97: Chapter 97 might be the key to victory.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Faced with Su Muxue's sudden ninety-degree bow, An Ran was completely stunned.

She instinctively took a half-step back, waving her hands in a panic like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Stop, stop, stop! What are you doing? It's not even time for New Year's greetings yet, is it?"

Su Muxue did not straighten up, maintaining that standard posture.

Her voice came from below, clear, sincere, and even carrying a hint of heart-trembling determination.

"Sister An Ran, the danger you encountered this afternoon was, ultimately, my fault."

An Ran froze, her hand hanging in mid-air, not knowing where to put it.

Su Muxue slowly straightened up, her eyes, which usually held a touch of melancholy, were now terrifyingly clear.

"If I hadn't done those things that made you misunderstand during the Sports Department class this morning..."

"...then you wouldn't have been distracted, and you certainly wouldn't have run off to such a remote place to clear your head alone."

Su Muxue paused, her tone tinged with a deep sense of lingering fear.

"If Master had arrived even a step later, and something irreversible had truly happened..."

"...then I would be a sinner who could not atone even with ten thousand deaths. Therefore, you must accept this apology."

These words were logically rigorous and clear, almost like a pre-drafted "edict of self-reproach."

An Ran listened, completely dumbfounded.

She had originally thought this woman called her into the room to pull some "palace intrigue" drama or to assert her dominance.

But it turned out she just went straight for a sliding-knee apology?

This person... just how is her brain wired?

To actually take all the responsibility upon herself and analyze it so logically?

The annoyance and wariness in An Ran's heart, like a punctured balloon, instantly deflated by more than half.

As expected of Su Muxue, this kind of move is something an ordinary person really couldn't learn.

An Ran scratched her cheek uncomfortably and puffed out her chest, trying to regain some composure.

"Ahem... actually, it's not that exaggerated."

Her eyes drifted, and she huffed, putting up a brave front.

"Even if Huang Mao hadn't come, I am from the Sports Department. Dealing with those three weaklings would have been a piece of cake."

"At worst, I could have seized an opportunity to run away, right? It's not as serious as you make it sound."

A classic case of being stubborn to the end.

Watching her tsundere-like appearance, Su Muxue didn't refute her, just smiled gently.

There was no mockery in that smile, only a tolerance as if she were looking at her own naive younger sister.

"I know that Sister An Ran is skilled in martial arts."

Su Muxue spoke softly to soothe her, then changed the subject.

"As for the incident in the corner by the equipment room this morning... I think I also need to give you an explanation."

Mentioning this, An Ran's expression changed instantly.

That was the biggest thorn in her heart.

That scene at the time, Su Muxue's provocative smile, and that gesture to be quiet...

It was textbook "green tea villain" behavior.

As if she possessed mind-reading powers, Su Muxue spoke up before An Ran could even react.

"Everything I did back then was for Master."

Her tone was as calm as if she were stating a truth, her eyes filled with a devotion bordering on religious faith.

"I observed that Master was enduring and in pain all morning."

"As a maid, if I cannot share Master's burdens, then I am failing in my duties."

"No matter where or when, as long as Master has a need, I must satisfy it."

This "theory of absolute maid loyalty" left An Ran dumbfounded.

What century is this? People still think like that?

Was this woman brainwashed by some ancient romance novel?

Su Muxue took a small step forward, narrowing the distance between them, and looked at An Ran with sincere eyes.

"When you saw us back then, the gesture I made was simply because I didn't want our affair to be exposed."

"After all, we were at school. If it got out, it would bring unnecessary trouble to Master."

"As for that smile..."

Su Muxue lowered her eyes, blushing slightly.

"Perhaps it was because I was too happy at the time? Being able to share Master's burdens makes me feel incredibly satisfied."

"So my expression management slipped, and it might have looked like I was provoking you..."

"I apologize for making you misunderstand; that is also something I need to apologize for."

An Ran was completely petrified.

She opened her mouth to retort, but found she couldn't find an entry point at all.

This explanation... although it sounded absurd, when applied to Su Muxue, it was damnably logical!

So she wasn't some scheming green tea love rival...

But a perverted maid who was loyal to the point of being crazy?!

The "vicious female supporting character" image in An Ran's mind collapsed, replaced by a new persona that was even more baffling.

And the exaggerated part was that this was truly not out of character.

She processed this for a long time before squeezing out from between her teeth:

"I... I see..."

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

To hide her embarrassment, An Ran had to forcibly change the subject, aiming her frustration at the culprit who wasn't present.

"Tch, in the end, it's all that guy Huang Mao's fault!"

An Ran muttered, her face involuntarily turning red.

"His needs in that area are just too intense, right? Doing it in broad daylight at school... isn't he afraid of draining his kidneys!"

Speaking of this, she suddenly recalled the exaggerated gesture Leng Qingxuan had made to her that night.

That size... that thickness...

An Ran swallowed, her heart rate inexplicably accelerating.

If it were that scale... having intense needs, it actually seems... quite normal?

After all, he is gifted.

Hearing An Ran's complaint, Su Muxue didn't get angry, but instead fell silent for a moment.

Then, she smiled again.

Only this time, there seemed to be something else in that smile.

A dangerous, seductive scent.

"Sister An Ran."

Su Muxue took a deep breath, her expression becoming somewhat subtle.

She stepped forward, almost pressing against An Ran, and lowered her voice.

"I asked you to come here today, actually not just to apologize."

An Ran was confused by her mysterious behavior and instinctively shrank back.

"Huh? Then what else could it be for? To treat me to a late-night snack?"

Su Muxue shook her head, the light in her eyes becoming increasingly intense—a spark of mixed wisdom and fanaticism.

"I want to encourage you."

"Encourage me?" An Ran was even more confused.

"Yes, encourage you to seize the opportunity tonight."

Su Muxue's voice was very soft, but it hit An Ran's heart like a heavy hammer.

She began to analyze clearly, like a military strategist formulating a battle plan.

"Think about it, Master just fought for you, sparing no effort."

"At that time, his protective instinct was off the charts, and his hormone secretion was at its peak."

"Moreover, the estrangement caused by the misunderstanding between you has now been eliminated."

Su Muxue extended a finger and lightly tapped An Ran's chest.

"At such moments, a man's positive feelings toward the person he protected reach their peak."

"Now is undoubtedly the best time for your relationship with Master to make a major breakthrough."

An Ran was stunned for a moment.

Subsequently, her heart rate began to race uncontrollably.

Thump, thump, thump—

Each beat felt like it was going to break through her chest.

She seemed to understand Su Muxue's meaning, but couldn't believe her own ears.

This is too... too direct, right?

Su Muxue looked at An Ran's face, which was red enough to drip blood, and a playful arc curled up at the corners of her mouth.

She decided to add one final spark.

She leaned into An Ran's ear and whispered, in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"If you go to find Master a little later tonight..."

"...maybe you can just take him down in one go?"

...

Downstairs, in the living room.

A boring variety show was playing on the TV, with canned laughter sounding from time to time.

Huang Mao was lazily sprawled on the sofa, holding the remote, aimlessly changing channels.

On the single sofa on the other side, Leng Qingxuan was still maintaining that unflattering posture.

She had her injured leg propped high up on the coffee table, scrolling through her phone, occasionally letting out a soft chuckle.

Warm yellow light spilled onto the two of them, creating an illusion of peaceful, quiet years.

"Whew..."

Leng Qingxuan suddenly put down her phone, let out a long sigh, and exclaimed:

"It's been so long since we've just sat quietly in the living room like this, just the two of us."

Ever since An Ran and Su Muxue successively entered the picture, this home has become increasingly lively, and also increasingly... a Shura field.

A peaceful night like this has simply become a luxury.

Upon hearing this, Huang Mao turned his head to look at her and couldn't help but chuckle.

"I say, Campus Belle, isn't it a bit too early for you to be sighing like that?"

His tone was teasing, carrying a hint of impropriety.

"It's not like we haven't spent plenty of time talking alone in my room, right?"

"And every time, the commotion wasn't small either. Can you really call that quiet?"

A flush of red instantly flew onto Leng Qingxuan's cheeks.

She glared fiercely at Huang Mao and grabbed the cushion beside her to throw at him.

"Shut up! Do you really have to ruin such a good atmosphere!"

Huang Mao caught the cushion steadily, placed it behind his head, and smiled even more happily.

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll shut up."

He paused, his gaze landing on Leng Qingxuan's leg propped up on the coffee table, his tone becoming slightly more serious.

"Seriously, how is your leg? Does it still hurt?"

Leng Qingxuan shook her head and moved her ankle.

"The ankle is fine, but the thigh..."

She frowned, seemingly finding it hard to say.

"The thigh is still very sore; it hurts even with the slightest movement."

Huang Mao raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

"Is it really that exaggerated? Didn't we just... do it a little?"

"What do you know!"

Leng Qingxuan rolled her eyes at him, her voice filled with a hint of shame and annoyance.

"That thing of yours... it's simply cheating!"

"If it were you, you would also..."

She couldn't finish the rest of the sentence, just coughed twice with a red face and stiffly changed the subject.

"Ahem... let's not talk about this."

Leng Qingxuan straightened up, her expression becoming a bit more serious.

"By the way, at noon, I ate with Su Muxue in the cafeteria."

Mentioning Su Muxue, a complex look flashed in her eyes.

"Although I don't want to admit it, that woman... is simply not like a human being."

"Whether it's emotional intelligence, methods, or that inexplicable obsession..."

Leng Qingxuan sighed, looked at Huang Mao, and her tone carried a hint of warning.

"In short, you need to be careful and on guard. Don't get sold by her and then help her count the money."

Huang Mao sighed helplessly upon hearing this and threw the remote aside.

"I know that better than you do."

Once that woman's "switch" is flipped, it's indeed a bit overwhelming.

That near-pathological desire to serve sometimes even makes him, the "Master," feel a bit creeped out.

"But I feel like she wouldn't want to sell me; rather, it's the other way around..."

Seeing Huang Mao's expression, a wave of curiosity suddenly surged in Leng Qingxuan's heart.

She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking:

"Speaking of which... back in the corner of the playground, what exactly did you two do?"

"When that girl An Ran came back, she looked like she'd lost her soul. You two didn't actually..."

Just then.

Buzz—

The phone screen on the coffee table suddenly lit up.

Huang Mao glanced at it instinctively.

It was a new message on a social media app.

Sender: An Ran.

The content was very simple, but it made Huang Mao's eyebrow twitch instantly.

【Um... later tonight, can I come to your room to chat for a bit? I have something I want to tell you.】

Huang Mao's hand holding the phone paused slightly.

He looked up toward the direction of the upstairs, then looked at Leng Qingxuan, who had paused her speaking to adjust her sitting posture.

An ominous premonition arose spontaneously.

Late at night like this...

Chat for a bit?

Is it serious?