Xu Yan came?
Shen Yuan's eyes lit up with excitement before he even realized it himself.
In one swift motion, he slid off the bed.
In his rush, he didn't even bother to put on his shoes. Barefoot, he ran to the door with soft pat-pat sounds against the floor.
He took a deep breath to steady himself before turning the doorknob.
Outside, Xu Yan stood with his sharp brows slightly furrowed, debating whether to knock a second time.
Just as he lifted his hand, the door suddenly swung open.
The young master stood there, lazily covering his mouth as he let out a small yawn.
Under the warm glow of the room's light, his fair skin looked soft and luminous.
His eyes were tinged red, giving him a drowsy, almost irresistible charm.
Xu Yan's fingers curled slightly.
His voice was quiet.
"Sorry for disturbing your rest."
Shen Yuan blinked sleepily, then let out a spoiled little huff.
"Alright, alright. Just come in already."
Xu Yan nodded and stepped inside, carrying his belongings.
Curious, Shen Yuan peeked at what he had brought.
Most of it was books—some were school textbooks, while others were neatly bound with elegant covers.
The moment he saw the fancy cursive English on one of them, his brain instantly felt like a mess.
But what stood out the most—
Was a neatly rolled-up dark gray mattress.
Noticing Shen Yuan's puzzled expression, Xu Yan explained in a calm, slightly hesitant voice, "Tonight, I'll sleep on the floor. The bed won't arrive until tomorrow."
Shen Yuan was stunned for a second.
Before he could even think, the words left his mouth.
"Then why don't you just sleep in your dorm for now? You can move in tomorrow once everything is set up."
Xu Yan's face turned pale in an instant.
His light-colored eyes trembled slightly as he looked at Shen Yuan.
Under the warm orange glow of the lamp, the slender boy looked fragile, like delicate glass.
…Wait, what?
Isn't sleeping in a bed better than sleeping on the floor?
Why does he look so pitiful?
Shen Yuan was momentarily dumbfounded.
D3, lazily lying on his fluffy hair, yawned.
[Maybe he got bullied by his dormmates again.]
[Oh!]
Shen Yuan suddenly realized—
According to the original plot, Xu Yan's dormmates never liked him.
And the worst of them all…
Was Kong Hongde.
[Wait… Kong Hongde… That name sounds familiar…]
D3 helpfully reminded him.
[It's your little lackey. You saw him in class today.]
Before Shen Yuan could fully process this, he saw Xu Yan turn away, clutching his books.
"Wait! Don't go!"
Without thinking, he rushed forward—
Only to misstep and slam his bare foot against the doorframe.
"Ah—oww…!"
A sharp inhale.
Shen Yuan immediately froze in place, his head lowering to stare at his poor foot.
A thin layer of tears quickly welled up in his eyes.
Without shoes, the impact was direct—sharp and painful, shooting straight to his heart.
Hearing the quiet whimper behind him, Xu Yan's body tensed.
In the next second, he turned around, quickly setting down his things before walking toward him.
With ease, he scooped up the small young master.
Tears welled up in Shen Yuan's big round eyes.
"It hurts…"
Xu Yan's eyes darkened.
His voice was low and gentle.
"Why didn't you wear shoes? The floor is cold."
Shen Yuan's brain briefly short-circuited.
He suddenly remembered—
In his excitement, he had run to open the door without even putting on shoes.
For some reason, he didn't want Xu Yan to find out.
Wiggling his toes slightly, he let out a small, wronged sniffle.
"I forgot! And now it really hurts! Why are you asking useless questions?!"
Thankfully, Xu Yan didn't press any further.
Without another word, he silently carried Shen Yuan over to the bed and carefully placed him down.
His slender fingers gently wrapped around the young master's foot, lightly rubbing over the bruised area.
Xu Yan's hands didn't match his usual cold and distant personality.
His palms were warm—comforting.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, Shen Yuan felt the pain ease a little.
Letting out a relieved sigh, he suddenly became self-conscious.
His feet had been running around barefoot on the floor earlier.
They were probably dirty.
Feeling embarrassed, he tried to pull his foot away.
His voice came out small.
"Xu Yan…"
Xu Yan's grip remained firm.
His tone was calm but commanding.
"Don't move."