Jiangg Yao practically fell flat on her back with a loud THUD.
Dust billowed up from the ground, and a flurry of fallen leaves was kicked into the air, spinning as they drifted back down.
She felt a sudden, searing heat on her thigh and couldn't help but cry out in pain. The burning sensation only intensified, and she winced, sucking in a sharp breath.
Chen Yuan heard the commotion behind him and paused for a moment.
He knew the best thing to do was to not turn around, no matter how badly Jiangg Ning had fallen. It had nothing to do with him.
'Right, isn't this what she wanted?'
'She was in such a hurry to cut ties a month ago, and now she suddenly shows up? Who is she trying to disgust?'
'She probably faked the fall, too. There's nothing a green tea wouldn't do.'
In just an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
But in the end, he turned back. Even if it were a stranger who had fallen, the way Chen Yuan was raised wouldn't allow him to just stand by and watch.
Chen Yuan figured he would just take one look. If it was nothing serious, he'd keep walking.
But as it turned out, Jiangg Yao was lying on the ground, completely unable to get up. She clutched her thigh, her delicate face contorted in pain.
Through the gaps between her fingers... a trace of blood seeped out.
"You're hurt?" Seeing this, Chen Yuan hurried over.
He took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shined it on the bleeding area.
He wouldn't have known if he hadn't looked, but it was quite gruesome. It was a five-centimeter gash. The surface of her skin was torn open, and beads of blood welled up before trickling down her thigh.
"I... I don't know. It just hurts a lot."
"Move your hand. Let me see how bad it is."
Jiangg Yao had been scared, but when she heard his low voice and looked up to see his serious expression, she felt a little more at ease.
For some reason, her heart settled a bit.
She let go of her hand, allowing Chen Yuan to lean down and examine the wound.
"It's okay. It should just be a surface wound. You'll be fine after getting it bandaged at the infirmary."
Chen Yuan turned his head and scanned the surroundings. In the light of his phone, he quickly found the culprit behind Jiangg Yao's injury—a jutting tree branch with a sharp, broken, half-diamond-shaped tip.
"Aren't you going to help me up?" Jiangg Yao looked at him pitifully as their eyes met.
She pouted, a look of grievance appearing on her otherwise dignified face. Her sparkling eyes, in particular... made Chen Yuan acutely aware that a woman's eyes could speak.
Some emotions escape through the eyes, even when left unspoken.
Chen Yuan deliberately kept a cold expression as he helped her, using his strength to try and pull her up.
But Jiangg Yao intentionally stayed put, as if she were nailed to the ground, crying out in a hushed, urgent tone, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
"Then try to stand up yourself."
"Chen Yuan! You're being a little too cruel."
"Heh, I've got nothing on you."
He looked down on Jiangg Yao, and his gaze made her tremble.
Of course, she knew what Chen Yuan was talking about. It was her fault to begin with, and there was no room for argument, so Jiangg Yao could only remain silent.
She was determined not to argue back, no matter how harsh his words became. At least, that was her resolve!
"If you were a little gentler... maybe I could stand up." Jiangg Yao gently bit her moist lip, propping herself up with one hand, her tone timid and submissive.
"Fine."
However, just as Chen Yuan reached out to lift her, Jiangg Yao threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight.
"What are you doing?"
"It suddenly hurts a lot. Let me rest a bit. No, no, I can't stand up."
"If you can't stand up, then let go first." Chen Yuan froze. He couldn't stand or sit properly; the position was incredibly awkward.
But Jiangg Yao had gone to great lengths to find an excuse to keep him there. How could she let him go so easily?
She hugged Chen Yuan, pressing her cheek against him and taking a deep, satisfied breath of his scent. She rubbed against him wantonly, still muttering, "It hurts so much... Hiss, it's killing me."
For some reason, she found Chen Yuan's scent especially pleasant, and it instantly reminded her of the jacket she had worn that day.
'A very unique scent. Laundry detergent mixed with a man's body heat? I can't quite describe it, but the more I smell it, the more I'm hooked.'
As Jiangg Yao kept sniffing, she started to forget the pain in her leg, even gradually moving her nose closer to his neck.
'If I could, I'd find an excuse to strip off one of his clothes to use as a pillow tonight... Just thinking about it makes my heart race.'
Her hot breath tickled his neck. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, Chen Yuan quickly pushed Jiangg Yao away.
"Are you a dog?"
He was thoroughly annoyed. His good mood from feeding the cats had been completely ruined by his malicious ex-girlfriend. The words slipped out in his frustration.
In that instant, Jiangg Yao's somewhat joyful expression froze on her face. Stunned by his insult, she stared blankly at Chen Yuan.
In the dim moonlight, he could clearly see her eyes turn red within seconds. Tears welled up as her small fists clenched tighter and tighter.
The words were indeed harsh, but Chen Yuan didn't regret them. To make a clean break, harsh words were necessary.
He hoped Teacher Jiangg Ning would get a clear picture of his attitude and stop with the act.
'It would be best if she lost her cool and cursed me out. That would be better for both of us.'
And just as he expected, Jiangg Yao got angry!
She suddenly moved closer, grabbing Chen Yuan's arm forcefully, leaving only inches between them.
She leaned close to Chen Yuan's ear and whispered, extremely softly.
But in the quiet night, it was crystal clear.
"Woof~"
Chen Yuan froze.
A glint of cunning flashed in her eyes, and she could no longer hide her smile.
If anyone knew that the daughter of the famous Jiangg Ruxue, the president of a corporate giant in Mingzhu City's Government East District, would act like this for a boy...
...countless rich heirs would probably be banging their heads against a wall.
When a girl truly falls for a boy, she sometimes throws all caution to the wind. This is generally known as being "love-brained."
What was surprising, however, was that Jiangg Yao's love-brained mode had only activated at the age of twenty-six, and only for Chen Yuan.
She didn't feel ashamed at all. In fact, she was thrilled.
"Don't be mad at me~ Please, Chen Yuan... Brother~ Big Brother Chen Yuan."
Jiangg Yao pulled out all the stops. To be honest, she had rarely acted cute growing up, but she had a natural talent for it. It was a surefire tactic whenever she used it on her older sister, Jiangg Ning.
Sometimes, when Jiangg Ning's rich friends came over, they would get so caught up in their conversations that they'd ignore her.
Jiangg Yao would then act cute, urging her sister to finish her chat so they could watch anime together.
Those rich ladies would be dumbfounded. Forget men; even women couldn't resist her charms.
Chen Yuan tried his best to resist the devastating psychic attack. He was only eighteen, after all, and the face Jiangg Ning wore was the same one that spoke so eloquently and appeared so serene on the lecture podium—a face countless times more beautiful and elegant than any campus belle.
But this woman, a university lecturer with ridiculously long legs, a wasp waist, and full hips...
...was actually holding his hand and calling out to him in such a soft voice.
She even used the word "please."
He immediately felt the blood rush to his head. A beautiful woman is captivating to everyone, but when a beautiful woman with such a contrasting personality acts cute, it could only be described as terrifyingly effective.
Chen Yuan pinched his thigh, quickly regaining his senses and warning himself not to fall for this green tea's trap.
"I can take you to the infirmary, or I can find a couple of students to take you. Choose now."
"Your heart is so hard..."
"Three."
"Can't we just talk nicely?"
"Two."
"Fine, I choose! You take me to the infirmary." Jiangg Yao resentfully grabbed the hand Chen Yuan offered and struggled to her feet.
While dusting herself off, she pressed close to Chen Yuan, afraid he would run away.
"Can you walk?"
"I can. It doesn't hurt that much right now."
"Then can you not hang your entire body on me?" Chen Yuan felt the pressure on his left shoulder. She was holding on too tightly.
"Okay, I'll loosen up... Is that better?"
"You're heavy as lead."
Jiangg Yao ignored Chen Yuan's annoyed expression and muttered under her breath, "That's such an exaggeration. I'm almost 170 cm tall, and I only weigh 47 kg..."
"Who asked you?"
Jiangg Yao took a deep breath, a little annoyed at his retort.
But she quickly let it go. They were walking behind the academic building where there were hardly any students. Shadows enveloped the area, a night breeze was blowing, and because of her injury, they were walking very slowly.
She suddenly felt so happy, because she was hugging Chen Yuan's arm.
Jiangg Yao had dreamed of this scene many times—strolling leisurely with the person she liked, just like most ordinary couples, like a heartwarming scene flashing by in a romance anime.
'If it could be like this every day, I think I'd be okay with getting hurt every day.'
"Walk faster. I'm in a hurry to get back and play my game." Chen Yuan quickly shattered the tender atmosphere, urging her on.
"What's the rush to play a game..." Jiangg Yao started to retort, wanting to ask, 'Is the game more important than me?' But she didn't say it. She knew what Chen Yuan's answer would be without even having to ask.
She pressed her lips together, suddenly realizing that after preparing so carefully for so many days, going to the infirmary would give Chen Yuan the perfect, legitimate opportunity to slip away!
"Wait, I can't go to the infirmary! There will definitely be a lot of students there. It's too conspicuous for us to go like this!"
"Let's be clear, Teacher Jiangg Ning. I'm only taking you to get bandaged out of respect for my teacher. There's nothing to hide."
"No," Jiangg Yao stopped, stood on her tiptoes, and said shyly, "let's go to my office."