The Vicious, Vain Stepsister (3)

It was just at the tail end of midsummer, and the weather was still unbearably hot, even at night. Only the occasional cool breeze offered some relief from the sweltering heat.

Jiang Xuefu wore a simple, tailored little black dress that showed off her slender, delicate waist. The long legs beneath her hem were slim and fair, glowing like jade under the lights. Her long, ink-black hair was slightly curled and tied half up with a burgundy ribbon. Her makeup was exquisite, her skin snowy and her lips red. Every smile and frown was so enchanting that no one could look away.

By the time she reached the private room, most of the guests had already arrived. Jiang Xuefu greeted everyone as she discreetly scanned the room, and immediately spotted the young man sitting in the middle of the booth.

School was over for the day, and everyone had changed out of their uniforms into their everyday clothes. He alone still wore his well-tailored, light gray suit uniform, his jacket draped to one side and the top two buttons of his white shirt undone. He had a tall, slender figure, and his long legs were crossed casually. His expression was indifferent and unruffled, while his nearly flawless face glowed faintly like white porcelain beneath the brilliant chandelier.

He certainly had what it took to make so many girls fall for him.

Jiang Xuefu smiled, picked up a glass of wine, and walked over to Lu Zhiyan.

"Senior, may I sit here?" Her voice was soft and sweet, her eyes curved and her face wreathed in smiles. The sound of people swallowing echoed through the private room.

When Lu Zhiyan nodded, the others who had been quietly watching couldn't help drawing a breath. Everyone knew that Lu Zhiyan disliked being touched and didn't like people getting too close to him. Aside from Tan Shu, no one had ever sat beside him.

Just then, Tan Shu returned from the restroom. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw the great beauty who had suddenly appeared beside Lu Zhiyan.

Well, well, well. What happened to keeping women at arm's length?

When he came closer and took another look, he realized it was the girl he had seen the other day.

He casually found a seat nearby and, when Lu Zhiyan looked over, waggled his eyebrows at him. Bro, what's this about?

Then he saw the tips of the normally cold-faced young man's ears quietly turn red, and his gaze grew somewhat awkward.

Wait, bro? What are you getting shy for?

Tan Shu looked at Lu Zhiyan in confusion. What he didn't know was that, in a corner he couldn't see, Jiang Xuefu's hand, propped on the cushion, had very "accidentally" brushed Lu Zhiyan's fingertips.

The contact lasted only an instant.

Jiang Xuefu caught sight of the young man out of the corner of her eye and felt pleased and smug. Just as I thought. I'm so pretty-how could anyone not like me?

But Lu Zhiyan's innocence was beyond her expectations.

She took out the bag she had prepared in advance. Inside was the uniform jacket she had taken from Su Jiu, and she handed it to Lu Zhiyan.

"Senior, Xiao Jiu asked me to give you your uniform. I washed it all clean." She spoke with a smile, taking the credit for herself while subtly putting Su Jiu down.

See? I'm the one who washed your clothes. Su Jiu didn't do a thing.

The two of them hadn't been sitting far apart to begin with, and when Jiang Xuefu reached out to hand him the bag, the distance between them inevitably narrowed, clearly surpassing the normal social distance between friends.

They were close enough for Lu Zhiyan to catch the faint scent of gardenia on her. It was light rather than strong, yet enough to leave a lasting impression.

"Thank you."

Lu Zhiyan lowered his eyes slightly and took the bag. He didn't ask why the uniform he had given Su Jiu had ended up in Jiang Xuefu's hands.

In fact, he was a little fastidious about cleanliness, and the moment he had given his uniform away, he had never intended to take it back.

But now, Lu Zhiyan's eyes flickered. Without a word, he naturally accepted the item carrying her scent. At once, the fragrance of gardenia grew a little stronger.

Most people would have said "you're welcome" and left it at that, but Jiang Xuefu had come with a purpose. She had always done whatever she wanted and was used to acting without restraint. Besides, if anything went wrong, her father would be there to cover for her.

So she paid no attention to the probing glances the people around them occasionally cast her way. Smiling, she took out her phone, unlocked it, and opened WeChat. "May I add you as a contact, senior?"

The girl was truly breathtakingly beautiful. When she fixed those limpid eyes on someone, they seemed brimming with endless affection, as sweet as drinking honey and leaving one happy to savor it.

Lu Zhiyan lowered his gaze, his heart stirred slightly, as though something had stung it. He murmured assent, then took out his phone and added her while she watched.

He didn't say a word throughout the whole process, giving off an exceptionally aloof air-if one ignored the burning tips of his ears.

Satisfied now that she had gotten what she wanted, Jiang Xuefu knew there was no rushing this sort of thing, so she stopped paying attention to him and instead joined the people beside her in a lively drinking game.

The student council represented the students, but at some point, its members had all come to be either rich or well-connected. After developing over successive cohorts, it was less a student organization than a circle of wealthy families for building connections.

Jiang Xuefu naturally felt right at home in such an environment. In the blink of an eye, she was calling people she hadn't known when she came in by their names as familiarly as old friends around the drinking table.

It was almost eleven by the time the gathering ended. No one had tried to force Jiang Xuefu to drink, but she loved drinking herself, and by the end her cheeks were flushed red and even her thoughts were a little hazy.