"Idiot, what are you staring at?" Seeing Yang Yi frozen stiff staring at her, Xia Shiyun couldn't help but blush slightly, chiding him gently.

"Ah—oh!" Yang Yi responded dully, but in the next instant, he snapped back to reality, grinning as he said, "Classmate Xia, you look really beautiful today."

"Hmph, am I not beautiful usually?" Xia Shiyun snorted. Although her face wore a mask of coldness, her heart swelled with sweetness. In all the world, no girl disliked being praised for her beauty.

Yang Yi paused for a moment, then said, "I think we should get going!"

"Mm," Xia Shiyun murmured, then asked, "Where are you planning to take me?"

"Uh, well, to eat, of course, to make up for that apology!" Yang Yi replied.

"Oh," Xia Shiyun sighed. Though she wasn't entirely sure why she had suddenly agreed to have a meal with this scoundrel, her heart felt a strange, fluttering chaos.

To avoid being swarmed by a pack of hungry wolves upon leaving school brazenly, Yang Yi chose a time when few people were around to escort Xia Shiyun out of No. 1 High School. One might say that Yang Yi currently looked rather like a thief, especially a flower-stealing kind, considering the person following him was Xia Shiyun, a campus beauty whose influence far surpassed that of Li Qian. Truly, this Yang Yi fellow was being quite cautious!

Xia Shiyun couldn't fathom why she was following Yang Yi with such stealth. She couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle; Yang Yi's cautious expression struck her as genuinely amusing. She couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Classmate Yang? Are you afraid of someone seeing us?"

"That—!" Yang Yi was momentarily stunned, scratching his head sheepishly. "Of course I am afraid! Classmate Xia, you know as well as anyone that you're a campus beauty. If people saw me leading you out of here, wouldn't I be torn to shreds?"

"Pfft!" Xia Shiyun suppressed a smile, then added, "So you can be quite glib after all. Well, how about this: follow me."

"Hmm?" Yang Yi looked at her in confusion, muttering to himself, Since she's already stolen my soul, does she care about my body? If I die, so be it—to die beneath a peony blossom is glorious, even as a ghost. Murmuring this, he followed Xia Shiyun.

Along the way, though Yang Yi was curious where the girl was leading him, it wasn't until they exited the main gate of No. 1 High that he realized the school had such a shortcut. While he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, having evaded the chance of being mobbed by the 'beasts,' a sliver of disappointment pricked him—after all, she wasn't taking him to a private room.

Xia Shiyun was unaware of Yang Yi's momentary dejection. She stopped walking, glanced around, and her eyes flashed with a peculiar light as she spotted a car. Only then did she speak, "I don't want to go too far from school, or I'll be late for evening self-study. How about that Western restaurant just ahead?"

Yang Yi didn't care where they went; all he desired was a good conversation with the beauty, so he readily agreed, "Sounds great."

Evidently, Yang Yi had missed the strange gleam in Xia Shiyun's eyes when she saw the car parked near the Western restaurant. He merely walked into the establishment with her. Upon entering a Western restaurant named 'Lele,' Yang Yi noticed how crowded it was, guessing that the food must be quite good. After finding a seat and settling down, they began ordering.

"Hmm, what would you like to drink?" Yang Yi asked casually.

"Whatever is fine," Xia Shiyun replied, her gaze drifting subconsciously towards a nearby table.

Although Yang Yi hadn't noticed anything amiss with Xia Shiyun earlier, now that he was sitting opposite her, he could see something. Following the direction of her stare, he saw a young man loudly posturing, flanked by two young women. From his appearance, he screamed spoiled rich kid, one of those dandies only good for eating and drinking. Yang Yi was perplexed—why was Xia Shiyun paying so much attention to him? With his doubts lingering, he ordered a few dishes and a bottle of red wine, remaining silent, his gaze fixed steadily on Xia Shiyun.

"Uh, why are you always staring at me? Do I have something dirty on my face?" Xia Shiyun asked, confused by Yang Yi's intense focus.

"Heh, nothing much. A beauty like you is naturally meant to be looked at!" Yang Yi replied with a knowing half-smile. After a pause, he asked, "Classmate Xia, I suspect the reason you invited me to dinner today isn't just for that apology, is it?"

Xia Shiyun froze upon hearing this, looking at him with confusion. Then, noticing his smiling gaze directed at the young man she had just been watching, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face. She quickly said, a hint of embarrassment coloring her tone, "I'm very sorry, Classmate Yang!"

"It's nothing. I'm just a fool, really. What kind of person am I to think that a campus beauty would favor me." Yang Yi felt a bitterness well up inside him. Yes, after seeing that young man, he finally understood: the reason Xia Shiyun had agreed to dine with him today had nothing to do with him; her focus was entirely on that other young man.

Because of this realization, the hope Yang Yi had nurtured moments before vanished instantly upon seeing the young man. He thought despondently, It seems winning the affection of a beautiful woman is truly a difficult feat.

"I apologize, Classmate Yang. Could you perhaps do me a favor?" Xia Shiyun asked, her voice laced with apology yet tinged with nervousness.

"Tell me about it," Yang Yi said, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"Well, it's like this..." Xia Shiyun slowly laid out the situation for Yang Yi.

It turned out that Xia Shiyun's true purpose for having Yang Yi accompany her to dinner was to ask him for a favor. The young man Yang Yi had spotted was the heir to a very wealthy company. Recently, he had unintentionally pestered Xia Shiyun, repeatedly demanding she go out for meals with him.

Naturally, Xia Shiyun had refused the young man. Upon learning from a friend that he was a notorious playboy, she ignored him even more resolutely. However, due to her repeated rejections, the young man seemed unwilling to let go. In a show of feigned anger and refusal, Xia Shiyun had told him she already had a boyfriend.

The young man clearly didn't believe her and insisted that Xia Shiyun bring her boyfriend to prove it, threatening to keep harassing her otherwise. When Xia Shiyun heard this, she didn't know what to do until she encountered Yang Yi; only then did she think of using this method, hoping Yang Yi could pretend to be her boyfriend to get rid of the young man's persistent advances.

"That’s the gist of it. Classmate Yang, I know what I'm asking is unfair and quite selfish, but... I... can you help me?"

Yang Yi hadn't expected it; the usually poetic and graceful Xia Shiyun was this flustered over such a minor issue. Although his personal hopes had been dashed, helping a beauty out wasn't a major concern.

"Alright, Classmate Xia, I can help you. But I have one question: if I have to pose as your boyfriend to convince that gentleman, I might have to do things a boyfriend would do. Will you get angry about that?" Yang Yi asked calmly, his rogue-like smile still lingering.

"That—!" Xia Shiyun felt a surge of happiness upon hearing Yang Yi agree, but when she heard the second part, her face immediately flushed, and a hesitation crept in. She glanced at the young man nearby, bit her lower lip, and said, "It's fine, I won't be angry, but please don't go too far."

Seeing Xia Shiyun's look of resolute acceptance, Yang Yi felt a mix of amusement and frustration, though a sly thought was already brewing wickedly in his mind.