Xiao Shaowan said with a beaming smile, “I told my mom that I’m being kept by someone I like, my classmate. That I’m willingly letting you keep me.”
Yang Haoran was stunned, his brain nearly short-circuiting.
Whether Xiao Shaowan had been willing back thenβhow could he not know?
“My mom, after hearing that, wanted me to bring you back to meet her. She’s afraid I’m lying to her.”
Yang Haoran understood instantly, glaring fiercely. “Xiao Shaowan, are you playing me?”
He was truly furious. Aside from Aunt Shen, no one had ever dared to deceive him like this. He had struggled internally for so long, finally letting rationality triumph over his primal instincts, only to be told it was all a joke!
“Do you have any idea what the consequences of this are?” Yang Haoran gritted his teeth.
Xiao Shaowan looked at his furious face but didn’t respond. Instead, with a thud, she directly knelt down before Yang Haoran. Gazing up at him, she said, “Master, your slave Wan knows.”
“You know and yet you still played me? Don’t you know I hate being tricked the most?”
“Wanε₯΄ is willing to accept punishment!” Yang Haoran looked down at the calm-faced Xiao Shaowan, suppressing his anger as he coldly asked, “Why did you do this?”
Xiao Shaowan lowered her head in thought for a moment before slowly raising it to meet Yang Haoran’s eyes. “I just wanted to know if I’ve chosen the wrong person for the rest of my life. I don’t want to end up a pitiable woman like my mother… Daddy!”
That final word “Daddy” from Xiao Shaowan instantly melted Yang Haoran’s rage like ice and snow, leaving him stunned. “What did you call me?”
“Daddy!”
Xiao Shaowan gazed directly into Yang Haoran’s eyes, enunciating each word softly from her red, delicate lips: “From now on, your slave Wan will serve Master as her ‘Daddy’!”
Watching Xiao Shaowan kneeling there, calling him “Daddy” over and over, whatever anger Yang Haoran had left vanished. He found himself both amused and exasperated. “Get up. I’ll let it slide this time.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shaowan remained unmoved. Instead, she said earnestly to Yang Haoran, “Daddy, your slave Wan has done wrong and must be punished. This is what you taught me. Please slap me hard a few times. Otherwise, your slave Wan will not get up.”
Seeing the serious look on Xiao Shaowan’s face, Yang Haoran asked again, “Are you sure?”
“Sure!” Xiao Shaowan replied softly.
His eyes fixed on Xiao Shaowan’s beautiful face, a cruel, violent urge rose within Yang Haoran. His right hand whistled through the air, landing a fierce slap on her lovely cheek.
Smack!
“Mmph…”
A bright red handprint immediately bloomed on Xiao Shaowan’s beautiful cheek. Sharp pain radiated from the spot, but she endured it, biting the corner of her mouth, slightly raising her head to meet another slap.
Smack!
Smack!
Two more crisp sounds followed in quick succession. Both of Xiao Shaowan’s beautiful cheeks now bore crimson palm marks. A burning, painful sensation spread from her face throughout her entire body. Yet, she clenched her teeth and didn’t make another sound.
“What are you doing… bullying a girl?”
A young man who had just entered the corridor happened to witness this scene. He immediately roared in anger and strode quickly towards them.
As he got closer, the kneeling Xiao Shaowan’s beautiful face came into his view. Even with the glaring red handprints, they did nothing to diminish her beauty; instead, they added a touch of pitiable fragility that made one’s heart ache for her.
Hearing the shout behind him, Yang Haoran, caught off guard, was startled. He turned around to see a young man charging towards him furiously.
Just as Yang Haoran was thinking about flexing his musclesβit had been a while since he’d fought, and he wondered if he was rustyβthe young man leaped past him. He crouched down in front of the kneeling Xiao Shaowan and asked urgently, “Are you okay? I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid. I’ll teach him a lesson for you. I hate men who hit girls the most.”
As he spoke, the young man looked up and glared viciously at Yang Haoran, preparing to rise and play the hero saving the beauty.
He was incredibly excited. Who would have thought that a trip to the restroom would yield such an unexpected opportunity? Playing the hero to save a beauty was the easiest way to win a fair lady’s heart. And such a stunningly beautiful girl at thatβit was like his ancestors’ graves were smoking with luck!
Given Xiao Shaowan’s looks, in ordinary circumstances, he wouldn’t even have the courage to strike up a conversation with her. But now, spurred by a rush of hormones, he was filled with righteous fury.
Just as the young man was about to step forward to teach Yang Haoran a lesson, a cold voice came from behind him: “Who are you? What do you think you’re doing? He’s my boyfriend.”
The young man was taken aback, but then, as if remembering something, he said to Xiao Shaowan again, “You don’t have to be afraid. With me here, he can’t bully you. A boyfriend who hits his girlfriend is scum. Iβ”
“I told him to hit me.”
Before the young man could finish, he was cut off. His mind buzzed. What was going on?
Xiao Shaowan clearly understood what he was thinking and explained, “I did something wrong. I’m kneeling here to let my boyfriend slap me a few times. Thank you, but please don’t misunderstand.”
“Ah!”
The young man’s mind buzzed again. He turned to look at Yang Haoran, then back at the pitiable, kneeling Xiao Shaowan. His eyes swept back and forth between the two as if he’d finally figured out the situation. He stared at the slouching, nonchalant Yang Haoran before him with an expression of utter disbelief. Bro, what do you have that I don’t?
Such a beautiful girlfriend, and you actually hit her when she tells you to? How could you bring yourself to do it?
What’s more, the stunningly beautiful girl was kneeling there obediently taking the hits. This submissive, docile attitude made it even harder for him to comprehend. Bro, what exactly have you got?
The young man’s incredulous expression was clear to Yang Haoran, who simply crossed his arms as if it had nothing to do with him.
“Is it really a misunderstanding?” the young man turned and asked the kneeling Xiao Shaowan, unwilling to give up.
Xiao Shaowan nodded. The young man’s heart shattered into pieces, feeling utterly cold and disheartened.
Seeing this farce come to an end, Yang Haoran said to the kneeling Xiao Shaowan, “Get up.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shaowan slowly rose and came to Yang Haoran’s side. Intimately linking her arm with his, she shot the other guy an apologetic look. She knew he meant well, but his good intentions had caused trouble and interrupted them.
Witnessing this scene, the young man finally gave up. He warned Yang Haoran, “Buddy, don’t let me catch you bullying your girlfriend again, or I’ll beat you up every time I see you.”
Having said that, the young man quite dashingly walked off down the corridor.
A vein throbbed on Yang Haoran’s forehead. He stepped forward, wanting to teach this blockhead a lesson, but Xiao Shaowan pulled his arm back and calmly advised, “It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t start a fight.”
Yang Haoran thought about it and decided to let it go, though he still felt irritated. Noticing the young man heading out of the corridor, he couldn’t resist calling out, “Hey blockhead, you’re going the wrong way. Didn’t you need to use the restroom?”
Without turning his head, the young man waved dismissively behind him, leaving them with these words: “Not in the mood anymore. See you around if fate allows.”
Hearing the blockhead’s reply, Yang Haoran suddenly laughed out loud, his heart finally feeling at ease. This guy’s personality was quite interesting; he’d remember him. Just a bit too fond of showing off!
Who knew if they’d have the chance to meet again? Yang Haoran could tell the other was around his age, probably a high school student, though he didn’t know which school.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Yang Haoran said this and turned to walk towards the men’s restroom. Xiao Shaowan, still holding his arm, followed closely step by step.
The hem of her black pleated skirt swayed gently with her movements.