Starting as the President of a Billionaire Group Chapter 1183: 1158: Song Xiaoxiao Takes the Exam

Ye Chen couldn't help but gulp; it was an unprecedented sight of Xiaoxiao for him.

Noticing Ye Chen's gaze fixed upon her, Xiaoxiao felt a flicker of unease.

“Ye Chen, my clothes are all wet, and this towel is all I have underneath,” Xiaoxiao quickly offered an explanation.

Shaking himself out of his daze, Ye Chen, who held a bathrobe, responded, “I was just about to bring you a bathrobe.”

He extended the bathrobe towards Xiaoxiao as he finished speaking.

Xiaoxiao nodded in thanks, accepted the bathrobe, and hurried towards the bedroom.

In her haste, her foot caught the edge of the towel, and she stumbled, nearly falling.

Had Ye Chen not reacted with lightning speed, Xiaoxiao would have found herself in a truly embarrassing situation.

Ye Chen swiftly moved, his hand encircling Xiaoxiao’s waist, pulling her into his embrace.

“Thank you, Ye Chen,” the girl murmured shyly.

It was a close call; if Xiaoxiao had fallen, the consequences could have been severe, perhaps even leading to disfigurement.

“It’s alright, just be more careful,” Ye Chen advised, his gaze still on the girl.

He could sense Xiaoxiao’s heart thrumming erratically, like a dozen wild deer stampeding within her chest.

Before Xiaoxiao could fully process the moment, Ye Chen scooped her up and carried her directly into the bedroom.

Witnessing Ye Chen’s decisive action caused Xiaoxiao’s heart to pound even faster, feeling as if it might burst out of her chest.

Ye Chen gently set Xiaoxiao down on the bed, and she understood what she anticipated was imminent; after all, this was Ye Chen, the man who held her heart above all others.

From the moment Xiaoxiao had entered this hotel, she had prepared herself mentally for this outcome.

Seeing Xiaoxiao nervously squeeze her eyes shut, Ye Chen couldn't help but be amused.

Xiaoxiao waited, but the anticipated event did not unfold.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to discover that Ye Chen was no longer in the bedroom.

After changing into fresh clothes, she leisurely made her way out of the room.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was in the living room, calmly sipping tea and watching television.

“Ye Chen, I…” Xiaoxiao began, her voice trailing off.

Based on Xiaoxiao’s earlier demeanor, Ye Chen had a clear understanding of her thoughts, which now filled her with profound embarrassment.

She couldn’t fathom how she would ever face Ye Chen again.

“Xiaoxiao, I’m leaving now. You should get some rest. I’ll pick you up in the morning,” Ye Chen said with a gentle smile.

With those words, Ye Chen exited the room.

Hearing the soft click of the door closing, Xiaoxiao exhaled a long, relieved sigh.

She returned to the bedroom, settled onto the bed, and soon drifted off to sleep, likely due to sheer exhaustion.

Leaving the hotel, Ye Chen drove back home and quickly succumbed to sleep himself.

The following day, Ye Chen awoke, proceeded to the bathroom to refresh himself, changed his attire, and departed from his residence.

His destination was the Huanyu Hotel; Xiaoxiao had an important exam today, and Ye Chen needed to be at the hotel before eight o’clock.

Upon reaching the hotel’s entrance, Ye Chen dialed Xiaoxiao’s phone number.

However, despite repeated attempts, there was no answer, which began to cause Ye Chen some concern.

After all, it felt somewhat inappropriate for Ye Chen to knock on the young woman’s door so early in the morning.

It appeared highly probable that Xiaoxiao had overslept.

Ye Chen parked his car and hurried into the hotel.

Reaching room 818, he retrieved the room key card from his pocket, intending to unlock the door.

But Ye Chen paused, his hand hovering in mid-air; the thought of seeing Xiaoxiao not properly dressed was a prospect that filled him with apprehension.

He quickly knocked on the door, and Xiaoxiao’s voice emanated from within, “Who is it?”

“Xiaoxiao, it’s Ye Chen. Are you awake?” Ye Chen replied.

Stirred by the knocking, Xiaoxiao glanced at her phone, only to discover it was already past half-past eight.

“Oh no, oh no, I’m going to be late for my exam!” Xiaoxiao exclaimed in a panic.

She hastily sat up, sprang out of bed, and rushed to open the door.

Before Ye Chen could utter a word, Xiaoxiao spoke, “Ye Chen, please wait for me. I’ll get ready quickly, and then we can leave.”

It must be said, Xiaoxiao was remarkably efficient at getting ready; the process took no time at all.

“Let’s go, Ye Chen,” she announced with a beaming smile.

As they reached the lobby, a hotel attendant approached them.

“Mr. Ye, your breakfast order has arrived,” the attendant informed him.

Ye Chen smiled, accepted the breakfast, and continued towards the exit.

One truly had to commend Ye Chen’s thoughtfulness; he had worried that Xiaoxiao might skip breakfast, potentially impacting her health, and had therefore arranged for it at the hotel.

They entered the car, and Ye Chen handed Xiaoxiao the breakfast, saying, “Eat it quickly while it’s still warm; it will get cold soon.”

Xiaoxiao gazed at the handsome man before her, then at the breakfast in her hands, and a profound sense of happiness washed over her.

Ye Chen was not merely handsome; his consideration towards women was exceptional – a man like him would be nigh impossible to find, even with a lantern.

The sports car surged forward, heading towards Xiaoxiao’s university. A journey that typically took an hour was completed in a mere thirty minutes.

Upon arriving at the school gate, Xiaoxiao alighted from the car and waved goodbye to Ye Chen, “Bye, Ye Chen.”

“Do your best on the exam. You’ll do great,” Ye Chen encouraged, giving her a thumbs-up.

Filled with newfound confidence, Xiaoxiao walked purposefully towards the school and entered the examination hall.

With over ten minutes still remaining before the exam commenced, Li Mei looked on in surprise as Xiaoxiao entered the room.

Li Mei had initially presumed Xiaoxiao wouldn't survive, given Cao Yang’s ruthless nature unless she was already deceased.

“Xiaoxiao, you’ve arrived?” Li Mei inquired with a warm tone, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

As though no distressing events had transpired moments before.

Completely disregarding Li Mei, Xiaoxiao took her designated seat.

Once the examination commenced, Xiaoxiao grasped the test paper, her mind remarkably clear and concentrated solely on providing answers.

Conversely, Li Mei found herself entirely unsettled, her thoughts in disarray.

She simply could not comprehend how Xiaoxiao managed to be under Cao Yang’s control and yet subsequently appear within the examination hall.

Even acknowledging Cao Yang's notorious reputation with women, a thought that sent shivers down her spine, Xiaoxiao appeared utterly unfazed.

Li Mei’s inability to reconcile these facts led her to write only two answers on her exam paper during the allotted time.

Undoubtedly, she would be facing a retake for this particular course.

As the final bell echoed and the invigilator began collecting the papers, a look of distinct dissatisfaction crossed his face upon viewing Li Mei’s submission.

Nevertheless, Li Mei remained indifferent; her sole objective was passing the retake to secure her diploma, and that was sufficient.

Her stepfather, placing immense value on appearances, would undoubtedly allocate funds to ensure her successful completion of the retake; Li Mei harbored no doubts about this.

During the subsequent break, Liu Xin and Zhang Rui approached Xiaoxiao.

Liu Xin voiced her worry, asking, “Xiaoxiao, where did you disappear to yesterday? Why did you not return to the dormitory?”

“Indeed, Li Mei returned to the dorm last night but didn’t find you. We were terribly concerned,” Zhang Rui added, echoing Liu Xin’s sentiment.

Xiaoxiao had never before stayed out overnight; yesterday marked the very first instance of such an occurrence.

Witnessing Li Mei’s return coupled with Xiaoxiao’s absence had amplified their anxiety, prompting their immediate questions.

Unexpectedly, Li Mei merely stated she was excessively fatigued for any explanations, suggesting they discuss it the following day.

“Li Mei, perhaps you should enlighten everyone on the reason I was absent from the dormitory last night?” Xiaoxiao directed a smile towards Li Mei.