Chapter 30: The Water Glass
Ruan Yu stood up and quickly walked out of Teng Hao's room, deliberately lightening her footsteps as she turned into the hallway. Downstairs, Teng Yi was still asleep, maintaining the same position as when she had first entered, motionless.
She first went to the bar to pour water, then casually walked toward the sofa with the glass in hand.
Teng Yi's jacket was draped over the armchair. She set the glass down nearby, picked up the jacket, and gently laid it over him. Despite her careful movements, the weight of the falling sleeve still woke him.
He stirred slightly, and the magazine on his face slid down onto his chest.
It was an exclusive interview with Luo Han, the Asian Dance King.
"I... came down to get some water," she quickly turned around, clutching the ceramic cup as if it were some kind of amulet. "The weather's been chilly lately, and I thought you might catch a cold sleeping like this, so I just... incidentally..."
Her words were flustered, and her attempt to cover up only made it more obvious.
Teng Yi retracted his long legs from the footrest and sat up on the sofa, rolling his neck from side to side.
"Did Teng Hao make you fetch water again?" he asked. His dark eyes, still hazy from sleep, made his gaze appear even gentler.
"No, I just wanted to move around a bit."
"Move your legs or your thoughts?"
Before Ruan Yu could process what "move your thoughts" meant, she saw him pick up the glass from the coffee table and take a sip.
"You took the wrong glass again," he said.
Instinctively, she glanced back at the bar, comparing the two glasses.
They looked identical—she had even checked carefully before pouring the water, but the difference was impossible to spot with the naked eye.
"How do you even tell them apart?"
"Here."
Teng Yi leaned closer and showed her the bottom of the glass.
The sudden proximity left Ruan Yu flustered. She subtly tried to shift away but found herself blocked by the sofa.
The air carried the sweet, fragrant scent of his hair wax.
Ruan Yu glanced at the bottom of the glass, expecting to see engraved letters. Instead, she found a pair of small, upturned wings—like a bird ready to take flight.
It reminded her of his name.
Teng Yi.
Yi.
"If it's engraved on the bottom, how do you even know I took the wrong one?"
"Things you use often have a connection to you—an aura."
"What's engraved on Teng Hao's glass, then?"
"What do you think, Miss Top Scorer?" A smile touched his lips.
The title "Miss Top Scorer" had been coined by Teng Hao, who occasionally teased her with it at home, calling it out loudly with a mix of mockery and amusement.
Ruan Yu always ignored Teng Hao, dismissing it as childishness. But now, hearing it from Teng Yi, the words didn’t feel grating. Though his tone was playful, she sensed genuine warmth beneath it.
"Are you testing me too?" Ruan Yu asked.
"Take a guess. Get it right, and there's a reward."
"What reward?" Her curiosity was piqued.
"Guess correctly first."
"I can guess right, so I'm naturally curious."
"That confident?"
"Of course." Ruan Yu arched a brow slightly. "I was the provincial top scorer in the college entrance exams."
For a moment, the spark in her eyes caught Teng Yi off guard.
After knowing her for so long, she had always struck him as reserved, composed, and restrained. But now, he caught a glimpse of a side of her he’d never seen before—perhaps the real her.Confident and cunning, she was always in control of the situation.
"Then tell me, what's engraved under Teng Hao's cup?"
"Stop trying to lead me into a trap." Her expression remained composed, her tone firm. "I bet there's nothing engraved at all."
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