SBAB Chapter 24

Although Shang Xiaoxia found it hard to compliment Wu Lian’s sense of style in casual wear, she had to admit he could pull off this seemingly disastrous outfit with ease.

Wu Lian wasn’t a frail young man; his biceps formed a seductive curve under the suit, and he stood well over six feet tall. While his looks couldn’t rival Gu Nian’s delicate features, Wu Lian exuded a rugged handsomeness that was second to none. Add to that his wealth and single status, and he could easily be considered a top-tier eligible bachelor—if not for being slightly older than the ideal.

Shang Xiaoxia had harbored a tiny bit of affection for Wu Lian, but it had started when she first saw him as a butler and ended the moment the real Wu Lian appeared. Now, even as Wu Lian diligently served her food and poured her water, all she felt was an inexplicable sense of camaraderie, as if they were destined to be best friends rather than anything romantic. She couldn’t shake the feeling that, with their shared devious streak, they’d make excellent partners in crime.

To be blunt, Wu Lian’s behavior was so overly flamboyant that it made even Lin Xin—who had recently transitioned to male—seem more masculine by comparison.

Despite her inclination to see Wu Lian as a good friend, the sheer incongruity of his demeanor pushed Shang Xiaoxia closer to Lin Xin. She instinctively moved nearer to Lin Xin, seeking refuge from Wu Lian’s suffocating attentiveness.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yun had been quietly observing Shang Xiaoxia, waiting for the perfect opportunity to act. When Zhang Yun noticed Shang Xiaoxia picking up a glass of red wine, she gave He Xiangtong a little shove, disrupting her meal. As expected, He Xiangtong began to playfully tussle with Zhang Yun, who pretended to resist while maneuvering herself closer to Shang Xiaoxia.

In the commotion, Zhang Yun bumped right into Shang Xiaoxia, who was saved from falling by Wu Lian. However, the glass of red wine in her hand wasn’t so lucky—it spilled entirely onto Wu Lian’s pristine white suit.

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” Shang Xiaoxia panicked at the sight of red liquid soaking the suit. She hastily grabbed a tablecloth and began dabbing at Wu Lian’s stained jacket.

Zhang Yun, watching from the sidelines, could already imagine the moment when Shang Xiaoxia would realize she was wiping Wu Lian’s chest. She gleefully anticipated the embarrassment that would follow and was ready to flash a victory sign to celebrate her minor triumph.

But nothing unfolded as Zhang Yun had imagined.

Just as Shang Xiaoxia pressed the tablecloth against Wu Lian, she noticed the red wine had already trickled off his suit onto the grass, leaving the white fabric as spotless and smooth as ever. Nonchalantly, she placed the tablecloth back on the table, pretending nothing had happened.

Seeing this, Zhang Yun lost interest and turned to He Xiangtong to ask for food recommendations.

Though Zhang Yun’s plan failed, Wu Lian seized the opportunity to intrigue Shang Xiaoxia further. Sensing her curiosity about his suit, he said, “Amazing, isn’t it? Just a bit of biomimicry in the design.”

“Biomimicry? Like lotus leaves?” Shang Xiaoxia asked, her gaze lingering on his chest.

Wu Lian gently ran his hand over his chest and replied, “Not just water resistance; it feels soft to the touch, too.” Then, after sniffing his fingers, he added, “Though it does retain a slight hint of red wine.” Extending his hand toward Shang Xiaoxia, he said, “Want to check for yourself?”

“That move is so idiotic,” Shang Xiaoxia thought, rolling her eyes internally. “…But I am curious.”

Driven by curiosity, Shang Xiaoxia didn’t go as far as sniffing Wu Lian’s fingers, but she quickly touched his chest and smelled her fingertips. There was no hint of lotus leaf texture or red wine fragrance.

In that instant, Shang Xiaoxia understood Wu Lian’s game. When she looked up, she found him smirking, exuding the aura of a mischievous CEO teasing his secretary—no trace of their earlier sibling-like dynamic remained.

Sensing danger, Shang Xiaoxia instinctively stepped back to distance herself from him.

As she completed her retreat, a sharp scream pierced the air.

“Ah! Ow, ow, ow! Let go of my hand!”

Shang Xiaoxia turned to see Lin Xin crouched on the ground, a footprint visible on the back of his hand. He was wrapped tightly in a white tablecloth, while Cheng Shiyin tried to extend another tablecloth into the bundle despite Lin Xin’s protests. He struggled to fend her off, resembling a helpless maiden under assault.

Huh?

What did I miss?

It turned out that when Zhang Yun bumped into Shang Xiaoxia, the commotion also affected Cheng Shiyin, who was holding the same glass of red wine. Lin Xin, quick to act, caught Cheng Shiyin before she fell—but ended up with her glass of wine spilled entirely onto his plain black T-shirt.

Lin Xin’s simple short-sleeve shirt, lacking any high-end waterproof features, couldn’t resist Cheng Shiyin’s guilt-fueled attempts at cleaning up the spilled wine. However, in the process, Cheng Shiyin discovered something shocking: Lin Xin, a fully grown female college student, had gone out wearing nothing underneath her shirt—no bra, just the short sleeve.

Cheng Shiyin couldn’t help but wonder: How flat is Lin Xin’s chest? She made a mental note to dress more conservatively in the future, lest she inadvertently provoke Lin Xin.

Upon realizing Lin Xin’s lack of additional coverage, Cheng Shiyin quickly grabbed a white tablecloth and wrapped it around Lin Xin, even though no one else was paying attention. Despite feeling embarrassed, Lin Xin didn’t stop Cheng Shiyin’s awkwardly intimate attempt to help—at least not until the gazes of others finally landed on them. At that point, Lin Xin refused to let her continue.

With no other choice, Cheng Shiyin dragged Lin Xin into the villa and firmly shut the door behind them, ensuring Lin Xin could finally relax out of sight.

Watching Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin disappear into the villa, Wu Lian turned to Shang Xiaoxia and asked, “Don’t you want to go inside and take a look?”

Shang Xiaoxia glanced at the time—it was already 5:30 PM—and replied directly, “Maybe next time. It’s getting late, and I have a class tomorrow morning. Just call the driver to take us back.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yun and He Xiangtong, who had been listening nearby, couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. They were already at the villa’s doorstep, after all. But as first-year students, they hadn’t yet figured out how lenient the school was about skipping class, so they didn’t dare push their luck. Instead, they reluctantly nodded in agreement with Shang Xiaoxia’s plan.

Wu Lian, however, seemed completely unfazed by Shang Xiaoxia’s response. Instead of calling the driver, he casually dropped a cryptic remark: “There’s no class tomorrow.”

Shang Xiaoxia raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “Oh? So just because you say there’s no class, there’s no class? What do you think you are…” Before she could finish her sarcastic retort, all their phones simultaneously buzzed with notifications. It turned out to be a message from their class advisor in the group chat.

When Shang Xiaoxia, Zhang Yun, and He Xiangtong opened the message, their jaws dropped:

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, classes are canceled tomorrow.”

The three stared in stunned silence at Wu Lian, who stood there with a knowing smile. After a long pause, they pointed at him in unison and each called out a name:

“Murong Yunhai!” — He Xiangtong.
“Murong Yunhai!” — Zhang Yun.
“Murong Lei Hai!” — Shang Xiaoxia.

Their reactions made it obvious who admired the mysterious influencer and who was skeptical.

As an upperclassman, Wu Lian couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Have I aged that much? Do I have a generational gap with these first-years? He muttered to himself.