Chapter 32: Not in a hurry at all!
It wasn't until Shen Anyu pulled her away from the luxury menswear store that Su Hongmian dared to lift her head from An'yu's embrace, but she was still blushing, head bowed, not daring to speak.
The heat on her cheeks refused to dissipate. The echo of that impulsive, possessive kiss she had initiated still thrummed in her blood. She felt a mix of mortification and a thrilling, illicit excitement. She, the Iceberg Goddess of Modu University, had just staked her claim on a man in public like a possessive lioness.
Shen Anyu teased, "Why are you so anxious? Do you think I'd choose that ghost-like Zheng Lili instead of you?"
His voice was low, vibrating against her ear as they walked, his arm naturally draped around her waist, pulling her flush against his side. The contact burned through the fabric of her dress.
"You're the proud Young Miss, the campus belle! You have nothing to fear from a woman who looks like a walking billboard for bad taste."
Hearing Shen Anyu's provocation, Su Hongmian snorted, grinding her silver teeth as she said to Shen Anyu, "I'm not worried about you being snatched away by Zheng Lili; I just don't want to lose to her, yes, I just don't want to lose to her!"
She lifted her chin, trying to regain her usual haughty demeanor, though the flush on her neck betrayed her.
"Whether you choose me or not, I'm not worried, not at all! I'm not anxious in the slightest! I just... I hate seeing trash try to touch my things!"
Shen Anyu chuckled inwardly and stopped provoking the ruffled Su Hongmian, saying, "Let's go, I'm a bit hungry; let's go eat."
With that, he took Su Hongmian's delicate hand and walked towards a high-end restaurant in Fei Meng Shopping Mall.
His grip was firm, warm, and encompassed her hand completely. It was a gesture of ownership that Su Hongmian found she didn't mind at all. In fact, she found herself squeezing back slightly.
Su Hongmian stared blankly at Shen Anyu holding her hand, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shen Anyu in front of her, and the corners of her mouth curved up involuntarily.
The feeling of being led by him, of having a strong figure shielding her from the bustling crowd, was intoxicating. It was a sensation of security she hadn't realized she craved.
They arrived at a French restaurant and ordered French steak, Boeuf Bourguignon, Niçoise salad, creamy tomato soup, caviar, black truffles, several desserts, and two glasses of red wine.
The restaurant was the epitome of bourgeois luxury. Crystal chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, and velvet drapes shut out the chaotic world of the mall. The air smelled of expensive perfume and truffle oil.
A meal worth tens of thousands, naturally delicious, making it a well-known internet-famous restaurant.
Countless fake socialites came to share tables and check in, posing with rented handbags and barely touching the food, desperate to curate an image of wealth on social media. They glanced enviously at Shen Anyu and Su Hongmian—a couple who exuded the kind of effortless nobility that couldn't be faked with filters.
However, the dining experience wasn't going as expected for one person.
Su Hongmian used to love the French cuisine here, but now, after eating it, it tasted like chewing wax, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She cut a piece of the A5 Wagyu beef, seared to perfection, and placed it in her mouth. It was tender, yes. It was expensive, certainly. But it lacked... something.
It lacked the soul-shaking impact of the breakfast Shen Anyu had made. It lacked the burst of vitality, the infusion of energy that made every cell in her body sing. Compared to his cooking, this Michelin-starred meal felt sterile and bland.
A smile flickered in Shen Anyu's eyes; after eating dishes made with his [Extraordinary Culinary Skill], how could she be interested in other food?
His skill wasn't just about technique; it was alchemy. It utilized his internal energy to refine the essence of the ingredients. Once a mortal tasted ambrosia, how could they go back to eating dirt?
They say to capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach.
But women also love good food. In fact, for a foodie like Su Hongmian, the way to her heart was a direct highway through her taste buds.
Of course, a man's favorite delicacy is still a beautiful woman!
Shen Anyu sipped his wine, his gaze lingering on Su Hongmian's lips, stained red by the vintage Bordeaux. He wasn't hungry for the steak. He was hungry for the dessert sitting across from him.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Just then, Su Hongmian's phone, which was on the table, suddenly vibrated.
The noise shattered the intimate bubble. Su Hongmian glanced at the screen, and her pupils dilated. "Queen Mother" flashed on the display.
Su Hongmian reflexively answered the call, her posture straightening instantly into that of an obedient daughter.
On the other end of the line, a magnetic and elegant voice came through, cutting through the ambient noise of the restaurant:
"Mianmian, it's already past seven in the evening; where are you? Aren't you coming home for dinner?"
Su Hongmian's home was very close to Modu University, so she didn't live on campus but at home. Her mother's rules were absolute. Curfew was a line drawn in stone.
Hearing her mother Su Wanqing's voice, Su Hongmian's face paled even further, and she looked at Shen Anyu with a somewhat pleading gaze.
Panic set in. She had been so swept up in the date, the car ride, the shopping, and the conflict with Zheng Lili that she had completely forgotten the time.
But Shen Anyu had a mischievous smile on his lips. He swirled his wine glass, enjoying her flustered state. He didn't offer help immediately; he wanted to see her squirm a little. It was cute.
"Mianmian, Mianmian, why aren't you speaking? Is something wrong?" Su Wanqing's voice sharpened with maternal concern.
"Mom, n-nothing's wrong. I'm out eating with a friend."
Su Hongmian replied to her mother in a nervous voice, her fingers twisting a napkin.
Su Wanqing on the other end of the phone frowned slightly; she noticed that her daughter Su Hongmian's breathing was too rapid, and her voice was trembling with nervousness.
Having watched her daughter grow up, she was naturally very familiar with her; she clearly wasn't telling the truth, and there must be something going on. Su Wanqing was a titan of business; she could smell a lie from miles away.
Eating with a friend? Her daughter didn't have friends she got this nervous about. Unless...
Su Wanqing suddenly smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes behind her gold-rimmed glasses. She leaned back in her office chair at home.
Saying with a half-smile, "Mianmian, you're eating with An'yu, aren't you? There's no need to hide it from your mother; I'm not some old-fashioned person. Of course, I agree if you two go out for a meal as a couple."
Su Hongmian froze. How did her mother know? Was she omniscient?
Before she could stammer a reply, a hand gently took the phone from her grip.
Shen Anyu smiled as he took the phone, bringing it to his ear with the ease of a son-in-law talking to family.
"Auntie, good evening. I'm eating with Mianmian."
His voice was calm, respectful, yet carried an undercurrent of assurance that soothed Su Wanqing's worries instantly.
"I told her there's no need to hide it from you, but she was shy and refused to say! She was afraid you'd scold her for staying out late."
Su Wanqing also breathed a sigh of relief; Su Hongmian's state earlier was truly abnormal, which made her a little worried. She feared her daughter had encountered trouble or bad influences.
But hearing Shen Anyu's voice? That was a relief. In her eyes, Shen Anyu was the perfect match—wealthy, powerful, polite, and capable. A dragon among men.
Now that she knew it was her daughter's boyfriend, she relaxed and said, "An'yu, then please take good care of Mianmian. With you there, I'm at ease."
At this point, Su Wanqing paused, her mature and charming face showing hesitation. She bit her lip, debating whether to say the next part.
But she was a mother first.
She lowered her voice, speaking with a blend of seriousness and awkwardness. "You two must be careful and safe; Mianmian is still in university. Don't... don't delay her studies. Young people can be impulsive, but... safety first."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Wanqing hung up the phone, apparently also extremely embarrassed. She tossed the phone onto the sofa and fanned her face, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. Discussing such topics with her daughter's boyfriend was truly testing her composure.
Back in the restaurant, the line went dead.
After the call ended, Su Hongmian visibly relaxed, but then the implication of her mother's words hit her. "Careful and safe."
She gave Shen Anyu an angry glare, filled with shame and indignation. Her face was now burning hot enough to fry an egg.
But Shen Anyu looked at Su Hongmian with a half-smile, drawing out his words, "Auntie has a point, Mianmian, what do you think? Should we be... safe?"
Su Hongmian's pretty face was flushed, as if she were drunk from a glass of red wine, and this proud Young Miss was now like a quail, burying her head and refusing to answer.
Shen Anyu laughed softly. He paid the bill—a trivial amount to him—and led her out of the restaurant.
The night air of Modu was cool, filled with neon lights and the distant hum of traffic.
Shen Anyu didn't drive her home immediately.
Instead, the red Lamborghini roared through the streets, eventually pulling into the private underground garage of a luxury five-star hotel—The Peninsula.
Su Hongmian didn't protest. Her heart was pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. She knew what this meant. The "bet" she had lost. The desire she had been suppressing.
The elevator ride up to the Presidential Suite was silent, thick with tension.
When the doors opened, Shen Anyu led her into a room that overlooked the entire Bund. The view was breathtaking, but neither of them looked at it.
"Mianmian..."
Shen Anyu turned to her, his eyes dark and abyssal. He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw.
"You lost the bet."
Su Hongmian trembled. She looked up at him, her eyes misty. The arrogance was gone, replaced by a surrender that was absolute.
"I... I know," she whispered.
Shen Anyu smiled, a predator claiming his prize. He leaned down and captured her lips.
[Akarin's Note: The following hours are omitted for obvious reasons, but let's just say the "safety" advice was taken into consideration... mostly.]
It was already past nine in the morning, and Su Hongmian had already gone to Modu University for her classes; she had classes all day today.
She had left in a rush, wearing yesterday's clothes, her face glowing with a radiance that no makeup could replicate. She walked with a slight limp, a secret reminder of the night's intensity, cursing Shen Anyu under her breath while smiling foolishly.
After Shen Anyu dropped her off, he returned to the hotel, soaking in the private rooftop pool, leisurely and content.
The water was crystal clear, heated to the perfect temperature. He floated on his back, looking up at the blue sky, feeling the residual soreness in his muscles fading away under the regeneration of his [God-Level Steel Body].
"The ancients said that life lies in movement, and it truly did not deceive me!"
Shen Anyu chuckled, splashing water. Dual cultivation, or whatever one wanted to call it, was indeed the best form of exercise.
After Shen Anyu made a wise statement, a profound look returned to his eyes, and he began to ponder the data flowing through his mind.
"System, check status."
[Ding! Checking Host Status...]
"The favorability has increased by one point, reaching ninety-nine."
"This level of favorability means a bond of life and death, to the point of being able to die together!"
Shen Anyu frowned slightly. 99 was an incredibly high number. It meant Su Hongmian was effectively his, body and soul. She would betray her family for him. She would take a bullet for him.
"But it's very difficult to raise it to a hundred."
The gap between 99 and 100 was a chasm. 100 represented "Soulmate" status—a spiritual union that transcended life and death, a bond that not even reincarnation could sever. It usually required a life-altering event, a tragedy shared, or a sacrifice of immense proportions to trigger.
"Work harder soon!"
Su Hongmian's favorability had already reached ninety-nine, but it was very difficult to increase it further.
A favorability of ninety-nine meant that if Shen Anyu were to fall, Su Hongmian would be able to die with him.
It was extremely difficult to continue raising it, and Shen Anyu didn't have any good ideas; he just hoped to resolve it soon. Perhaps time would bridge the gap. Or perhaps a crisis.
"Still need to expand sources!"
Shen Anyu climbed out of the pool, water sluicing off his perfect physique. He grabbed a towel and dried his hair.
He couldn't rest on his laurels. He needed more Destiny Points. He needed to be stronger to face the monsters that would inevitably come—like the protagonist Ye Yan descending the mountain.
After a leisurely rest for a while and enjoying a delicious lunch ordered from the hotel's Michelin kitchen.
Shen Anyu remembered the third Child of Destiny, the killer bodyguard Wei Yun.
He pulled up the data on his phone.
Wei Yun. The "God of Death" from the Dark World. A man who had slaughtered thousands to temper his heart, only to return to the city to protect a single girl—Jiang Linlin.
A classic trope. The brooding protector. The man who watches from the shadows, daring not to touch the light because his hands are stained with blood.
"He watches her every day. He protects her from bullies. He clears the path for her. But he never speaks to her," Shen Anyu mused, reading the intel report. "He thinks he is unworthy. He thinks his love is noble because it is silent."
Shen Anyu sneered. "What garbage."
"Endurance, restraint, pain, struggle, silent waiting—you, a King of Assassins in the Dark World, are acting like the tragic female lead in a melodrama, why bother?"
In Shen Anyu's philosophy, if you want something, you take it. If you love someone, you claim them. Watching from the shadows was the behavior of a coward, not a hero.
"You want to protect her purity? You want her to live a normal life?"
Shen Anyu shook his head, a leisurely, cruel smile appearing in his eyes.
"That's boring. Let me help you."
He walked to the window, looking out at the sprawling metropolis of Modu. Somewhere out there, a killer was watching a girl, his heart full of longing and pain.
"Let me help you escape this pain. Don't thank me; who told me I'm a great Child of Destiny... wait, no, a great Villain."
"I'll take care of her for you. I'll make sure she's 'happy'. And you... you can rest in peace."
Shen Anyu picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Prepare the car. We're going to Modu University."
[Akarin Note:
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