Li Xi sat in the car heading back to the duplex, with a laptop on his knees, focused on handling company matters.
Just then, a notification sound from QQ alerted him. Shao Ye's profile picture was flashing.
Li Xi casually opened the message and first saw two rows of exclamation marks, followed by a single sentence: "Check out the school forum!"
Li Xi frowned. Shao Ye knew he never browsed the school forum, so for him to specifically send a reminder meant it must be something related to him.
He saved his documents and then opened the school forum. Among the latest posts, one title immediately caught his attention: Shocking! A 14-year-old prodigy seen mingling with dozens of adults at a club late at night!
Li Xi's face darkened. The term 14-year-old prodigy was unmistakably referring to Yuan Chu.
Mingling with dozens of adults at a club late at night? What nonsense! Which idiot was spreading rumors!
Suppressing his anger, Li Xi clicked on the post. The original poster had uploaded several photos and described, in highly suggestive language, how the "14-year-old prodigy" was hanging out at a club with seven or eight men and women.
The faces in the photos were pixelated, but anyone familiar with them could easily recognize the people. Among them, the petite girl was unmistakably his little Chu!
The background of the photos did look like a club, though the setup and food seemed legitimate. The real issue was that his little Chu had gone out with a bunch of random people while he was away!
Li Xi quickly skimmed through the long, rambling post until he got to the key part.
Yuan Chu had represented Sun Xinrong in a pool match against an experienced young player. The details of the bet and stakes weren't clearly written.
"The most exciting part is coming up. Let me catch my breath and I'll continue later. (OP)"
This one sentence nearly made Li Nian smash his laptop in frustration. Such a tease! The worst part was, there was no option to "view only OP's posts!"
Apparently, he wasn't the only one annoyed, as the comments were full of people urging the OP to continue and discussing the outcome of the match.
[Is there any suspense? The little prodigy played pool for the first time; there's no way she could win.]
[I don't think it's that simple. Maybe the guy let her win.]
[How much would he have to let up for a beginner to win this match?]
[I always thought the little prodigy was just a studious kid, but she plays games too!]
[Damn clickbait! Wasted my data!]
...
Li Xi quickly scrolled down and finally found the OP's second update.
"I won't elaborate on the match; watch for yourselves. A special reminder: Brace your knees. (OP)"
Below was a seven-minute video. Apart from the initial break shot by Sheng An, the rest of the video was all Yuan Chu's solo performance.
She leaned forward, her limbs extended, fingers, arms, elbows, and shoulders forming a highly coordinated stance.
She aimed and shot with swift, precise movements. With each rhythmic clink, a ball would drop into a pocket.
Her focused gaze made her youthful face appear exceptionally charming, blending handsomeness, crispness, and grace.
A clean sweep.
Everyone watching the post was stunned.
[Whoa!!! That was so cool!!!]
[Is this really the prodigy I know???]
[I'm floored, completely floored!]
[So much for playing for the first time! I actually believed you!]
[The prodigy's act of playing dumb and then winning is executed to perfection. I admit defeat.]
[Haha, I really want to see the guy's dumbfounded expression, but too bad his face is pixelated.]
[With skills like these, she could easily compete in international pool tournaments.]
[Never would have guessed, she's such an impressive prodigy.]
...
Li Xi watched the video repeatedly, seemingly trying to memorize her every move and expression.
This version of Yuan Chu was a first for him. Elegant, handsome, confident, like a naturally polished gem, dazzling and radiant.
A sudden current surged up his spine, spreading through his body, bringing an unusual tingly sensation.
Li Xi took out his phone and dialed Yuan Chu's number.
The phone rang three times before it was answered.
Li Xi: "Where are you?"
"XX Club."
"Come home immediately."
"Okay."
Li Xi looked at the now dark screen of his phone, his eyes deep and unreadable.
When Yuan Chu returned home, she entered the living room to find Li Xi sitting on the sofa, his unpacked luggage beside him.
"Come here." Li Xi patted the sofa next to him.
Yuan Chu changed her shoes and walked over slowly, sitting down.
"Why did you go to such a place with them?" Li Xi's tone was calm, but his gaze was intensely penetrating.
"Sun Xinrong invited me, so I went."
"Since when are you and Sun Xinrong so close?" Li Xi snapped, "Those people frequently visit entertainment venues with complex social circles. How can a young girl like you hang out with them? What if you get bullied or get involved in something bad?"
"I understand. I'll be more careful in the future." Yuan Chu knew Li Xi was concerned, so she didn't argue much.
Her obedient demeanor was completely different from the video. Li Xi couldn't help but pinch her cheek, sternly saying, "If I ever find out you're associating with those sketchy people again, I will severely punish you."
"Mm." Yuan Chu let him pinch her, not taking his threats seriously. He always spoke harshly but was very indulgent in reality, never willing to hurt her.
After living together for several years, she had long seen through his tough-but-soft nature.
"Tell me, what's the deal with you and Sun Xinrong?" Li Xi released her cheek, gently rubbing the spot he had pinched.
He had warned that woman to stay away from Yuan Chu, but it seemed she didn't heed his warning.
"She takes care of me." Although it was with an ulterior motive, she hadn't done anything particularly annoying.
"Taking care of you? For no reason at all, you don't think she has an agenda?" Li Xi raised his eyebrows, feeling the need to give her a lesson on being wary of ill-intentioned people.
"I know." Yuan Chu nodded, "She likes you and wants to get closer to you through me."
Li Xi asked irritably, "If you know that, why do you still associate with her?"
"She's very pretty."
"What does her being pretty have to do with me?" Li Xi hadn't even noticed her looks.
"Don't all boys like pretty girls?" Yuan Chu looked at him curiously, "She's good-looking, has a good figure, and comes from a good family. Don't you think you two make a good match?"
Li Xi narrowed his eyes dangerously: "Don't tell me you're trying to set us up."
"Not exactly. I just think you match well." In Yuan Chu's foresight of the future, Sun Xinrong was the woman Li Xi interacted with the most. She hadn't considered herself in the equation.
A nameless fire surged in Li Xi's heart: "Yuan Chu, since when did you become a part-time matchmaker?"
Yuan Chu remained silent.
"How old are you? Focus on your studies. My love life doesn't need your concern." Li Xi stood up abruptly, picked up his luggage, and went to his room.
Watching his retreating figure, Yuan Chu finally said two words: "...I'm sorry."
She hadn't intended to meddle in his love life. It was just that Sun Xinrong was different; even if rejected, she wouldn't give up easily and might continuously cause trouble for Li Xi.
If she could subtly change her before she launched her offensive, it would minimize the impact on him, whether or not he accepted her in the end.
Yuan Chu didn't understand why Li Xi was so angry. For now, she had only interacted with Sun Xinrong a few times and hadn't actively tried to match them up.
Speaking of which, isn't discussing pretty girls a favorite topic for boys? She had just asked casually, why did it make him so mad?
Oh well, if he doesn't like it, she won't bring it up again.
She needed to handle the occasional little tantrums of the son of luck properly.
---
Back in his room, Li Xi took off his coat and stepped into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he let the cold water drench him, hoping to extinguish his anger.
He couldn't believe Yuan Chu was trying to find him a woman. Didn't she know he only needed her?
They had endured illness together, faced life and death, their bond was deep, and no one else was needed.
Apart from her, he couldn't tolerate any other woman.
Thinking this, Li Xi suddenly paused, feeling like he had grasped something, yet it wasn't quite clear...
The next day, the driver dropped Yuan Chu and Li Xi off at the school gate.
Before getting out, Li Xi said in a deep voice, "Don't associate with Sun Xinrong anymore."
Yuan Chu stared at him for a moment: "Is it necessary?"
"Yes!" His tone was firm and unquestionable.
"Okay." Yuan Chu didn't insist. It wasn't essential to interact with her; the future was beyond her control.
Li Xi's expression softened when she agreed, and he stepped out of the car, walking into the school with her.
"Look, it's her, the prodigy."
"Ah, so cute."
"She looks so different from the video."
"Are we sure it's her? The face was pixelated; maybe it's just a similar body type."
"Didn't the title make it clear? A 14-year-old prodigy. Who else in our school could it be besides her?"
"Isn't it enough to be a studious prodigy? Why does she also have such amazing pool skills?!"
The surrounding discussions gradually reached Li Xi's ears, making him aware that his Yuan Chu seemed to have become the center of attention.
Damn it, he was so engrossed in watching yesterday that he forgot to ask someone to delete that post.
Thinking about how many people had seen his Chu Chu's impressive performance in the video made Li Xi furious. But there was more to come.
These energetic, passionate college students wouldn't be soft-hearted when they met someone they admired.
Intense pursuit was inevitable, and age was not an issue. At worst, they would develop feelings first and wait until the girl grew up to take it further.
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