Chapter 31: This Problem Actually… Isn’t That Hard
Not long ago, when doing Olympiad math, he had come across a similar problem. Back then, it had taken him quite some effort to solve.
So, this time, he wrote with ease.
His problem-solving approach was concise and clear.
His handwriting was messy yet powerful—very pleasing to the eye.
The rustling sound of the pen tip sliding across the paper soon had Zheng Hong’s spirits lifted.
He craned his neck to look. Watching Shen Yan effortlessly finish the problem and arrive at the correct answer, he simply couldn’t suppress his smile.
Wang Yu was impressive, yes! But our Shen Yan solved it with one question and already outshone him.
— The experimental class’s top students couldn’t possibly be weak. Especially Wang Yu, who always firmly took first place.
Zheng Hong almost wanted to grab a loudspeaker and shout: Our regular class isn’t weak either!
For such a problem to be solved in so little time, the experimental class teachers only exchanged a few smiles with each other.
Fine. Shen Yan must not have solved it. Normal enough.
Zheng Hong cleared his throat, eyebrows dancing with delight:
“Your line of thought is even clearer than mine. This problem involves several concepts from university-level advanced calculus. I hadn’t even planned to teach it. I’ll keep your paper—later I’ll let students who are interested in research have a look.”
The experimental class homeroom teachers: !!!
Zheng Hong let his gaze drift over:
“Wang Yu understands it now, right? He can also take a look at Shen Yan’s solution method.”
The experimental class math teacher stepped forward, glanced incredulously at the sheet in Zheng Hong’s hands.
And fell silent.
Bitter regret!
Why did Shen Yan go to a regular class!!!
What could he possibly learn there!!
!!!
Zheng Hong: “Shen Yan, you’ve really surprised me.”
Shen Yan lowered his gaze with a faint smile, his long, narrow phoenix eyes slightly raised:
“This problem actually…”
He paused, speaking unhurriedly:
“…isn’t that hard.”
—
Li Shu drooped as she carried the bag of snacks. The long break gave her plenty of time, and halfway she stopped under a patch of shade to drink a few sips of yogurt, rested briefly, then continued toward the senior year building.
Climbing up to the second-floor landing, just as she passed the office, she ran headlong into Jiang Zhe, who had come to find the homeroom teacher.
Jiang Zhe immediately forgot he had business in the office.
With Jiang Yi’s warning still lingering, at this moment he hesitated.
He truly liked Li Shu. Pale and petite, when she smiled, it was as if her whole being glowed with light.
But unfortunately, she rarely smiled.
Li Shu slowly walked past him.
Jiang Zhe quickly called out:
“Li Shu.”
Li Shu turned her head to look at him.
Jiang Zhe’s palms were sweating:
“Do you like Jiang Yi?”
Li Shu narrowed her eyes, finding his face familiar but unable to place him. Though this was a private matter, she didn’t want to become the subject of gossip.
Seriously: “I don’t.”
She had nothing to do with Jiang Yi.
Jiang Zhe’s eyes lit up instantly, like spotlights.
So Jiang Yi was in unrequited love?
Then what right did he have to demand Jiang Zhe keep his distance from Li Shu?
They were both pursuers—why not compete fairly?
Jiang Zhe gave a shy smile, feeling alive again.
“Li Shu, you’re right not to consider Jiang Yi.”
Li Shu didn’t reply, her hand tired from carrying the bag.
Jiang Zhe: time to show off.
“It’s heavy, isn’t it? I’ll carry it for you. You like yogurt too? I drink it every day. With this scorching sun, and the school store being so far, next time I’ll bring some for you when I buy mine.”
Seeing him reach out, Li Shu—unaccustomed to others getting close—instinctively stepped back.
In her fluster, she bumped into someone coming out of the office—Shen Yan.
Shen Yan’s face was full of impatience, brows tightly furrowed.
Li Shu gave a startled cry.
Unintentionally, her voice came out soft and delicate.
She looked up, locking eyes with Shen Yan’s annoyed gaze.
“Li Shu, are you okay?” Jiang Zhe stepped forward, wanting to steady her. But with the office right beside them, he didn’t dare move too much.
Hearing the voice, Shen Yan glanced over.
Then, his gaze lingered meaningfully on the two of them.
And then, he laughed.
“Shorty, you’re already in puppy love?”
Chapter 32: Seems Like… Cucking You
That form of address…
Li Shu finally matched Shen Yan with that “Three-Good Student” who had eaten her pancake.
！！！
Li Shu quickly stepped back, pulling distance between them.
“Jiang Zhe, come in quickly. The teacher wants to discuss the basketball team with you.”
Shen Yan’s looks gave Jiang Zhe a sense of crisis. He hadn’t had time to say anything before the homeroom teacher, sharp-eyed, spotted him loitering outside and urged him in.
Jiang Zhe, helpless, looked at Li Shu with words on the tip of his tongue, but could only go into the office first.
Li Shu, meanwhile, slowly carried her bag toward Class Seven.
Suddenly, her hand lightened.
The snack bag was hooked away easily. Shen Yan gave it a glance—it was all sweets, just the yogurt alone had five or six bottles.
Li Shu: ！！！
Protecting her food, Li Shu glared at him in alarm.
Her baby-fat cheeks puffed up angrily.
“Give it back to me.”
Leaning against the wall, Shen Yan’s tone carried a bit of a rogue edge:
“Need me to remind you? You just staged a bump-and-claim.”
Then he paused, and asked again:
“On purpose?”
So, because she lightly bumped into him, she had to hand over snacks as compensation?
Li Shu drew in a deep breath.
Forget it. She couldn’t be bothered to argue with this kind of person.
She didn’t want to cause a scene.
Expression blank, Li Shu said:
“Then you must be really frail and delicate.”
Shen Yan raised his brows, not at all embarrassed, and drawled leisurely:
“Yes, indeed.”
Li Shu turned on her heel and left.
Watching her back, Shen Yan couldn’t help but lower his head and chuckle.
If it weren’t for eating that pancake of hers, feeling a little guilty, he wouldn’t have bothered helping. He hadn’t expected her to actually believe his nonsense.
Not only believe it, but also get angry. Though soon enough, that anger had been smoothed over by her.
As soon as Shen Yan entered the classroom, Jiang Yi barreled into him with open arms.
“Yan-ge, is this for me? Damn, dad! You even thought of buying me food when you just went to the office!”
Shen Yan shoved him away.
With his tall frame, he walked past his own seat and headed for the front rows.
Jiang Yi was dumbfounded. He nudged Wu Zexi beside him.
“What’s Yan-ge doing?”
Wu Zexi saw Shen Yan stop lazily at Li Shu’s desk, his brow twitching, tone meaningful:
“Seems like he’s… cucking you.”
All eyes in the class gathered at that spot as Shen Yan set the snack bag on Li Shu’s desk, then turned and went back to his seat.
Jiang Yi: “The hell, the hell, the hell.”
Wu Zexi quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, dragging him toward the corridor.
Once outside, Wu Zexi let go:
“Alright, since you and Li Shu were never going to work out, calling it ‘getting cucked’ is too much.”
Jiang Yi: “You’re saying I don’t even qualify to be cucked?!”
Wu Zexi: “Exactly.”
Jiang Yi felt miserable, like he’d fallen out of favor again:
“So that bag of snacks wasn’t bought for me—it was to court a girl.”
Wu Zexi spoke earnestly:
“Yan-ge has never done something like this before. This time he even went and bought snacks, then gave them away. Jiang Yi, I think as brothers we should…”
He paused.
“…since you can’t win Li Shu anyway, why don’t we help Shen Yan, give them a push?”
Jiang Yi gave him a punch in the stomach, not daring to use full force.
“Are you sick, or am I sick?”
If he couldn’t have her, why should he help his brother get her?
Li Shu didn’t even look twice at his “interesting soul,” so how could she fall for Shen Yan’s good looks?
Don’t treat Li Shu as some shallow girl.
Just as Jiang Yi was about to speak, he saw Li Shu holding a bottle of yogurt, walking over to Shen Yan’s desk to hand it to him.
Although Shen Yan had only helped her carry the bag for a short distance, Li Shu didn’t like owing favors.
She didn’t like that feeling. And besides, she had just glared at Shen Yan at the doorway, wrongfully blaming him.
Luckily, she had bought plenty of yogurt.
Jiang Yi: ???
Pierced right through the heart.
Wu Zexi nudged him:
“You really won’t help?”
Jiang Yi ground his teeth:
“Fine! I’ll help!”
Chapter 33: Shen Yan… Didn’t Drink It, Right?
Li Shu placed the yogurt on Shen Yan’s desk, left without a word, and turned back to her own seat.
She calmly divided the rest of the yogurts among Qiu Ning and the others.
Meng Yichu didn’t refuse with excuses—she had always been casual. After receiving the yogurt from Li Shu, she shifted her chair closer to the back row.
“Aw aw aw, Shen Yan bought you snacks? When did you two start locking eyes?”
As she turned her head, she slipped a few candies into Li Shu’s hand.
Tang Wan glanced back, her gaze finally falling on the boy in the back row—white shirt, clean, brows and eyes full of indifference.
He looked at that bottle of yogurt on his desk, frowning, as if it were a tricky problem.
Tang Wan laughed, just about to tease.
But Li Shu frowned and cut off their rising commotion.
“I bought it.”
——
After agreeing with Wu Zexi on their plan, Jiang Yi still remained in a daze.
He was dragged back in by Wu Zexi, but his eyes stayed fixed on that bottle of yogurt on Shen Yan’s desk—mourning the love that had ended before it even began.
His gaze was scorching, impossible to ignore.
Shen Yan raised his brows slightly, lazily spinning a black pen in his fingers, unconcerned:
“If you want to drink it, just take it.”
Jiang Yi felt insulted.
He drew in a deep breath:
“Yan-ge, don’t worry. I’ll always put you first. Nothing can block our deep brotherhood.”
Shen Yan lifted his eyelids, narrow phoenix eyes curving with a smile:
“Wasn’t it deep father-son love?”
Saying this, his slender fingers hooked around the yogurt:
“Really not drinking?”
“Not drinking!”
“Fine then, I’ll drink it.”
Shen Yan yawned, drowsily starting to twist open the cap. But he noticed something off.
The cap was loose—it had already been opened.
Someone had drunk from the yogurt.
Who drank it?
Shen Yan, lazy and half-slouched, lifted his eyes, looking toward the girl in the front row slumped over her desk. Her back radiated a thick aura of “life is meaningless.” He twisted the cap back on and silently set it down again.
Just then, the bell rang.
Because of Shen Yan’s matter, Zheng Hong entered the room in a rather good mood.
He had reviewed all the subject scores in the class. He knew clearly who had improved and who had regressed.
Zheng Hong set the test papers on the podium.
“Qiu Ning, as class study rep, your effort is something the teacher sees every day. But your results are always at the bottom. Clearly you haven’t found the right way in. Come to the office later to talk.”
“Meng Yichu, nearly passing this time. Keep working hard.”
“Liu Dafei, your drawing skills are not bad, huh? Left half the math test blank, then drew three pigs. Were you cursing the grading teacher, or mocking yourself?”
Liu Dafei, disappointed his humor wasn’t understood:
“Teacher, it’s the story of the Three Little Pigs building houses. Haven’t you heard it?”
Zheng Hong: …You really are talented.
To stop himself from getting angry, Zheng Hong ignored that row of second-generation brats led by Jiang Yi. His gaze shifted and landed on Li Shu—half-asleep, sucking on candy.
“Li Shu.”
Li Shu perked up, her pale little face perfectly obedient:
“Here.”
Zheng Hong instantly couldn’t bear to scold her.
Six points.
He held back the urge to reprimand.
Forget it. At least it wasn’t a blank paper this time, wasn’t it?
Thinking this, he smiled warmly, offering encouragement:
“Li Shu, each test you improve a little. The teacher believes in you.”
Li Shu: …
She didn’t reply, but lifted the yogurt to drink a few sips to calm her nerves. That was when she realized—the yogurt she had drunk from earlier still wasn’t unsealed.
Qiu Ning and the others had all drunk theirs without issue.
So then…
She froze.
Her light-colored eyes widened like a glassy cat’s, round and bright. Her fingers holding the bottle turned white.
Shen Yan… didn’t drink it, right?
Chapter 34: Gege Is Different Toward You Too
It was finally hard enough to make it to the end of class. Li Shu was listless, not knowing whether she should play dumb or switch back the yogurt.
After a round of inner debate, she gathered her courage and stood up.
Jiang Yi saw Li Shu walking this way. He was not happy at all, because Li Shu wasn’t looking for him.
!!!
Jiang Yi’s face turned black. He glanced sideways at Shen Yan, who was fully absorbed in his game, his rank even higher than Jiang Yi’s.
He thought about it, then cursed under his breath and pretended to be blind.
Please allow today’s heartbroken Xiao Jiang to give up on stabbing his brother twice for love’s sake.
Li Shu noticed Shen Yan hadn’t paid her any attention. Her hand gripping the yogurt bottle tightened.
An idea formed in her heart.
She carefully kept watch on Shen Yan. The boy sat unmoving, head lowered, fingers swiftly playing his mobile game. His long curled eyelashes trembled slightly, wrapping his look in indifference.
He hadn’t noticed her.
The boy’s skin was pale and cool, his features distinct, his face exquisite.
Li Shu acted quickly, switching the yogurt.
Everything settled. The corners of her soft pale face curved slightly upward, her whole body relaxed. She turned, just about to walk away.
Behind her came the sound from the game—“Victory.”
He won.
Li Shu’s body froze. She was about to hurry back.
But very soon, someone grabbed her collar from behind.
Shen Yan casually tossed his phone into the desk compartment, then easily dragged her back by the collar.
He raised a brow and stood up. Li Shu, on tiptoes, could barely reach his chest. No wonder “shorty, shorty” rolled so easily off his tongue.
He glanced leisurely at the yogurt in her arms, smiling with unclear meaning:
“Sneaky, what are you up to?”
Li Shu pressed her lips together and didn’t speak.
Shen Yan released her slowly. Leaning back against the desk, his long legs bent slightly, his voice low:
“Deliberately give me the yogurt you drank from?”
Li Shu’s face flushed at those words.
“I didn’t. I just…”
She was about to explain—but that depended on whether Shen Yan wanted to listen.
Very soon, she was interrupted. The boy picked up the bottle on the desk—the one she had switched—and spoke slowly, stretching out his tone:
“Didn’t see me take the bait, so you planned to destroy the evidence?”
Li Shu: …
Even Jiang Yi, pretending to be dead, couldn’t stand it anymore.
Damn, so [zao] cheap.
He was about to speak up to help Li Shu out of it. But then he remembered what he had just promised Wu Zexi—“good.” Like a balloon with its air let out, he deflated instantly, unable to bounce again.
Through these exchanges, Li Shu had come to form a rough understanding of Shen Yan.
Good grades, but with Jiang Yi as his follower—he probably wasn’t someone easy to mess with.
His natural air of superiority wasn’t annoying. Thinking of how Shen Yan had helped carry her bag and eaten her pancake, he was even a bit grounded.
But one point, the most important—
His mouth was cheap!!!
So cheap!!!
If his eyes hadn’t carried no offense, only pure shameless teasing, Li Shu might have really gotten angry.
Expressionless, she met Shen Yan’s narrow phoenix eyes.
“Mm, destroy the evidence.”
Shen Yan’s smile paused.
Seeing this, Li Shu instead smiled:
“I took it away, you’re unhappy? Or is it that you just like the one in my hand?”
Shen Yan gave a short laugh, no longer making things hard for her.
Li Shu, under the gaze of dozens of watching eyes, listlessly returned to her seat.
Wu Zexi, witnessing all of this, for once felt surprised.
He leaned in, raising his brows with a knowing look:
“Yan-ge, you treat this Li Shu differently.”
Shen Yan lifted his eyelids, lazily sweeping him a glance, voice drawn out in mockery:
“Gege treats you differently too.”
Wu Zexi: “Damn, lucky it’s your face saying that. If Jiang Yi said it, I’d be disgusted to death.”
Jiang Yi: I f***ing feel offended.
Chapter 35: If the Upper Beam Is Not Straight, the Lower Beam Will Be Crooked
Li Shu was vexed.
For the next few classes, she lay on her desk without moving at all.
The weather was hot and stuffy, even breathing in the air made her chest feel tight. The school cafeteria had air conditioning, but its cooling effect wasn’t very good.
Qiu Ning, rarely ever complaining in class, spoke up:
“They’ve been saying it’d get fixed for ages. The hotter it gets, who can stand this?”
Meng Yichu and Tang Wan seldom went to the cafeteria for exactly this reason.
Meng Yichu turned her head:
“Order delivery. The back corner of the school wall is broken, it’s convenient to have food sent in.”
Qiu Ning was tempted. She looked toward Li Shu.
Li Shu thought for a moment, unlocked her phone with a fingerprint, and ordered a spicy crab pot.
Taking the delivery was easy. Under Meng Yichu’s guidance, the few of them covered it with jackets and carried it back to the dorm.
Meng Yichu was always well-informed. While slurping noodles, she scrolled the school forum. Suddenly, with a plop, her chopsticks slipped from her hand to the floor.
“Holy crap.”
“Li Shu, do you know how the gossip’s spread now?”
She stared at the content on her phone.
— Donor-family second-generation rich kid vs. specially cultivated transfer student. The yogurt engagement you can’t not talk about.
— I’ve lived this long and never seen yogurt used to seal a relationship. Wait for me!!! I’m going to wholesale a box right now!
— Identifying the scumbag above. Casting a wide net.
— Ahhhh I’m dead! The transfer student smiled dotingly and asked the rich kid, was it on purpose, ahhhh, isn’t this an indirect kiss?
???
Meng Yichu was just about to show Li Shu the post, but the next second, the page refreshed and the thread was deleted.
She was dumbfounded:
“What the hell, who did that?”
From Meng Yichu’s words, Li Shu already understood the general idea. Thinking of Jiang Zhe, then thinking of Shen Yan, her mood grew heavier. Even the delicious crab pot no longer stirred her appetite.
At that moment, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Li Shu slowly took it out.
When she saw the flashing contact on the screen, her gaze paused slightly.
Li Maoguo was calling her?
Those clean peach-blossom eyes flickered with a fleeting trace of mockery.
She stayed silent and stepped onto the balcony.
Then she answered.
On the other end came an anxious, furious voice, scolding:
“I heard you stayed overnight. Li Shu, you’re only in your third year of high school. I don’t care what your grades are, that’s up to you. But you absolutely cannot fall in love early at school.”
“Shameful, disgraceful.”
“If word gets out, how do I face people? Have I treated you too well, to let you become this indulgent?”
“I’m warning you to cut off these petty thoughts that can’t see the light of day.”
Each sentence louder than the last.
But Li Shu’s eyes remained just as dark as before.
She patiently waited until the scolding tired itself out. Only then did she laugh lightly, unconcerned.
“Is what you can’t accept really early romance, Dad?”
What he really didn’t want was for her to have even the slightest stain—at least in matters of emotion.
That way, when the time came for a marriage alliance, she could be sold for a better price.
Li Shu let out a faint sigh. His messy affairs with all those women outside—weren’t those enough to make people laugh their heads off?
On what grounds did Li Maoguo have to lecture her?
Li Maoguo:
“Of course. Li Shu, don’t forget, if I allowed you to live at school, I can also make you commute from home.”
“This ends here. If I ever find out you’re getting close to boys again, then there’s no need to go back to school. Learning flower arrangement and etiquette at home is good enough.”
Li Shu’s mocking smile froze.
Her fingertips turned slightly white.
She looked up at a few cotton-like clouds drifting in the sky, a stinging feeling gathering at the corners of her eyes.
She knew exactly what Li Maoguo cared about—just as well as she knew how to shut his mouth.
Her voice was soft:
“That’s true. If it spreads, it doesn’t sound good. After all, if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.”
Very quickly, the other end fell silent.
Chapter 36: Forgetting the Pain Once the Scar Heals
“Doo-doo-doo”—the phone buzzed with a busy tone. Li Maoguo had unilaterally hung up.
Li Shu stood on the balcony for a full minute, calming her emotions before slowly returning to the dorm.
She sat down again and continued eating the spicy crab pot. She didn’t take Li Maoguo’s words to heart, nor did she care about what happened on the forum.
Whoever made the post, whoever smeared her—she couldn’t even be bothered to think about it.
After lunch break ended, Qiu Ning dragged Li Shu to the campus shop.
“I need to buy a pack of black pen refills, and I’ve also run out of clear tape.”
The shop was crowded, so Li Shu didn’t go inside. She simply waited outside under the shade of the trees. Listlessly, she stared down at her little white shoes, not even wanting to lift her head.
Soon, she noticed a gaze fixed on her, glued to her like a shadow.
Listlessly, Li Shu looked up. She thought for several seconds before matching the face to the name.
It was An Qi—the same one who last time had tried to sic those little delinquent girls on her.
The hatred in An Qi’s eyes couldn’t be hidden, staring straight at her like a resentful ghost chained to her soul.
Li Shu narrowed her eyes and noticed a small bruise at the corner of An Qi’s mouth. She must’ve been beaten. Quickly, Li Shu looked away again, waiting for Qiu Ning to finish paying.
As for An Qi’s injury, Li Shu felt no guilt. After all, if she hadn’t fought back, the one bearing the mark would have been her.
If An Qi could’ve just behaved herself instead of playing at these so-called clever little tricks, things wouldn’t have come to this.
She didn’t want to tangle with her—but that didn’t mean the other side would let it go.
An Qi walked over, staring coldly at Li Shu.
“You’ve got some tricks, huh? Dazzling Jiang Zhe and Jiang Yi until they’re dizzy, and now you’ve turned to hooking up with Shen Yan. Li Shu, aren’t you cheap?”
Li Shu was too hot to bother talking.
An Qi’s chest heaved with anger. She still remembered clearly how Su Su, the little delinquent, had pressed a lit cigarette against her face.
“Jiang Yi and Su Su have an arranged engagement. Even if he likes you, it’s useless.”
Li Shu responded with a careless, “Oh.”
“Jiang Zhe only likes you on a whim.”
“Oh.”
“As for Shen Yan—you’d better not even think about it. His family, his grades—those are things you’ll never reach in your whole life.”
Li Shu slanted a glance at her: “Oh.”
An Qi had prepared a whole arsenal of words, but now it felt like punching into cotton, none of it landing.
Instantly, she was furious. Looking down at Li Shu, her tall figure did carry some air of arrogance.
For no reason, Li Shu’s ears rang with a light, floating voice: “Little shorty.”
Li Shu frowned.
Her fair little face instantly clouded with displeasure.
“An Qi,” she said softly.
“What?”
“Does your mouth still hurt?”
If it hadn’t been brought up, it would’ve been fine. But once it was mentioned, An Qi bristled immediately.
“None of your damn business.”
Li Shu smiled, her gaze cold as water, each word falling slow and heavy:
“I’m just worried you’ve already forgotten the pain once the scar healed.”
She glanced toward the shop. Qiu Ning was already at the register.
Li Shu wiped the fine sweat off her forehead.
“Jiang Zhe keeps dodging your endless chasing. Maybe take a good look at yourself instead of picking fights and bringing bad luck my way.”
An Qi hadn’t expected that someone who looked so easy to bully could speak words sharp enough to make her hands shake with anger.
“Li Shu, don’t think just because you’ve got a bit of filthy money, you can—”
She hadn’t even finished when Li Shu cut her off.
“An Qi, don’t stand here yelling at me.”
“And why not? What business is it of yours if I want to talk?”
Li Shu gave another small smile, her voice soft and sticky-sweet. Her eyes swept up and down An Qi once:
“Because the ground you’re standing on right now—was paid for with the Li family’s money.”
Chapter 37: Don’t Get Bullied Till Crying
At the corner of the corridor, their conversation could be faintly heard.
Jiang Yi, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, said in disbelief:
“Damn, I thought Li Shu was going to get walked all over.”
Shen Yan leaned against the wall, eyes closed as if dozing. Li Shu’s reaction didn’t surprise him. After all, even a little milk kitten will bare its claws when pushed.
Li Shu, as though nothing had happened, tucked her stray hair behind her ear and walked away with Qiu Ning, leaving An Qi trembling all over in anger.
Wu Zexi: “That An Qi really has a thick face.”
Jiang Yi: “A jumping clown, hahahahaha.”
Liu Dafei hesitated, stammering:
“Dad, how can you still be laughing?”
If Li Shu had been a soft persimmon, maybe when Su Su came knocking she’d have been bullied badly.
Liu Dafei, honest as always, said:
“Dad, besides Jiang Zhe being at fault, half the blame’s on you too.”
At this, Shen Yan’s lips curved with a faint smile, his voice lazy yet clear as falling jade beads.
Liu Dafei lamented, pained:
“Dad, it’s one thing for you to mess with girls, but why do you have to keep causing Grandpa trouble too?”
Shen Yan’s smile froze.
He really didn’t want this stupid grandson.
He stubbed out his cigarette and casually tossed it into the trash, turning instead to the most reliable one—Wu Zexi.
“How’s the forum matter handled?”
“The post’s already blacked.”
Wu Zexi leaned closer, lowering his voice:
“But, Brother Yan, wasn’t that a great chance to make a public claim? With that heat, it could’ve spread across every corner of the school, no blind spots.”
Shen Yan didn’t care, giving only a light scoff.
“I’m not too worried about myself. What matters is making sure that good little girl doesn’t get bullied until she cries.”
——
The next day was Friday. That evening, Li Maoguo sent a message saying he’d have the driver pick her up, ordering her to come home. His tone was cold, leaving no room for refusal. He must be sulking.
What he was really feeling, Li Shu didn’t care. Just as she didn’t care whether Li Maoguo had other children outside who might one day fight her for the inheritance.
The New Year money and every bit of savings she had kept over the years were all stored in her bank card—for emergencies.
With Li Maoguo’s hypocrisy and Shu Xiao’s indifference, she had no choice but to make her own secret plans for herself.
Li Shu felt weak and listless, not wanting to go home at all. The mood made her wilt through the whole afternoon, to the point where she didn’t even want to attend evening study.
Zheng Hong, seeing her sulky, didn’t make things hard for her. But before agreeing, he lifted his teacup and said:
“Li Shu, a few days ago at a meeting, the school gave me two spots for key cultivation students.”
Normally, even having one such spot for an ordinary class was difficult.
After all, the students chosen were candidates for top-tier universities.
For a regular class, getting even one was already very rare.
Now, with Shen Yan’s arrival, the school mentioning two spots made sense. But Li Shu couldn’t understand—why was Zheng Hong telling her this?
She lowered her eyes to stare at her little white shoes.
Zheng Hong smiled:
“But this time, I managed to get three spots.”
Li Shu froze. The wild, distant thought she had always locked away suddenly broke free of its cage.
She snapped her head up to look at Zheng Hong.
Zheng Hong said:
“That’s right. One is reserved for you.”
Li Shu: ??? She blanked for a full five seconds.
As his words fell, the other teachers nearby were all stunned into stopping whatever they were doing.
Li Shu’s lips moved with difficulty, tactfully reminding him:
“Teacher, I think maybe your view and understanding of me are leaning a bit too much toward… romanticism.”
Please, look at reality!
She was nothing more than a lowly bottom-ranker in the grade.
But Zheng Hong stood firm, patting her shoulder:
“Don’t doubt yourself. I’m telling you this because I want you to turn pressure into motivation.”
Li Shu: …
No, you’re wrong. Right now, the pressure has turned straight into fright.
Chapter 38: Malicious Intent
Back at the dorm, Li Shu showered, then climbed up to her top bunk, feeling fresh and clean.
She lay there scrolling on her phone—only to suddenly be pulled into a group chat by Meng Yichu.
—[This group is set to yellow, already reported]
The group name was pretty wild.
Including her, there were only four people. Meng Yichu and Tang Wan were chatting heatedly.
Meng Yichu: [Li Shu, why’d you go back? I bought a bag of sunflower seeds, can’t finish them.]
Tang Wan: [I believe in you, you can do it.]
Tang Wan: [Li Shu, pity you went back, you missed a big show.]
Li Shu slowly typed a question mark and sent it.
Meng Yichu: [The Dean of Students did a surprise check at the little grove on campus. Caught a few couples late at night. Oww, he’s raging right now, calling parents.]
Pretty exciting.
After all, early romance was strictly cracked down on.
Even Qiu Ning, usually buried in practice questions at night, popped up.
Qiu Ning: [Li Shu, An Qi and Jiang Zhe got caught too. That An Qi is really sick. She tricked him into the grove, then started stripping. When the Dean got there, heard their clothes were all messy.]
Qiu Ning: [And she kept pressing herself against Jiang Zhe. The Dean’s face went dark as coal. I think this time the school might expel them.]
Had An Qi been provoked so much she’d gone extreme?
If she couldn’t get him, she’d force it? And if forcing didn’t work, then drag him down with her?
An Qi’s family in A City had some small standing, but Jiang Zhe was different—he was in the honors class and also a special recruit for sports. His family background was average.
With a scandal like this, An Qi might just transfer schools to dodge rumors—the An family could manage that. But Jiang Zhe couldn’t.
Who knew how the story would spread later?
Li Shu casually replied with a few words.
Then she called her grandmother, softly asking about her health.
By the time evening self-study ended, Li Shu finally heard the follow-up from Meng Yichu.
“Damn, Li Shu, you don’t know. At the Dean’s office, An Qi’s mom caused a huge scene, insisting it was Jiang Zhe’s bad intentions—that he confused her daughter and even laid hands on her.”
Turning black into white, white into black. After all, a daughter of the An family, at such a young age, if word spread that she’d been shameless—it’d be humiliating for them.
The grove had no cameras, so there was no evidence. And when the Dean arrived, what he saw was two people clinging together.
“Jiang Zhe has no interest in her, the whole school knows. If he did, they’d have been together already, and it wouldn’t have turned into this.”
Qiu Ning: “Exactly, exactly! Jiang Zhe even confessed to Li Shu not long ago. He’s not blind.”
Tang Wan was more rational, analyzing: “But in these things, no matter who’s right, the one who suffers is always the girl. Even if we know the truth, the An family can still push public opinion to one side if they want.”
Only that way could the An family minimize their loss.
Li Shu quietly listened while Meng Yichu fumed:
“Fu Nan’s best resources are all in the honors class. Jiang Zhe had sports bonuses, his path was smooth. But the Jiang family can’t fight the Ans. Isn’t this just bullying?”
The incident spread across the whole school, impossible to contain. The Dean had wanted to settle it privately, fearing it’d affect their college entrance exams. Originally, it was nearly resolved, but An Qi—like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—insisted Jiang Zhe take responsibility. The whole thing blew up, everyone knew.
Even word got out beyond the school.
When An Qi’s mom heard, she slapped her daughter hard the moment she arrived. Only then did An Qi finally shut up, too scared to say another word.
Li Shu fell silent. She feared the An family wouldn’t let go, trying to build up a façade of being the victim.
The worst-case scenario wouldn’t be Jiang Zhe simply being pressured to withdraw.
It would be the Ans accusing him of attempted assault.
If that happened—his whole life would be ruined.
Chapter 39: I’m Going to Cuckold Myself (Part 1)
Sure enough, the An family didn’t let things die down. The next day, neither An Qi nor Jiang Zhe came to class.
Just as Li Shu had guessed, the matter spread in a small circle, then at lightning speed caused a stir across A City.
All the blame rained down like a torrential storm on Jiang Zhe. His parents could only swallow their words and beg for mercy.
“This matter, even if our Jiang Zhe was at fault, he’s still just a half-grown child. Let’s resolve it privately. If he’s forced to drop out, his future is finished.”
Mrs. An sat there in an elegant qipao, her posture graceful:
“Your son is already eighteen. He does something worse than a beast to my daughter, and you want to tell me he’s just a half-grown child?”
Jiang Zhe’s parents were shocked. This was turning black into white.
They knew their son’s character better than anyone. He would never do anything so disgraceful. But now, with trouble here, these high-ranking families wanted to make a scapegoat out of their small household?
“What do you want, then?”
Mrs. An smiled faintly. The jade earrings hanging from her ears sparkled.
“It’s not what I want—it’s that you need to accept your fate.”
Saying that, she signaled the butler to see them out. But just then, a girl came rushing down the stairs.
An Qi’s eyes were swollen red, her hair messy and uncombed.
“Mom, I already said it was my fault!”
“Shut up!”
“We clearly had a way to resolve this. Why force people to a dead end?”
Mrs. An sneered: “A way? Then tell me—what way?”
An Qi clenched her hands, her heart pounding wildly, throwing her nerves into chaos.
“Let me get engaged to Jiang Zhe.”
—
“I swear, did you hear? Jiang Zhe and An Qi got engaged. And me, same age, haven’t even held a guy’s hand yet. Is it just that I don’t deserve it?”
Meng Yichu felt like this year’s gossip was too big to swallow.
Tang Wan found her noisy and shoved a potato chip into her mouth.
“Engaged is engaged. At least it gives some explanation. That grove incident can be swept under the rug. He probably won’t get expelled now—at worst, a severe warning.”
Qiu Ning froze mid-note with her pen, baffled:
“Why would Mrs. An agree to an engagement?”
The Ans weren’t some small household. Families like that always married strong to strong, consolidating status.
But Li Shu said softly:
“Mrs. An is a stepmother. She has a son—An Qi’s younger brother.”
Mr. An had passed away the year before last, leaving the inheritance divided equally between his children. How could Mrs. An be satisfied?
If An Qi grew too strong, it could create hidden dangers. So this engagement—Mrs. An was glad to see it.
Li Shu sipped her yogurt, gazing out at the camphor trees by the window.
Beside her, the others laughed and chattered about the gossip. Now and then, Liu Dafei’s heart-wrenching cries of “Grandpa!” rang out, drawing roars of laughter and table-slapping from the back rows.
So lively.
Lively enough that Li Shu feared if she moved too much, the dream would shatter.
Thinking of the cold and barren Li household, she let out a heavy breath.
Meng Yichu: “Li Shu, weekend trip to the amusement park?”
Li Shu gave a light smile, brows curved: “You guys go.”
Meng Yichu turned to Qiu Ning.
Qiu Ning: “I’m planning to go to Liao Mountain Temple on Saturday. Grandma had a fall, I want to ask for a peace charm.”
Li Shu paused, thinking of her own grandmother.
She looked at Qiu Ning: “I’ll go too. Is that okay?”
Just then, Liu Dafei happened to pass by. He froze, then bolted to the back row like the wind.
“Dad! Li Shu’s going to Liao Mountain Temple Saturday. Your chance to show off is here!!!”
Liu Dafei still didn’t know that Jiang Yi and Wu Zexi were scheming to set up Shen Yan with Li Shu.
Jiang Yi couldn’t laugh.
But Wu Zexi did, his tone meaningful: “Mm, a chance to show off has indeed arrived.”
Jiang Yi: Damn it, I’m about to cuckold myself with my own hands.
Chapter 40: I’m Going to Cuckold Myself (Part 2)
Shen Yan had a lollipop in his mouth. He had just walked in from outside when he heard a slightly awkward voice.
“Yan-ge, are we going to Liao Mountain Temple this weekend to climb the mountain?”
His eyebrows cold, voice vague:
“Not going.”
Jiang Yi: “Anyway, you’re at home with nothing to do, living like an old man. We should have some youthful energy. Go out more.”
Shen Yan raised an eyebrow:
“No time.”
And yet, who would believe that?
Shen Yan was clearly freer than anyone. He rarely attended their meal gatherings. If he did, he’d just show up, pay the bill, and eat a little.
Jiang Yi pleaded eagerly:
“Dad, I’m begging you!”
Shen Yan: …
He found it amusing.
Shen Yan relented slightly:
“Liao Mountain Temple is too far. Choose somewhere nearby.”
Jiang Yi panicked:
“No!”
Shen Yan’s gaze darkened, scrutinizing him.
Liu Dafei, oblivious to the strange tension, lumbered over, smiling:
“Grandpa, you don’t know—Dad’s only going because Li Shu is also going. He’s deliberately chasing the little girl.”
Shen Yan paused.
Jiang Yi: “I’m not! I didn’t!”
Shen Yan sat down, elbows on the desk, facing Jiang Yi. One foot kicked the corner of Jiang Yi’s chair:
“If it exists, it exists. If not, then not. At least be a man.”
He leisurely held up his middle finger:
“Do you need company for this? Pathetic.”
He pulled out the textbook for the next class, slowly said:
“You know Su Su’s personality. If you’re chasing someone, first handle these messy matters properly.”
Jiang Yi, on the verge of tears, gave up explaining:
“Yan-ge, are you going?”
The answer came with precision:
“Not going.”
Wu Zexi couldn’t watch quietly any longer. After thinking, he spoke:
“Yan-ge, the blessing at Liao Mountain Temple is very effective. A few days from now is Auntie’s death anniversary.”
Shen Yan paused, slightly dazed.
—
Friday afternoon had no lunch break. Class 7’s schedule was convenient—two consecutive classes were Art and Music.
This semester, they automatically defaulted to self-study.
Weekend homework was heavy; just the worksheets numbered six sheets. Qiu Ning buried herself in writing for the two classes.
She was generous, after finishing her math sheet, asking Li Shu if she wanted it.
Li Shu: … couldn’t take it.
She politely declined.
Meng Yichu was reliable. Using Xiao Yuan Sou Ti and with good relations with the class subject reps, she got several completed worksheets after the first class ended and copied them frantically.
She even tossed one to Li Shu.
“I don’t need it.” Li Shu didn’t even want to fill it out.
Meng Yichu: “Even if our grades aren’t good, at least our attitude is right.”
Tang Wan, finishing the multiple-choice questions, laughed at that:
“After you said that, my level of understanding just ascended.”
Li Shu thought of Zheng Hong. Headache.
Anyway, with nothing else to do, copying answers became easier with experience. This time, there was no initial embarrassment—everything went smoothly.
Finally, the class ended, and everyone rushed out like a swarm.
Li Shu waited until most people had left, then slowly packed her bag.
Suddenly, someone rushed up to her.
Liu Dafei: “Li Shu, want to leave school together? Is your bag heavy? Let my dad carry it.”
Li Shu followed Liu Dafei’s pointing finger.
Wu Zexi looked down, stifling a laugh. Jiang Yi’s face looked like he had eaten something disgusting.
Then, her gaze shifted to another person.
His eyes were clear, lazily reclining in his chair. Their eyes met directly, and then he let out a soft, mocking laugh.
It sounded just like he was mocking her short height.
Li Shu was silent. She spoke slowly, word by word:
“No need.”
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