After the minor character transforms into a beauty, she steals the heart of a tycoon's son.

"I heard you were born prematurely?" Si Lin asked.

"Hmm," Ruan Tang responded listlessly.

No wonder she's so thin and frail; she looks quite pitiful.

Si Lin didn't say anything more. He rubbed the medicated oil in his palm to warm it up, then applied it to her wrist, slowly circling his thumb on the red mark.

I used a lighter touch because she was too weak, and I was afraid of hurting her again.

Si Lin made a gesture of condescension, but at the same time, he began to feel annoyed.

This was the first time he had proactively promoted an ordinary citizen to the tycoon class.

Make her your secretary and teach her how to establish herself within the deacon group.

But she refused to appreciate it and insisted on falling into the mire to help those ordinary people who were beyond redemption.

Thinking about it, he unconsciously increased the pressure on his hands.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

The soft, rising tone at the end of the note carried a hint of coquetry, making it exceptionally clear in the quiet lounge.

Si Lin paused, and looked up at her.

Ruan Tang realized that her voice had been too sweet, so she quickly covered her mouth with her other, uninjured hand and stared at him blankly.

Her eyes widened, her eyelashes fluttered twice, and then her voice came out muffledly from between her fingers, "It wasn't me speaking just now."

Si Lin looked at her silly expression as she covered her mouth.

Her cheeks began to flush, spreading from her ears all the way down to her neck.

She huddled in the corner of the sofa, knees drawn up to her chest, covering her mouth, eyes wide open, like a bewildered little white kitten.

Si Lin had to admit that he was a little charmed by her cuteness.

He suppressed the inappropriate smile at the corner of his mouth, feeling a bit disgusted with himself for being so easily swayed by beauty.

Si Lin coughed lightly, his face returning to its usual indifferent expression.

He pulled her wrist back up and continued applying the medicine.

This time, the pressure was very light; the thumb circled on her delicate skin, rubbing the medicated oil into her skin.

"Don't bother with those people anymore," he said.

"You are a member of the Deacon Council, not a nanny for the Rebellion."

"Whether it's Su Nian or Lin Xiao Kui, their affairs have nothing to do with you."

"Ruan Tang, you need to think more about yourself."

"I have a bad temper, and I've already made exceptions for you time and time again."

"If you ever run into trouble next time, I really don't know what I might do, but the consequences will be unbearable for you."

-

As evening fell, the setting sun slanted down from the end of the old street, bathing the glass door of the flower shop in a warm orange hue.

Ruan Tang sat behind the counter.

She had changed her clothes; she wore a light apricot-colored cotton dress with loose sleeves that covered the red mark on her arm.

The glass door was pushed open, and the wind chimes tinkled.

Su Nian stood at the door, her hands clasped together in front of her.

She saw Ruan Tang sitting there, backlit, the lily of the valley in her hand shining white, just like her whole demeanor: clean, aloof, and superior.

"Ruan Tang," Su Nian said softly.

Ruan Tang looked up at her, but neither stood up nor offered her a seat.

Su Nian walked in and stood in front of the counter. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I should have stood up. I shouldn't have just sat there and watched."

Ruan Tang placed the lily of the valley on the counter. "Is this the only thing you've wronged me about? When you went back and told Lin Xiaokui and the others not to go to class, did you think about my situation?"

Su Nian paused for a moment, then looked up and met Ruan Tang's gaze.

Ruan Tang's eyes are beautiful, with bright black pupils and slightly upturned corners, but at this moment, those eyes lacked their usual friendliness.

He examined her very calmly.

Su Nian's lips moved slightly. "I didn't think that much about it at the time."

"I didn't think that much about it," Ruan Tang repeated.

"It's not that I didn't think that far ahead, it's that you think I have a way, that as the secretary of the executive council, Si Lin won't really touch me, that after your information gets out, no matter who gets caught, I can cover it up, right?"

Su Nian shook her head, tears falling down her face. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I really didn't expect to implicate you."

Ruan Tang looked at her, her tone calm to the point of being indifferent, "Su Nian, your entrance exam score is second in the entire grade, second only to Ji Yan."

"Is something this simple that you really can't understand? Or are you subconsciously ignoring my situation?"

Su Nian froze on the spot.

Ruan Tang stood up from behind the counter. She was the same height as Su Nian, but at this moment, with Ruan Tang standing, Su Nian hunched her shoulders, making it seem as if Ruan Tang was bullying her.

Ruan Tang said, "You felt that Lin Xiao Kui was the leader of the resistance group and your friend, so you couldn't disobey her and chose to sit down in the classroom."

"It's not that I can't understand it, it's that in your ranking, I'm at the bottom of all the options."

Su Nian felt a little sad; she had never seen Ruan Tang like this before.

In the classroom, on the playground, and in front of others, Ruan Tang always maintained a calm and solitary demeanor.

He showed extra kindness and protection only towards her.

Even Lin Xiao Kui, who grew up with him, didn't receive this treatment.

But now, Ruan Tang stands in front of her, looking down at her coldly, which makes her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

Even, it's uncomfortable.

But she couldn't find the words to refute it.

Because Ruan Tang was right, when she went back to inform Lin Xiao Kui, a fleeting thought of what Ruan Tang might do flashed through her mind, but she suppressed it.

She took Ruan Tang's kindness for granted and regarded Lin Xiao Kui as a friend on the same side.

It's obvious which is more important and which is less important.

"I'm sorry." Su Nian lowered her head. "It was my fault. I don't ask for your forgiveness; I just wanted to apologize."

Ruan Tang stared at her, a flash of sarcasm in her eyes, "Fine, I forgive you."

Su Nian suddenly raised her head, her expression one of disbelief.

Given Ruan Tang's cold attitude just now, she thought there was no hope and even prepared herself to be kicked out.

"You forgive me?" Su Nian repeated.

"Hmm." Ruan Tang sat back down in her chair and picked up the lily of the valley.

"But there won't be a next time."

Su Nian shook her head vigorously, "No, it won't happen again."

Ruan Tang didn't reply, but just lowered her head and continued to fiddle with the flowers in her hands.

Footsteps came from outside the glass door. Lin Xiaokui stood across the street, carrying her schoolbag, looking in this direction.

She didn't come in, but simply called out, "Su Nian, I'm leaving."

Su Nian glanced at Ruan Tang, then at Lin Xiao Kui outside the door.

She hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Ruan Tang, turned around, pushed open the glass door, and jogged to catch up with Lin Xiao Kui.

The two figures disappeared at the end of the old street.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them. Lin Xiaokui walked in front, and Su Nian followed behind, just like always.

Ruan Tang looked away and placed the lily of the valley into the glass bottle on the table.

A soft, childlike voice from the system echoed in her mind, "Tangtang, I'm sorry."

"What have you wronged?"

The system's voice was filled with grievance, even more distressed than if it itself had been betrayed, "I never expected Su Nian to do this. You were clearly trying to help her out of kindness, but she turned around and tipped off Lin Xiao Kui."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you about her."

Ruan Tang smiled and leaned back in her chair. "So how are you going to make it up to me?"