Xue Jiao knew that turning and walking away might likely result in her being bullied by these girls, but this was the best solution she could think of.

Indeed, she could come up with a hundred ways to safely escape from these people, but Xue Jiao didn’t have the patience to wait. She wanted a once-and-for-all solution.

A way to explain her past and future, and completely separate herself from these people.

Cheng Mingze’s sudden appearance disrupted her plan.

But Xue Jiao couldn’t blame the person who came to stand up for her, so she slightly moved aside, positioning herself behind Cheng Mingze, and slipped the small knife back into her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Cheng Mingze flung away Li Wan’s hand and asked coldly.

The famous heartthrob of No. 7 High School—good-looking, excellent at studies, from a good family—Cheng Mingze.

Li Wan had attended the same middle school as Cheng Mingze. He was practically everyone’s idol, naturally including Li Wan.

“We—” she stammered, not knowing how to explain.

“Brother—” Xue Jiao grabbed the corner of his shirt at this moment and whimpered, “They were threatening me…”

Her gaze was timid, making her appear very afraid of the girls in front of her. The hand clutching his shirt was trembling, her eyes teary yet trusting as she looked at him.

Cheng Mingze had to admit, at that moment, his heart softened.

“How did they threaten you?” He didn’t push her hand away and even heard his voice being unprecedentedly gentle.

Xue Jiao bit her lip and said softly, “I don’t want to be friends with them anymore, and I don’t want to wear the same makeup as them or skip school…”

In an instant, a storm surged in Cheng Mingze’s eyes.

So this girl’s strange appearance before was learned from these people, and her skipping school was to be with them.

Now she didn’t want to misbehave with them anymore, and these people were threatening her? Beating her in public?

What about before?

Had Xue Jiao been willing before?

The more he thought, the angrier Cheng Mingze became, his eyes turning into black whirlpools.

“Go back with the driver first. I have something to take care of.” He patted her hand, speaking in an imperative tone.

Xue Jiao nodded and slowly walked toward the driver.

This was her first time using such “manipulation,” but Xue Jiao didn’t regret it. These people had no grievances with Gu Xue Jiao originally, yet led her down the wrong path.

Moreover, they had her raped, filmed it, blackmailed her multiple times, and then released the video, which fell into Cheng Mingjiao’s hands, ruining Xue Jiao’s reputation, ultimately leading to her corpse being abandoned in the wilderness.

These people were enemies.

How Cheng Mingze would deal with them, she didn’t want to manage or know. But in the future, if they still harbored ill intentions, she would still find ways to ensure these people received their deserved punishment.

——

Xue Jiao slowly got into the car and said to the driver, “Uncle Xing, could you take me to buy some things?”

She only had free time this afternoon. Starting tomorrow, she would have evening self-study sessions every day, making it impossible to find time to shop.

“Of course, Miss. What would you like to buy?”

“Books and a wristwatch.”

They first went to Xinhua Bookstore, quickly purchasing all the materials she needed, then got back in the car to go to the mall for a wristwatch.

Gu Xue Jiao had lost her original watch, which was very inconvenient for Xue Jiao, who often needed to check the time. Plus, she still had a few thousand yuan on her card and didn’t need to buy anything else, which was enough to purchase a watch similar to the original one.

Uncle Xing drove her to a mall located in the most prosperous area of the city. Xue Jiao was unfamiliar with this place, so after asking a security guard, she walked in the direction he pointed.

It was a somewhat secluded store, but from the outside, one could see its understated luxury.

Xue Jiao originally didn’t want to enter, but in the display window, she saw a wristwatch identical to Gu Xue Jiao’s original one.

With a smile at the corner of her mouth, she walked in.

There were three people in the store at that moment, all in formal suits. Even from behind, they exuded an aura of elites.

One looked very young but was trying hard to maintain a serious expression. Another appeared to be in his thirties, with an even more serious face than the other.

The third person was sitting with his back to her, yet even sitting, one could tell he was very tall. His long legs were casually crossed, and he was impeccably dressed.

Hearing someone enter, the seated person turned around.

Xue Jiao was stunned.

She suddenly thought of eight characters—”Tao zhi yao yao, Zhuo zhuo qi hua” (The peach tree is young and beautiful, its flowers brilliantly glowing).

These eight characters shouldn’t be used to describe a man, but at this moment, she could only think of these words.

This face was more handsome than any Xue Jiao had ever seen. She thought Cheng Mingze’s face was the epitome of handsomeness but never expected to meet someone even more attractive.

But the two men were completely different types—one was a refined and elegant gentleman, the other a stern-faced Asura.

He appeared to be only in his twenties, yet his presence was astonishingly powerful.

His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. Xue Jiao quickly came to her senses, coughed once, and somewhat embarrassedly asked, “May I ask which one of you is the owner?”

The seated man glanced at the thirty-something-year-old, then slightly raised his hand, pointing at the younger one, saying, “He’s the owner.”

The thirty-something man silently went into an unseen back room, leaving only the two men outside.

The “owner” was stunned for a moment, then suddenly relaxed his forced serious expression and smiled.

“Yes, I’m the owner. How may I help you, Miss?”

Xue Jiao made an effort not to focus her eyes on the seated man and shifted her gaze to the wristwatch in the display window, asking with a smile, “I’d like that wristwatch.”

It was marked with a price: of 5,888 yuan.

With what was in Gu Xue Jiao’s card plus what she had found in Gu Xue Jiao’s room last night, it was just enough to buy it.

“Of course!”

As the owner was about to step forward to get it, the seated man spoke: “I think this one suits you better.”

“Huh?” Xue Jiao was surprised and looked where he was pointing.

It was displayed in the showcase in front of his seat, positioned in the center of the entire store. The case contained only two wristwatches, clearly a men’s and a women’s style, neither with a price tag.

He was pointing at the women’s style.

Xue Jiao unconsciously stepped forward. She had never seen such a beautiful wristwatch. The men’s style was black with faint gold threads around the edges, while the women’s was silver-white with faint light pink edges—very subtle, yet exceptionally beautiful.

She liked it. She liked it very, very much.

But, although there was no price tag, just from its exquisite craftsmanship and the luxurious display holding the watches, it was obvious—this one would be much more expensive than the one she wanted to buy!

Her ordinary choice was already over five thousand yuan, so this one must cost at least… ten thousand?

She hurriedly shook her head, “No, no, I’ll just take that one!”

The seated man smiled almost imperceptibly, reached out, opened the case, and took out the woman’s watch.

“I strongly recommend you buy this model. This store is selling at cost price right now, so buying the better one is more economical.” It was hard to imagine such an imposing man casually speaking the word “economical” like an ordinary person.

His voice was very magnetic. Xue Jiao unconsciously listened, entranced, and even extended her hand when he gestured for her to do so.

His face was mesmerizing, and his voice even more so.

When the cool sensation touched her wrist, Xue Jiao inwardly wanted to scream like a marmot.

Her ears were almost getting pregnant!!

His slender fingers inadvertently touched her wrist, and both of them froze simultaneously.

His reaction was even stronger than hers—his fingers even trembled slightly before quickly withdrawing. Something flashed across his face, his eyes a pool of drowning ink.

Xue Jiao’s gaze met his for a moment as if about to be sucked into that thick ink!

She shuddered and quickly shifted her gaze to her wrist. He moved his legs slightly, then spoke in a deeper, somewhat hoarse voice: “Is it beautiful?”

“Yes… very beautiful…”

It truly was beautiful. This wristwatch was already extremely attractive before being put on, and now that it was on her wrist, it captured her entire attention.

On her slender, white wrist, a delicately crafted silver-white wristwatch—the diamonds inside gleamed in the light, with that hint of light pink giving it a girlish feel. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Xue Jiao couldn’t help but shift her gaze to the owner.

“How much is this one?”

“Huh?” The owner was also startled for a moment, shifting his gaze to her, but with his peripheral vision still on the seated man.

Xue Jiao truly liked it. If she could have resisted the temptation earlier, now that it was on her wrist, she was genuinely moved.

So she pleaded slightly, “Owner since it’s being sold at cost price, can you sell it to me for less?”

The corner of the owner’s mouth twitched, and he tentatively said, “Ten thousand?”

Xue Jiao’s expression visibly drooped. The seated man narrowed his eyes: “Owner, isn’t that price a bit high?”

His voice was very soft, pleasant to hear, yet commanding.

“Then… one thousand?”

One thousand?

Were the diamonds in the watch cubic zirconia? Was the silver-white just painted on?

Wouldn’t this watch lose its color after a period of use?

She was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly took out her wallet, paying while confusedly saying, “Wristwatches… is this such a high-profit industry?”

“Of course. Any industry is profitable when managed well.” The man stood up, his presence imposing.

Xue Jiao only came up to his chest. To see his face, she had to look up high, a posture that made her somewhat dejected.

In her previous life, she wasn’t tall, and in this life, with a different body, she was still not tall…

Fortunately, she was only sixteen now and could still grow taller.

At that moment, Xue Jiao was determined to drink a glass of milk every morning from now on!

Her expressions were very rich; her thoughts could be easily read on her face. The man laughed quietly.

Then he bent down to her level, allowing their eyes to meet at the same height, and extended his hand: “Hello, Lin Zhihua.”

Xue Jiao instinctively straightened her back and then looked at him in surprise.

Lin Zhihua, Zhihua, truly “Tao zhi yao yao, zhuo zhuo qi hua” (The peach tree is young and beautiful, its flowers brilliantly glowing)?

His hand was still extended. Xue Jiao’s cheeks turned slightly red as she slowly extended her hand, “Xue Jiao, Gu Xue Jiao.”

Their hands—one large, one small—clasped in the air. Xue Jiao’s cheeks reddened further, and a hint of amusement flashed in Lin Zhihua’s unfathomable eyes.

She quickly withdrew her hand, then rose slightly on her toes and said softly, “Thank you, sir, for helping me negotiate the price! I’ll be going now!”

With that, she immediately turned and ran out, her childish backpack swinging behind her. Lin Zhihua rubbed his fingers, the amusement in his eyes deepening.

The “owner,” who was actually the newly appointed assistant Tan Qi, shrank to one side with an expression as if he’d seen a ghost.

At that moment, a chubby man rushed out from the back room, shouting: “Ahhhh! Why did you have someone cover my mouth and detain me inside?! And why did you sell my store’s treasure for just one thousand yuan?!”

The chubby man was jumping up and down, his face flushed red with anger: “I’m going to report you! I’m calling the police! This is the store’s treasure! This is my precious treasure! One thousand yuan isn’t even enough to touch it! This is by a famous master…”

“How much? I’ll buy it.” Lin Zhihua’s expression remained calm.

“The women’s model is six hundred and fifty thousand…” The chubby man’s voice lowered, then rose again, “But these are a couple’s set! Even if you buy the women’s model, this men’s one…”

“I’ll take both.” Lin Zhihua’s voice remained calm and steady.

“It will affect… What? Both? You’ll take both?!” The chubby man looked as if something was gripping his throat, his eyes bulging out, his face turning red. “Is it… is it what I think it means… b-both? You’re buying both watches?! The couple’s set, both watches?!”