Regarding the Incident of Su Cheng Being Teased

After a long while...

"Huh?!"

Xuan Ying suddenly let out a startled cry, nearly jumping out of her skin. Her eyes widened as she stared fixedly in the direction where Senior Sister Si had disappeared, muttering in disbelief, "Deep conversation? What does she mean by that?"

Zhao Yan was equally dumbfounded, her brows furrowing as she gazed in the same direction.

Had their home been stolen while the three of them were chatting?

No, judging by the situation, even the crystal had been swiped!

Li Guanqi initially frowned at the words but then slowly relaxed, sitting down and placing her hands on her knees before closing her eyes to rest.

She didn’t seem the least bit worried about the "home invasion."

Still, she couldn’t help but feel exasperated by the strange pattern where Su Cheng would inevitably stir up trouble the moment she wasn’t around.

Just then, another figure approached from a distance. Sensing the presence, Li Guanqi opened her eyes and looked toward the newcomer.

Not far away, Su Cheng was strolling leisurely toward them, admiring the scenery along the way, clearly in high spirits.

Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying tensed up at the sight of Su Cheng, scrutinizing him with grave expressions, checking for any dishevelment in his appearance.

Su Cheng, noticing their stares, raised an eyebrow.

Li Guanqi’s expression turned slightly complicated as Su Cheng drew closer. Instinctively, she raised a small fist to her lips and coughed lightly, as if to subtly warn him.

"Carry on, I’m just a passing Kamen Rider."

Su Cheng glanced at Li Guanqi, then nodded politely at the others, cracking a joke before turning to leave.

However, Xuan Ying, abandoning her usual shyness and restraint, boldly called out, "Wait!"

"Hm?" Su Cheng stopped and turned back, baffled. Since when had Xuan Ying become so bold?

Taking a deep breath, Xuan Ying steadied herself and stepped forward, her face serious but her heart pounding nervously.

"What’s wrong?" Su Cheng asked, perplexed.

Gritting her teeth as if making a firm decision, Xuan Ying mustered her courage and began circling Su Cheng, inspecting every detail. Only after confirming nothing was amiss did she finally exhale in relief.

"What are you looking at?" Su Cheng’s expression grew increasingly odd, his confusion deepening.

But that wasn’t enough for her.

Suddenly, she leaned in, sniffing around with her petite nose before muttering in suspicion, "Huh? No scent?"

She then rose on tiptoe, bringing her nose closer to his neck for a thorough inspection before finally relaxing—there was no trace of a woman’s fragrance, nor any other unusual odor.

"My god, what are you doing?!"

Su Cheng couldn’t hold back anymore as he watched Xuan Ying sniff him like a dog, finally voicing his disbelief.

Xuan Ying snapped back to reality, hastily retreating with a flushed face. But before she could explain—

"Stop this indecent behavior at once, miss!"

A soft yet firm voice rang out from behind. Hoshino Mirai and another disciplinary committee member rushed over, notebooks in hand, shielding a bewildered Su Cheng while glaring at Xuan Ying, clearly mistaking her for some rich brat harassing him.

"We were just playing a game!"

Xuan Ying glanced at the two intimidating girls, then at Su Cheng, who was equally stunned, and quickly defended herself.

"Since when do games involve sniffing people?!" Hoshino Mirai scowled, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Yan before snapping back to Xuan Ying. "You were clearly taking advantage of your numbers to harass Su Cheng!"

"What do you take him for?!"

The other committee member was even more incensed. As a fellow first-year, she’d heard of Su Cheng’s popularity—how dare this troublemaker harass him in broad daylight?

Unbelievable!

"No, you’ve got it all wrong! We really were just messing around!"

Xuan Ying grew anxious at their accusatory glares. "Besides, why would I bully Su Cheng? He’s my classmate!"

"She’s telling the truth. Our class is famously united and kind—we’d never bully our own."

A clear, melodious voice chimed in as Zhao Yan stepped forward, followed closely by Li Guanqi.

"I saw it with my own eyes—how can it be a misunderstanding?"

The committee member refused to back down, shooting Xuan Ying a sharp look. "Either you come with us to the disciplinary office now, or we’ll have it come to you!"

"Don’t worry, Su Cheng. With me here, they won’t dare lay a finger on you. I’ll make sure justice is served."

Hoshino Mirai gently patted Su Cheng’s shoulder, her tone warm yet resolute, ready to defend him at all costs.

All eyes turned to Su Cheng, waiting for his response.

Internally, Su Cheng was torn between laughter and exasperation. He glanced at Xuan Ying, who looked pitifully wronged, then at Zhao Yan and Li Guanqi, whose expressions were unreadable, before finally meeting Hoshino Mirai’s gaze.

"Um, thank you, Senior."

Su Cheng nodded politely before sighing and addressing the group. "It’s all a misunderstanding. We really were playing a game—just a... unique one. If you’d like, I can explain."

At his words, Xuan Ying relaxed, but Hoshino Mirai blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"No, Su Cheng! Don’t let them intimidate you into covering for them! We’ll protect you!"

The other committee member refused to believe him—they’d seen Xuan Ying’s actions firsthand.

Today, she swore to shield Su Cheng.

Nothing would stop her!

Faced with their skepticism, Su Cheng had no choice but to elaborate. "Xuan Ying was just... imitating a puppy. There was no ill intent. Please don’t misunderstand her, alright?"

Hoshino Mirai and the committee members froze, exchanging awkward glances before reluctantly nodding.

"Thank you for understanding."

Su Cheng sighed inwardly. While Xuan Ying’s antics had been unexpected, at least no real harm was done.

"Since it was a misunderstanding, you owe me an apology!"

Xuan Ying, however, wasn’t about to let it slide. Her tone turned confrontational—especially since she recognized Hoshino Mirai as a rival.

"Our apologies for the misunderstanding. We’re sorry."

Hoshino Mirai quickly bowed, tugging at her companion to do the same.

"Sorry."

Xuan Ying huffed, somewhat mollified, and turned to leave—

Only for Hoshino Mirai to block her path.