Chapter 301: Shen Anyu Intercepts the School Beauty!
"Big Brother, I... I didn't mean to run away..."
Seeing Shen Anyu suddenly appear before her, Susan's watery big eyes instantly welled up with tears, her vision blurred.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Shen Anyu had bullied her terribly.
Fortunately, this was a secluded corner of the street, and the scorching midday sun had driven most pedestrians indoors. Otherwise, if a crowd had witnessed this scene, they would undoubtedly have swarmed over to condemn Shen Anyu. After all, who could bear to see such a breathtakingly beautiful and adorable young girl sobbing so pitifully, her shoulders trembling like a flower in a storm?
Shen Anyu stood there, his expression feigning a hint of surprise, though his eyes remained calm and calculating.
In reality, nothing escaped his control. With the [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] silently tracking their vitals and location, Susan and Lin Xiang's every movement was projected directly into his mind. Their clumsy attempt at escape was as futile as a bird trying to fly out of a sealed cage. He had simply taken a leisurely detour, cutting off their path with the precision of a predator cornering its prey.
If he hadn't intervened, Lin Xiang, that weakling of a Child of Destiny, wouldn't have made it far either. But Shen Anyu hadn't expected Susan to be this fragile.
She cried so easily.
Looking at her flushed face and the pearly tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks, a dark, sadistic amusement curled in Shen Anyu's chest. She looked so incredibly bullyable. She was like a soft, white rabbit exposing its belly to a wolf. If he were to punch her—metaphorically or otherwise—she would probably cry for hours, wouldn't she?
On Shen Anyu's handsome face, a gentle, impeccable smile slowly bloomed, masking the wolf beneath the skin. He stepped closer, invading her personal space with an air of dominance wrapped in elegance.
His large hand reached out, his fingers brushing against Susan's cheek. The sensation was exquisite—smooth, warm, and elastic, like the finest silk or freshly curdled milk. His thumb swept across the corner of her eye, wiping away a glistening teardrop with practiced tenderness.
"Be good, don't cry, okay? Big Brother isn't here to cause you trouble," he said, his voice low and magnetic, vibrating with a soothing cadence that belied his true intentions.
The intimate touch sent a jolt of electricity through Susan. Her small face burned crimson, the heat spreading all the way to her ears. She instinctively flinched back, dodging Shen Anyu's large hand like a startled fawn. She fumbled in her pockets, preparing to take out a tissue to wipe her tears, but before she could, a pristine white handkerchief appeared in her field of vision.
Susan looked up, her teary eyes meeting Shen Anyu's gentle, smiling gaze. The sunlight haloed around him, making him look like a savior rather than a creditor. Her heart, previously clenched in fear, warmed inexplicably.
She hesitantly took the white handkerchief, the fabric soft and smelling faintly of expensive cologne—a scent of cedar and musk that seemed to wrap around her senses. She wiped her tear-streaked face, feeling incredibly embarrassed.
"Big Brother, you've seen me at my worst. I'll return this handkerchief to you after I wash it clean," she stammered, clutching the cloth tightly.
[Ding! Detected destined heroine Susan's favorability +10. Plundered +30,000 Destiny Points.]
The mechanical voice of the system rang out in Shen Anyu's mind, sweet music to his ears.
He sighed inwardly with satisfaction. What a polite and obedient girl, he thought. Pure and flawless, beautiful and kind. She possesses a purity that makes one hesitate to taint her, like a blank sheet of paper waiting for ink.
Unfortunately for her, Shen Anyu was not a saint. He was a villain. And villains loved nothing more than to splash their own colors onto a blank canvas, to plunder such pristine beauty and make it their own.
"It's hot outside. Come sit in the car; it's cooler inside," Shen Anyu suggested, gesturing towards the sleek beast parked beside them. "Sister Susan, let's talk properly. I have something to say to you."
He pressed a button on his key fob. The mechanical whir of the Bugatti Veyron filled the air as the convertible top rose and closed, sealing the interior into a private sanctuary. Then, with gentlemanly grace, he opened the passenger door and extended his hand, inviting Susan into the multimillion-dollar hypercar.
The July heat was oppressive, the air shimmering above the asphalt like a furnace. Fine beads of fragrant sweat had already gathered on Susan's fair forehead, matting her bangs. The physical discomfort, combined with her emotional distress, made her feel faint.
As the door opened, a wave of frigid, conditioned air billowed out, promising relief. Susan looked into the car. The interior was a masterpiece of engineering and luxury—supple leather seats, polished carbon fiber trim, and an aura of exorbitant wealth. Her beautiful eyes flickered with hesitation, then movement.
Shen Anyu's gentle smile and his unthreatening, gentlemanly demeanor worked to dismantle her last line of defense. She bit her lip, then gently nodded.
"Alright, Big Brother, let's talk."
She guessed that this handsome and gentle 'Big Brother' wanted to discuss the scratch on his car and the compensation Lin Xiang owed. Guilt weighed heavily on her chest. She felt truly apologetic about the incident and believed Lin Xiang had acted wrongly by trying to run. If not for her overwhelming sense of justice and disappointment, she wouldn't have uncharacteristically snapped at Lin Xiang earlier and stormed off.
Susan stepped into the car, sinking into the plush passenger seat.
Shen Anyu walked around to the driver's side and slid in. His eyes darkened slightly as the door clicked shut.
Click.
He pressed a button on the console. The unmistakable sound of the central locking mechanism engaging echoed in the silent cabin. The doors were locked; they could not be easily opened from the inside.
The windows were tinted with high-grade, one-way privacy glass. From the inside, the world was visible, but from the outside, the interior was a pitch-black abyss. No one could see in. No one would know what was happening inside this luxurious metal beast.
The silence in the car was absolute, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning. The sudden isolation from the noisy street outside made Susan's heart beat faster. She felt a sudden, inexplicable unease, like a small animal realizing it had walked into a trap.
She turned to look at Shen Anyu, her voice trembling slightly.
"Big Brother, are you looking for Lin Xiang to discuss the scratching compensation?"
She took a deep breath, trying to advocate for her childhood friend despite her own fear.
"Big Brother, Lin Xiang really can't afford the five million in compensation. He hasn't even started university or work yet. His family is ordinary... Can you give him a few years' grace?"
Her pleading eyes were wide and sincere, filled with shame on behalf of her friend.
Shen Anyu leaned back in the driver's seat, one hand resting casually on the steering wheel, the other tapping rhythmically on the center console. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied her, his gaze traveling over her anxious face.
"Are you and Lin Xiang very close?" he asked suddenly, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. "Are you his girlfriend?"
The question caught Susan off guard. Her small face immediately flushed a deep shade of red, and she quickly waved her hands in denial.
"No, no, I... I'm not Lin Xiang's girlfriend," she stammered, anxious to clarify the misunderstanding. "My aunt told me that I can't date before graduating from university."
She paused, wringing her hands together. "Lin Xiang's parents are very kind to me and take good care of me. Lin Xiang and I have known each other since we were little and are very good friends, so that's why I'm speaking up for him. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, no."
Although they both had some vague, youthful affection for each other, and Lin Xiang's parents often teased her about being their future daughter-in-law, strictly speaking, Susan mostly regarded Lin Xiang as a brother or a very close friend.
Lin Xiang was too immature. He was rebellious, unruly, and constantly causing trouble. He skipped classes, fought, and acted impulsively. She had tried to persuade him to change countless times, but he never listened.
Susan liked boys who were mature, steady, and responsible—gentlemen.
This incident was the perfect example of Lin Xiang's immaturity. Riding his bicycle on the main road with both hands off the handlebars just to show off? Losing control because of a gust of wind and scraping a multimillion-dollar luxury car? It was the height of stupidity. And then, his first instinct was to run?
Shen Anyu listened to her frantic explanation, a gleam of understanding in his eyes.
I see, he thought. So the relationship hasn't solidified yet.
If he hadn't appeared, Lin Xiang, that brat, would probably have played the long game, acting the simp for years until he finally moved the heart of his childhood sweetheart. It was a classic, boring trope.
Now that Shen Anyu had descended upon this world, he would mercifully exempt Lin Xiang from such a dog-like, unrequited love. He would take the burden of this beautiful girl off his shoulders completely.
Looking at Susan, who was looking at him with bated breath, Shen Anyu's eyes filled with amusement.
"Student Susan, I'm not the school's dean of students, so you don't need to be so flustered," he teased lightly.
At this point, Shen Anyu even modulated his voice, imitating the stern, gravelly tone of a stereotypical middle-aged dean scolding a student.
"Pfft..."
The tension in the car shattered instantly. Looking at this incredibly handsome, young 'Big Brother' pulling a funny face and speaking in an old man's voice created a wonderful, disarming contrast.
Susan immediately let out a giggle, her hand covering her mouth. Her incomparably beautiful face lit up, smiling like a flower blooming after rain. The fear in her eyes dissipated, replaced by a shy curiosity.
After Shen Anyu's teasing, Susan finally calmed down. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked at him, her guard lowered. She waited for him to speak, assuming the conversation would now be easier.
But Shen Anyu was a master of emotional pacing. Just as she relaxed, he shifted gears.
The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a solemn, heavy expression. The atmosphere in the car instantly dropped to freezing point.
Influenced by the sudden change, Susan's smile froze, and she became nervous again. Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt.
"Sister Susan," Shen Anyu said, his voice grave. "Do you know that hit-and-run is a serious illegal act?"
Susan swallowed hard, nodding slowly.
"If it causes significant property damage, one will even be held criminally liable according to the law," Shen Anyu continued, enunciating every word clearly.
"Five million yuan in huge losses. Plus fleeing the scene of the accident. This is already considered a particularly egregious circumstance under the penal code. If it goes to court..." Shen Anyu paused for dramatic effect, locking eyes with her. "It's enough to be sentenced to three to seven years in prison."
"Lin Xiang is already an adult. He is eighteen, right? He can't escape this responsibility."
Shen Anyu leaned forward slightly, his presence overwhelming her. "Sister Susan, you don't want Lin Xiang to go to jail, do you?"
What?
Jail??
The word struck Susan like a physical blow. Her small face turned deathly pale, drained of all blood. The terrifying image of Lin Xiang, her childhood friend, being dragged away in handcuffs and thrown into a cold, dark cell filled her mind.
"Big Brother, please don't let Lin Xiang go to jail!" she cried out, panic seizing her voice. "He's still young! He has just been admitted to a good university! If he goes to jail now, his file will be stained forever... his life will be ruined!"
In her desperation, Susan completely forgot about boundaries. Her slender, soft little hand reached out and firmly grasped Shen Anyu's wrist, her fingers digging into his skin as if he were her only lifeline.
"Please, I beg you!"
Shen Anyu glanced down at the soft hand gripping his wrist. The corner of his mouth curved into a subtle, playful arc that Susan was too panicked to notice.
The little mermaid had taken the bait. The net was closing.
"Not letting Lin Xiang go to jail..." Shen Anyu drawled, letting the sentence hang in the air, tasting her anxiety. "...it's not impossible."
Listening to Shen Anyu's drawn-out voice, hope flared in Susan's chest. She looked at him with wide, anxious eyes.
"Big Brother, what are your conditions? Tell me! I'll make sure Lin Xiang agrees to anything!"
Shen Anyu looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"Simple: pay the five million repair fee immediately, and apologize."
Listening to Shen Anyu's reply, Susan's hope crumbled. Her beautiful brows furrowed deeply, and her pure little face crumpled into a look of bitter despair.
With Lin Xiang's rebellious and unruly nature, getting him to apologize was already a Herculean task. He had too much pride. But even if she could force him to bow his head...
Five million yuan?
Where would an ordinary family get five million yuan instantly? Selling their house wouldn't even be enough. It was an astronomical figure for them.
"Big Brother, can't you give him a few years' grace? To pay it back later?"
Looking at Susan's hopeful beautiful eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, Shen Anyu smiled. It was the smile of a hunter who had successfully trapped the rabbit.
"Of course, as long as..."
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