The Arrival of the School Belle

Let's Play Here

Jiang You skipped dinner and ascended the stairs with her bag swinging by her side in a carefree manner.

Having lived with Han Sui for two years, the servants had long since come to understand that neither she nor her daughter were to be trifled with; they were both powerful and skilled in their own right.

Li Shiyu was not known for his temper, yet Jiang You had never suffered a loss at his hands. On the contrary, she was adept at using leverage, maintaining an impassive face even while enjoying the drama unfold before her.

Now, there was no longer any servant in the house who would dare to mistreat mother and daughter.

Jiang You changed into her slippers and her footsteps echoed 'clack clack clack' as she went upstairs. Just as she rounded the staircase corner, she heard several barks from dogs.

Frowning, she quickened her pace to her bedroom door, turning the handle to find it locked, as expected. The dogs inside became more agitated upon hearing her approach, barking and scratching at the door.

Quietly cursing "Li Shiyu!", she then softened her voice, reassuring the dogs through the door, "Xiao Fu, be still, don't worry, I'm about to open the door."

The dogs seemed to actually understand Jiang You's calming words and obediently quietened down, no longer frantically scratching at the doorway.

Jiang You rummaged through her bag for the keys, inserted them into the lock, and nimbly turned the door open. As soon as she entered, the dogs excitedly rushed out, circling around her legs and wagging their tails in delight.

Walking into the room with her bag, she beckoned the dogs, "Xiao Fu, come on in."

The obedient dogs followed her back into the room.

She shut the door behind them, flung her bag onto the bed, and sat down on the carpet with the dogs lying submissively in her lap. She gently stroked their fur and softly reprimanded them with a touch of stern affection, "Silly dog, tricked into the room and locked up by Li Shiyu again, aren't you? How many times will you be deceived before you learn?"

"He may look handsome, but that doesn't mean he's a good person. Can't you stop trusting him?"

The dog, Xiao Fu, was adopted by Jiang You after moving into Li Mingzhen's house. Han Sui frequently moved between the homes of various tycoons, not settling for long, but she assured that this time was different and that they could stay for a much longer duration.

Believing in her, Jiang You decided to get a dog – a fluffy Samoyed, pure white in color, soft to the touch, always seem to smile jovially – a creature that appeared to be blessed with good fortune, hence the name Xiao Fu.

Li Shiyu disliked Han Sui, Jiang You, and consequently Xiao Fu. He treated the dog poorly, but Xiao Fu was fond of him, always being lured into the room and locked up without food.

Before school, Jiang You would place Xiao Fu in the garden, instructing it to just play outside and not return to the room. Li Shiyu didn't care for the dog and wouldn't approach it; as long as it remained outdoors and ignored Li Shiyu, it wouldn't be tricked. But the dog kept falling for the same trick.

Agitated yet feeling pity, Jiang You continued petting Xiao Fu, humming lightly, "Don't worry, I extracted revenge on your behalf. Li Mingzhen slapped him twice, swelling up his face. Serves him right. He's probably so enraged now that he's gone off somewhere."

Xiao Fu responded with a smile and a couple of content barks.

After soothing Xiao Fu for a while, Jiang You summoned a servant to prepare food for it. The servant responded respectfully, with a hint of guilt, "I apologize, Miss, for not taking good care of Xiao Fu. The young master, he..."

Cutting off the servant with a light smile, Jiang You said, "It's alright, go prepare some food. Xiao Fu must be hungry."

After all, the true young master of the house was Li Shiyu. If he chose to lock up the dog, none of the servants dared to free it, and therefore, the main culprit was still Li Shiyu.

The servant nodded in agreement, "Yes."

The food was promptly delivered: fish oil, chicken breast, salmon, sea urchin steamed eggs, and a bone-in steak freshly seared with a blowtorch.

Xiao Fu's eyes shone brightly, almost drooling, as Jiang You rubbed its head, her voice sweet and encouraging, "Go ahead, eat up. We'll play later."

"I'm off to take a bath."

While Xiao Fu dined, Jiang You undressed for a bath.

Lights dimmed, aromatic fragrances filled the air, and cranberry-scented effervescent bath bombs filled the tub with dense bubbles. Freshly prepared red wine and cut fruits completed the luxurious bath.

Immersed in the water, Jiang You relaxed, chatting leisurely with Xiao Mei.

"Xiao Mei, are there any new products lately?"

Xiao Mei responded in a sweet tone, "One moment, Host. Let me check."

"Here it is, a hydro boost face mask. After using it, the skin becomes very moisturized and translucent with a luminous glow."

"Bathing while using a face mask is ideal. Would you like to try it and see the effects, Host?"

Jiang You chuckled, "Sounds good."

Xiao Mei, eager to please, presented a range of new products, "There's also an upgraded hair essence. Just one drop will improve the texture of your hair."

"And this one is a whitening cream, with a texture like ice cream."

Xiao Mei's flattering words made Jiang You's heart bloom with joy, eager to try all the new products as soon as possible. Xiao Zhi could only listen in silence, feeling somewhat desolate for not being able to contribute to the conversation or to please the Host. Outside of exams and group projects, Xiao Zhi wasn't sure what else he could offer to win the Host's favor.

Surely the Host preferred Xiao Mei, who always had so many products to offer. Xiao Zhi felt empty-handed.

Xiao Zhi remained silent as Jiang You became absorbed with the new products from Xiao Mei, unintentionally neglecting Xiao Zhi and his feelings.

Outside the bathroom, Xiao Fu joyfully continued its feast. Suddenly, its ears perked up, drawn to the vibrating sound emanating from the mobile phone on the bed.

Buzz buzz buzz

Xiao Fu glanced at the phone, then back at its food, giving a couple of barks before ultimately walking over to the bed, clumsily dragging the phone onto the floor. Inadvertently answering the call, Xiao Fu gazed at the glowing screen, panting excitedly.

Already at home, Quan Jing sat in his car, still reluctant to leave. Having dropped Jiang You off before, he had an idea of how long the journey would take, even factoring in potential traffic delays. Assuming Jiang You had reached home by now, he decided to call her.

Quan Jing felt responsible for ensuring her safe return.

As he waited for the call to connect, he unconsciously pursed his lips several times. The longer the wait, the colder and tenser his expression turned.

What's going on? Why is no one answering? Did Gao Chenghao fail to escort Jiang You home properly, or did she not return home at all? What could she and Gao Chenghao be doing?

A sense of unease dawned on Quan Jing's mind. Haunted by the fact that Jiang You had attempted to kiss him only to be rejected and left in the car, he was now vexed that she was whisked away by Gao Chenghao afterward.

Jiang You was capricious, indulgent, and impulsive.

Quan Jing had to admit, he was worried that Jiang You might spite him by deliberately seeking a kiss from Gao Chenghao.

He was preoccupied with this worry.

Quan Jing was self-restrained and cautious, not one to frivolously pursue others, but he had no way to ensure that Gao Chenghao behaved similarly, as his knowledge of Gao was superficial at best.

The driver parked the car in the garage before departing, leaving Quan Jing alone. Bereft of natural light, the giant garage was illuminated by the wan light of incandescent lamps. Amidst the gloom, he sat in the back of the car, holding his phone to his ear, waiting in silence for the connection.

When the call finally went through, Quan Jing's features visibly relaxed for a fraction of a second. His lips moved to call out Jiang You's name, but instead, he was greeted with strange panting noises from the other side.

It wasn't clear over the phone, but the closer he listened, the more unusual the panting sounded.

That breathing hit a raw nerve in Quan Jing's mind, snapping the thread of tension that had been wound tight. Taken aback, he found himself unable to respond, his body stiffening involuntarily, forced to listen to the odd panting.

Were Jiang You and Gao Chenghao kissing in a car, or doing something more?

Quan Jing struggled to discern whether Jiang You had deliberately answered the call to flaunt a triumphant message – that if he didn't want to kiss her, others were willing. Or perhaps they were too engrossed, inadvertently answered, and remained oblivious.

His anger boiled inside him, yet his voice was choked as if a waterlogged sponge clogged his throat, heavy and overwhelming, making even breathing laborious, refusing to yield a sound.

Gathering his composure, Quan Jing clutched the phone and managed to squeeze out a few words, "Jiang You, are you..."

Abruptly, the call ended, leaving him with the indifferent beeping tone.

Fluffy paws fumbled across the screen, tapping and pressing randomly.

After a short while, the screen dimmed, and losing interest in light that offered no amusement, Xiao Fu returned to its meal.

Paw marks remained on the phone's display.

Quan Jing's heart plummeted, falling through an abyss of sensation, seemingly suspended in midair despite sitting securely in his car, experiencing a vertiginous sense of weightlessness.

After bathing, Jiang You selected a slip dress from the wardrobe – lace-trimmed and short in length, exposing generous amounts of skin with her white arms and legs on display.

Why hide such a beautiful body? She had always valued beauty above all else, and thanks to Xiao Mei's excellent products, she now looked as fresh and radiant as a well-watered bloom, stunning in her beauty.

With her meal finished, Xiao Fu lay on its back, paws up in the air.

Approaching the bed, Jiang You noticed her phone on the carpet. Picking it up, she playfully scolded, "Xiao Fu!"

The dog turned and feigned ignorance.

Jiang You wiped the paw prints from the screen with a sanitizing wipe, not bothering to check the phone, and casually tossed it aside. With a laugh, she called out to Xiao Fu, "Come here."

Xiao Fu eagerly trotted over and Jiang You touched its head, a coy smile forming on her lips, "Let's go play."

The dog followed her out the door, tail wagging excitedly – clearly delighted.

Their destination wasn't exotic; they headed to Li Shiyu's room. The décor was a stark blend of luxury and technology, filled with the most advanced smart home systems. Li Mingzhen, despite his philandering ways, took great care of his son, raising him as the rightful heir with strictness and severity.

Xiao Fu hesitated at the doorstep, reluctant to enter.

Angered, Jiang You reprimanded, "Who is your master?"

Xiao Fu sprinted inside, rubbing against her legs.

Jiang You hummed in satisfaction, "That's more like it."

She led Xiao Fu straight to Li Shiyu's dressing room. The dark gray glass, amber lighting, leather sofa, and myriad of exquisite watches, designer shoes, bespoke suits, and casual wear showcased the prestigious lifestyle.

Xiao Fu curiously prowled around the room. Earlier, Jiang You had casually grabbed an apple from Li Shiyu's bedside. Now, she nibbled on the apple while pulling open one drawer after another.

Ties filled one drawer, belts another, cufflinks another, and handkerchie