao into the castle. At that hour, half the students were at the charity banquet and the other half were in the study rooms preparing for midterms, so the corridors were mostly empty, and the two slipped into the lobby without trouble.

Ruan Ning dragged Jiang Yihao all the way to her dorm door, where he suddenly stopped, hesitating and refusing to go in.

Ruan Ning tugged at the big guy behind her, anxious. "Hurry up and get inside. Once more people show up, it'll be bad if we're seen."

Jiang Yihao lowered his head, adjusting the huge black sunglasses on his nose, a suspicious blush creeping onto his cheeks. "You're really letting me into your room?"

Ruan Ning gave him a firm shove. "This isn't the time for that. Get in."

The electronic lock clicked open, and Jiang Yihao followed Ruan Ning inside on tiptoes. Outwardly, he kept his eyes straight ahead, but inwardly he was a nervous wreck.

He'd never stepped into a girl's room before, and suddenly entering Ruan Ning's dorm made him inexplicably shy. The talented striker, who usually seized any opportunity to score with a shot, actually stopped a few steps in, hesitating at the door.

Ruan Ning suddenly remembered her underwear from yesterday, still hanging on the drying rack in the living room. She darted forward and hastily called out to Jiang Yihao, "Stay right there and don't move. Wait a second."

Even if she hadn't called out, Jiang Yihao wouldn't have dared to step any further.

Ruan Ning's room was elegantly neat. As Jiang Yihao entered, he caught a faint whiff of her scent wafting from all directions, as if Ruan Ning herself were embracing him. He froze on the spot, his whole body stiff.

Ruan Ning pounced on the drying rack, sweeping her arms around the clothes—underwear, shirts, pants—piling them like a snowdrift against her chest, then hastily bundled them up and carried them into the bedroom. As she walked, she awkwardly played hostess: "Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Want some water?"

Jiang Yihao snapped back to reality and, in his booming voice, told Ruan Ning not to bother. "No need. I just couldn't rest easy, so I ran over to check on you. Seeing you're fine, I'll head back."

That evening, after training, he'd heard Ruan Ning's hesitant, vague words on the phone, and suddenly it hit him like a thunderbolt—could that bastard Bu Chen be forcing Ruan Ning to go along with his nonsense while he was stuck and couldn't get away? No way. He had to go rescue her right away.

Ruan Ning was gentle, kind, and naive. How could he watch her walk right into the tiger's den?

Without a second thought, he'd called Bu Chen, who coldly told him he was crazy and that she wasn't with him.

Jiang Yihao didn't believe it, and Ruan Ning wouldn't tell him where she was, so he decided to wait at the school dorm entrance for her.

Since it was sudden, he hadn't brought his coat or sunglasses. He'd scraped together a set from the club—even swiping the security guard's son's rabbit-ear hat—before coming over.

He had to avoid being recognized by passersby, endure his empty stomach, and squat outside the castle for a full two and a half hours.

When he finally saw Ruan Ning appear at the castle entrance, safe and sound, the weight lifted from his chest.

Jiang Yihao closed the distance in three quick strides to the bedroom door and shouted at the bustling figure inside, "By the way, if Bu Chen ever asks you to be his girlfriend, don't agree no matter what."

"That guy... how should I put it?"

"He's handsome and good at sweet talk, but just from what I know, he's had four girlfriends. Four! So don't let him sweet-talk you into it."

"Huh?" Ruan Ning, sitting by the wardrobe and hastily organizing her clothes, hadn't caught what Jiang Yihao said. It sounded important, so she set down what she was doing, walked over to him, and asked, "What did you just say?"

Jiang Yihao looked at Ruan Ning, her mouth half-open, not closed. Her bright, shimmering eyes gazed at him with confusion, her pupils twinkling like a galaxy of stars, her pink lips slightly pouted with a hint of puzzlement.

She'd put on light makeup today, her hair tied up, a wide-sleeved coat covering an elegant little dress. Suddenly, it was like the day they'd first met in the rest area.

Jiang Yihao's cheeks burned. He instinctively clenched his fists, trying to suppress the heat rising inside him.

He silently cursed himself for being so hopeless. It wasn't like he'd never seen her dressed up before. Why did he always forget what he was about to say, his heart pounding every single time?

Maybe it was because her gentle, soft demeanor had carved itself into his heart.

He was an impatient, impulsive person, but every time he saw Ruan Ning staring at him with those big, bright black eyes, speaking earnestly to him without rushing, it felt like a warm, sweet spring had poured into his heart. No matter how restless or anxious he was, he could instantly calm down and savor that rare tenderness.

When he'd heard Bu Chen was going to pursue Ruan Ning, his first thought had been to shout, "No way!" No matter what, he couldn't allow it.

In that instant, a tall wall rose in his heart, forbidding anyone from stepping into his private, secret garden.

Jiang Yihao cleared his throat, lifted his head with dignity, and said gravely, "Nothing. Just be careful around Bu Chen. Stay away from him as much as you can. He's not someone you can handle."

Ruan Ning gave a helpless smile. Of course she knew she should stay away from Bu Chen, but she had to act as if everything were normal and joked, "You came all this way just to tell me that?"

"Do you know how dangerous your situation is?" Jiang Yihao was fuming at her casual attitude. "You're honest, simple, and easy to bully—you wouldn't even know if you were being fooled. If Bu Chen asks you to be his girlfriend, don't agree, understand?"

"Hmm?" Ruan Ning raised an eyebrow, continuing to tease. "He's your brother. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to talk about him like that behind his back?"

Jiang Yihao's face suddenly turned red, and he muttered, "Anyway, if anything happens between you two, I'm definitely on your side."

His expression was resolute, his clear, dark eyes bright like glass washed in water, staring intently at Ruan Ning.

Ruan Ning was momentarily stunned. The heat in Jiang Yihao's gaze made her feel a reverence and cherishing she'd never experienced before, as if even if she went to war with Bu Chen at this very moment, Jiang Yihao would unhesitatingly raise his sword to protect her.

She turned her face away and said quietly, "By the measure of closeness, you should side with your brother."

"No! I will always be on your side." Jiang Yihao denied it outright, reaffirming his vow with certainty.

He was like an misunderstood puppy, his tail spinning like a propeller, his eyes sparkling as he barked at her, "Don't be afraid of him. With me here, he won't dare to do anything to you. If he bullies you, you must tell me—I'll go settle the score with him."

Ruan Ning's eyes reddened, her chest trembling slightly, a wave of warmth surging up inside her.

Deep down, she had already become a hollow, lying villain, yet Jiang Yihao had always treated her as a pure, kind person, never doubting her, always thinking of her.

She had never felt such unconditional support and trust from anyone other than her parents.

Her eyes glistened. She took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling up. "Thank you."

Jiang Yihao, his heart aching, reached out to wipe away her tears, then leaned down to whisper softly in her ear, "Promise me, don't meet him privately, okay?"

Ruan Ning awkwardly clutched the hem of her skirt, feeling both guilty and helpless, and gave a vague "Mm."

"Um, is there anything else? If not, I should go wash up and rest."

Jiang Yihao's heart felt sweeter than honey with her answer. He snapped back to himself, smiled, and slapped his forehead. "Almost forgot. I have my official match next Saturday. I'd like to invite you and your uncle to come watch. I've already saved seats—consider it a fan perk."

Ruan Ning smiled. "Don't worry. Our whole family was already planning to watch the season opener."

Ruan Ning wasn't lying. Ruan Dahong was a die-hard RQ fan, and every year on opening day, the whole family would go with him to Qingli Stadium to watch the game.

Ruan Ning wasn't interested in the match itself, but RQ's restaurant was good—their hot dogs and mini burgers were better than most outside places. So joining in occasionally for a meal wasn't a bad deal.

She suddenly thought of something and asked, full of concern, "Once the season starts, does that mean you'll be officially exposed to the world's media? Does that mean your parents will find out soon?"

Jiang Yihao's eyes darkened for a moment, his brows furrowing as a fiery blaze burned in them. "Yes. I live for this moment—to stand on the field of Qingli Stadium and play in front of the world. No matter what happens, I won't regret it."

Seeing his resolve, Ruan Ning said no more.

Noticing it was getting late and that students from both the study rooms and the charity banquet would soon return, Ruan Ning urged Jiang Yihao to head back early to avoid the crowd.

As he left, Jiang Yihao gave Ruan Ning a hug, patting her back. "If anything happens, don't carry it alone. Tell me, and I'll take care of it."

Ruan Ning lowered her head and murmured in agreement, then said, "Good luck." Jiang Yihao dashed into the dark thicket and disappeared like an ancient swordsman, coming and going without a trace.

Back in her dorm, Ruan Ning turned on the shower and let the water beat against her face, tilting her head up.

The situation was becoming more tangled and harder to describe. Tuesday with Bu Chen, Saturday with Jiang Yihao—the two male leads she'd had no connection with originally were now seeping into every corner of her life after the tasks were done.

"But you need to decide whether to accept it."

Bai Xingmiao's words suddenly echoed in her mind again. The water rushed down over Ruan Ning's forehead, her body tensed, and the stream bent in a frightful arc as it hit her.

Accepting Bai Xingmiao's thank-you letter was like fulfilling the last condition of the game mission. Once accepted, she would face the stark ending, with no chance to change it.

But given the current situation, the plot had deviated from the main line, revealing developments she didn't know about. Ruan Ning dared not gamble on whether it was the ending she wanted. Or perhaps Bai Xingmiao had a deeper meaning.

Ruan Ning closed her eyes, standing alone under the shower, letting the water rush over her...

After the midterms, Ruan Ning didn't feel much relief. Because she'd studied regularly, the exam had not been overly stressful; what truly stressed her was Tuesday's appointment with Bu Chen.

Time flew by until Tuesday evening. They'd agreed to meet at the school parking lot, where Bu Chen would send someone to pick her up.

Ruan Ning arrived at the lot with a heavy heart. There, a tall man in sunglasses was already waiting by a sleek black car. He greeted her respectfully, "Miss Ruan."

Sunglasses at night, too? Ruan Ning smirked inwardly, then bent down and slipped into the car, wondering where Bu Chen was taking her.