{Chapter: 272 Sister Yuxian misses me?!}
Before the figure even appeared, her voice came rushing ahead—clear, loud, and filled with irritation.
A petite silhouette stormed in like a gust of fragrant wind. Her chubby cheeks puffed with righteous indignation, her small mouth firing off insults like a rapid-fire machine gun, unleashing a barrage of sharp, unfiltered words aimed squarely at the group of gold-digging girls who had surrounded Lin Yuan.
That voice and presence belonged to none other than Lin Yuan's spirited cousin—Yu Shanshan!
Even before fully arriving, Yu Shanshan's voice had already turned the mood upside down. Her words struck deep, cutting through the superficial charm of the girls who had moments ago been fawning all over Lin Yuan. Their expressions twisted with embarrassment, especially the one who had falsely claimed to be Chi Qian's roommate.
Because Yu Shanshan was Chi Qian's real roommate—and not just that, she also hailed from a well-known family with some degree of status. Her words carried weight, and the girls knew better than to provoke her.
Moreover, Lin Yuan—the man they had just been trying to flirt with—was Yu Shanshan's cousin. If they continued clinging on to him, they wouldn't just offend Yu Shanshan—they might also offend someone with real influence.
So even though they were visibly annoyed, the gold-digging girls could only put on forced smiles and sheepishly walk away one by one, pretending nothing had happened.
Yu Shanshan, however, paid them no further attention. Just as she had done countless times before, she picked up her pace and charged forward, leaping straight into Lin Yuan's arms with reckless abandon.
He had no choice but to catch her midair, cradling her like a child who just reunited with her favorite guardian.
"Cousin, you're finally here!" Yu Shanshan beamed, her joy genuine and unrestrained.
To her, there was nothing better than being caught in Lin Yuan's arms. It wasn't just comfort—it was the warmth of being doted on, something she always craved.
But while Yu Shanshan was clearly delighted, Lin Yuan raised his brows and gave her a sniff, his face scrunching slightly. "Why do I feel like you smell… sweaty?"
Yu Shanshan's bright smile twitched into a pout. "Ugh! Blame that old, menopausal teacher of mine! I was originally supposed to do just a singing test today, but she forced me to add rapping and dancing too. I was running all over the place like a circus performer! I ended up sweating buckets!"
"Ah, so that's why you reek," Lin Yuan said, nodding with a serious look on his face.
Yu Shanshan's eyes widened with disbelief. She raised her small fists and began lightly thumping Lin Yuan's chest in mock protest. "How dare you! I don't stink! You're the one who smells!"
But as she hammered at him playfully, she suddenly paused, her nose twitching in the air like a curious puppy.
"Wait a minute… Something's off." Her eyes narrowed. "Not only do you not smell bad, but you actually smell good. Really good."
She leaned in closer, sniffing exaggeratedly. Her face lit up with sudden realization. "This fragrance… it's not just any scent. Based on my years of sniffing out perfumes and bath oils… this is definitely a feminine scent. And it's oddly familiar…"
Her eyes sparkled with suspicion before she gasped. "I got it! This is Chi Qian's scent! It's unmistakable!"
She spun dramatically and pointed at Lin Yuan. "Confess! What exactly did you do with Chi Qian behind my back?! Huh?!"
She shot a glare at Lin Yuan, then another at Chi Qian, her eyes scanning the both of them like Sherlock Holmes piecing together clues at the scene of a crime.
Chi Qian's face instantly turned red.
Because she knew what happened earlier between her and Lin Yuan.
Why did Lin Yuan carry Chi Qian's scent so clearly?
The first reason was simple: Lin Yuan was wearing a shirt that had once been worn by Chi Qian herself. She had hand-washed it and returned it to him that very morning.
But there was another reason. The real reason.
Earlier in the day, the two had shared a rather intense moment—Lin Yuan had held her in a tight embrace, with his arm wrapped around her neck in what looked like a protective chokehold. Their bodies had nearly pressed together, their faces just inches apart.
She could still feel the imprint of his hand on her back.
Just remembering that made her heart flutter and beat faster.
Chi Qian lowered her gaze and chose to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan remained calm in the face of Yu Shanshan's dramatic accusations. He adjusted his shirt with a nonchalant look and replied evenly, "Nothing happened between me and Qian Qian. I lent her this shirt a while ago. She just returned it to me today after washing it herself. That's probably why her scent is still lingering on the fabric."
He then gave Yu Shanshan a deadpan look. "You think everyone walks around reeking of body odor like you do?"
Yu Shanshan pouted and huffed, clearly unconvinced. But even she couldn't find fault with his explanation—especially not when Chi Qian wasn't saying a word to deny it.
Still, that didn't stop Yu Shanshan from squinting suspiciously at the two of them, like she was silently making a mental note to investigate further later.
Yu Shanshan leaned forward, sniffed Lin Yuan's shirt, and then scrunched up her nose in exaggerated disdain.
She had assumed something more intimate had occurred between her cousin and Chi Qian—that they had already taken their relationship a step further. But as it turned out, it was just a shared article of clothing.
"Tch... just a shirt," she muttered, shaking her head as if disappointed in the lack of drama.
Lin Yuan chuckled at her expression and gently patted her head. "Alright, enough nonsense. Let's get in the car."
Yu Shanshan quickly noticed the increasing number of curious onlookers gathering nearby, most of them casting admiring glances at Lin Yuan's ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce Phantom parked at the curb. Not fond of being the center of public attention, she hopped into the vehicle with practiced ease, her petite frame disappearing into the plush leather interior.
Chi Qian also entered the car gracefully, sitting beside Lin Yuan.
With both girls settled, Lin Yuan started the engine and smoothly drove away, leaving a trail of envy and whispers behind among the students and girls watching.
As they cruised through the city streets, Lin Yuan asked, "Qian Qian, you made a reservation at that French place, right? The one by the riverside in the Fangda business district?"
He was just confirming the address, but before Chi Qian could respond, Yu Shanshan piped up from the back seat with urgency in her tone.
"Wait, wait! Cousin, don't be in such a hurry!"
Lin Yuan and Chi Qian both turned their heads, puzzled by her sudden objection.
"What is it now, Shanshan?" Lin Yuan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Yu Shanshan explained with a dramatic sigh, "I want to stop by the dorm first and change my clothes. I had a practical exam today, and rumor has it that our teacher—who's clearly going through menopause—hates it when girls dress up too youthful or carefree. So I had to play it safe and wore something modest and kind of outdated today. It's not exactly the best outfit for attracting attention or looking cute... especially not for dinner at a fancy place!"
Then she turned to Chi Qian and added, "Qian Qian, your outfit's not great either. Sportswear at a French restaurant? How about we both go change? It'll only take a little while."
Chi Qian hesitated. Yu Shanshan wasn't wrong—most girls want to look their best, especially for a nice dinner out. And Chi Qian's casual outfit wasn't exactly ideal for a romantic dinner. Still, she worried about making Lin Yuan wait too long.
But before she could say anything, Lin Yuan smiled reassuringly.
"Go ahead and change," he said warmly. "No rush. I'll wait. Just don't take an hour or anything."
Then he turned to Yu Shanshan and teased, "You're the only one causing trouble here."
"Hmph!" Yu Shanshan pouted, puffing up her cheeks and crossing her arms. "You're so biased. Double standards much?"
She grumbled, but there was no real anger behind it. She was already delighted to get permission to clean up and look her best.
Both girls said they would take quick showers and change. Meanwhile, Lin Yuan decided to kill some time. He headed to a nearby high-end boutique and quickly picked out a sleek, custom-fit suit. Dressing up for dinner wasn't a problem—after all, money was never an issue for him.
With his new outfit on, Lin Yuan grabbed a cup of milk tea and returned to the dorm area, parking the car outside to wait.
As he sat comfortably in the car sipping his drink, he took the opportunity to check in with Long Wu about the situation with the Chen family.
"No major updates," Long Wu reported after a brief conversation.
Satisfied, Lin Yuan ended the call and then dialed Mei Yuxian. The phone barely rang twice before her voice came through the line—soft, elegant, and laced with a subtle trace of mock irritation.
"Xiao Yuan, when are you coming to my place?" Mei Yuxian asked. Although she was the matriarch of the powerful Mei family in Jiangbei, her tone carried more of a flirtatious pout than a cold command.
Lin Yuan smiled knowingly. "Why? You miss me already? Is your bed at home too spacious and lonely without me?"
"Hmph! Shameless," Mei Yuxian replied, letting out a soft scoff that almost sounded like a laugh. "Pooh!"
*****
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