Chapter 29: Falling into the Water

Su Mi was extremely calm, as if nothing had happened, and quickly cast her gaze toward the highway outside.

She muttered under her breath, “I remember, I remember, I’m just passing by.”

She walked straight past Li Zhao, who stood at the entrance of the pavilion, without so much as glancing sideways, her steps quick.

From behind came Li Zhao’s voice, torn between laughter and tears.

“Shen Han, are you guarding against thieves or something?”

Shen Han’s voice was faint. “She just graduated.”

Li Zhao drawled lazily, “Isn’t everyone on this whole mountain a fresh graduate? Fine, I won’t say anything… Nanqiao, shall we go?”

Xu Nanqiao had just caught up from behind and only heard the last sentence.

She hummed in response and said, “Sure.”

Su Mi slammed on the brakes.

She had heard that “Nanqiao.”

Li Zhao—calling Xu Nanqiao—Nanqiao?!

She hurried back with quick steps.

Behind her first came Shen Han, followed by Xu Nanqiao and Li Zhao walking side by side.

As Su Mi passed Shen Han, she looked right at her, and after passing Shen Han, her gaze locked tightly onto Xu Nanqiao.

She didn’t spare even a sliver of attention for Li Zhao.

“Nanqiao, I need to talk to you about something.” She nervously grabbed Xu Nanqiao’s arm and, without another word, dragged her to the other side of the road.

The abandoned Li Zhao took a couple of quick steps to Shen Han’s side and made a spreading-hands gesture.

Li Zhao said, “Your little sister is awfully obedient.”

Shen Han glanced at her and said, “She’s afraid of you.”

Li Zhao replied, “I’m smiling all the time—who would be afraid of me? They’d be more likely to fear you.”

Shen Han said nothing.

Li Zhao pouted, then pinched her voice to imitate Su Mi’s sweet and chirpy tone. “Sister Li Zhao…”

She was still imitating when Shen Han quickened her pace and walked ahead.

Li Zhao fell silent, torn between laughter and tears. “Hey!”

–

By the time they reached the mountain top, Su Mi’s legs felt like jelly.

As Li Zhao passed her, she commented, “Even Nanqiao has better stamina than you.”

Su Mi nearly choked on her breath.

Why call her Nanqiao!

They found a spot in the camping area with good airflow. Shen Han and Li Zhao fetched the tent supplies and barbecue gear. The two of them set up the tents while Xu Nanqiao organized the barbecue utensils and ingredients.

Su Mi sat to the side recovering for a while, then scooted over to Xu Nanqiao’s side.

She sent Ren Yue a few messages, but got no reply, not knowing what she was up to.

Xu Nanqiao overheard and thought it was fine. “This whole scenic area is full of people from our school—the security is great. She’s probably off playing with classmates.”

Su Mi figured that made sense.

She and Xu Nanqiao threaded skewers for the barbecue together. Shen Han and the others finished setting up the tents and came over.

Li Zhao helped thread the meat skewers while Shen Han unbuttoned her shirt cuffs, bent down, and started the fire.

Su Mi glanced a couple of times and secretly tugged Xu Nanqiao to look.

“How about it? Doesn’t my big sister seem really down-to-earth like this?”

She still remembered Xu Nanqiao’s previous comment about Shen Han.

Xu Nanqiao looked over. The usually aloof and cold woman was bent over the barbecue grill laying charcoal, her movements unhurried.

It was as if she weren’t holding tongs, but a pen signing a contract worth billions.

Xu Nanqiao sighed. “Even like this, she doesn’t seem very down-to-earth.”

Su Mi: “…”

Could she still make it if she went over and smeared two streaks of charcoal across Shen Han’s face right now?

She sighed in regret. “That’s not what I meant… At least she’s not so mysterious anymore, right?”

Xu Nanqiao thought for a moment. “True.”

Su Mi immediately perked up. “Exactly! She’s just a slow warmer, doesn’t talk much, but she’s actually a really great person—good at everything, super reliable!”

Xu Nanqiao murmured quietly, “…Is that so? I feel like what you’re saying sounds a bit off.”

Li Zhao happened to come over for the iron skewers and paused upon hearing this.

She set down what she was holding and squatted next to Su Mi. “What are you two talking about?”

Su Mi didn’t dare speak.

Li Zhao glanced at Xu Nanqiao, who was seriously threading vegetables, then back at Su Mi.

To Su Mi, she mouthed: “You’re pitching your sister?”

Su Mi’s expression froze, and she shot her a glance.

Li Zhao pointed at Xu Nanqiao, then at Shen Han, raising one brow in a questioning look.

She mouthed again: “You’re serious?”

From these two meetings, Su Mi had figured out that Li Zhao had a playful and erratic personality. If she let her know anything, things could take a huge turn.

She denied it outright and whispered, “Don’t guess randomly. Nothing like that.”

Li Zhao had only clearly heard the last couple of sentences anyway. She looked suspicious and said, “Little sister, you’d better not.”

Su Mi kept a straight face. “You’re the one who shouldn’t—don’t ruin people’s AO reputation.”

She picked up a plate of threaded meat skewers, stood up, and said to Li Zhao, who was squatting beside her, “Excuse me, make way.”

Li Zhao chuckled and sat down in her original spot.

The group leisurely ate barbecue on the mountaintop. The sky was darkening, with maybe an hour or two until sunset.

A massive bonfire rose in the square next to the clubhouse. Su Mi checked the event handbook and saw there would be performances and a gathering there later.

As soon as Li Zhao had a free moment, she wanted to tease Xu Nanqiao and Su Mi, but Shen Han dragged her off for a walk.

Su Mi felt a bit regretful. Although Shen Han couldn’t have alone time with Xu Nanqiao, with Li Zhao around, the two of them still couldn’t be together.

She and Xu Nanqiao headed to Bonfire Square together. In the gradually thickening crowd, they barely found seats and sat down. Casually, she grumbled.

“I don’t know why my sister brought Li Zhao along.”

When Su Mi first saw Li Zhao, she guessed Shen Han thought coming alone might be awkward, so she brought a friend.

But didn’t that just block the chance for alone time with Xu Nanqiao?

Xu Nanqiao beside her said, “Hm? Did President Shen invite Doctor Li too?”

Su Mi: “Huh?”

She looked at Xu Nanqiao in confusion.

The latter said, “I asked Doctor Li if she wanted to come along too.”

Su Mi was stunned.

Her brain short-circuited for a moment before she asked, “Why?”

Xu Nanqiao smiled and said frankly, “Wasn’t it during hotpot when she said to bring along an adult my mom knows? After thinking it over, the one my mom trusts most is probably Doctor Li. Sure enough, once I said Doctor Li was going, my mom agreed right away.”

Su Mi: “…”

She rubbed her face and said, “Doesn’t Doctor Li seem reliable at all?”

Xu Nanqiao burst out laughing. “In her professional field, Doctor Li is very reliable. Lately, my mom has been asking her a lot about health issues, and it’s all been really helpful.”

Su Mi murmured quietly, “…Fine.”

Just then, her Light Brain beeped.

It was Ren Yue, who hadn’t replied for several hours.

She sent a crying emoji.

Ren Yue: Sorry QAQ, I didn’t notice the message earlier. I’m at West Stream Trail—the scenery is great. Want to come check it out?

Su Mi checked the location she sent; it wasn’t far from here.

It was the streamside path they hadn’t taken on the way up.

Su Mi showed the message to Xu Nanqiao.

Xu Nanqiao said, “Why don’t you go pick her up? More and more people are here. I’ll hold the spots for you.”

Su Mi thought that made sense, so she stood up and followed the navigation.

This time, she was very cautious and summoned the System.

She had the System confirm the navigation direction the whole way.

After a few corrections from the System, Su Mi finally stepped onto the streamside mountain path and went down the steps.

She hadn’t gone two steps before saying, “…My legs are so sore.”

She had only rested for two hours after climbing up.

Fortunately, Ren Yue’s spot wasn’t much lower. Soon, she could see the location getting closer.

Ren Yue’s pin was at a flat gravel beach midway up the mountain path—a little scenic spot where the stream was relatively calm and shallow. People could wade across or use the wooden bridge to the pavilion on the other side to rest.

From far away, Su Mi spotted Ren Yue in a white dress standing on the pebble beach.

Ren Yue saw her too and jumped up, waving.

Su Mi waved back happily and hurried down toward her clear target.

As she neared the pebble beach, from her higher vantage point, she suddenly noticed three or four people surrounding Ren Yue.

Both men and women, all tall in stature.

Ren Yue was forced to retreat step by step by them, standing at the stream’s edge saying something.

Su Mi froze for a moment, then hurried her steps, ignoring the ache in her legs.

“What are you doing?”

She shouted from afar.

At the same time, she quickly sent the location to Xu Nanqiao on her Light Brain, saying it looked like someone was bullying Ren Yue.

There didn’t seem to be any handy weapons nearby. Fearing a repeat of the time thugs cornered Xu Nanqiao, Su Mi didn’t hesitate and jogged over.

The group heard her voice and turned back, almost making way for her to squeeze through to Ren Yue’s side.

Su Mi first checked on Ren Yue and saw she was okay.

She seemed scared, her little face pale, eyes brimming with tears.

These people all looked rich or noble, decked out in designer clothes with big logos.

The leader, a roguishly handsome guy like a school bully, called out to Ren Yue.

“Your friend?” he asked.

Ren Yue clung to Su Mi’s arm, her voice trembling. “Y-Yes, she is.”

A sense of responsibility welled up in Su Mi instantly. “What do you want?”

Someone nearby laughed. “Don’t be nervous. We just want to make friends with your friend.”

Another chuckled. “Yeah, our Brother Zhang is especially tender toward the fairer sex.”

The leader pocketed his hands and stepped forward. “I don’t want much—just add me on Guangxun. You won’t even give me that?”

Ren Yue was clearly frightened, clinging tighter to Su Mi’s arm, her whole soft body trembling noticeably against Su Mi.

“I-I don’t add strangers…”

She said it softly but firmly.

In one second, Su Mi remembered how she had added Ren Yue and then deleted her contact.

Guilt deepened, along with her sense of responsibility.

If they were thugs, Su Mi might have called security right away.

But these were probably just spoiled rich kids from the school. Since they were in Hunsou City’s elite circles, they surely knew Shen Han’s name.

With someone backing her, Su Mi wasn’t afraid at all.

She frowned. “Didn’t you hear? My friend said she doesn’t want to add you.”

The leader smirked. “Now that’s no fun. What’s the big deal about adding on Guangxun? We’re all graduates now—more friends, more paths.”

“Exactly. Our Brother Zhang is an a-grade alpha. You’re getting the better end of the deal.”

“The one in front is a beta anyway—she wouldn’t get it.”

Ren Yue shuddered. “No…”

These people were too shameless. Su Mi had no choice but to bring out her backing. “Are you sick? She said no. Haven’t you studied the Omega Protection Law? I’m warning you—our backer is Shen Han. Think about the weight of Shen Group.”

But the leader didn’t care at all. “Shen Group? Half our school claims Shen Group as their backer—big talk, who buys it? I advise you not to meddle. Hey, little miss, if you won’t add on Guangxun, let me touch your face instead.”

“Yeah! What’s there to be shy about?”

“Betab don’t butt in. Letting Brother Zhang touch your face is your good fortune.”

The guy completely ignored Su Mi, skirted around her, and reached out to tease Ren Yue beside her.

Ren Yue couldn’t dodge in time. He touched her, and she immediately let out a crying whimper, screamed, and hid behind Su Mi.

The group all closed in, as if to forcibly pull Ren Yue away. Su Mi was outnumbered, shielding Ren Yue as they retreated step by step.

In the chaos, something stirred behind them too. In the panic, Ren Yue seemed to get shoved from behind, yanking at Su Mi’s clothes as she fell backward.

Su Mi instinctively turned to protect her.

Behind them was the clear, shallow stream. Accompanied by Ren Yue’s cry of alarm, Su Mi practically hugged her as they fell into the shallow water. Su Mi’s hand cushioned her below, and a sharp, dull pain shot through it.

The stream wasn’t deep. The two fell flat, the cool water instantly soaking Ren Yue’s clothes, and wetting a bit of Su Mi’s hem.

Ren Yue panicked. “Su Mi! Are you okay?!”

She was held by Su Mi, unharmed, but tears welled up as she clung to Su Mi’s embrace, trembling.

Su Mi’s hand hurt—she must have been cut by a sharp rock in the stream.

But in front of Ren Yue, she endured the pain. “I’m fine.”

As the two tried to get up, before they could turn back, cries of pain came from the people on the bank, as if they had been fiercely kicked to the ground.

Footsteps drew gradually closer. She turned her head and saw Shen Han behind her, who had just pulled back her foot. Trailing her was Li Zhao, who was yanking someone by the collar.

The guy who had led the teasing of Ren Yue just moments ago was clutching his stomach, sprawled on the ground nearby and groaning in pain.

Those few people lay scattered on the ground.

Against the still-bright daylight, Shen Han slightly furrowed her brows as she stood on the shore, looking down at Su Mi cradling Ren Yue in the stream below, both of them in this wretched state.

It was hard to describe.

Her expression gloomy, Shen Han prodded her cheek, struggling to suppress her irritation as she let out a breath.

“Playing the hero saving the beauty again?”

Su Mi: “……Mm, ah.”