Chapter 28: Lin Yan Protects Ruan An'an

Lin Yan was taken aback; he had not expected Jiang Wuyang to change so drastically. He was caught off guard when the bread was hurled at them, watching helplessly as it struck Ruan An'an squarely in the face.

As the loaf slid from her cheek to the floor, it revealed her pitiful, tear-streaked face. Lin Yan finally snapped out of his shock, quickly pulling Ruan An'an behind him to shield her. Frowning in disgust, he looked at Jiang Wuyang and said coldly, "You are still as detestable as ever. You really have become more and more ill-mannered!"

In Lin Yan's eyes, everything Jiang Wuyang did was merely out of jealousy toward Ruan An'an. He assumed she was envious of how much more favored Ruan An'an was by them and, unable to bear it any longer, had finally decided to lash out.

Jiang Wuyang had no idea what Lin Yan was thinking, but the moment the bread hit Ruan An'an’s face, her mood improved significantly. Compared to what Ruan An'an had done to her in their past life, this was merely a drop in the ocean.

"Don't you like this bread? What's wrong? Are you unhappy even after I gave it to you? Do you need me to tear open the packaging and shove it into your mouths myself?"

"You!" Lin Yan was momentarily rendered speechless, his eyes filled with nothing but contempt for Jiang Wuyang. He had once thought that Jiang Wuyang was simply envious of An'an, but now it was clear to him that she was born wicked. No normal person would ever stoop to such behavior.

A tug on his sleeve brought his attention back to Ruan An'an. Her eyes were red, and the long scratch on her face was still visible. Lin Yan’s eyes filled with heartache. He touched her cheek gently, terrified of causing her any more pain.

Feeling the faint sting, Ruan An'an truly began to panic. "Brother Lin Yan, am I going to be disfigured? Brother Lin Yan, I'm so scared..."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. She was genuinely frightened; no girl wanted to be disfigured. Lin Yan pulled her into his arms, patting her head gently to comfort her. His icy voice softened in a rare display of tenderness.

"You won't be. Brother Lin Yan is here; I won't let you be disfigured. There, there, don't be afraid. I’ll help you find a doctor today."

Ruan An'an nodded obediently, burying her head in Lin Yan's chest and soaking in his clean, refreshing scent.

In a spot where no one could see, a mocking glint appeared in her bright eyes. She was indeed afraid of disfigurement, but with the System, how could that ever really happen? Still, she thoroughly enjoyed being pampered like this—especially by Lin Yan, the person Jiang Wuyang liked most.

[I have detected that Lin Yan's favorability has increased by 3. Current favorability: 83. Please continue your efforts, host.]

Hearing the System's announcement, a flash of surprise crossed Ruan An'an's eyes. She had truly not expected this to boost Lin Yan's favorability. After all, his favorability had stagnated at 80 for the longest time. To have gained three points so suddenly was all thanks to Jiang Wuyang’s self-destructive behavior.

She cast a smug glance at Jiang Wuyang. Their eyes met, and Jiang Wuyang easily caught the triumph in her gaze. Jiang Wuyang let out a silent, exasperated snort; she should have thrown it harder.

Sang Wan had been stunned the moment the bread was snatched from her hand. Now, seeing Jiang Wuyang’s bold display, she looked at her with starry eyes. "Yangyang..."

She glanced at the man she had just moments ago thought was handsome; now, he looked utterly repulsive. She glared at them fiercely.

Lin Yan stood his ground, looking at Jiang Wuyang with an icy aura. "I will speak to your brother about this. It is inconvenient for me to discipline you myself, but I believe your brother is certainly qualified to do so."

Hearing this, Ruan An'an grew nervous, terrified that Lin Yan might inadvertently reveal the relationship between Jiang Wuyang and Jiang Yiran. She hurriedly tugged at his clothes. "Brother Lin Yan, I want to go back."

Her tone was soft, timid, and perfectly calculated to trigger a man's protective instincts.

Lin Yan’s attitude did a complete one-eighty. He gently patted Ruan An'an's head, then shot Jiang Wuyang one final, warning look without saying another word, and led Ruan An'an away.

Jiang Wuyang rolled her eyes, nearly pulling a face as snarky as a Loopy emoticon. Fortunately, her rationality returned, and she gave a cold "Oh," turned around, and dragged Sang Wan away. It was a wasted trip; they hadn't bought a thing.

"Yangyang... you were so cool!!"

When Jiang Wuyang heard the first half of the sentence, her heart tightened. She was worried Sang Wan might criticize her, as her actions appeared quite irrational to outsiders. But upon hearing the second half, she realized her concerns were unnecessary. She exhaled, curling her lips into a smirk, and replied jokingly, "It’s alright, just keeping a low profile."

Sang Wan burst into laughter, not expecting Jiang Wuyang to be so humorous.

"Did that person just say you have a brother?"

Sang Wan was curious; as an only child, she had always envied families with siblings. Jiang Wuyang nodded, giving a simple "Mm," with no intention of elaborating. Sang Wan caught the shift in her tone and didn't press further. She figured Jiang Wuyang and her brother probably didn't get along well.

She scratched her head, suddenly thinking that being an only child wasn't so bad after all. If not, having a few cousins like Gu Peizhi would be just fine.

The two returned to class. It was already Friday, and tomorrow would be Saturday. She needed to rent a place quickly; living in a hotel every day just didn't feel like home.

Lin Yan, out of humanitarian concern, walked Ruan An'an back to her classroom before heading back to the senior building. The students in the Grade 11 Liberal Arts Class A stopped their chatter the moment they saw Lin Yan, their voices dropping to a whisper. Lin Yan felt their gazes and frowned instinctively.

"Alright, pay attention in class. After school, I'll have the family doctor take a look at you." Looking at Ruan An'an's tear-stained face, Lin Yan’s heart softened again. His voice was gentle: "Be good, go on now."

Ruan An'an nodded pitifully, casting one lingering, reluctant glance back. Only when Lin Yan’s figure had completely vanished did she wipe away her tears and drop the pathetic expression. The faint red mark would likely disappear by the end of class; she had just been stunned by the impact, but it hadn't actually hurt that much. Only a fool like Lin Yan would believe she was disfigured.

Many students had been excited to see Lin Yan, and now that Ruan An'an had sat down, they all swarmed around her. They asked with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, "An'an, you know Lin Yan?"

"That's Lin Yan! He's the famous physics genius in the senior year! My god, to be that good at physics—he's my idol!"

"Him and Gu Peizhi, they’re both super geniuses; they take turns being at the top of the rankings!"

"I heard Lin Yan comes from a very wealthy family too. Even though we all wear school uniforms, look at his shoes—every pair is a top brand."

They chattered on, clearly fascinated by Lin Yan.