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Chapter 7 – How About We “Be Together” Too?

Having slept well during the day, Li Shu wasn’t feeling drowsy. She toyed with her phone, opening the contacts, her fair fingers hovering over the entry for her grandmother.

Her small face, still holding the joy of her age, was about to dial—but then she paused. Her grandmother was old now; at this hour, she should be resting.

So she let it go.

She still remembered the trip back to A City, when her grandmother had held her hand over and over, saying,
“Ah Shu, your mom actually cares for you. When you were just born, she would treasure you in her arms every day, but…”

But what?
But now she didn’t care anymore.

She simply imposed her unhappiness with Li Maoguo onto her, because half of Li Shu’s blood came from him.

Li Shu stopped thinking about it. She turned over, letting sleepiness wash over her.

……

The next day.

Li Shu finished breakfast and slowly stepped out the door. Her backpack was empty; carrying it felt effortless.

She wasn’t late.

Entering the classroom, she returned to her seat.

It was just the start of the semester, and nobody around her seemed to be studying.

“Good morning, Li Shu,” Qiu Ning greeted, adjusting her large-frame glasses with a smile.

“Morning,” Li Shu replied.

No sooner had she sat down than a dark shape fell across her line of sight. She looked up at the figure blocking the light.

A little familiar.

It wasn’t until she saw the shock of yellow hair that she knew who it was.

Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered faintly, the slight baby fat on her face giving it a soft glow, lips naturally tinted red.

Jiang Yi felt nervous.

All the lines he had prepared seemed to vanish.

“G-good morning…” The young master stammered.

Some tension deep in his mind snapped, leaving him thinking only one thing: he was done for—he had fallen.

Li Shu furrowed her brows, silent.

She maintained courtesy for Qiu Ning, her desk mate, but toward the boy before her, she felt no need for pleasantries.

Jiang Yi had dated so many girls, yet he had never felt this kind of anxious tension.

Seeing no reaction from Li Shu, his mind went blank, frantically searching for a way to strike up conversation.

Several awkward seconds passed.

Then inspiration hit.

“Did you do the homework Old Man assigned yesterday?”

Qiu Ning, just reaching for her English book: ??

The two students in the front row immediately lost their words. The three of them exchanged glances.

Jiang Yi, a notorious rich playboy and idle scoundrel, had just uttered the word “homework”?
Even Li Shu was stunned.

“Old Man said you were hardworking. I don’t think he’s wrong. There are some things I don’t understand—teach me, will you?”

Qiu Ning: ?? The school bully’s world is truly unfathomable. Why pick Li Shu for help? Terrifying!

Li Shu also began to seriously doubt Jiang Yi’s sanity.

“You’re early today, Jiang Yi,” Wu Zexi said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“By the way, I heard that the girl from Class Five cried all night. You praised her as cute not long ago, yet you have no intention of… dating her?”

Jiang Yi fiercely covered Wu Zexi’s mouth, worried Li Shu might misunderstand.

“Date your grandpa!”

“You’re thinking dirty thoughts. Just because I said she’s cute doesn’t mean I want to date her. And if I think you’re cute… how about we ‘be together’ too?”

Wu Zexi clutched his chest: “N-no, thanks. Don’t gross me out in broad daylight.”

Jiang Yi exhaled, relieved.

He was about to continue trying to get closer to Li Shu under the guise of seeking guidance.

Unexpectedly, Li Shu turned to Qiu Ning with a puzzled expression:
“Was there any homework assigned yesterday?”

Jiang Yi: …
Qiu Ning: …

Chapter 8 – Blocked

Jiang Yi felt frustrated.

He returned to his seat, while a few boys around him, who looked up to him, laughed and started making noise.

“Jiang Shao is awesome!”

Wu Zexi beside him: “Hahaha, sorry, this joke… I can laugh at it for a whole year.”

Jiang Yi blackened his face, reached out, and pressed Wu Zexi’s head onto the desk.

“Stop laughing.”

It was just a little scuffle; Jiang Yi soon let go. He leaned back, crossed his legs arrogantly, and took out his phone to check the chat history.

Jiang Yi: [Yan ge, I’m so frustrated.]
Jiang Yi: [I suspect she is deliberately trying to attract my attention.]

After all, even this unstudious second-generation heir knew there was homework. How could Li Shu not know?

Jiang Yi quickly overthought it.

He sent another message:

Jiang Yi: [No, it’s obvious she doesn’t want to teach me.]

He sent three messages in a row, but still no reply.

Shen Yan had already woken up. Earlier, he even said he was going to buy breakfast.

She clearly didn’t want to reply. Maybe she even found him annoying.

Jiang Yi: Damn it, I’m used to this.

He looked at Li Shu. Qiu Ning was talking to her. The girl quietly listened, her long neck white and smooth like jade.

Jiang Yi hurriedly sent another message:

Jiang Yi: [Yan ge, I’ve made up my mind. I will definitely get her.]

Finally, a reply came.

Cold, indifferent, and short.

System: [This user has enabled friend verification. You are not their friend. Please send a friend request first.]

Jiang Yi: Just like that? She blocked me? Damn it!

——

During morning reading class, Qiu Ning seemed like she had been injected with adrenaline, reading aloud passionately:
"The foolish masses, carrying cloth and trading for silk; not exchanging silk for silk, but scheming against me when they arrive..."

Li Shu felt that her desk mate was studying with her life on the line.

Zheng Hong walked around the classroom and stopped next to Li Shu. He tapped the desk with his knuckles.

“Come to the office for a moment.”

Li Shu lazily followed.

The office was empty; no other teachers were present.

Zheng Hong closed the door behind Li Shu, drank a sip from his thermos of strong tea.

“The boarding application you submitted earlier—Principal has already contacted your father.”

Li Shu froze.

She looked up sharply at Zheng Hong.

“Your father doesn’t agree.”

Zheng Hong noticed her eyes losing their light. That last remaining sparkle faded with this sentence.

Many wealthy students chose not to board; it was normal that Li Maoguo refused. But for Li Shu, her home was cold and empty. Even staying one night felt suffocating.

She lowered her eyes, curling her fair fingers slightly.

Her soft, gentle voice, now with a faintly hesitant tone, said:
“Teacher, I really want to board.”

Every class meeting, her family’s housekeeper would come along; Zheng Hong already had a preliminary understanding of Li Shu’s home situation.

At this stage of senior year, boarding was ideal. At least the learning atmosphere would be stronger than at home.

Zheng Hong thought for a moment: “Alright, I’ll talk to your father again.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Zheng Hong had wanted to talk to her seriously about her studies, but seeing her low mood, he put it aside.

“Return to class first. I’ll help try to negotiate for you.”

Once Li Shu left, Zheng Hong picked up the overnight analysis of Li Shu’s middle school grades and problem-solving approach.

If Li Shu applied herself, in one year, she could catch up.

Zheng Hong thought: she needed to realize that it was time to start studying seriously.

Chapter 9: This Must Be a Top Student’s Self-Discipline

Just as she was thinking, the homeroom teacher of Experimental Class One walked in carrying a stack of textbooks.

The two made eye contact.

“Teacher Zheng, the new student in your class, Shen Yan, hasn’t reported yet, right?”

Zheng Hong knew Shen Yan had come to Class Seven, and he could imagine the Experimental Class homeroom teachers fuming; honestly, it felt pretty satisfying for him.

“Oh, Shen Yan? That kid caught a cold these past few days, so he asked for leave.”

“But it’s just a small cold. Are you telling me he won’t even attend the opening exams? You can’t let this slide.”

Zheng Hong remained calm and unfazed by the remark. “Teacher Hu, personally, I think whether Shen Yan participates or not, his ability is clear. Small matters like this are nothing compared to health. Don’t you agree?”

Shen Yan leisurely sipped his porridge.

The young man’s skin was pale and flawless, his features sharp. The collar of his white shirt was slightly open, and his light brown eyes carried a nonchalant air.

Where was the “not feeling well” that Zheng Hong mentioned?

He simply didn’t feel like taking the opening exam.

No sooner had he blocked a friend than the phone rang. Seeing the screen light up, he raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Yi : “What’s with the sudden block? Can’t you change that habit?”
Jiang Yi : “Yan-ge, are you jealous that I mentioned I like a girl, that I might be getting into a relationship, and that’s why you blocked me?”

Jiang Yi couldn’t think of any other explanation. After all, in all the years he’d known Shen Yan, he’d never seen him get close to a girl.

Shen Yan was amused.

He lazily replied, unconcerned: “I’m just sorry to see a fresh flower planted into a pile of manure.”

Jiang Yi: Burned.

“Enough about me. I just don’t get it—why leave Experimental Class and come to Class Seven?”

Shen Yan raised his eyelids and yawned. “Because I like it.”

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes. “Everyone else is pushing to get in there, and you go and run to Class Seven?”

Shen Yan smiled, drawing out his words: “Well, maybe this is what a top student’s self-discipline looks like.”

Damn, so cheeky.

Li Maoguo’s controlling tendencies were strong. He could ignore Shen Yan’s grades, but Shen Yan had to obey him completely.

He could be gone for ten days or half a month, indifferent to what Shu Xiao got up to, but Shen Yan was different.

Shen Yan had to be monitored under his watchful eye.

He had even transferred Shen Yan in the second year without her consent.

As for the dorm request, Shen Yan didn’t know how Zheng Hong would talk to Li Maoguo. Hearing that Li Maoguo disagreed, she had already lost hope.

Back at her seat, Qiu Ning continued to read aloud: “Three years old and a woman, toiling in the house. Rising early and going to bed late, without rest in the morning.”

What a loud voice.

Someone this diligent could easily make it into the top three in the class—any less would be an insult to her effort.

“Tomorrow’s the opening exam… so annoying.”

“Don’t talk to me, you’ll ruin my cheat sheet.”

“Come on, with your terrible grades, even cheat sheets won’t save you.”

“Hey, that hurts my pride!”

The girls in the front row spoke so quietly that, next to Qiu Ning’s loud voice, it was almost inaudible.

Shen Yan’s gaze fell to his black pen.

When the reading stopped, he heard Qiu Ning calling to the front row:

“Old man will proctor, so don’t get any ideas. If he catches you, you’re in trouble.”

Sure enough, the two immediately froze and, almost simultaneously, turned their heads.

“Seriously?”
“Man, that’s unlucky. When the old man proctors, he might as well use a microscope—his eyes scan like laser beams. Who dares to cheat?”

Shen Yan perked up a little, his fingertips slightly curling.

After all, on exam day, he planned to sleep.

Chapter 10: Trying to Woo Our Class Girl

Li Shu’s lunch was usually the boxed meal delivered by the family driver. Because the driver was on leave, she had the rare chance to go to the cafeteria.

Compared to home, the taste was far from good, but for Li Shu, it was very novel.

She had been lying on her desk in a daze all morning. About five minutes before the fourth period ended, there was the rustling of paper in the class.

Li Shu lazily glanced at her watch.

Hmm, just waiting for the bell to ring.

At that moment, a slip of paper was handed to her.

Li Shu was puzzled. She glanced at Qiu Ning, who was sitting properly and paying attention in class, then took the paper and looked at it.

[Li Shu, let’s have lunch together! 🙂] A big smiley face was drawn at the end.

It was her first time being asked to lunch, and Li Shu felt oddly embarrassed.

So, even top students slack off and pass notes in class?

Qiu Ning’s notebook was full of neat, dense notes. Li Shu looked at herself again.

She hadn’t even flipped the pages of her textbook.

She didn’t even know where they were in the lesson.

Opening the table of contents, Li Shu picked up a black pen from the pencil holder and wrote her name in flourishing strokes.

When the bell rang, the teacher stopped the class, casually tossed the chalk, which landed steadily in the chalk box.

“Class dismissed.”

At these words, the students perked up and dashed toward the cafeteria.

Teacher: …A bunch of little rabbits. If only they were this serious in class.

Qiu Ning pushed up her thick glasses, starry-eyed, looking at Li Shu.

Li Shu curved her fingertips slightly and said in a soft voice, “Let’s go.”

Yesterday, Li Shu had gone to the cafeteria late, deliberately ten minutes after peak time, so there was no need to queue.

Today, she struggled to keep up behind Qiu Ning, and halfway there, Qiu Ning, seeing her lagging, grabbed her and ran.

Qiu Ning: “If you’re not proactive about eating, there’s something wrong with your thinking.”

“Back in high one and two, we went earlier. Going late means no food left.”

Once they entered the cafeteria, it was bustling with noise.

They estimated there were over twenty people ahead of them, and Li Shu panted softly.

The weather was already hot, and all the running had left her sweaty and sticky.

“Li Shu, before, I ate with Ya Xian, but now she’s with her new deskmate. The girls in the front desk, Tang Wan and Meng Yi, rarely eat in the cafeteria. If you eat here, we can eat together from now on.”

Li Shu moved slowly, unable to refuse such enthusiasm: “Okay.”

No sooner had she agreed than someone appeared beside her.

A boy, taller than her by about two heads, in sportswear, holding a basketball. Thick eyebrows, big eyes, wheat-colored skin, looking energetic.

He scratched his head, a little shy, a faint pink at the roots of his ears.

“Li Shu, I’ve been paying attention to you for a long time. Did you see the thing I left in your drawer yesterday?”

Li Shu remembered. She had thrown away a love letter yesterday.

The student cafeteria was separate from the teacher cafeteria. Jiang Zhe was already the famous captain of Funan’s basketball team; wherever he went, he was the center of attention.

Immediately, whistles rang throughout the cafeteria.

Onlookers started to hoot and make noise.

Li Shu quickly became the focus of attention.

“Whoa, Jiang Zhe and Li Shu? This guy is showing off. Trying to woo our class girl.”

Jiang Yi had always gone off-campus to eat anyway; the security wouldn’t dare stop him. Today, he came to the cafeteria for the first time, and Wu Zexi beside him said this.

Originally, hearing Li Shu’s name made Jiang Yi happy, but now…

Sorry, couldn’t feel happy.

He hadn’t even confessed yet—where did this guy come from?

Go cool down somewhere else.

Trying to woo our class girl, without even asking the men of Class Seven!

Wu Zexi was about to say more, but Jiang Yi strode toward Li Shu with a fierce look.

Directly toward Jiang Zhe.

Jiang Yi wiped his tears: “Who knew, I’m always making a wedding dress for this guy, Shen Yan.”