“I never knew I was so invisible that I couldn't even catch your eye,” Shen Yu said, his voice smooth and sweet. He rested his chin in his hand, propping his elbow elegantly on the table.

Yan Shou and Lin XiaoXi both shivered at the sight. Even though on the surface everything looked entirely too sweet and tempting, underneath it all, they could both see a big and dangerous disaster heading straight for Gao Peng. They both pass the bully a look of pure sympathy, then the two of them quietly went back to sipping their cold drinks to enjoy the show.

Gao Peng couldn't help but stare at Shen Yu for a long moment. Shen Yu's breathtakingly beautiful and handsome face was too magnetic for anyone to easily look away. A minute later, Gao Peng snapped out of his daze, who was practically drooling.

“Do you think this pretty little act is going to get you out of this situation safely? Never,” Gao Peng said with a smug smile. “The moment you chose to become friends with this beggar, you guaranteed you'd all suffer together.”

In response, Shen Yu merely smiled. “Who said I was running? I’m right here, sitting perfectly peacefully.”

Seeing this unbothered reaction, Gao Peng grew even more irritated. “I don't get why you guys are even hanging around this bumpkin. He doesn't have much to offer—just a few sugar daddies by his side, in front of whom he wags his tail. Hahaha!” Gao Peng burst into loud laughter.

“Not sugar daddies, but a daddy. Only one is enough for him,” Shen Yu answered simply.

“What do you mean by that? Or do you actually know who his sugar daddy is?” Gao Peng asked, his face instantly lit up with excitement.

“Yes, I know exactly who it is. And he is sitting right in front of you,” Shen Yu answered, before casually taking another sip of his drink.

“You must be kidding me. You think I’ll believe you're his sugar daddy? What exactly do you even see in him?”

Shen Yu smiled and stood up. He slowly walked around the table toward Gao Peng, leaning against the edge right in front of him.

“He has a smart brain. Which is something you clearly lack. And look at him—with that hairstyle, he looks like nothing less than the descendant of a god, purely handsome. And when he changes clothes, he looks better than anyone. Practically speaking, he is much better than you in every single aspect.” Shen Yu leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper as his voice remained sweet. “He’s even better in bed, a level you could never hope to achieve.”

“You bastard! What did you say?!” Gao Peng roared, his face turning purple with rage as he grabbed Shen Yu’s wrist in a deathly, crushing grip.

But Shen Yu didn't even flinch. He simply maintained his sharp smile, leaning even closer into Gao Peng's space. “Let's see just how much this grip is going to cost you.” Shen Yu remained still his hand was practically going purple under the grip.

Before things could escalate further, Lin XiaoXi reached over and firmly slapped Gao Peng’s hand away, releasing Shen Yu’s wrist.

“You all think you can outsmart me? Dream on!” Gao Peng scoffed loudly, stepping back and spitting right onto the cafeteria floor. “You will all regret ever crossing paths with me and taking this bumpkin's side.” He turned on his heel to leave.

“Hey,” Lin XiaoXi called out from behind.

Gao Peng turned around with a smug grin, fully expecting them to beg for mercy or throw a tantrum.

“It's bad manners to spit inside. Pay attention to your behavior, otherwise you might turn it into a habit,” Lin XiaoXi said cheerfully.

This time, Yan Shou had to slap a hand over his own mouth to prevent a massive laugh from bursting out. Which he clearly failed at.

Gao Peng felt his blood boil. He wanted to scream, to curse, but he literally couldn't find the words to counter Lin XiaoXi's bizarrely polite insult. In the end, he just stomped his foot in pure frustration, turned around, and marched out of the cafeteria.

Lin XiaoXi blinked innocently. “What happened to him? I really think he should go for a medical check-up. He might have a serious mental illness.”

Yan Shou and Shen Yu looked at each other and sighed in perfect unison. Yan Shou reached over, fondly ruffling Lin XiaoXi's soft hair.

“Let’s go,” Yan Shou said. After returning their lunch trays, the three of them exited the cafeteria together. 

As they were walking, Shen Yu was checking his class schedule on his phone when Yan Shou glanced over at his wrist, which had become visibly red where Gao Peng had gripped it so tightly.

“You didn't have to go to such lengths and get yourself hurt,” Yan Shou said, a hint of guilt creeping into his voice. “That mark already looks worse than before.”

Seeing his concern, Shen Yu pocketed his phone and casually threw an arm over Yan Shou’s shoulder.

“Don't think too much about it. It doesn't deserve your attention,” Shen Yu said in a calm, reassuring voice, before winking playfully. “As your sugar daddy, this is exactly what I must do for you.”

Yan Shou just shook his head and smiled helplessly. In a way, it really did feel true, considering how effortlessly Shen Yu spent money on him—like a single wave crashing out of a vast ocean.

As Yan Shou smiled to himself and nodded, he suddenly felt another heavy weight settle on his other shoulder as Lin XiaoXi threw an arm around him too.

“Yes! Just stay happy and smile more, because you look way more handsome when you smile,” Lin XiaoXi said cheerfully, beaming at him.

“And I don't think you need to worry about Shen Yu's wrist. He'll apply the best medicine immediately because he absolutely won't allow a single scar on his skin," Lin XiaoXi added with a sigh. "As for the boy who caused those bruises... I think he's about to pay a brutally heavy price for what he did. I almost feel bad for him. But anyway, let's go get ice cream! I'm craving it so much.”

Before either of them could even answer, Lin XiaoXi started running, not even waiting for them, heading straight toward the campus convenience store. Left with no other choice, the remaining two exchanged a look and quickly followed after him. 

When Shen Yu returned to his showroom, he knew he had a mountain of tasks left to complete. Though he had thoroughly enjoyed spending most of his day with his friends, he now stood looking at all the rows of clothing and accessories that were scattered across the space.

He took a deep breath and began cleaning the room thoroughly. Lei and Tie were away, handling some business he had sent them to take care of, so he had no choice but to tidy up the showroom himself. Shen Yu was the type of person who didn't like anyone else touching his things, particularly when he was in the middle of a project or when he was attending any particular guest. 

Because of this, he never hired regular cleaners. If the place became an absolute disaster which his eyes can't handle anymore, he would eventually call a professional company to handle it, but otherwise, he preferred to clean the showroom himself. 

It never bothered him, anyway. Cleaning and organizing his workspace was something he actually liked, it was a habit carried over from his childhood into adulthood. 

His father was one of the most famous psychologists in the country, and his mother was a renowned jewelry designer. While both were incredible in their respective fields, they never pressured Shen Yu to follow in their footsteps. Yet, from a very young age, Shen Yu would constantly sneak into his mother's workspace, looking through the various designs and materials with pure fascination. 

Driven by curiosity, he would always open his bag of questions in front of his mother about everything, carefully writing her answers down in a small dedicated notebook. He absorbed all information like a sponge, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already creating original designs. Some of his concepts even served as inspiration for his mother's jewelry collections. But as the time passed by his mother started realizing that her son was far more passionate about making clothes than crafting jewelry, she gladly hired the best private tutors and famous designers to train him. 

Shen Yu's schedule quickly became packed. He studied hard every day, which resulted straight into creating his own designs, and which was always finished by cleaning his own workspace. Whenever he felt exhausted or felt like he was losing his inspiration for a new design, he would visit his father's clinic. He would sit quietly, listening to his father's conversation with his patients. The moment a patient left, Shen Yu would flip open his notebook, unleashing his flood of questions about human behavior and the human mind.

His father never hesitated to provide him with answers. If a concept was too deep or complex for a young Shen Yu to grasp, his father would simply hand him a book on the subject, encouraging him to read it so he could understand the topic thoroughly. 

Through this unique upbringing, Shen Yu gradually became a master of two completely different worlds: fashion design, and the psychological art of reading people.

Just as he finished tidying the last corner of the showroom, a notification popped up on his phone. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and looked down at a new picture that had just been posted to the university forum.

After staring at the screen for a brief moment, a knowing smile spread across his lips, and he muttered quietly to himself:

"It's starting.”