The little young master in front of him was clearly still half-asleep!
He clutched his head in a daze, his head bobbing slightly as he struggled to stay awake.
His sleepy, misty black eyes carried an obvious accusation as they locked onto Xu Yan—his expression clearly saying I know it was you who hit me.
Xu Yan's gaze briefly swept over Shen Yuan's slightly open collar, where a stretch of soft, milky-white skin was exposed. His usually indifferent eyes darkened for a moment with an unreadable emotion.
His lips parted slightly, about to say something, but before he could, the loud voice of one of Shen Yuan's little followers—Kong Hongde—interrupted him.
First High School was the best school in Su City, but everyone knew it was practically half a noble school. While it did offer scholarships to outstanding students from poorer backgrounds, the student body was still divided into two main groups: the aristocrats and the commoners.
This divide had always given the school administration a headache, but over time, the two groups had learned to coexist in relative peace, creating a delicate balance that the school had no choice but to allow.
But all of that changed when Yin Yin and Xu Yan transferred in.
Everyone in their social circles—even the whole of Su City—knew that the Yin family was an old, powerful family from the capital. No one knew exactly why they had moved to Su City, but their arrival instantly cemented them as the most influential family in town.
As the little heir of the Yin family, Yin Yin naturally became the center of attention the moment he transferred in. Many students scrambled to get close to him, and Kong Hongde was the most shameless of them all.
The Kong family was nowhere near the level of the Yin family. Following his family's subtle encouragement, Kong Hongde went from accidentally getting close to Yin Yin to becoming his self-proclaimed number one follower.
But despite his position, most people actually despised Kong Hongde.
The young master of the Yin family had a bad temper, sure—but he never actively caused trouble. Kong Hongde, on the other hand, used Yin Yin's name to stir up chaos behind the scenes. He bullied not only the aristocratic students but also the high-achieving students from poor backgrounds.
And yet, no one dared to complain to Yin Yin. Even if they were bullied, they could only swallow their grievances in silence.
Xu Yan had always moved around with Yin Yin, but Kong Hongde was practically a master at reading people. It didn't take him long to figure out Xu Yan's background from the way Yin Yin spoke to him. He quickly realized that Yin Yin disliked having this outsider living under his roof.
So, in order to please Yin Yin, Kong Hongde constantly found ways to trip Xu Yan up—both figuratively and literally.
And Yin Yin? He had always turned a blind eye to Kong Hongde's little schemes.
Now, Kong Hongde's eyes darted around, and just like always, he started stirring trouble. He jabbed Xu Yan in the back with a finger and added fuel to the fire with a venomous tone.
"Young Master Yin, Xu Yan hit you with the book just now!"
Shen Yuan hadn't really heard what Kong Hongde said. Still half-asleep, all he felt was an annoying buzzing in his ears.
Xu Yan, however, remained silent, not bothering to explain himself.
Shen Yuan's little temper flared.
What's this? I haven't even started bullying him yet, and he's already hitting me first?!
He shook his head, his delicate brows furrowing as he glared fiercely. "Give me your hand."
Xu Yan froze for a moment. If he stretched out his hand now, the lightest punishment would be a slap.
His gaze flickered toward the pencil lying on the desk, darkening slightly.
At worst, Yin Yin might just stab his hand straight through with the pencil.
He wasn't overthinking it—he had personally witnessed Yin Yin smash someone's head open just for talking back to him.
For some reason, Xu Yan hesitated before pressing his lips together and, against all logic, slowly stretched out his hand.
Yin Yin gritted his teeth, trying his best to look fierce.
He reached out his soft, fair hand, planning to grab a chunk of Xu Yan's arm and twist it a full 180 degrees.
But to his surprise, his fingers only found lean muscle. No matter how much he poked and prodded, he couldn't find any soft flesh to grab.
Frustrated, he puffed out his cheeks and settled for pinching a small piece of skin as hard as he could.
Shen Yuan scrunched up his nose and let out a defiant huff.
Take this! My most vicious punishment!
Unfortunately, the effect was completely ruined by the triumphant little dimple that appeared on his fair, soft face.
Still, he had to make sure his victim suffered.
He narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Does it hurt?!"
Xu Yan quickly looked away.
This level of pain felt more like a tickle than anything else.
More importantly, the little young master's warm, soft hands had been pressing against his skin this whole time.
His mind went completely blank, filled only with the lingering sensation of that delicate touch.
Like sweet, fluffy cotton candy—melting into his skin, spreading warmth through his whole body, seeping into his very bones.
For a moment, the usually pale and glassy color of Xu Yan's eyes darkened, but he quickly pushed the feeling down.
His lips, thin and well-shaped, pressed into a tight line.