Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!

Chapter 1149 - 580: Falling

"No, senior, you must be mistaken..."

Zhan Xue Ning hurriedly wanted to explain, but Liu Runxi gave her a faint glance, a look so cold that she immediately fell silent.

She understood that the person in front of her not only saw through everything but also held the leverage that could destroy the Zhan family at any moment.

"I don’t want tonight’s events to happen again."

The young man’s voice got lighter, yet it carried more pressure.

Zhan Xue Ning’s eyes turned red, but not from grievance; it was fear, embarrassment, and a sense of being exposed after having all her schemes, disguises, and greed laid bare.

All her meticulously maintained dignity, innocence, and gentleness shattered completely in the face of Liu Runxi’s absolute clarity and insight.

Liu Runxi did not spare her another glance, leaving with a composed stride.

After a few steps, Liu Runxi suddenly stopped.

Across the road, beneath the camphor tree, stood a solitary figure.

Wearing a hat and mask, only a vague silhouette could be seen under the dim streetlight.

But Liu Runxi recognized it immediately.

Zhan Xue Ning watched as the previously indifferent and composed young man instantly quickened his pace, eagerly crossing the road to approach that person.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palm as Zhan Xue Ning glared venomously across the road.

It was as if the coldness and ruthlessness she faced were an illusion. At this moment, standing in front of that person, even just his back radiated endless gentleness.

His tenderness was truly given to only one person, but unfortunately, that person was not her.

"Shen You’an..." She muttered the name between her teeth, filled with gritted jealousy and resentment.

"An’an, what are you doing here?"

Liu Runxi was surprised by Shen You’an’s sudden appearance.

Shen You’an nonchalantly retracted her gaze and unconsciously softened her tone when facing him, "About the lab matter, I’m feeling uncertain and wanted to discuss it with you again."

Liu Runxi laughed helplessly, "Where’s the confident Shen You’an from before?"

Shen You’an looked straight into his eyes and stubbornly asked, "You’ll always stay by my side, right?"

"Of course," Liu Runxi answered without hesitation.

He glanced at his watch, "It’s getting late, I’ll take you home."

Liu Runxi raised his hand to hail a taxi.

The two got into the car, and behind them, a Bentley continued to follow.

Liu Runxi’s brows furrowed slightly, and he told the driver, "Driver, lose the car behind us."

"Alright," the driver enthusiastically shifted gears and accelerated, quickly leaving the Bentley far behind.

Passing by Times Square, surrounded by commercial streets, plus being the weekend, the heavy foot traffic had caused the road to become congested, moving less than a hundred meters in ten minutes.

On the roadside, people were bustling, loudspeakers from stores blared adverts, and the vibrant billboards of malls shone bright as neon at night.

At a milk tea shop, a long line stretched all the way to the road’s edge.

"Mist Island Tea House..." Shen You’an softly read out the name of the milk tea shop.

The driver chuckled, "This milk tea shop is all the rage now, their best-selling ’Half-mountain Mist’ is all the young people’s favorite. I just don’t get it, it’s just a cup of milk tea, yet every time I pass by here, the line stretches for a mile..."

As Shen You’an was lost staring at the name of the tea shop, Liu Runxi’s gentle voice came to her ear, "Do you want to try it?"

Shen You’an was taken aback and turned her head.

The boy’s eyes reflected the dazzling lights, the frost and snow between his brows melted, softening her heart as well.

Instinctively, Shen You’an licked her dry lips and hesitantly nodded.

After sorting out the fare, Liu Runxi carefully put on Shen You’an’s hat and mask for her, wrapped a scarf around, covering most of her face.

Liu Runxi got out of the car first, and Shen You’an followed him out.

It was an intersection with roads coming from all directions, and the milk tea shop was across the street.

With the green light, the crosswalk was crowded with people, and it would be easy to get separated if not careful.

Liu Runxi instinctively grabbed Shen You’an’s hand, leading in front, shielding Shen You’an from the incoming crowd.

Shen You’an gazed in amazement at their clasped hands; it had been a very long time since she felt such a surge of people around her.

The chaotic voices, the roar of car engines, the vendor’s calls from street shops... the myriad forms of life and neon nightscape formed a lively red dust world.

Perhaps the shadow of her past life was too deep; a disgraced, scandal-ridden has-been celebrity, no better than a rat in the gutter, she wasn’t fond of crowded places.

But now, with this person’s hand holding hers, walking through the crowd, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, she was instinctively a little flustered, the fear etched in her bones regardless of how many years had passed.

The hand she was holding was so soft; she could even feel the protruding veins and finger bones, the warmth radiating through their connected skin, calming her anxiety easily.

Instinctively, she tightened her grip.

In front, the boy’s steps paused slightly, and without making it obvious, he reversed his grip, his large hand fully enveloping hers, leaving no gap, catching her off-guard like the sudden hitch in her breath.

Whenever someone across from them looked their way, Liu Runxi would use his tall figure to shield her from curious gazes, unconsciously avoiding the risk of exposure.

After all, no one would believe that Shen You’an would be on Jingzhou’s busiest pedestrian street.

Upon reaching the other side, the light turned red.

The queue in front of the milk tea shop was still going strong, mostly young couples and friends hanging out, the place was lively.

Beside it was Times Square, bustling with people, offering a variety of activities like square dancing, toy vending, and street performances, attracting everyone’s attention with different forms of excitement.

On the west side of the square, near the milk tea shop, there was a huge billboard, its shadow forming a private space, a place where even the lights couldn’t reach.

Liu Runxi guided Shen You’an over, taking off his coat to lay it on the edge of the flowerbed across, making a simple bench.

"Sit here and wait for me."

Shen You’an looked at the massive queue and furrowed her brows, "Will it take too long? Maybe we shouldn’t bother?"

She didn’t want to waste Liu Runxi’s time.

Their mutual understanding meant that a single glance was enough to know what the other was thinking.

Liu Runxi chuckled, his eyes shining brightly even in the dark.

"Time isn’t a uniformly flowing river, it can be bent by gravity, stretched by speed, or... made meaningful and valuable by someone."

The usually quiet boy seemed to become more talkative in her presence.

Shen You’an looked up at him.

The square was a cacophony of sounds and dazzling lights, like a boiling wall.

Yet here they hid in the square’s darkest corner, as if momentarily forgotten by the world.

The sound was muffled, distant and indistinct.

The wind was gentle, yet their breathing was exceptionally clear.

When he lowered his head, he could see the shadow of her hair’s ends.

So close that even their heartbeats dared not be loud.

The darkness narrowed the space, making every glance feel like a silent approach.

No one noticed them here; only they knew—

Their heartbeats were already out of sync.

Shen You’an eventually got to taste the milk tea.

Liu Runxi queued for an hour, and when he came towards her with the freshly made milk tea, Shen You’an knew clearly, she had surrendered to it.