The Xiao Family

“Hey, why don’t you just work as a statue in a museum? Standing here just staring is so annoying.” Xiao grumbled, tugging irritably at Yu’s shirt.

Her fierce manner left everyone present stunned. Yu gazed at Xiao; though she was pulling his shirt and he had to bend down, this was still their first time being this close. Yu’s breath brushed over Xiao’s eyelids, making her eyes itch and blink under the intimate proximity. Such temptation at close range— even Yu, who always prided himself on his self-control, felt a flicker of fascination and longing. He was sorely tempted to kiss her just like that, yet another voice in his heart kept warning him: absolutely not, he’d only scare her away!

“Ahem! There are other people here, you know. If you two want to get cozy, at least find a more elegant setting. And most importantly, do it somewhere private, away from everyone else! Of course, if you don’t mind us watching, we certainly wouldn’t mind either!” Hui teased them, laughing.

At Hui’s words, Xiao hastily let go of Yu’s shirt, her face flushed with anger as she shouted at him, “Why did you have to get so close? Annoying!” But even as she yelled, a suspicious blush crept quickly over her face.

In truth, Xiao regretted snapping at Yu the moment the words left her mouth. After all, she’d been the one holding onto him, yet now she was the first to shout. What a colossal blunder— the biggest mistake of her life. “Heh, Shangguan, you really are adorable!” Ai chimed in cheerfully, and the others joined in the laughter.

Even Yu, the so-called statue, couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

Ai, sharp-eyed as ever, pointed at Yu excitedly. “Look, everyone! Ouyang smiled! Hurry, look!”

All eyes turned to Yu. Surprised by Ai’s call, he furrowed his handsome brows and touched his lips, as if to check if he’d really just smiled. He relaxed his brow, pursed his lips, and put his hand in his pocket.

“Are we going or not?” Yu said coolly, turning to leave. Xiao hurried after him.

“Hey, did you really just smile? Smile again, let me see! Come on!” Xiao pestered him, eager to see Yu smile for her.

Yu didn’t reply, but he slowed his steps just enough for Xiao to keep up.

Watching their exchange from behind, Ai and the others felt these two were perfectly matched— as if they were born for each other, leaving no room for anyone else to come between them. They exchanged silent glances, sharing the same thought, and smiled in tacit agreement. Realizing Xiao and Yu had gone far ahead, they quickly quickened their pace to catch up.

The group strode grandly toward Class F. Along the way, these handsome boys and beautiful girls attracted countless gazes. The students chatting in the corridor all turned to watch them, eyes following their every move.

When they reached the door of Class F, Xiao turned and told her friends to wait outside while she went in to gather her things. She packed everything into her backpack and, as she walked out, handed it to Yu out of habit. Yu, in turn, took the bag naturally, as if it were a ritual they’d repeated for years.

The jaws of the group behind them nearly hit the floor. What was with these two? Their actions were so in sync, as if they’d known each other forever, their mutual understanding seamless and flawless.

Utterly baffled, they followed along, metaphorical question marks hovering above their heads.

But as soon as the two got into the car, they drove off, leaving the others standing there in a daze. “Hey! What are you all spacing out for? If we don’t catch up now, we’ll lose them!” Ai was the first to regain her senses, hastily urging everyone to get in their respective family cars and instruct their drivers to follow Yu’s vehicle.

Inside the car, Xiao gazed quietly out the window for a while before turning to Yu. “Where are we going?”

“...” Yu replied only with silence.

Xiao, exasperated, tried again. “Do you at least know where my house is?”

“There.” A succinct answer, clear enough. But it was enough to make Xiao want to toss him out of the car.

“You! You told the driver to go without knowing where I live? Are you deliberately making things difficult for people?”

“You haven’t told me your address yet,” Yu reminded her, his tone almost as if he were fanning the flames.

Xiao clenched her fists tightly, restraining the urge to punch him. Turning to the driver, she said, “Driver, please go to 86 Royal Capital Residence.” The driver immediately pulled over, turned the car around, and headed in the opposite direction.

The cars behind were left dumbfounded, but quickly recovered. “What’s this drama now? Quick, turn around and follow them!” They hurriedly told their own drivers to follow suit. These two sure knew how to keep people on their toes!

Passing through a beautiful grove— this was, after all, a high-end residential area and most people were still at work— their journey was smooth and unimpeded. Xiao turned her attention to the scenery outside, hoping to keep herself from losing control and giving Yu a thorough beating.

Soon enough, they arrived at her house. The driver stopped the car and got out to open the door for them, standing respectfully by. “Young master, young miss, we’ve arrived at your destination.” Xiao stepped out, took out her keys, and opened the door. The garden was obviously well-maintained, evidence that the servants had already been here. Sure enough, after a few steps, a maid approached, bowed respectfully to Xiao, and said, “Welcome home! You’ve had a long day!” She took Xiao’s backpack from Yu and followed them inside.

Just as the two were about to enter the house, a shout made them both turn around. “Hey! Shangguan! Ouyang! Open the door and let us in!”

Xiao felt a headache coming on. Why did these people chase them all the way here? Weren’t they supposed to go home? She glanced at Yu; he looked equally surprised.

“They really are enthusiastic! Tell me, how does someone like you make friends with people like that? They’re one of a kind! But I like them— they’re way more fun than you,” Xiao teased Yu as she instructed a servant to open the door for their friends.

As soon as they entered, they started looking around in awe. “Xiao, is this your house? It’s huge! And this garden is so grand! What does your family do?” Ai asked, her face full of amazement.

“Is it? It’s just alright,” Xiao replied with a shrug, unmoved by Ai’s admiration. Compared to the Shangguan family’s residence, this villa wasn’t even a tenth as large, but she definitely wouldn’t tell Ai that.

They entered the living room, which was dominated by a massive navy-blue sofa. In front of it sat an elegant white coffee table, and opposite was a custom-made seventy-inch LCD television. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, and plush white bear-fur rugs covered the floor. The living room alone was hundreds of square meters, giving the impression of having stepped into a grand palace.