Lin Mengyao lowered her voice deliberately. To her, this hard-won leverage over Jiang Fan was far more valuable as a threat than as public gossip.

But to her surprise, Jiang Fan showed no panic. He simply sat there, calmly gnawing a drumstick from his bowl, then fixed her with a peculiar stare.

"Frankly, I don’t get what you’re implying. So what if my pet cat bit me? What’s so strange about that?" His tone was utterly natural—if Lin Mengyao hadn’t just seen those neat tooth marks herself, she might’ve believed him.

"Oh, please. I saw it clearly. Cats don’t leave bite marks that precise." Lin Mengyao wasn’t rushing anymore. She settled back into her seat, smiling like a cat that caught a mouse, eyes dancing with mischief. "You didn’t get to the hospital until nearly ten last night. Whether you went home or not, getting a bite mark like that at this hour... Senior, you’re bolder than I thought~"

A hickey on the neck was already suggestive enough. But tooth marks? The implications were obvious.

Jiang Fan didn’t question how she knew his exact whereabouts last night. Plenty of plausible explanations existed—asking would be pointless. He set down his chopsticks, casually plucked a clean napkin from beside her tray, and wiped his mouth.

"Yeah. My girlfriend did it. Problem?" He watched her with open amusement, laying the truth bare.

Lin Mengyao hadn’t expected such blunt honesty. Shouldn’t he be flustered? Why so calm?!

"Uh... Haven’t you considered what’d happen if I told the school?"

She hadn’t thought it through. The school’s ban on dating only applied on campus. Mu Yuli rarely attended classes anyway. Even if the school knew Jiang Fan had gotten intimate, they couldn’t punish him—he was a day student. Off-campus, their rules held no power.

Leaning back in his chair, Jiang Fan crossed his legs with confidence. He even belched leisurely. "Go ahead and try. Having a girlfriend? I doubt the school can do squat. Honestly, your night out at that bar probably violates more rules than my love life."

Though technically a quiet bar, not a nightclub, outsiders saw little difference. Both were labeled dens for delinquents. If rumors spread that Lin Mengyao visited nightclubs, the scandal would dwarf this morning’s gossip. Jingjiang No.1 High was a provincial key school—students linked to nightclubs would cause an uproar. If the fallout grew severe enough, even Lin Mengyao’s influence might not contain it. She knew this.

But she wasn’t worried. With her background, controlling school rumors was easy. This wasn’t real leverage against Jiang Fan.

What she didn’t realize was that the person truly capable of destroying her wasn’t Jiang Fan—but his girlfriend, Mu Yuli.

"So what? A clear conscience fears no gossip!" Lin Mengyao had already recalculated. Those tooth marks could only tarnish Jiang Fan’s reputation—and he was already an invisible nobody at school. His careless attitude proved he didn’t care about his image. This threat was useless.

Missing such a golden opportunity stung, but she quickly pivoted. After a moment’s feigned frustration, she flashed him a devilish grin.

"Don’t just talk about me. You work as a bartender in that nightclub too. Not much better than me. And you mentioned owing huge debts... Could it be..." Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Are you being kept by some rich cougar? I doubt the school would ignore *that*."

*Finally noticed that? Slow on the uptake...*

*Going up against Mu Yuli? Lin Mengyao wouldn’t stand a chance.*

After this long exchange, Jiang Fan made his decision.

"Told you already—it’s my girlfriend. Still haven’t found my ideal sugar mama yet."

"So you’d dump her the moment you found one? Tsk. Scumbag!" Disgust flashed in Lin Mengyao’s eyes. Jiang Fan didn’t deny it. He just smiled faintly and stood up.

"Scumbag? You’re right. If I weren’t one, how could I get pretty girls to kiss me first?"

His words stabbed at last night’s memory. Though alcohol had flowed, Lin Mengyao’s mind had been clear. Hearing him throw it back at her now flooded her with shame and fury.

Tray in hand, Jiang Fan headed toward the return counter. Halfway there, he paused and turned back with a smile.

"Oh—thanks for the cheap feast. Next time, I’ll treat you to my cooking."

"...! Who’d want—"

He vanished before she finished.

Staring at the lavish lunch before her, Lin Mengyao lost her appetite. Her mind replayed last night’s events, each memory making that kiss feel like a terrible loss. In frustration, she stabbed viciously at the drumstick on her plate.

"Who wants your cooking?! I never want to see your rotten face again! Explode already, you scumbag!"

---

Leaving the cafeteria, Jiang Fan drew stares all the way back to his classroom. He ignored them, maintaining his usual sullen slouch.

News traveled fast in a small school. The moment he sat down, girls crowded around, eager to pry about his relationship with Lin Mengyao.

"Relationship? None. She was just in a good mood today. Saw I couldn’t afford lunch and let me tag along. That’s all. Ask her yourself if you don’t believe me."

Repeating this to every curious classmate, Jiang Fan endured a relatively peaceful afternoon.

After all—who dared verify it with Lin Mengyao herself?

Though doubts lingered, the storm gradually calmed under the silence of both parties.