Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 688 - 290

The night was pitch black, with high winds sweeping through crumbling walls and desolate ruins.

Add to that the sound of approaching footsteps, and it felt like the perfect setting for a horror movie.

At this hour, the person coming could only be Uncle Qian.

But these footsteps—light, elegant, like a lone cat prowling in the night.

It wasn’t Uncle Qian.

Rong Xianning turned around. Aside from the small patch illuminated by his flashlight, everywhere else was swallowed by darkness, impenetrable as an abyss.

"Who’s there?" He stared warily at the doorway, his hand reaching into the pocket of his jacket, where a fruit knife was hidden.

It had fallen from Uncle Qian’s cart earlier when he was helping to push.

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Rong Xianning tightened his grip on the knife, his eyes fixed firmly ahead.

"Miaow!" A bizarre cry pierced through the darkness, making the hair on his neck stand on end. Suddenly, a shadow shot towards him.

Rong Xianning couldn’t dodge in time. In the pitch black, a pair of razor-sharp claws glinted menacingly and lunged straight for his face.

The creature was astoundingly fast. No matter how quick Rong Xianning’s reflexes were, evasion seemed impossible. Just as his face was about to meet disaster, someone threw themselves toward him, clutching him and rolling onto the ground...

Rong Xianning’s mind buzzed blankly. Amid the chaos, a faint yet familiar fragrance wafted to his nose, freezing him in place.

His phone had fallen nearby, casting light over a tiny fragment of space. The two of them, however, were enveloped in darkness.

The person was pressing against him, their soft touch mingled with a subtle, girl-like aroma. It felt as if he’d been plunged into an exquisitely sweet dream. In an instant, Rong Xianning’s face flushed bright red, ears burning.

In the span of mere seconds, though his thoughts spun wildly, the person atop him moved, rising to their feet and extending a hand toward him.

Rong Xianning hesitated for a moment, then finally took the offered hand.

The palm of the girl’s hand was velvety soft, with a cool smoothness like fine jade.

It felt like an electric current coursed through the point of contact, traveling through his body, leaving him dazed, as though he were lost in clouds and mist.

"Are you hurt?"

By the faint glow of the phone’s light, he could only make out a blurry silhouette.

"I’m fine."

Shen You’an immediately stepped in front of him, casting a wary gaze at the direction of the balcony.

Under the dim moonlight, a black cat perched on the window ledge, its emerald green eyes gleaming with malevolence as they fixated on the two of them.

Just moments ago, it was this very cat that had attempted to attack Rong Xianning.

"These stray wildcats are extremely aggressive. You should keep your distance," she said.

Rong Xianning looked at the girl standing before him, so close he could almost hear her breathing. Despite her delicate frailty, she didn’t hesitate to shield him behind her, striking a tender vulnerability deep within his heart.

The black cat arched its back and extended its claws–a posture readying for battle.

Shen You’an picked up an old, rotten stick from the rubble, gripping it tightly as she assumed a defensive stance.

Rong Xianning wielded the fruit knife, stepped forward, and shielded Shen You’an behind him. "I’m a man. I should be protecting you."

Shen You’an froze for a moment.

Though her height was already notable among girls her age, Rong Xianning, still in the early stages of adolescence, looked to be about the same height as her. His shoulders were narrow, his figure slight, appearing undeniably fragile. Yet here he was, standing before her, declaring he’d protect her.

Shen You’an found it amusing—not because he seemed naive or overconfident, but because she simply found this boy charming in his purity.

Growing up, he likely wouldn’t even have the heart to step on an ant.

Perhaps it was the glint of the knife in Rong Xianning’s hand, or maybe the lethal intent flashing in his eyes that unnerved the cat. With a sharp cry, the black cat suddenly leapt out the window, vanishing into the darkness without a trace.

The ordeal was over.

Rong Xianning let out a sigh of relief and tucked the knife away once again.

Shen You’an had guessed right. He truly couldn’t bear to harm even an ant – growing up, he’d been that gentle. Facing a vicious stray cat, he didn’t have much conviction. Yet his hand gripping the knife had never wavered.

Because the person he had sworn to protect for a lifetime was standing right behind him.