The notion of “one family” certainly left Wang Youfu bewildered. His mind instinctively began to contemplate the cousin relationship.
Before he could inquire further, the bell rang precisely on time, prompting him to nod and retreat to the podium, his mind in disarray.
Meanwhile, Shen Xingruo, accompanied by Pei Yue and Jiang Che, nodded and began distributing the report cards starting from the first row.
As Wang Youfu delivered his opening remarks from the podium, he caught a glimpse of Pei Yue’s satisfied expression while admiring Shen Xingruo’s report card. Suddenly, he found himself at a loss for words. It just seemed inconceivable to him.
How could Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan, who were cousins, be so different in terms of their academic performance? Moreover, Lu Xingyan’s mother was smiling so proudly. Who was the real parent here?
Little did Wang Youfu realize, even more bewildering events were yet to unfold.
Considering the mood of the parents attending the parent-teacher meeting, during the first half of the semester’s achievement showcase, the commendable items were subdivided into over ten or twenty categories. The aim was to discover the strengths of each student, ensuring that everyone received praise. This way, even if the grades weren’t satisfactory, parents would feel somewhat relieved.
During this crucial segment, Shen Xingruo was praised almost every time. Pei Yue’s smile widened with each commendation.
By the time it was announced that Shen Xingruo had achieved first place in the grade for the second time in the two-time arts class, Pei Yue’s face was practically beaming with pride. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled so broadly that her mouth couldn’t close.
While other parents were unaware of the situation and admired the transferred girl’s impressive performance, they mistook Pei Yue for Shen Xingruo’s mother and secretly envied her.
Only Wang Youfu was particularly puzzled—
Why are you so happy when your son is a member of the zero commendation club?
Jiang Che, seeing Pei Yue’s genuine emotions, also began to feel a bit uncomfortable.
Forget about the mid-term exam, during the first monthly exam, Lu Xingyan only scored half of Shen Xingruo’s marks. How could his aunt smile like that?
With Lu Xingyan’s lack of effort in studying, he could easily squander the wealth of Jinsheng at home.
Inside the classroom, the parent-teacher meeting was underway, while outside, the class cadres waited in the corridor.
Unaware of the conversation between Wang Youfu and Pei Yue, everyone was led astray by Ruan Wen, believing that Pei Yue was Shen Xingruo’s mother. They gossiped incessantly, observing Pei Yue through the glass window.
In fact, during the last semester, Pei Yue also attended a parent-teacher meeting for Lu Xingyan. However, back then, Lu Xingyan’s academic performance was lackluster, so she felt embarrassed to show off. She dressed modestly, remained low-key throughout, and disappeared immediately after the meeting, barely leaving an impression.
Except for Wang Youfu’s excellent memory, nobody remembered her.
Halfway through the parent-teacher meeting, the grade leader took the microphone—
The broadcast by the grade leader focused on “soon entering the third year of high school, which is essentially the countdown to the college entrance examination.” It was divided into three major points, followed by four or five minor points and seven or eight aspects.
Fortunately, his speech was much faster than Wang Youfu’s. In just thirty-five minutes, he finished his rambling and moved on to the segment where outstanding student representatives would speak.
Shen Xingruo as the representative of the liberal arts class, delivered her speech concisely and clearly, her voice clean and pleasing. The parents of Class One once again cast admiring glances at Pei Yue.
Pei Yue, once again, radiated with joy.
Meanwhile, the class cadres whispered in the corridor outside the classroom.
“Shen Xingruo’s mother is so stylish, she takes good care of herself.”
“Does their family own a mine? Her mother looks very wealthy and elegant.”
“Shen Xingruo plays both piano and violin. How could she afford to study without money?”
“Oh, I know the brand of the bag her mother is carrying. It’s Hermès, worth tens of thousands, and it even has to be matched one-to-one.”
…
Lu Xingyan had been standing there the whole time.
Leaning against the railing, playing with his phone, he occasionally glanced into the classroom through the window.
Hearing his classmates praise Pei Yue to the skies, he suddenly thought of recording it and letting Pei Yue listen to it. He estimated he could even get double his allowance or something.
They also wanted to discuss Jiang Che.
That appearance, that demeanor, it was too eye-catching.
But Lu Xingyan, the Lord of the Underworld, was standing right there, showing no intention of leaving. They didn’t dare to discuss it in front of him.
After Shen Xingruo finished speaking on behalf of the liberal arts class, someone else spoke on behalf of the science class.
After the speeches by the outstanding students, the grade leader summarized a few sentences before returning the microphone to each class teacher.
Lu Xingyan was getting a little bored.
Looking at the time, twenty minutes had passed since Shen Xingruo’s speech.
She hadn’t returned yet.
Lu Xingyan didn’t know what he was thinking. Suddenly, he stood up straight and walked towards the office.
Shen Xingruo exited the broadcast station and headed downstairs along the east staircase.
When she reached the first floor, she originally intended to go directly back to Class One. But remembering that her backpack was still in Wang Youfu’s office, she detoured back to the office.
All the teachers were conducting parent-teacher meetings, and the entire row of offices was lit up but empty.
Walking to the political group office, Shen Xingruo saw Ruan Wen leaning against the office door.
She was about to greet her, but suddenly noticed Ruan Wen, huddled there, her shoulders shaking as if she were crying, though she made no sound.
Approaching cautiously, Shen Xingruo heard the voices of a man and a woman discussing inside the office.
The voices weren’t particularly loud, but in the quiet and empty office area, they were exceptionally clear.
“…It’s unbelievable. She didn’t even think about her daughter and came dressed like a sanitation worker. What was she thinking?”
“I almost suffocated when I sprayed water on her seat just now. It’s not that I look down on sanitation workers, but there was a strange smell on her.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t let her attend the parent-teacher meeting. It’s so embarrassing.”
Shen Xingruo didn’t see the people inside, but she recognized Li Ting’s voice.
The other male speaker was the class monitor, Meng Feng.
Despite his masculine name, Meng Feng was very effeminate. He often hung out with Li Ting and the other talkative girls, occasionally raising his little finger like a flower, with a stack of fashion magazines always at hand.
Meng Feng said, “But come to think of it, Ruan Wen’s family seems quite poor. No wonder she’s always so timid, dressed poorly. How could she dare to play with Shen Xingruo?”
“Tsk, you’re also a fan of Shen Xingruo,” Li Ting said disdainfully. “I don’t think Shen Xingruo considers her a friend. She probably just hangs out with her to make herself look superior. Ruan Wen doesn’t have a clue. She’s so eager to please.”
Ruan Wen wanted desperately to rush in and say something, but she had never been brave, and even standing in front of Li Ting and Meng Feng, she found it hard to articulate a complete sentence. The sadness in her heart piled up, and she almost cried out loud, but she still struggled to hold back the tears.
Suddenly, a figure passed by her side.
She wiped her tears and looked in astonishment. Shen Xingruo had somehow arrived and was now entering the office. She threw a stack of speech drafts heavily onto the desk.
The sound of the tossed papers startled Li Ting and Meng Feng. When they turned around and saw Shen Xingruo, their expressions stiffened.
Seeing Ruan Wen standing at the door, Shen Xingruo spoke without hesitation, her voice cold and firm.
“Apologize.”
Shen Xingruo didn’t beat around the bush. She looked at Li Ting and Meng Feng, her voice icy.
Li Ting and Meng Feng seemed frozen, neither speaking nor moving.
Shen Xingruo repeated, “Apologies immediately to Ruan Wen and her mother.”
“Li Ting, you also owe me an apology. I used to think you were just talkative, but now I see your mouth is so foul.”
With a swish, Li Ting’s face turned particularly ugly. “Shen… Shen Xingruo, you’re going too far.”
“Who’s going too far?” Shen Xingruo turned her head, her gaze piercing. “Just because your parents are civil servants, does that make you noble? I can’t believe Mingli would raise students like you who look down on others. What’s wrong with sanitation workers? Everyone earns a living with their abilities. Without your parents, you wouldn’t even know how to sweep the floor properly. Who are you to criticize someone else’s parents’ profession?”
Shen Xingruo, who usually didn’t speak much, suddenly spoke sharply and pointedly, leaving no room for softness. Li Ting and Meng Feng looked extremely uncomfortable.
Meng Feng couldn’t help but say, “We didn’t look down on them. We were just discussing. What’s wrong with that?”
“Look deep into your conscience and tell me, were those words just discussion, or were they derogatory?” Shen Xingruo shot back.
Meng Feng hesitated, unable to respond.
Li Ting also seemed uncooperative and couldn’t bring himself to apologize.
Lu Xingyan walked to the door and happened to see this scene. Ruan Wen was crying and trembling.
When he asked her what was wrong, she couldn’t speak a complete sentence.
Inside, Shen Xingruo had already started speaking again.
“I’ll say it one last time, apologize.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Since your parents are all here for the parent-teacher meeting, I’ll go ask if they know what kind of attitude their children have now.”
Upon hearing this, Li Ting panicked and yelled at Shen Xingruo, “Shen Xingruo, have you no end? It’s none of your business. What are you meddling in?”
“Why isn’t it my concern? Did you just arrange things and now need me to repeat it for you?”
“Didn’t I tell you in the dorm not to use your vivid emotions to imagine things about your roommates? Do you know how ugly you look when you’re jealous and when you look down on others?”
Li Ting wanted to say something more, but Meng Feng suddenly grabbed her, giving her a signal with his eyes.
Only then did Li Ting notice that Lu Xingyan had his hands in his pockets, lazily strolling inward.
Lu Xingyan stopped beside Shen Xingruo.
He lifted his chin slightly, casually draping his arm around Shen Xingruo’s shoulder, and asked half-playfully, half-seriously, “Do you two have a problem with comprehension, or what’s going on? Didn’t Teacher Shen ask you to apologize? Are you still standing there waiting for someone to spell it out for you, word by word?”
Meng Feng had wanted to apologize and settle things long ago; he knew he was in the wrong. When Lu Xingyan spoke like this, he didn’t hesitate and immediately apologized, “Shen Xingruo, I’m sorry.”
Turning to Ru’an Wen, he added, “Ru’an Wen, I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have gossiped about your mom’s job behind your back. I’m truly sorry, it wasn’t intentional, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Li Ting’s face turned extremely ugly. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly managed to utter two “sorry”s to them.
After Meng Feng finished speaking and saw that Lu Xingyan had no response, he tentatively started to leave.
Li Ting followed behind him.
Lu Xingyan paid no attention to Meng Feng, but when Li Ting tried to leave, he stretched out his foot to stop her. “You’re quite proud, aren’t you? You’re reluctant to apologize, does Daddy need to force you to save face?”
Shen Xingruo hadn’t heard Lu Xingyan refer to himself as ‘Daddy’ before; it was a bit unexpected. But Li Ting was frightened. At the same time, being spoken to like that by a guy made her feel embarrassed; her eyes reddened instantly.
She gritted her teeth, held back her tears, and apologized again, this time in a low and submissive voice.
Lu Xingyan didn’t stop her this time.
Unable to hold back any longer, she covered her mouth, crying as she ran out.
After everyone left, Shen Xingruo pushed away Lu Xingyan’s hand, glanced at him, then went to the door and pulled Ru’an Wen along.
Ru’an Wen was still wiping her tears, quietly expressing her gratitude, her voice slightly broken.
Shen Xingruo accompanied her to the flowerbed outside the teaching building and sat with her for a while.
The evening breeze blew over their teary eyes, feeling cool, yet slightly painful.
Ru’an Wen wiped her eyes for a long time before managing to stop her tears reluctantly.
Shen Xingruo remained silent, handing her tissues whenever needed.
When she finally calmed down a bit, Ru’an Wen spoke intermittently—
Her mother was indeed a sanitation worker, and her father worked in the market. Although their family wasn’t well-off, her parents loved her very much and treated her well, and she loved them too. However, in a place like Mingli where most students came from affluent backgrounds, she couldn’t help but feel a bit inferior. Moreover, there were many things she didn’t understand; her classmates often traveled abroad, and she hadn’t even been out of Xingcheng, so she didn’t dare to speak up loudly.
Today, her mother had come to school without changing clothes because she was working overtime. After arriving, she kept apologizing to her, saying she embarrassed her. ” I didn’t feel embarrassed, and I know everyone here is kind. They might look at my mom with curious eyes, but there’s no malice in their gaze.”
“When my mom arrived, she was very thirsty, and He Siyue specially gave her an extra bottle of water. My mom kept praising him for being a good person.”
“Li Ting and the others are the minority. My roommates know that my family isn’t very well-off, but they never look down on me. On the contrary, they take good care of me.”
“I felt sad hearing Li Ting and them say those things, but what’s even sadder is that I seem to lack courage. I can’t stand up to them like you do and demand an apology.”
Shen Xingruo had a whole set of rules when it came to reprimanding people, but she wasn’t very good at comforting them. After sitting there for half a day, she only said one sentence, “Your parents love you, and that should be a source of happiness.”
Ru’an Wen nodded earnestly. She wasn’t particularly fragile, feeling extremely upset at the moment but then feeling better once she regained her composure.
After sitting and enjoying the breeze for a while, she took a deep breath, stood up, and said the parent meeting would be ending soon, so she needed to go wait for her mom.
Shen Xingruo nodded and accompanied her inside.
In the corridor, the two of them ran into Lu Xingyan. Just as the bell rang, Shen Xingruo told Ru’an Wen to go ahead.
Leaning against the wall, Lu Xingyan had one hand in his pocket and the other sliding across his phone screen. He seemed boneless. When Shen Xingruo approached, her hand naturally rested on his shoulder, and she casually joked, “What do you take me for, something disposable?”
“Disposable chopsticks, toilet paper, plastic bags, or condoms, you can take your pick.”
“…”
“You’re a girl, tone it down a bit when you speak.”
Shen Xingruo glanced in the direction of a classroom. “Seems like it’s over.”
Lu Xingyan hummed in agreement and walked with her towards the classroom.
After the parent meeting ended, Pei Yue was surrounded by a crowd of parents asking her about how she educated Shen Xingruo, why Shen Xingruo was so outstanding, and what Shen Xingruo’s usual study habits were like.
At first, Pei Yue tried to explain that she wasn’t Shen Xingruo’s mother, but as more people came to ask, she couldn’t keep up with the explanations. Besides, she rather enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by attention, so she began to make up stories earnestly.
“We, Xing-Ruo, never study at home. Occasionally, we play the piano, attend concerts, or read books.”
“…Well, as parents, what else can we do? This child has never needed anyone’s care since childhood. I’ve just let her be, letting her do whatever she likes. She’s conscientious and excellent on her own.”
“Yes, she’s very sensible. She often calls me and talks about things like ranking first in her grade.”
After the crowd dispersed, Jiang Che, who had never been so neglected, laughed, “Aunt, you’ve become addicted to being this young girl’s mother.”
Pei Yue felt contented for a moment, then sighed, “If only I were her mother for real.”
Jiang Che played with the car keys and casually remarked, “Encourage Lu Xingyan to work hard, isn’t that possible too?”
Lu Xingyan “…”
Shen Xingruo “…”