The air fell into silence again for several seconds. The headmaster, who used to teach the Chinese language when he was a subject teacher, was very sensitive to the subtle differences in tone and wording.

During these seconds, his mind raced, thinking—

“Father” and “Hello, Father.” The latter was more polite, but it also felt less intimate. Which real son would speak to his father like that?

Moreover, when Shen Huajia just approached, he mentioned wanting to go see his daughter, without mentioning his son at all. This was worth considering. So, could this son be an adopted or found child?

Oh, right, I heard he got married recently. Since his daughter is already so grown up and he’s getting married, it must be a second or third marriage, so this son is very likely a stepson.

Putting his biological daughter and stepson together for schooling, observing their natural and affectionate interactions just now, Shen Huajia must be quite talented.

The headmaster’s mind spun rapidly, and then, combining the known information, he deduced such a logically flawless result. He adjusted his glasses, smiled slightly, and was very satisfied with his reasoning ability.

Just then, the stepson hesitated, then corrected himself, saying, “Um, no, Uncle Shen, hello.”

The headmaster’s smile froze for a moment. Shen Guangyao nodded at Lu Xingyan, then turned his gaze back to Shen Xingruo.

Neither Shen Guangyao nor Shen Xingruo had time to pay attention to his momentary slip of the tongue. It’s just that Shen Xingruo still had a class, so before they could talk about anything, the bell rang.

Shen Guangyao glanced in the direction of Class One, pondered for a moment, and said gently and restrainedly, “Xingruo, Xingyan, you two go back to class first. After school, I’ll have someone come to pick you up, and we’ll have dinner together.” Despite having his shirt splashed by Shen Xingruo, he still exuded an artist’s elegant demeanor as he stood there.

Shen Xingruo didn’t say anything. In the end, Lu Xingyan agreed to dinner and then took her back to the classroom.

For the next few classes, Shen Xingruo was absent-minded.

In the evening after school, there was a car waiting at the gate.

Although Lu Xingyan wanted to accompany them to check on the progress of recognizing her father, it was obvious that the father and daughter needed a moment alone to talk. He casually found an excuse, watched Shen Xingruo get into the car, and then left.

Shen Guangyao chose a quaint restaurant, with a second-floor window seat overlooking a courtyard with a small bridge and flowing water below, and the distant sound of a guqin.

The waiter who came to take the order was also dressed in a qipao with her hair done up elegantly.

It was all very elegant.

“…and add another dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pickled vegetables, and also the chicken stew with mushrooms. That’ll be all, thank you.”

Shen Guangyao closed the menu, nodded at the waitress, then poured a cup of tea for Shen Xingruo and asked, “Why didn’t Xingyan come?”

“Busy,” Shen Xingruo replied, eyes downcast, staring at her teacup.

Shen Guangyao paused briefly. After a moment of contemplation, he picked up the tea, but something seemed to occur to him, so he set it down again without drinking, only looking at Shen Xingruo as he said, “Dad arrived in Xingcheng last night and visited the Lu family. Both Uncle Lu and Aunt Pei praised you.”

“Just now, while you were in class, I also met with your homeroom teacher. The teacher said you’re performing excellently at school.”

Shen Xingruo responded with a nonchalant “Hmm, I’m fine.”

Shen Guangyao looked at her. “Are you fine? Then why haven’t you used any of the living expenses I’ve given you?”

He arranged for money to be transferred to Shen Xingruo’s card every month through his assistant. He never expected Shen Xingruo to resist his decision by not using the living expenses.

If it weren’t for Fang Min’s reminder to check whether the living expenses he provided were enough for Shen Xingruo, he probably wouldn’t have noticed for a long time.

Shen Xingruo didn’t answer his question. She took a sip of tea, then took out her phone and glanced at the time.

Shen Guangyao rested his hands on the table, briefly falling into silence, with only the rhythm of his platinum watch ticking away quietly.

Shen Guangyao was forty-two this year, having risen to fame at a young age and never encountering any major setbacks along the way. Today, he was a significant figure in his field, and everyone usually treated him with great respect. Just a slight frown from him would make many people feel immense pressure.

But this pressure didn’t seem to affect Shen Xingruo. Sitting across from Shen Guangyao, her expression was neither cold nor warm, lacking any enthusiasm.

Shen Guangyao put away his usual mild aloofness and looked at Shen Xingruo seriously. Suddenly, he said, “Dad agreed to let you come to Xingcheng, and I didn’t force you to attend the wedding. I gave you plenty of time to think calmly, but it seems you still haven’t figured it out.”

Shen Xingruo met his gaze without flinching, and countered, “What do you want me to figure out? I didn’t stop you from getting married, and I tactfully provided a place for you and your new family to enjoy your time together. Do you have to insist that I offer my blessings?”

“You know that’s not what Dad meant.” Shen Guangyao stopped the waitress from approaching to refill their tea. “Xingruo, you don’t need to block me with words. Your current attitude is cold and uncooperative. Dad has taught you, to never choose to evade anything. Dad has always hoped that you could have a calm and rational conversation with him about this matter.”

Shen Xingruo nodded. “Alright, go ahead.”

Shen Guangyao didn’t rush to speak. He first recalled the days for a moment. “In less than half a month, it will be your birthday. This year… you’ll be seventeen, and you’ll soon be an adult.”

“Your mother and I met when we were seventeen, at the music academy.”

Shen Xingruo had heard Shen Guangyao and Song Qingzhao’s love story many times before. The young and talented painter and the elegant and romantic violinist were both exceptionally gifted individuals. Their love blossomed through art, and their similar family backgrounds made them the perfect match.

But just as they were discussing marriage, Shen Guangyao’s parents, Shen Xingruo’s grandparents, died in an earthquake in another province.

Shen Guangyao was immersed in grief, and as an artist who knew nothing about inheriting family wealth, he was quickly relieved of his inheritance by trusted relatives.

The Song family naturally did not want to proceed with the marriage. However, Song Qingzhao, deeply in love and straightforward, insisted on immediate marriage once it was mentioned, and even offended her family members.

Since Shen Xingruo could remember, their family’s relationship with the Song family had been distant, with rare visits during holidays.

After her mother passed away, there was even less communication between them. After all, the Song family had many members and didn’t lack one or two grandchildren.

“I and your mother truly loved each other back then, but love… isn’t something that remains unchanged. Falling in love was real, and feelings fading away were real too. Now, I truly love your teacher, and that’s also real.”

“One thing you must understand is, your mother has been gone for over five years. Even if she hadn’t passed away, we would still have parted ways. Your teacher didn’t intrude. Dad also has the right to pursue love.”

“She didn’t intrude, but she learned everything about you and our family from me. I trusted her so much, but she turned around and seduced Dad behind my back. I did see her as a mother figure, but I didn’t want her to replace my mother. Dad, do you understand these things?”

As Shen Xingruo spoke these words, her emotions were unusually revealed.

Shen Guangyao reminded her sternly, “Xingruo, watch your words.”

“Dad and your teacher have explained this matter more than once. Do you think we fell in love because she understood me? Dad could just register at a marriage agency and lay out all the details about assets, and family history, wouldn’t that be more straightforward?”

“Xingruo, your teacher is not as despicable as you imagine. I didn’t agree to the transfer of premarital assets. She is my lawful wife and should share my property.”

“It was your teacher who proposed transferring most of the assets to your name. She said if I didn’t do that, she wouldn’t marry me. Your teacher didn’t want me to tell you about this, fearing you’d disagree, but your words today have gone too far.”

Shen Xingruo looked slightly startled for a moment but quickly resumed her indifferent demeanor.

“My fault, it’s because I, as a father, am not responsible enough.”

Shen Guangyao sighed and leaned back.

He knew Shen Xingruo had always been a stubborn child. When she was in kindergarten, she scared a boy who bullied girls into tears. After the kindergarten teacher understood the situation, she asked them to apologize to each other. At that time, Shen Xingruo already knew to say, “I’m not wrong, why should I apologize?”

In the end, the kindergarten invited him and Song Qingzhao over.

They thought Shen Xingruo’s personality was great. Not everyone in this world needed to navigate through it with smoothness and worldliness, so they indulged her stubbornness.

In essence, Shen Xingruo inherited this trait from him.

Just like the matter of remarriage, Shen Xingruo was strongly opposed to it.

He was also very firm, not swayed by anyone, including his most beloved daughter.

During this silent moment, the dishes were served. Shen Guangyao leaned forward slightly and ladled a bowl of chicken soup for Shen Xingruo.

The two of them ate their meal in silence.

It wasn’t until Shen Xingruo put down her chopsticks that Shen Guangyao followed suit.

Shen Xingruo glanced at the time, indicating she needed to rush back for evening self-study. She made to get up, but Shen Guangyao stopped her. “Xingruo, wait, Dad has one more thing to say.”

Shen Xingruo looked at him, remained silent for a while, then sat back down.

Shen Guangyao thought for a moment before saying, “Before you leave Huize, Dad talked to you about his views. Dad believes that everyone has the right to pursue love, regardless of age, status, or differences. Dad did the same. Whether it can last till the end, it’s something that needs time to verify. What we need to do is enjoy the process.”

“I still hold this view. Including whoever you may fall in love with in the future, whether they are outstanding or… not so widely accepted by others, seemingly not compatible with you, Dad will offer some advice, but absolutely won’t interfere with your decision.”

“It’s just that Dad, in the process of pursuing love, may have neglected the fact that he is still a father. Dad always felt that you had grown up and should understand Dad’s feelings. How would you young people say it? The old house is on fire, yes. But I didn’t try to understand your feelings from your perspective. This, Dad, should apologize to you for.”

Shen Xingruo’s lips tightened.

Shen Guangyao continued, “I’ve always thought that my Xingruo and I share a spiritual connection. Just need some time to think calmly, and you’ll figure it out. But when your teacher and I went to Rome this time, she kept persuading me to come and see you, saying that you’re still a young girl who needs more love from her father. What you may care about isn’t the remarriage itself, but that I won’t love you the way I used to.”

“I don’t know if you think this way, but I’ve thought about it for a long time. I have to admit, your teacher does understand better than me how to be a qualified parent. So, I listened to her advice and came to see you.”

“Dad still needs to seek advice to make decisions about seeing you. This also proves that Dad is indeed not qualified enough, but Dad is willing to learn to become a better parent, to balance the conflicts between you and this marriage.”

“Your teacher said something right, sometimes many things aren’t inherently wrong, but not everyone can accept them emotionally. You may still not be able to accept Dad and your teacher being together in the short term, but it’s okay. Dad will come to see you often in the future, regardless of whether you accept Dad’s marriage or not. You’ll always be Dad’s little princess.”

The air fell quiet for a few seconds.

Suddenly, Shen Xingruo stood up, grabbed her backpack, and moved to leave, her eyes slightly red.

Shen Guangyao also got up, “Dad will walk you out.”

Shen Xingruo paused for a moment, not saying anything, but also not refusing.

Shen Guangyao escorted Shen Xingruo to the gate of Mingli School.

When they got out of the car, Shen Xingruo didn’t say anything.

But after walking a distance, she suddenly turned back, waved to Shen Guangyao, and then turned away.

Shen Guangyao closed the window and waved back at her retreating figure, finally with a smile on his face.

Shen Guangyao had taken leave when he met Wang Youfu earlier, so Shen Xingruo didn’t need to attend evening self-study tonight.

Upon entering the school, she headed straight for the restroom.

After calming her emotions a bit, she returned to her classroom.

The first session of evening self-study had already begun, and when Shen Xingruo suddenly walked in, the students in the class subconsciously looked up at her.

Liu Xingyan also raised his head.

Xu Chengzhou and the others had invited him to play basketball tonight, but he didn’t go. Instead, he sat in the classroom specifically to work on the English reading comprehension that Shen Xingruo had assigned him that day.

Seeing Shen Xingruo return, his gaze followed her until she took her seat beside him. He then asked, “How was it?”

Shen Xingruo glanced at him, “How was what?”

Liu Xingyan paused, “How was the meal?”

“…,” Shen Xingruo ignored him.

Liu Xingyan leaned closer to observe and suddenly asked, “Are you okay? Why were you crying?”

He instinctively reached out to touch Shen Xingruo’s eyes.

Shen Xingruo ruthlessly slapped away his hand, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Liu Xingyan chuckled, “Who’s talking nonsense? You didn’t even blend your BB cream properly.”

From his angle, he could see a faint powder mark around Shen Xingruo’s eyes, and that scent was something he would never forget, the scent of the BB cream she had applied to his mouth back then.

It was obvious she had dabbed some around her eyes to conceal the traces of crying.

Shen Xingruo put down her pen, took out a small mirror from her pencil case, and carefully checked.

—Indeed.

She faced the mirror and lightly tapped the area around the powder marks with her ring finger to smooth them out.

Liu Xingyan chuckled softly, “You’re not admitting it.”

Shen Xingruo didn’t say a word, she just stomped on his foot hard.

After that, Lu Xingyan chased after her with a few questions, but she refused to say more. When he annoyed her with questions, she mercilessly smacked him on the head with a book.

However, Lu Xingyan noticed that Shen Xingruo’s state had improved a lot since that night. Specifically, it showed in her increasingly accurate and ruthless hits toward him.

As the final exams approached under the scorching sun, Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo’s birthdays arrived as scheduled. Their birthdays fell on the second day of exams, so nobody was in the mood to celebrate. Those who wanted to celebrate didn’t dare to, knowing that mentioning it would lead to a lecture from their parents. So, everyone agreed to party after the exams were over.

Nevertheless, they had already received quite a few gifts in advance. When their classmates found out that they shared the same birthday, they were quite surprised. Some joked privately, “Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo are quite compatible, aren’t they? They both have good looks, and similar names, sit together, and share the same birthday. What a coincidence…”

“Compatibility? Have you seen their grades? You couldn’t catch up with them even if you were flying a helicopter.”

Some had rather peculiar concerns, like Li Chengfan. Upon hearing that Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan shared the same birthday, he caught them and asked, “Hey, you two share the same birthday? Then who’s older?”

When Lu Xingyan heard this, he became sensitive. “I was born in the early morning, she was born at midnight. I’m older.”

Whenever someone asked him, he had to explain it all over again, emphasizing the word “older” as if he was about to write on the blackboard, “I was born twenty hours earlier than Shen Xingruo.”

Shen Xingruo got annoyed, tapping his desk while writing her exam. “Stop making noise. So what if you’re older than me? Do you want me to call you big brother?”

“…,” Lu Xingyan touched the back of his neck, pretending to be indifferent. “If you want to, it’s not impossible.”

“Shut up.”

Lu Xingyan became interested and rubbed her head. “Little Sister Shen, Little Sister Daiyu.”

Shen Xingruo gave him a cold look. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll bury you as a flower.”

“…,” Lu Xingyan fell silent.

Two days before the exam, they had a break from school. While studying at home, Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan put the birthday gifts they received into the trunk and dragged them back to Falling Star Lake.

After dinner, they stood in the living room, unwrapping their gifts. When Lu Xingyan opened Shen Xingruo’s gift, he saw a beautifully wrapped box with an envelope inserted in the middle, bearing the three words “He Siyue”.

He reached out to take it, but Shen Xingruo intercepted him. She looked at him coldly, clearly conveying the message, “If you lay a hand on it, you won’t make it to your birthday this year.”

“What’s this? Open it and see,” she instructed.

He shrugged indifferently. “Whatever.”

Ignoring him, Shen Xingruo took out the card from He Siyue and set it aside before unwrapping the gift. Inside was a very girly diary with a watercolor starry sky cover, which matched her name and showed a thoughtful touch.

Lu Xingyan leaned over to glance at it, then chuckled, “Not very creative.”

Shen Xingruo glanced at him, and he became even more spirited, sweeping his gaze over all of Shen Xingruo’s gifts. “None of them are creative.”

“Then, Master Lu, do you have something exceptionally original for me?” she teased, recalling that he had mentioned preparing a thank-you gift for his teacher.

Lu Xingyan raised an eyebrow casually. “You’ll find out on your birthday.”

Shen Xingruo scrutinized Lu Xingyan, feeling somewhat uneasy. She always felt that his scatterbrained nature might lead to something extraordinary or bizarre.

On her birthday, the sun was shining brightly. Shen Xingruo was awakened by a call from Shen Guangyao after nine o’clock. He said he was driving over from Huize and had already made a reservation for dinner with Pei Yue. He invited her to join them.

She responded with a cold and indifferent tone, but still muttered an “okay.”

Once she was awake, she didn’t feel like going back to sleep. After getting ready, she found Lu Xingyan’s door slightly ajar. She walked over and knocked, but got no response. Pushing the door open slightly, she peeked inside. No one was there.

Surprisingly, Lu Xingyan was up even earlier than her.

She went downstairs. Aunt Zhou and Pei Yue were already in the kitchen preparing lunch. Seeing her awake, Aunt Zhou reminded her from the kitchen doorway, “Xingruo, breakfast is on the table. Have a little to fill your stomach.”

“Okay, Aunt Zhou,” she replied, taking a piece of toast from the table and then looking around.

Where was Lu Xingyan?

Just as she was wondering, he returned.

There was a commotion outside, and she walked out, biting into her toast.

Then Lu Xingyan got out of the car and, with Uncle Liu, retrieved a box from the trunk. When he saw her, he raised the corner of his lips and said, “Shen Xingruo, come over here. Your birthday gift has arrived.”

Shen Xingruo’s gaze shifted to the cardboard box. She didn’t say anything but obediently walked closer.

The box was quite large, and Lu Xingyan went back inside to fetch scissors to open it.

Shen Xingruo watched from the side as he worked.

After a while, Lu Xingyan finally managed to open the box and waved for Shen Xingruo to come over. “Come over here and take a look!”

She approached and peered into the box.

Inside the box was a small, white, sparsely feathered… um… a bird of some sort. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was.

Lu Xingyan lifted it out, giving Shen Xingruo a clearer view. The bird was lively, flapping its wings happily.

Lu Xingyan placed it on the lawn and asked, “So, does it give you a familiar feeling?”

“Hmm…” Shen Xingruo paused, then said, “It’s quite familiar. Your… your gift is indeed fresh and unconventional.”

And indeed, it was quite extraordinary.

Lu Xingyan took her comment as praise, looking somewhat smug.

After thinking for a while, Shen Xingruo couldn’t quite wrap her head around it and couldn’t resist asking, “So why did you give me a chicken and a white one at that?”

Shen Xingruo naturally didn’t take Lu Xingyan’s words seriously. She tossed her notebook onto his desk and assigned him a task, saying, “I’ve reorganized the parts on non-finite verbs and fixed phrases for you. Even someone who has studied English for a few years can understand it. Don’t give me excuses about not understanding anymore.”

“After reading it, write the ‘Little Topic Drills.’ They’re all multiple-choice questions, and won’t take much time. I’ve already folded the pages you need to write on.”

Lu Xingyan flipped through the notes and workbook lazily, and replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Alright, cut the English. With your English level, I thought you were cursing my mom.”

Shen Xingruo didn’t look at him again, busying herself with organizing her desk.

Lu Xingyan was accustomed to her mockery. He chuckled lightly, tapped her desk, and said with interest, “Oh, by the way, Miss Shen, since your birthday is approaching, I’ve prepared a thank-you gift for you.”

Lu Xingyan had just been reminded by Li Chengfan and the others that his birthday was coming up when he subconsciously remembered that Shen Xingruo and he shared the same birthday.

Shen Xingruo also realized this—

Her birthday was approaching, which meant Lu Xingyan’s birthday was approaching too.

She glanced at Lu Xingyan and asked, “Are you trying to blackmail me?”

“Forget it, even if you give me a gift, I won’t return the favor.”

“…”

“No, why are you so narrow-minded?”

Lu Xingyan never even thought that his heartfelt preparation of a gift would be interpreted so wildly by Shen Xingru. He turned to her and asked, “Can you clarify? Do you see me as that petty?”

“…”

Shen Xingruo looked at him, considering that he was still her student, and decided not to respond.

She conveyed a very clear message with her eyes—yes, indeed, you’re even smaller in stature than the Seven Dwarfs. In the future, don’t ask for such self-inflicted humiliation.

Lu Xingyan was quite adept at interpreting eye signals. Understanding her meaning, he felt tempted to take out the white peacock he had just ordered online and smacked her in the face with it.

He had prepared such a unique birthday gift, yet this girl had no appreciation for it at all—she was simply heartless.

Shen Xingruo didn’t have time to tend to his shattered virgin heart. When the bell rang, she and Shi Qin and Zhai Jiajing went back to their dorms together.

Today, they have just received the detailed schedule for the final exams. On the way back to their dorm, Shi Qin flipped through her phone calendar, counting the days, “One, two, three, four, five… Fifteen days, no, sixteen days, ah! Only sixteen days left!”

Then Shi Qin noticed something else, “Xingru, Xingru, your birthday happens to be the day before the exam!”

Shi Qin made a note of Shen Xingru’s birthday, coincidentally, this year her birthday fell on the eve of the final exams.

Shi Qin asked, “Are you turning seventeen this year?”

Shen Xingruo recalled, “Yes.”

Zhai Jiajing glanced at the calendar in Shi Qin’s hand and suddenly stopped, then instinctively asked, “Xingru, you and Lu…”

Shi Qin and Shen Xingruo looked over at the sound of her voice.

Zhai Jiajing quickly corrected herself, “I mean, what do you like? So we can prepare a birthday gift for you.”

“Oh, no need.”

Shen Xingruo shook her head lightly.

After all, apart from money, she didn’t lack anything. She couldn’t just let people directly transfer money via WeChat or Alipay.

Before she could finish her sentence, Shi Qin interrupted, insisting, “We must get her a gift.”

Shi Qin was absent-minded, looked at her phone, and realized she still hadn’t received any missed calls that tonight.

Since she arrived in Xingcheng, Shen Guangyao called her at least twice a week.

Most of the time, she didn’t answer.

In a week, there might be one or two times when she would pick up, giving cold and indifferent responses. Shen Guangyao would briefly update her on recent events, usually lasting less than three minutes before she would make an excuse to end the call.

But this week was almost over, and Shen Guangyao hadn’t called her.

During the days of the college entrance examination, the freshmen and sophomores were on break, so both Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan stayed at home.

Lu Xingyan noticed that Shen Xingruo had been somewhat distant lately.

During lunchtime, Star City TV would broadcast news from various exam centers.

Typically, they would interview parents anxiously waiting outside, interview the candidates after the exams, and also cover stories about kind-hearted people assisting candidates and stories of confused students going to the wrong exam venues and missing the exams. Mentioning that next year it would be their turn, they showed interest in keeping track of the news.

Lu Xingyan, who was on the brink of facing the college entrance exam, was quite engrossed in the news, while the parents of candidates who were on the brink of facing the college entrance exam were still browsing the internet for leaked essay topics.

But Shen Xingruo seemed indifferent, not even bothering to glance at the TV.

Evening tutoring proceeded as usual, but Shen Xingruo seemed too disinterested to even scold him properly. At most, she would shoot him a glance that said, “You useless brat, you’re not helping at all,” and didn’t lecture him much.

It was extremely unusual.

During a break, Lu Xingyan offered a slice of pear to Shen Xingru.

She frowned and leaned back, clearly resistant.

Lu Xingyan didn’t insist and ate it himself. “Teacher Shen, why have you been so down these days? Are you on your period?”

“Eating won’t shut your mouth.”

“Of course not, just a piece of pear won’t do it, but maybe a kiss from you would.”

Lu Xingyan’s words were half serious and half playful.

Shen Xingruo grabbed the “Little Topic Drills” and tapped his head with them. “Shut up. You’re about to turn seventeen, and yet you’re still so brainless. With your behavior, I doubt you’ll ever score over 400 in the college entrance exam.”

Okay.

He was overthinking.

Teacher Shen was as sharp as ever, maintaining her precise and crushing wartime demeanor.

The vacation during the college entrance exam days soon came to an end.

When they returned to school, the banners cheering for the college entrance exam were still hanging at the gate of Mingli High School, but there were noticeably fewer students than usual.

In the morning when they arrived at the classroom, Shen Xingruo hadn’t attended the morning self-study. She had been called to the office by Wang Youfu along with He Siyue.

When good students were called away, it was ninety-nine percent of the time for a good reason.

He Siyue returned during the morning self-study, and someone curiously asked him what good news he had received.

He smiled and said, “City’s Best Three Selection.”

“Why didn’t Shen Xingruo come back?”

He Siyue paused for a moment. “Teacher Wang asked her to stay; probably had something else to discuss.”

Lu Xingyan overheard this.

He was playing with Shen Xingru’s Rubik’s Cube. She had taught him the formula for solving it, but he hadn’t quite mastered it yet. His thoughts were disrupted, and he couldn’t remember where he had left off.

When the morning self-study ended, Shen Xingruo returned from the office.

Lu Xingyan asked, “What did Wang Youfu want from you?”

“Oh, he wanted to talk about learning martial arts.”

She didn’t take it seriously and just casually responded.

Lu Xingyan asked, “What martial arts are you learning? You have this skill, so why don’t you use it when showing off, instead of always using me as a target?”

Shen Xingruo glanced at him. “It’s not what you think. I don’t need you for this. Participating in the training can give you extra points for the college entrance exam.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Xingyan became interested. “That’s a good deal. How can I learn? I want to give it a try too.”

Shen Xingruo stared at him, too lazy to explain any further. “Shut up.”

While Lu Xingyan was clueless about this, Siyue understood it very well.

The martial arts bonus points were already an open secret at Xingcheng High School. The provincial special talent bonus point system stipulated that students who ranked in the top six in the provincial martial arts competition would receive 20 bonus points, while those in the city-level competition would get 10 points.

However, “martial arts” was a general term. It was divided into eight categories of competition, such as knives, spears, swords, and sticks, and there were separate competitions for men and women, as well as city-level and school-level competitions.

In reality, there were a total of 192 spots available for bonus points through these competitions.

Not many schools had the qualifications to participate in these competitions, and there were very few participants who had professional standards. Many events had no participants at all, which created a loophole for bonus points.

During the summer vacation of the second year of high school, several prestigious schools in Xingcheng would train a group of top students to participate in martial arts training, ensuring that they could earn bonus points in competitions and strive for excellence in the college entrance exam.

The top scholars of Mingli High School two years ago were not just scholars based on raw scores; they were scholars who had received bonus points from martial arts.

Wang Youfu had asked Shen Xingruo about this matter but had not asked He Siyue.

He Siyue felt a bit uncomfortable hearing Shen Xingruo talk about it now.

But then he heard Shen Xingruo say, “I didn’t agree to it.”

Lu Xingyan said, “Just learning a bit can earn you extra points. Why didn’t you agree?”

“What’s the difference between this and buying points? Don’t you think it’s unfair?”

“I can’t stop others from exploiting loopholes, but I can choose not to exploit this loophole myself. Besides, I don’t need to do this to get into the university I want.”

“Then you’re quite principled.” Lu Xingyan joked casually, not taking it seriously since he didn’t understand much about it.

Shen Xingruo couldn’t be bothered to explain to him either. She had presented an even more principled stance when discussing it with Wang Youfu, leaving him somewhat stunned and deeply convinced.

In reality, the higher-ups had begun to pay attention to the issue of martial arts bonus points in the past two years as well.

In Xingcheng, the allocation of martial arts slots to various schools had tightened slightly. Previously, Mingli High School could enroll students in the top twenty of both science and liberal arts classes by paying for training.

Not anymore. Although there were slightly more spots for the science class, the liberal arts class only had a total of three spots now.

Shen Xingruo readily gave up the twenty points, which surprised the top students who heard about it.

He Siyue had thought that Shen Xingruo would decline the spots and they would fall to him, but in the end, they went to Zhai Jiajing.

He felt even more disappointed.

As the footsteps of the final exams drew nearer, the soon-to-be seniors began to feel the urgency of time.

Class One was a science experimental class with no art students, but there were quite a few art students in regular classes. They had been preparing for training recently, and some had even left school early to attend training.

Previously, Pei Yue had considered having Lu Xingyan learn broadcasting or scriptwriting to boost his art grades in the college entrance exam. But after careful inquiry, she decided against it.

Lu Xingyan was neither suitable for broadcasting nor scriptwriting…

Especially scriptwriting. His wooden-headedness would probably struggle even to retell the story of Snow White.

On Wednesday afternoon, during the self-study class, a group of students suddenly rushed past the corridor, making a commotion. It was as if they were evacuating due to an earthquake. Li Chengfan, who was dozing off, was awakened by the noise.

He grabbed his hair and asked his desk mate in confusion, “What’s going on? Aren’t we supposed to have PE class? Wait, didn’t we finish PE exams last week?”

“Not exactly. It seems like there’s a lecture today by a famous artist for the art students from a few classes upstairs,” explained the deskmate.

Li Chengfan responded, “And you know this?”

The desk mate continued, “My senior from the first year is in Class Five. She’s an art student, and her grades in art are pretty good. Plus, her family has some connections with the school. She’s been talking about this for a while. This artist is quite influential. Oh, and about recommendation letters, they may seem useless at first glance, but look at our school principal’s official recommendation. It’s equivalent to a guaranteed admission.”

Recommendation letters and guaranteed admissions were worlds away from Li Chengfan’s life. He had zero interest in them and, after listening, yawned and went back to sleep.

On the other hand, Lu Xingyan perked up at the news. He playfully rubbed Shen Xingru’s head and teased, “Is it your dad? Did he tell you he’s coming to see you?”

Shen Xingruo paused for a moment and then gave Lu Xingyan a blank expression, followed by a swift kick.

“What are you looking at?” she retorted.

Her father started with a display of affection but had grown too lazy to continue. Now he didn’t even bother calling.

Lu Xingyan winced from the kick and then scrutinized Shen Xingru, “Are you embarrassed?”

“Hey, has your dad ever called you even once?” he continued.

Shen Xingruo felt stifled. Her efficiency during self-study plummeted, and she ended up not even attempting the questions, opting to sleep instead.

Shen Xingruo slept through until the end of class.

When she groggily woke up, she got up to fetch some warm water. Lu Xingyan asked her to bring back a cup, but she wasn’t in a good mood and replied curtly, “Then you might as well wait until you die.”

Lu Xingyan got up and joined her to fetch water.

The water fountain was located at the east end of each floor, near the teachers’ offices.

Shen Xingruo held a cup in one hand and stifled a yawn with the other, still not fully awake.

Lu Xingyan walked alongside her, teasing her from time to time and occasionally ruffling her hair.

Shen Xingruo frowned and tilted her head away, “Stop messing up my hair. It’s already a mess because of you.”

“You’re good at passing the blame. Your hair was already a mess from your sleepiness,” Lu Xingyan replied, playfully ruffling her loosely tied hair.

Her hair was soft and smooth, making it quite comfortable to touch, almost irresistible.

They arrived at the water fountain, each taking a side to fill their cups.

Shen Xingruo seemed a bit distracted, the water filled to the brim, spilling over. She took a step back and switched off the faucet.

Lu Xingyan stood to her right, reached around her shoulder, and patted her left one.

“Do you believe I’ll splash you?” Shen Xingruo turned to Lu Xingyan on her left and said.

She subconsciously knew Lu Xingyan was on her right, but for some reason, today she felt out of sorts. Her body instinctively turned to the left, and when she saw the person approaching, she couldn’t stop her movement in time—

A quarter of the overflowing water splashed onto the newcomer.

Lu Xingyan looked at his water cup, oblivious to the situation beside him. He casually extended his hand again and affectionately ruffled her hair. “You splash, then you wash my clothes.”

The corridor suddenly quieted down.

Among the group at the corner, no one spoke, only the headmaster and the class teacher of Class Five stared at Shen Xingruo with disbelief.

Seeing Shen Xingruo’s lack of response, the headmaster had to speak up himself. He smiled apologetically at the middle-aged man leading the group. “Sorry, sorry, Teacher Shen, let me take you to the office to change clothes first?”

Then he turned around, hands behind his back, and sternly criticized Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan. “How did you get the water? Just fetching water and yet messing around! Which classes are you two from? I’ll ask your class teachers what’s going on with you two!”

Shen Xingruo stared at the middle-aged man, eyes blinking without a word for a long time.

Lu Xingyan turned his head, also stunned. Though he remained calm on the surface, his mind was in turmoil. He even praised himself internally for being a prophet; if he couldn’t get into college in the future, perhaps he could set up a fortune-telling booth outside Shen Xingruo’s school.

No, setting up a booth was too lowbrow. He could open a fortune-telling shop.

Lost in his whimsical thoughts, he completely ignored the headmaster’s second admonition. The words went in one ear and out the other.

The air fell silent for a moment.

Finally breaking the silence after a long pause, Shen Xingruo called out, “Dad.”

Lu Xingyan also recognized Shen Guangyao, and the rehearsed line in his mind was “Uncle Shen, hello.” Maybe influenced by Shen Xingruo, what came out of his mouth was—

“Hello, Dad.”

Ms. Zeng followed Lu Xingyan’s words and glanced over, then picked up the test paper on the desk.

—The handwriting was neat and delicate, indeed more like a girl’s handwriting. Even if it wasn’t Shen Xingruo’s, it certainly wasn’t something that the mischievous devil Lu Xingyan could produce. She had a vivid impression of Lu Xingyan’s handwriting. It might be ugly in other subjects, barely legible with numbers, but she couldn’t fathom how other teachers managed to endure it.

She glanced at Lu Xingyan, then back at Shen Xingruo, and asked, “What’s going on?”

Seeing Lu Xingyan about to speak, Ms. Zeng sternly interrupted, “I didn’t ask you, I’m asking Shen Xingruo!”

Shen Xingruo had already thought of an excuse that would keep Ms. Zeng from causing trouble. But with Lu Xingyan suddenly interrupting and taking on the role of a hero, she was caught off guard and couldn’t come up with a better explanation. She had to confess, “Ms. Zeng, it’s not like that. Lu Xingyan wrote the test paper.”

“Last night, he finished the test paper and wanted me to take a look. It happened to be right after the evening self-study, so I brought his test paper back to the dorm.”

“I had already finished mine, it’s this one.” She glanced at the test paper in Ms. Zeng’s hand, “Then I helped Lu Xingyan with his test paper last night and put it back in my English book. But for some reason, when I came here today, the test paper was missing.”

Afraid that Ms. Zeng might misunderstand that either Shen Xingruo or Lu Xingyan hadn’t written the test paper, He Siyue, who was sitting in front, suddenly chimed in, “Ms. Zeng, last night I discussed the last question with Shen Xingruo. She did indeed finish hers, and Lu Xingyan was also working on his math test at the time.”

Now that He Siyue had spoken up, other classmates who had asked Shen Xingruo questions last night also chimed in with “Yeah, that’s right,” helping Shen Xingruo’s case.

Ms. Zeng scanned the classroom and then looked back at Shen Xingruo calmly, “So, you wrote the test paper, and Lu Xingyan wrote the test paper. You just happened to bring Lu Xingyan’s test paper back to the dorm and lost it. Is that right?”

Before Shen Xingruo could react, Ms. Zeng’s voice suddenly rose by eight degrees, reprimanding, “Are you a teacher? Was I supposed to ask you to help him? Did I not say today that I would discuss this test paper? Do you think you can teach better than me just because you’ve gotten a perfect score in math twice? You’re so capable, why haven’t I seen you studying physics?”

Ms. Zeng felt that her teaching level was being challenged. Like a thunderstorm without warning, she suddenly went off on Shen Xingruo with a crazy barrage of criticism.

After her tirade, the classroom fell silent for a while. Her reprimand echoed in the empty classroom, leaving an aftertaste.

The onlookers remained silent, not daring to speak, only casting sympathetic glances at Shen Xingruo.

However, Shen Xingruo, who had suddenly been scolded, either hadn’t reacted yet or didn’t find it particularly upsetting. When Ms. Zeng finished venting, without further ado, she suddenly stood up.

She stood straight, facing Ms. Zeng, and said, “Ms. Zeng, you may be a very excellent math teacher, but Lu Xingyan’s foundation is relatively weak and he can’t keep up with your teaching pace. As his deskmate, I helped him with his test paper, and I don’t see any problem with that. If you were to tell the principal, the principal would probably only think that I’m helpful rather than trying to play the role of a teacher.”

“Furthermore, there’s no inherent distinction between the arts and sciences; it’s merely a matter of personal preference. My choice to study humanities doesn’t imply any deficiency in my understanding of the sciences. Among us here, those studying humanities are no less capable than those focusing on sciences. Similarly, as a teacher of humanities, you are no less competent than a teacher of sciences, wouldn’t you agree?”

Her voice resonated in the classroom, just as cool and detached as her appearance, carrying a hint of icy disdain.

After a brief pause, the students finally reacted—

Oh, cripes! Shen Xingruo just clapped back at Zeng Guiyu!!!

Everyone was stunned!

There was a moment of silence, and then whispers erupted, filling the room.

Zeng Guiyu had encountered students who dared to challenge her authority before, but to have her model student challenge her—this was a first.

Unlike the verbose political rhetoric of Wang Youfu, she was left speechless for a good while, unable to conjure a single word.

At that moment, Lu Xingyan smoothly delivered the next blow, “Ms. Zeng, I genuinely can’t follow your explanation of the topic.”

“You see, when Mr. Liang explains a topic, he’s meticulous, repeating each step three times and peppering his explanations with examples. It’s not that your teaching is inadequate, it’s just that I’m struggling to keep up.”

The rest of the class, who had been holding back for weeks, now chimed in agreement.

“Yeah, Ms. Zeng, you speak too quickly.”

“I can’t keep up either.”

“Could you stick to the topic without jumping around? Some of us genuinely don’t understand…”

For a moment, the classroom resembled a poultry farm, with chicks chirping and squawking, complaining about Zeng Guiyu, the substitute feeder, giving them subpar feed.

Zeng Guiyu’s brow twitched, her face darkening with suppressed rage.

She strode back to the podium, slamming the blackboard with the triangle ruler.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

“Will you all ever shut up?! What’s with all the noise?”

The room quietened slightly.

“What’s going on with your class? What kind of attitude towards learning is this? Do you think I enjoy having to substitute? If you don’t understand, ask me on the spot! If that doesn’t work, ask me after class! If that still doesn’t work, ask your classmates who understand!”

And you, reprimanding Shen Xingruo???

Zeng Guiyu seemed to realize the contradiction in her words, wanting to backtrack but finding it too late.

Some students couldn’t contain their laughter, and her inability to maintain composure led her to angrily toss aside the triangle ruler. “If you all think I’m such a terrible teacher, then go find someone better! I’ve never seen students as incompetent as you all!”

With that, she stormed out of the classroom, leaving the class in a state of shock.

Siyue promptly stood up to calm the class down. “Everyone, please quiet down and start self-study. I’ll go talk to Mr. Wang.”

He Siyue was quick to react, but by the time he reached Mr. Wang’s office, Zeng Guiyu had already launched into a tirade, berating the students mercilessly in front of Mr. Wang.

Lu Xingyan, Shen Xingruo, and He Siyue were individually criticized. Siyue was called out for his interruption as the class monitor, accused of disrespecting the teacher.

Lu Xingyan’s criticism seemed futile, as Zeng Guiyu barely acknowledged him, focusing her wrath primarily on Shen Xingruo and the rest of the class.

“…That girl Shen Xingruo is something else! The whole class is rallying behind her as if I’ve done something terrible to her! I barely said a word and she just snapped back at me! Your class has some serious issues, Wang Youfu! They’re all like counter-revolutionaries from the Cultural Revolution era! Shen Xingruo talks about equality between arts and sciences on one hand, and personal choice on the other, and she had me completely confused! If she’s so smart, why hasn’t she topped the provincial exams?”

Wang Youfu sat at his desk, cradling a thermos cup, occasionally taking a sip. After she finished venting, he casually remarked, “Well, the college entrance exams haven’t happened yet. Who knows, maybe she’ll top the provincial exams. Why are you so worked up? You’re quite capable yourself. You’ve been teaching humanities classes all this time, yet you’ve never been a grade-level leader.”

“You’re just itching for an argument, aren’t you, Wang Youfu?”

“What’s there to argue about between us, Guiyu? Just calm down,” Wang Youfu said as he unscrewed the thermos cup, tilting it towards Zeng Guiyu. “Chrysanthemum tea, would you like a cup? It’s great for clearing heat and soothing nerves. This chrysanthemum was sent to me by a former student a few years ago, it’s authentic…”

“Wang Youfu!!”

“Alright, alright, stop yelling. I’m getting old; you might give me a heart attack,” Wang Youfu raised his hand in a gesture to quiet her down. “I’ll go get Shen Xingruo, Lu Xingyan, and He Siyue to hear their side of the story.”

Though Wang Youfu spoke calmly, his movements were leisurely. He closed the thermos cup, then leaned on the desk before standing up, muttering to himself, “Oh, the sunlight is so nice here. I don’t feel like moving at all.”

Zeng Guiyu nearly choked on her words watching his theatrics.

He Siyue suppressed a laugh at the door, quickly composed himself, and knocked politely. “Mr. Wang.”

As soon as Wang Youfu saw him, he greeted, “Ah, just the person I need. He Siyue, goes to the classroom and fetches Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo. I want to hear what’s going on, why you’ve upset Ms. Zeng like this.”

He Siyue nodded, replying, “Of course.”

While He Siyue went to find Wang Youfu, the class didn’t quiet down. Everyone was buzzing, gossiping about Zeng Guiyu’s past and speculating that she was probably going to complain to Wang Youfu.

Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan, the focal points of the incident, remained unfazed. Shen Xingruo had seated herself after Zeng Guiyu left and had opened a bottle of milk, while Lu Xingyan hadn’t stood up once.

Lu Xingyan tapped Shen Xingruo’s head with a pen. “What’s wrong? Are you mad?”

“…Well,” she was pretty annoyed, but she couldn’t act out just yet. Wang Youfu would probably come to summon them to his office soon, so for now, she needed to drink some milk to calm her emotions.

Lu Xingyan continued, “Are you dumb? There’s no point in explaining to her. Just tell her I didn’t write it, and she can’t do anything to me.”

“…”

“Shut up already.”

Thinking she might be sensitive to criticism and still a bit slow to recover emotionally, Lu Xingyan tapped her head again. “Alright, it’s not a big deal. When Wang Youfu comes to question us later, just keep quiet. I’ll handle it. Okay? You can just mumble an apology at the end…”

“Why should I apologize?” Shen Xingruo eyed him. “It’s because of people like you, who shout slogans loudly but back down when it matters, that our country lags in development.”

“No, your peacock mentality is quite noble…”

“It is noble.”

Before they could say much more, He Siyue returned and called them both to the office.

Of course, Wang Youfu didn’t do much. He asked about the incident, mildly criticized them, and then made them copy the political outline a few times before letting them go.

Zeng Guiyu watched coldly from the office. When she heard Wang Youfu say, “Regardless, it’s wrong to defy a teacher,” she thought he was just starting, but then he said, “Alright, you can go back now. Each of you copy the political outline three times.”

Once everyone left, she snapped back to reality. “Wang Youfu, is that it?”

Wang Youfu replied, “We’ve criticized them. What more do you want? I didn’t do anything wrong, and it’s to maintain your dignity as a teacher that I made them copy the political outline three times.”

Zeng Guiyu retorted, “But how does copying your political outline relate to the issue in my math class?”

Wang Youfu shrugged. “Well, what else should they copy? Math formulas? That’d be quite the camaraderie, but math formulas have fewer words.”

Before Zeng Guiyu could respond, he added, “I’m just saying, Guiyu, you’re over forty. Instead of squabbling like chickens with these kids, why not let it go? It’s not a big deal. Both of them took the test; it’s just that one paper went missing. Look at how much fuss you’ve stirred up.”

“Are you still upset because Shen Xingruo topped the grade twice, and because of that incident last time when you defended that girl in your class against Shen Xingruo’s retort? You’re both adults and teachers. Winning first place in the grade is just a 2000 RMB prize. If Shen Xingruo comes first next time, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Zeng Guiyu felt like staying in Wang Youfu’s office any longer would inevitably lead to her suffocating to death from anger. She waved her hand, indicating she wouldn’t say anything more to him, and started to leave.

But Wang Youfu just couldn’t stop talking. As she reached the door, she could still hear him saying, “As teachers, the most important thing for us is to be magnanimous…”

Right now, she was anything but magnanimous.

Exiting Wang Youfu’s office, Shen Xingruo walked in the middle, with Lu Xingyan and He Siyue on either side, each comforting her in their way. After He Siyue finished consoling her, he even offered, “If you don’t have time to copy the political outline, I’ll help you.”

Lu Xingyan chuckled and glanced over, his tone casual. “Class monitor is so kind. How about helping me copy too?”

“Mr. Wang should be able to recognize your handwriting,” Siyue replied without missing a beat.

Shen Xingruo was getting annoyed by their banter. She pressed her temples and quickened her pace. “Enough, neither of you need to copy.”

As they reached the classroom door, she turned back to warn them, “No one is allowed to copy.”

After enduring Shen Xingruo’s torment for so long, Lu Xingyan felt he understood her somewhat. He had a feeling this matter wasn’t over yet.

Shen Xingruo didn’t do much for the rest of the morning. By the time school ended, she walked out quickly.

Li Ting had been keeping an eye on Shen Xingruo’s movements all morning. She felt anxious the whole time and didn’t have much of an appetite for lunch. She grabbed something quickly and headed back to the dorm.

As she returned to her dorm, Shen Xingruo was coming out. Shen Xingruo didn’t say anything, just gave her a cold glance before heading downstairs.

But Li Ting couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. Shen Xingruo likely knew it was her doing, but as Zhai Jiajing had said, without evidence, she couldn’t do anything.

During the two-hour break, Shen Xingruo didn’t return to the dorm.

Li Ting felt oddly satisfied thinking about how Shen Xingruo had been criticized today. She even had a good dream during her nap.

In the afternoon, she went to school with Zhai Jiajing and Shi Qin. Shi Qin was still worried because Shen Xingruo hadn’t come back to nap, probably because she was upset about being criticized today.

Li Ting sneered sarcastically, “I have to say, she’s quite arrogant. Clearly in the wrong, yet she acts like she’s so righteous…”

She continued speaking as she walked into the classroom, subconsciously glancing at Shen Xingruo’s seat. She noticed Shen Xingruo was already there, and she fell silent.

Seeing people arriving, Shen Xingruo gently tapped He Siyue and asked for a workbook. Then she nudged Lu Xingyan and requested a notebook.

Lu Xingyan was dozing off and lazily handed over his entire bag. “Just take whatever you need.”

“…”

“What’s the difference between you and a pig if you can sleep eighteen hours a day?”

Lu Xingyan didn’t catch what she said and just shifted to sleep on the other side.

Shen Xingruo couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. She found a blank workbook and got up.

At that moment, Li Ting was just sitting down, ready to chat with Meng Feng in front of her, when Shen Xingruo suddenly walked up to her desk and slammed three workbooks onto it. With a cold expression, she ordered, “Copy the political outline twelve times, not a single word less. Get it done.”

Lu Xingyan, who perennially struggled in Chinese class, even mistook “荼毒” for “茶毒”. It was hard to expect him to find an appropriate and fitting adjective. Nonetheless, the moment Shen Xingruo’s lips touched his wrist, it felt as though she had kissed his heart.

He instinctively wanted to retract his hand, but the soft, warm breath brushing against the fine hairs on his wrist felt ticklish. His fingers lingered on her earlobe, hesitant to move.

Shen Xingruo also seemed momentarily stunned.

Suddenly, the bell rang, snapping her back to reality. She tilted her head back slightly, then mercilessly slapped Lu Xingyan’s hand away.

“Snap!”

“Get your chicken claws off me. Don’t touch my hair again.”

Her warning sounded icy, devoid of emotion as if the accidental intimate contact just now was nothing more than a trivial incident.

Lu Xingyan watched her silently tidy her bag, then tie her hair into a low ponytail with a hair tie, revealing a slender, fair neck. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized again.

However, Shen Xingruo stood up straight, slung her bag over her shoulder, and left her seat without even glancing at him.

Shen Xingruo’s slap wasn’t light, and Lu Xingyan’s skin was fair. A red palm print was visible on his wrist, still tingling after a while.

Lu Xingyan withdrew his hand, looked down at it, and then leaned back in his chair, his head slightly tilted, staring at Shen Xingruo’s departing figure until she left with her dorm mates. Then, inexplicably, he smiled.

Li Chengfan finished packing his bag, and turned back to call him to leave together, but was suddenly taken aback by his smile.

He hugged his arms and rubbed them, “Damn, Xingyan, what’s so funny? You scared me.”

Ignoring him, Lu Xingyan curled his index finger and grazed his lips, then suddenly his lips twitched.

—Being a daughter-in-law wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Li Chengfan didn’t know what he was thinking, but he felt his smile was rather scary like he was under some kind of spell.

Just then, Zhao Langming also stood up, looking like he hadn’t fully woken up yet. Lu Xingyan muttered a few words to him quietly.

Listening to Li Chengfan’s serious tone, Zhao Langming reluctantly opened his eyes and glanced over.

Then he shook off Li Chengfan’s hand, his voice muffled, “What kind of spell? Even if it’s a spell, it’s a love spell. Look at him, all spring-like. Are you blind? Look at his smile, just like Bian He’s forced one, and using a light blue bedsheet, flirting shamelessly…”

Li Chengfan wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, having read a lot about the “scientific outlook on development” but never having dated a girl or even experienced a budding romance. Hearing Zhao Langming’s words, he felt confused, suddenly feeling it might be true.

He glanced back and forth at Lu Xingyan several times and whispered, “Then there must be someone. Chen Zhu? No, I don’t think he’s interested in Chen Zhu.”

“How would I know?” Zhao Langming yawned, “But I don’t think so either. Since the start of this semester, he’s been pretty well-behaved. Besides playing basketball, he hasn’t hung out much with Xu Chengzhou and the others.”

Li Chengfan thought back and realized it was true.

He pondered, “Then who could it be? It couldn’t be his desk mate, could it?”

“Why couldn’t it be?” Zhao Langming replied absentmindedly.

Li Chengfan casually responded, and suddenly, both of them fell silent.

Could it…?!

Others might not have noticed, but the two of them had seen Shen Xingruo giving Lu Xingyan a hard time many times. Pursuing someone who treated you like that was practically asking for trouble. But then again, Lu Xingyan wasn’t one to take mistreatment lightly.

Both of them looked towards the person still sitting in their seat and suddenly felt that this dangerous speculation was rising in credibility at a visible speed.

Meanwhile, Shen Xingruo and Shi Qin walked out of the school together. Dai Jiajing probably felt upset for not doing well on the exam and didn’t join them; she went back by herself first. Without Dai Jiajing around, Shi Qin’s chatty mouth couldn’t be stopped, going from discussing grades to the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.

Shen Xingruo was absent-minded, not listening, feeling an odd sensation lingering on her lips. Suddenly, she used the back of her hand to wipe her lips.

Shi Qin, waiting for her response, didn’t hear one and saw this action…

Shi Qin looked at her in considerable surprise. What was she doing…? Why did it seem so much like the action a female protagonist would do in a novel after being kissed forcefully?

Shi Qin promptly put the brakes on her rampant imagination and asked, “Xing… Xingruo, are you okay? Do you have chapped lips? Do you want some lip balm?”

“No need, I’m fine,” Shen Xingruo regained her composure.

The early summer evening breeze mixed with a hint of warmth, cicadas chirping sporadically in the treetops. Shen Xingruo looked up and noticed the exceptionally clear sky tonight, the moon shining brightly and adorned with many stars. This weekend, they would return to Xing Lake.

Pei Yue helped Shen Xingruo sign the receipt for the parent-teacher meeting notice. Her signature was so flamboyant that later, when Wang Youfu checked it, he couldn’t recognize what characters they were, and it just passed as a formality.

Mondays always seemed to be sunny, and the morning meeting proceeded as scheduled. The principal, secretary, and student representatives took turns speaking, while everyone stood on the playground, stifling yawns.

The students of Class 2 eagerly waited for something, but the meeting ended without anything happening.

As they returned to the classroom, there was a lot of discussion among the classmates.

“What’s going on? Wasn’t Yang Fang supposed to publicly apologize to the whole school on the flag platform today?”

“Yeah, I was looking forward to hearing that.”

“Do they think we’ve forgotten? Whatever her family does, how can they smooth things over?”

Upon returning to the classroom and inquiring with students familiar with Class 2, they learned that Yang Fang had voluntarily dropped out!

Class 2 students said that after the incident came out, Yang Fang hadn’t been coming to class. At first, her classmates thought she was taking time off to adjust, but it turned out she was processing her withdrawal from school.

They only found out this morning—apparently, her parents and the school were still at odds, bargaining and disputing. The main point was that they didn’t want to leave with the disciplinary action in her file. But the school’s attitude was particularly firm, making it clear that regardless of whether she left or not, the punishment would remain on her record.

In the end, Yang Fang compromised, accepting the disciplinary probation given by Mingli, and transferred to South City.

Although initially surprised by this news, upon reflection, everyone found it quite reasonable. Yang Fang was always concerned about her reputation. With this incident spreading throughout the entire grade, continuing to stay at a school like Mingli, where most students were well-behaved, seemed somewhat inconceivable.

The teachers didn’t know, but the news spread widely in private conversations. The main reason was attributed to Yang Fang’s jealousy towards Shen Xingruo and He Siyue getting close.

For doing so many foolish and malicious things out of jealousy, she would face judgment every day she stayed at school. The situation was already difficult to bear for a 16-17 year old girl.

Transferring schools seemed like a way out.

Of course, at this stage, it was also her fault.

With Yang Fang’s transfer, the rumors circulating in the school last week about “Shen Xingruo liking Lu Xingyan” gradually subsided, mainly because the students of Class 1 were all actively working to debunk the rumors.

When asked by students from other classes, they vehemently shook their heads and vehemently denied it, “What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think it’s possible? Don’t dream.”

Seeing all their classmates so resolute, the students from other classes, upon a little reflection, also felt it wasn’t very plausible, and gradually stopped discussing it.

The week leading up to the parent-teacher meeting seemed particularly agonizing. Some people were fearless, while others were apprehensive.

Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan belonged to the former category. Although the reasons for their fearlessness were miles apart, they ended up in the same boat.

The parent-teacher meeting arrived on schedule that Friday. All class leaders stayed behind to receive parents, while the rest of the students could go home first or return to the dormitories and wait for the meeting to end.

Shen Xingruo was also required to stay behind because she was the top student in both liberal arts classes and had to speak as an outstanding student representative at the broadcasting station.

At dismissal time, the Mingli campus resembled the scene of a luxury car exhibition. The parking lot and playground were full of cars, and the parking spaces along the road outside the school were also filled up, with traffic police maintaining order at the intersection.

“Porsche, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, damn it…”

Li Chengfan looked at each car one by one, still reciting the names.

Zhao Langming grabbed his backpack strap and pointed to the side, “Stop cursing, there’s a Rolls-Royce over there.”

Just as Li Chengfan glanced over, he spotted a familiar car. “Hey, Bentley Continental… isn’t that your family’s car, Yan Ge? But wait, I remember your license plate is 088.”

Before Li Chengfan could finish his sentence, Zhao Langming patted him hard on the shoulder. “Damn it! Bugatti!”

Lu Xingyan also followed their gaze— the car seemed somewhat familiar.

Lu Xingyan remembered something but didn’t say anything. Instead, he patted their shoulders and walked straight to the parked Bugatti.

A man quickly got out of the driver’s seat. He had a distinguished demeanor and took off his sunglasses, revealing an even more distinguished appearance.

He glanced up and down at Lu Xingyan, shook his head, circled, and opened the passenger door.

With the convertible top down, Pei Yue was a bit disheveled by the wind. Holding her phone, she checked her hairstyle and kept complaining, “Jiang Che, you’re not good at driving, too fast. Look at my hairstyle, is it messed up?”

Jiang Che leaned against the car door, chuckling softly. “Auntie was born beautiful. Any hairstyle is just icing on the cake. Once you step into the parent crowd, no one will be more stunning than you.”

Pei Yue loved hearing such words, instantly feeling elated.

But when she turned her head and saw Lu Xingyan’s sour face, her smile faded instantly. “What’s with that expression? Your brother and I rushed here specifically to attend your parent-teacher meeting. What’s with your attitude? How old are you? Can’t you greet people?”

“You’re not here to attend the parent-teacher meeting with me…”

“Hey, Lu Xingyan, watch your language.”

Lu Xingyan made a gesture of surrender, lazily calling out, “Mom,” then “Bro.”

Afterward, he asked, “Where’s my dad?”

Pei Yue teased him effortlessly, “Your dad thinks attending the parent-teacher meeting with you would tarnish his reputation as the distinguished chairman, so he found an excuse not to come.”

Lu Xingyan fell silent.

Speaking of which, Lu Shan was also someone who couldn’t be relied on. He kept saying he could make time, but then last-minute emergencies always came up. He had to rush off to the capital, so he called his nephew Jiang Che to come and help out.

Seeing Lu Xingyan looking constipated, Jiang Che teased him, “What’s wrong? Even with me, a graduate from MIT, here to attend this parent-teacher meeting for a score of less than four hundred, are you still feeling aggrieved?”

Lu Xingyan remained silent.

He couldn’t predict how deeply his mom had instilled this obsession with achieving a score of four hundred.

After chatting in the car for a bit, Lu Xingyan asked Li Chengfan and Zhao Langming to go ahead while he went back with Pei Yue and Jiang Che.

When they arrived back at the classroom, many parents had already arrived. People were whispering to each other and some were on the phone.

The class leaders were welcoming parents, handing out mineral water, and writing on the blackboard.

Lu Xingyan led Pei Yue and Jiang Che to their seats, then grabbed Ruan Wen and asked, “Where’s Shen Xingruo?”

Ruan Wen was startled by the sudden pull and stuttered like a little chicken, before managing to say, “She’s… she’s in Mr. Wang’s office.”

Seeing Pei Yue sitting in Shen Xingruo’s seat, she subconsciously thought Pei Yue was Shen Xingruo’s mom and quickly greeted her, “Hello, auntie, I’m Xingruo’s friend. Please wait a moment, I’ll go get Xingruo.”

Pei Yue smiled warmly, “Thank you, little classmate.”

Ruan Wen nodded and quickly disappeared.

In the office, Ruan Wen knocked on the door and then went in to tug on Shen Xingruo’s school uniform sleeve, “Xingruo, your mom’s here.”

Wang Youfu was checking the speech draft for the outstanding representatives later. Upon hearing this, he felt that something was off, “Wait, Shen Xingruo, your mom, your mom is here?”

Shen Xingruo asked Ruan Wen to leave first, then explained to Wang Youfu, “Ruan Wen made a mistake. It should be my aunt.”

Wang Youfu paused, “How can you ask your aunt to come and attend the parent-teacher meeting? It should be your dad who comes for the parent-teacher meeting, right?”

Shen Xingruo remained silent.

Wang Youfu also felt that something was off with her family situation. He sighed and said, “This won’t do. Although you excel academically and there’s nothing for teachers to worry about, education must be a concern shared by parents and the school. So, leave me your dad’s phone number. I’ll find time to communicate with him.”

After a few seconds of silence, Shen Xingruo nodded.

With time running short, Wang Youfu didn’t say much more. He asked Shen Xingruo to help him carry the report cards and they headed towards the classroom together.

As they approached the door of Class One, Shen Xingruo saw Lu Xingyan playing with his phone in the corridor.

They exchanged a glance but didn’t speak.

Entering the classroom, Wang Youfu subconsciously glanced at Shen Xingruo’s seat.

He vaguely remembered Pei Yue from last semester when she attended Lu Xingyan’s parent-teacher meeting. So, he initially assumed that Jiang Che was Shen Xingruo’s parent and sat in the wrong place. But upon further thought, something didn’t add up. Wasn’t it said that the parent coming was the aunt?

He walked over, greeted Pei Yue first, then turned to Jiang Che, “Hello, may I ask if you are…?”

Jiang Che nodded towards Wang Youfu, “Hello, teacher. I’m Jiang Che, Lu Xingyan’s cousin.”

Wang Youfu was momentarily taken aback. So, he didn’t score 400 points, but the entourage was quite grand. Not only did the mom show up, but also a cousin.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, “Lu Xingyan’s mom, then you two should sit on a small chair nearby. Let me ask a classmate to help you move. This is Lu Xingyan’s desk, reserved for his parents.”

Pei Yue smiled gently, “No need to trouble you, Teacher Wang. I’m here today for Xingruo’s parent-teacher meeting.”

Wang Youfu was once again taken aback, “But you’re not Lu Xingyan’s mom. How… Shen Xingruo…?”

“It’s all the same. We’re all family.”