RBCT Chapter 419 - 418: "Look at this scene, am I going to eat you?
Chapter 419 - 418: "Look at this scene, am I going to eat you?
Sika leaned in and chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, go easy on the drinks. We still have to hit another spot later, so we can’t have you getting drunk now."
As she spoke, she quietly asked Liu Yun, "Sister Yunyun, does the Sect Leader have a girlfriend?"
Her eyes were sparkling, and it was clear this wasn’t just a casual question. Liu Yun was taken aback. "You don’t have a crush on Si Xuan, do you?"
"Oh, please. ’Like’ is too dramatic." Sika’s eyes followed the man who was just walking in, and she whispered, "I just think he’s an absolute god-tier catch. One night with him would be totally worth it."
Xu Su and Liu Yun: "..."
The two girls, with their more traditional views on romance, were left speechless.
Sika said, "Even though this is the first time we’ve met, I’d bet he comes from a very wealthy family."
Xu Su had to agree. She had a good eye for these things.
Children raised in families with true heritage carry a natural aura in their every gesture. The effortless air of nobility they exuded was something no etiquette coach could ever teach; it was an attitude ingrained from a young age, a disposition that was bone-deep.
Even if such people were low-key and never showed off, that sense of effortless ease made them stand out in a crowd, leaving an unforgettable impression.
Si Xuan was exactly like that. He was tall and slender, his back always ramrod straight. When he stood, he was like a stalk of green bamboo. In such a fickle world, Xu Su felt she could see an unyielding integrity in him—a spirit that would rather break than bend.
Liu Yun was more familiar with Si Xuan than the other girls were, but even she didn’t know him that well. "I only know he’s from Peng City," she said softly. "I’ve never asked about anything else."
She looked at Sika. "You should give up on trying anything with our Sect Leader. He’s definitely way harder to land than that last campus heartthrob you were after. You have no idea—on our school’s list of most desirable guys, he’s known for being the most unapproachable. He gives absolutely no one a chance. You can’t even get in the same room with him, so how are you supposed to pursue him?"
"Before you guys joined the group chat, there was this girl, the belle of our music department. I don’t know how she found out, but she learned that Si Xuan played online games and specifically leveled up an account just to get close to him. She even managed to get into the offline meetup. Her intentions must have been way too obvious that day, because she was forced out of the group the very next day. Si Xuan kicked her out personally."
"Is it that serious?" Sika exclaimed, then her expression quickly turned to suspicion. "He’s not into guys, is he?"
Liu Yun actually gave it some serious thought before saying hesitantly, "I don’t think so... He’s just so-so with guys like Nanyang and Beiyue. Not particularly close."
She tried to reason with her earnestly. "If you don’t want to get kicked out of the group, then stop lusting after his body. There are plenty of hot mixed-race guys overseas; go have your fun with them. Just leave our premium domestic-grown heartthrobs for us girls here at home."
"But I’ve never seen a specimen this prime overseas, either," Sika said, her gaze casually sweeping in Si Xuan’s direction as her eyes darted around slyly. "That body proportion, that waist... I wonder if he has back dimples. I’ve never been with a man who has back dimples."
"..." Xu Su, who had been sitting silently between them, cleared her throat. "He probably does."
Sika’s eyes widened as she stared at Xu Su. "How would you know?"
Liu Yun also shot her a dubious look.
Xu Su was horrified to realize she’d said her thoughts out loud. She opened her mouth, and under their stunned and suspicious gazes, she quickly scrambled for an excuse. "I was just guessing."
The moment the words were out, a faint blush crept onto her face.
’Damn it!’
’The way I said that makes it sound like I’ve been fantasizing about him for ages!’
At that thought, Xu Su hurriedly tried to explain. "It’s not what you’re thinking, I..."
She was rushing to explain, but just then, the door to the private room was pushed open. A familiar male voice seemed to explode right by her ear. "Xu Su!"
Cut off mid-sentence, Xu Su turned toward the door and saw Shen Chen striding toward her.
"Why didn’t you answer my calls?" Shen Chen’s face was grim. Ignoring the two dozen pairs of eyes watching him, he walked right up to Xu Su and scrutinized her. "Where were you yesterday? Didn’t you say you were going to the ancient town?"
Although it had only been a day since she’d last seen him, so much had happened that the Shen Chen standing before her now felt like a stranger.
’I only told Zhou Mochen I was having dinner here. How did Shen Chen find out?’
Xu Su pressed her lips together. She wanted nothing more to do with Shen Chen. Zhou Mochen was so petty he’d fly into a rage over the smallest thing, and frankly, she was terrified of him.
But she also wasn’t about to air their messy relationship drama in front of a group of friends she’d just met.
As they stood in a tense stalemate, neither knowing what to say, Shen Chen’s gaze swept over the people at the table. His eyes landed on Si Xuan, whom he had met once before. His gaze paused, then suddenly turned cold.
To everyone else, Shen Chen looked exactly like a jealous boyfriend, on guard against someone trying to steal his girl.
The lively private room fell silent. Many of them were thinking the same thing. ’Xu Su’s boyfriend looks decent enough, but isn’t he a bit too overbearing?’
’She just came out for dinner, and he tracked her down, acting like he’s guarding against a rival.’
Soon, seeing how awkward the situation was, a few of the guys tried to break the tension, calling for a waiter to add another chair and inviting Shen Chen to sit.
Shen Chen remained motionless in front of Xu Su, his eyes lowered to fix on the silent girl. "We need to talk."
Xu Su’s knuckles whitened around her chopsticks, but a moment later, as if she hadn’t heard him, she slowly and deliberately picked up a piece of fish and ate it.
’I want him to see how difficult this is and back off. I’m already treating him like he’s thin air. Surely Young Master Shen has some shame, right?’
Unexpectedly, Shen Chen had no intention of backing down. He took hold of Xu Su’s arm and tried to pull her to her feet, his voice gentle and patient. "Xu Su, talk to me. Since you know that I..."
His voice died away when he felt her slight tremble.
"What happened to your arm?" Shen Chen paused, then reached out to pull off her shawl, but Xu Su shot up from her seat to avoid him.
"Fine. We’ll talk." Xu Su picked up her glass and drained it, then smiled apologetically at her friends. "Sorry, everyone. I have a private matter to attend to. Please excuse me for a bit."
She pushed her chair back to leave but was stopped by Sika, who grabbed her arm. "Don’t go too far. If anything happens, message the group."
One of the guys also shouted, "Yeah, remember to call for us if you need anything! We’re all right here."
’They probably think I’m trying to break up with my boyfriend and he’s pestering me...’
Xu Su smiled and thanked them. She was about to say more when Shen Chen grabbed her wrist. A smirk played on his lips. "What’s with the cavalry? You’d think I was going to eat you alive."
"..." Xu Su shook his hand off and walked toward the door.
Shen Chen followed right behind her. Just as he was about to exit, he glanced back at the ever-silent Si Xuan, murmured, "Sorry for the disturbance," and closed the door.
The moment they left, the private room erupted.
Everyone started guessing about the man who had come for Xu Su. What was his relationship to her?
Was he really her boyfriend?
If so, had they been fighting? Were they in the middle of a breakup?
Someone commented that Xu Su’s boyfriend looked pretty respectable, not like some predator who’d prey on a high school girl.
Then someone else remarked that the man’s presence was too intense; he was definitely not someone to be messed with.