Chapter 64: Stay Away from Liu Mengxuan?

The beautiful girl in this painting was Yun Xuan’s very first work.

“That’s Yukino Yukinoshita. She’ll appear in a fascinating light novel in the future, and this is how she’ll look,” Yun Xuan said, shifting his gaze away from Yun Xue.

“Big brother, you’ve already thought it through?” Yun Xue asked in surprise.

“Yes, I have countless light novels and manga in my mind. Xue’er, would you like to see them?” Yun Xuan grinned mischievously.

“No, these are your ideas, brother. I can’t lose to you,” Yun Xue replied, clenching her small fists.

“Then, once you’ve written yours, I’ll do the illustrations for you,” Yun Xuan said, well understanding Yun Xue’s determined nature; she was always such a stubborn girl.

The doorbell chimed from downstairs.

“Qin Yue and the others are here. Let’s go, it’s time to hand out the gifts,” Yun Xuan said, putting down his brush.

“Alright.” Yun Xue’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, wondering what sort of present her brother had prepared for her.

The two went downstairs. Yun Xuan opened the door to see Qin Yue, Nangong Xiaomeng, and Lin Qingyu.

“Thank you for coming over this morning. I brought back some specialties from the capital and wanted to share them with you,” Yun Xuan said, inviting the three to take a seat on the sofa.

“First is for Qin Yue. Since I honestly wasn’t sure what you’d like, I got you this notebook. You can use it to watch movies, listen to music, or keep a diary. And this Northern Hug Pillow—it's a limited edition, and I asked for it in advance as well,” Yun Xuan said, handing over her gifts.

“Th-thank you,” Qin Yue murmured, blushing.

“You’re welcome,” Yun Xuan replied with a smile, his impression of Qin Yue growing ever fonder.

“Nangong Xiaomeng, do you remember the last painting I gave you? This time, your gift is this,” Yun Xuan said, presenting a black Gothic dress.

“How did you know my… size?” Nangong Xiaomeng asked, accepting the gift and eyeing Yun Xuan with mild suspicion.

“Well, I am an artist after all. I have a keen eye for measurements,” Yun Xuan chuckled, not about to admit he’d checked the school archives for her clothing size.

“Thank you,” Nangong Xiaomeng said, genuinely pleased as she gazed at the Gothic dress.

“Qingyu, well… whether you like it or not, I got you a cosplay outfit,” Yun Xuan said, pulling out a black-and-white maid costume.

“Yun Xuan, you really are…” Lin Qingyu puffed her cheeks, but she didn’t refuse, accepting the gift with a hint of joy.

“And this one’s for Xue’er. Open it tonight—it’s a surprise,” Yun Xuan said, handing Yun Xue a bag and winking.

“What about those two?” Yun Xue asked, pointing at the other two bags, clearly also gifts.

“One is an evening gown for Sister Xun’er, and the other… is for Liu Mengyan,” Yun Xuan explained openly. Giving Liu Mengyan a gift wasn’t about currying favor, but simply a gesture between friends.

……

Noon, twelve o’clock.

Yun Xuan stood before a villa. The Liu family lived in a private villa district, where wealth and status were commonplace.

Obtaining Liu Mengyan’s phone number had been easy enough—she’d sent him a text message.

“Yun Xuan…” Dressed in a flowing white dress, like a princess, Liu Mengyan approached him. Seeing the bag in Yun Xuan’s hand, her heart skipped a beat.

“Mengyan, this is a gift I brought back from the capital. As your friend, it’s for you,” Yun Xuan said, offering her the bag.

“May I open it?” Liu Mengyan asked, glancing at the gift box inside.

“Of course.” Yun Xuan nodded, catching a whiff of her delicate fragrance.

At this moment, the heiress before him seemed every bit like a girl in love. Even if Yun Xuan were to do something, she would probably comply without protest. Perhaps this was the side effect of having saved her, or maybe the impression he’d left on her was simply too strong, causing her to develop feelings for him.

They sat together beside a fountain.

Liu Mengyan opened the box and her face lit up at the sight of the exquisite music box.

“I didn’t know what you liked, but I thought listening to this while you paint might feel nice,” Yun Xuan explained.

“I love it. Thank you, Yun Xuan,” Liu Mengyan said softly, carefully putting away the music box and smiling sweetly.

“Tonight, I’m hosting a small party at the Xuanxue Restaurant. If you can make it…” Yun Xuan turned his head. Faced with such a beautiful girl, even if he didn’t feel anything, he still found himself drawn in.

“I’ll definitely be there,” Liu Mengyan replied with a firm nod, inching closer to him.

“By the way, I didn’t see Liu Mengxuan. I tried calling her to invite her too,” Yun Xuan said, feeling Liu Mengyan’s closeness and hastily changing the subject.

“She’s probably busy. Yun Xuan, remember my words,” Liu Mengyan’s face stiffened, her tone serious.

“What is it?” Yun Xuan didn’t quite catch her meaning.

“Stay away from Liu Mengxuan,” Liu Mengyan said, enunciating each word.

……

In the Liu family villa.

On the balcony, Liu Mengxuan peered through a pair of binoculars, watching Liu Mengyan and Yun Xuan.

“Sister, your weakness is far too obvious. It’s so easy to tear it wide open,” Liu Mengxuan murmured to herself, a smile playing on her lips.

The shrill ring of a phone interrupted her thoughts.

“Did you find out?” Liu Mengxuan asked, glancing at the caller ID.

“Don’t underestimate our abilities,” came a cold female voice from the other end.

“My apologies. So, was the result just as I expected?” Liu Mengxuan replied with a light laugh.

“Yes. Don’t forget our agreement,” the woman replied coolly.

“Rest assured. I’ll make sure she sleeps forever. Don’t forget what the Liu family does,” Liu Mengxuan said, setting down her binoculars, a chilling smile flickering across her face.

A busy signal buzzed from the phone.

“So it really is her. Seems this information arrived just in time,” Liu Mengxuan muttered as she checked her missed calls, then dialed Yun Xuan’s number.

……

After hanging up, Yun Xuan walked along the street.

He pondered the meaning behind Liu Mengyan’s words—stay away from Liu Mengxuan? Was she warning him not to get involved with her, or was it simple jealousy?

Liu Mengxuan had just called, explaining that her phone was on silent while she was reading, and apologizing for missing his call. She also accepted his invitation to the evening gathering at Xuanxue Restaurant.

Yun Xuan’s impression of Liu Mengxuan was quite good—she was approachable, had many friends, treated her classmates equally, and was very personable.

“She really is a perfect girl, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m overlooking something,” Yun Xuan muttered.

A blaring car horn jolted him back to reality.

He realized he’d almost stepped onto the crosswalk while the light was still red, startling himself. He offered an apologetic smile to the driver and waited patiently for the light to change.

Clearly, one shouldn’t get lost in thought while walking. Come to think of it, wasn’t there an anime where the protagonist was hit by a car because he was distracted, but didn’t actually die?

“What was the name of that anime?” Yun Xuan tried to recall.

(PS: Every death is a flag, and these are important save points. Please vote to recommend. I can promise there won’t be any scenes where female characters are humiliated, nor will the ending be tragic. So, even if something unexpected happens, Yun Xuan’s approach will always be to restore things to normal. The save points are simply a narrative device.)