《I Just Want to Freeload on Your Luck》


 Chapter 1

    Have you ever watched ¡®Autumn in My Heart¡¯? Because right now, Mingxi¡¯s situation is pretty similar to that of the real daughter, who is also the villainess and supporting role of the show.


    The real daughter who had been living in the countryside has finally been found after many years. However, she realizes that there is a more outstanding, lively, innocent and delicate young lady at home. For the past 15 years, she had completely replaced her.


    The only difference is that I am probably more stupid.


    Mingxi lamented.


    For the past two years, she tried her utmost best to please this family, even to the extent of remembering everyone¡¯s birthdays and preferences.


    She carefully massaged her mother¡¯s shoulders, but her mother only gave an expression full of awkwardness. Then, with a simple, ¡°No need,¡± she stood up and walked upstairs.


    One time, she went to have a meal with her family at a hotel and the server accidentally knocked over the soup. When she saw that the soup was about to spill all over her eldest brother, Zhao Zhanhuai, she immediately blocked it with her body. In the end, when she came to her senses, the whole family had hurriedly sent Zhao Yuan to the hospital because a few drops had been spilled on her thigh.


    When she pulled out of her dumbfounded state and belatedly realized that a few drops had burned her face as well, the whole family was gone.


    Only the 15-year-old Zhao Yuning noticed it the next day.


    Mingxi thought that at least her younger brother, Zhao Yuning, would treat her differently. However, half a month ago, there was an incident whereby only one person could be enrolled in the Chemistry Competition. When Zhao Yuning found out that Zhao Yuan wanted to join, he actually went as far as to steal Mingxi¡¯s application form.


    Mingxi then lost the right to join the Chemistry Competition. She also gained a small scar on her face and had been wearing a mask for the past year.


    The most recent incident was where Zhao Yuan went to have ice cream at Mingxi¡¯s friend¡¯s shop and accidentally triggered her nut allergy, causing her to be admitted to the hospital. The whole family thought that Mingxi was the one behind this incident and refused to believe her despite her explanations¡ª


    She was fine with all this.


    She was okay.


    She wasn¡¯t angry. After all, she wasn¡¯t easily provoked. If she had to fight back, she would. There were quite a few times when the whole family had exploded in anger because of her.


    In any case, the textbooks said that even dripping water could penetrate stones, so as long as she works hard for another couple of years, she would definitely be reciprocated.


    In the end, she was wrong. When this family finally seemed to be showing signs of accepting her¡­


    She died of brain cancer at the age of 23.


    What kind of a sick joke was this? What was the difference between this and fighting various monsters just to die at the final battle because your device crashed?


    After her death, Mingxi realized that she was, in and of itself, a tragedy.


    She was actually playing a supporting role in a book.


    With regards to the life of supporting character Zhao Mingxi, the summary was as follows:


    [Lived in a small, rundown town in the North since she was young. When she was 15, she was found by the Zhao family. Later, due to her jealousy toward the female lead Zhao Yuan, she started to put all her effort into stealing Zhao Yuan¡¯s family from her. After finding out that Zhao Yuan and Zhao Zhanhuai harbored romantic feelings for each other, she got her best friend to create a rift between them¡­ In the end, she died due to cancer. After her death, everyone forgave her.]


    ?


    ¡®Steal¡¯??


    Wait a minute. Wasn¡¯t this family hers to begin with? Also, why did it determine that everything she did in her past life was to ¡®steal¡¯ the female lead Zhao Yuan¡¯s things?


    Why on earth¡ª Just because Zhao Yuan was a child blessed by the gods, a gentle and fragile lily and a lucky lady?


    Also, Zhao Yuan had a relationship with her eldest brother Zhao Zhanhuai?


    Mingxi¡¯s expression was similar to that of an old man looking at his phone.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because she died in the wrong position or something, but the point was that after the end of her short 23 years of cannon fodder life, she actually returned to her 17-year-old self.


    However this time, she had a ¡®Female Side Character Support System¡¯.


    System: ¡°You were set up to be a villain with a tragic ending, hence your luck would definitely be in the negatives. When you cross the road, you would be hit by a car. When you drink cold water, your teeth would hurt. When you get sick, it would definitely be a terminal illness. But think about it, what if you could secretly turn yourself into an upright person?¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s mind went blank as she spoke, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    System: ¡°This means that I want you to freeload on another person¡¯s luck. You will certainly not be able to obtain luck from the main characters Zhao Yuan and Zhao Zhanhuai, but you can get them from other side characters who are quite popular as well. After freeloading such luck, who knows, your terminal illness might go away.¡±


    Mingxi slapped her thigh, ¡°I get it now. You want me to make friends with characters who are popular and valuable?¡±


    In every book, aside from the main characters, there will always be characters who don¡¯t appear as much but have high values of character settings and popularity.


    The more the readers liked these characters, the more she would appear beside them. If she showed herself more and did a few good things, eventually she would be able to freeload on their good luck.


    The system was relieved. ¡°As expected of the poor and pitiful supporting character that I had chosen. You are a fast learner.¡±


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to live? Although she was muddle-headed in her past life and lived like an idiot, since a second chance has been given to her, Mingxi would definitely grasp it well!


    Furthermore, the experience of constant vomiting, fevers and losing weight after contracting the terminal illness was not something she wanted to go through again.


    System: ¡°Also, after obtaining their luck, the injury on your face should recover quickly.¡±


    Mingxi touched the left side of her face with bright eyes.


    Because the area that was burnt was not just anywhere but her face, in order to prevent it from leaving a scar, the doctor advised her to avoid being under the sun until her skin was fully healed.


    This caused her to wear a mask for a whole year, covering her originally beautiful face.


    The system gave Mingxi a ¡®List of People Whose Luck Can Be Freeloaded¡¯. Mingxi gave it a glance and realized that there were quite a lot of names on the list.


    But it seemed like the return rate of the top few on the list were a little higher. They were Centennial Corporation¡¯s Fu family¡¯s eldest grandson Fu Yangxi, second grandson Fu Zhiyi and the famous Jiang Xiuqiu of the Jiang family.


    Mingxi knew of these three, they were rather prominent personalities in school.


    Those further down the list were each year¡¯s hunks and most handsome students. Even the simple-minded monitor of Mingxi¡¯s class, Year Three Class Six, had a rather high position on the list! Mingxi was happy upon seeing this as her relationship with her class monitor was quite good!


    ¡­But her monitor was at the 108th spot, and in a bracket behind his name it stated that his return rate was only 0.000001%¡ª Then what was the difference between getting on the list and not getting on the list???


    Mingxi suddenly felt exhausted.


    She held the life-saving list of names, stood up and poured herself a cup of water to suppress her nervousness. ¡°I feel like what I should do first is to go for a physical examination.¡±


    In her past life, she died at the age of 23. Now she is just 17. What if she hasn¡¯t gotten cancer yet, or she might even be in the early stages of the cancer and can still be saved?


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± the system said. ¡°I told you that your death due to cancer was not because of your physical health, but because of your luck as a villain. Even if you discover something at the hospital and try to get early treatment, as long as your value of luck doesn¡¯t change, you will still die in the end. Is there a difference between dying due to a car accident and dying due to cancer?¡±


    When Mingxi heard what the system said, she felt a surge of sadness before crying with a loud wail.


    So the only way out was this list of names before her.


    She heard that Fu Yangxi, who had a return rate of 6%, placing him first on the list, was not someone she should provoke. He was domineering and reckless. If he was placed in another book, he would be the blueprint for iceberg-like school hunks.


    However, despite knowing this, everyone still wanted to get close to him due to his identity as the Fu family¡¯s successor.


    It would be difficult to even say a word to him.


    Mingxi knew to sound out the difficulties and retreat to avoid defeat. She looked down the list. Fu Zhiyi was currently studying overseas and she didn¡¯t hear of any rumors that he was going to come back at all.


    As for this Jiang Xiuqiu¡ª Based on what she heard, he seemed like a good guy. She also saw him give a gentle speech on stage last semester. He should be the best candidate for a friend.


    But why are the return rates of these two only 2%?!! That¡¯s such a big gap!


    Nevermind, no matter how small a mosquito¡¯s legs are they are still meat.


    Mingxi decided not to choose a target. Whoever she could pull the luck from, she¡¯ll just do it.


    ¡°Coincidentally, weren¡¯t your results ranked Top 3 last week? According to your school¡¯s rules, those who are in the Top 5 can change classes as they wish, right?¡±


    Mingxi understood immediately. ¡°You want me to transfer to the International Class which is full of children from noble backgrounds?¡±


    The system said, ¡°Yes. You can receive some luck by merely being in the same class as these people. Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    In A High Year Three, which was the school Mingxi was in, aside from the Normal Class, there were classes such as the International Class, the Evergreen Class and the Gold Medal Class.


    The latter two were self-explanatory. They mainly consisted of students who excelled in their studies and were regularly chosen for National Competitions.


    As for the International Class, it was a place for noble children who were not keen on learning or expanding their skills.


    It was also at this point in her past life that she transferred from the Normal Class to the Gold Medal Class.


    One of the main reasons was because Shen Liyao, whom she was arranged to be married to since she was a baby, was in the Gold Medal Class.


    In her past life, she was quite thick-skinned and genuinely liked Shen Liyao. After all, Shen Liyao was handsome and outstanding in every way, just that his personality was a little cold.


    Furthermore, Shen Liyao treated her the same as he did Zhao Yuan¡ª Of course, he was haughty and indifferent toward the both of them.


    But this was also something that attracted Mingxi.


    However, she failed to pursue him and nothing happened between them in the end.


    Mingxi was too lazy to bother about these things anyway. Currently, what was most crucial was her life.


    She already died once. Was her family or Shen Liyao of any importance?


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll apply for it now. I should be part of the International Class starting tomorrow.¡±


    Mingxi had a strong capacity to act. She immediately walked to her study table and turned on her computer. Then, after making minor changes to her already filled in information, which is to replace the words ¡®Gold Medal Class¡¯ to ¡®International Class¡¯, she sent it to the Dean via email.


    After she was done, she took out a luggage bag and opened it on the floor. Then, she began to pack her clothes in it.


    It was at that moment that a series of anxious knocks could be heard from her door. Zhao Yuning spoke in a low voice, ¡°Mingxi jie*, Yuanyuan jie has been discharged from the hospital today and just got home. Why are you hiding in your room? While the whole family is downstairs, you should apologize to Yuanyuan jie. Then this whole allergy incident will be over!¡±


    A few days ago, a huge fight took place at home.


    Zhao Yuan triggered her nut allergy at He Yang¡¯s family¡¯s chain store. As He Yang was Mingxi¡¯s friend, her family thought that Mingxi had something to do with this incident.


    Mingxi was so angry that she went to He Yang¡¯s shop to check the surveillance cameras. But it was not an easy task. In the end, no matter how wronged she felt, she couldn¡¯t prove her innocence.


    This was why Mingxi felt like she was an absolute idiot. How was she going to prove her innocence when she didn¡¯t do it in the first place?


    Why did she care so much about how her family saw her in her past life? Why was she so afraid that they would hate her?


    In the end, she only managed to wrap a cocoon around herself.


    Mingxi zipped up the luggage bag and opened the door.


    Zhao Yuning almost fell in. Just as he was about to further advise her, he saw Mingxi¡¯s luggage bag. He immediately pulled a face, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, why are you doing this again? Are you running away from home or staying in school this time? You¡¯ll just obediently come back after a few days anyways. Do you really need to go this far because of such a small matter?¡±


    ¡°This is a small matter?¡± Mingxi had an indifferent expression on her face. The wheels of her luggage bag almost ran over Zhao Yuning¡¯s foot. ¡°Move!¡±


    Zhao Yuning hastily took a step back. When he saw the expression on Mingxi¡¯s face, he was shocked.


    Everyone at home either didn¡¯t like Mingxi or distanced themselves from her. When Mingxi first came home, he was about 13 or 14 years old. Thus, he had the closest relationship with Mingxi.


    Having lived with her for two years, he had never experienced such a feeling from her. She looked as if she was throwing cold daggers at him and could not wait to draw a line between them¡ª Mingxi had always tried to please him and their family.


    At that moment, Zhao Yuning did not think too much about it.


    He got angry too, ¡°Isn¡¯t this just a small matter? Even if Yuanyuan jie¡¯s allergy had nothing to do with you¡ª I believe you, alright? But Yuanyuan jie just got discharged from the hospital. Will you die if you say a few caring words? It¡¯s precisely because of your stubbornness that the family can¡¯t get along with you!¡±


    ¡°Since we can¡¯t get along, let¡¯s leave it that way.¡±


    Zhao Yuning was so shocked that he stopped walking. He looked at Mingxi¡¯s figure in disbelief.


    When Zhao Mingxi said these words, she didn¡¯t carry any emotion in them. It was a plain and simple statement. Her eyes weren¡¯t red and she didn¡¯t even spare him another glance. It seemed different from those words she used to say out of anger.


    Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t know why but a sense of foreboding appeared in his heart.


    He followed her downstairs.


    When Mingxi pulled her luggage bag downstairs, the family members who brought Zhao Yuan home pulled a long face.


    Her father was still at the company while Zhao Mu was filming overseas.


    Sitting on the sofa, her mother had a supportive arm around Zhao Yuan who had just been discharged from the hospital. She looked at Mingxi in annoyance, ¡°What are you trying to pull this time? Can¡¯t you just behave yourself for a few days?¡±


    Aside from Mingxi and Zhao Yuan, there were five others in the Zhao family.


    Her father was fully dedicated to his job, so he seldom bothered about what happens at home.


    Her second eldest brother, Zhao Mu, was a little-known actor in the entertainment industry. He never liked Mingxi, hence he would always ridicule and use abusive language against her. The good thing was that due to his schedules, he was always flying around, so he would only be home for a few days in one year.


    Aside from her younger brother Zhao Yuning and her mother who were pretty much always at home, there was also her eldest brother Zhao Zhanhuai who was in charge of a company.


    As the male lead, he had an outstanding aura and abstinence, but his personality was still quite gentle. However, after finding out from the system that later on he would have a romantic relationship with Zhao Yuan, Mingxi could no longer look him in the eye.


    As her mother didn¡¯t really like Mingxi and Mingxi was too lazy to speak to her anymore, she walked straight to Zhao Zhanhuai and took out two papers. ¡°Help me sign these.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai could feel a headache coming. ¡°Mingxi, be reasonable. This time¡ª¡±


    Mingxi cut him off, ¡°Just sign them. I¡¯ll be staying in school.¡±


    Her eyes were clear, calm and indifferent. It was a stark contrast to how she used to cry at moments such as this.


    Zhao Zhanhuai keenly noticed that there was something different about Mingxi today, but he couldn¡¯t put a finger on what it was.


    ¡°Sign it for her!¡± Her mother¡¯s face was filled with anger. ¡°She only knows how to create a bad mood at home everyday. If she wants to live in school, let her! We¡¯ve already compensated you for what we owed. What else do you want?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai was actually a tolerant person. He never blamed Mingxi. He felt like Mingxi was a child who refused to grow up. Her rebelliousness was all because she wanted to take away the attention the family had on Yuanyuan.


    But humans were beings with emotions. The relationship they had with Zhao Yuan for the past 15 years was not something that anyone could take away.


    Maybe Mingxi should be allowed to go through some hardships at school. After a while, when she realizes what went wrong, she would obediently return to them.


    If she stops trying to take them away from Zhao Yuan, Zhao Zhanhuai could still treat her as his biological younger sister.


    Zhao Zhanhuai signed half-heartedly.


    There were two application forms, one was to stay in school while the other was to change classes.


    He had heard from Zhao Yuan that Zhao Mingxi was always bothering the Shen family¡¯s kid in school. It seemed as if she wanted to transfer to his class.


    After he was done signing, Mingxi pulled away the papers and walked out of the Zhao family home with her luggage in tow.


    The air in September was a little cold, but all she saw was a field of gold. Mingxi took a small breath and put on her mask. She still had time and she could still change her fate. In this life, she would no longer waste her time on pleasing this family. It was not too late.


    When her mother saw her attitude, she was so angry that she felt a headache coming. ¡°Just you wait. This brat will definitely come home crying after a few days.¡±


    As Zhao Zhanhuai was closing the cap of the pen, he felt that something was off. He asked Zhao Yuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Mingxi wanted to transfer to the Gold Medal Class?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ge*.¡±


    Zhao Yuan who had been silent since just now took her head out of her mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mingxi has always been running after Liyao gege*. In school, rumors of what she did¡­ All in all, none of them were good. I think the reason why Liyao gege hasn¡¯t been coming over to our house recently is because he wanted some peace and quiet.¡±


    ¡°Then why did it say that she was applying to transfer to the International Class in the application form?¡±


    Zhao Yuan and Zhao Yuning were shocked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Glossary:


    jie ¨C elder sister


    gege ¨C elder brother


    ge ¨C short form for gege

 Chapter 2

    Leaving the Zhao family home was easier than Mingxi thought it would be.


    This solidified the fact that in her past life, she was indeed wrapping a cocoon around herself. The moment she took the initiative to abandon this family, she would no longer have her panties in a bunch due to those negative emotions.


    Now, Mingxi only had her mind set on how to save her life. She had a strong capacity to act. The next morning when the procedure to transfer classes was complete, she began to move her books.


    The system gave Mingxi a flower pot filled with only soil and nothing else¡ª It was something only Mingxi could see.


    ¡°Every time you collect some luck, the buds will grow. Only when the pot is filled with fully-grown plants will the negative energy around you be dispersed. It is only at that moment when your ending will stop being ¡®unable to die a natural death¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, if you manage to fill this pot to the brim, your luck may even exceed that of Zhao Yuan¡¯s.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Will this affect the people who I¡¯m freeloading from?¡±


    ¡°No. Have you ever heard of a Wi-Fi hotspot? You can freeload on their luck and their own luck will not decrease whatsoever.¡±


    Mingxi was relieved.


    When she received the pot, she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she purposely tried it on her class monitor. Before leaving her class, she gave him a warm hug.


    Her class monitor was shocked.


    While Mingxi was hugging her class monitor, her eyes were focused on that pot which was floating on air, as if she was a husband waiting for his wife to give birth.


    ¡­In the end, despite having hugged for a whole three minutes, the soil in the pot didn¡¯t even budge.


    It was frozen like a photo.


    Mingxi was speechless.


    The system reassured her, ¡°Your class monitor is rather useless as his return rate is only 0.000001%. You should just place your effort on those who are at the top of the list.¡±


    Mingxi felt unnerved.


    This pot was the size of her head. How long will she take to fill it up?! As for the matter of having more luck than Zhao Yuan, she was indifferent about it. She just wants to avoid dying of terminal illness.


    With a broken heart, Mingxi took her books and went downstairs with her class monitor to where the Evergreen Class, Gold Medal Class and International Class were.


    She was wearing A High¡¯s uniform which was wide and dark. She had black hair which had grown to her collarbones and fair skin. There was a red string around her neck and attached to it was a piece of jade.


    There were droplets of sweat on her pale nose. As usual, she had a mask on her face.


    Mingxi found it difficult to breathe with the mask on, but she couldn¡¯t just toss it aside.


    In her past life, she didn¡¯t listen to the doctor¡¯s advice to wear a mask. Instead, she just put on sunscreen. In the end, there was always a faded mark on her face that even scar-removal creams could not remove.


    While it wasn¡¯t obvious from afar, the moment one took a closer look, it was like a small patch of dirt on an otherwise beautiful vase. It was to the extent of making the creator say, ¡°God is so unfair for leaving a mark on perfect things¡±.


    If her face was fully healed, Zhao Yuan would no longer be the prettiest girl in school.


    Mingxi felt helpless. Perhaps it was because she was the villain, hence she would always lose to the main character.


    In short, she must be patient in this life. Everything can be done after her wound is healed.


    *


    Shen Liyao was dealing with the gifts which people had stuffed into his table over the weekend. His incomplete circuit board and thick stack of competition workbooks were squashed together due to the presents.


    With a loud ¡®bang¡¯, the trashcan was brought to the side of his table.


    He lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t even bother to look at the presents before sweeping them off his table and into the trash.


    Using two fingers, he took a pink colored letter out.


    The person who gave this love letter was probably afraid that he won¡¯t even look at it before throwing it away, hence they purposely tied a dead knot with narrow silk and bound it with a gold medal on his table.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s cold brows were so furrowed that it could probably squeeze a fly to death.


    In the next second, with a loud thud, both the love letter and gold medal were thrown into the trash.


    A few people who were leaning by the windows suddenly yelled, ¡°¡ªIsn¡¯t that Zhao Mingxi? She¡¯s moving her things here? Whoa, she actually managed to get into the Top 5!¡±


    Shen Liyao who was pulling out his chair paused his actions.


    Ye Bai turned over to him from the window. ¡°Hey, God Yao, do you know what we just saw? Zhao Mingxi is downstairs! She¡¯s really something, refusing to give up until all hope is gone. A whole year of waking up early and sleeping late¡ª just to be in the same class as you. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Boring.¡±


    Shen Liyao didn¡¯t seem to be affected by this at all. He sat down, lowered his gaze and connected his miniature robot¡¯s circuit board. ¡°It¡¯s a school rule that those in the Normal Class who have achieved the Top 5 in their results can change their class. This is her right. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°You guys are about to be in the same class. What are you gonna do when she takes her pursuit one step further the moment she transfers to our class?¡±


    ¡°She immediately moved her things here after the announcement of our results. She¡¯s so quick to take action!¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s eyes remained still as he looked down. He said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in a relationship.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s tiny flames of gossip were put out by Shen Liyao¡¯s coldness.


    Ever since Zhao Mingxi transferred to their school a year ago, she had never taken off the mask. They heard that it was because of an injury on her face which required her to avoid the sun. Even so, no one in the Gold Medal Class was actually interested in her appearance. They assumed that she just looked slightly above average or plain.


    They were more interested in the matter of Zhao Mingxi pursuing Shen Liyao. This girl was fierce. She also had perseverance as she climbed all the way to the Top 5 from around 20 Normal Classes just to transfer to the Gold Medal Class.


    However, based on Shen Liyao¡¯s indifferent look, they all knew that he wasn¡¯t at the least interested in his family friend.


    Ye Bai touched his nose. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry. Even though she made it to our class, if she fails to catch up with us, she¡¯ll still have to return to her original class. She won¡¯t be here for long. If she bothers you too much and it affects your competitions, the teacher will also send her back.¡±


    Shen Liyao furrowed his brows. Just as he was about to say something¡­


    Zhao Mingxi and her class monitor¡¯s figures appeared at the hallway.


    ¡°Here they come.¡± Someone laughed. ¡°God Yao, your days are about to get so much more interesting. Good luck¡ª¡±


    However, before they could finish their sentence, they saw Zhao Mingxi and Class Six¡¯s class monitor walk past their class with her books in tow.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Gold Medal Class went quiet for a full five seconds.


    Ye Bai was startled. ¡°That¡¯s the International Class up ahead. Did she make a mistake?¡±


    *


    What was going through the minds of everyone in the Gold Medal Class wasn¡¯t something Mingxi was concerned about.


    When she entered the International Class through the back door with her books, black spots started to appear in her vision and she felt as if she was stepping on cotton.


    ¡°This would happen occasionally in my past life too. I thought I had low blood sugar. Wait a minute¡ª¡± Mingxi suddenly realized, ¡°This couldn¡¯t have been an early symptom of my terminal illness, right?¡±


    ¡°It was. What else did you think it would be?¡± System: ¡°The author of this novel cared about logic and foreshadowing too, alright? No matter how hated the villain was they couldn¡¯t just kill them off with a random illness. They would definitely use detailed sentences like ¡®Zhao Mingxi suddenly felt unwell¡¯ or ¡®the bruises on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s legs didn¡¯t fade even after a long time¡¯ to prepare and hint the readers.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Mingxi no longer had the energy to chat with the system. With her books in her arms, she swayed into the class. Aside from the darkness in her vision, there were also pale light spots lying on different seats.


    System: ¡°Those are luck. The brighter they are, the higher they are on the list I gave you.¡±


    Like a drowning fish, Mingxi rushed toward the brightest spot without thinking twice.


    After collapsing on the seat, she released the books she was holding, allowing it to fall all over the floor.


    Without thinking any further, she rested her head on the table, faced the source of bright light coming from her right and took a deep breath.


    Unexpectedly, the slight smell of rosin with a hint of Chinese herbal medicine mixed in it filled her nostrils. Like a rush of fresh air entering her brain, it immediately soothed the uncomfortable sensation that Mingxi was feeling.


    As for the pot in front of her, a tiny, thin and weak seedling appeared shakily. It wasn¡¯t even a centimeter long and looked like it was only a tenth of a complete bud¡ª Nonetheless, this caused Mingxi¡¯s eyes to widen and she almost cried out of joy.


    ¡°What is this?! Why did the first one suddenly appear?¡± she asked the system in delight.


    System: ¡°Look who¡¯s seated beside you.¡±


    Mingxi raised her head.


    The whole of the International Class went dead silent. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on her.


    Everyone was watching when this unfamiliar girl with a mask entered their class with her books. Without even greeting them, she dipped her head and rushed toward the second last row of their class and sat down!


    When she was done, she even took a sniff out of Fu Yangxi.


    Amidst the shock, someone said, ¡°F*ck, you¡¯re so brave.¡±


    Someone with a low voice reminded, ¡°The one beside you is Xi ge and you dared to sniff him. When he wakes up you¡¯re done for.¡±


    Xi ge = Fu Yangxi?


    Mingxi immediately looked to her right.


    What she first saw was the back of someone¡¯s head, covered with red spiky hair which screamed ¡®I¡¯m the boss¡¯.


    The young boy was slouched on the table. He had on a pair of silver noise-cancelling headphones and was hugging his sports jacket. He was taking a nap with his back facing her. He was at least 188cm tall, and she knew this because his legs were all curled up underneath the table. His black, long-sleeved outfit made his pale neck stand out more. There was a thin niello skull chain around his neck.


    From Mingxi¡¯s point of view, she could only see half of his face. There was a tiny mole at the end of his right eye. He looked ethereal despite his slightly furrowed brows, as if he was a walking unruly and undefeatable young urban migrant.


    The words ¡®violent and dumb beauty¡¯ immediately appeared in Mingxi¡¯s mind.


    Someone asked, ¡°Who are you? No one has ever sat there before!¡±


    Mingxi turned her head to look at that person and answered, ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Mingxi and I¡¯ve just transferred here from the Normal Class. Why can¡¯t I sit here?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± That person was stunned. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Fu family¡¯s young master?¡±


    Oh, the school hunk.


    Anyone who dared to sit beside him would definitely be threatened before being forced to run errands for him.


    But Mingxi was eager to help Fu Yangxi run errands.


    If she did it often enough, wouldn¡¯t an abundance of luck go to her?


    Since she was going to die no matter what, Mingxi didn¡¯t feel like a dumb 17-year-old child could bring as much of a threat as a villain¡¯s bad luck.


    Mingxi took the opportunity again and secretly sucked in a deep breath, continuing to absorb the value of luck on Fu Yangxi.


    Although the amount was only as much as her fingernail and its effects were very minor, when she saw the pale white light which was surrounding him cross over to her, she felt hopeful.


    She remained calm as she picked up her books from the ground. ¡°Alright, I got it. But since there¡¯s nowhere else I can sit, I¡¯ll just sit here first.¡±


    The students of the International Class were shocked.


    While there were quite an amount of people who tried to get closer to Fu Yangxi, it was the first time that someone did it like this masked girl with her attitude of ¡®nothing to lose¡¯.


    She even continued to sniff him.


    Like a cat, she sniffed Xi ge.


    Oh my God.


    Due to the commotion, Fu Yangxi stirred awake.


    When Fu Yangxi woke up, no one dared to even murmur another word. They were all waiting for Fu Yangxi to blow up in anger.


    Fu Yangxi took off his noise-cancelling headphones and threw it on the table. He ruffled his hair listlessly. The action looked so soft.


    Then, he reached into his drawers to look for something. With his eyes closed, he took out a few white bottles. She didn¡¯t know if they were vitamins or something, but a few pills fell out on his hands.


    With the brightest gaze similar to that of someone seeing a Wi-Fi hotspot on the street, seeing an iced watermelon during summer or seeing the most expensive cat in the cat caf¨¦, she handed him the water on his table.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± As Fu Yangxi just woke up, his voice was a little hoarse.


    He drank a mouthful of water with closed eyes before swallowing the pills.


    It wasn¡¯t until after he had swallowed them that he noticed Mingxi¡¯s existence.


    Fu Yangxi reacted by standing up abruptly. As he was tall and had long legs, the table behind him was almost knocked over. He gave Mingxi a condescending look. Pulling a face, an aura of ¡®strangers beware¡¯ appeared around him. ¡°Who is this girl? What is she doing beside me?¡±


    Everyone in the International Class thought, obviously she¡¯s here to pursue you.


    Patiently, Mingxi explained to her best future Wi-Fi hotspot, ¡°I am Zhao Mingxi. I¡¯ve just transferred here from Normal Class Six.¡±


    F*ck, everyone thought. She actually worked hard to get into the Top 5 just to transfer here.


    It must¡¯ve been hard for her to study and revise till late at night.


    Wow, how much does she like him?


    Fu Yangxi had clearly thought about this as well, hence he felt slightly uncomfortable. He refrained from spilling the curse words that were at the tip of his mouth, but he still appeared furious. ¡°Change your seat. No one has ever sat beside me before.¡±


    Mingxi knew this wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. She shuffled against her seat, refusing to move. If she wanted to change seats, she would¡¯ve done so ages ago. But with a glance, she saw that the luck on Fu Yangxi was the most prosperous one out of everyone in the International Class¡ª As long as she continued to sniff it out of him for a few days, a few buds could grow in the span of ten days to half a month.


    ¡°Asking me to leave would be equivalent to asking me to die.¡±


    Mingxi thought of this in her mind, but she suddenly felt that the whole class had gone quiet.


    She raised her head and saw that everyone¡¯s jaws were dropped as they looked at her in shock.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears instinctively flushed red. With a flustered and exasperated tone, he said, ¡°What- What did you say?¡±


    F*ck. She realized that she had uttered her thoughts out loud.


    ¡°Take her books and get her to move.¡±


    The moment Fu Yangxi coldly huffed out these words, the International Class¡¯ homeroom teacher rushed in angrily with her books. Once she entered the class, her eyes were scouring the room until it landed on Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi abruptly recalled what had happened here.


    The original novel focused mainly on Zhao Yuan, Zhao Zhanhuai and her while the plots regarding Fu Yangxi were little. But Mingxi remembered that in her past life, it was precisely the day after Zhao Yuan was discharged from the hospital when the posters in front of the school gates were put up, criticizing the International Class students who had participated in the motorcycle race over the weekend.


    Of course, it was impossible for someone with Fu Yangxi¡¯s status to be punished, hence the names on the list belonged to rather irrelevant students.


    However, since the homeroom teacher was glaring at Fu Yangxi, this definitely had something to do with him.


    As expected, in the next second, the homeroom teacher walked over angrily and tossed them a copy of the newspaper. ¡°Fu Yangxi, look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    The newspaper landed in front of Mingxi so abruptly that her eyelid twitched. She took a glance at it and realized that due to this matter, A High made it to the news. Their homeroom teacher¡¯s bonus was probably taken away, hence her anger.


    It seemed as if a lot of people in their class knew about this as they all immediately went quiet.


    Fu Yangxi cuffed the edge of a chair with his leg and sat down boldly. He took the newspaper in his hands and gave it a brief glance before laughing, ¡°Madam Zhang, what year is it? You¡¯re still reading the newspaper?¡±


    The homeroom teacher was absolutely furious as the veins on her forehead popped, ¡°You really think that no one can control you? Go and run 30 laps now! If you refuse, I won¡¯t do anything and wait at the office until your parents come!¡±


    The smile on Fu Yangxi¡¯s lips disappeared. He stared at the homeroom teacher, and just as he was about to say something, Mingxi who was beside him stood up with a screech.


    ¡°Can I run in his place?¡±


    The students in the International Class were holding their breaths to begin with, but now with this, all their jaws had collectively dropped to the ground.


    System: ¡°The return rate of luck in exchange for hard work is the highest. If my calculations are correct, after you¡¯re done running, there should be at least three new buds.¡±


    Mingxi was so overwhelmed that she almost fainted. Her eyes brightened. 30 laps meant 12 kilometers, and this was how much luck was she going to earn?!


    The hand that Mingxi had raised was shaky and anxious. She suddenly felt that it wasn¡¯t that hard to reach a whole pot of luck. Perhaps she could really escape the destiny of a terminally ill female supporting character!


    But everyone aside from her was thinking, f*ck, does she like him that much?


    There were quite a number of people who attempted to get closer to Fu Yangxi, but honestly, the girls who truly liked him were few and far in between. They either did it because of money or because of the Fu family. Aside from these, the most people did was to send him love letters and chocolates. This was the first time that someone did something to this extent.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones who were staring dumbfoundedly. This was also the first time that Fu Yangxi had seen such a spectacle in all his 17 years of life.


    He had seen people who were afraid of him, people who were trying to suck up to him, and even people who said that they liked him, but he had rarely ever seen anyone who was truly willing to do something for him.


    Fu Yangxi finally turned and gave Mingxi a good look. The young girl¡¯s figure was slender and her skin was as pale as jade. The trembling hand that she had raised was as small as an onion¡ª She was clearly afraid of the 30 laps that even her hands were shaking, yet she still volunteered.


    The homeroom teacher was seething in anger and such emotions were quickly directed at Mingxi. ¡°Fine. You go. If you don¡¯t finish them, you¡¯re not allowed to come back to class!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Mingxi shot out like an arrow.


    ¡ªWas she so afraid that the homeroom teacher would continue to punish Fu Yangxi or take back her words that she actually ran out without even thinking twice?


    Ke Chengwen who was seated in the last row picked his jaw up from the floor and gave a pat on Fu Yangxi¡¯s back, ¡°Xi ge, my God, where did you pick up this girl? She¡¯s absolutely¡ª¡±


    As he couldn¡¯t find a better word to describe it, Ke Chengwen could only use basic words, ¡°Smitten with you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was looking out the window at Mingxi¡¯s retreating figure. He was trying his best to appear cool and collected, but he couldn¡¯t stop his ears from flushing red.


    He lowered his gaze and licked his lips to control his joy and delight.


    ¡°Sigh,¡± He appeared to have a headache, ¡°I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m so charming.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t actually let her run 30 laps, how embarrassing would that be for me?¡± He spoke slowly, ¡°Send someone to the gym to replace her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    *


    The news of what happened in the International Class was as if it had grown legs as it spread to the whole school quickly. The Gold Medal Class received the news right after class had ended.


    A boy rushed in. ¡°Breaking news! God Yao, you¡¯re free! I heard that this time, Zhao Mingxi requested to transfer to the International Class!¡±


    Due to Shen Liyao, the Gold Medal Class heard a lot about his most avid pursuer, Zhao Mingxi. Thus, when they all heard this, they looked back at him with shocked expressions.


    Ye Bai asked, ¡°How is this possible???¡±


    That boy said, ¡°Also, it looks like she¡¯s changed her target now¡ª She seems to be going after Fu Yangxi. The International Class said that she got punished to run laps because of Fu Yangxi.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone went silent for five seconds.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with Zhao Mingxi? Shen Liyao, is she doing this on purpose?¡± Ye Bai refused to believe it.


    How could she be pursuing Fu Yangxi when she had never even seen him before?


    But aside from this, what could be the reason for her transfer to the International Class? She finally entered the Top 5 and obtained the chance to change classes, yet she didn¡¯t come to the Gold Medal Class.


    It won¡¯t be as easy for her to get into the Top 5 again next month.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Shen Liyao unconsciously looked out the window. There was no one on the tracks as punishment laps were usually done at the indoor gym.


    However, when Ye Bai looked over at him, he quickly looked back at his work.


    For some reason, his expression appeared to be even more cold and rigid than it ever was before. ¡°Go back to your seats.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 3

    12 kilometers may sound like a lot, but it was merely a small matter of running your legs and lungs to the brink of death.


    If it wasn¡¯t because it was related to a matter of life and death, Mingxi wouldn¡¯t understand why in the world was she trying so hard. She continued to run lap after lap with sweat barreling down her whole body.


    When a boy from the International Class came over and said that he wanted to replace her, she rejected him nonchalantly.


    The boy then ran back and repeated what had happened to the rest of the class.


    The moment class ended, the whole of the International Class was in an uproar.


    By the time it reached Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears, it had already become the story of how the new transfer student had gladly volunteered to run laps for him. She was even running with a joyful smile on her face.


    Never in Fu Yangxi¡¯s 17 years of life had he ever seen a pursuer who was this passionate and obvious.


    The small red bird in his heart puffed out its chest and happily shook its feathers. However, on the surface he still appeared annoyed. He slammed the table and yelled, ¡°Are you all done with your gossip? What a bunch of nosy men.¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s admonishment caused the noise in their class to pause for a short while.


    Jiang Xiuqiu had been absent for the past few days as he was down with the flu. When a fellow student called him to share the gossip, he laughed so hard that he couldn¡¯t stop coughing. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but to call Fu Yangxi.


    ¡°No way. You guys must be mistaken. Maybe the transfer student just has something to ask of you¡ª You¡¯re saying that she likes you?¡± Jiang Xiuqiu laughed. ¡°What would she like about you? Your bad temper? Your resting b*tch face? Or could it be how your young urban migrant hairstyle reminds her of a dog? Also, aside from the fact that you¡¯re rich¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak properly then sew your mouth shut!¡± Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. After hanging up, he tossed his phone into his desk drawer angrily.


    He was happy, and the transfer student was overwhelmingly passionate.


    But Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t naturally come to the conclusion that the transfer student was here for him.


    He was 80% sure that she was here for the money.


    F*ck.


    Fu Yangxi kicked the chair beside him gloomily. After the transfer student returns, he plans to give her a sum of money and ask her to leave him alone.


    *


    On the other side, after Mingxi was done with the 30 laps, she felt utterly exhausted. Instead of returning to class, she headed straight to her dorm room, took a shower and went to bed.


    It was almost 11.30a.m. when she woke up.


    The moment she opened her eyes, she saw that there were three complete buds in her pot!


    It was green, sparkling, crystal-clear and shaky as it swayed under the electric fan.


    In addition to the little buds that Mingxi got from furiously inhaling Fu Yangxi¡¯s luck, she had about 3? buds now.


    Mingxi quivered in joy. She quickly got out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to look at the mirror.


    The small dark patch on the left side of her pale face had faded substantially. If she wasn¡¯t looking at it so closely in the mirror, it was barely noticeable.


    Mingxi said, ¡°With this speed of recovery, I¡¯ll be able to rid myself of the mask very soon!¡±


    System: ¡°Of course. The unfortunate things that you had to go through was related to the negative luck of being a female supporting character. The moment you absorb some positive luck, everything will go smoother for you.¡±


    Mingxi felt inspired. So long as she worked hard enough, the fate of an evil female supporting character could be changed!


    After burning a huge amount of calories due to all that running, Mingxi was hungry. On the way to the canteen, she was still thinking about what she could do to absorb the most amount of luck in the shortest time.


    This Fu family¡¯s young master was truly one to be reckoned with. She was lucky with the incident of their homeroom teacher punishing her to do laps, else he would have definitely asked someone to move her books away.


    Without this incident, it was highly possible that her books would have been coldly thrown into the trash.


    Mingxi wasn¡¯t angry. After all, she did want to ask for a favor from him.


    She just felt frustrated¡ª What could she do to get closer to him?


    Mingxi quickly thought of the one thing she was best at: cooking.


    For the past 15 years before she was found by the Zhao family, she had always cooked and took care of her grandmother. It was a common occurrence for her to return the ingredients given to her by her neighbors in the form of delicious dishes.


    From around the age of 7 to 8, there were already people complimenting her cooking.


    After she was found by the Zhaos, in order to quickly assimilate into the family, she would often cook a few specialty dishes for them.


    Although her mother was a picky eater, she never said anything about her cooking.


    As for Zhao Yuning, he was always the one who wanted seconds. Sometimes he would even ask her to make more so that he could eat them at school the next day.


    Looks like she was gonna have to go to He Yang¡¯s shop to get some ingredients.


    As Mingxi finally had an idea, her steps were lighter and quicker.


    *


    The gossip about the incident that occurred this morning at the International Class also reached the ears of Zhao Yuan and her friend E* Xiaoxia.


    ray note: E is pronounced like ¡®uh¡¯


    Zhao Yuning walked over from the side with Year Ones to eat with Zhao Yuan. He sat beside them.


    While the siblings were shocked when they heard about this from E Xiaoxia, they didn¡¯t think that Zhao Mingxi had truly changed her target of pursuit.


    What kind of joke was this? Everyone knew that she liked Shen Liyao.


    They have seen how she would always doll herself up and come down from the second floor with bright sparkly eyes whenever Shen Liyao came over to their house.


    ¡°Is she purposely doing this to aggravate Liyao ge?¡± While Zhao Yuning had a plate of food in his hands, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to eat it. ¡°The food from the canteen is so f*cking bad.¡±


    Zhao Yuan gave him the meat on her plate. As she chewed, she sighed, ¡°Sometimes Mingxi is just really childish. Be it the matter of being angry with Liyao gege or her sudden departure from home, Mom is actually really worried¡ª Yuning, did she tell you when she would come home?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? She can return whenever she likes!¡± Zhao Yuning said in a fit of anger. ¡°She did this multiple times, and was there ever a time when she didn¡¯t come home?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry,¡± Zhao Yuning advised. ¡°You¡¯re the closest to her, so why don¡¯t you go and talk to her? If not, when she returns, we¡¯ll just all admit that the matter of my allergy had nothing to do with her.¡±


    Zhao Yuning huffed in annoyance, ¡°I won¡¯t go this time. Jiejie, don¡¯t bother to do so too. Yesterday, I saw that her clothes were still in her closet. The clothes that Mom bought her were all left behind. This means that she never intended to stay in school for long. I just know that she¡¯ll return after a few days with her tail between her legs!¡±


    Despite his words, when Zhao Yuning glanced at the plain looking plate of food, he felt extremely anxious.


    Previously, he would either sneak out of school to eat or he would eat from the lunchbox brought to school by Zhao Mingxi.


    The food that Zhao Mingxi made was absolutely delicious. Everyday before the end of their fourth period in the morning, Zhao Yuning would rush to the canteen in anticipation of the good food from her.


    It could be said that a day without Zhao Mingxi¡¯s lunchbox meant a day without his soul.


    Previously, when Zhao Mingxi argued with either their family or him¡ª No matter how bad their fight was, she would never forget to bring the lunchbox.


    After the siblings quarrel, they would sit together again in an awkward manner. Then by the end of the meal, their frustrations would have all disappeared.


    But today, Zhao Mingxi acted out of the ordinary. She didn¡¯t show up!


    Zhao Yuning kept on looking toward the entrance to the canteen. However, he didn¡¯t see Mingxi at all although it was already close to the end of lunch time!


    Where did she go? Zhao Yuning thought.


    Did she have something to do hence she didn¡¯t come to have lunch? Did she forget to bring him lunch? Or she did remember, but purposely chose not to bring him his lunch out of anger?


    All in all, it was too unusual!


    Zhao Yuning was so dejected that he almost broke the plate with his chopsticks.


    E Xiaoxia was still laughing beside them. ¡°The gossip of her running laps has already reached us in the Evergreen Class. All this just to provoke Shen Liyao? But the line formed by the amount of people who are going after Shen Liyao could go all the way out to the other school. There is no way that he could possibly notice her! If she wants to pursue God Yao, not to say that she should have Yuanyuan¡¯s visuals, but she should at least look like the neighboring school¡¯s Kong Jiaze.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t contain his anger any longer. He tossed his chopsticks to the ground. ¡°You should take a piss and use it to look at your reflection first.¡±


    E Xiaoxia was shocked. It was then that she realized that she had a slip of the tongue. Although the relationship between Zhao Yuning and Zhao Mingxi was so-so, he was still Zhao Mingxi¡¯s younger brother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± E Xiaoxia was quick to apologize.


    Zhao Yuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t say such things about Mingxi. Let¡¯s just eat.¡±


    Zhao Yuning glared once at E Xiaoxia before going quiet.


    As for Zhao Yuan, she couldn¡¯t help but to think of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face¡ª E Xiaoxia had never seen Zhao Mingxi¡¯s appearance from two years ago when she first came to the Zhao family home.


    She looked way better than Zhao Yuan did.


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s beauty was pure and pitiful, like that of a pretty daughter of a humble family.


    As for Zhao Mingxi, her beauty could be clearly seen even from afar, and her features were amorous and delicate.


    On that day when Zhao Mingxi came to their house, the instant everyone saw her, they found it hard to look away.


    It was also at that moment when Zhao Yuan felt a slight sense of danger.


    Of course, this all came to an end when she was burned a year ago.


    As there was now a mark on her beauty, she was no longer perfect and this was a cause of relief for Zhao Yuan.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, her ears picked up on Zhao Yuning¡¯s words. ¡°Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    Zhao Yuan and E Xiaoxia turned to look.


    Mingxi was walking into the canteen from the entrance. She still had a single-use mask on.


    Zhao Yuning assumed that she was delayed by the running laps matter, hence she didn¡¯t come to the canteen. His eyes first travelled to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s hands¡ª It was actually empty with no lunchbox in sight.


    Zhao Yuning suddenly felt a little depressed.


    This was the first time after a fight with Mingxi jie that she didn¡¯t bring a lunchbox for him. Looks like Mingxi was really angry this time.


    Zhao Yuning was wondering if he should be the first to apologize. After all, yesterday when Mingxi left home he did say some pretty awful stuff to her.


    Their relationship was always the best out of everyone else. As the things he said yesterday were quite spiteful, it was no wonder that Mingxi was angry.


    While he was hesitating, Mingxi walked closer.


    Zhao Yuning was a boy who couldn¡¯t just put his ego aside easily. Nonetheless, he grit his teeth and with a surge of bravery, he stood up.


    ¡°Mingxi jie,¡± he started. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    However, before he could speak, Zhao Mingxi acted as if she didn¡¯t see him at all as she walked straight past him.


    ?


    Zhao Yuning felt as if someone had just given him a hard knock on the head. As he couldn¡¯t react in time, the shock only came to him half a second later.


    When he finally turned around, Zhao Mingxi was already by the window.


    She took up a plate and filled it with food. When she turned back, their eyes met. However, she quickly averted her gaze and walked to another corner before sitting down alone.


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s expression went stiff.

 Chapter 4

    Mingxi noticed the way Zhao Yuning hesitated although he obviously looked like he wanted to say something. However, she couldn¡¯t be bothered by it.


    She was a decisive person. She would either have everything or nothing at all. She would put in all her effort for just one thing, but when her efforts are not reflected in the results, she would stop before she suffers a loss.


    Currently, for her, the Zhao family was precisely the one ¡®loss¡¯ she wanted to stop.


    Whether or not Zhao Yuning could get used to this was a matter for him to deal with.


    No matter what, it was impossible for her to be like how she was in her past life, whereby she would still prepare his lunch beforehand just because she thought of him as her biological younger brother.


    After Mingxi sat down, He Yang also quickly filled up her plate and came over. She brought two pieces of dessert and gave them to Mingxi. ¡°You made these at my family¡¯s shop last weekend. You¡¯re really good at this, even my dad said that it was delicious! You haven¡¯t even tried these two yet, so I used some dry ice to preserve it and brought it today for you to have a taste!¡±


    Mingxi was driven by hunger. Just as she was about to open the packaging, she thought of something and kept the delicate package instead. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it in class later.¡±


    ¡°Sure, little pauper.¡± He Yang laughed.


    As Mingxi looked at her, she couldn¡¯t help but to recall her best friend He Yang¡¯s ending in her past life.


    In the novel, He Yang could be considered as an average cannon fodder villain. Due to the fact that she had a short temper, was always on her side and hated Zhao Yuan, every time she saw Zhao Yuan she would say a few mean words.


    Then, as a brainless female supporting character, she would be forced to eat her words by Zhao Yuan and the people around her¡ª As this occurrence continued to repeat itself, her family¡¯s business began to deteriorate and she no longer had the time to pick on Zhao Yuan.


    Although this was way better than her terminal illness ending, when she thought of how pitiful Uncle He looked with his hair half gray a few years later, Mingxi felt anguished.


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any problems with your dad¡¯s business recently, right?¡±


    He Yang rolled her eyes at Mingxi while biting on her chopsticks. ¡°What problems could there be? You should worry about yourself instead. You still have a lot of matters to settle. Has Zhao Yuan recovered from her allergy?¡±


    It was only three years later when He Yang¡¯s family hired a new marketing manager did problems start to arise in their business. As this person who will betray He Yang¡¯s father had yet to appear, there shouldn¡¯t be any huge problems for now.


    However, in this life she will definitely keep an eye out for He Yang. She will never allow anything bad to happen to He Yang and her family anymore.


    ¡°I moved out. I¡¯m living in school now.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? Just because of a small matter of Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy, your family kicked you out? Who exactly is the biological daughter here?!¡± He Yang almost exploded out of anger.


    ¡°Lower down your voice!¡± Mingxi hurriedly pulled her to sit down. ¡°They didn¡¯t kick me out, I wanted to move out on my own. Speaking of this, I need your help to find a way to earn money.¡±


    He Yang got even angrier. ¡°The Zhao family even cut off your financial resources? I¡¯m so pissed off. I think this whole thing must¡¯ve been plotted and acted out by that b*tch Zhao Yuan. Although I hate her, it¡¯s not to the extent of triggering her allergy¡ª But I do want to try.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t her,¡± Mingxi said.


    The amazing part of this female protagonist Zhao Yuan was that she had innate luck. She didn¡¯t need to try to take anything and all the love and affection would still be hers.


    Thus, she didn¡¯t need to plot and act in order to harm Mingxi.


    In her past life, as no evidence could be found, this matter came to an ambiguous end with Mingxi¡¯s fight with her family.


    But in this life, Mingxi who had read the whole book had a person in mind.


    ¡°It could have been E Xiaoxia.¡±


    He Yang¡¯s eyes widened.


    E Xiaoxia was Zhao Yuan¡¯s best friend in the earlier part of the novel. She would always protect Zhao Yuan, and when it came to arguing with Mingxi she would always be at the frontlines.


    However, a huge part of her hate toward Mingxi stemmed from how she considered Mingxi as her love rival.


    Last Friday, Mingxi saw her giving a bottle of water to Shen Liyao by the side of the basketball court. It was only then that she realized that E Xiaoxia also liked Shen Liyao.


    ¡°But this is merely a guess,¡± Mingxi said. ¡°So many people walked in and out that day, it¡¯s impossible to actually find any evidence.¡±


    ¡°It must have been her. She¡¯s just jealous that you and Shen Liyao had been promised to be married to each other since both of you were born,¡± He Yang said. ¡°Then you should explain this to your family!¡±


    ¡°Even if I did, they won¡¯t believe me. Even if they believed me, they would still feel like I had some responsibility somehow,¡± Mingxi said helplessly. ¡°Because you are my friend and this incident happened in your family¡¯s shop, it means I did it on purpose.¡±


    For a moment there, He Yang¡¯s heart was so stuffed that she couldn¡¯t say a single word.


    Mingxi was right. Even if she tried her best to explain herself, it would be useless because Mingxi¡¯s existence was a threat to Zhao Yuan.


    No matter what she did, it would look as if she was trying to take away their affection.


    The core matter of this incident was not who caused Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy or who was responsible.


    Instead, it was the problem of how everyone in the Zhao family leaned in favor of Zhao Yuan.


    Although Mingxi was very upset about this in her past life, in this life, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore.


    Rather, it was He Yang who could no longer swallow her food. She pulled a long face.


    ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll definitely find a way to help you prove your innocence! Whoever was doing all these evil things behind the scenes will certainly get what they deserve from me!¡±


    ¡°Just eat your food.¡± Mingxi regretted telling her all this. She couldn¡¯t help but to pinch He Yang¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Besides, I¡¯ve already decided to draw the line with the Zhao family. What you can do to help me is to find some sort of way to earn money.¡±


    He Yang was rather updated as she was always on social media.


    She immediately took out her phone. ¡°You asked the right person. I¡¯ll send you a few links so you can take a look at them during the afternoon class. Helping someone to do their homework, replacing someone for their piano class, taking an exam for someone, there¡¯s anything and everything out there. A few days ago a rich person posted a job saying that they were sick and needed someone to take their exams for them¡ª The offer price was as high as 8,000 yuan.¡±


    ¡°That much?¡± Mingxi was kind of shocked. If she could take this, she could use it to cover one semester¡¯s tuition fees.


    She looked at the person who posted this. Their ID was Handsome J. It looked familiar, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on who it was.


    Mingxi was a hardworking person and her results were good. Back when she was in her small town in the North she never got anything lower than first place in school.


    However, after she was found by the Zhao family¡ª which was also when the terrible luck of a villain began to circulate around her, there would always be problems whenever it was close to the exam term in this school. She would either have a migraine or stomach ache. Thus, everyone only saw how she didn¡¯t do well in her exams as her results for the first half of the year were only average.


    She could only force herself to work even harder and do sample tests until the middle of the night. Only if she was more capable could she complete her papers before her stomach ache appeared in the middle of the exams.


    It was precisely through this method that she managed to obtain the result of No. 3 among the twenty something Normal Classes in her last exam.


    The better her results were, the higher the offer price would be for tasks like helping to complete homework or replacing someone for an exam. Furthermore, if she wants to get even better results, she would have to spend more effort on freeloading luck.


    It shouldn¡¯t be a problem!


    Mingxi took a glance at the 3? buds she obtained in exchange for 30 laps, and the small flame of fighting spirit in her heart burned vigorously.


    *


    After Mingxi and He Yang were done eating, they left the canteen.


    At a spot not far behind her sat the students of the Varsity Team.


    Mingxi¡¯s voice was soft, but through He Yang¡¯s loud exclamations, a few key words could be heard by them.


    ¡°Looks like something happened to the Zhao family over the weekend. E Xiaoxia from the Evergreen Class triggered Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy and pushed the blame to Zhao Mingxi. As no one in their family believed Zhao Mingxi, she had a huge fight with her family before moving out to stay in school.¡±


    Everyone in the Varsity Team was smart, including Ye Bai. He very quickly obtained some information from the two girls¡¯ conversation.


    It paid off for him to force Shen Liyao to sit at this corner.


    Of course, while Shen Liyao appeared indifferent, he didn¡¯t refuse. This in itself was a surprise to Ye Bai.


    ¡°Therefore, now it can be explained why Zhao Mingxi transferred to the International Class and decided to pursue that guy with the surname Fu.¡± Ye Bai looked at Mingxi¡¯s retreating figure before turning to face Shen Liyao with an expression full of interest. ¡°She must be jealous of you and E Xiaoxia!¡±


    Shen Liyao furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Who is E Xiaoxia?¡±


    Ye Bai was speechless.


    ¡°Last Friday! Basketball court! The girl who gave you a bottle of water after our second match. Zhao Mingxi was right there!¡±


    Shen Liyao skimmed through his memories with a blank expression. Finally, he remembered.


    He was pondering something as the look in his eyes went cold.


    A short while later, Shen Liyao said coldly, ¡°She forced the bottle into my hands and ran away right after. There were no trash cans nearby and I couldn¡¯t just throw it anywhere.¡±


    After a pause, he looked at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s figure. No one knew who he was explaining this to, but he spoke nonetheless, ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t drink it. I tossed it to you right away.¡±


    ¡°There is an 80% chance that Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t see what happened afterwards. Furthermore, she had a fight with her love rival E Xiaoxia over the weekend. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, hence she purposely transferred to the International Class.¡±


    Ye Bai analyzed with his hand over his chin. Finally, with a firm voice, ¡°Yep, this was definitely what happened. No one understands girls better than I do.¡±


    Shen Liyao was silent for a while.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with me.¡±


    He looked away from Zhao Mingxi, his eyes still as blank as ever. ¡°Eat quickly. We have special training after this.¡±


    ¡°God Yao, are you not going to do anything about this? What if she really stops following us around?¡±


    Ye Bai felt that it was a pity.


    When Zhao Mingxi came to find Shen Liyao she would always bring various delicious foods and desserts. They were all made by her and it tasted absolutely delightful. Even though they couldn¡¯t eat it, even smelling it was good enough.


    Shen Liyao gave no response.


    Ye Bai raised his head and saw that Shen Liyao didn¡¯t look happy.


    Just as Ye Bai was going to say something, Shen Liyao took his plate, moved his long legs and  left the table.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good thing? She should have been placing her focus on her studies a long time ago.¡±


    However, Ye Bai wasn¡¯t sure if it was just a moment of misperception, but he felt that today¡¯s Shen Liyao had a hint of impatience between his brows.

 Chapter 5

    Meanwhile at the other side, Mingxi was entering the International Class through the back door. It was still lunchtime and the air-conditioner was blowing out cold air, but no one in the class was asleep. They were all looking at her.


    There were only two types of people in this class: Fu Yangxi¡¯s friends and Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers.


    The students who were at the podium quickly walked down while the students who were leaning on their chairs sat up straight.


    As for Fu Yangxi¡ª the actual school hunk, with his red bed head, silver noise-cancelling headphones hanging on his neck and a skeleton chain on his chest which were both arrogant and silly, he looked over at her. He was sitting on the table with one foot on the chair. His legs were crossed and the look in his eyes were cold as he watched her walk in.


    There were more than forty pairs of eyes looking at her. Mingxi was under a lot of stress.


    When she saw that her books were still stacked on the table beside Fu Yangxi and that no one had thrown her books to the stinky sewers yet, she let out a small breath of relief.


    She pushed through the pressure and walked over.


    Once she got there, Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to suck in a deep breath.


    Sorry, the luck with the scent of dried pine smelled too good. She couldn¡¯t control herself. The moment she inhaled, even her Feng Chi* was cleared.


    ray¡¯s note: also known as Acupressure Point GB20. it is located by feeling for the mastoid (ear) bone and following the groove back to where the neck muscles attach to the skull. Feng Chi is recommended for headache, migraine, eye blurriness or fatigue, low energy, and cold/flu symptoms.


    ?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze which consisted of 30% arrogance, 30% indifference and 40% callousness almost faltered.


    His followers said that the first time this girl saw him, she immediately rushed over to take a whiff out of him. He didn¡¯t believe it then¡ª But now she had actually f*king walked up to him and sucked in a deep breath. If she wasn¡¯t inhaling his scent then what was she doing?!


    Before Fu Yangxi could build up his cool front again, the tips of his ears flushed red due to anger. ¡°What the f*ck are you trying to do? Seeing as how you helped me run those 30 laps, I allowed you to sit beside me all morning. But this doesn¡¯t mean that you can continue to sit by my side!¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nowhere else to sit in class.¡± Mingxi discussed with him calmly. ¡°There¡¯s just the seat beside you. If I don¡¯t sit here, I can only move my table to the last row and sit all by myself.¡±


    Mingxi had her mask on. Her black medium-length hair was tucked behind her ears and her voice sounded a little hoarse.


    Fu Yangxi averted his gaze from her long eyelashes. He unconsciously took a look around the class. All of the followers immediately sat up straight. Aside from the seat beside him, there really wasn¡¯t any extra space for another.


    Wait¡ª


    ¡°Why should I solve your problem?¡± Fu Yangxi abruptly realized. He said in annoyance, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help himself and teased Mingxi, ¡°Transfer student, you don¡¯t have to sit beside our Xi ge. Since you¡¯ve already made it to the same class, there¡¯s ample time for you to do what you want.¡±


    As he was speaking, two students walked over and were prepared to take Mingxi¡¯s table away.


    She won¡¯t be able to get closer to Fu Yangxi¡¯s luck if she sits anywhere else. While there were other students in the International Class with faint light on them, they were all too weak and were almost no difference to zero. Furthermore, she heard that Jiang Xiuqiu who was No. 2 on the list wasn¡¯t here today because he¡¯s down with the flu.


    There was no way that she could settle for the next best thing which was to approach Shen Liyao in the neighbouring class. Besides, as Shen Liyao was someone that she as the villainess in her past life had liked, he was related to the villain and thus the return rate wouldn¡¯t be as high as Fu Yangxi¡¯s.


    All in all it came down to one sentence: Fu Yangxi was a walking iced watermelon in the middle of summer!


    ¡°No. I want to sit here!¡± Mingxi hurriedly pressed down the table with her palm.


    Seeing as how the two boys were still moving, she directly threw her upper body on the table and hugged it.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened and jaws dropped upon seeing this.


    While Mingxi was slumped down, her loose uniform rested on her back, showing off her slim figure.


    Fu Yangxi felt as if he could smell a faint fragrance rushing to him.


    His ears immediately flushed red. He jumped down from the table with a furious look and cursed mentally.


    He was being pestered by a girl who was a head shorter than him!


    Seeing as how Fu Yangxi was still glaring at her angrily, Mingxi quickly straightened her back and offered him the dessert in her hands.


    ¡°How about this, let¡¯s make a deal. I¡¯ll use these two slices of dessert in exchange for the right to sit here, okay?¡±


    ¡°Then if you still want more, I can make them for you.¡±


    ¡°What is this thing covered in a plastic bag?¡± Fu Yangxi took it with an expression of disgust. In the end, the scent of a soft and sweet cake entered his nostrils.


    Even by the smell he knew that it was delicious.


    She even knew that he liked to eat sweet foods. She was definitely more attentive than any of his previous pursuers who would only wildly guess what he liked.


    The fluffy golden tail behind Fu Yangxi was wagging in excitement.


    Even Ke Chengwen who had stretched out his neck couldn¡¯t help but to gulp.


    ¡°Only one afternoon.¡± Fu Yangxi pushed away Ke Chengwen¡¯s head. With the sweets in his arms, he lifted his head to show his chin and put up an undermining appearance, as if saying ¡®I¡¯m only sparing one glance at you because I think highly of you¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept this. In return, I¡¯ll allow you to attend today¡¯s afternoon class here. But you should know better and voluntarily change your seat with the class monitor. I don¡¯t want to see you beside me tomorrow.¡±


    Mentally, Mingxi wanted nothing but to kick his handsome red hair. ¡°Two slices of dessert for an afternoon. You might as well rip me off.¡±


    Fu Yangxi smiled and drank a mouthful of water lazily. ¡°What do you propose then?¡±


    The system reminded: ¡°If you send him messages one-sidedly, even if he doesn¡¯t reply, you can get some luck as it¡¯ll be considered in the novel as ¡®making friends with popular characters¡¯.¡±


    Mingxi immediately said, ¡°Two slices of dessert in exchange for one afternoon, and your WeChat contact number.¡±


    Instantly, the whole of the International Class gasped.


    A brave warrior!


    This was the first time in Xi ge¡¯s 17 years of life that he had met a brave warrior!


    She dared to ask him for his contact number in front of so many people! This girl is too brave!


    Fu Yangxi almost choked and spit out his drink. The redness in his ears had uncontrollably spread to his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare harass me. I¡¯m warning you!¡±


    As Mingxi cared nothing about the consequence, she bargained, ¡°If not, then you can first give me half of your WeChat QR code. As for the other half, I¡¯ll use something else in exchange for it in the future.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was speechless.


    ¡°Still not good enough?¡± Mingxi furrowed her brows. ¡°Then how about a quarter then? No way, how could you, the infamous 180 plus cm Fu family¡¯s young master be so stingy?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was still speechless.


    For some reason, Fu Yangxi merely watched as Mingxi walked over to him and scanned his WeChat QR code.


    As expected, he is a dumb beauty. Mingxi was satisfied upon receiving his Wechat.


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. He took out a credit card from his pocket and tossed it in front of Mingxi. ¡°Also, this is your reward for running those 30 laps.¡±


    It was really tiring to run 30 laps. While he couldn¡¯t make anyone replace her, he couldn¡¯t just let her run for nothing.


    Mingxi accepted the money with no hesitation. Since it was already given to her, she might as well take it. If she accepted the money Fu Yangxi gave her, she would gain more luck, right?


    Nonetheless, she didn¡¯t plan on using this money. Even if she did, she would use it on this person beside her.


    Mingxi took a glimpse of him. Fu Yangxi was tall with long legs. It didn¡¯t seem at all comfortable for him to sleep on the table like that. She could use this money to buy something for him.


    By doing this, wouldn¡¯t she be gaining luck by ¡®exchanging gifts with popular characters¡¯?


    After Mingxi accepted the money and scanned the WeChat QR code, she tidied up her table and sat down with plans to take an afternoon nap. She glanced at the flower pot. As expected, she gained a lot. The bud which hadn¡¯t been fully grown was a complete bud. Now, she had four perfect little buds.


    Mingxi instantly showed a smile full of anticipation and excitement.


    In other people¡¯s eyes, it seemed as if her eyes had curved into a happy smile because she successfully managed to bargain her way into sitting together with Fu Yangxi.


    What a fool. Everyone in the class sighed.


    Fu Yangxi lazily supported his chin with his hand and raised his brows in joy. What could he do? No one told him to be such a good tempered, well-mannered, handsome and rich guy.


    The phone in his pocket rang. Fu Yangxi put on his silver headphones and took a glimpse at it.


    It was a message from Jiang Xiuqiu: ¡°What exactly does the transfer student look like? Ke Chengwen said that she always has a mask on. It seems as if her face was injured.¡±


    Fu Yangxi replied nonchalantly: ¡°What do you think she could look like? Since she uses a face mask to cover her face, she most probably looks average. But do I look like someone who cares about appearances?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to get her off your back with money. Have you given the money to her?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± Fu Yangxi replied with one hand: ¡°There¡¯s 100,000 yuan in the card.¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help boasting and sent another message: ¡°She likes me so much that the happiness on her face couldn¡¯t be concealed. Tsk, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going after my money. :D¡±


    After typing these, Fu Yangxi stole a glimpse at Mingxi. Mingxi took off her school jacket. Underneath that black hair was a pale, thin and swan-like neck. She wore a thin sweater. It wasn¡¯t from a famous brand.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t be certain, but he still continued to brag in front of his friend: ¡°The transfer student wears simple clothes. She¡¯s definitely not a gold digger.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu quickly replied: ¡°Whether or not she¡¯s a gold digger, that¡¯ll be apparent in the future. Ever since we were young, I¡¯ve never seen a person who had truly gone after you for just you.¡±


    His hope was ripped to shreds.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°Leave me alone. You¡¯re just jealous.¡±


    It was a peaceful afternoon.


    Fu Yangxi was asleep for the majority of class, hence Mingxi could boldly sniff him.


    He looked as if he had no bones in his body. His complexion was similar to that of a sick person¡¯s paleness. There was a faint red mark over the mole at the end of his right eye due to his sleeping posture. When he woke up, he would hazily rummage through his desk drawer and pour out a few pills from those supplement bottles. Then, he would continue to rest his body on the table. The red hair that was like a hedgehog was rather tamed while he was asleep.


    Mingxi was a little curious as to what vitamins he was taking. Why was it that despite all these supplements, he didn¡¯t seem to be very healthy? However, she thought about how the medicine for the rich must be very expensive, and she might not know them even if she asked.


    Furthermore, Fu Yangxi seemed to be afraid of noise as his noise-cancelling headphones had never been taken off. Thus, Mingxi dared not ask.


    As for the rest of the followers in class, they all got used to this. After the whole fiasco, they stopped paying attention to her.


    By the time Fu Yangxi yawned, woke up and the limousine from his home arrived, it was already the end of the school day.


    Fu Yangxi subconsciously looked at the table beside him. The seat was empty. The transfer student left without even saying goodbye to him. He furrowed his brows.


    Can she pursue someone properly?


    It was at this moment when Fu Yangxi¡¯s phone vibrated.


    He took it out from his pocket and glanced at it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [12,000.00 yuan was charged to your Credit Card ending with XXXX.]


    [¡­was charged to your Credit Card ending with XXXX.]


    Like a tsunami, a whole bunch of notifications appeared on his screen.


    This transfer student whom he had just sworn this afternoon as someone who was not a gold digger nor a person who wanted his money, had just spent 56,000 yuan in a short period of time.


    ¡°¡­¡± Fu Yangxi pulled a long face instantly. He felt as if he had been betrayed.


    What did he mean by not going after him for his money? She was obviously doing so!

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Is Mingxi not planning to come home?¡± Madam Zhao asked the Zhao family¡¯s driver.


    The relationship between Mingxi and her mother was very complicated. Although she knew that this child was her biological daughter, she had never seen her for the past 15 years, hence she felt unfamiliar around her. Physical interactions like hugs were awkward as well.


    Furthermore, she had to be wary of Zhao Yuan¡¯s feelings too¡ª Yuanyuan has had a weak physique ever since she was young. She never fought to take anything from other people. If she realized that everyone around her paid more attention to Mingxi, would she be depressed due to the feeling of abandonment?


    Therefore, for the past two years Madam Zhao always kept Mingxi at arms length.


    Nonetheless, Mingxi was her biological daughter. No matter how rebellious she was, there was no way she could truly ignore her.


    The driver locked the garage door, shook his head and said, ¡°When I went to pick them up, only Miss Zhao Yuan and Young Master Yuning got on. I didn¡¯t see Miss Mingxi at the school gate.¡±


    ¡°She thinks she¡¯s all grown up now. It¡¯s already been two days and she still hasn¡¯t come back.¡± Madam Zhao looked angry.


    The driver asked, ¡°Maybe I should go look for her after school tomorrow and bring her home?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need.¡± Madam Zhao was rather frustrated. ¡°I just said a few words and she decided to run away from home. Who indulged her to have such bad behaviour? If she doesn¡¯t come home then so be it, don¡¯t voluntarily bring her home! Also, she didn¡¯t bring a lot of clothes and shoes. I think she didn¡¯t even plan on staying in school for long!¡±


    As this concerned another person¡¯s family, the driver didn¡¯t feel like it was in his position to say anything.


    Madam Zhao turned and entered the house. Zhao Yuan wasn¡¯t home yet as she had cultural activities today. As for Zhao Yuning, no one knew what he was angry about. Instead of having dinner, he immediately entered his room to play games the moment he reached home.


    While Madam Zhao was eating a simple dinner alone, she realized that Mingxi¡¯s specialty dish, sweet and sour pork ribs, wasn¡¯t here. After dinner when she was watching TV on the couch, Mingxi was also not there to massage her shoulders. She felt annoyed and it was only then that she felt that the house was exceptionally cold and cheerless.


    It was impossible for her to put down her pride to ask how Mingxi was doing in school. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but to go upstairs and knock on Zhao Yuning¡¯s door.


    ¡°Did you see your elder sister in school today? Did you ask when she will stop all this nonsense and come home?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see her. I¡¯m in Year One, why would I be in the Year Three area for no reason?¡± Zhao Yuning was still thinking about how Mingxi ignored him at the canteen this afternoon. He pulled a long face. ¡°Mom, stop asking me. Weren¡¯t you the one who scolded her to the point that she decided to run away from home?¡±


    Madam Zhao was stunned. She couldn¡¯t rebut this, hence she could only leave.


    When the noise outside the door dissipated, Zhao Yuning turned off his game and opened WeChat.


    He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. Did Zhao Mingxi have to get so angry this time¡ª Aside from the matter of not giving him a lunchbox, she also treated him like a stranger in school by ignoring him. What did this mean? Also, she wanted to leave home for real and completely sever her ties with them?


    What kind of huge matter was this? Wasn¡¯t it just that Zhao Yuan triggered her allergy and their family scolded her a little? Previously when she got burnt, she didn¡¯t even say anything.


    Furthermore, he was planning on apologizing to her in the afternoon. It was she who ignored him first.


    Then if he sent her a message on WeChat, wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing? For him to continuously lower his head for her?


    But what if she still doesn¡¯t come home and stop giving him lunch?


    During dinner today, Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t swallow his food properly. All this was too out of the ordinary for him.


    Zhao Yuning thought back on how he faced Zhao Mingxi¡¯s empty room when he got home. He furrowed his brows and scratched his head. After typing and deleting several times, he finally closed his eyes, gathered up his courage and pressed send.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi, what did your actions in the afternoon mean?¡±


    He sat on the bed and crossed his legs. He suppressed the unhappiness he was feeling as he had to lower his head again. He planned on seeing how Mingxi was going to reply.


    In the end.


    Unexpectedly, he saw a red exclamation mark.


    Zhao Yuning was speechless.


    [You are not their friend. Please send a friend request first. After they accept, you may begin chatting.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuning was stunned. He immediately called Zhao Mingxi.


    But the sound of voicemail quickly came: ¡°The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.¡±


    He got blocked on both WeChat and on her phone????


    Zhao Yuning almost fell out of bed. His jaw dropped out of shock as he stood there dumbfoundedly.


    Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t think for a good few seconds.


    This was the first time that such a thing has happened since Zhao Mingxi returned to the Zhao family.


    It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t leave home or say that she was going to stay in school before this, but they were all unsuccessful as she would always return home after two days with reddened eyes¡ª Actually, Zhao Yuning knew that after that old grandmother who adopted and took care of Mingxi at their small Northern town passed away, Mingxi had nowhere else to go.


    But this time, she wasn¡¯t showing any signs of wanting to come home. She even blocked him on all platforms.


    Zhao Yuning quickly thought of a question. Was he the only one she blocked, or was the whole family blocked as well?


    Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t know why, but when he thought of the unconcerned expression Mingxi had when she left home, he had a feeling which couldn¡¯t be explained in any other way but bad.


    Just while he was pacing in his room, wondering if he should talk about this with his eldest brother Zhao Zhanhuai, there were noises downstairs indicating that his eldest brother had returned.


    It seemed as if someone else was here as well as his mother was greeting them.


    A short while later, there was a knock on his door. ¡°Young Master, Young Master Liyao is here. He said there¡¯s a matter to discuss. Madam has asked you to go downstairs.¡±


    Shen Liyao was the blueprint for ¡®the kid next door¡¯. Throughout his life, he had obtained countless gold medals as well as prizes from creating new robots and winning chess competitions.


    Zhao Yuning felt that he was too indifferent and arrogant, hence he didn¡¯t like him that much. However, his parents were very welcoming toward him. Previously, they tried to bring him and Zhao Yuan together, but after Mingxi¡¯s return, this engagement naturally turned to become one between Mingxi and Shen Liyao.


    But it was rare for him to voluntarily come over to their place. Even if he came, he was always cold, as if someone owed him eight million yuan. So what was the matter today?


    If he didn¡¯t go downstairs today, he would definitely be nagged by his mom tonight.


    Zhao Yuning furrowed his brows. He could only put aside the matter of being blocked by Zhao Mingxi and walked downstairs.


    *


    He Yang lived in the same area as the Zhao family. Thus, what happened that night at the Zhao family quickly travelled to Mingxi¡¯s ears.


    He Yang sent her a message: ¡°I heard that Shen Liyao went to your house tonight.¡±


    Mingxi was stunned. She had the same thought as Zhao Yuning. Shen Liyao voluntarily went to the Zhao family home¡ª Did the sun rise from the west today?


    He Yang¡¯s message popped up again: ¡°Someone saw him go to the Evergreen Class after class today to look for E Xiaoxia. Do you think that he got some information from E Xiaoxia and went to your house to prove how the matter of Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy had nothing to do with you? You can rid yourself of this matter now!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mingxi replied. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t really care about how the Zhao family members think of me anymore.¡±


    In her past life, it was precisely due to the fight with her family in order to prove her innocence that she lost all common sense.


    But in this life, her thoughts were clear. As long as she confirmed that the allergy incident was related to E Xiaoxia, Mingxi actually had many ways to prove this to the Zhao family as well. Be it getting the hospital¡¯s CCTV footage or tricking E Xiaoxia to confess.


    However, the problem was that Mingxi couldn¡¯t be bothered with how they thought of her anymore. Thus, she didn¡¯t want to waste her time on this.


    To her, the care and trust of the Zhao family was like a cake.


    She wanted it so desperately in her past life, but in this life it had already expired so she no longer wants it.


    Nonetheless, what was Shen Liyao doing at the Zhao family home? It couldn¡¯t be that it was as He Yang guessed whereby he was trying to help her, right?


    Mingxi was washing her hair when someone gave her a missed call. Later, while she was drying her hair, she saw a missed call and message from her eldest brother Zhao Zhanhuai.


    She didn¡¯t contact Zhao Zhanhuai often, hence she forgot to add him to her blocked list.


    ¡°Liyao just came over. What happened to Yuanyuan previously seemed to have been accidentally triggered by her friend. Everyone misunderstood you, I apologize for that.¡±


    ¡°But Mingxi, this habit of yours of leaving home whenever you feel slightly wronged isn¡¯t good. We¡¯ll talk when you get home. Mom has been really frustrated for the past two days. When are you coming home? I¡¯ll come and pick you up.¡±


    When Mingxi saw this belated apology, she remained unmoving. She was just a little surprised.


    He Yang¡¯s guess was correct.


    However, Mingxi soon felt that all this was normal.


    Although Shen Liyao didn¡¯t like her and treated her coldly, they have known each other for two years and could be considered as friends. Furthermore, Shen Liyao wasn¡¯t just cold to her, he treated everyone the same, and someone as proud as him couldn¡¯t just let such a matter go.


    It could be that he decided to help her after finding out that she was now staying in school.


    Despite the fact that what Shen Liyao did was unnecessary, Mingxi still felt grateful. It was worth how she spent so much time being in love with him in her past life.


    Mingxi sat at the side of her bed, and with a light swipe of her finger, she deleted Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s message. This time, she searched up every single Zhao family member¡¯s phone number and WeChat and deleted them.


    The world was now peaceful.


    There was no way she was going home. What could she do if she went home? Repeat the steps to getting cancer like in her past life? The fact that Zhao Yuan was a lucky child was something that could not be changed. If she didn¡¯t spend more time on changing her fate for the better, then she might end up dying at the age of 23 again.


    *


    When Zhao Zhanhuai didn¡¯t receive Mingxi¡¯s call or reply to his text, he spoke to his mother who appeared guilty, ¡°It¡¯s already past 10 p.m., she must be asleep by now.¡±


    The Zhao family members felt unsettled.


    This was more apparent in Zhao Yuning. After sending Zhao Yuan to the hospital last weekend, they didn¡¯t even bother to listen to her before scolding her. Mingxi must¡¯ve felt so wronged then. No wonder she still hadn¡¯t come home after so long this time.


    ¡°No one really blamed her anyway, we just said a few words! Moreover, even if Yuanyuan¡¯s allergy had nothing to do with her, couldn¡¯t she show more care toward Yuanyuan who was still in the hospital room instead of arguing with us?¡±


    Although their mother appeared guilty, her words were still cruel, ¡°Her temper has gotten worse too. Just because of a few words she decided to stay in school.¡±


    Zhao Yuning was a little angry. ¡°Mom, will it hurt for you to speak less?¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhao Zhanhuai pulled her to sit and said, ¡°Mingxi is just like a child throwing tantrums. She¡¯ll be fine after some coaxing. I¡¯ll go pick her up during the weekend. But after she comes home, you should still apologize to her. You¡¯re just firm in speech but soft in heart.¡±


    Madam Zhao furrowed her brows. ¡°Alright. This child really stirred up the whole family. We¡¯ll talk once she gets home during the weekend.¡±


    Zhao Yuning who was at the side moved his lips, but in the end he didn¡¯t manage to tell them about how Zhao Mingxi had already blocked him. Could they still bring her home¡ª Will it be that she won¡¯t even come home tomorrow?


    When he saw the guilty and furious expression on his mother, a thought appeared in his mind.


    Why is it that this matter clearly had nothing to do with Mingxi and Mingxi couldn¡¯t even explain herself when she was right, but the whole family still blamed her at the first instance?


    Furthermore, after Shen Liyao explained what happened, their mother still blamed Mingxi for being immature.


    If this sort of biasness occurred to him, what would he do?


    Bias.


    The 16-year-old Zhao Yuning suddenly understood this word for the first time.


    *


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s sudden message didn¡¯t affect Mingxi¡¯s good mood at all. She finished her homework and looked at her fruits of labor today¡ª 4 complete buds. She felt extremely motivated.


    This afternoon she sat beside Fu Yangxi for a whole three periods of class. By right she should¡¯ve received quite an amount of luck. However, the fifth tiny bud only moved the soil a little and didn¡¯t even show any signs of shooting out of the earth.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but after that, the luck that she got from inhaling didn¡¯t seem to be as strong as when she sniffed Fu Yangxi the first time she met him.


    The system explained to her: ¡°Diminishing marginal effect. The first time you appeared beside Fu Yangxi, it was equal to ¡®the villainess met Fu Yangxi and sat beside him¡¯ in the novel. It stimulates the readers of the novel, hence it can give you some luck. However, the novel cannot keep on repeating the fact that you have continued to sit beside him and breathed. The readers will criticize the writer for writing unnecessary things, thus the luck that you can get from that would be lesser.¡±


    Mingxi was a little disappointed. She asked, ¡°Does this diminishing marginal effect apply to everything else I do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, basically everything.¡± The system said: ¡°On the same day, the effect of the same thing will be weaker each time it is repeated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so difficult to live as I still have to keep on creating opportunities.¡±


    While Mingxi was talking, she suddenly remembered that she got Fu Yangxi¡¯s WeChat. As she immediately went shopping after school, she had yet to send him a message.


    She braced herself, blow dried her hair, got on bed and charged her phone.


    On the other side, Fu Yangxi was lying on his velvet bed in the Fu Mansion with his freshly showered red hair dripping wet. He had been coldly staring at his phone for the past two hours.


    He had truly underestimated the transfer student. She actually spent the 100,000 yuan he gave all in one go. He wasn¡¯t bothered by the money, but this transfer student actually failed his experiment!


    With fiery anger in Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart, he looked up at the clock and rubbed his dry eyes before continuing to stare at his phone.


    It was already 11.30 p.m.. What was up with the transfer student? She asked for his WeChat but didn¡¯t send him any messages.


    Even investors would get a ¡°thanks¡± upon spending all their money on buying a person.


    So why didn¡¯t he get anything?


    Even if she had her eye on his money, could she at least have some sincerity in her pursuit?


    Suddenly, his phone vibrated. A notification appeared on the WeChat conversation page. Fu Yangxi immediately sprung up, causing his phone to fall off the bed.


    He quickly flipped over to get it.


    A maid¡¯s voice could be heard from outside. ¡°Young Master, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t come in.¡±


    Over here, Mingxi leaned on her bed frame, thought of something and sent: ¡°Young Master Fu, you can just mute me.¡±


    After sending such a message, the other didn¡¯t reply. Mingxi wasn¡¯t expecting a reply anyway. She quickly looked at the flower pot. As expected, the first time¡¯s effect was the strongest as immediately, half a bud had grown.


    Mingxi got excited instantly and sat straight up.


    Even though there was no response from the other, Mingxi didn¡¯t mind. She sent another message: ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    This time, the fifth bud grew by a quarter.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Mingxi asked the system. ¡°Will the length of the message affect anything?¡±


    The system said: ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Give it a try.¡±


    Thus, Mingxi typed randomly across the keyboard and sent: ¡°An shiji dasuo fasheng de ka siji de ka shi kan de jian ai shen de jian a sa de jingan si jian da jian dashi jia daji ai shen de jian jiu dakai daka SDKask da san kao de sa ke da ka kan de kai ka sa ding ka si ke de ka SD ka sikeda de ka SD ka ke dao ke ka sa ding ka ka sakesi kan da kan dao ka sa ding shuang ka shuang dai ka ka sudu kuai ka danshi kan dao*.¡±


    ray¡¯s note: this is basically gibberish


    This time, the fifth bud only grew by ?.


    Looks like neither the length or content of the message would affect the growth of the bud.


    The only thing that would have any effect would be the order of messages.


    The barefoot Fu Yangxi used a clothes hanger and spent a lot of effort before successfully pulling his phone out of the bottom of the bed. The moment he switched on the screen, all he saw was this message full of nothing he understood.


    He was speechless.


    What is this? Why did he feel as if the transfer student was checking if he was a robot before registering for an account?


    After Mingxi was done checking all the factors, she sent another ¡°.¡±.


    This time, there were no changes to the small bud.


    Through these four tests, Mingxi could basically be certain that everyday, only the first three messages will have the effect of stimulating the growth of the bud. From the fourth time onward, the diminishing marginal effect would be close to zero.


    If this was so, then it looks like she would only need to send Fu Yangxi three messages daily.


    As she got another half of a bud, Mingxi happily turned off her phone and went to bed.


    As for Fu Yangxi, he was trying his best to stop himself from sending her a few question marks.


    He had to be cool.


    A cool school hunk would not reply to the first five messages.


    He had to wait until the transfer student begged in her sixth message, then only he would reply.


    However on this night, even though Fu Yangxi had stayed up until morning, he didn¡¯t get another message.


    He was speechless.


    With heavy eye bags under his eyes, Fu Yangxi looked at the random words on his screen. He started to question the world. Could this be another one of the transfer student¡¯s methods to attract his attention?


    This gold digger was only pursuing him for his money.


    He¡¯ll block her tomorrow.

 Chapter 7

    Mingxi who woke up the next day had no idea that her position in this Young Master Fu¡¯s heart had fallen so low. She was practically no different from a scammer.


    After she was done washing up, she combed her hair and took out her phone. She sent Fu Yangxi a period: ¡°.¡±


    As usual, the Young Master did not reply.


    Looks like he really muted her.


    This was exactly what Mingxi wanted. She felt relieved as she could send whatever she liked after this.


    Thus, Mingxi conveniently sent him another two periods.


    With this, her task of sending three WeChat messages was complete.


    Mingxi looked at her flower pot. As expected, the luck obtained by these three messages were not as much as it was yesterday. The fifth bud only grew by a little. However as the saying goes, no matter how skinny a mosquito¡¯s leg was it was still meat, hence Mingxi was already very satisfied.


    She looked at the left side of her face in the mirror again. There was only a very light mark left.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t get any proper sleep that night, therefore he was in a bad mood when he woke up. Even the servants did not dare to approach him while he was drinking coffee in front of the French windows. Suddenly, his phone vibrated a few times. He opened them angrily and saw the messages sent by the transfer student.


    ¡°.¡±


    ¡°.¡±


    ¡°.¡±


    Three periods.


    Fu Yangxi was truly wondering if he only had 0.2G of data, or else why would he not understand what the transfer student was sending him? It was as if it was in Morse code.


    He tried his best to ignore it, but he still couldn¡¯t help but to open up Baidu. He searched up ¡®What does three periods mean?¡¯


    Very quickly, he saw¡­


    One of the answers were: Actually in romance novels, there is a secret. Three periods means I miss you, I love you and you don¡¯t have to reply to me. This is my secret, and this is something you will never find out.


    ?


    This was what the transfer student meant?


    Fu Yangxi was very doubtful.


    She sure was full of tricks.


    However, no matter what she meant, he did not plan to play along with her anymore. Bye bye.


    Thus, the moment Mingxi entered class while dragging the things she bought yesterday, she realized that her table and the books on it had all been moved to the last row.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The whole class, including her, would actually come up to a total of 42 students. Six rows and seven columns.


    But now her table seemed to stick out at the last row beside the vending machine. They had forced out a seventh row. Now, the whole class¡¯ seating arrangement looked absolutely hideous.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t think that Fu Yangxi would be this stingy! Yesterday, she thought that when Fu Yangxi said to exchange her two sweets for one afternoon was a joke. She didn¡¯t think it would be to the extent of forcefully sending her away the next day¡ª In the end, he was unexpectedly stingy!


    Mingxi was so shocked that her feet were stuck to the ground. She didn¡¯t feel good at all.


    Ke Chengwen yawned while walking over. ¡°Xi ge usually comes late and leaves early so he isn¡¯t here yet. He figured you won¡¯t voluntarily swap seats with the class monitor, so he got us to move your seat away first. Also, you¡¯re on cleaning duty today¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Ke Chengwen noticed the same transparent plastic bag Mingxi had with her yesterday. But unlike yesterday, it was carrying various grape flavored desserts. When he saw that, his eyes brightened.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to pursue Xi ge anyway, so why not give this to me? I¡¯ll take over your cleaning duties for one semester!¡±


    Mingxi already had her breakfast. She originally wanted to bring these for Fu Yangxi, but seeing as how her seat was already moved to where the trash can was, she suddenly didn¡¯t feel like giving them to him anymore.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give these to you. You¡¯ll be in charge of cleaning the board.¡±


    Ke Chengwen accepted the desserts with both hands. She had left a more favorable impression on him, hence he felt immediately closer to her.


    ¡°Transfer student! If you bring another set for me tomorrow, I¡¯ll give you Xi ge¡¯s address!¡±


    Mingxi asked the system, ¡°Will my buds grow if I find out Fu Yangxi¡¯s address?¡±


    System: ¡°No, unless you visit him.¡±


    She knew that it would be impossible for her to walk through the gates of the Fu family home, hence Mingxi could not be bothered to find out Fu Yangxi¡¯s address. She waved her hand in dismissal, walked over to her seat at the last row and sat down before saying, ¡°No thanks.¡±


    Ke Chengwen was stunned. What¡¯s going on? Just like this, she gave up on her pursuit?


    Mingxi flipped open her book. She memorized today¡¯s content while contemplating if she should shamelessly move back.


    It was very obvious that everyday, only the first deep breath could trigger the growth of a bud. Every sniff she took of Fu Yangxi after that was useless¡ª This meant that it wasn¡¯t actually necessary for her to sit together with Fu Yangxi, right? As long as she could find a way to get a good sniff of him everyday, it should be fine.


    Later if she ever felt dizzy again, she would just have to run to Fu Yangxi¡¯s side. They were in the same class anyway.


    ¡­Furthermore, being Fu Yangxi¡¯s seatmate seemed to create more difficulties for her. This guy with a redneck personality seemed to be quite short tempered. She didn¡¯t know if he would cause trouble for her in the future.


    ¡­It seemed like Jiang Xiuqiu who had a 2% return rate was still absent due to his flu. She wondered if it would be easier to find a way to sit next to him instead.


    While Mingxi was thinking, Fu Yangxi entered the classroom from the back door with a long face, a pair of headphones hanging on his neck and his hands stuffed in his pockets.


    As he didn¡¯t sleep well, his whole person looked lethargic. His short red hair wasn¡¯t as spiky as usual as he didn¡¯t have time to blow dry it. Instead, it was extremely tame and it fit so well with him that it brought out the paleness of his skin and the sharpness of his features.


    Usually, the first thing he does when he enters the class would be to lie down on the table and sleep. However today, the first thing he subconsciously did was to look at the seat beside him¡ª


    It was empty.


    Fu Yangxi recalled that he had already got his followers to move the transfer student¡¯s seat away.


    He immediately shifted his gaze in a nonchalant manner to the seat at the corner of the last row.


    This time, the transfer student made no noise about it and immediately sat at the last row. She was reading her book quietly and didn¡¯t even look up at him. The shadow at the back of her uniform was littered with flecks of the morning sun.


    It was rare for Fu Yangxi to look at a girl. Prior to this, men and women were all genderless creatures to him. This was truly the first time he realized that a girl¡¯s figure was way thinner than a boy¡¯s.


    Can it be because she¡¯s so poor that she can¡¯t eat any good food?


    Then it seems like she is worth forgiving for approaching him for money.


    Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. It had nothing to do with him.


    Fu Yangxi retracted his gaze, and with a gloomy expression on his face, he walked toward his seat.


    When he walked over, he noticed that Ke Chengwen had his head dipped low. He was hiding under the table as he ate something sneakily.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t finish eating your breakfast?¡± Fu Yangxi walked over to him. Ke Chengwen shuddered and lowered his head even further. For some reason, Fu Yangxi had a bad feeling about this. He squeezed the back of his neck and, as if picking up a dried shrimp, forced him to lift up his head.


    Then, Fu Yangxi saw the desserts which Ke Chengwen were hastily shoving into his mouth. He also saw the plastic bag that was similar to the one the transfer student gave him yesterday and that he had yet to throw away.


    He was speechless.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze darkened. He felt betrayed. Didn¡¯t the gold digger say that she was going to pursue him? Even if she was only after his money, she shouldn¡¯t have changed her target like this! How could she be so¡ª so¡ª so casual?! She was still sending some sort of secret code to him in the morning, yet the moment she came to class she gifted someone else with sweets?!


    She¡¯s so licentious!


    ¡°Did you give her money?¡±


    When Ke Chengwen saw Xi ge¡¯s dark circles, he quickly wrapped his head in his arms protectively like a tortoise. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk to her?¡±


    Ke Chengwen answered honestly, ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°What did you guys talk about?¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°I asked her if she wanted your address. She said no.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was about to explode in anger. He felt as if he was being cheated on. He turned, pulled out his chair violently and sat down in a huff. There was a huge flame of anger in his mind yet he had nowhere to let it out. He calmed himself and pulled on his collar. Then, he put on his noise-cancelling headphones and took out some bottles from his desk drawer.


    It was at this moment when his right leg seemed to have hit something.


    Fu Yangxi looked down with a furious gaze. It was a box.


    What is this? With an exasperated look, Fu Yangxi kicked the box from the bottom of his table to the side of the wall. Then he asked Ke Chengwen, ¡°Is this yours?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ke Chengwen hurriedly replied, ¡°I saw the transfer student drag this to class this morning.¡±


    Seeing as how Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, Ke Chengwen quickly made amends for his previous fault. He went over, bent down and opened the box. ¡°Xi ge, could it be a gift for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it. What can a poor person give? A box of potatoes?¡± Although Fu Yangxi said this with a cold tone, he still took a glimpse of it.


    Then, he was stunned.


    So many things.


    A foldable ergonomic chair which would allow one to sleep on the table for as long as they like without having to later experience the ache in their muscles. A Pikachu bolster with a hole in its middle. It was specially designed for those who liked to sleep on the table. There was also a lavender fragrance and at the corner of the box were a few bottles of eye drops.


    No wonder. This ergonomic chair would have cost about tens of thousands of yuan.


    She bought all of these for him!


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression turned from one of sadness to joy.


    Ke Chengwen and a few busybodies came over and exclaimed, ¡°As expected, girls are really attentive. Although you¡¯ve been sleeping in this class for three years, you have never even thought of buying these.¡±


    ¡°These are such ridiculous things.¡±


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to stop the ends of his mouth from curling up, but the tips of his ears still went uncontrollably red.


    Ke Chengwen opened up the ergonomic chair from the box and replaced Fu Yangxi¡¯s old hard chair with it. He was about to sit down. ¡°Xi ge, let me try it out for you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi grabbed hold of the back of his shirt and picked him up instantly. ¡°I¡¯ll cut off your butt!¡±


    Ke Chengwen felt his bottom go cold. He quickly moved aside.


    Fu Yangxi sat down. Although he didn¡¯t feel any difference from his hard chair, since it was chosen by the transfer student, it should not be bad. Then, he took out the ¡®ridiculous¡¯ Pikachu bolster and other things.


    While he was taking them out, Fu Yangxi tried his best to maintain a look similar to that of a strict leader checking through the items. However, his heart was all soft, as if he just ate a marinated soft boiled egg.


    Actually, no one had ever treated him this well before.


    Fu Yangxi had completely forgiven the transfer student¡¯s licentious behaviour of giving Ke Chengwen desserts today.


    Furthermore, he felt that it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing for her to be his desk mate.


    As he thought of this, Fu Yangxi stole a glimpse at Mingxi.


    However, Mingxi was not looking at him. After Mingxi was certain that he had opened up the gifts, all her focus went to her flower pot. As expected, as this was the first time she gave Fu Yangxi gifts, the little buds grew quickly. In just a few seconds, there was already a total of seven buds,


    Mingxi asked the system happily, ¡°How many tiny buds can grow in this pot?¡±


    ¡°999,¡± the system answered. The moment it saw that Mingxi was about to break down in tears, the system quickly said, ¡°However, the moment you reach 500 buds, your fate as a villainess will have dissipated. If you continue to plant after that, your luck may even exceed Zhao Yuan¡¯s.¡±


    With this, Mingxi gained back some of her will to fight.


    Fu Yangxi was waiting for the transfer student to look at him, or even beg him to allow her to sit beside him so that he could have her as his desk mate again.


    In the end, even after a whole period of class, she didn¡¯t look at him.


    Fu Yangxi was speechless.


    Fu Yangxi had been picturing what could have happened for that whole period. The transfer student happily wanted to give him gifts this morning, but in the end all she saw was her table and books moved to a corner. He could only imagine that it was like a bucket of cold water poured all over her feelings.


    Oh no. Fu Yangxi thought.


    Did he hurt her feelings?


    Today, the whole of the International Class watched in shock as this was the first time in three years that the Fu Young Master did not fall asleep during the first period of class. Instead, he spent all that time looking at a girl.


    The first miracle of A High had occurred.

 Chapter 8

    When those boys moved her table, they were careless and made a mess out of her books.


    During their lunch break, Mingxi tidied them up. Suddenly, she saw two dark blue colored, clean and practically abstinent notebooks in her pile. It was very different from her stack of colorful books.


    Upon opening the book, she saw that the words inside were neat and the steps to answering the questions were clearer than the answer itself.


    This wasn¡¯t her handwriting.


    Mingxi went blank for a moment before realizing that this was Shen Liyao¡¯s.


    Back when she used to like him, she would use borrowing and returning his notebooks as an excuse to meet Shen Liyao in his class every Tuesday. This must be the notes she borrowed from him last week. It was still with her.


    In this life, Mingxi no longer wanted anything to do with Shen Liyao. Thus, she didn¡¯t want to return it herself.


    She sent a message to He Yang, asking her for a favor.


    Then, Mingxi leaned closer to the table and wrote gracefully on a sticky note: ¡°Thank you with regards to the matter concerning E Xiaoxia.¡±


    She was prepared to stick this in the notebook.


    But she paused. She thought for a while and figured that this was unnecessary.


    Shen Liyao had probably lent her a hand out of convenience, but if she took this too seriously, he might think that she was being annoying again.


    Furthermore, considering how she used to give Shen Liyao and his friends all kinds of good food, she¡¯s just going to consider his help this time as a way to clear their debts to each other.


    With this thought in mind, Mingxi crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash.


    *


    Despite having stared at Mingxi for the whole morning, she never came to Fu Yangxi asking to move her seat back. He couldn¡¯t help but to be a little annoyed and even slightly wronged. During lunch break, he noticed that there was no one at that corner. Fu Yangxi took off his headphones and gestured for a follower to come over to him. ¡°Where¡¯s the transfer student?¡±


    The follower said, ¡°I think she went to look for her friend in the Normal Class.¡±


    Fu Yangxi contemplated for a moment before asking someone to get him Ke Chengwen who was playing basketball at the sports field.


    He was leaning on the wall while flipping a book. His red hair had exploded again. He pretended to play with his pen nonchalantly as he said lazily to Ke Chengwen, ¡°Do you know how to find out who the transfer student was friends with and what she liked before she transferred to our class? All in all, I want to know every single detail. Can you do it?¡±


    Ke Chengwen who was sweating bullets while carrying the basketball in his arms was extremely shocked.


    Having known Xi ge for three whole years, this was actually the first time he had seen Xi ge ask about someone. Moreover, it was about a girl.


    ¡°Xi ge, could it be that you¡ª¡± Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but to move closer and ask in a soft voice, ¡°¡­are really interested in her?¡±


    ¡°Piss off.¡± Fu Yangxi was repulsed by the smell of sweat coming off him. He pulled him away by his collar and raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not interested. The International Class has always had 41 students yet suddenly there is another. So of course I would want to know about the background of this student. Who knows, she might be someone sent by my enemies to spy on me. If I accidentally reveal my weakness to her, it might result in my inheritance being split.¡±


    Ke Chengwen thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see what I can find out.¡±


    When Ke Chengwen finished speaking, he stole a glimpse at Fu Yangxi. He didn¡¯t know if he should tell him about something.


    Just now while he was playing basketball with those people from the Gold Medal Class, he heard that the person who was fervently pursuing Shen Liyao was this transfer student who had just transferred to their class¡ª Of course, as he didn¡¯t witness it himself, Ke Chengwen did not dare to come to a conclusion.


    However, if that was true, then the question of whether that transfer student was really going after Xi ge or if she was just playing with him so that she could make Shen Liyao from the next class jealous would remain unanswered.


    As the Fu family¡¯s Young Master, Fu Yangxi¡¯s status was enough to affect many. He always slept in school and did not care about gossip. Even when he heard about the person nicknamed ¡®God Yao¡¯ who had won eight competitions within two years, he only scratched his ears, saying that he couldn¡¯t recall such a person. Therefore, he would naturally be ignorant about the past between the transfer student and Shen Liyao.


    Fu Yangxi nodded before lowering his head to read once more. He feigned an unbothered look. ¡°That¡¯s all. You can go. Make sure not to get caught by the transfer student while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but to remind him, ¡°Gege, your book is upside down.¡±


    Fu Yangxi raised the book. ¡°Go.¡±


    *


    After the end of the school day, Shen Liyao remained in his seat. His gaze was cold and serious as he continued to work with the circuit board. Shen Liyao had his own workshop in school, but since there were quite a number of small components which he could not handle in time, he would usually end up doing it in class instead.


    He was a little bit of a neat freak. The components were arranged neatly on his table, but due to how delicate they were, everyone around him was afraid of touching it, hence no one would usually approach his seat unless it was absolutely necessary.


    Ye Bai had just returned from his basketball game. He yelled at Shen Liyao to go for lunch from one row away.


    ¡°You go ahead.¡± After saying that, Shen Liyao subconsciously looked at his watch.


    It was already 12.30 p.m..


    He furrowed his brows slightly.


    ¡°God Yao, do you need me to get you lunch?¡± Ye Bai asked.


    ¡°No need. You can go by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Bai scratched his head and walked out of class with his ball in tow. He was playing basketball with a few students from the International Class and couldn¡¯t help but to gossip about Mingxi¡¯s current situation in the International Class.


    At first he thought that Zhao Mingxi was going to feel isolated as she had transferred to the International Class which was filled with the rich, unique, ignorant and incompetent. To his surprise, Zhao Mingxi outsmarted her opponents. The moment she transferred there she ran laps for the boss of their class and even gave him gifts. Ultimately, the whole of the International Class became very friendly with Zhao Mingxi.


    He didn¡¯t know if he should share this piece of information with Shen Liyao.


    The moment he walked out of class with his basketball, he saw He Yang walking toward him with some notebooks.


    As Ye Bai knew her because of Zhao Mingxi, he smiled as a sign of greeting. However, as He Yang never really liked Shen Liyao to begin with, she glared at him before quickly turning away.


    After He Yang entered class to give those two notebooks to Shen Liyao, she turned to leave.


    Shen Liyao paused his actions and the expression on his face changed ever so slightly. ¡°Why are you the one giving it to me?¡±


    He Yang replied without even looking back. ¡°Once Mingxi was done with your notes, she lent them to me. I just returned them out of convenience. Why do you ask?¡±


    Shen Liyao instantly furrowed his eyebrows.


    He Yang turned back and looked at Shen Liyao with a questioning gaze.


    Previously when Mingxi asked Shen Liyao to tutor her, Shen Liyao would always give her the cold shoulder as if someone had dug out his ancestral grave. He Yang despised how he always carried a look of arrogance and pride, as if he was a sacred god on a pedestal. Mingxi even had to ask Zhao Zhanhuai to be the middleman. Only then did Shen Liyao allow Mingxi to borrow his notes once every Tuesday.


    Now that he doesn¡¯t have to see the annoying Mingxi, shouldn¡¯t Shen Liyao be overjoyed? Why is he still showing a cold expression as if someone owed him money?


    However, He Yang didn¡¯t think too much about it. She left after completing her task.


    Ye Bai who was at the corridor was astonished.


    Zhao Mingxi used to consider Shen Liyao¡¯s things as priceless treasures. She wouldn¡¯t even allow people to touch it, let alone borrow it!


    Besides, in the worst case scenario, even if He Yang was her best friend and she had lent it to He Yang, she would never miss out the proper chance to look for Shen Liyao in the Gold Medal Class every Tuesday!


    What¡¯s going on?


    Are all girls this scary when they¡¯re jealous?


    Also, with regards to the matter of E Xiaoxia, didn¡¯t Shen Liyao¡¯s actions of going to the Zhao family home yesterday amount to helping Zhao Mingxi?


    Ye Bai looked at the clock hanging on the wall, then at Shen Liyao¡¯s expression. A thought suddenly appeared in his mind: Could it be that God Yao didn¡¯t go to the cafeteria because he was purposely waiting for Zhao Mingxi?


    He felt that this thought was way too horrifying, hence he quickly tossed it aside.


    Ye Bai put down the basketball and walked back. ¡°Have the notebooks been returned?¡±


    Shen Liyao ignored him. He simply stuffed the books into his desk drawer, his expression clearly stiff and cold.


    Ye Bai couldn¡¯t help but to bring up what he heard at the basketball court just now.


    ¡°I heard that Zhao Mingxi gave the International Class¡¯ Fu Yangxi many things. An ergonomic chair, a Pikachu bolster and whatnot. Basically a lot of things¡ª God Yao, do you think she¡¯s doing this on purpose? She knows that the news in the International Class will reach you in less than a day.¡±


    ¡°Is she trying to incite you to go find her?¡±


    Shen Liyao replied coldly, ¡°Why would I voluntarily look for her? I don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m already thankful about the fact that she no longer bothers you!¡± Ye Bai said. ¡°Although the sweets and lunch boxes she made were very nice, she¡¯s only holding you back. I still wish she won¡¯t come!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if it was his misperception, but the moment he finished speaking, Shen Liyao¡¯s expression seemed to have darkened.


    Without saying another word, Shen Liyao kept the things on his table, turned and left the class.

 Chapter 9

    Mingxi left school for a short while during the afternoon. As the syllabus of the International Class was different from that of the Normal Class whereby there were more bilingual teaching courses, she felt the need to buy some reference books.


    After making her payment, she turned and immediately saw Zhao Yuning entering the cybercaf¨¦ from across the street with a few delinquents from another school who had ear piercings.


    He¡¯s entering the cybercaf¨¦ at this hour. Is he cutting class again?


    When Zhao Yuning and his friends turned, they also saw Mingxi.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that girl with the mask your sister?¡± A blonde-haired guy beside Zhao Yuning said with furrowed brows. ¡°Is she here to stop you again? Why the f*ck are your family members so nosy?¡±


    Prior to this, Zhao Mingxi had bumped into them a few times while they were skipping school, and every time she would drag Zhao Yuning back to school.


    The blonde-haired guy and the rest already recognized her.


    ¡°You should leave now before your sister glares at us too¡ª¡±


    But before the blonde-haired guy could finish his sentence, Zhao Mingxi had averted her gaze, turned and left with her plastic bag full of reference books.


    Wait a minute. She left just like that?


    The blonde-haired guy, Zhao Yuning and the rest were stunned. ¡°Amazing! Did your sister go through a change in personality today? She obviously saw us yet she didn¡¯t come over!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since your sister is in a good mood today and decided to let us be, let¡¯s seize the opportunity and enjoy ourselves.¡±


    However, Zhao Yuning¡¯s gaze was stuck on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s retreating figure. He was frozen on the spot while his mind buzzed.


    Zhao Mingxi actually left in such an unconcerned manner despite seeing him with these delinquents?!


    She actually¡ª?!


    This was even more unbelievable than when he got blocked!


    How did she used to reprimand him? You are a product of your environment. When she saw him hanging out with these kinds of people, she would get so angry that she would instantly drag him back to school.


    But why was she acting like this today?!


    ¡ªEven if she was now on bad terms with their family, she didn¡¯t need to go to the extent of treating him like a stranger, right?!


    Zhao Yuning used to hate it when Mingxi would butt into his affairs. He even once ridiculed her by saying that she really thought she was his sister.


    But now that she was really ignoring him, he felt a sense of irritation.


    As if he was suddenly going to lose something.


    ¡°You guys go in first. I have to deal with something.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to deal with? You can¡¯t be f*cking trying to bail on us, right?¡± The blonde-haired guy was unhappy.


    When Zhao Yuning saw that Mingxi¡¯s figure was about to disappear from his field of vision, he swatted the blonde-haired guy¡¯s hand away from his neck, ignored how his expression darkened and ran hurriedly after her.


    Mingxi walked very quickly.


    Zhao Yuning was panting heavily as a result of chasing after her. It wasn¡¯t until they almost reached the Year 3 floor did he manage to stop her.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi!¡± Zhao Yuning blocked her path. He was panting with his hands on his knees. ¡°Jie, when will you stop being angry at us? Da ge* said that he already sent you a text. Even da ge has apologized to you, is that not enough? I know that we¡¯ve wrongly accused you as being the person behind this incident, but you can¡¯t keep staying in school. Where will you go during the holidays?¡±


    Da ge = eldest brother


    Mingxi knew that she had nowhere to go.


    Even so, she didn¡¯t want to go back.


    ¡±You stopped me just to say this? I have places I can go. Thank you. There¡¯s no need for you guys to worry about me. I¡¯m gonna go upstairs now.¡±


    Seeing as how Mingxi was about to turn and leave, Zhao Yuning felt flustered and exasperated.


    However, he knew that they were in the wrong this time for falsely accusing her. So it made sense for Mingxi to still be indignant about it.


    Therefore, he tried his best to control his temper. He chased her to the bottom of the steps and said with a soft voice, ¡°Jie, I beg you. Stop being angry at us. Mom always speaks with a sting in her words, but she really does care for you¡ª I want to apologize as well for saying such disrespectful words to you when you left.¡±


    ¡°We are a family. What issues can¡¯t we resolve? There¡¯s no need for us to stay in a cold war just because of such a small matter.¡±


    The more Zhao Yuning spoke, the more he felt wronged. He began to act coquettishly. ¡°You ignored me, blocked me and pretended not to see me just now just because of a small matter?¡±


    Mingxi quietly looked at the grass beside the academic building¡¯s walls. She couldn¡¯t understand what exactly was a small matter or a big matter.


    Why did everyone from the Zhao family use the same words, ¡°just because of a small matter¡±?


    When she first arrived at the Zhao family home, she touched Zhao Yuan¡¯s piano and was berated by her er ge* Zhao Mo. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her things, you country bumpkin.¡±


    Er ge = second eldest brother


    Were those incidents minor matters as well?


    However, she no longer wanted to think about who was right and who was wrong, or who was biased and who was fair.


    Mingxi decided to clear things up once and for all. She turned and looked at Zhao Yuning. ¡°I am not in a cold war with you guys.¡±


    Zhao Yuning let out a breath of relief. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you come home¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on going back there anymore.¡±


    Zhao Yuning froze.


    ¡°You guys were living well as a family before I came two years ago. My arrival later on was just redundant and really unnecessary.¡±


    Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t think of a response. He widened his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is that you no longer have to come find me. I wish to sever all ties with you all and for everything to return to how it was two years ago.¡±


    Mingxi lowered her gaze, made a mental calculation and came up with a number.


    ¡°For the past two years, your family has spent some money on me. It should be about 130,000 yuan including the school fees.¡±


    ¡°Obviously as of now I don¡¯t have the ability to return all this money at one go. I will slowly return them after my graduation. You guys have never given me a single cent for the first 15 years of my life and I cooked for you guys for the past two years. I will consider this as returning the debt of giving birth to me. I don¡¯t owe you guys anything else beyond that.¡±


    She still had to spend time to change her ending, so she could not spare any more time to deal with the Zhao family.


    ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m going to have to trouble you to relay this message back to your family. Please give me more time. Don¡¯t rush for me to repay the debt everyday.¡±


    Even if Zhao Yuning turned the gears in his mind to the point of explosion, he would not have thought that this was what Mingxi was thinking. For a moment there he couldn¡¯t determine if Mingxi said all this due to anger or if it was the truth.


    He was dumbfounded.


    A short while later.


    ¡°What debt?! You are part of our family. We spent so much time and effort to bring you home. Who wants you to return a debt?!¡±


    Zhao Yuning was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot.


    Mingxi looked at Zhao Yuning quietly. She couldn¡¯t explain what happened in her past life to him.


    Besides, she was too lazy to fight with him.


    ¡°Please relay my message to them.¡±


    Since she was done clearing things up, Mingxi turned and walked upstairs.


    Zhao Yuning was in disbelief. On one hand he was trying his best to assure himself that Zhao Mingxi said all this due to anger. Who cares if she comes home? If she doesn¡¯t come home then so be it. When she sees how everyone no longer cares about her, she will definitely come home crying.


    On the other hand, he looked at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s figure which appeared so cold, and thought about how she didn¡¯t care about him at all just now when they were outside school. A sense of panic began to bubble up in his heart¡ª


    What if Zhao Mingxi was speaking the truth?


    It had never crossed Zhao Yuning¡¯s mind that Zhao Mingxi would truly leave this home and never return.


    The sun shone harshly on Zhao Yuning as he stood there with his mind empty.


    It wasn¡¯t until he realized that class was about to start that he turned and walked toward the Year 1 floor.


    *


    Zhao Yuan who was about to go for P.E. class at the sports field saw him and Zhao Mingxi standing at the bottom of the academic building.


    She thought he was scolding Zhao Mingxi.


    In the end when Zhao Yuning walked over, she realized that they didn¡¯t have a fight. Zhao Yuning appeared to be flustered, even his eyes were red. He looked as if he got dumped by Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡°What happened? Did you go and look for Mingxi? What did you guys talk about?¡± Zhao Yuan casually called over a guy and asked him to help her carry some of the equipment she was holding in her arms.


    Zhao Yuning took a glimpse at Zhao Yuan.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi said¡ª¡±


    Zhao Yuning stopped his sentence mid-way. Was he really going to relay the words Mingxi said out of anger?


    If Mom hears of this and becomes infuriated, wouldn¡¯t this make their family¡¯s conflict even worse? Furthermore, what if Zhao Mingxi changes her mind later on?


    ¡°Nevermind, it was nothing.¡±


    Zhao Yuan furrowed her brows slightly. She couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. After she came home from her reunion yesterday, everyone in their family acted as if they owed Mingxi something. It wasn¡¯t until she asked that she found out that the person who triggered her allergy was E Xiaoxia and not Zhao Mingxi.


    It seemed as if Zhao Mingxi had successfully obtained the pity and guilt of the whole family due to this matter.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me what you guys talked about?¡± Zhao Yuan said in a joking manner. ¡°You guys are beginning to keep secrets from me already?¡±


    Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t even ask her about how things were so awkward between her and E Xiaoxia today.


    She didn¡¯t like this feeling of everyone¡¯s attention being taken away from her.


    ¡°I already said that it was nothing. Stop asking me. You¡¯re annoying.¡± Zhao Yuning walked toward the Year 1 floor in annoyance.


    He was feeling troubled and had no intention of answering Zhao Yuan¡¯s questions.


    Zhao Yuan looked at his retreating figure. She was so shocked that she was frozen on the spot.


    Zhao Yuning and her were stuck together like glue ever since they were young. He followed her everywhere. It was common for him to listen to everything she said. Even at school, whenever he heard that she was being bullied, Zhao Yuning would immediately go into a fit of anger.


    But now Zhao Yuning was actually calling her annoying because of Zhao Mingxi?


    *


    Mingxi rubbed her forehead. She felt that she had already cleared things up with Zhao Yuning. According to the proud personalities of everyone in the Zhao family, no one should approach her for a while after this.


    She carried the plastic bag upstairs. She originally wanted to return to her class quickly so that she could rest a little more. However, she bumped into Kong Jiaze and Shen Liyao at the entrance to the corridor.


    Were her stars misaligned today? Why did she keep on bumping into people she didn¡¯t want to see this afternoon?


    Kong Jiaze was a famous school beauty and top student of their neighboring public high school, She knew how to dance ballet and had once joined a competition with Shen Liyao as her partner.


    The two of them were standing opposite each other. Shen Liyao¡¯s gaze was lowered as he accepted some forms given by Kong Jiaze.


    Mingxi immediately understood what was going on. It must be about the approaching Hundred School Tournament.


    This tournament took place once a year and only 20 students could join from each school. The teacher who led them would usually only pick students from the Gold Medal Class and Evergreen Class. If there were still spaces left, they would bring some students from the International Class who were good in English.


    Honestly speaking, Mingxi wanted to try joining the tournament as well. After all, if she managed to enter the top 20%, A High would give them some cash rewards. She was in need of money and thought it would be good to try competing against so many outstanding people.


    However, she had just changed classes. When she gave it some further thought, she figured she would never be chosen.


    When love rivals meet, they would be enraged. Thus the moment Kong Jiaze saw her, she furrowed her brows slightly.


    She didn¡¯t need to guess. Based on Kong Jiaze¡¯s gaze, she must¡¯ve thought that Mingxi transferred to Sheng Liyao¡¯s class, hence her appearance at this floor.


    Shen Liyao was about to follow Kong Jiaze¡¯s gaze.


    Kong Jiaze suddenly took a step closer to Shen Liyao and smiled as she gently placed a hand on his arm. ¡°God Yao, can you tell me who will be joining from your class this year?¡±


    Shen Liyao immediately pushed her away and took a step back with furrowed brows.


    He subconsciously looked over at Mingxi who was at the entrance to the corridor.


    However, Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t even bother observing them any further. She lowered her head and hastily walked passed them toward the International Class. As she was wearing a mask, Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t even see the expression on her face.


    Seeing as how Mingxi was about to reach the entrance of the International Class, she let out a breath of relief.


    Damn that was awkward.


    Looks like from now on I¡¯ll have to come up from the other flight of stairs.


    But before she could enter, she was called by Shen Liyao who had walked over to her.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi.¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s tone was as cold as ever.


    Considering how he helped her yesterday, Mingxi could only turn and give him an awkward but polite smile. ¡°You guys can continue.¡±


    Shen Liyao almost choked on his own saliva. For some reason, a flame was ignited in his heart.


    When Mingxi saw how he didn¡¯t say anything else, she thought that he was just greeting her¡ª But did the sun come up from the west today? Shen Liyao actually greeted her voluntarily upon bumping into her!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going first.¡± She turned and was about to enter class again.


    Shen Liyao looked at her figure and said coldly again, ¡°Don¡¯t make He Yang return the notebooks for you next time.¡±


    Mingxi was confused. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with He Yang?¡±


    Shen Liyao had one hand tucked in his pocket while the other was holding the application forms. His gaze was cold as he stared at her. ¡°She is your friend, not your lackey!¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know why Shen Liyao hated her in both lifetimes. Although she always pursued him, she had never done anything out of line to him.


    She could only answer softly, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Mingxi paused. After some thinking, she said, ¡°But I won¡¯t be borrowing your notes anymore.¡±


    Shen Liyao furrowed his brows. ¡°The speed of the International Class is different from that of the Normal Class. Are you sure you can keep up?¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll borrow from my friends in the International Class. Besides, the speed of the International Class and Gold Medal Class are different as well. All in all, you can rest assured as I won¡¯t bother you every Tuesday anymore.¡±


    She thought that after saying this Shen Liyao would act as if he was freed from a burden. But for some reason Shen Liyao was glaring at her.


    Mingxi: ?


    For some reason the air in the atmosphere became really stiff.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s expression was so cold that it was scary. He suddenly scoffed. ¡°Your friends in the International Class? Fu Yangxi?¡±


    Shen Liyao wanted to open up Zhao Mingxi¡¯s head to see what she was thinking. She would bother other people just to make him jealous? Did she ever think of what would happen if she fails to get rid of people like Fu Yangxi after successfully gaining his attention?


    ¡°Not him.¡± Mingxi looked at Shen Liyao in confusion. ¡°His results are not good.¡±


    Rely on the Fu family¡¯s Young Master¡¯s results which are always at the bottom? He had never even written down a word of notes in his three years of high school.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s expression seemed to have brightened a little.


    He gave an application form to Mingxi. His voice was steady as he spoke, ¡°This is the application form to register for the Hundred School Tournament. Aside from filling up your information, there are a few questions as well. You can try answering them, then find a way to return it to me this Saturday before I submit them. If you want to join the Hundred School Tournament, there is a chance you will be chosen if you manage to get all of them right.¡±


    She might not be able to go even if she filled up this application form, and the teacher leading them would also personally choose the participants. Mingxi figured she won¡¯t be able to go for sure, but she didn¡¯t reject this opportunity.


    She accepted the form. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She was about to turn and leave when Shen Liyao paused before saying in a cold tone, ¡°I can tutor you on the areas which the tournament will cover this Saturday at the library.¡±


    This was the most surprising thing Mingxi had heard all day. She even wondered if Shen Liyao had eaten the wrong medicine. Previously when she asked Shen Liyao to go to the library with her, he would always glare at her as if he was hoping it could kill her.


    But she quickly came back to her senses. Could it be that Shen Liyao decided to help her out of pity because he found out that she had a fight with her family and was now living in school?


    Mingxi quickly replied, ¡°No need.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t accept Shen Liyao¡¯s help.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s expression turned cold again. ¡°Fine by me. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t come. I¡¯m busy anyway¡±


    Only when Mingxi saw Shen Liyao leaving without even looking at herself and Kong Jiaze did she feel that Shen Liyao was back to normal.


    She sucked in a deep breath, turned and entered class.


    Beside the windows, Ke Chengwen watched as Fu Yangxi peeked out half his head and stared at the nearby Zhao Mingxi and the next class¡¯ Shen Liyao as they spoke at the corridor. He couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°Xi ge, stop staring. She¡¯s coming in.¡±


    Fu Yangxi instantly sat down and pretended as if nothing happened as he put on his noise-cancelling headphones. He opened up a book and placed all his focus on it.


    After two seconds, Zhao Mingxi had already sat back in her own seat in the last row. However, she didn¡¯t even look at him¡ª In fact, she didn¡¯t approach him at all today.


    The imaginary fur around Fu Yangxi were all spiked up. He wanted to pick a quarrel with her but he had to restrain himself from doing so. He couldn¡¯t help but to throw the book aside. ¡°Who was the one talking to the transfer student? A friend she used to know?¡±


    When Ke Chengwen recalled what he heard about in the afternoon, he gulped as he was too scared to say anything.


    In his mind he was thinking, friend?


    A friend who was involved in thousands of fierce rumors?


    What will happen if you find out that you might¡¯ve been used as a tool to make someone else jealous?


    You will probably bring a bomb to school tomorrow.

 Chapter 10

    Ke Chengwen diffidently chose not to answer this question. Instead, he directly changed the topic. ¡°Xi ge, why don¡¯t you just get someone to move her table back?¡±


    Fu Yangxi raised an eyebrow as a form of warning: ¡°?¡±


    Ke Chengwen was oblivious to the danger around him as he continued to plan, ¡°Or you could beat around the bush. You can force the homeroom teacher to arrange for you guys to sit together. Then when she¡¯s here, you can pretend as if you¡¯re pissed because the homeroom teacher forced you guys to sit together. Wouldn¡¯t that conveniently allow her to sit back here?  It could also save you from the possibility of getting cervical spondylosis because of how you have been continuously turning to look at her.¡±


    When Fu Yangxi heard the last sentence, he almost picked up a book to hurl it at Ke Chengwen¡¯s head. ¡°She¡¯s the one pursuing me, not the other way around! When did you see that I wanted her to move back here?¡±


    Ke Chengwen retracted his head.


    Fu Yangxi was about to explode in anger. ¡°Why did you come up with such a messed up idea? Did I say that I wanted to be her desk mate? Didn¡¯t you see that I was getting better sleep due to her minding her own business for the whole of this morning?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ke Chengwen quickly agreed with his words. ¡°Like I said, why would Xi ge want her to be his desk mate?¡±


    Fu Yangxi scoffed arrogantly.


    Ke Chengwen continued to suck-up to him. ¡°Sigh, I think that the transfer student doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors. She actually wants to try playing hard to get with you.¡±


    However, Fu Yangxi furrowed his brows. ¡°How could you talk about her like that?¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°It¡¯s only normal for her to be sad because I moved her table away so early in the morning. Don¡¯t gauge the heart of a girl with your own mean measure. ¡®Playing hard to get¡¯ is such a bad term.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡ª¡±


    Fine. It was his fault.


    It¡¯s so difficult to survive as a male.


    Two periods of afternoon class passed in the blink of an eye.


    As there was an evening self-study session today, the teachers of various subjects gave a little more homework. Furthermore, as Mingxi was busy answering the messages on the discussion about replacing some students for exams, she couldn¡¯t spend time on figuring out ways to approach Fu Yangxi.


    She looked at her pot which had not grown at all today. It was still stuck at seven buds. She felt a little worried. ¡°Fu Yangxi hates me. He¡¯s unwilling to sit beside me. What other ideas do you have so that I can increase a lot of my luck in one shot?¡±


    If she only relied on running errands for him or giving him sweets, only two or three buds would grow each time and that was far too slow.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she would need to keep this up.


    The system said: ¡°You have read novels before, right?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°Yeah. I read a lot of them.¡±


    The system asked: ¡°When you read those novels, which parts would make your heartbeat speed up in happiness?¡±


    Mingxi thought for a moment before saying, ¡°That would naturally be when the main characters make physical contact with each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± the system said. ¡°Your actions of sending Fu Yangxi gifts and helping him run laps can only be perceived by the readers of the original novel as you turning from a side character to one of his followers. Although they might feel better about you, it¡¯s not much¡ª Will you remember the followers of a popular character? Therefore your luck won¡¯t increase by a lot when you do these things.¡±


    ¡°However¡ª If you can go beyond being a popular character¡¯s follower and have more interactions with them, then the amount of luck you can obtain at one go would greatly increase.¡±


    Mingxi understood it immediately. ¡°If I physically touch the people on the list I will obtain more luck?¡±


    System: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mingxi felt unsettled. The mere act of wanting to sit beside Fu Yangxi had earned her nothing but glares full of unwillingness.


    If she was to launch herself into his arms, she would be beaten to death by Fu Yangxi at the age of 17 instead of dying in this life at the age of 23 due to cancer.


    The system encouraged her. ¡°You should just give it a try, see how many buds will grow if you touch his skin. I don¡¯t think he will hit you if you accidentally made contact with him.¡±


    Mingxi started to think of ways to touch Fu Yangxi in a way that would seem purely accidental.


    After all this talk, it seemed like she would still have to be Fu Yangxi¡¯s deskmate.


    Only when they are seated together can no one notice if she accidentally touched Fu Yangxi¡¯s elbow and apologize.


    *


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know if her will to live was so strong that even God had heard her.


    In the middle of the second period, when the homeroom teacher saw that she was sitting alone in the last row, she actually called her up and asked her if she had adjusted well to the class.


    Mingxi immediately seized the opportunity and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it. That spot is too far from the board.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t say much. Her eyes were black and her hair was soft and obedient-like.


    She left a great impression on the homeroom teacher. She asked, ¡°Then where do you want to change your seat to?¡±


    Mingxi hesitated for a short while before saying. ¡°I think the only remaining seat is the one beside Fu Yangxi.¡±


    The moment the homeroom teacher heard the name of this overlord, she knit her eyebrows so strongly that it could probably wedge and kill a fly. ¡°You want to sit with him? I think you would prefer to sit alone.¡±


    Nonetheless, Mingxi was adamant. ¡°Just let me sit there. Fu Yangxi¡¯s English is very good and he can help me¡­ Actually, he is quite a nice person.¡±


    The last sentence was spoken against Mingxi¡¯s will.


    Anyway, no matter if the homeroom teacher agrees to her proposition or not, there was no harm in trying.


    *


    Outside the door, Ke Chengwen who had brought a bunch of people to listen in on their conversation was shocked. He quickly ran back to the International Class.


    ¡°Xi ge, the transfer student just told the teacher that she wants to sit beside you!¡±


    A follower mimicked Mingxi¡¯s tone and spoke softly to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Just let me sit there. Fu Yangxi is quite a nice person.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± This time, Fu Yangxi was completely awake. He grabbed hold of a book and threw it on the board with a loud ¡®thud¡¯. That boy quickly moved away. Meanwhile, the whole class was in an uproar.


    Fu Yangxi scratched his head in annoyance. Although he was trying his best to appear angry and frustrated, the tips of his ears couldn¡¯t help but to flush red.


    What is up with the transfer student? Why is she so clingy? She can¡¯t even hold it in for one day. Seeing as how she didn¡¯t do anything this whole morning, I thought she had already given up. But in the end, she secretly went and made such a request to the homeroom teacher.


    She is really so clingy!


    Mingxi who had just returned from the office could hear the noise coming from her class even from a distance. However the moment she entered, everyone went quiet.


    Around 40 pairs of eyes were staring at her.


    ? What happened?


    The homeroom teacher stuck her head out from behind and said to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Get a few people to move Zhao Mingxi¡¯s seat back. Don¡¯t bully the transfer student. How impolite of you to let a girl sit alone in the last row?!¡±


    The followers in the class all looked at Fu Yangxi.


    If Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t say anything then they wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move.


    Fu Yangxi had his arms and legs crossed. He glared at the homeroom teacher with a dark expression.


    But inside, he was feeling anxious¡ª


    What is wrong with these people? Why aren¡¯t they listening to the homeroom teacher¡¯s instructions?


    The homeroom teacher was so exasperated that her head was beginning to hurt. ¡°Move it!¡±


    Still no one budged.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi furrowed his brows and put down his leg. He stood up in annoyance before mumbling with an unwilling expression, ¡°I¡¯ll do this one favor for the homeroom teacher. Move it.¡±


    Two followers immediately began to make the move.


    When the homeroom teacher saw this, she glared at Fu Yangxi. Only after that did she take her books and leave.


    Just like this, a short while later, Mingxi followed after them with her books and sat beside Fu Yangxi once more.


    *


    As the lesson was beginning, the noisy atmosphere in the class had no choice but to quiet down.


    Mingxi secretly glanced to her side at Fu Yangxi. Fu Yangxi continued to sleep with his jacket tucked underneath his head. He had his noise-cancelling headphones on while his head was buried in his arms. She couldn¡¯t see his expression, but his ears were flushed red. It was almost as red as the arrogant color of his hair¡ª Mingxi assumed that he was angry.


    He was probably extremely furious for being forced to sit with her.


    She came to a conclusion that Fu Yangxi probably hated her even more now that she had done such a thing. This might badly affect her when she approaches him in the future, hence she wrote a note.


    [I¡¯m sorry. It was the homeroom teacher who arranged it. I didn¡¯t know about this as well.]


    Mingxi was very careful with her words.


    Fu Yangxi opened one eye and looked over from his arms. He watched as a long and jade-white finger pressed on a note and pushed it over to him gently. Then, as if it was escaping, the finger retracted quickly.


    The note that she gave him was as if it carried a hint of warmth.


    Fu Yangxi snorted and did not raise his handsome face which was flushed red.


    He only reached out two fingers and pulled the paper to him in a manner as if he was annoyed.


    After taking a glimpse at the content of the note, the corner of Fu Yangxi¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but to curl up.


    It¡¯s obvious that she was the one who asked the homeroom teacher to change her seat, yet she¡¯s telling me otherwise.


    Liar.


    He understood.


    A girl¡¯s crush is like a poem, right?


    Fu Yangxi scoffed and raised his head. He used his left hand to cover his face, conveniently covering up the redness in his cheeks. With his right hand, he picked up the pen on the table and quickly wrote a few words on the note.


    Then, he bunched it up and threw it back.


    As he wasn¡¯t looking, he missed and the note ended up at the right corner of Mingxi¡¯s table.


    The teacher who was at the podium seemed to be approaching them.


    Fu Yangxi immediately reached out to take it.


    Zhao Mingxi stole a glimpse at him. She felt that this was a good opportunity so she pretended to take the note as well. She wondered how many buds would grow from pretending to bump into his hand.


    As opportunities seldom knocks twice, Mingxi immediately reached out her hand.


    As expected, both their fingers came in contact with each other.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s fingers were cold and he instantly felt the softness and warmth coming from the girl¡¯s fingers.


    As if he had been electrocuted, he retracted his hands in anger. He questioned her with a whisper, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Mingxi apologized softly as well.


    Then, Mingxi opened the note. Fu Yangxi only wrote a cold word on it: ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Mingxi let out a sigh of relief. Although Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t seem to be happy about this, he was too lazy to fight against the homeroom teacher due to such a small matter. With this, there seems to be some progress and she can now sit on this seat in peace.


    Mingxi then raised her head and immediately noticed that five new buds had grown in her pot.


    In addition to the initial seven, she now had a total of 12 buds.


    What¡¯s going on? So much had grown just because our hands touched for the first time???


    Mingxi wanted so bad to touch the hands of every single person at the top of the list.


    Fu Yangxi continued to use the book to cover his face. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw how Mingxi¡¯s eyes were unabashedly curled up in happiness.


    His face instantly flushed red as well and his heartbeat sped up.


    ¡ªDid she have to act like this? She only touched his hand. It wasn¡¯t as if she had won him over. Did she have to be this happy?


    So clingy. What am I to do in the future?

 Chapter 11

    Aside from Fu Yangxi and Jiang Xiuqiu, there were quite a few people on the list who were in the International Class.


    This included Ke Chengwen whose parents were high ranking officials. His return rate was 0.3%.


    Mingxi threw out a net to the core of a school of fish. Although she was focused on Fu Yangxi, so long as she could get some luck from these people, she would do it.


    For the past two days, she used the excuse of handing them their homework to conveniently gift them with some small biscuits that she had made at He Yang¡¯s family¡¯s shop. After inconspicuously interacting with these people, the tiny buds grew and had now accumulated to form one tree.


    After seeing that there were 13 buds, Mingxi secretly took her mirror, walked to a corner and pulled down her mask to take a glance.


    As expected, the mark was so faint that it could barely be seen.


    Also, she didn¡¯t know if it was her misperception, but she felt that ever since she started to freeload on other people¡¯s luck, her hair became shinier while her skin became fairer and smoother.


    The system said happily: ¡°This is natural. Have you ever seen how authors would usually describe a novel¡¯s villainess whenever they make their first appearance? It would always be very general and casual, such as the word ¡®beautiful¡¯. But when it comes to the good people, they would always be described in more detail. Positive luck is the same as nutrition. You will only become increasingly good-looking.¡±


    The system couldn¡¯t help but to compliment her: ¡°You are the most dazzling villainess I have ever got. When your injury is healed, people might even believe it if they are shown a photo of you and are told that you are a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mingxi was ecstatic.


    However, Mingxi did not ask for much. She wasn¡¯t concerned with whether or not she would become prettier.


    As long as the scar on her face disappeared as soon as possible and she would be able to live a long life, she was content.


    According to the speed of how she was doing, she estimated that by the time she obtained 20 buds she would be able to take off her mask without having to ever wear it again.


    Ke Chengwen was helping out with the changing of the water dispenser. When he walked over, he noticed that Fu Yangxi was supporting his head with his hand casually, his vision focused beyond the window.


    He followed Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze and smacked his lips before saying, ¡°The poor transfer student. I heard that her appearance was quite average and that last year her face got injured before she transferred to our school. Also, her younger sister Zhao Yuan is currently leading in the School Beauty Contest, so she should be feeling rather inferior¡ª¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, Ke Chengwen took a glimpse at the cold expression on Fu Yangxi¡¯s face and quickly changed his words. ¡°But the transfer student definitely has a better personality! For the past two days, she has been giving us sweets and biscuits. Everyone has taken a liking to her!¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Fu Yangxi successfully latched on to the main point.


    Zhao Mingxi bought some chocolate biscuits and placed it on her table this morning. She asked him if he wanted some with a soft voice, but he scoffed and complained that it was a mess of a biscuit instead. He was waiting for Zhao Mingxi to ask him again. However, just when he was about to reach out to take it, Zhao Mingxi kept them back in her bag. He got so angry that he almost screeched like a dolphin.


    He thought that it was Zhao Mingxi¡¯s breakfast. He was afraid that if he ate it she might not have enough for herself. So he didn¡¯t even touch it.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that she went ahead and gave it to their classmates instead?


    Fu Yangxi glared coldly at Ke Chengwen. It was obvious that he was unhappy. ¡°Who?¡±


    Ke Chengwen wanted nothing but to slap himself for having such a loose tongue. He might not be able to eat Zhao Mingxi¡¯s handmade desserts anymore. ¡°No one. J-Just the few group leaders who hand us our homework. Since the transfer student just got here, it would help her to blend in faster. ¡±


    Fu Yangxi seemed to contemplate it. ¡°True.¡±


    This sweet little cook knows how to conduct herself around strangers. This coincidentally filled up his weak point. He won¡¯t have to worry about his family¡¯s social meetings anymore.


    What surprised Ke Chengwen was that Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t resume his interrogation.


    Instead, he supported his head with a smile and continued to look outside the window.


    Only then did Ke Chengwen let out a sigh of relief.


    *


    The School Beauty Contest and Hundred School Tournament were the hottest topics as of late.


    When Mingxi kept her small mirror and came in, she heard a few students talking about it.


    ¡°Have you guys voted? Why is Zhao Yuan the one with the most votes again this year? Shouldn¡¯t everyone vote for the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Ceng Jiaojiao? I prefer the mature older sister type!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only normal. Boys make up about 70% of A High and they all like Zhao Yuan¡¯s simple, pure and pitiful appearance.¡±


    ¡°But Ceng Jiaojiao is way smarter!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± A boy couldn¡¯t help but to butt in, ¡°The Evergreen Class which Zhao Yuan is in is a really good class. She also joined the Hundred School Tournament last year. As for the Gold Medal Class, all their students are trained to compete and win competitions. In terms of overall results, we don¡¯t know who would be the better one.¡±


    Someone agreed, ¡°Furthermore, Zhao Yuan is more elegant and she has a better family background. The young guy who came to pick him up had such a graceful aura. Did you guys see? I think that was her eldest brother.¡±


    Mingxi had heard these words many times. After all, the halo surrounding the heroine was not something she could avoid.


    However, the good part was that every time Zhao Zhanhuai came, he would only pick up his little princess. Mingxi had never been in Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s car, so not a lot of people knew that she and Zhao Yuan were sisters.


    Nonetheless, maybe because she had just changed classes and voluntarily approached Fu Yangxi¡­


    Someone began to express interest in her and heard about this.


    When a guy saw her sit down and begin to fill in the application form for the Hundred School Tournament, he exclaimed in shock, ¡°Are you joining as well?¡±


    Zhao Mingxi raised her head and gave him a look. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Considering how her results in the Normal Class were always either average or below and there was only once when she managed to get into the Top 5, the fact that she wanted to join this province level competition was rather ironic in the eyes of an outsider.


    But there was still some time until the Hundred School Tournament. Mingxi felt that as long as she did her best to increase her luck, when it¡¯s time for exams, she might not be held back by her luck as the villainess and instead show off her true potential.


    ¡ªBased on this idea, there is a possibility that she might get in the tournament.


    That guy felt that she had overestimated herself, but he was worried about Fu Yangxi who was sleeping beside her, hence he decided to tease her instead of speaking bluntly. ¡°By the way, what happened to your face? Can you take down the mask for us? Since your younger sister is so pretty and her results are really good, you should be the same, right?¡±


    The mockery in his words were clear. He obviously knew that before Mingxi came, her results belonged to that of the Normal Class which was three classes behind them.


    The same goes for her appearance. He knew that Mingxi looked average.


    Another girl joined in, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t even know what you look like.¡±


    The pity in that girl¡¯s eyes was more apparent than her curiosity.


    Mingxi saw the guy¡¯s ill intentions. She didn¡¯t want to acknowledge him. So without even looking up, she said, ¡°What can I look like? It¡¯ll just be two eyes and one mouth.¡±


    They were stunned.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t really care about what they were thinking.


    However, since the scar on her face was almost gone to the point that it could not be seen unless someone used a magnifying glass to look at it, should she just take off her mask now?


    But before she could do anything, a pencil case flew across her eyes and landed with a ¡®thud¡¯. The guy who was teasing her jumped and quickly avoided it. The pencil case landed heavily on his table.


    Fu Yangxi gave him a look that said ¡®did you think I was dead¡¯. ¡°So annoying. All I hear are your voices talking non-stop. It¡¯s really noisy.¡±


    That guy¡¯s complexion went pale and he instantly lost his courage to speak. He picked up the pencil case and returned it to Ke Chengwen¡¯s table. Then, he quickly hid to the back of the class.


    That girl was shocked as well. She immediately looked down and continued to do her work.


    Mingxi¡¯s hand which was about to take off her mask paused in mid-air. She looked at her desk mate with a questioning gaze.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Fu Yangxi scoffed. His red hair was arrogant as he raised his eyebrows. He looked at her from the side with an expression full of distaste.


    Seeing as how Mingxi was still staring at him in silence, Fu Yangxi felt a little uncomfortable. He put on his noise-cancelling headphones and mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to your head. I wasn¡¯t helping you. They were just too noisy.¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her impression of Fu Yangxi finally became a little higher than -1000. She realized that although this guy had a sharp tongue, he wasn¡¯t as hard to get along with as she had expected.


    Fu Yangxi said in exasperation, ¡°I already said that I wasn¡¯t helping you.¡±


    Mingxi shrugged and didn¡¯t say anything in reply. Instead, she lowered her head and continued to fill in the application form.


    Fu Yangxi looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She was quiet and her sclera was white, he didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about. Considering how she went to a corner to look at herself just now, it meant that she still cared about her appearance. When she heard those words, she must¡¯ve been holding in her tears¡ª


    Of course, there were no tears in the transfer student¡¯s eyes, but for some reason Fu Yangxi felt that she must be biting her lips underneath her mask.


    Fu Yangxi scratched his head. He didn¡¯t know why but he felt slightly agitated.


    A while later, Mingxi who was almost done with the application form heard Fu Yangxi ask out of the blue, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m handsome?¡±


    Mingxi: ?


    Is this idiot having another bout of narcissism?


    Honestly speaking, there was nothing to criticize about the appearance of this young master. He had handsome eyes and a tall figure. He also had his own school hunk background music playing wherever he went. He was so good-looking that anyone who saw him would take another look.


    Of course, no one in A High dared to stare at him because the moment they took another look he would go into a frenzy of rage.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mingxi answered agreeably and honestly. She raised her head and looked at the tiny mole at the end of his eyes.


    Fu Yangxi scoffed as he continued to look at her. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Mingxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi explained, ¡°Because I¡¯m handsome, I don¡¯t care about the appearance of the girl¡ªthe friends I make and the followers I accept. After all, no matter how good-looking they are they can¡¯t beat me.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was complacent. ¡°So rest assured. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re pretty or ugly.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why thank you so much.


    I suddenly feel comforted.


    ¡­


    As everyone was talking about the School Beauty Contest all day, Mingxi who had planned to simply wash up and sleep that night casually opened up the forum. To her surprise, she was shortlisted for the contest.


    Of course, she held the last position.


    Nonetheless, what was astonishing was that she actually had 45 votes.


    Mingxi: ???


    A photo of her with a mask could be shortlisted as well?


    Was the person who submitted her name blind or simply making fun of her?


    As expected, a lot of students from other schools started to question who this person was as she was shortlisted despite using a photo with a mask.


    Mingxi guessed that it was someone who hated her who did this, someone like E Xiaoxia. She didn¡¯t have the energy to care about these things, and she was too lazy to do so as well.


    On the other hand.


    Ke Chengwen and a group of followers had to fight the urge to sleep as Fu Yangxi rushed them to change a few more accounts in order to vote.


    They all complained that he was like Zhou the exploiter*.


    ray¡¯s note: refers to a short story about a man who refused to pay his workers after they were done working.


    They initially thought that getting a ¡®sister-in-law¡¯ was a good thing, but what they didn¡¯t expect was such torture.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t dwell on this matter. She was very busy as she not only had to prepare for the Hundred School Tournament, she also had to make sweets for Fu Yangxi everyday after school so that she could bring it for him the next day. Furthermore, she had to figure out various ways to get closer to Fu Yangxi.


    Therefore, she didn¡¯t know that by the time it was Friday, she actually had around 350 votes and had successfully entered the Top 20.


    *


    It was Friday. Shen Liyao had just finished playing basketball and returned to class when he heard his classmates discussing this. He furrowed his brows and took out his phone to take a look. As expected, he saw that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s name had gone up to the Top 20.


    Shen Liyao knew that Zhao Mingxi was beautiful. The moment he saw her two years ago, he couldn¡¯t avert his eyes. However, her results were terrible and she was too thick-skinned. At the beginning, when Shen Liyao saw the results from her entrance exam, he felt that even speaking to her was a waste of time, hence he would always avoid her whenever he could.


    But for the past two years, she must have worked so hard and put in so much effort that she managed to get her results all the way to the Top 5.


    Actually, she isn¡¯t that bad. When she works hard no one can beat her.


    Shen Liyao lowered his gaze nonchalantly. He smoothly voted for the person in the 20th place.


    Suddenly, he heard someone shout out his name. It sounded like Zhao Mingxi¡¯s voice.


    He stood still in the corridor and smiled. He quickly reverted to his cold gaze before turning back, but all he saw was a junior.


    That girl quickly ran over to him to give him a bottle of water.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s expression changed instantly to one of annoyance.


    Before that girl could reach him, he wordlessly walked upstairs.


    For the whole of this week, aside from Tuesday when she got He Yang to return his notes, Zhao Mingxi did not appear in front of him at all.


    Previously on every Wednesday, Zhao Mingxi would make up some excuse to escape class so that she could secretly come find him at the sports field during the Gold Medal Class¡¯ physical education period. Even on Thursday when he would be at the broadcast room, Zhao Mingxi would definitely be there to wait for him.


    There were also his basketball competitions every Friday. For the past two years Zhao Mingxi had never missed a single one of his basketball competitions¡ª


    This was the first time in two years that she did not appear in the crowd from the beginning till the end of the competition.


    Additionally, despite the fact that the International Class and the Gold Medal Class was on the same floor, Shen Liyao had not once bumped into Zhao Mingxi.


    For the past few days, Zhao Mingxi did not walk past the windows of the Gold Medal Class as well¡ª It looked like she had purposely chosen the longer path this week. She would use the flight of stairs near the office to get down every time.


    Shen Liyao finally noticed that she was avoiding him on purpose.


    Why?


    Shen Liyao appeared expressionless, but when he coldly walked into his class, he subconsciously looked toward the direction of the International Class and felt a strong sense of frustration.

 Chapter 12

    As Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthdays were close to each other, the Zhao family would always celebrate them together.


    It was the same this year too.


    Even the students of the Evergreen Class began to give Zhao Yuan gifts a week before her birthday.


    ¡°I voted for you. You¡¯re probably going to win the School Beauty Contest again this year. I wish you a happy early birthday.¡±


    Zhao Yuan was surrounded by her adoring fans. She smiled politely. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    E Xiaoxia who was watching by the side also sheepishly gave her her gift. Zhao Yuan looked at her but did not take it.


    The two of them were still in an awkward phase due to the allergy incident.


    Someone was voting for Zhao Yuan. When they scrolled down, they saw Zhao Mingxi who was at the bottom of the list.


    Someone exclaimed, ¡°How did someone with a mask get shortlisted? Who¡¯s the moderator in charge of checking the submissions? Did they take this year¡¯s School Beauty Contest as a joke?¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. She took out her phone to look at it as well.


    Surprisingly, Zhao Mingxi was at the 20th place.


    Someone standing beside them said, ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Mingxi? I¡¯ve never seen her, but I¡¯ve heard of her. She¡¯s the girl who kept on pursuing Shen Liyao. I heard that her looks are only average. Maybe people are just voting for her out of curiosity.¡±


    E Xiaoxia watched as Zhao Yuan turned and kept on looking at her phone with furrowed brows. She couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in Zhao Yuan¡¯s head.


    Nonetheless, she still approached her and tried to curry favor with a whisper, ¡°Yuanyuan, don¡¯t worry. Those people must have voted for Zhao Mingxi because they were curious about how she looked underneath the mask. She only has around 500 votes now. You have well-surpassed her with your 3,000 votes. She won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, only embarrassment would await her if she did manage to get into the first few spots. Think about it, when the voting period is complete, those who don¡¯t know her will think that she¡¯s pretty¡ª Then when she takes off her mask, whoa, the disappointment.¡±


    E Xiaoxia initially thought that after saying these she would be able to salvage her relationship with Zhao Yuan. But unexpectedly, the moment Zhao Yuan heard her words, she kept quiet and the expression on her face turned darker. She didn¡¯t look as if she was relieved at all.


    Before E Xiaoxia could speak any further, Zhao Yuan¡¯s other friend, Pu Shuang¡¯s phone vibrated.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s from Zhao Yuning.¡± Pu Shuang said in surprise.


    [Pu Shuang jie, what should I give a girl so that she will stop being mad at me? P.S. don¡¯t tell Yuan jie.]


    As Zhao Yuan was coincidentally beside her, she gave her a look, ¡°Your brother treats you so well. Is he planning to secretly buy you a birthday gift? He told me not to tell you too!¡±


    The corner of Zhao Yuan¡¯s lips curled slightly upwards. Only then did the expression on her face soften.


    Zhao Yuning probably wanted to apologize to her as well for when he accidentally yelled at her that day at the sports field.


    However, Zhao Yuan was a little shocked. Zhao Yuning was always very direct, yet today he knew how to speak in a roundabout way.


    Pu Shuang asked, ¡°Quick. What do you want for your birthday? How should I reply?¡±


    Zhao Yuan gave it some thought before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t really need anything. Just tell him to give whatever he wants.¡±


    Thus, Pu Shuang replied: ¡°Anything, but Shuang jie would recommend you to get a life size teddy bear.¡±


    There was no reply after that. E Xiaoxia, Pu Shuang and the girls around them started to get jealous. ¡°If only I had such a younger brother as well.¡±


    Zhao Yuan smiled as she was in a better mood now. She stood up and packed her bags before saying, ¡°My eldest brother is coming to pick me up. See you all next week.¡±


    *


    As for Zhao Yuning, he was currently dragging two of his male friends as they walked around the mall.


    He excused himself for the last period after lunch just so he could come out to buy a gift. He wanted to give it to Zhao Mingxi.


    He didn¡¯t know if Zhao Mingxi was purposely avoiding him this week or that the academic building for those in Year 3 was too far from that of Year 1, but he never saw Zhao Mingxi at all while he was in school.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t relay to the family what Zhao Mingxi said about severing all ties with them as she had said it out of anger.


    He was thinking that since their eldest brother was going to personally pick up Zhao Mingxi from school this weekend, she would most probably stop holding a grudge and agree to go home.


    Therefore, if he said anything it would only make things worse.


    Nonetheless, even without relaying her message, the atmosphere at home was distinctly bad.


    The house became quieter ever since Zhao Mingxi left home. Aside from the fact that he could no longer eat Zhao Mingxi¡¯s delicious dishes, he couldn¡¯t find anyone to bicker with him anymore.


    Zhao Yuan and Zhao Mingxi had varying personalities.


    Zhao Yuan was gracious. As she had learned piano and etiquette, no one could find any fault in her. While Zhao Yuning liked and spoiled this elder sister of his, he felt that he missed the smart mouthed Zhao Mingxi¡ª Only Zhao Mingxi would pull him by the ears to his bed whenever he would stay up to play games.


    Although Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t want to admit it, he had to confess that his heart felt empty for the whole of this week.


    While he was still a little upset about how Zhao Mingxi had caused such a ruckus because of a small matter, the main point was that she didn¡¯t even care about him anymore.


    However, after Zhao Mingxi had spoken to him that day at the lowest floor of the academic building, he also reflected on not only his own actions, but also his family¡¯s.


    She was right. They had wronged Zhao Mingxi.


    Thus, he hatched a plan. First, he would buy a gift. Then when their eldest brother manages to convince Mingxi to come home, he would secretly enter Mingxi¡¯s room and give her the gift.


    But just when he was about to buy a gift for her, Zhao Yuning realized that he knew nothing about what Zhao Mingxi liked.


    It was only then that he noticed that for the past two years, he had only given Zhao Mingxi a memory card of a game he had played before on her birthday last year.


    For some reason, Zhao Yuning felt bad. There was also a sense of fear, as if everything was too late. He tried his best to push away these odd feelings.


    No way. There¡¯s nothing a family can¡¯t get through together.


    After an hour of shopping at the local mall, Zhao Yuning still went according to Pu Shuang¡¯s recommendation and got Zhao Mingxi a life size teddy bear which was about 170cm tall.


    Once he bought it, he let out a mental sigh of relief. He felt that it was enough; that Zhao Mingxi would be surprised when she received this.


    As it was too big, he couldn¡¯t bring it back himself, so he got the salesperson to send it back.


    When it was time to fill in the address, he gave it some thought and wrote his house address while stating that it was for Zhao Mingxi.


    Since his eldest brother will be showing himself today, he would definitely be able to bring Zhao Mingxi home.


    *


    The moment Zhao Yuning arrived at school from the mall, he received a call from Zhao Zhanhuai. He quickly pulled his bag tighter and ran to the school gates. ¡°Da ge.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai got out from the car with his car keys in his hands. He pulled up his white sleeves and furrowed his brows as he walked to school. ¡°Where is Mingxi¡¯s class? Show me the way.¡±


    ¡°Da ge, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Zhao Yuning was a little excited. Since it was their eldest brother who came, Zhao Mingxi wouldn¡¯t retaliate like how she did to him, right?


    He hurriedly followed behind Zhao Zhanhuai. ¡°There. She¡¯s in the same building as Zhao Yuan, but they¡¯re not on the same floor.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai went up to the fifth floor and walked toward the direction of the International Class.


    He didn¡¯t know where Zhao Mingxi¡¯s class was, be it before or after she transferred. He only knew which class Zhao Yuan was in.


    Previously whenever it was a holiday weekend, Zhao Zhanhuai would personally drive to school and bring Zhao Yuan home.


    His feelings toward Zhao Yuan had not changed yet. But ever since two years ago when Zhao Yuan turned from his biological younger sister to someone with no blood relations to him whatsoever, Zhao Zhanhuai felt a stronger sense of pity for her.


    He was afraid that she would feel uncomfortable in this house. He was also fearful that she would be bullied by Mingxi who had a stronger personality. Thus, Zhao Zhanhuai treated Zhao Yuan even better as compared to the past 15 years.


    His actions of personally coming to pick up Zhao Yuan was a habit formed from a small promise between him and Zhao Yuan. He wanted Zhao Yuan to know that he favored her by using his actions to tell her that she was still very important to this family.


    As for Zhao Yuning and Zhao Mingxi, for the past two years they were driven home by the Zhao family¡¯s driver.


    Zhao Zhanhuai didn¡¯t think that anything was amiss. Since Yuning would be together with Mingxi and their ages were close to each other, this might even help Mingxi to blend in with the family quicker.


    But this week, maybe it was because Zhao Zhanhuai felt guilty about what happened, his attention had obviously been more focused on Mingxi.


    Mingxi had actually refused to come home for a week and a half.


    Not only did she not reply to his apology text, after the incident, when everyone in the family including him called her, they realized that she had actually blocked them.


    Even the lady who always cooked for them at home had her number blocked.


    It seemed as if Mingxi wanted to sever all ties with them.


    At home, Madam Zhao was so angry that a migraine appeared. She clamoured that if Zhao Mingxi did not come back, she would no longer be welcomed home. However, Madam Zhao had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, she did not truly mean that she would forbid Mingxi from coming home.


    Therefore, Zhao Zhanhuai could only step in personally.


    As the eldest brother, he planned to first bring Mingxi out for hotpot in order to appease her. Then, he would find a suitable opportunity to bring her home.


    Because the classes of the International Class ended quite early, everyone was pretty much gone by the time they arrived.


    Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were rather handsome young men, hence quite a few girls were observing them on their way there.


    Someone took the initiative to ask, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, ¡°I am the guardian of Zhao Mingxi from the International Class. Is she here?¡±


    ¡°She went to the office to submit the application form for the Hundred School Tournament.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning looked at each other. They were astonished. They knew about the Hundred School Tournament. Why would Mingxi register with her results? Aside from the fact that the requirement for entry was very strict, there was a limited number of students who could join, so they had no idea if she would be able to get through that preliminary stage¡ª Even if she did get through it, she would probably be eliminated at the first round, rendering her unqualified to join the finals.


    Zhao Zhanhuai said to Zhao Yuning, ¡°But it¡¯s good that she is motivated. It isn¡¯t easy for Mingxi to adapt from her studies in the countryside.¡±


    Zhao Yuning nodded.


    Then the two of them walked toward the office.


    Mingxi had just submitted the application form. The moment she looked up, she saw Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning who were going to bring her home.


    ¡°Mingxi.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai walked over while examining Zhao Mingxi. Despite it having been a week and a half since they last saw each other, Mingxi unexpectedly did not show any emotion of anger or frustration toward their family¡ª Her eyes were not bloodshot and she didn¡¯t lose any weight. In fact, it seemed like her hair had become even shinier and the look in her eyes had become clearer.


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt like something was off. He opened his mouth and was about to say something.


    But before he could speak, Mingxi furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Why are you here again?¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s emotionless words almost made Zhao Zhanhuai choke.


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought that the moment Mingxi saw him, she would express an emotion of ¡®why did you just come?¡¯, but what he absolutely did not expect was this kind of distasteful expression on her face.


    He stabilized his emotions and decided not to be so nitpicky with a child. He continued, ¡°Are you still going back to class? If not, let¡¯s talk while we walk. I¡¯ll bring you out for hotpot.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°That¡¯s what Zhao Yuan likes to eat. I don¡¯t like to eat hotpot.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll eat something else.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai was still very patient as he tried to please her. ¡°Also, it¡¯s going to be Mom and Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthdays next week. You must be home by then. Stop being difficult, Mingxi.¡±


    Mingxi looked at Zhao Yuning. ¡°Looks like you didn¡¯t tell them what I said.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai looked at Zhao Yuning who was behind him. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s face instantly fell. He thought that since their eldest brother was here Mingxi would change her attitude, but why was she still acting this way? Why was she still so cold and stiff toward them?


    Suddenly, Mingxi unzipped her bag and pulled out a photo.


    Zhao Zhanhuai remembered it. This was a family photo that they gave Mingxi when she first came back to them. She printed two of it so that she could frame one and keep it on her bedside while the other would be kept in her school bag.


    This morning, he saw that she didn¡¯t take the photo on her bedside with her.


    As for this one¡ª


    ¡°You should keep the photo well. Why did you take it out?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai stared at Zhao Mingxi. It was only at this moment that he noticed that Mingxi was acting out of the ordinary.


    Mingxi walked over and gave the photo to Zhao Zhanhuai.


    Zhao Zhanhuai furrowed his brows and refused to take it.


    Thus, Mingxi could only crumple it into a ball and throw it into the nearby trash can.


    When she did this, she didn¡¯t even raise her eyelids, it was as if she was merely throwing trash.


    Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were stunned. They looked at Zhao Mingxi in shock.


    Mingxi continued to rummage through her bag. After confirming with her own eyes, she said, ¡°Aside from this photo, I don¡¯t think I have anything else from your family. The school bag and clothes that I took were all the ones I brought when I first came two years ago.¡±


    Zhao Yuning furrowed his brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This means that I don¡¯t have anything from the Zhao family on me, so please stop approaching me. Whatever I want to say I¡¯ve already said to Zhao Yuning.¡±


    No matter how gentle Zhao Zhanhuai was, he couldn¡¯t just stand there and take this. He looked at the trash can which was full of fruit peels and lowered the tone of his voice, ¡°How could you just crumple up our family photo and toss it in the trash? What do you take our family for?¡±


    Mingxi looked at him as if she was a curious child. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a copy of a photo? Do you have to get so mad over it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai instantly felt that this line was familiar. He abruptly recalled when Mingxi first came to the Zhao family home, she had a few photos of when she was living in the small town with her grandmother.


    Mingxi was only willing to let them see one photo. After they were done, they didn¡¯t know if it ended up in the hands of Zhao Yuan or Zhao Yuning, but in the end they forgot to return it to Mingxi and it was lost ever since.


    That was the first time Mingxi cried as she fought with them.


    They said the same thing, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a copy of a photo? You still have a lot. Do you have to get so mad over it?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai paled. He felt a sharp stab in his heart, yet he said nothing.


    He looked toward Zhao Mingxi, but she had already turned and went downstairs.


    It was only at this moment that Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning found out why they felt that something was off the instant they saw Mingxi at the hallway.


    Mingxi had changed her school bag.


    What she took with her was her own bag that her grandmother had gifted her.


    Mingxi had also changed her hair tie.


    She had tied her ponytail up with a simple black hair tie.


    She did not bring a single thing Madam Zhao got her when she was in a good mood and brought her out shopping.


    Furthermore, the teddy bear ornament that Zhao Zhanhuai got her which she used to treasure so much was no longer there.

 Chapter 13

    Zhao Yuning was stricken with panic. ¡°What- What should we do?¡±


    Da ge¡¯s appearance was pointless. Mingxi jie threw away the photo.


    ¡°What did Mingxi want you to tell us?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai asked.


    Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t dare to keep quiet any longer when he saw how angry Zhao Zhanhuai was. He could only repeat what she had said. Once he was done, he felt even more fearful, ¡°Da ge, do you think she said that she wanted to sever all ties with us out of anger or¡­ why do I feel like she¡¯s taking it seriously this time?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier?!¡±


    Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t dare to even let out a whimper.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil. He took a glimpse at Zhao Yuning and said, ¡°Forget it. Get the driver to bring you home. I¡¯ll talk it out with Mingxi.¡±


    Zhao Yuning was out of his wits. He could only say, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Fu Yangxi had just picked up his bag and left the class from the back door. The moment he turned, he saw Zhao Mingxi leaving the two men and the atmosphere was quite bad.


    ¡°Who are the two idiots standing there?¡± He subconsciously walked over.


    Ke Chengwen quickly pulled him back behind the door. He whispered, ¡°Xi ge, don¡¯t butt into other people¡¯s family affairs.¡±


    Fu Yangxi quickly realized what was going on. Those two must be Zhao Mingxi¡¯s eldest brother and her younger brother who was studying in Year 1 at their school.


    According to what Ke Chengwen heard, Zhao Mingxi was not on good terms with her family.


    Furthermore, due to some unknown reason, they had a fight and she ended up staying in school.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know what was going on in her family, but when he recalled what the person whom he tossed a pen at earlier today said, he quickly concluded, it can¡¯t be that Little Mask¡¯s family members are biased, right?


    Or else why would it be that everyone in the Evergreen Class knew that Zhao Yuan had a tall, rich and handsome elder brother who would always fetch her home but when it came to Zhao Mingxi, no one had ever heard of someone purposely coming here to pick her up?


    Three flames were ignited in Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart. ¡°Are her family members blind? Did they all think that just because that school beauty was prettier and smarter than Little Mask that they could favor her more?¡±


    Ke Chengwen thought, maybe there¡¯s other reasons. However, even he himself was not familiar with the affairs of the Zhao family.


    Fu Yangxi snarled, ¡°Isn¡¯t Little Mask 100 times better than that Zhao Yuan*?¡±


    ray¡¯s note: he used Ô² (= circle) instead of æ (= zhao yuan¡¯s ¡®yuan¡¯) here


    Ke Chengwen agreed like the bootlicker he was, ¡°I think so too.¡±


    Fu Yangxi took off his bag and contemplated it for a while. Ultimately, he felt that the weight was not suitable, so he took up his bag again and walked toward the back of the classroom to pick up a basketball.


    Ke Chengwen instantly stopped him. ¡°This is the transfer student¡¯s family after all. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to hurt them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not right for me to hurt them. How else will I get along with them in the future?¡± Fu Yangxi mumbled.


    Ke Chengwen was just about to let out a sigh of relief.


    Suddenly, Fu Yangxi pushed the basketball into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re more suited for the job.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were walking down the stairs to the fourth floor.


    Out of nowhere, a basketball came flying down on them from the sky and hit directly on Zhao Yuning¡¯s head.


    It landed with a ¡®thud¡¯.


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s head was almost sent flying.


    A bump began to form on his head as stars appeared in his vision. He turned around in anger. ¡°Who was that?¡±


    After a short moment, a tall young man with short black hair stepped out from the International Class. He strutted before knocking Zhao Zhanhuai on the shoulder.


    Then, he walked over to pick up the basketball and speedily ran downstairs.


    Zhao Yuning felt disturbed. He yelled at Ke Chengwen¡¯s retreating figure, ¡°Do you guys in Year 3 have any manners?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai furrowed his brows as he placed a hand on Zhao Yuning¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think that student did it on purpose. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±


    As Zhao Yuning noticed that everything was not going as expected, he felt even more depressed.


    The two of them went downstairs. Zhao Yuning went to the school gates, got in the driver¡¯s car and went home.


    As for Zhao Zhanhuai, he received the directions from a student who was passing by and walked with vigorous strides toward A High¡¯s dorms.


    When he arrived at the dorms, he was stopped by the lady who was on duty that day. ¡°Male guardians are prohibited from going up. Only the student can come downstairs.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai subconsciously took out his phone before belatedly realizing that he had been blocked by Zhao Mingxi.


    He felt helpless as he spoke, ¡°She didn¡¯t bring her phone.¡±


    ¡°A child without a phone? In this decade?¡± The lady¡¯s expression turned skeptical.


    Zhao Zhanhuai went visibly pale. He could only reply, ¡°I¡¯m looking for my younger sister. Her name is Zhao Mingxi, she¡¯s in the Year 3 International Class.¡±


    The lady furrowed her brows. Nonetheless, seeing as how he was a handsome young man with a graceful appearance, she explained patiently, ¡°I can¡¯t just let you up with a name and class, or else wouldn¡¯t any Tom, Dick and Harry be able to go up by simply stating a name? You must have registered and signed when you sent your child here, right? Do you remember which page you signed on? If you remember, I can cross-check it and allow you to go up.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, ¡°¡­When she came to stay in school, she brought her own luggage here. No one sent her.¡±


    ¡°Leave!¡± The lady¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that a well-dressed and handsome man like you would want to try and get into the girls¡¯ dorms! The people who live here are all petite female high schoolers whose family members would always worry and fret as they send them over. Who would believe you if you said you let her come alone?¡±


    Seeing as how he refused to leave, the lady took up her broomstick.


    The veins on Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s forehead seemed ready to pop.


    But at the same time, he felt unsettled. ¡°Other people¡¯s children¡­were all accompanied here?¡±


    ¡°Of course. There aren¡¯t a lot of them who stay in school, so it would usually be one person per room. There aren¡¯t any lifts in the dorms as well. The guys would be okay with it, but how could a girl carry her luggage all the way up to the sixth floor alone? She would have to clean up her own dorm room as well. I don¡¯t think she could¡¯ve done it on her own in one night!¡± the lady said. ¡°Your family is absolutely ridiculous. How could you have let a child come here alone?!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt a lump in his throat.


    He never actually thought about this problem.


    When Mingxi left home out of anger, they let her leave just like that. But what if it was Zhao Yuan? They probably would¡¯ve gone after her immediately. Even if Zhao Yuan was adamant on staying in school, he would¡¯ve definitely sent her here.


    Yet why was it that when it came to Mingxi, he¡ª


    He never thought of how Mingxi must¡¯ve cleaned up her room for the whole night and cleared the drains before falling asleep out of exhaustion.


    It was the same as how he never thought of a few small matters that had happened before. For example, whenever the whole family went out to eat, they would always subconsciously order the dishes that Zhao Yuan liked to eat. What could¡¯ve gone through Mingxi¡¯s mind then?


    He always felt that these were small matters.


    However at this moment, two images appeared in this mind. The yearning and anticipation in Mingxi¡¯s eyes when she first entered their home and the emotionless way she threw away that photo just now at the academic building.


    It was only then that he had an abrupt awakening.


    These disappointing small matters, how many times has it been repeated for the past few years? A few hundred times? No, a few thousand times? To the point that the Mingxi who had come to their home happily two years ago had turned into one who was extremely disappointed in their family?


    ¡°Are you going to leave?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai took a glimpse at the lady. His emotions were in a wreck as he pleaded, ¡°Can I borrow the landline phone? I want to give her a call.¡±


    Though the suspicion in the lady¡¯s eyes did not go away, she still gave him the phone.


    Zhao Zhanhuai turned on his phone, dialed Zhao Mingxi¡¯s number according to what was shown on the screen and called.


    However, three minutes later.


    She still didn¡¯t pick up.


    Zhao Mingxi was swift and firm with her severance. She had changed her number.


    The lady said, ¡°Stop acting.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai hung up the phone with mixed emotions.


    *


    As Zhao Zhanhuai had spent quite some time at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s dorm, he missed the timing to fetch Zhao Yuan.


    Zhao Yuan called him, but no one picked up. She didn¡¯t know what her eldest brother was busy with. She had waited for a long time at the school gates to the point that the girls from her class who wanted to see her handsome eldest brother had all left.


    Zhao Yuan was unhappy, but she didn¡¯t show it. She called for their family driver to come pick her up.


    When Zhao Yuan got home, she saw Zhao Yuning going upstairs. As she recalled how Zhao Yuning had brought her a gift, she took the initiative to ease the tension between the both of them. ¡°Yuning, when did you get home?¡±


    Zhao Yuning who was at the stairs turned his head with a heavy heart. He didn¡¯t catch what Zhao Yuan asked, so he just replied with a ¡°Oh¡± and went into his room.


    He didn¡¯t have any appetite for dinner because Zhao Mingxi wasn¡¯t home.


    Zhao Yuan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuan furrowed her brows. She didn¡¯t like the feeling of being ignored.


    She changed her shoes and entered the house. At the same time, the nanny came in from the front yard, struggling as she carried a parcel which was as tall as she was. She said, ¡°Miss, this was sent from the mall. Did you purchase this?¡±


    Zhao Yuan turned and gave it a glance. When she saw the parcel, her expression turned bright and happy again.


    She put on her slippers and walked over with a smile. ¡°This must be my birthday present from Yuning.¡±


    ¡°He sent you a gift this early?¡± the nanny said in shock. She carefully placed the parcel on the ground in fear that it was something fragile.


    Zhao Yuan smiled. Zhao Yuning must have purposely feigned a look of dejection and ignorance toward her just now so he could give her a surprise. ¡°Help me open it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The nanny went off to take a pair of scissors.


    The parcel was very quickly opened.


    When Zhao Yuan saw a corner which revealed a ball of fluff, she couldn¡¯t help but to touch it. It was very soft. She liked it very much.


    However, before the nanny could finish opening it, she paused abruptly and said, ¡°Miss, I don¡¯t think you are the recipient.¡±


    Zhao Yuan furrowed her brows and quickly snatched the courier receipt to take a look.


    When her vision focused on the three words ¡®Zhao Mingxi¡¯, she went stiff.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yuning who was on the second floor heard the commotion downstairs. He hurriedly ran down with his slippers. When he saw that the present which was nicely wrapped at the mall had been opened by the nanny, he was enraged, ¡°Who allowed you to open my things?¡±


    The nanny stepped aside fearfully.


    It was only then that Zhao Yuan realized that she had made a huge mistake. She stood up with a sour expression. She didn¡¯t know if she wanted to appear awkward or angry.


    She held herself together and asked, ¡°Since it¡¯s for Mingxi, why did you send it home? Shouldn¡¯t you have sent it to school?¡±


    As Zhao Yuning had always been bad at observing, he didn¡¯t notice the expression on Zhao Yuan¡¯s face. He said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Mingxi jie still mad at us? So I got this as a gift for her.¡±


    Before Zhao Yuan could come back to her senses, Zhao Yuning had dragged the gift upstairs in a huff.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Both Zhao Yuan and the nanny were in disbelief. Zhao Yuning got a gift for Mingxi?


    The nanny hesitated, but did not say anything. She took a glimpse at Zhao Yuan. She did not dare to say that it was Zhao Yuan who got her to open it, so she could only take the blame for it. Rubbing her hands together, she lowered her head before quickly heading toward the kitchen.


    The sound of someone parking their car could be heard from outside the door.


    Zhao Yuan calmed herself down. She looked toward the gates of their villa and saw Zhao Zhanhuai coming out from his car.


    Zhao Yuan sat heavily on the sofa instead of greeting him at the door.


    Her eyes were becoming bloodshot.


    Zhao Zhanhuai entered the house and changed his shoes at the entry foyer. When he looked up, he saw Zhao Yuan¡¯s back facing him as she sat at the sofa, hugging a pillow quietly.


    If it was any day before today, he would have definitely noticed that Zhao Yuan was angry or feeling wronged, so he would quickly go up to her to ask if she was okay.


    But today Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s mind was in a wreck. He didn¡¯t know how to deal with Mingxi.


    Also, he had spent the time coming home thinking about many details in the past¡ª They were all small matters, like when Yuanyuan and Mingxi both tripped, he would always go up to help Zhao Yuan first.


    Everyone saw how protective he was of Zhao Yuan. He didn¡¯t think much of it himself either.


    ¡­But for Mingxi, this could¡¯ve been the last straw for her before she completely lost her faith in the Zhao family.


    Everything would¡¯ve been fine if he didn¡¯t notice how biased he was, but since he noticed, he felt that everything was wrong.


    It was as if Mingxi who had severed all ties with their family was sitting across him on the sofa, watching him.


    Furthermore, Zhao Zhanhuai guessed that nothing much happened to Yuanyuan, just that she might¡¯ve been upset over the fact that he forgot to pick her up.


    However, Zhao Zhanhuai who was currently in a very bad mood did not have the energy to coax her.


    He hesitated, pulled his tie loose and directly went upstairs.


    Zhao Yuan, who was seated at the sofa, waited for a long time until she heard the sound of footsteps behind her.


    The corner of her eyes became even redder.


    But what she didn¡¯t expect was for those set of footsteps to turn and head upstairs.


    She turned around in shock, but could only see Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s figure which was already halfway up the stairs.


    Zhao Yuan immediately stood up. She couldn¡¯t understand what she was seeing.

 Chapter 14

    Despite Mingxi¡¯s absence, they couldn¡¯t help but to make her the main topic of tonight¡¯s dinner.


    When Madam Zhao took a glance at Mingxi¡¯s chair which had been empty for the past week and a half, she slammed her bowl and chopsticks on the table before frowning at Zhao Zhanhuai. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to her school today?¡±


    Zhao Yuning did not dare to step in. His eyes travelled carefully to his eldest brother.


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt an oncoming headache. It was obvious that he couldn¡¯t just tell his mother about Mingxi wanting to sever all ties with them right now, or else his house would immediately be turned upside down.


    He paused. Then, as if nothing had happened, he picked up a dish and said, ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Then where is she? Did you fail to coax her back?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, ¡°Mingxi said that she¡¯s been preparing for the Hundred School Tournament recently. As the journey between school and home is rather time consuming, she decided to continue staying in school. She¡¯ll be back on the day of your birthday party.¡±


    ¡°She wants to join the tournament as well?¡± Madam Zhao questioned.


    Even Zhao Yuan was surprised. She didn¡¯t know what was up with Zhao Mingxi recently. Not only did she stop chasing after Shen Liyao, she also placed her focus on her studies. Furthermore, she joined both the School Beauty Contest and the Hundred School Tournament.


    Zhao Yuan did not dare to compete with Zhao Mingxi in terms of the former, but with regards to the latter, when it came to their results, Zhao Yuan was extremely confident.


    She felt more assured now, hence she spoke with the tone of an experienced person, ¡°If she manages to get into the finals, she can get a scholarship, and after the competition, those who got into the Top 10 can obtain extra marks for their college entrance examination. So it is only normal for Mingxi to want to try. However, the spaces are limited. It isn¡¯t easy to be eligible for the competition to begin with¡­ It might be a little hard with Mingxi¡¯s results.¡±


    ¡°Mingxi is probably unhappy about the fact that I managed to get into the finals last year while she couldn¡¯t even qualify for the competition itself. Do you think we should send Professor Gao a gift to help Mingxi out?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai furrowed his brows and said, ¡°I am familiar with Professor Gao. He won¡¯t accept such gifts. The important part is her participation.¡±


    Madam Zhao had nothing to add to this, but she couldn¡¯t help but to nag, ¡°What tournament, they are all excuses. It looks like she¡¯s still angry. What is wrong with this child? And what happened to her phone? Why can¡¯t any of us reach her?¡±


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s head was bent so low that it could be buried in his bowl.


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Her phone was damaged because she dropped it in water.¡±


    ¡°Then give her money to buy another one!¡±


    ¡°I bought one for her already,¡± Zhao Zhanhuai said while holding his forehead. ¡°But since she¡¯s preparing for her upcoming exams, she¡¯s closing herself off from the world as well. Let¡¯s just allow her to focus on her studies. She will definitely be back on the day of the birthday party.¡±


    Only then did Madam Zhao stop. She then changed the topic, ¡°Oh right, I heard that the upstart Dong family are about to return to this country. Be careful, don¡¯t let them do anything behind our backs.¡±


    ¡°Why did they decide to come back now?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. ¡°Does Mingxi know?¡±


    Madam Zhao said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They have yet to make a move. I heard this news from my friends when I went shopping the other day.¡±


    The Dong family was Mingxi¡¯s small town neighbor. They were originally poor, but right before the Zhao family found Mingxi, a miracle happened to that family that year and they became upstarts. There was also a boy from that family who was about the same age as Mingxi and they were good friends.


    Back when they were still searching for Mingxi, this family was the biggest obstacle they had encountered.


    They didn¡¯t know what this family was thinking, but they refused to let Mingxi go. They even went to the extent of secretly bringing Mingxi with them when they moved.


    Furthermore, the moment they met this family, there was a strong sense of hostility between them. Their family¡¯s Dong Shen was also this close to making Zhao Yuan stagger.


    At that moment, they almost wanted to sue them.


    Fortunately, this family moved overseas.


    The moment they mentioned this family, Madam Zhao¡¯s gaze was full of distaste. ¡°Even if they are rich now and have loads of money, they don¡¯t have any manners. Thank goodness we didn¡¯t allow them to keep Mingxi by their side.¡±


    It was obvious that the atmosphere around the table was quite bad.


    Zhao Yuan placed a vegetable in Madam Zhao¡¯s bowl. She smiled and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m still here. Why don¡¯t I massage your shoulders after dinner?¡±


    ¡°How could that be the same?¡± Madam Zhao rubbed her temples and said casually.


    Although she favored Zhao Yuan more as Zhao Yuan looked obedient from every angle, she could not ignore the blood relations embedded in their genes. This was also the reason why they insisted on searching for Zhao Mingxi even though many years had passed.


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s facial expression went stiff.


    She subconsciously looked at the other two around the table. However, today¡¯s Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were acting out of the ordinary. They only bothered to lower their heads with heavy hearts instead of trying to reassure her.


    Zhao Yuan felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, as if something bad was about to happen soon.


    *


    There weren¡¯t a lot of people who stayed in school. In order to avoid fires during the weekend, the academic building was closed. Only one classroom at the fourth floor of the library would be open for students to self study.


    For the whole of Fu Yangxi¡¯s three years here, he had no idea what the library looked like. But after school today, his thoughts kept on floating to the library.


    Ke Chengwen also took a glimpse at the library. Coincidentally, he saw a familiar figure carrying a bag as he walked toward that direction.


    Shen Liyao?


    He doesn¡¯t stay in school, so what is he doing at the library after class? It can¡¯t be that he¡¯s there to look for the transfer student, right?


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Fu Yangxi was about to follow the direction of his gaze when Ke Chengwen immediately blocked him and said, ¡°Your ride is here.¡±


    At the school gates, an extra long limousine drove slowly toward them. It had successfully averted Fu Yangxi¡¯s attention.


    Fu Yangxi furrowed his brows and appeared to be slightly annoyed. He pulled Ke Chengwen by the neck and started to walk in the opposite direction.


    When Ke Chengwen saw the number plate, his eyelids twitched instantly. ¡°Your mother is home?!¡±


    This was not the usual car that came to fetch Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi pushed him away and put on his jacket. The annoyance in his expression deepened. ¡°Don¡¯t mention such things when I¡¯m in a good mood.¡±


    Ke Chengwen could only shut up. But after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but to ask, ¡°Then what about that fellow Fu Zhiyi? Has he returned as well?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Fu Yangxi scoffed. The wind made a slight mess of his short red hair. The corner of his eyes were cold. ¡°A substitute can¡¯t just follow her around.¡±


    Ke Chengwen also felt slightly annoyed on Fu Yangxi¡¯s behalf.


    In the end, he didn¡¯t pay attention to where they were going. By the time he raised his head up, he realized that he had been dragged to the mall by Fu Yangxi.


    ¡°Xi ge, what do you want to buy?¡±


    Fu Yangxi ignored him. He crossed his arms and looked at the female outfit in the display. Subconsciously, he placed his thumb on his lips. He muttered, ¡°Say, why does she only wear those two school uniforms for the past few days? Could it be that she had such a huge fight with her family that she couldn¡¯t even take her own clothes?¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s train of thought was so fast that Ke Chengwen almost couldn¡¯t catch up.


    He was confused. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°T-That person.¡± Fu Yangxi feigned a look that said ¡®I¡¯m so annoyed from being pursued like this. Looks like I have no choice but to entertain her a little¡¯. He let out a long sigh before pointing to himself with a raised eyebrow, ¡°The crazy Fu Yangxi pursuer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°She helped me complete my homework this morning. When she was done, her eyes were still shining brightly.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was overjoyed. ¡°She even gave me desserts for almost two weeks straight, and they were all handmade. Wouldn¡¯t it be rude of me to not return something to her?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen was speechless for a short while. There are so many moments when you were rude! Why would you suddenly talk about being polite now?


    Ke Chengwen asked, ¡°Then how are you going to give it to her?¡± He couldn¡¯t just do so in front of the whole class.


    Fu Yangxi answered nonchalantly, ¡°She will probably be self studying in the library at night. I¡¯ll go home for a short while after this. Help me bring the stuff there. We¡¯ll meet at the library.¡±


    ¡°No way¡ª¡± Ke Chengwen immediately refused.


    Fu Yangxi gave him an odd look. ¡°Do you have somewhere to be?¡±


    Ke Chengwen nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fu Yangxi made a noise of acknowledgement before stuffing his hands in his pockets, continuing to walk in the direction of the mall. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go by myself.¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give it to her in class next Monday? Why do you want to go to the library? You don¡¯t even have an access card!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Fu Yangxi looked at him with a gaze that said ¡®Are you kidding me, I¡¯m the school hunk¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll just take one from whoever I see on the way there.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was very sharp. He asked suspiciously, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Ke Chengwen immediately changed the topic. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s just get something.¡±


    Oh no. What do I do if they break into a fight later at the library?


    He still hasn¡¯t figured out a way to tell Fu Yangxi about the fact that Zhao Mingxi had been pursuing Shen Liyao for the past two years.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll just get something. Did you think I would carefully prepare something for her?¡±


    Fu Yangxi scoffed coldly.


    After saying this, he walked into a luggage store. He scanned the shop for a while before pulling down the largest black luggage they had.


    As the whole mall belonged to the Fu family, the salespeople recognized him¡ª or actually, they recognized his red hair. No one went up to him. They merely watched as he did his own thing.


    Fu Yangxi pulled the luggage into the store.


    Then, Ke Chengwen watched as he shopped with vigorous strides. He pulled out the female versions of winter clothes, shoes, school bags and socks and threw them into the luggage. For every item he took, he took a whole row of them.


    Wherever he went, it was as if it was the day of destruction. Every single shelf became empty.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    You f*cking call this just getting something?

 Chapter 15

    Before Ke Chengwen could even form a sentence, Fu Yangxi had already walked to another row displaying a selection of masks.


    A top promoter managed to guess what he wanted to buy. He immediately pushed a rack of items to him and asked, ¡°Young Master Fu, do you need this?¡±


    Fu Yangxi turned.


    A row of various kinds of female underwear made out of silk and satin entered his vision abruptly.


    His handsome face flushed red immediately. He yelled, ¡°What is this?! Do I look like someone who would want to buy something like this?! You¡¯ve misunderstood me!¡±


    The top promoter was about to shakily pull the rack away.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Fu Yangxi called out to her.


    Actually, Fu Yangxi had a suspicion that the transfer student was low on money recently because he saw how she would always be on the forum in search of tutoring jobs. He didn¡¯t know if she could afford such things.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take two.¡± Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. He refused to look at it again, so he just used two fingers to pull up some items and threw it in the luggage.


    By the time he was done, his whole face was practically red.


    He took another two packets of masks and threw it in. Then, he hurriedly used his leg to close the luggage. After pulling the zipper, he turned and quickly ran away with the luggage in tow.


    The group of salespeople who came to observe Young Master Fu from behind a shelf watched this whole bizarre transaction with their expressions unusually brilliant.


    An unexplainable expression also appeared on Ke Chengwen¡¯s face.


    The top promoter smiled.


    Looks like I didn¡¯t misunderstand him.


    Ke Chengwen chased after him with small jogs. He felt resentful toward Fu Yangxi for failing to meet expectations, and he was impatient to see improvement. ¡°Xi ge, she¡¯s the one going after you, not the other way around. Why are you buying so many things?!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Fu Yangxi retorted unhappily. ¡°I don¡¯t like her! I¡¯m just returning the favor for her insistence to give me desserts every day!¡±


    Ke Chengwen wanted to continue.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s face was emotionless. ¡°Shut up. I said I don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ke Chengwen had mixed feelings about this.


    Fu Yangxi bought a lot of things in a muddle. Towards the end, he took two duvets.


    The weather in October was unpredictable. It could turn cold whenever. When the two of them were faced with a gust of cold wind upon leaving the mall, they both sneezed.


    A honk came from a vehicle not far away from them. As if it was following them, a limousine drove nearer.


    The moment Fu Yangxi saw it, his expression turned cold. He placed the duvets on the luggage and pushed it to Ke Chengwen. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the library at eight.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, how am I supposed to explain this amount of things?¡± Ke Chengwen was clearly unwilling.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Idiot. Just say that you got it as a prize.¡±


    Ke Chengwen was beginning to question his life. Who would believe that he had won so many items only for female use?


    The car had already arrived. The back door opened.


    A respectful middle-aged man who was wearing a suit came out. He smiled at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Young Master.¡±


    *


    Mingxi was extremely focused on her revision in the library.


    There were a few people who had yet to go home for the weekend, just about 20 of them. Some were listening to songs on their earphones, some had their legs crossed as they played games, there were also a few couples. Thus, it wasn¡¯t all that quiet.


    The system helped her to calculate the time: ¡°You used 75 minutes to complete this paper. You¡¯re getting faster.¡±


    ¡°This test wasn¡¯t hard. It wasn¡¯t even 80% of the difficulty of the college entrance examinations. But I am definitely getting faster than before.¡±


    Mingxi raised her head and rubbed her eyes. She took a glimpse at the pot which was still stuck at 15 small buds.


    In accordance with the increase of the small buds¡ª which also meant that her negative luck was decreasing, she could clearly perceive the changes in her.


    The most obvious one would be when she answered the test, the answers that she got wrong due to a random glitch in her brain decreased by a lot.


    The system¡¯s explanation for this was that her collected luck was currently diminishing the female protagonist¡¯s intelligence reducing buff.


    Mingxi was filled with determination.


    However, she was currently worried about one thing. She had already submitted the application form for the Hundred School Tournament, but she was afraid that there would be too many outstanding people to the point that there would be a pile of application forms. Then the teacher in charge of the competing team would not even see her application form at all.


    If this was true, then she would¡¯ve immediately died in square one.


    The teacher in charge of choosing students had the surname Gao. He was over 60 years old and was well-respected by everyone. He was the renowned top tournament trainer for many years. In school, no one would dare to rebut him, even the teachers would have to bow in respect to him.


    Mingxi wondered if there was a way for her to directly give her application form to Trainer Gao.


    Even if he didn¡¯t choose her, she could at least say that she tried.


    ¡ªIf that doesn¡¯t work, at least she would be on speaking terms with this mysterious teacher and she could try to get some guidance from him.


    She must enter a good college in this lifetime.


    Mingxi¡¯s possession of her past life¡¯s memories allowed her to broaden her web of thoughts quickly.


    ¡°Help me see if this is a request from Professor Gao¡¯s grandchild to find a playmate.¡±


    During her past life, when Mingxi was in college, this top trainer had already retired. Everyone felt that it was such a pity, but it was also then that they found out that he had an autistic grandson at home. As his grandson¡¯s illness got gradually worse, he could only retire to focus on taking care of him.


    The system: ¡°Yes. It¡¯s for 200 yuan a day so the price is not bad. If you manage to get it, it could also ease your financial burden.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. See? Practically no one replied to this request.¡±


    This user had used a rather stiff tone in his post. The request itself was also very demanding as it required someone to play with an autistic child.


    The students who needed to earn money would never take up this kind of request. Everyone was more willing to take simple jobs which could get them more money easily, like being a tutor or helping others to do their homework.


    This was the reason why despite this post having been left up there for the past six years, only a few comments like ¡°???¡± and ¡°Are you for real or is this just a trick?¡± were there.


    If it wasn¡¯t because Mingxi had been given a second chance at life, she would never have connected this post to the ever strict Professor Gao.


    As Mingxi wanted to attempt this, she sent a private message to this user, stating that she wanted to take up this job.


    However, after she sent it, there was no reply for a whole 10 minutes. There wasn¡¯t even a sign that it had been read.


    The system: ¡°Is this idea useful? I think you should just try to find out Professor Gao¡¯s address and head there yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too purposeful. Judging by Professor Gao¡¯s personality, he would definitely hate it.¡± Mingxi contemplated before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s just give it some more time. It¡¯s getting late, and considering Professor Gao¡¯s age, he must be asleep by now. We¡¯ll check on it again tomorrow morning.¡±


    Mingxi flipped through her calendar and was reminded of something. The time was fast approaching when the Dong family would come back after the end of the Hundred School Tournament in her past life.


    The Dong family was her grandmother¡¯s neighbor back when she lived in the small town. Although they were poor, they would always lend a helping hand to Mingxi and her grandmother.


    About three years ago, Uncle Dong struck gold with his business. Then, they all left overseas.


    In her past life, after the Dong family came back, they would constantly invite Mingxi over to their house.


    Their whole family thought that Zhao Yuan was a dog in a manger, hence they all treated Zhao Yuan badly¡ª It wasn¡¯t hard to conclude that they were quite the formidable villains in the original novel as well. They kept on making appearances but were always met with retaliation from the people around Zhao Yuan.


    Additionally, although the Dong family was rich, they were painfully straightforward¡ª In the original novel, they were cursed with little IQ and repeatedly made a fool out of themselves.


    Although Dong Shen who transferred here was extremely good-looking, due to his poor mannerisms, he was taken as a joke in A High all the time.


    Ultimately, the end of the Dong family was no different than the resolution of Mingxi and He Yang¡¯s family.


    As Mingxi couldn¡¯t remember phone numbers, she couldn¡¯t make the first contact with the Dong family. However, she circled the date on her calendar and decided that in this life, she would use her luck as the female protagonist to protect this family.


    At the very least she would want them to distance themselves from Zhao Yuan.


    Also, the first thing she would do the moment she meets Dong Shen would be to bring him to buy new clothes.


    There were many things she had to do. Mingxi planned them out neatly in her mind.


    Nonetheless, the foundation of doing all these, the core itself, was to quickly stimulate the growth of the small buds in her pot.


    Mingxi had just finished rubbing her eyes and was about to continue doing her next test paper.


    Suddenly, the chair opposite her was pulled back.


    A familiar black bag was placed on the table. Then, a similarly familiar hand opened the school bag and took out a thick Tournament Question Set, a pen and a paper.


    ¡°¡­¡± Mingxi raised her head. As if on accident, she made eye contact with Shen Liyao.


    Shen Liyao glanced at her. He placed his bag on the seat beside him and sat on the seat across her.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Mingxi looked around. She did not see the neighboring school¡¯s Kong Jiaze nor did she see anyone else there. Shen Liyao actually came alone¡ª most importantly, he actually sat opposite her voluntarily.


    Shen Liyao looked at her with emotionless eyes. As he was trying to put out the rage in his heart, his tone was unkind, ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? Does your family own this library?¡±


    What the heck? Why is he so angry?


    Mingxi was baffled. So much anger. Did you eat a bomb? Did I trigger you?


    Shen Liyao¡¯s gaze landed on the pile of neatly stacked test papers beside her. Three words were written gracefully on the upper left side of the papers: Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi followed his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s felt a headache coming. ¡°Why are you doing his homework?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± For the past two days, Mingxi had been helping Fu Yangxi do his homework. On the one hand, she could gain more luck. On the other, she could use it as practice. The more she wrote, the stronger it would be imprinted in her head. But she didn¡¯t want to explain this to Shen Liyao.


    ¡°¡­¡± Shen Liyao almost choked. The flame in his heart immediately burned even stronger.


    Suddenly, he felt as if he noticed something. He knew why for the past two days he would feel annoyed whenever he heard the name Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi appear together in one sentence.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s tone deepened, ¡°Are you done with this nonsense¡ª¡±


    Mingxi looked up.


    The words ¡®Why must you approach someone like Fu Yangxi? Why did you stop appearing in my life?¡¯ were at the tip of his tongue, but due to a young man¡¯s pride, Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t say them out loud.


    Instead, what left his mouth was, ¡°You can¡¯t stay in school forever.¡±


    Mingxi originally wanted to greet him, but for some reason she received a scolding from him. She was merely doing her work.


    Furthermore, he was speaking on behalf of the Zhao family.


    Even with Mingxi¡¯s good temperament, she could no longer stand it.


    ¡°God Yao, we¡¯ve only known each other for two years. You were the one who said that we¡¯re not even friends, so you don¡¯t have any right to advise me.¡±


    Shen Liyao held the core areas of the Hundred School Tournament in his hands, but he seemed to have forgotten the reason why he came. He gritted his teeth and glared at Mingxi before rebutting, ¡°Only known each other for two years?¡±


    ¡ªThen what did she mean when she said she liked him for the past two years?


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mingxi looked around her. When she saw that no one was paying attention to them, she immediately stood up and started to pack her things.


    ¡°I was ignorant for bothering you back then. I¡¯m sorry. But I won¡¯t do it anymore, so please stop meddling in my affairs.¡±


    Shen Liyao was in disbelief. His knuckles were tightening underneath the table.


    His complexion was pale as he watched her leave.


    Mingxi packed her bags and found a spot in the library¡¯s self-study room which was furthest away from Shen Liyao.


    She was aware that Shen Liyao was acting rather odd just now. After all, this was the first time in the past two years that he voluntarily came to find her.


    From Mingxi¡¯s perspective, with Shen Liyao¡¯s pride, he was probably just unused to the fact that someone who was always chasing after him had suddenly stopped doing so.


    Maybe he was unaccustomed, or maybe a young man¡¯s pride had been struck.


    Nonetheless, things will just return to its cold and quiet state in a few days¡¯ time.


    After all, he didn¡¯t like her, so a while later he would be overjoyed by the fact that he got rid of this annoying pest.


    *


    Ke Chengwen was famished, so he went ahead and had dinner outside before coming back with the luggage.


    The moment he reached outside of the glass panel, he saw the transfer student and the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Shen Liyao sitting across each other.


    Judging by Shen Liyao¡¯s cold gaze, they seem to be quarreling¡ª Nonetheless, it was obvious that they were quite familiar with each other. They acted the same as how he heard, as if they had a lavish dating history.


    F*ck.


    What am I supposed to do? Should I get the transfer student to come out so that I can prevent Xi ge from meeting Shen Liyao?


    Ke Chengwen could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Just as he was about to enter and figure something out, someone suddenly tapped on his shoulder.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Ke Chengwen was going to stop breathing altogether.


    He turned his head and saw Fu Yangxi standing behind him, wearing a sports jacket with his hair tousled by the wind.


    His body was as if it was doused in chilly air which came from the night winds. He was also carrying a huge box of takeout with him.


    Clearly, he had just arrived here from home. There was a hint of cold and indifferent obscurity in his expression. It was a stark contrast from his usual look of arrogance and aggression.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for that remaining expression to disappear from his face.


    ¡°Xi ge, what happened to your hand?¡± Ke Chengwen noticed that there were cuts on the back of Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand which was holding the takeout. It wasn¡¯t serious, but there were still some trails of blood oozing out from it.


    Fu Yangxi was unbothered. He raised his hand and rubbed it. ¡°I got cut by shards of glass.¡±


    Ke Chengwen hesitated. He didn¡¯t know if he should ask further.


    ¡°You¡¯re too slow.¡± Fu Yangxi changed the topic. He furrowed his brows and took a step to enter the room.


    Ke Chengwen hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Xi ge, don¡¯t eat your takeout inside. Finish it first before you enter!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? It¡¯s freezing cold out here.¡±


    Fu Yangxi had a growing suspicion that he was hiding something from him. After giving him a glare, he entered the self-study room without any hesitation.


    ¡­


    Ke Chengwen¡¯s heart was about to stop beating. Nonetheless, he could only bite the bullet and follow him in while pulling the luggage.


    In the end, Fu Yangxi made many turns and ended up at a completely different spot from where he saw Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi were sitting earlier.


    Ke Chengwen¡¯s mind went blank. He immediately looked toward the earlier spot. Surprisingly, there was only Shen Liyao sitting there with a gloomy expression. There were no hints of Mingxi ever being there.


    It seemed like while he was stalling Fu Yangxi, the transfer student changed a spot.


    It was only at this moment that Ke Chengwen let out a sigh of relief.


    He picked up the pace. As he was trying to make up for his earlier impudence, he rushed ahead of Fu Yangxi to where the transfer student was. Then, with cold sweat dripping down his head, he placed the luggage and two duvets on the chair beside her.


    ¡°Transfer student, Xi ge and I won these as a prize today when we went to play games at the cybercaf¨¦! They look like things that only girls can use. So since it¡¯s worthless to us, we decided to give them to you.¡±


    Actually, Mingxi had already spotted them while they were standing at the entrance, though it was mainly because of Fu Yangxi¡¯s red hair which was far too haughty and dazzling. His height was another factor as it made him look like a crane in a flock of chicken.


    She looked at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Is this for me?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Fu Yangxi tried his best to not reveal his delight.


    He walked over and pulled out a chair which was one seat away from Mingxi. Then, he leaned on it lazily and crossed his legs.


    He started to play with a pen¡¯s lid which was on Mingxi¡¯s table. He continuously opened and closed it while carrying a sense of coolness which basically expressed ¡®although I gave you something it doesn¡¯t mean that you can covet me¡¯.


    Seeing as how Mingxi was still looking at him, he gave her a glance. ¡°Transfer student, don¡¯t dwell on it. I¡¯m just helping you as a fellow classmate.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Am I coveting your awful results or your lack of intelligence?


    Mingxi took a glimpse at the duvets and everything else beside her. As if I would believe you.


    Who would win such things as prizes?


    She was 80% certain that these were all specially bought by Fu Yangxi¡ª As for the reason, she wasn¡¯t sure. However, she thought it might be because of the sweets she had been giving him for the past few days. As Fu Yangxi felt that it was disrespectful to just take from her, he decided to give something in return.


    Regardless, Mingxi felt a surge of warmth spreading in her heart, especially after her unpleasant encounters with Zhao Zhanhuai and Shen Liyao.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her eyes curled into crescent moons.


    Fu Yangxi looked into Mingxi¡¯s eyes. She wore a thin layer of clothing and she had long eyelashes. When she smiled, the light which  reflected in her eyes scattered into small flakes.


    Fu Yangxi hastily averted his gaze. He grumbled, ¡°I already told you that I got them as a prize. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t say that you didn¡¯t win them.¡± Mingxi said helplessly.


    Seeing as how Fu Yangxi had turned away, she took the opportunity to sniff him. Once again, the smell of dried pine wafted through the air. Mingxi couldn¡¯t help herself. The moment she inhaled, the fatigue she had from spending so much time on her homework disappeared almost immediately.


    Mingxi¡¯s actions were subtle, but Fu Yangxi was using a gaze which he thought was cool and handsome to take a glimpse at her from the corner of his eyes.


    Before Fu Yangxi came, he warned himself to not lose his self-control. However, he still failed as his ears flushed red in an instant.


    F*ck. He had already sat one seat away from her on purpose, yet she was still sniffing him!


    Fu Yangxi was about to say something when Mingxi cut him off. She was afraid that he was going to say something shocking again. She raised her head to speak to Ke Chengwen, ¡°What did you guys get?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ke Chengwen was completely distracted by Shen Liyao who was looking at them from afar. When he came back to his senses, he didn¡¯t think much and immediately pulled open the zipper of the luggage.


    ¡°Wait, only open it when you get back¡ª!¡± Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.


    Two pairs of silk underwear fell out.


    Ke Chengwen completely forgot that the promoter had stuffed these in there too.


    The few people who were sitting around them all turned to look at them.


    Mingxi¡¯s mind went blank. For a moment there, she wasn¡¯t sure what it was. ¡°You got this as a prize too?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was the first to react. He hesitated for one second before changing his expression and rushed over like an arrow. He quickly picked up the underwear and threw them to Ke Chengwen. ¡°What is this? Why are they in the luggage? Did you put them in there?¡±


    Ke Chengwen appeared helpless. ¡°Xi ge, you¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi moved his eyeballs to the right, signaling him to quickly remove these underwear from his sight.


    Although Ke Chengwen felt hurt by this, he still hurriedly shoved the underwear into his bag and closed the luggage with a loud thud. ¡°Those were won by me. The rest are all Xi ge¡¯s winnings.¡±


    There was an indescribable expression on Mingxi¡¯s face. She felt like she had a deeper understanding of Fu Yangxi once more. ¡°You bought all these?¡±


    Fu Yangxi mentally cursed. His face flushed red due to anger. ¡°Did you think that I wanted to buy¡ª No, win. I couldn¡¯t have chosen what I wanted to win.¡±


    Mingxi changed the topic. ¡°Have you eaten dinner? In order to buy¡ª No, win. In order to win these, you guys can¡¯t have skipped dinner, right?¡±


    Ke Chengwen and Fu Yangxi both said conflicting answers at the same time:


    ¡°I¡¯ve had my dinner, but Xi ge hasn¡¯t yet.¡±


    ¡°I already ate.¡±


    The moment they finished speaking, Fu Yangxi¡¯s stomach growled.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s face turned impassive. He stood up, stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to the people around them with a cool look. ¡°Whose stomach was growling?¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi felt that his actions were awkward and funny, but most of all it made her feel a sense of warmth; something she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time¡ª She had a feeling that Fu Yangxi knew that she had left home and stayed in school, or else he wouldn¡¯t have given her duvets. It was true that she needed these as the days were getting colder. However, it might be because he¡¯s never bought these before, hence he got this whole bunch of things for her.


    Perhaps Fu Yangxi wasn¡¯t as distasteful as she thought he was.


    Mingxi tried her best not to laugh. She turned and continued to do her work. ¡°Forget it. Stop what you¡¯re doing and eat.¡±


    Only then did Fu Yangxi sit down once more. He opened the takeaway in an uncomfortable manner. Then, he took a glance at Zhao Mingxi. Seeing as how she was focused on her work and no longer looking as depressed as she was before, he smiled and opened the lid.


    When Ke Chengwen was done arranging the items in the luggage, he pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°What did you get?¡±


    Fu Yangxi answered, ¡°Shiitake bullfrog.¡±


    The moment he said that, he frowned. ¡°There¡¯s coriander in it.¡±


    Fu Yangxi immediately lost his appetite. However, he gave in to his immense hunger. He peeled apart the wooden chopsticks and started to pick out the coriander leaves to be put aside on the lid.


    Suddenly, Mingxi¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    Like a small kitten, Mingxi leaned over. ¡°Young Master Fu, I¡¯ll help you pick them!¡±


    Just imagine the amount of tiny buds that will grow from doing such detailed work!


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Fu Yangxi scoffed.


    The moment he agreed, Mingxi immediately sat closer to him and took away the box.


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head and secretly peeked at Mingxi¡¯s shining eyes. He tried his best to pretend that he wasn¡¯t the least affected by it, but the imaginary tail behind him still twisted up to the skies. Even his complexion was turning a little red.


    She wanted to do such detailed work for him! How much does she actually like him?!


    Fu Yangxi threw an ecstatic look at the lone dog Ke Chengwen who was seated right beside him.


    But all he saw was a distracted Ke Chengwen looking in another direction.


    Fu Yangxi followed his gaze¡ª Then, he made eye contact with the cold eyes of Shen Liyao who was seated around eight to nine rows away from them.


    It¡¯s that guy again.


    Fu Yangxi furrowed his brows. He subconsciously took a glimpse at Zhao Mingxi.


    He noticed¡­ that the person whom that guy was staring at was his Little Mask.

 Chapter 16

    Shen Liyao continued to stare at Zhao Mingxi as she picked out the coriander leaves for Fu Yangxi.


    He didn¡¯t believe the rumors from the International Class about how Zhao Mingxi would give Fu Yangxi desserts everyday. But now that he saw it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.


    He clenched his fist tightly. It felt as if a huge pot of oil was boiling in him, making him feel anxious and annoyed.


    Even he himself was not aware of the reason why when he saw such a scene, it was like a needle had been pricked into his eyes. It was much too painful to watch.


    He didn¡¯t think that Zhao Mingxi had truly fallen for Fu Yangxi.


    She was still angry. Angry at both her family and him.


    Or else she didn¡¯t have to purposely pick out the coriander leaves for Fu Yangxi right in front of him.


    She was doing this on purpose.


    However, if she was hoping for him to approach her again, that would be impossible. Since he¡¯s already done it once, he won¡¯t do it again.


    His pride wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Shen Liyao calmed down. He decided to first allow Zhao Mingxi to cool off. Then when she¡¯s done with her tantrum, everything will go back to normal.


    He lowered his gaze. He was unwilling to look at them again as it might disrupt his feelings. Thus, he picked up his bag and walked out of the library with a quick pace.


    The cold wind blew at him ruthlessly. Shen Liyao still had the paper which he made highlighting the important areas of the Hundred School Tournament in his hands. He walked up to the trash can. With a cold expression, he crumpled up the paper and was about to throw it away when he hesitated. In the end, he opened up the paper with a frown.


    He walked to a desk at the main entrance, folded the paper and placed it within the pages of a book. Then, he passed it to the librarian. ¡°Hello. Please help me pass this to a student from the International Class.¡±


    *


    Fu Yangxi crossed his arms as he leaned back on the chair, his eyes glaring at Shen Liyao.


    Only when Shen Liyao left the library did he withdraw from throwing daggers with his gaze.


    He dipped his head to the left and stole a glimpse at Little Mask* who was beside him.


    ray¡¯s note: while it is not explained in detail, i would assume that mingxi is wearing a mask similar to that of a surgical mask, if not a cloth mask.


    Mingxi was earnestly picking out the coriander leaves.


    Fu Yangxi observed her for a while. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but to ask, ¡°Who was that? A friend of yours?¡±


    Mingxi followed his gaze to look at the entrance. She belatedly realized that he was talking about Shen Liyao.


    Mingxi hesitated before speaking, ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°You guys are rather close, huh?¡± Fu Yangxi feigned a tone of nonchalance. He tried his best not to let his jealousy seep through. ¡°I saw how he kept on staring at you. Does he have something to say?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re alright.¡± Mingxi answered. If the fact that she was avoiding Shen Liyao nowadays didn¡¯t mean that their relationship was just ¡®alright¡¯, then she didn¡¯t know how else to describe it.


    Thus, she added, ¡°We¡¯re merely acquaintances.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Mingxi was done speaking did she feel that something was odd. It had been almost two weeks since she transferred to the International Class. Usually, this fop would either ask her to leave or get her to run errands for him. She could decipher his behaviour of giving her gifts today as a way to repay her, but why was he suddenly asking her about the people from the Gold Medal Class?


    As Fu Yangxi was dissatisfied with this answer, he threw a glance at Shen Liyao¡¯s figure and asked again, ¡°He looks like the kind who would make a show of being decent and proper. Are his results good?¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Why is he suddenly curious about his results?


    Mingxi immediately understood him. Although her current results were not bad, there was still a huge gap between her and Shen Liyao.


    Is Fu Yangxi trying to get someone else to do his homework for him?


    ¡°Young Master Fu, you should get those thoughts out of your head.¡± Mingxi instantly put down the chopsticks and tried to promote herself. ¡°Just let me do your homework for you. I can even imitate your writing. There is no one out there who is as patient as I am when it comes to doing your homework, so why do you want to seek greener pastures?¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mind went black for just a second before he came back to his senses.


    Jealousy! If this isn¡¯t f*cking jealousy then what is it?!


    Did he say something? Why was she making such a fuss out of the mere act of doing his homework?!


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to stop the corners of his lips from curling upwards. Seeing as how Zhao Mingxi was still looking at him, he quickly controlled his emotions and with the utmost arrogance, he waved his hands as if he was annoyed. ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t let other people do it.¡±


    Mingxi let out a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, the tips of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears flushed red.


    The look which Ke Chengwen gave Mingxi was filled with disbelief. He wanted to say something, but he was hesitant.


    Mingxi was focused on everything she did, including simple and delicate matters like picking out coriander leaves. Fu Yangxi used his hand to support his head as he observed the concentrated look in her eyes as well as how the light reflected on her eyelashes.


    ¡°Done.¡± Only when Mingxi returned the chopsticks to him did he come back to his senses.


    Fu Yangxi took the chopsticks. As his heart was filled with joy, his appetite became better. He began to eat in huge mouthfuls.


    He ate quickly like a vigorous windstorm, but he was also very quiet.


    Meanwhile, Mingxi was happily looking at her flower pot. Another three tiny buds had grown. She was going to approach 500 buds soon. Fu Yangxi is such a good person.


    While good guy Fu Yangxi was eating, the phone which he had placed on the table suddenly vibrated. He picked it up and unlocked it with one hand before taking a glance at the notification. Jiang Xiuqiu had sent him a WeChat message.


    However, before he opened up Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s message, he was reminded of something¡ª Has Zhao Mingxi sent him a text today?


    Zhao Mingxi would give him desserts, send him three WeChat messages and help him do his homework every day without fail.


    He was actually unused to it when he didn¡¯t receive the texts today.


    ¡°Did you damage your phone today?¡± Fu Yangxi pretended to ask in a casual manner.


    Mingxi was doing the homework beside him. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡ªThen why didn¡¯t you send any messages to me? But Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t get himself to ask her.


    He continued to pretend as if it was of no matter and scoffed, ¡°Oh, thank God. You have finally stopped harassing me via text.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mute me?¡± Mingxi questioned.


    ¡°Of course I muted you,¡± Fu Yangxi said. ¡°I don¡¯t even understand what you send me every day. What should I do if not mute you?¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°Oh.¡±


    It¡¯s good that I¡¯m muted.


    As she was quite busy for the past two days, she actually forgot about this. But thanks to Fu Yangxi, she was reminded of it.


    Her daily messages nowadays did not amount to any significant amount of buds anymore. Nonetheless, something was better than nothing.


    Furthermore, based on Mingxi¡¯s analysis, it would be better for her to continue because what if this setting was similar to QQ whereby continuous messages would lead to a random wheel of fortune?


    She immediately took out her phone and opened the WeChat app right in front of Fu Yangxi. Then, she sent Fu Yangxi three emojis.


    Fu Yangxi who was at the side caught a glimpse of this. ¡°¡­¡±


    What the heck? She¡¯s blowing me off!


    Was she always this nonchalant when she sent me those WeChat messages every day?


    Fu Yangxi used to think that she would contemplate for a long time before sending messages to her crush.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mind almost stopped working. He really didn¡¯t understand girls.


    His phone vibrated. Jiang Xiuqiu sent him another WeChat message. Fu Yangxi opened it and took a glance. ¡°What the f*ck did you buy with my card? Those who don¡¯t know me might think that I like cross-dressing!¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Fu Yangxi replied with one hand: ¡°Fu Zhiyi just came back and my mother already brought him to meet my grandfather. Since I sensed that something troublesome is about to happen, I didn¡¯t use my own card. When you get back to school you can use my card to buy your fishing rod.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu was appeased by this, hence he softened his tone. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you the one pursuing her or is it the other way around? You¡¯re this close to falling head over heels for her.¡±


    Fu Yangxi replied dismissively: ¡°What are you afraid of? She¡¯s not here for my money.¡±


    He paused, then as if he was showing off, he tapped a number of words on his screen and replied: ¡°She used the money that I gave her previously to buy gifts for me. You didn¡¯t know this, did you? :)¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What if she has a long-term plan for major returns?¡±


    ¡°She might not be interested in your money, but she might be interested in the life of being part of the Fu family.¡±


    ¡°After all, she doesn¡¯t know that you have an elder brother. After your real elder brother died, your mother, in her madness, took in Fu Zhiyi as a replacement for him. She even tried her best to get the old man to give his share to Fu Zhiyi. The people out there have no idea about the true happenings of the Fu family and still think that you are the only heir. They think that Fu Zhiyi is merely a cousin of yours.¡±


    ¡°If¡ª I¡¯m saying if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fu Zhiyi becomes the one to receive the inheritance.¡±


    ¡°Will she approach you, or will she approach Fu Zhiyi?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu was not joking this time. His tone was serious.


    Although these were not kind words, as someone who had grown up with Fu Yangxi, he had to say them.


    They had seen too many similar occurrences in their age. Of course, he had to admit that there weren¡¯t many with a tenacity like what this transfer student has, at least according to Fu Yangxi¡ª She didn¡¯t even want 100,000 yuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sticking to what I¡¯ve always told you. Throughout our whole lives, I¡¯ve never seen someone who pursued you because of your character. You have such a bad personality.¡±


    Fu Yangxi lost his composure. ¡°¡­You¡¯re on thin f*cking ice. How many times do you want to repeat this?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu ignored him and continued: ¡°So what makes this girl special?¡±


    Fu Yangxi stared at the whole bunch of messages sent over by Jiang Xiuqiu.


    When he looked through it again, his mindset was very different from how it was before.


    At the beginning, he was curious about the transfer student and had been teasing her all the time. He wasn¡¯t bothered by Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s words at all. If the transfer student was approaching him for some unknown reason, he would straight up wave his hands and say goodbye to her.


    But this time, these words became harsh to the eye.


    For some reason, a sense of fear crept into Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart.


    A few moments later.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know if he was saying this for Jiang Xiuqiu or himself. He sent: ¡°Just keep your jealousy to yourself. If you continue saying such words I¡¯ll block you. :D¡±


    However, after he sent this, Fu Yangxi¡¯s good mood was all but gone.


    He subconsciously looked toward Zhao Mingxi.


    Zhao Mingxi was still doing her work silently. She was very pale, and when she was quiet, she looked like a piece of jade; it was a view that calmed his mind.


    Her black middle-length hair was tied into a ponytail today, revealing her creamy neck.


    Fu Yangxi noticed that a red string was hanging around her neck. There seemed to be a good quality jade pendant on it¡ª It didn¡¯t look like an accessory that current 17 or 18 year old girls who would prefer to wear earrings and outrageous necklaces would usually wear. Instead she looked like someone from a small town, emitting a vibe of a gust of wind blowing through a camphor tree in summer.


    She seemed to be attracting the attention of a few bugs as there was a bottle of hydrosol on the table. This explained the faint fragrance on her body.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but to pull up his pants a little to reveal his ankles. He wanted the mosquitoes to bite him instead.


    However, he didn¡¯t have the blood type that attracts mosquitoes.


    Although Mingxi noticed Fu Yangxi¡¯s stare, she didn¡¯t stop writing. She turned to take a glance at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    As if he got caught, Fu Yangxi immediately retracted his gaze. He stretched his arms upward nonchalantly and cleaned up the takeout boxes. ¡°I¡¯m done eating. It¡¯s almost 10p.m., when are you going back to your dorm?¡±


    When he finished his sentence, he gave Ke Chengwen a look.


    Ke Chengwen instantly understood him. ¡°Oh, these things are far too heavy. Since we¡¯re guys, we¡¯ll help you bring them back to your dorm room.¡±


    Fu Yangxi continued the act by furrowing his brows, as if he was forced to do it. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    While he was speaking, he casually tossed his phone aside.


    *


    The screen on Fu Yangxi¡¯s phone was bright.


    It displayed the conversation between him and Jiang Xiuqiu. He deleted a few other messages as well as his replies, save for the one that said ¡®Fu Zhiyi becomes the one to receive the inheritance¡¯.


    He raised his head slowly to look at Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Mingxi stood up and packed her things. Just as she moved, she accidentally saw the message that Fu Yangxi received.


    Mingxi¡¯s mind immediately went blank. She was stunned.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Fu Yangxi pretended as if he was not aware that his phone was unlocked.


    Mingxi quickly averted her gaze. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    However, her mind was in shock¡ª


    What did she just see?!


    So the reason why Fu Yangxi was texting someone with such a stern expression was because they were talking about this?


    And to think that Mingxi was originally planning to approach Jiang Xiuqiu and Fu Zhiyi once they came to school.


    However, from the looks of it, she won¡¯t be able to approach this Fu Zhiyi anymore. There was no point for her to offend Fu Yangxi who was a 6% for someone who was a 2%.


    ¡ªAs for the inheritance, it had nothing to do with her. It wasn¡¯t as if these young heirs would give her a penny from it.


    At that moment, fence-sitter Mingxi made a choice.


    She will try her best to avoid Fu Zhiyi in order to prevent her benefactor Fu Yangxi from hating her and stopping her from freeloading on his luck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Suddenly, Mingxi caught sight of a cut on the back of Fu Yangxi¡¯s left hand. As he had pulled his sleeves over his hands just now, she didn¡¯t notice it. It was due to him having to clean up the takeout that he revealed the injury.


    Perhaps it was because of Fu Yangxi¡¯s unusually pale complexion that the red marks on the cut seemed to be quite deep.


    ¡°Wait. I have something to do.¡± Mingxi quickly said.


    The light bulb on her head lit up. How many tiny buds will grow from her buying band-aids for this young master?


    Once she finished, she picked up her bag and ran out of the library.


    While the convenience store was quite a distance away from the school, it should only take her about 10 minutes to get there and come back.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± Ke Chengwen was confused as he looked at Mingxi¡¯s retreating figure.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi kept his phone with a dark expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait.¡± Fu Yangxi pulled out a chair and sat down once more. But this time, there was a dark aura around him when he sat down.


    As time passed, Ke Chengwen felt like he was getting more and more depressed.


    A while later, Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but to look at his watch. ¡°Xi ge, it couldn¡¯t be that she was too shy to take all these so she found an excuse to slip away first, right?¡±


    Fu Yangxi thought: She did slip away first, but it wasn¡¯t because of these things.


    He took his phone and stood up in annoyance. As he put on his jacket, his face was so scrunched up that water was about to be squeezed out from it. There was also a sense of sorrow in his expression.


    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He did predict that Zhao Mingxi would not pass his test this time; that after seeing that message, her attitude toward him would change. He was prepared for it. But what he didn¡¯t expect was for her to be so direct as to immediately slip away! She was too f*cking decisive!


    What was he supposed to say? As expected of her?!


    She wasn¡¯t interested in his money.


    Yeah right. Turns out, she was just like many others, waiting just because of their interest toward his status as the inheritor.


    Fu Yangxi felt worse than when he thought she was interested in his money. It was as if someone had stabbed him with a knife.


    He shouldn¡¯t have tested her. He should¡¯ve taken her by the back of her collar and tossed her out the moment she ran over to him at the beginning.


    Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen walked out of the library.


    Fu Yangxi threw the takeout box into the trash can with a loud clang.


    Ke Chengwen was pushing the luggage as he asked, ¡°Are you going home tonight?¡±


    Fu Yangxi ignored him. He continued to walk down dejectedly.


    Ke Chengwen had no idea what transpired just now. He could only follow him.


    However, just as Fu Yangxi was walking down with heavy steps, he suddenly stopped and looked ahead. Zhao Mingxi was running up.


    She was running up to him.


    *


    A High¡¯s library was a very tall building. The stairs leading to it had about 50 to 60 steps. During cold nights such as these, there were no lights around them save for the luminescence coming from the nearby snack street. It poured down in a manner similar to that of the Milky Way.


    Zhao Mingxi was carrying her old school bag with her back against this Milky Way. There were beads of sweat appearing on her clear forehead.


    Her footsteps sounded quick, and there was also the noise coming from the beat of her bag hitting against her back.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s heartbeat quickened.


    Mingxi ran to him. She gave him and Ke Chengwen a questioning look. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to wait for me?¡±


    You guys couldn¡¯t even wait 10 minutes?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mind went blank. For some reason, his voice was a little hoarse as he stammered, ¡°¡­I thought you weren¡¯t coming back.¡±


    ¡°I went to buy something. Come here.¡± Mingxi pulled him to a corner of the steps where the flowerbed was.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but the current Fu Yangxi was as if he had been pulled out of the mindset of a Demon King. He lowered his gaze to look at her, his feet following her steps as he obediently allowed her to pull him to the corner.


    Mingxi took out the things she bought from her bag. There was a bottle of iodine, a pack of cotton swabs and a single use gauze roll.


    ¡°As your cut is a little long, I figured that band-aids might be too small for it. Don¡¯t worry, this gauze was made of pure cotton. Just bear with it for a while, it¡¯s better than letting it inflame. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t see this just now. You actually had the gall to hide it under your sleeves. You¡¯re only making the wound more prone to inflammation by doing so.¡±


    Mingxi passed him the things. ¡°Clean this up before going home.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was looking at her with a lowered head. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed in his throat, but he did not reach out to take the items.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Mingxi raised a hand and waved it in front of him.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t describe how he was feeling right now. He couldn¡¯t even display any other expression¡ª there was only a weak and gentle look of vacancy.


    He thought that the moment she saw that message, she would stop approaching him; that maybe Jiang Xiuqiu was right; that since she wasn¡¯t here for the money, then she must be here with a long-term plan for major returns, for anything else.


    But it seemed like it wasn¡¯t so. At least, she wasn¡¯t here for any of those two reasons.


    This was the first time that someone liked him so seriously and treated him with so much devotion. The tips of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears were not turning red anymore. Instead, there was an unusually serious emotion stirring within him. His heart was beating fast.


    ¡°Fu Yangxi?¡± Mingxi said his full name.


    Only then did Fu Yangxi come back to his senses as if he was harshly awakened.


    Yes. That¡¯s right.


    Test, what the hell was he testing for?


    Jiang Xiuqiu was just blindly jealous of him.


    Zhao Mingxi truly liked Fu Yangxi¡ª as a person!


    Fu Yangxi lifted his brows slightly before carefully observing Mingxi. He first raised an eyebrow and smiled. Then, a half laugh appeared before he finally burst into an expression of happiness.


    Mingxi: ??? Did his intermittent neuropathy* strike again?


    ray¡¯s note: a type of nerve injury.


    Fu Yangxi appeared to have understood something. He licked his molars and said with the utmost arrogance, ¡°Oh, so the reason why you left in such a hurry was because you wanted to buy these for me?¡±


    He placed extra emphasis on the words ¡®for me¡¯.


    Mingxi was very sleepy. She didn¡¯t want to prolong this conversation any further. She had already bought the iodine, but if he didn¡¯t apply it on his hand, the buds wouldn¡¯t grow.


    Therefore, regardless of the consequences, she opened the bottle of iodine and the pack of cotton swabs before pulling his hand over to her.


    ¡°Hey woman, what are you doing?¡± Fu Yangxi was shocked. He immediately retracted his hand and with a flushed face, pulled over his jacket which was messy due to her pulling earlier. He looked around them. ¡°Stop tugging at me. We¡¯re in public.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to apply medicine on you,¡± Mingxi said. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, forget it.¡±


    ¡°Seeing as how you¡ª¡± Fu Yangxi still wanted to annoy her.


    Mingxi expressionlessly pressed the cotton swab on his hand.


    Fu Yangxi instantly yelped in pain, ¡°Gently! Gently!¡±


    Mingxi held his hand and applied less pressure on it. She slowly applied the iodine on the wound.


    Fu Yangxi licked his lips. He couldn¡¯t help but to smile when he saw how gentle she was.


    The wound on the back of Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand was quite deep. It seemed as if it was cut from a piece of glass. But shards of glass would at most inflict cuts on one¡¯s palm or fingers, so why was he cut on the back of his hand?


    When Mingxi first transferred to the International Class, she thought that he was an arrogant and domineering school hunk. But now Mingxi felt that he wasn¡¯t as bad as he seemed. Thus, she didn¡¯t feel as afraid of him anymore.


    Furthermore, Mingxi didn¡¯t ask him where this injury came from. After all, everyone had something they didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about.


    Just like how no one asked why Mingxi only came to the city from a small town after 15 years; why Zhao Zhanhuai only picked up Zhao Yuan and never her; how she didn¡¯t want to answer these questions.


    She simply helped him clean up his injury without interrogating him.


    ¡­


    The two of them were very close to each other as Fu Yangxi leaned in. When Mingxi was done and raised her head, she almost touched Fu Yangxi¡¯s face. This person had an extremely handsome and outstanding face. Even his Adam¡¯s apple was beautiful, filled with the hormones of a young man.


    Mingxi¡¯s mind was in a haze. She took one step back. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I should get back.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Right.¡±


    Ke Chengwen was being a third wheel as he squatted down at one side. Only when Fu Yangxi and Mingxi started to walk toward the dorms did he follow them.


    The two of them sent Mingxi to the dorms. After speaking to the lady in charge, they carried the items upstairs.


    Then, Mingxi sent them downstairs.


    Fu Yangxi had his hands stuffed in his pockets. He was in high spirits. Just as he was about to say nonsense like ¡®Little Mask, are you happy seeing as how a handsome guy and a not so handsome guy had sent you back to your dorms tonight¡¯, Zhao Mingxi had already covered her ears and ran upstairs.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t care if he was ashamed, he laughed out loud.


    However, as Fu Yangxi was in a good mood, he didn¡¯t want to make a fuss about it.


    He called Jiang Xiuqiu with the aim of showing off to him. ¡°If you say such things again I¡¯ll stop being friends with you.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu still couldn¡¯t help but to ask, ¡°Since she¡¯s not interested in money nor the surname Fu, what is she interested in?¡±


    Fu Yangxi touched the gauze at the back of his hand and tried his best to contain the shy smile on his face. He gave a final answer.


    ¡°She¡¯s interested in me.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi made up his mind. Since he was certain that she was interested in him and that she genuinely liked him, he would have to treat her even better from now on.

 Chapter 17

    The first thing Mingxi did once she got back to her dorm room was to happily count the money, no, the buds in her flower pot.


    Three buds seemed to have grown from the act of picking out coriander leaves; another five buds from buying him medicine and applying it on him. With the addition of the previous 15 buds, she should have a total of 23 buds¡­ So why are there 38 buds right now?!


    Wait a minute. Then is her face¡ª


    Mingxi happily took off her mask and looked at her reflection in the mirror.


    It¡¯s really gone!


    She couldn¡¯t even see any marks or scars despite the close distance. Whoa, this is amazing.


    It was the first time since she came to this life that she almost cried out of joy.


    System: ¡°That¡¯s because you held his hand.¡±


    Mingxi calculated for a moment before replying in shock, ¡°I can get 15 buds from just holding his hand?¡±


    Then what was the point of her planning her actions so meticulously? She might as well have held a sign saying ¡®520¡¯* while running toward Fu Yangxi the moment she saw him and stuck their hands together with a loud clap.


    ray¡¯s note: 520 is an internet slang word used by the Chinese as a shortcut to say I love you.


    System: ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the time? Your fingers touched his fingers for a total of three minutes. That was the first time you¡¯ve had such a long duration of physical contact with him, and the impact is usually stronger during the first time.¡±


    To be honest, Mingxi wasn¡¯t paying attention to the time. As Fu Yangxi kept on trying to pull his hands back while she was applying the medicine on him, she had no choice but to hold on to his fingers.


    When the system said this, it made the whole situation sound so erotic.


    The system wondered out loud: ¡°I¡¯m surprised that he wasn¡¯t upset about it.¡±


    Mingxi was shocked too. She wondered if it was because she kept on crossing the line with Fu Yangxi that he had gotten used to it already.


    It was true that Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t seem to hate her as much any more. There were even signs that he was gradually accepting her as a friend.


    This was certainly a good thing for Mingxi.


    Mingxi washed her face with tremendous vigor. Then, she squatted down and began to clean up the things lying around her feet.


    As the items in the luggage were all stuffed together carelessly, when she first saw it in the library, she couldn¡¯t exactly see what Fu Yangxi had given her.


    Only when she finally sorted through them did she realize that they were all branded items. There were designer autumn and winter sweatshirts and coats. Mingxi was rather tall for a girl. She was also pale and thin, so any size would be wearable on her. She tried it on, and was surprised by how well it suited her.


    Aside from clothes and shoes, there were also miscellaneous items like scarves, toothpaste and even a pillow stuffed in a corner.


    Mingxi would never return these, because if she did, according to Fu Yangxi¡¯s personality, he would definitely get mad. Then things would become even more troublesome for her.


    Therefore, Mingxi quickly worked out the cost of these items.


    She calculated based on the tags. A rough estimation came up to about 70,000 yuan*.


    ray¡¯s note: as of 23/1/21 it is 10,799.30 USD.


    Looks like I can only work hard to buy and repay the same worth of items to Fu Yangxi.


    I¡¯ll just take these as an advance payment.


    *


    The next morning, Mingxi woke up early and went to the hospital. She wanted to consult a dermatologist.


    It was the same dermatologist who was in charge of her previously. The other could still remember her. When he saw that she had come for a check up, he said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you to take off your mask so that I can examine your scar. Did you consistently apply sunscreen and the medicine I gave you? We wouldn¡¯t want the scar to expand¡ª¡±


    But before they could finish, Mingxi had already taken off her mask.


    ¡°¡­¡± The doctor was stunned.


    He distinctly recalled that when Zhao Mingxi came to him two weeks ago, the scar on the left side on her face was still substantially big.


    He quickly walked over and held Mingxi¡¯s face, turning her head from left to right. ¡°How did it heal so quickly? Did you get it operated?¡±


    But it was impossible for a surgery to produce such flawless results. It was as if there was no wound at all in the first place!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it was because I consistently applied the medicine, hence the speedy recovery.¡± Mingxi was in an extremely good mood today, so much so that even the strongest winds would not deter her. A world where she didn¡¯t need to wear masks anymore. She could finally breathe without any difficulty.


    The doctor felt that this was a medical miracle. He had never seen a recovery so perfect.


    ¡°Well, congratulations.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, the nurse who came in to take something couldn¡¯t help but to steal a few glances at Mingxi. When this girl came in with her mask on, others only felt that her eyes were really pretty. Who would¡¯ve thought that the moment she took off her mask she would be so beautiful¡ª


    She was so fair that she seemed to be glowing. It was the kind of appearance that would immediately stand out in a crowd. If it wasn¡¯t because she was wearing her school uniform, others would have thought that she was a young celebrity.


    And not just any celebrity. She would be the kind that would be famous even with just her visuals.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Do you think I can stop wearing my mask from now on?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡± The doctor gave it some thought before continuing, ¡°But I would recommend you to observe it for another two days. Wait till tomorrow. If there are no signs of itchiness or unusual heat, then you can take it off permanently. Nonetheless, you still have to apply sunscreen everyday.¡±


    Two days. Mingxi felt that she could wait. She didn¡¯t want any accidents happening in this life.


    When Mingxi left the hospital, she was planning to continue revising at the library. However, it was at this moment when her phone vibrated.


    The user whom she privately messaged the other day with regards to their post had actually replied to her.


    That person only gave her an address and requested for her to meet them this afternoon for a chat.


    Mingxi, who was standing by the bus stop, was so excited that she almost jumped. She said to the system, ¡°This is the exact definition of double blessings.¡±


    Could this be the good luck drawn in after her change in luck?


    System: ¡°I think this Professor Gao is on the list of people who you can freeload on as well. He¡¯s even the kind with a weird personality. Although he is ranked at the middle, it would be good to come in contact with him. The only downside is that he might be a little harder to deal with, so you should be extra cautious. Don¡¯t get scolded and kicked out by him.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Professor Gao¡¯s house was located in a rather secluded area. It was in an alley filled with hanging clothes.


    When Mingxi found the house number, she politely knocked on the door twice.


    A while later, there were sounds of footsteps shuffling. The moment the door opened, an old man with half grey hair wearing a white singlet put on his spectacles before proceeding to look her up and down.


    Mingxi had only seen this Professor Gao once in her past life and it was before her college entrance examinations. He looked even more haggard back then. Although he didn¡¯t teach the majority of students in her school, they have all seen him before. So if she were to pretend not to recognize him, then it would be too fake.


    Thus, Mingxi feigned a look of shock. ¡°Professor Gao?¡±


    The old man took a glimpse at the uniform she was wearing. ¡°You are a student from our school?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mingxi figured it would be impolite to keep her mask on so she quickly took it off. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it would be you, sir. I¡¯m working part-time while studying.¡±


    ¡°Senior Year 3?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was easy for a clean girl without any makeup on to leave a good impression on him.


    Although the old man had an odd personality, he couldn¡¯t allow Mingxi to continue standing outside. Thus, he said stiffly, ¡°Come in first. I want to ask you a few questions.¡±


    Mingxi followed him in. Only then did she realize why he retired so early in her past life.


    The courtyard which was only about the size of a palm was overflowing with greenery, but it seemed quite barren. There was a pole where no grass grew, and on it was hung the dirty clothes of a child around 10 years old. The sun hasn¡¯t been coming out recently, so if his grandson were to dirty his clothes, he wouldn¡¯t be able to dry them on time.


    It was undeniably challenging for an old man to take care of such a child.


    If she didn¡¯t take a closer look, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed that at the corner of the patch of overgrown grass, there was a little boy who looked around the age of 12 to 13. His back was facing them as he stared quietly at the ants.


    Seeing as how Mingxi had stopped walking and was looking in that direction, the eccentric old man with pulled a long face.


    ¡°This job isn¡¯t as easy as you think. If you want to earn some allowance you might as well go take some tutoring jobs or work at the local arcade. You should leave now if you feel like you are uncomfortable with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not uncomfortable. Go ahead.¡± Mingxi quickly picked up her pace and followed the old man to the living room.


    *


    What the old man wanted was for someone to do math questions with his autistic grandson. Only by doing this will his grandson enter into a quiet world of his own.


    Obviously, it was impossible for him to hire a care worker from the hospital. Female care workers who are about 40 to 50 years old wouldn¡¯t understand these. Moreover, it would be financially burdensome for the old man to hire someone who specializes in education. Thus, after some careful contemplation, he had no choice but to hire a student working part-time to come over every weekend.


    Nonetheless, it was difficult for him to find a student suited for the job. No one in school knew that he had a grandson with such an illness. The old man was also prideful, so he wouldn¡¯t ask for help from any of the students he taught.


    When he casually posted about this in the school¡¯s forum, not many replied. So the old man could only leave this matter aside and take some of his own time out to take care of his grandson.


    To his surprise, half a year after he made that post, Mingxi showed up at his door.


    The old man gave Mingxi a Sudoku puzzle and asked her about her schedule as he sat aside with a stern expression. Mingxi felt extremely nervous during the whole session, but she had no choice but to do her best while answering his questions.


    After she was done, the old man examined it.


    ¡°Not bad. Your mind works fast, but you have a bad habit. You jump through the steps, making it seem as if your logic is unclear.¡± the old man casually remarked.


    Professor Gao did not mention the shock that he was currently feeling. This child answered the puzzle in an unconventional manner¡ª It was impossible for him to know her standards just by this one test.


    But he was certain that she was above the level of the Normal Class.


    Since she was so quick-witted, even if she had continuously failed to join the Tournament, she should be able to obtain rather outstanding results in school. So why had he never heard of her before?


    The old man furrowed his brows and looked at Mingxi. He said coldly, ¡°Did you used to use your feet to take the exam?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi thought that Professor Gao had a bad impression of her. Just as she was awaiting to fall in a pit of despair due to his impending rejection, the old man changed the direction of the conversation, ¡°Come here once every Sunday. I¡¯ll give you 200 yuan for each session, is that alright? I know the money isn¡¯t much, but if you have any questions that you are unsure of, you can mark them down and ask me later. The only two conditions I have is that you cannot be late and you must not mention this to anyone in school.¡±


    Mingxi was so happy that she immediately stood up. ¡°Alright. No problem!¡±


    Mingxi then spent the rest of her afternoon here at this old man¡¯s house. She even made dinner before she left at night.


    Her attentiveness was obvious, but it wasn¡¯t to the point where it made one despise it. Instead, it would make others relate her to a tender bud that was trying its best to make its way out of the stone cracks in order to live under the sun.


    The old man and his grandson were obviously amazed by Mingxi¡¯s cooking skills as they actually cleared up all the food.


    Mingxi even helped them clean up and washed the dishes after dinner.


    Although the old man had a peculiar personality, he felt ill-at-ease at the thought of letting a little girl wash the dishes for them.


    He quickly entered the kitchen. His expression was evidently gentler as compared to when Mingxi first came through their door. ¡°Leave them to me. You can go home now.¡±


    ¡­


    The moment Mingxi returned to school, she immediately went to the library to write down the reasonings that Professor Gao had unintentionally taught her while she was playing with his grandson.


    When Mingxi thought of how she would be given preferential treatment from such an outstanding trainer, it was as if the thrilling sound of war drums were beginning to play in her heart. She had finally gained some confidence for the upcoming Hundred School Tournament.


    *


    Meanwhile, Mingxi who was currently working hard toward her own survival didn¡¯t even notice that she was steadily moving up the ranks of the School Beauty Contest.


    When Fu Yangxi saw how Mingxi was trying her best to hold in her tears a few days ago, he felt that she must have been really affected by how those gossipers said she was plain-looking¡ª After all, there was not a girl in the world who didn¡¯t care about their appearance.


    It didn¡¯t seem as if Fu Yangxi¡¯s consolation was of any use as Mingxi was still ignoring him.


    Thus, Fu Yangxi forced his followers to vote for Mingxi to the point that she reached the Top 20.


    He thought that Mingxi would be happier when she sees this. She wasn¡¯t inferior to anyone as she had around 500 votes.


    However, Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t think that he should continue voting for her beyond this point. He had a petty reasoning for this. If he voted for her to the point where she gets 1st place, what should he do if everyone notices how she has long eyelashes, fair skin and is good at making desserts?


    The transfer student did not look like someone with a strong will. It could be possible that she might fall in love with another and give them desserts instead.


    Fu Yangxi wanted to keep her for himself.


    *


    However, there was another batch of people who were fervently voting for Zhao Mingxi.


    If the way E Xiaoxia treated Zhao Mingxi previously could be described as envy¡ª Envious that she was promised to marry Shen Liyao since they were born; that she had the gall to appear in front of Shen Liyao when no one knew what she looked like since she always had that mask on.


    Then right now, E Xiaoxia absolutely abhorred Zhao Mingxi. This feeling emerged when Shen Liyao brought E Xiaoxia to the back of the academic building with a cold and terrifying expression before mercilessly asking for the truth behind Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy incident.


    She came to know Shen Liyao way earlier than Zhao Mingxi. She was also the first to appear before Shen Liyao. So why did Shen Liyao only speak and provide extra lessons for Zhao Mingxi?


    E Xiaoxia did not have the courage to pursue Shen Liyao, but Zhao Mingxi actually had the bravery to openly express her crush toward Shen Liyao.


    She hated this sort of gallantry.


    When E Xiaoxia saw how Zhao Mingxi made it to the Top 20 of the School Beauty Contest, she felt disdained and irritable. Why was she everywhere? What qualifications did she have to even join this contest? Who knows what she looks like behind that mask?


    Even if she had pretty eyes, it didn¡¯t mean that the rest of her face was the same, right?


    If she was truly beautiful, then she ought to be flaunting it. Who would wear a mask everyday just to cover up a small scar?


    E Xiaoxia almost had the thought of buying a bunch of fake accounts to vote others up and pull Zhao Mingxi down so that she would stop becoming such an eyesore.


    However, upon giving it further thought¡ª Why don¡¯t she just go with the flow and get her to the top??


    If she manages to get to the higher ranks, the moment the judging is completed, everyone from within and outside their school would be curious as to how Zhao Mingxi looks. They would have the assumption that she is absolutely beautiful. Then, when Zhao Mingxi has no choice but to take off her mask, everyone would be so disappointed and leave immediately¡ª How hurtful would it be to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s self-esteem?


    E Xiaoxia quickly put her thoughts into action.


    It was easy for her to do this as she only had to spend tens of thousands of yuan to hire others to help with the voting.


    While E Xiaoxia was voting, the neighboring school¡¯s Kong Jiaze also noticed the fact that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s votes were soaring in A High¡¯s School Beauty Contest.


    She was smart enough to pick up on it and immediately got the people around her to start voting for Zhao Mingxi.


    With the help of these two sides, by the time it was Monday, Zhao Mingxi¡¯s votes had already got her up to the Top 2.


    As E Xiaoxia still wanted to continue being friends with Zhao Yuan, she did not dare to hire people to get Zhao Mingxi to the first place.


    Thus, Zhao Mingxi¡¯s votes were around 2,900 while Zhao Yuan¡¯s votes were around 3,000.


    *


    Mingxi was unaware of all this. She just felt that when she entered the academic building on Monday, everyone was giving her odd looks.


    She wasn¡¯t the only one wearing a mask in school. There were many students with flu or rhinitis who would wear them too. Usually, no one would even spare her glance and she would blend in with the crowd completely.


    However, for some reason a lot of girls were staring at her as she walked to school. Their gazes were of curiosity and they kept on muttering, ¡°This? Just with this and she got into this year¡¯s Top 2?¡±


    Mingxi endured it all the way to the International Class. She noticed that Fu Yangxi wasn¡¯t here yet. To be honest, Mingxi had already gotten used to his habit of arriving late and leaving early.


    Mingxi directly sat down at her seat.


    Maybe it was due to the label of ¡®Fu Yangxi¡¯s deskmate¡¯ that the people who were staring at her in the International Class were way lesser than those outside. Nonetheless, there were still many curious looks.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to stop and ask one of Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers.


    That follower stuttered, ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you see the School Beauty Contest page.¡±


    Mingxi turned on her phone in confusion. Just as the page was loading at a snail¡¯s pace, there were already a bunch of curious people crowded outside the class by the corridor. They filled up the space outside the International Class.


    As classes had yet to start, a lot of people came to watch the fun. There were even people from Kong Jiaze¡¯s school among them.


    There was someone in the crowd who said, ¡°What a joke. This is the person in 2nd place from your school this year?¡±


    Zhao Yuan who was in the Evergreen Class kept her phone with a furrowed brow. When she saw E Xiaoxia pushing for people to go join the crowd at the International Class upstairs, she felt a sense of foreboding. Thus, she hurriedly went there as well.


    After E Xiaoxia and her group of friends arrived at the corridor outside the International Class, the noise of the crowd got evidently louder.


    ¡°Around 2,900 votes. How fake. Can you take off your mask for us?¡±


    Ke Chengwen had just arrived upstairs and squeezed himself into class. When he heard this, he knew that something was wrong. He quickly called Fu Yangxi. ¡°Xi ge, you have to get here immediately. There¡¯s a crowd of people outside our class forcing the transfer student to take off her mask.¡±


    Then, Ke Chengwen immediately hung up before the other could go into a fit of rage.


    He leaned toward the windows and yelled at the people who were trying to get in, ¡°Don¡¯t you have classes as well? Why must you come to another class to look at their girls? Get lost!¡±


    After Ke Chengwen said this, the followers in class began to drive people out.


    Mingxi¡¯s forum page was fully loaded. She finally knew what was going on.


    ¡°¡­¡± What the heck??? Could this be the legendary murder from adulation?


    She heard someone in the corridor speak with a tone of mockery, ¡°Ugly.¡±


    Mingxi caught E Xiaoxia¡¯s expression.


    She felt as if this voice belonged to E Xiaoxia.


    While Mingxi was not the kind who would cause trouble, she was also not one who would shy away from it.


    Nonetheless, she could still hold her anger in from being called ugly. Honestly, as long as a girl doesn¡¯t cry from being called ugly, it would be considered a very strong move.


    She stood up abruptly.


    Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. He was just afraid that she would start crying from all the bullying. So he quickly blocked off the entrance to their class. ¡°Just wait a little more. Xi ge will be here soon.¡±


    In the end, before he could finish his sentence, the students outside watched as the transfer student slowly took off her mask.


    The air suddenly became quiet; eerily quiet.


    Ke Chengwen still had no idea what had transpired as he continued to block people off at the door.


    ¡°She¡­¡±


    ¡°How is she¡­¡±


    Everyone was looking at Zhao Mingxi in shock, so much so that their responses became slow.


    Her eyes were clear and beautiful, as if it was reflecting the stars of the morning sky. Her facial features were fair and enticingly gorgeous.


    It was a kind of delicate beauty that well surpassed Zhao Yuan and Kong Jiaze. Such purity and flawlessness to the point that they could only gawk in awe as they could not think of any words to describe her.


    Mingxi looked toward E Xiaoxia and asked callously, ¡°If I¡¯m ugly, then what are you?¡±

 Chapter 18

    The corridor was so quiet that they could hear each other breathe.


    When Zhao Mingxi first transferred here, she always wore a mask due to a facial injury. Even while she was eating she would be seated at a corner with He Yang. Thus, no one would¡¯ve thought that she had an appearance which would far exceed a celebrity¡¯s.


    Based on everyone¡¯s knowledge and experience, there were many with beautiful eyes, but rarely was there anyone who would look good upon taking off their masks.


    So how could Zhao Mingxi be an exception?


    Furthermore, there was another reason as to why E Xiaoxia was very certain that Zhao Mingxi was either ugly or average looking¡ª


    It was because Zhao Yuan had never refuted her when she said this!


    Every time, Zhao Yuan would just furrow her brows and reprimand her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Mingxi like that.¡±


    This sentence could be understood in two ways. One: ¡®You¡¯re wrong. Mingxi is actually very beautiful.¡¯, and two: ¡®Zhao Mingxi already feels inferior due to the injury on her face and appearance, so you shouldn¡¯t talk about her like this. She¡¯ll feel worse if she hears it.¡¯


    Obviously, a normal person would think of the latter.


    Moreover E Xiaoxia.


    Thus, for the past year, E Xiaoxia held the assumption that Zhao Mingxi was not only ugly, she also liked to steal Zhao Yuan¡¯s things; that she was bad in her studies and was very thick-skinned.


    It was only at this moment when E Xiaoxia understood the reason why Shen Liyao would ignore every other girl except for Zhao Mingxi.


    Why despite Zhao Mingxi¡¯s pursuit, he would only put up a cold farce instead of pushing her away like how he did with herself as well as countless other girls.


    Why whenever she spoke of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s appearance, Zhao Yuning would ask her to take a look at herself in the mirror first¡ª Turns out, Zhao Yuning meant what he said literally!


    It was because Zhao Mingxi was special. She was so gorgeous that no one could compare to her.


    Her actions of riling people up and calling Zhao Mingxi ugly in front of so many people was as if she was a clown who had never looked at her own reflection before.


    E Xiaoxia went deathly pale. She suddenly felt as if she had become the subject of a joke!


    *


    A good majority of people were there because they were curious upon seeing how the corridor outside the International Class was filled with people. They did not know what was actually going on.


    Someone couldn¡¯t help but to exclaim, ¡°This is the most beautiful girl in your school? She is definitely worthy of the name. She¡¯s so pretty!¡±


    The person beside him came back to his senses and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not her. She¡¯s currently ranked 2nd in the contest.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! If she¡¯s in 2nd place, then the one in 1st place must be some other-worldly beauty. Who is she?¡±


    Someone in the crowd pointed to Zhao Yuan. ¡°Over there. I think she came here too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The one who asked for the person in 1st place went quiet immediately.


    They couldn¡¯t help but to ask in a small voice, ¡°¡ªJust this?¡±


    A lot of people¡¯s attention turned to focus on Zhao Yuan.


    She was pretty, but between her pure and innocent delicateness and Zhao Mingxi¡¯s bewitching beauty, she would definitely pale in comparison.


    The color on Zhao Yuan¡¯s lips was gradually fading.


    She almost couldn¡¯t maintain her expression as she desperately wanted to hit E Xiaoxia.


    How could there be such a dumb person? She didn¡¯t ask her before making a move and just did her own thing. In the end, she even implicated her.


    Zhao Yuan couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. She turned around and pushed against the people behind her, trying to escape.


    Meanwhile, some people who knew the true story snapped out of their trance. They started to stare at E Xiaoxia. ¡°E Xiaoxia, you used us.¡±


    The one who spoke was a boy from the Evergreen Class.


    A short while ago, Zhao Yuan¡¯s friends and E Xiaoxia suddenly yelled out in the Evergreen Class, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Zhao Mingxi from the International Class has around 2,900 votes. They must be bots, right? Everyone knows she¡¯s ugly.¡±


    After that, E Xiao took the lead and brought a bunch of people to the International Class to mock her. A lot of people weren¡¯t sure of the situation, hence they decided to follow them.


    They originally thought that she was really ugly, yet now they know that she¡¯s actually a goddess.


    As to who ignited and fanned the fire, it was obvious.


    Those within their friendship circle understood what was going on. The looks that they gave E Xiaoxia as well as the friends around her were filled with shock, mockery and satire.


    ¡°How terrifying of her to do such a thing out of envy. In the end, she only managed to shoot herself in the foot.¡±


    Someone whispered, ¡°Do you think this has something to do with the current school beauty? Isn¡¯t E Xiaoxia quite close to her?¡±


    The people who came to fan the fire were all Zhao Yuan¡¯s friends, including E Xiaoxia and Pu Shuang. No one would believe them if they were to say that this had nothing to do with Zhao Yuan.


    Seeing as how the fire was spreading in her direction, Zhao Yuan became utterly discomfited. If she doesn¡¯t draw the line between her and E Xiaoxia today, the news of this incident might just reach Zhao Yuning¡¯s ears soon.


    And if it reaches Zhao Yuning, their whole family will know too.


    She allowed her thoughts to settle before turning to face the crowd. Using a condemning tone, she said to E Xiaoxia, ¡°E Xiaoxia, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Was the previous incident of triggering my allergy not enough that now you want to hurt Mingxi too?¡±


    ¡°An allergy incident?¡±


    ¡°What happened there?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, what kind of person is E Xiaoxia? Her targets are all pretty girls. Could it be because she¡¯s jealous?¡±


    The moment Zhao Yuan said this, she lost everyone¡¯s attention.


    E Xiaoxia looked at Zhao Yuan in disbelief. Did Zhao Yuan forget how she used to help her?


    ¡°You¡¯re tearing me down too¡ª¡±


    But before E Xiaoxia could finish, Zhao Yuan cut her off, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did all this just because you and Mingxi like the same person. I don¡¯t have a friend like you!¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed when she said this. Then, she feigned a look of disappointment, turned and squeezed her way out of the crowd.


    E Xiaoxia: ¡°¡­¡±


    E Xiaoxia didn¡¯t think that things would advance in this direction. She broke out in cold sweat; her mind blank.


    She turned and tried to escape.


    If he lets her go, when Fu Yangxi comes later he¡¯ll definitely throw a fit. Thus, without thinking of the consequences, Ke Chengwen went up and pulled on E Xiaoxia¡¯s school uniform in an attempt to drag her into the International Class. ¡°Where are you off to? Didn¡¯t you want to see her? Come in then. I, for one, would like to find out who¡¯s the uglier one here!¡±


    E Xiaoxia was on the verge of tears. ¡°I¡¯m a girl! Have you no manners?!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. What are manners? Can they be eaten?¡± Ke Chengwen was unbothered by her words. He continued to haul her into the class.


    The other followers also went up to drag Pu Shuang and a few other girls in.


    Pu Shuang¡¯s boyfriend was unhappy upon seeing this. ¡°Let go! E Xiaoxia was in the wrong for this matter, so why are you involving other people as well?¡±


    As there was always a sense of rivalry between the three classes, the accumulative hate had been repressed for a long time, and the personal abhorrence of one person could easily be reflected as belonging to that of a whole class.


    The students from the Evergreen Class immediately squeezed to the front. They pushed Ke Chengwen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What right do you people from the International Class have to teach a lesson to us from the Evergreen Class? You think you can do anything just because you¡¯re rich?¡±


    The corridor was a mess to begin with due to the crowd. While they were tugging, no one knew who started a fight, but after that the scene immediately exploded and turned into chaos.


    The two sides were unwilling to back down. In the end, the boys from both classes began to throw punches at each other!


    Mingxi who was standing at the entrance to the class was continuously shoved around by others. She was in shock.


    What in the world is going on?


    She was merely annoyed at E Xiaoxia and wanted to make her eat her words. So why did it suddenly become a war between two classes?!!


    *


    One of the followers found an opening while he was being choked and yelled at her, ¡°Sister-in-law, get back in class!¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t hear him properly. He wanted her to clean up the class?*


    ray¡¯s note: ´óÉ© (pronounced d¨¤ s¨£o) = sister-in-law. ´òɨ (pronounced d¨£ s¨£o) = clean up


    However even if Mingxi wanted to enter, she couldn¡¯t do so. She was sandwiched in the middle of the chaos, and she was gradually becoming dizzy because of it.


    Furthermore, she was stepped on twice by some random follower of Fu Yangxi who rushed forward, hence her head was buzzing faintly.


    Nonetheless, just as she was pushed and was about to scream from almost hitting the corner of a table at the first row¡­


    Someone pulled her back.


    In the midst of chaos, she picked up a familiar scent of pine along with a faint hint of medicinal herbs.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t need to turn to know that Fu Yangxi had come.


    For some reason, this scent gave her a sense of calmness in the middle of this madness.


    Then, two hands went through the bottom of her armpits and picked her up.


    Her feet had suddenly left the ground as she was strongly carried to another table.


    Before she could turn to say her thanks, she saw another guy who was about to collide with them. Mingxi immediately retracted her feet and crawled unto the table in a flurry.


    The unlucky guy hit the table with a loud ¡®thud¡¯.


    The unluckier Mingxi could not find her balance as she directly fell from the top of the table.


    But instead of hitting the ground, she fell into Fu Yangxi¡¯s arms in a dramatic manner.


    The overwhelming scent of pine took over all her senses. While she fell, she could even see the furious expression on Fu Yangxi¡¯s face as well as the redness at the tip of his ears.


    Fu Yangxi balanced himself as he carried her in his arms.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Fu Yangxi looked down at her in worry.


    Then, his body instantly went stiff.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This was the first time that Fu Yangxi saw what Zhao Mingxi actually looked like.


    The morning mist had yet to dissipate, allowing a faint yellow light shine through the glass windows as it landed on her pale, clean and beautiful face.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but to let his eyes wander from her spotless forehead, to her alluring eyes, then down to her plump lips.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Both the entrance to their class and the corridor were clamorous, but over here it was so quiet that it was as if they were in a painting.


    The sweat on Fu Yangxi¡¯s forehead as a result of his rushing and the worry on his face were as if they had all been frozen.


    He swallowed hard.


    This was the first time in his life that his thoughts had slowed down. He lost all his senses; his mind empty. The redness at the tip of his ears were creeping unto his face while his heart was beating fast.


    But he couldn¡¯t feel any of it.


    He was like a quiet fool who had never left his comfort zone as he stared dumbly at Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Mingxi regained her balance and tucked her messy strands of hair behind her ears.


    She was about to raise her head to look at Fu Yangxi when she realized that 10 buds had grown in her pot¡ª!


    What¡¯s going on?!


    Was it because I hugged Fu Yangxi?


    Mingxi had never tried hugging Fu Yangxi despite the fact that the system repeatedly told her that physical contact would result in a rapid increase in the amount of luck. It was similar to how Wi-Fi worked. The nearer one was to the router, the better the signal.


    However, Mingxi felt that the things she used to do were far too weird, and it had probably caused this Young Master Fu to hate her.


    So if she were to purposely come into close contact with him, wouldn¡¯t he just pick her up and throw her off the top of a Ferris wheel?


    Yet in the end, such a coincidence happened.


    Mingxi regretted it so much that she almost wanted to slap her thighs. If she reacted a little faster, she wouldn¡¯t have let him go.


    Just while Mingxi was about to hastily seize this rare opportunity by pretending to lose her balance and fall into his arms again¡­


    Fu Yangxi straightened his back.


    Having failed to obtain another hug, Mingxi wrung her wrists.


    When Mingxi heard the noise surrounding them, she quickly raised her head to look at him. ¡°Oh no, Young Master Fu, they are fighting.¡±


    Fu Yangxi thought foolishly, ¡®Of course I know that they are fighting, but dammit why is her mouth so small, her lips so pink and plump, the bridge of her nose so tall, her skin so bright and translucent, why is she so pretty¡ª Wait a minute. They¡¯re fighting???¡¯


    What has that got to do with me?


    ¡­


    ¡°Where?¡± Fu Yangxi continued to lower his head and ask dumbly.


    Mingxi felt as if he had suffered brain damage after nearly drowning. She wondered if she should slap him twice. Nevertheless, she yelled, ¡°They¡¯re fighting outside!! Please stop them!!¡±


    ¡°Outside¡ª Oh, they¡¯re fighting outside, f*ck.¡± Fu Yangxi immediately came back to his senses and pushed Mingxi to the second row where it was outside the boundaries of the fight. Then, he stepped on the table at the first row and walked to the scene of the fight.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s spiky red hair was extremely eye-catching. Someone in the corridor shouted.


    The boys from the Evergreen Class who came to join the fight suddenly lost all their wits. They looked over. When they saw that it was him, they quickly tried to escape.


    Those who saw him had all ran away. As for those who didn¡¯t, despite their frustrations, they were dragged away by others.


    It was as if someone had sprayed the insect repellant, causing all the cockroaches to run. There was even someone who left their Air Jordans on the ground.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze turned to one which belonged to the school overlord. Just now as he was rushing upstairs, he heard someone say, ¡°Ugly.¡± The voices belonged to a girl and a boy. Due to his height, it didn¡¯t take long for him to accurately pinpoint Pu Shuang¡¯s boyfriend who had led the wave of mockery and pulled him out by his collar.


    Mingxi stood by the window and watched him dumbfoundedly. She thought that he was going to drag him to the teacher¡¯s office.


    Instead, he threw a punch at him.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­???¡±


    I asked you to stop the fight, not join it!


    In the midst of chaos, someone called for the dean.


    Ke Chengwen panted as he retreated into class. He didn¡¯t really dare to look at Mingxi¡¯s face, so he whispered with a flushed face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one can win against Xi ge in a fight.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Why? Is it because he¡¯s really good at fighting?¡±


    No wonder they all ran away the moment they saw him.


    Ke Chengwen puffed out his chest proudly and said, ¡°No. Have you heard of the Fu family¡¯s legal team? They are known for winning all of the Fu family¡¯s cases. They have never lost a suit! Whoever fights against Xi ge can only receive beatings, because if they fight back and cause him to lose even one strand of red hair, the Fu family will sue the other until they lose all their assets!¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    That sure is something to be proud of, huh?

 Chapter 19

    Such a huge thing happened so early in the morning.


    The two classes didn¡¯t even need to attend the flag raising ceremony anymore.


    The dean was so angry that his saliva was spitting everywhere as he spoke.


    As expected, Fu Yangxi, his followers as well as a dozen students from the Evergreen Class had been caught and taken to the office.


    Despite the fact that the office was at the end of the left side of the academic building, the dean¡¯s voice could still be heard from afar, ¡°You are students from the Evergreen and International Class, but those who don¡¯t know might think that you guys are from some Ultimate Class*! You guys are seniors, but once again, those who don¡¯t know will think you guys are from some boy band who purposely came here to have fun!¡±


    ray¡¯s note: the dean/author was referring to ¡®Ko One¡¯, the taiwanese drama. it is about a class in a school that only accepts delinquents and rejects from other schools.


    ¡°Why did you all learn from Fu Yangxi? He can use his family¡¯s money to buy planes to play chess with. But if you guys don¡¯t study, the only thing you can do once you go home is rear chickens! The teachers don¡¯t dare to bother him while he¡¯s sleeping in class, but if your teachers don¡¯t care about you then when you guys grow up you can only move bricks!¡±


    The dean was very familiar with the ways of including hidden meanings in his stinging words. Prior to this, Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t care about anything he said. He merely allowed them to enter one ear before exiting through the other. However, he felt that today¡¯s words were especially unpleasant.


    What if Little Mask heard what he said all the way in class because he yelled it out so loud?


    Fu Yangxi yawned before throwing a glance at the dean. ¡°Can you lower down your voice? What are you gonna do if the investment fund for the new academic building next year disappears by one block?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The dean immediately lowered his voice.


    However, Mingxi who was in the classroom heard everything clearly.


    As they currently had a morning self-study period, she used a book to cover her head before turning to ask Ke Chengwen in shock, ¡°Can his family¡¯s money really be used to buy a dozen airplanes just to play chess with?¡±


    The original novel was very detailed in terms of the main characters as well as side characters like her. As for the others, the author would only describe them in one-liners.


    Thus, she only knew that the Fu family was rich. She didn¡¯t expect them to be this wealthy!


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    As Mingxi¡¯s piercingly beautiful face got closer to his, Ke Chengwen felt as if he almost couldn¡¯t breathe.


    For some reason, it was as if the air had become sweet and soft.


    What¡¯s going on? Is this a girl¡¯s charm? It is very different from the stinky scent of a boy¡¯s sweat.


    Why didn¡¯t he notice that the transfer student was this pretty?


    To be honest, he had never actually taken a good look at the transfer student. That mask covered her face firmly, only revealing her forehead and a pair of eyes. As there were many girls with pretty eyes, Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t pay much attention to her.


    Ke Chengwen regretted it.


    He regretted it so much.


    If he knew that the transfer student was this pretty, he would have jumped in to save her on the first day when she was being bullied by Xi ge!


    Then this whole thing would no longer have anything to do with Xi ge!


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to wear a mask anymore?¡± he asked.


    Mingxi explained, ¡°My face was injured before I transferred here last year. Now that I¡¯m fully healed, I won¡¯t need to wear it anymore.¡±


    Indeed, the transfer student was still the transfer student. Her tone was still as stable and calm as ever.


    However, now that she had an attractive face, Ke Chengwen felt as if her voice was as sweet as a nightingale¡¯s.


    Ke Chengwen replied, ¡°Thank goodness. It would be such a waste otherwise.¡±


    Sigh, Xi ge is so lucky.


    *


    When Fu Yangxi came back from the office, he saw how Ke Chengwen was stretching out his neck in order to speak to Zhao Mingxi. His expression was as if he was her pet dog.


    Not only him, all the boys and girls in class couldn¡¯t help but to throw a few glances at Zhao Mingxi while they hid their heads behind their books.


    Fu Yangxi felt like everyone wanted to steal Mingxi away.


    What a perilous situation.


    He pulled a long face and walked to his seat with big strides. He used both his hands to pull Ke Chengwen up by the back of his collar and dragged him to a spot furthest away from Zhao Mingxi. Then, he squeezed over to his seat. ¡°Can¡¯t you obey the rules? Why are you talking to each other when it¡¯s supposed to be our self-study period?¡±


    When he finished speaking, his eyes swept through the class.


    The followers who were staring at Zhao Mingxi hastily retracted their gazes.


    Ke Chengwen was speechless. He thought: ¡®Oh please, the person who disobeys the rules the most is you.¡¯


    Fu Yangxi sat down in his own seat.


    After he sat down and realized that Zhao Mingxi was right beside him, a wave of heat rose up his cheeks rapidly.


    ¡°Thanks for what you did just now.¡± Mingxi used a book to cover her head and turned to the right. ¡°The dean didn¡¯t punish you, did he?¡±


    The moment Zhao Mingxi leaned closer to him, Fu Yangxi stiffened. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he was like a statue with red spiky hair.


    As he did not dare to look at her, he leaned away from her slightly and replied in an uncomfortable manner, ¡°Wh-What else can he punish me with? I just have to cl-clean the toilet.¡±


    Clean the toilet? That¡¯s another opportunity to freeload on his luck.


    Mingxi quickly offered, ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Young Master Fu!¡±


    For some reason, Fu Yangxi was like a rabbit that was forced to a corner in fear of being defiled. In an attempt to hide himself, he leaned toward the seat near the wall. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know if he heard her, so she leaned closer to him. She raised her head a little to look at what the teacher was doing before whispering, ¡°Please, Young Master Fu. Leave the matter of cleaning up the toilet to me!¡±


    She¡¯s going too far!


    Fu Yangxi felt that she was purposely trying to flirt with him. She took off her mask, revealing such a beautiful face and she even had the audacity to speak to him like this. The breaths that left her lips were chilly as he felt it on his elbows.


    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t that difficult of a task to clean up the toilet. Even if he didn¡¯t get his followers to do it, he could still do it on his own.


    She probably just wanted to stick with him.


    ¡°M-Male toilet.¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart was beating fast as he held his table tightly. He spent a lot of effort to make sure that his words were flowing smoothly as he stared at the table. ¡°You can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Mingxi could only reply, ¡°Okay then.¡±


    She looked a little disappointed.


    ¡°Why are you stuttering?¡± Mingxi suddenly looked toward Fu Yangxi with curious eyes.


    Fu Yangxi spent a long time to build the core foundation of his mentality right now¡ª


    Don¡¯t be nervous.


    If I¡¯m already this tense when she¡¯s near, if we ever do anything else in the future I¡¯ll be even more nervous.


    He secretly sucked in a deep breath before attempting to look at Zhao Mingxi directly. Come on, she¡¯s just prettier than the average person. It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t quite a handsome guy himself!


    In the end, his face flushed red the moment he laid eyes on her. F*ck, I¡¯m still so anxious!


    ¡°I did-didn¡¯t stutter.¡±


    ¡°Then wh-why are you¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi closed his book with a loud clap and hastily cut her off by diverting the topic, ¡°Speaking of which, what were those people doing?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was referring to the group of people from the Evergreen Class.


    Mingxi shrugged and explained, ¡°E Xiaoxia from the Evergreen Class had some private grudge against me, but it¡¯s all over now. Everything has been settled.¡±


    Fu Yangxi had never even heard of the name E Xiaoxia. To be honest, he couldn¡¯t even really remember the names of his fellow classmates, moreover students from the other classes.


    The only girl¡¯s name that he remembered until now was Zhao Mingxi¡¯s.


    He will probably never figure out that the private grudge which Zhao Mingxi was talking about was the matter of her having pursued Shen Liyao before and that their grudge was between rivals in love. He would most likely think that it was some misunderstanding between girls.


    Thus, Fu Yangxi furrowed his brows as he contemplated if he should get someone to warn that person called E Xiaodong or something to stop doing things behind Mingxi¡¯s back.


    While they were whispering to each other, a follower who was pretending to read couldn¡¯t help but to take a peek at Mingxi again.


    Fu Yangxi looked back at him with a vicious glare.


    Fu Yangxi had the thought of making Mingxi wear her mask again because so many people were staring at her now.


    He was unhappy.


    However, he was reminded of how girls would always want to appear beautiful. Now that her face was free of scars, she must be very happy.


    Therefore, Fu Yangxi retracted this selfish thought.


    He looked at the bag behind Mingxi. When he saw that she was still using the old one, he asked, ¡°Did you not like the bag?¡±


    Mingxi realized that he was referring to the bag he gave her last Friday. Her eyes curled into half moons as she whispered, ¡°I like it, but I wanted to leave it out under the sun for a while before using it. I¡¯ll probably be able to bring it to school tomorrow.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was overjoyed. He scoffed arrogantly, though his pompous head of short hair similar to that of a porcupine seemed to have softened slightly. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s yours anyways.¡±


    Mingxi hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this. Even if I continue to make desserts for you for the next three years I will not be able to repay your gifts. Young Master Fu, I think I should just repay you once I¡¯ve earned some money.¡±


    Fu Yangxi thought: ¡®Then continue making desserts for the next three years! Why not?!¡¯


    Could it be that you¡¯ll become tired of me after three years and you¡¯ll go after another person?!


    Fu Yangxi flipped through the pages quickly. He raised a brow and said grumpily, ¡°What are you doing three years from now? Are you going overseas? Or are you going to the moon?¡±


    He paused.


    Fu Yangxi gathered all his courage and replied while pretending as if he was not bothered at all, ¡°It¡¯s not as if I won¡¯t think about it if you ask me to go overseas with you.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What?¡±


    What is he talking about?


    When Fu Yangxi saw her dumbfounded look, he pulled a long face.


    Sometimes he wondered if Zhao Mingxi truly liked him, or else why was she still politely calling him Young Master Fu? Also, she didn¡¯t even think about their future! Could it be that she¡¯s merely stringing him along?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s emotions plummeted like a rollercoaster.


    ¡°What do you mean, Young Master Fu?¡± Mingxi asked when she noticed how despondent he looked.


    ¡°Why are you still calling me Young Master Fu?¡± Fu Yangxi asked begrudgingly.


    Calling him by his full name was way better than this unfamiliar title.


    The way she called him Young Master Fu every time made it seem as if he was her employer.


    On the other hand, Mingxi thought that what he meant was that after that fight, their relationship had turned from one between the hater and the hated to one between a boss and his follower.


    Considering how he had been the one to protect her today, she should take him as her boss just like how the others did, right?


    Mingxi immediately accepted her own advice, ¡°Xi ge.¡±


    Xi¡­ Xi ge?


    Whenever Fu Yangxi heard Ke Chengwen and the others address him as this, he would feel nonchalant about it, if not a little weird.


    However, when he heard it from Little Mask¡­


    His heart skipped a beat and both his ears and face flushed red.


    How¡­ How cute.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mood was lifted once more. He felt way better now.


    He used a book to cover his face, the corner of his lips curling up to form a soft smile.

 Chapter 20

    The news of this incident spread like wildfire. Within a day, everyone knew that there was a beauty in the International Class.


    Someone secretly took a picture of Zhao Mingxi standing in front of her class this morning and used it to replace the existing one in the School Beauty Contest¡¯s webpage.


    Thus, everyone who was curious went to look at the forum.


    A lot of people were instantly doubtful. ¡°This picture has been photoshopped, right? Or else why haven¡¯t I ever seen such a beauty in school before?¡±


    There were even some who began to analyze it. ¡°Look at how badly photoshopped are the frames of the door behind her. This beauty is too much. Never has there been a normal person with such perfect features. What¡¯s the point in studying? She might as well go ahead and become a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If she really looks like this, she would¡¯ve been very famous not only in our school but also in other schools. So how is it possible that this is only revealed now?¡±


    These types of comments were endless. Those who did not see her with their own eyes retained their doubtful attitude. Even those who saw Zhao Mingxi this morning and commented ¡®she is really that beautiful¡¯ were attacked by the netizens.


    Nonetheless, it couldn¡¯t stop the uncontrollable rocket-like rise in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s votes on the voting page.


    Before school ended today, the popularity of the three words ¡®Zhao Mingxi¡¯ was close to surpassing Zhao Yuan¡¯s.


    E Xiaoxia leaned on her table and buried her head in her arms. She felt as if someone had taken off all her clothes and punished her. She did not dare to raise her head for the whole of today, moreover listen to what the teacher was saying.


    Surprisingly, no one from the Evergreen Class mocked her. At most there were some girls who disliked her talking about her in hushed whispers.


    However, E Xiaoxia was really sensitive. No matter what people said, she would take it as if they were talking about what happened this morning; as if they were all laughing at her.


    After class, Miao Ran who was her close friend came to assure her. She patted her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This incident will blow over after a few days. It isn¡¯t anything huge anyway. You¡¯re just jealous of her. Every girl is bound to have such thoughts. It¡¯s understandable.¡±


    When E Xiaoxia heard such assuring words, she was on the verge of tears. She raised her head from her arms, ¡°Exactly! Why is everyone blaming me? Who would¡¯ve known that Zhao Mingxi was such a beauty when she wore that mask everyday? If everyone were to blame someone, they ought to blame her for leading everyone on!¡±


    When the two girls who were sitting behind them heard this, they looked at each other. They both felt that E Xiaoxia was really brazen. Only she would still find excuses for herself at such a time.


    However, in every class there would be a group of girls who were not to be messed around with. Aside from the prettiest and peace-loving Zhao Yuan, E Xiaoxia was the center of her small group.


    They really didn¡¯t have the need to mess with E Xiaoxia.


    Thus, they continued to bury their heads in their homework, pretending as if they didn¡¯t hear anything.


    Even Miao Ran felt as if E Xiaoxia¡¯s words were a little too shameless. Nonetheless, she didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead, she continued to assure her, ¡°Yeah. If it was me, I would think that she became ugly after her facial injury as well, and that she didn¡¯t dare to show her face to everyone.¡±


    E Xiaoxia wiped her tears. ¡°I feel like a joke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Miao Ran continued to console her patiently.


    It was only now that E Xiaoxia felt better and could calmly think of where things went wrong.


    She looked at Zhao Yuan who was sitting in the first row with mixed emotions. Then, she whispered to Miao Ran, ¡°But what I didn¡¯t expect was for Zhao Yuan whom we¡¯ve always placed on a pedestal to strike me when I¡¯m down. She didn¡¯t think of me as a friend at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Miao Ran didn¡¯t know if she should agree with her on this. There was a crack in E Xiaoxia and Zhao Yuan¡¯s friendship. If she were to agree, she would be made an enemy of Zhao Yuan.


    Pu Shuang who was closer to Zhao Yuan had just returned from applying medicine on her boyfriend. When she walked over from the back, she coincidentally heard what E Xiaoxia said. She immediately slammed the bottle of antiseptic on E Xiaoxia¡¯s table.


    ¡°E Xiaoxia, how shameless can you be? You were a fake friend who triggered Yuanyuan¡¯s allergy! I was wondering why Yuanyuan wasn¡¯t talking to you for the past few days. Turns out it was because something like this happened. If it wasn¡¯t because of your embarrassing actions today that dragged Yuanyuan into the mire, Yuanyuan would still continue to keep this secret for you. I feel so bad for her¡ª She¡¯s already being a great friend. What else do you want?!¡±


    ¡°Is Zhao Yuan really as unproblematic as you say she is?¡± E Xiaoxia decided to just shed all pretense of cordiality. ¡°Didn¡¯t she silently agree whenever I said that Zhao Mingxi was ugly?¡±


    Pu Shuang was enraged. ¡°Don¡¯t you slander her. When has Yuanyuan not stopped you whenever you said this? She would always tell you to not say such nonsense.¡±


    As E Xiaoxia knew that she could not win this fight, she began to sweat out of anxiousness. She was on the verge of cursing out loud. ¡°Are ¡®don¡¯t say such nonsense¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t say such a thing¡¯ the same?!¡±


    As their quarrel was getting increasingly loud, they attracted the attention of many in class.


    The boys sitting in the back row had yet to talk to E Xiaoxia about how she triggered the fight between the two classes this morning. They couldn¡¯t believe that she still had the courage to make such a fuss here. A boy got impatient and said, ¡°Why are you guys fighting? Can¡¯t you take this outside?¡±


    When Miao Ran saw this, she tugged on E Xiaoxia¡¯s clothes and whispered, ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t pull Zhao Yuan into this anymore. The boys in class will definitely lean in favor of her because of how pretty she is.¡±


    ¡°I see how it is. No matter what happens, you guys will always be on Zhao Yuan¡¯s side!¡± E Xiaoxia was disheartened. She glared at Pu Shuang. ¡°Are you guys Zhao Yuan¡¯s friends or my friends?¡±


    Pu Shuang replied to her with a cold look before walking off.


    E Xiaoxia sat down firmly on her seat. She felt helpless. Why was it that no matter what she said or how she tried to explain herself, her classmates and even her friends around her would still choose to remain by Zhao Yuan¡¯s side?


    Zhao Yuan was at her seat as she did her homework, but even after half a day of writing she still had no idea what she had written on the draft paper.


    She was unsettled, and she did not have the mood to deal with E Xiaoxia and Pu Shuang¡¯s fight.


    Pu Shuang walked over and took a glimpse at the questions for the Tournament on her table. ¡°Yuanyuan, are you preparing for the Hundred School Tournament?¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s lips were pale as she replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon seeing how pallid she looked, Pu Shuang tried to console her. ¡°This whole incident was solely caused by E Xiaoxia. No one thinks that it is related to you. You¡¯re usually a really kind person, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Zhao Yuan smiled and raised her head. ¡°Thanks, Pu Shuang. I know.¡±


    Pu Shuang paused for a moment before saying, ¡°You go ahead and prepare for the Hundred School Tournament. I¡¯ll stop bothering you now¡ª¡±


    As she was speaking, she was reminded about how Zhao Mingxi¡¯s votes were about to surpass Zhao Yuan¡¯s on the forum. Although Zhao Yuan never expressed her interest in such matters, Pu Shuang couldn¡¯t help but to give her a few assuring words.


    ¡°The School Beauty Contest is nothing, your results are the true achievements. Despite Zhao Mingxi¡¯s beauty, her results are only so-so. She couldn¡¯t even qualify for this year¡¯s Hundred School Tournament. Yuanyuan, you are far more outstanding than her.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Another girl came and consoled her, ¡°I think that mere beauty is useless. People would be more attracted to girls with brains. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t Shen Liyao from the school¡¯s representative team spare even one glance at Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    As Zhao Yuan listened to these assuring words, her mood was gradually lifted.


    However, she felt unsettled about one thing. Back then, the doctor said that the injury on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face would only heal after two or three winters, and she would also need to apply all sorts of sunscreen and chemicals. So why was it that her face had completely recovered in less than one year?


    Zhao Yuan initially thought that Zhao Mingxi would have to keep on wearing that mask until they graduated from high school.


    But now she had taken off her mask, and she was even prettier than before. The whole school was about to witness her beauty.


    As Zhao Yuan didn¡¯t feel so good, she couldn¡¯t help but to stand up. She planned on going upstairs to the International Class.


    She paused. After contemplating for a while, she picked up the paper containing the key areas that she highlighted for the Hundred School Tournament.


    After all, even if she did help Zhao Mingxi point out the key areas, she would still be unable to participate.


    E Xiaoxia had her eye on Zhao Yuan. When she saw that Zhao Yuan had stood up, she quietly stood up as well.


    *


    Mingxi was struggling to get used to how everyone was staring at her now that she had finally taken her mask off.


    After all, she had her mask on for the past year. Whenever she walked in the crowd, most people would just think that this sick person had a really hot body. They would never look closely at her mask.


    Thus, it had been a long time since she had received such an amount of attention.


    Now that she had taken off her mask so suddenly, not only were the students in the International Class staring at her as if she was a new national treasure, even the students from beyond her class could not help but to come over to take a look.


    Mingxi put down her pen. The moment she left her class, a few boys surrounding a tall, huge and rather good-looking guy pushed him to her, urging him to give the ticket in his hands to Mingxi.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi, Li Haiyang wants to ask you out for a theater date!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, be quick and accept him!¡±


    Mingxi recognized them. They were the boys from the Evergreen Class. Two of them had even participated in this morning¡¯s fight.


    The boy called Li Haiyang was especially stiff. He did not dare to look at Mingxi. He turned to speak to the others around him, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    However, although he said that, he still took out two tickets from his fists and coughed before giving them to Mingxi. ¡°It¡¯s at 6pm this Friday. Would you be interested?¡±


    A few followers who were sitting by the entrance of the International Class shouted, ¡°Leave! None of you from the Evergreen Class are good people. We just had a fight this morning, and now you¡¯re trying to pursue someone from the International Class?!¡±


    The fight was creating a lot of noise and it was becoming louder by the second. But Fu Yangxi had his noise-cancelling earphones on and he was sleeping on the Pikachu pillow that Zhao Mingxi had gotten him. The silver noise-cancelling earphones were worth a few tens of thousands of yuan, hence the quality was really good. The moment he put it on he couldn¡¯t hear anything else.


    Ke Chengwen was anxious. He quickly reached out and pushed Fu Yangxi¡¯s back. ¡°Xi ge, how are you still sleeping when the fire has already reached your eyebrows? Wake up!¡±


    As Fu Yangxi was forcefully pushed awake, he was really angry and pissed. He slammed the earphones on the table and turned to glare at Ke Chengwen. ¡°Are you sick of living¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw what was happening outside.


    He immediately stood up, his actions so quick that his chair almost broke.


    ¡°Where the hell did these people get their courage from? Do they think I¡¯m dead?!¡± Fu Yangxi clenched his fists and was about to walk there.


    Ke Chengwen instantly pulled him back and whispered, ¡°Calm down! If you go out and hit them now, the whole school will know that you like the transfer student.¡±


    ¡°I do like¡ª¡± Fu Yangxi was enraged. ¡°How is it possible for me to like her?! She¡¯s the one pursuing me! Are you crazy? Since when have I liked someone? How dare you say such a thing!¡±


    Ke Chengwen looked out and said, ¡°Oh? I think the transfer student rejected him.¡±


    ¡°Xi ge, you know about the immersive theater¡¯s tickets, right? You watched it last year. It was a show called ¡®Sleep No More¡¯. They sell for around a thousand yuan each, but the transfer student actually rejected him.¡±


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to suppress the boiling anger within him. Due to his height advantage, he was able to look out the window.


    As expected, he saw Mingxi tell that guy called Li Jingyu or whatever, ¡°Sorry, I want to focus on my studies.¡±


    After saying that, Mingxi didn¡¯t even take the tickets before she turned and came back into the class.


    Fu Yangxi took a glimpse at the guy who gave her the tickets. He saw how despite his apparent disappointment and awkwardness from such an embarrassing moment, he still tried to force out a smile.


    Fu Yangxi felt relieved.


    He scoffed as he was no longer anxious nor frustrated. He sat down in a manner as if he was her true partner, placing one leg on top of the other in happiness as he watched the disappointed group of people outside leave.


    He didn¡¯t even need to say anything. Little Mask could handle herself.


    She wouldn¡¯t even spare a glance at anyone else other than him.


    Ke Chengwen scratched his chin in contemplation as he spoke, ¡°But I think Zhao Mingxi really wanted to see that show. I saw how she stared at the tickets for a really long time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Fu Yangxi scoffed again before taking out his phone to book the tickets.


    He recalled how Zhao Mingxi did everything she could to clean the toilets with him and how she was firm when she rejected that boy¡¯s offer just now.


    When he compared the two, it affirmed his theory of how she treated him differently from others.


    The more he thought of it, the happier he became. Even his lips had curled up to form an unconcealable smile.


    But¡­


    At the same time, Fu Yangxi felt as if something was odd¡ª


    When she rejected him, why did she say ¡°I want to focus on my studies¡± instead of saying ¡°I already have someone I like¡±?

 Chapter 21

    Mingxi had both her hands in her pockets when she entered the class. Suddenly, someone called out to her.


    ¡°Mingxi.¡±


    Zhao Yuan was walking over to Mingxi with a pile of freshly photocopied information in her arms, her red-rimmed eyes filled with worry.


    Mingxi turned. When she saw that it was her, she didn¡¯t even bother to greet her. Instead, she turned and walked straight into class.


    She didn¡¯t want the luck that she worked so hard for to disperse due to Zhao Yuan¡¯s protective halo of being a main character!


    ¡°Wait. I want to talk to you.¡± Zhao Yuan jogged up to her and blocked her path.


    Mingxi took a glimpse at her flower pot. When Zhao Yuan got close to her, the tiny buds in her flower pot shivered and swayed. Some even stopped growing completely.


    So how could Mingxi be in a good mood? She immediately furrowed her brows. ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡±


    A few people in the corridor looked over.


    They watched as Zhao Yuan bit her lips in apparent fear of Mingxi. She mustered up her courage and said, ¡°I just- just wanted to apologize on behalf of E Xiaoxia¡­¡±


    A beauty with a kind heart.


    Such a term appeared in the minds of all the boys in the corridor.


    This incident clearly had nothing to do with Zhao Yuan. E Xiaoxia had even wanted to drag her through the mire. Nonetheless, she cared more about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s feelings and came to apologize first.


    However, Mingxi was not listening to whatever Zhao Yuan was saying.


    Zhao Yuan wasn¡¯t wearing her school uniform. Her bottom half was covered by a trendy dark blue colored sailor skirt, short white socks and a pair of coffee brown leather shoes.


    Her long hair was tied up into a neat ponytail, and at the left side of the top of her head rested a blue checkered bow.


    She appeared tidy, generous, frail and fragile.


    All in all, she could be summed up in numerous glorifying terms.


    On the other hand, Mingxi had a lean figure and she was almost half a head taller than Zhao Yuan. She lowered her gaze slightly. The blue checkered bow caught her attention.


    Mingxi stared at that bow firmly. It was hard not to recall what happened previously.


    When she first arrived at the Zhao family home two years ago, she brought a luggage bag with her. That luggage bag which was made out of rattan was personally woven by her grandmother. When she was brought in by Zhao Zhanhuai, aside from Zhao Mo, everyone else was rather friendly. Thus, it ignited a spark of hope in her heart as she looked forward to her new life.


    Her mother pulled her by her hand and told her to take a shower and get changed first.


    However, by the time she came out, she realized that the old clothes that she brought over and the luggage made by her grandmother had all been thrown out of the villa into the trash¡ª Her mother said that she had suffered a lot and that she was going to buy her new ones.


    Mingxi retorted softly that these were the items her grandmother had left for her.


    Her mother wasn¡¯t too happy with this reply. She said, ¡°You have to get used to your new surroundings.¡±


    The 15-year-old Mingxi back then felt conflicted. She really wanted to take back what her grandmother gave her, but she was afraid that it would make her appear unreasonable and troublesome, causing a bad atmosphere in the family.


    Thus, she could only eat half-heartedly. She barely ate anything that day. Her plan was to wait until her mother had gone upstairs before she would head outside to take back her things.


    However, what she didn¡¯t expect was for when the sky had turned dark and she went out to find it, the garbage truck had already taken the items away.


    Mingxi felt extremely sad for a few days after that. It was only then that she realized that her surroundings were not somewhere she could easily blend in just because she wore the same set of clothes and small leather shoes as Zhao Yuan.


    At the small Northern town which she lived in for the past 15 years, the norm was for the trash to be taken out the next morning among the noise and reminders of her neighbors. They would always help each other out when it came to taking out the trash. But here, the nanny will take out the trash whenever she likes.


    She would have to put in more effort in order to blend in.


    Upon realizing this point, Mingxi worked even harder, just as she did for the past 15 years when it came to her studies.


    She started by observing the mannerisms of the Zhao family. She would even take note of small details like how many times they would wash their mouths after dinner. Then, she would do the same. All this was done just so she won¡¯t stand out from them. She wanted to compromise to their liking.


    That day, after they went and bought a bunch of shoes and clothes, when Zhao Zhanhuai took Mingxi to deal with her transfer application to the first school, Mingxi noticed that a lot of girls were looking at her.


    Mingxi realized that she was very different from them¡ª Although they were wearing the same clothes bought from the same shop, these girls knew how to dress themselves up.


    They would tie knots with their t-shirts and spend time to cut out patterns on their pleated skirts.


    Their hairstyles were not like hers either as she left her long black hair flowing beyond her shoulders without any accessories. In contrast, most of them had bright colored accessories on their hair, making them vibrant and lively. With one glance, it was easy to tell that they were the pinnacle of fashion trends.


    The way they stared at Mingxi made her feel so inferior that her face burned pink. She wanted nothing but to hide away from them.


    Once again, she realized that this had nothing to do with the differences between their clothes or hairstyles. Instead, it was the difference between people who have been reading fashion magazines since a young age and someone who had to study in the summer without an air-conditioner and in the winter without any warmth.


    If she wanted to blend in, she would have to try even harder and put in more effort.


    After their return, Mingxi used her new phone and computer to learn about these things and also observed how Zhao Yuan did all these¡ª Zhao Yuan was the best and prettiest example around her.


    Mingxi took out some of her money and planned to start from buying some hair accessories.


    As this was the first for her to buy such things, she was confused. She didn¡¯t know which types to buy. Then, she recalled the butterfly knot on top of Zhao Yuan¡¯s head and figured that she couldn¡¯t go wrong by buying those, so she bought two.


    When she got home that day, she was overjoyed. She wanted to show the items she got to her mother so that she could know if her way of perceiving beauty had improved.


    However, when she passed by Zhao Mo¡¯s room, she heard him speaking to someone.


    Zhao Mo mocked her by saying, ¡°That new kid is such a copier. She wants everything Yuanyuan has. You, go and console Yuanyuan.¡±


    Mingxi did not know who was on the other side of the conversation, but it had to be either Zhao Zhanhuai, her mother, or Zhao Yuning.


    That day, Mingxi hurriedly retreated into her room and threw the accessories into the lowest drawer.


    Her tears started to roll down uncontrollably.


    For the past two years, Mingxi had undergone a quick growth, but it was mainly because she was forced to change at the fastest speed.


    She could finally puff out her chest and blend in to her surroundings. She looked exactly like someone who had grown up in such circumstances.


    She was calm and able to handle any situation with ease.


    She also knew how to display her beauty.


    Whenever someone looked at her, she would show herself off generously.


    The 17-year-old Mingxi now was filled with confidence. She did not care about how others perceived her. Even when it came to her school uniform or how she always carried an old bag, she was unbothered.


    When she recalled her 15-year-old self, she naturally felt that the person she was at that time was far too self-abased and cared too much about what others thought of her to the point that she was honed for it.


    However, Mingxi did not want to doubt herself.


    After all, that careful and sensitive girl who had just arrived from a small Northern town was also her.


    From a certain perspective, Mingxi felt as if her role of a villainess in the original novel was justified.


    Looking from Zhao Yuan¡¯s perspective, her arrival attracted the attention of the whole family. She copied her taste in accessories and even made dishes carefully in order to suck up to her family. She wanted to take away all the love and care of the family away from Zhao Yuan.


    However, that was the past 15-year-old Zhao Mingxi who craved love and attention.


    The current Zhao Mingxi cared not for love. She only wanted to get into college and live a good life.


    When her attention finally returned to Zhao Yuan, she heard Zhao Yuan say, ¡°¡­I think I am partly to blame for this as well. I didn¡¯t notice in time that the misunderstanding between the both of you had gotten so bad already.¡±


    Mingxi took a glance at the people in the corridor. She estimated that there were around 10 to 20 people there. They were all listening to Zhao Yuan¡¯s apology to her, as if she was the unreasonable one.


    ¡°What has this got to do with you? Since this incident was her fault, why are you apologizing to me in front of so many people? Is it to show how kind of a beauty you are?¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to continue, ¡°If it is so, do you have to apologize if China and America go to war with each other? Just because you didn¡¯t notice that their misunderstandings had gotten so bad?¡±


    Zhao Yuan as well as the people around them were dumbfounded.


    Mingxi said, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of the injurer apologizing to the injured. Never have I heard of an unrelated third party apologizing to the injured. Isn¡¯t this just an act of involving oneself in unnecessary drama? Unless you admit that you were the one who encouraged her to do it.¡±


    Zhao Yuan burst into tears immediately. She hurriedly replied, ¡°Mingxi, don¡¯t misunderstand me. She triggered my allergy, so how could I team up with her to do such a thing? You are my family while she is my friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mingxi expressionlessly replied, ¡°She hurt you and bullied me, yet you still apologized to me while knowing all this. You sure are magnanimous¡ª Then next time if you someone is murdered, will you take up a loudspeaker and apologize on behalf of the murderer as well?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The people in the corridor were also gradually figuring out the odd part of her apology.


    She¡¯s right. The fact that Zhao Yuan told everyone about how E Xiaoxia triggered her allergy would mean that their friendship is over. So why was she apologizing on behalf of E Xiaoxia? She even made herself look pitiful in front of so many people.


    At first glance, they would feel that she was very kind to the point that she could be called Mother Theresa. However, after a nearer observation, for some reason they felt like she was a fake b*tch.


    Zhao Yuan did not think that things would end up like this. Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t seem like the past Zhao Mingxi anymore. The current Zhao Mingxi would no longer puff up in anger and remain speechless. Instead, she could easily use a few words to make people lean in favor of her.


    The way she spoke was interesting and charming.


    Previously, as Zhao Mingxi always had a mask on, there weren¡¯t many around who would help her. But now that she had taken off her mask, her beauty was enough to make even those who were strict about justice to slack off for her¡ª Just like how they were with Zhao Yuan previously.


    ¡°How could you compare such a small matter to murders and wars between two countries?¡± Zhao Yuan hastily replied. She could feel the changes in the gazes of the people around them.


    But before she could finish, she was cut off by Mingxi once more, ¡°Oh, so now it¡¯s a small matter? When you came to me with red-rimmed eyes in front of so many people, I thought something huge had happened, like maybe the sky had fallen or something.¡±


    The people around them snorted in laughter.


    Zhao Yuan: ¡°¡­¡±


    E Xiaoxia: ¡°¡­¡±


    She was listening from afar, but she didn¡¯t know why she was feeling a little satisfied with this outcome.


    Didn¡¯t she hate Zhao Mingxi?!


    However, after the incident this morning, E Xiaoxia felt that as compared to Zhao Mingxi, she seemed to dislike Zhao Yuan more. She didn¡¯t like how everyone would automatically offer to protect her even without her doing or saying anything.


    Zhao Yuan did not dare to continue the topic of their conversation. She was afraid that if she did, the people around them would look at her differently.


    She hastily offered the information in her arms to Zhao Mingxi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you preparing for the Hundred School Tournament? I drew out the important areas for it. I hope it¡¯ll be of some help to you.¡±


    She thought that Zhao Mingxi would not refuse this. The moment she accepted it, she would still be a gracious and magnanimous person because she had helped her.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t even take her hands out of her pockets. ¡°No thank you. I already have them.¡±


    Yesterday when she left the library, the librarian gave her a sheet of paper with the important areas marked. She only needed to verify it for a short moment to know that it was from Shen Liyao. Mingxi couldn¡¯t think of any reason for her not to accept it. After all, she did not bear some deep grudge against Shen Liyao, and vice versa. As Shen Liyao was from the school representative team and had always been in the Gold Medal Class, the important areas that he had pointed out were guaranteed to be far more accurate than Zhao Yuan¡¯s.


    Zhao Yuan was certain that Mingxi did not plan to take the Hundred School Tournament seriously. She probably said it casually to their eldest brother just so she could show how hardworking she was in her studies.


    As Zhao Yuan did not want to stay here any longer, she asked a final question in a concerned tone, ¡°When are you coming back home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back.¡±


    Zhao Yuan did not want to admit that she had let out a mental sigh of relief. ¡°Everyone at home is worried about you.¡±


    When Mingxi heard this, she looked at her with a gaze full of mockery.


    Zhao Yuan felt as if her thoughts had been exposed. She subconsciously looked away.


    Then, she heard Zhao Mingxi say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whatever you want is whatever I think of as trash. If you want them, I¡¯ll just give them to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Zhao Yuan wanted to scold her for speaking of their family like this. However, before she could say anything, she hesitated. She felt as if she was punching cotton. It was pointless no matter how much effort she put in.


    Zhao Mingxi used to care a lot about their family, but now she is able to say such words. Does she really not care anymore?


    When Zhao Yuan left, she was very close to losing control over her facial expression and frowning.

 Chapter 21.2 - (Part 2)

    The majority of people in the corridor who heard the conversation were looking at Zhao Yuan with an odd expression. When a girl from the neighboring Gold Medal Class passed Mingxi by, she gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Sister, I like how direct you were with such a fake b*tch.¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s eyes were clear as she replied to her with a flying kiss.


    Nonetheless, there were a few boys who felt as if Zhao Mingxi was being unreasonable.


    The guys who came with Li Haiyang just now were all from the Evergreen Class, so they were definitely closer to Zhao Yuan. When they saw what happened before they left, they were all in favor of Zhao Yuan.


    One of the boys couldn¡¯t help but to speak out, ¡°I¡¯ve seen something new. Despite her beauty, she sure has a sharp tongue.¡±


    Li Haiyang who was beside him wanted to pull him away, but he continued to speak, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, Zhao Yuan is merely showing her concern for you. Can you not retort her so harshly? Those who don¡¯t know will think that you might be jealous of her! It¡¯s almost her birthday soon, but you have yet to even wish her happy birthday.¡±


    The love of the young was indeed shallow. They all cared only for appearances.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t care about these boys, but she didn¡¯t want those who were ignorant of the truth to criticize her like this.


    Just as she was about to say something, the windows slammed open with a loud bang. Fu Yangxi appeared with a somber expression. ¡°Jealous of her? Is she jealous that she¡¯s not as pretty as Zhao Mingxi or as sweet-smelling as Zhao Mingxi? Let me get this clear. How could Zhao Mingxi be jealous of others when she has me as her desk mate? That guy called Li Jingyu or whatever, what are you looking at¡ª¡±


    Before Fu Yangxi finished, he was about to jump out from the windows. When everyone in the corridor saw this, they ran away. Even those from the Evergreen Class fled downstairs.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Sweet-smelling?


    Mingxi wondered if Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t learn his vocabulary properly. He couldn¡¯t even differentiate between humans and desserts.


    Mingxi returned to class. When she sat down in her seat, she couldn¡¯t help but to say to Fu Yangxi, ¡°His name is Li Haiyang.¡±


    Ke Chengwen snorted in laughter.


    However, Fu Yangxi had yet to pull back the scary expression on his face. He didn¡¯t have the mood to care about how Zhao Mingxi actually remembered that guy¡¯s name nor did he care about Ke Chengwen.


    He stood there and watched as Zhao Mingxi sat down. He swallowed the lump in his throat, as if he was close to losing it yet he managed to control himself again. There was a fire in his stomach that he had nowhere to vent to.


    When he saw how Zhao Mingxi had taken out a draft paper and continued to revise, Fu Yangxi dragged his chair and sat down as well. He observed her for a while.


    He pulled a long face, but his voice was soft when he asked, ¡°Is everyone in your family like this?¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Although Fu Yangxi had helped her once more, and there seemed to be a sort of friendship between a follower and a boss between them, Mingxi still found it hard to talk about what happened for the past two years. She didn¡¯t know where to begin.


    She quietly flipped over a page of the Tournament¡¯s questions.


    Fu Yangxi scratched his head in slight annoyance.


    He couldn¡¯t help but to turn and glare at Ke Chengwen.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    As Fu Yangxi had no experience whatsoever in consoling people, he could only look at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face, open his mouth, and close it again without saying anything.


    Then, he turned to glare at Ke Chengwen once more.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen finally understood what he meant. He immediately said to Zhao Mingxi in an impassioned manner, ¡°Transfer student, don¡¯t let it get to you! If you are really unhappy about this, we¡¯ll all go and give them a beating! Our Xi ge has never made any rule that we cannot hit women, so just hit them however you like! Borrow however many of us you want! If that doesn¡¯t work, you can also use money to hit that woman and your family members to death!¡±


    ¡°There is nothing that can¡¯t be solved by a fight. If you feel that it isn¡¯t enough, you can even go for it twice! Use money and piapiapia!¡±


    Fu Yangxi scoffed and said, ¡°That was Ke Chengwen¡¯s suggestion, not mine. But since you call me Xi ge, I guess I have to protect you no matter how unwilling I am. Just tell me, what do you wanna do?¡±


    Mingxi actually didn¡¯t care about what Zhao Yuan said, but when she saw how Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen tried to console her in such a silly manner, she smiled.


    The pen in her hand did not stop moving. While she was copying the formula for the important areas, she said jokingly, ¡°You might as well save the money you¡¯re planning to use to hit her and buy me an airplane instead.¡±


    When she finished, she didn¡¯t hear a reply from Fu Yangxi. She instantly looked over and saw how Fu Yangxi seemed to be seriously contemplating this joke of a suggestion.


    Mingxi: ???


    Do all the young wealthy children of this generation treat their unimportant underlings so magnanimously?


    Previously, he would shoo her away and ban her from being his desk mate, but now he was treating her so well. Mingxi was absolutely baffled.


    Mingxi was afraid that he would really carry out her wish. She hastily said, ¡°No, stop thinking about it. What am I going to do with an airplane? I don¡¯t even know how to maneuver it nor am I of age yet!¡±


    ¡°Not of age yet?¡± The topic reminded Fu Yangxi of something, ¡°They were talking about Zhao Yuan¡¯s* birthday just now. So when is your birthday?¡±


    ray¡¯s note: once again, he used Ô² (yuan) which means ¡®circle¡¯ instead of Zhao Yuan¡¯s æ (yuan)


    ¡°¡­¡± This was another question that Mingxi did not want to answer.


    Her date of birth was around 10 days after Zhao Yuan¡¯s. There was an accident at the hospital¡¯s incubation room back then. But after the Zhao family found her two years ago, aside from changing her address, they changed her date of birth as well so that it was on the same day as Zhao Yuan¡¯s.


    They had to do this to avoid the awkward situation of being unable to explain why she and Zhao Yuan were sisters yet their birthdays were on different dates of the same year.


    The birthday on her Identity Card did not belong to her. She did not want to celebrate her birthday either.


    Mingxi mumbled, ¡°October 24th. Why do you ask?¡±


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to pretend that he was nonchalant about it. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to celebrate your birthday at home, you can come out¡ª¡±


    But before he could finish, Mingxi said, ¡°I already have plans on that day. I have to go back to my old home.¡±


    Fu Yangxi did not know where Zhao Mingxi¡¯s old home was. He widened his eyes and asked subconsciously, ¡°Where is your old home?¡±


    ¡°A small town in the North.¡±


    Fu Yangxi stared at her for two seconds. He was unhappy with how casual she was with her answer. However, he figured that maybe she was in a bad mood, hence he didn¡¯t say anything and thought to ask her about it later.


    Ke Chengwen cut in from aside, ¡°Transfer student, although we can¡¯t celebrate your birthday, you can still come and celebrate Xi ge¡¯s birthday. Xi ge, isn¡¯t your birthday coming soon? Just about half a month left¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Why are you revealing my birthday so casually?!¡± Fu Yangxi was instantly angered. He stood up and covered Ke Chengwen¡¯s mouth. ¡°What if I end up with a huge mountain of gifts? That¡¯s so annoying!¡±


    However, he subconsciously looked over to see Zhao Mingxi¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°November 5th!¡± Ke Chengwen still managed to yell out.


    ¡°November 5th.¡± As Mingxi was busy thinking about how she had to go back to pay her respects to her grandmother on October 24th, she repeated absent-mindedly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    She¡¯ll remember it!


    The tips of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears went red. He released Ke Chengwen¡¯s neck and mumbled, ¡°Annoying. Don¡¯t you send me any gifts!¡±


    *


    Meanwhile, Shen Liyao was in the middle of training. After today¡¯s class, a few of them went to the nearby bubble tea shop to get some bubble tea.


    Kong Jiaze had just finished attending her ballet class nearby. When she caught wind of A High¡¯s representative team current location, she brought her clothes with her and ran there excitedly.


    The moment she entered, even the server in the bubble tea shop widened his eyes. The ballet outfit underneath the khaki windbreaker perfectly accentuated Kong Jiaze¡¯s body.


    ¡°How was your training?¡± When Kong Jiaze saw how Shen Liyao was looking at his phone with furrowed brows, she felt a little awkward, hence she could only greet Ye Bai who was beside him.


    In the end, Ye Bai was looking at his phone with a shocked expression as well.


    It was as if they didn¡¯t come back to their senses at all. They completely took no notice of her.


    The same went for the other boys from A High¡¯s representative team.


    ¡°What are you guys looking at?¡± Kong Jiaze said with a slight tone of dissatisfaction before she tugged on her windbreaker and walked toward them.


    ¡°She¡¯s so pretty¡ª¡± Ye Bai turned to look at Shen Liyao in shock. ¡°God Yao, have you known this since the beginning?¡±


    Shen Liyao merely furrowed his brows. There was no shock in his face. It was clear that he knew from the start.


    Ye Bai regretted calling Zhao Mingxi a little follower back then. If he knew that she was this pretty, he would have pursued her. After all, she had a pretty good personality too.


    ¡°What pretty?¡± Kong Jiaze thought that he was talking about her. So, she subconsciously lowered her head, pulled on her dress and smiled.


    However, it was only then that Ye Bai noticed her. He raised his head and saw how she was in her ballet outfit. ¡°What? Were you having class nearby?¡±


    But before Kong Jiaze could reply, Ye Bai focused his attention on his phone again.


    Kong Jiaze: ¡°¡­¡±


    What in the world are these people looking at?!


    Kong Jiaze took out her phone and opened the page they were looking at ¨C A High¡¯s forum. In the end, she saw how Zhao Mingxi whom both she and E Xiaoxia had voted to second place was now already in first place with more than 3,500 votes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kong Jiaze was confused as she looked at the girl in the new picture. It was obviously taken this morning.


    If someone were to say that this was a fan taken picture of a celebrity, she would have believed them.


    Kong Jiaze was quick on her feet. She instantly understood the situation¡ª No wonder Zhao Mingxi had the courage to go after Shen Liyao. It was because she was this pretty.


    Looks like she just shot herself in the foot.


    Kong Jiaze pulled a long face. She stared at this group of boys for a while. She tried her best to speak in a soft, casual and teasing tone, ¡°I have some information about the incoming Hundred School Tournament, are you guys interested? If you only care about pretty girls, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±


    Only then did she manage to attract the attention of the guys. Some of them raised their heads and asked, ¡°What information?¡±


    ¡°Inside information. I¡¯ll tell you guys for the sake of God Yao.¡± Kong Jiaze purposely kept them guessing. She took a glimpse at Shen Liyao, but Shen Liyao still wasn¡¯t looking at her.


    ¡°Just tell us.¡± Ye Bai also looked up from his phone. ¡°What insider information? It can¡¯t be that the Tournament has been cancelled, right?¡±


    Everyone knew that Kong Jiaze had a relative working in the Department of Education. Thus, there was a high chance that her insider information was true.


    Kong Jiaze stared at Shen Liyao. Still he hadn¡¯t made any response. She could only bite her bottom lip and say, ¡°It is something related to your school. I heard that Professor Gao from your school¡ª aka the ex-homeroom teacher of the Gold Medal Class went to register another student for the Tournament. Could it be that he had his eyes on someone from your school and decided to give them another chance? By the way, remember that this is insider information. It¡¯s not very reliable so don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Ye Bai exclaimed. ¡°How can it be that we have not heard even a peep of such a huge matter?¡±


    One guy said, ¡°What exactly is the background of this Professor Gao? I only know that he is really good at teaching and setting questions, and that his name always appears in the National Journal. Aside from the fact that our dean and headmaster would always bow to him in respect, why do various competition organizers recognize him as well?¡±


    Kong Jiaze rolled her eyes at that guy as she despised that guy¡¯s ignorance. She said, ¡°The famous national trainer of the country retires after decades of service. What do you think?¡±


    As Ye Bai was quite familiar with Professor Gao, he added, ¡°But that is impossible. Professor Gao never accepts gifts nor does he have any relatives in our school. So what¡¯s the point in him registering for another student from our school?¡±


    ¡°Beats me.¡± Kong Jiaze pulled a chair over to her and sat down beside Shen Liyao. She said, ¡°Just remember not to tell anyone about this.¡±


    After Kong Jiaze shared this information, a bunch of guys from the school representative team shifted their attention to her.


    A guy who had a crush on her saw how she kept on glancing at Shen Liyao. Seeing as how Shen Liyao was still looking at the picture on his phone, her mood turned sour and it was reflected in her expression. That guy could easily read her thoughts.


    Thus, he tried to ingratiate himself with her, ¡°I think outer appearances are less important than wits. No matter how beautiful she is, she will never be able to qualify for the Hundred School Tournament.¡±


    Kong Jiaze felt better upon hearing this. She gave that guy a smile.


    It was rather surprising to her that her appearance was truly inferior to that of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s.


    But what was the point in just being pretty? In terms of results, intelligence and being an all-rounder, it was obvious that she was the better option.


    For example, she was able to participate in this year¡¯s Tournament, yet Zhao Mingxi would not be able to do so no matter how hard she tries.


    ¡°Are you guys done with your drinks? If you¡¯re done, then stop talking and head back to school.¡±


    Shen Liyao tucked his phone away before standing up with a stony expression.


    He walked to the counter and raised his head to look at the menu. Then, he ordered a cup of Supreme Strawberry Cheese.


    ¡°I almost forgot to order something.¡± Kong Jiaze looked around. When she saw how everyone save for herself had ordered a drink, she thought that he was ordering the drink for her. She walked over and said in surprise, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Shen Liyao gave her a glance. ¡°It¡¯s not for you. Order your own drink.¡±


    Kong Jiaze: ¡°¡­¡±


    Kong Jiaze looked back awkwardly. Thank goodness, the guys were all discussing the information she had shared just now and paid no attention to her.


    On the other hand, Ye Bai was able to guess the reason behind Shen Liyao¡¯s actions. He stood beside Shen Liyao and whispered, ¡°Has it been almost half a month since Zhao Mingxi last came to find us?¡±


    Not only did she stop meeting them, she didn¡¯t even text or call them.


    Ye Bai didn¡¯t know if Shen Liyao had initiated a call with Zhao Mingxi before, but seeing as how Shen Liyao had no choice but to go to the library in order to look for Zhao Mingxi that day, he knew that he had probably called her. However, Zhao Mingxi had changed her number¡ª and she didn¡¯t even tell him.


    Someone who used to appear in his life frequently had suddenly disappeared.


    Setting aside how Shen Liyao felt about this, even Ye Bai himself was unused to it.


    Furthermore, was A High that big? They were in the same school, studying in the same building, eating in the same cafeteria, and their classes were right next to each other, yet they had not seen her at all.


    They didn¡¯t know if Zhao Mingxi was purposely ignoring Shen Liyao or¡­ Then again, how could there be so many coincidences? Back then, it was always Zhao Mingxi who treated Shen Liyao well.


    Shen Liyao had a cold expression on his face. He remained silent.


    Ye Bai watched as the server handed him the Supreme Strawberry Cheese drink. He spoke to him softly with the intention of consoling him, ¡°God Yao, don¡¯t overthink it. I think she¡¯s just playing hard to get. She might be trying to get your attention this way.¡±


    ¡°See, hasn¡¯t she attracted your attention already? I remember that the drink, Supreme Strawberry Cheese, was Zhao Mingxi¡¯s favorite. If you buy this for her, then it means you¡¯re admitting defeat first.¡±


    Shen Liyao glared at him. Then, he turned to stare at the drink in his hands.


    He hesitated for five seconds before tossing it in the trash.


    He never lost.


    And this time was no exception.


    *


    Meanwhile, Zhao Zhanhuai was developing a headache as the date for the birthday banquet was approaching. If he is still unable to coax Mingxi home before their mother¡¯s birthday, the truth will out.


    Zhao Yuning had failed to meet Zhao Mingxi in school for two consecutive days already. Thus, he could only get two of his friends to help him send the gift that he had specially brought to the ground floor of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s dorm.


    Before he sent the gift, Zhao Yuning initially planned to write an apology note. But with his terrible vocabulary skills, he was definitely unable to write something good, and if he asked his friends to write it for him, it would be too corny. He had never apologized like this before. Therefore, Zhao Yuning scrunched up the paper and threw it away in annoyance.


    He felt as if he had lost two kilos ever since Zhao Mingxi left home.


    Although Zhao Yuning felt unsettled, as if he was about to lose something, he was still certain that Zhao Mingxi would return before the birthday banquet¡ª This year was their mother¡¯s 50th birthday, it was impossible for her to not return, right?


    However on the next day, when he went to wait for Zhao Mingxi at the ground floor of her dorm again, he realized that the gift that he had given the lady in charge of the dorms was in the trash that was filled with dirt, its packaging unopened.

 Chapter 22.1 - (Part 1)

    Zhao Yuning could not believe his eyes.


    Does Zhao Mingxi know how long he spent on picking the gift?!


    For a moment there he was so angry that his mind was buzzing. He subconsciously took the gift out of the trash.


    The morning dew was moist to begin with, and the bottom of the trash was filled with dirty water.


    The moment the gift was taken out, it was dripping with black water. A few drops splashed on Zhao Yuning¡¯s pants.


    Quite a number of girls who had come downstairs hand-in-hand gave  him odd looks as they passed him by. They all unanimously avoided him.


    The other two guys who came along with Zhao Yuning scratched their heads. They felt a little awkward as they walked over to pat on his shoulder. ¡°What happened? She didn¡¯t even open the package. Could it be that the lady in charge of the dorms didn¡¯t actually pass it to your sister?¡±


    Zhao Yuning stared at the Kraft paper at the bottom of the box which was now soaked by the dirty waters in the trash. Even if he picked it up, it was useless. The dirty water would have completely soaked the gift.


    He sighed. Finally, he had calmed down a little. He let go, turned and ran toward the reception at the lowest floor of the dorms¡ª Yes, it must be so. It must be that the lady in charge of the dorms had not given it to Zhao Mingxi.


    He rushed there, but before he could say anything, the lady by the window raised her head and recognized him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Don¡¯t you dare ask me if I have passed the gift to that girl. I gave it to her personally the moment she came back yesterday. I even extended my shift for this!¡±


    Zhao Yuning placed his hands on the windowsill. He was in disbelief. ¡°Then why did it appear in the trash?! It hasn¡¯t even been opened yet!¡±


    ¡°She tossed it in herself! She took it from my hands, and without even glancing at it, she turned, walked down the steps and threw it away!¡±


    When the lady finished speaking, she gave Zhao Yuning a suspicious look. ¡°You¡¯re not her younger brother, right? She told me to reject everything you give her after this, regardless of what it is.¡±


    Zhao Yuning was about to pass out from anger. ¡°How can I not be her younger brother?¡±


    The lady said, ¡°If you are her younger brother, then why would she reject your things?! Get going. Don¡¯t loiter around the girls¡¯ dorms. Also, I advise you to focus on your studies¡ª¡±


    The lady took a glimpse at the nameplate on Zhao Yuning¡¯s chest. ¡°You are only in Year 1, yet you¡¯ve already learned how to pursue your seniors. How could someone in Year 3 be free enough to entertain you? Allow me, as someone who has experienced this, to tell you one thing ¨C it won¡¯t work!¡±


    Zhao Yuning, ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s heart was filled with so much anger, yet he had nowhere to vent it to.


    Aside from the frustration from being embarrassed due to his two friends seeing his gift awkwardly tossed out, there was also a sense of questionable fear and annoyance.


    He swung his arms and left.


    His two friends hurriedly chased after him. One of them said, ¡°Your elder sister sure has a bad temper. She has left home for quite a while already. I¡¯m actually wondering what has this got to do with you? Just leave it. It¡¯s fine if she wants to stay in school. She¡¯ll still have to come home during the New Year. Speaking of which, isn¡¯t it your mother¡¯s birthday soon? She¡¯ll have an excuse to come home then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one with the bad temper!¡± Zhao Yuning said in exasperation. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s going on in my family, so shut up!¡±


    It was no longer something as simple as her leaving home. Now, Zhao Mingxi wanted to sever all ties with them!


    There was never a situation when he would fail to coax Mingxi after giving her gifts and ingratiating him with her.


    This was truly the first time.


    Another guy consoled him, ¡°I, too, think you shouldn¡¯t be so anxious. Your elder sister will be fine after a while. I pick fights with my elder sister frequently too. The most extreme one was when she even bought a ticket and went overseas. But in the end, we¡¯re still a family so she stopped being angry after a while.¡±


    Zhao Yuning stopped walking. He massaged his temples, ¡°You guys don¡¯t get it. The situation in my home is really complicated. She and I¡­ are different from you and your elder sister.¡±


    Although there was nothing between him and Zhao Mingxi for many years, a lot of things happened for the past two years.


    During Zhao Mingxi¡¯s absence for the past few weeks, the images of everything that had happened for the past two years kept on appearing uncontrollably in Zhao Yuning¡¯s mind.


    His room was the closest to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s room. There were a few times when he would fall asleep on the floor in front of the sofa while in the middle of playing games. He realized that Zhao Mingxi who would go to the bathroom in the middle of the night would enter his room, drag a chair, stand on her toes and take a duvet from the top of his closet before draping it on top of him gently.


    There were two times when Zhao Yuning woke up suddenly. He would then force Zhao Mingxi to play games with him. Zhao Mingxi would be unwilling, citing that she had to go to school the next day, and he would threaten her with an angry tone, saying that he would teach her. Zhao Mingxi knew that she could not win against him, so she agreed.


    The two of them locked the door, put on their earphones, lowered the volume and played through the night with a guilty conscience.


    When the words ¡®Game Over¡¯ appeared on the flickering blue screen, the two of them would feel defeated. When they succeeded in beating the level, they would laugh softly and give each other a high five.


    Although Zhao Yuning was just 14, he knew that Zhao Mingxi was purposely ingratiating herself with him due to her hope of blending in well with them.


    He despised it at first.


    But seeing as how there was constantly no one at home as his elder brothers were busy with their careers while Zhao Yuan had to tend to her hobbies, he didn¡¯t have anyone else to play with. There was only Zhao Mingxi who had just arrived in this city, hence the both of them spent a lot of time together.


    Therefore, as the days went by, Zhao Yuning became used to playing together with Zhao Mingxi.


    Furthermore, after he turned 15, he gradually stopped following Zhao Yuan. Instead, the first thing he did when he got home was to search for Zhao Mingxi.


    He and Zhao Mingxi even picked up a stray kitten which had been curled up underneath a car at the villa¡¯s parking lot during summer last year.


    Zhao Yuan was allergic to many things like cat fur and peanuts. Thus, no pets were allowed in their home. They couldn¡¯t bring the kitten home, but they were also afraid that if they left the two-month-old kitten here, it would be burned to death by the hot summer weather.


    Therefore, the two of them bought a tent, cat food, a feeding bowl, a litter box, etc. and brought the kitten to a cooler area which was at the mountains at the back of their neighborhood.


    They took care of it for two months.


    After the summer holidays, that kitten grew up. It could run and jump; it was no longer weak and skinny.


    Zhao Mingxi was in charge of contacting a family who would want to adopt it. On the first day of school, the two of them secretly sent the cat over.


    He recalled it clearly even now. It was a very hot day. The two of them did not dare to ask their driver to drive them, hence they booked a ride. They were waiting under the hot sun.


    Back then, Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face had yet to be injured. The driver of the ride they got kept on looked at the pale and long legs below her hot pants. Although Zhao Yuning feigned a look of nonchalance, he was actually really nervous. He leaned forward and covertly blocked his view of her.


    When the four-month-old cat figured out that it was about to be sent away, it mewled loudly in the car.


    After they sent it away, both he and Zhao Mingxi felt empty. The two of them then went to have some H?agen-Dazs ice cream.


    This was his and Zhao Mingxi¡¯s little secret.


    During the period of her absence, Zhao Yuning came to realize that he really had a bad mouth. Sometimes, he would even uncontrollably lean in favor of Zhao Yuan. He always thought that that was the way he and Zhao Mingxi communicated. Since Zhao Mingxi came later, she should be okay with losing out.


    But now, Zhao Mingxi decided that it was better for her to leave with honor than to stay in disgrace. She would rather lose everything than to only have one portion.


    It was as if she wanted to cut him off completely.


    She no longer wanted anything to do with him.


    Although Zhao Yuning had a furious expression on his face, he was actually really lost.


    What was he supposed to do?


    The three of them continued walking to the Year 1 academic building. When his friends saw how miserable he looked, they gave him an idea, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your elder sister has a crush on Shen Liyao? Why not play the matchmaker? If it works, your elder sister just might make peace with you.¡±


    ¡°What the hell. What kind of bad idea is this?¡± Zhao Yuning felt that this friend of his was especially unreliable.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just ask my eldest brother about this.¡±


    Zhao Mo was currently overseas filming for his show. Furthermore, out of all of them, he was the one who despised Zhao Mingxi the most, so it was impossible to talk to him about this. As for their father, he was now on a business trip overseas. He doesn¡¯t even know that Zhao Mingxi is staying in school right now. If he finds out, he will definitely go into a fit of rage. So he is also definitely out of the question.


    Zhao Yuning could only make a call to Zhao Zhanhuai, urging him to figure out a solution as soon as possible.

 Chapter 22.2 - (Part 2)

    How could Zhao Zhanhuai not be thinking of a way to deal with this?


    After all, he had many things to do in the company, and he had people to meet. Also, Mingxi changed her number so it was impossible for him to contact her, neither did he have the time to wait for her at her dorm like Zhao Yuning did.


    Thus, he got their nanny to pack some of Mingxi¡¯s winter clothes and included a card with around a few tens of thousands of yuan in it. Then, he asked the driver to fetch the items and their nanny to Mingxi¡¯s place.


    This time, in order to prevent triggering Mingxi¡¯s scorn, he didn¡¯t ask the nanny to pass on any message. He was just worried that she would need some clothes as the days were getting colder.


    After he was done relaying his request, Zhao Zhanhuai gave it some thought and felt like something was off.


    This nanny has been working for them in their home for a long time, and could be considered a loyal worker. Everyone at home respected her, but as she took care of Zhao Yuan her whole life, her relationship with Zhao Mingxi was just so-so.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was rarely at home, but whenever he was home, he never saw Mingxi initiate a conversation with this nanny.


    If he asked the nanny to send things over, it probably won¡¯t lead to the outcome of Zhao Mingxi retracting all the sharp edges she had placed around herself.


    Thus, Zhao Zhanhuai asked his own secretary to drop by her place.


    If this happened back then, Zhao Zhanhuai may not have had the time to take care of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s emotions.


    However, she was stubbornly unwilling to come home. So Zhao Zhanhuai would naturally have to spend more of his attention on her.


    However, his results were the same as Zhao Yuning¡¯s this afternoon.


    The items were returned in the same way it was sent.


    The nanny, Zhang Yufen, had yet to realize the seriousness of the matter. She took the items and got down the car. While she was in the parking lot, she kept on complaining to Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°Miss Mingxi is a tough one to serve!¡±


    ¡°I left the items in the car and went to look for her in school. But before I could even catch a glimpse of her, I got kicked out by a boy with red hair. Has she been mingling with the wrong crowd? Why are the students around her so unreasonable?¡±


    ¡°If it was Miss Zhao Yuan, she would have definitely invited me to the dorms and poured me a glass of water.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you head back first.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai could no longer control the sour expression he had on his face. He didn¡¯t want to hear her nonsense anymore. He spoke to his secretary who had hurriedly rushed back, ¡°Move the items to my car.¡±


    The secretary took the items from the nanny¡¯s arms and opened the boot to Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s Audi.


    Before the nanny could say anything else, she got dragged away by the Zhao family¡¯s driver.


    After the both of them left, Zhao Zhanhuai looked at the things that were sent back, sealed in the same way it was sent off. He frowned and said, ¡°Forget the fact that she is mad at us, she doesn¡¯t even want these things anymore. The weather is unpredictable nowadays. Could this child be any more stubborn?¡±


    ¡°And you,¡± Zhao Zhanhuai turned to look at the secretary beside him. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to catch up to them and ask to send the items yourself?¡±


    ¡°Your family¡¯s driver drives too fast. I couldn¡¯t catch up.¡± The secretary explained. ¡°But there is one thing¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai was in an emotional turmoil. He turned and walked towards the elevator. ¡°Speak your mind.¡±


    The secretary hurriedly followed after him. He was hesitant.


    Zhao Zhanhuai gave him a side eye. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid if I say it, I might be inciting your family matters.¡± the secretary said.


    Zhao Zhanhuai raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you see something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know why, but what I saw was different from what your nanny described. When I arrived, I saw that Zhao Mingxi did come out to greet her.¡±


    The secretary took a peek at Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s expression before continuing, ¡°The two of them were at the lowest floor of the academic building. Your family¡¯s nanny pulled a long face and gave her the items in an enigmatic manner. I couldn¡¯t hear what she said clearly, but judging by her expression¡­ If it was me I wouldn¡¯t want to accept these things.¡±


    ¡°I think at some point your nanny said something along the lines of ¡®ungrateful¡¯, only then did Zhao Mingxi get annoyed and turned to leave. After that, she bumped into a few guys who had just returned from the school field. Then the incident of them kicking your nanny out of school happened¡ª Also, do you know the identity of the red-haired guy your nanny was talking about?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai stopped walking. He didn¡¯t pay attention to what his secretary said after the first sentence.


    He was always a gentle person, but at this moment his expression was borderline terrifying. ¡°Li Xiao, are you speaking the truth?¡±


    ¡°I think there were quite a few students who watched the whole thing happen. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can get some of them to come and verify it for you.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai never thought that it would be like this!


    As he was always busy with the company, he never had time to deal with the matters at home.


    It was always their mother who was in charge.


    If it wasn¡¯t because Zhao Mingxi had said to sever all ties with them and caused such a ruckus this time, and that he was afraid to let his parents know about it, he would not have gotten himself involved.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen!


    A nanny was a nanny. No matter how long she had worked for their family and they thought of her as a part of their own, she was still a nanny.


    Even if Mingxi did something wrong, what right did she have to treat Zhao Mingxi like this?


    Furthermore, Zhao Zhanhuai suddenly noticed a problem.


    Aside from this incident, has this nanny called Zhang Yufen gone against Mingxi many times and yet no one knew about it?!


    Zhao Zhanhuai was angered and frustrated. He took in a deep breath and threw his car keys to Li Xiao. Then, he turned and walked the other way.


    Li Xiao quickly caught the car keys. ¡°What are you doing? You still have a meeting to attend later.¡±


    ¡°Postpone the meeting. Drive the car. I need to go back and find out exactly what is going on.¡±


    *


    Over here, Fu Yangxi was exasperated. He rushed into the class like a powder keg, took off his jacket with a cold expression, picked up the bottle on his table and chugged a few mouthfuls of water.


    When the followers in class saw how he rushed in, they were all trembling in fear. They were afraid that if they were to even bump into him he would make them go bankrupt. The follower who was sitting at the passageway hurriedly pushed his table aside, causing the ¡®Xi ge¡¯s Special Area¡¯ to widen its horizon even more.


    Zhao Mingxi and Ke Chengwen walked in.


    The followers looked at Zhao Mingxi with hopeful eyes, hoping she could calm Fu Yangxi down.


    When faced with pairs of eyes gleaming with the hope of survival¡­


    Mingxi felt extremely pressured.


    She walked over and looked at Fu Yangxi. After a moment of hesitation, she said, ¡°Stop being angry. What is there to even be angry about? My nanny has always been like this.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was in disbelief. ¡°She squinted at you!¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Mingxi said. ¡°She has always been cross-eyed.¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°She tossed the things to you!¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°What else was she to do? Give me a fancy hand shake, twirl around and send it to me while flying?¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi added, ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve already kicked her out. So stop being angry, alright?¡±


    Although Fu Yangxi was still angry, after Mingxi¡¯s consolation and advice, his expression softened a little.


    He reached out his leg and pulled out a chair before sitting down with his arms crossed. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have my number? If something like this happens next time, just call me¡ª¡± Fu Yangxi paused. Then, he coolly added, ¡°Or Ke Chengwen.¡±


    Ke Chengwen hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, call me! I am always willing to help pretty girls! Your nanny is way too obnoxious! If something like this happens again just give me a call, I¡¯ll help you teach her a lesson!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Ke Chengwen then.¡± Mingxi felt like she shouldn¡¯t be troubling Fu Yangxi with such small matters. If those people from the Fu family find out that she got their Young Master to deal with a nanny, who knows if they might sue her for the damage to his mental health.


    She turned to look at Ke Chengwen. ¡°I don¡¯t have your number. Let me save it now.¡±


    Of course Ke Chengwen would immediately take out his phone.


    Fu Yangxi clenched his fists. He gave Ke Chengwen a cold glare.


    Ke Chengwen pretended as if he didn¡¯t see him. He happily exchanged phone numbers with Mingxi.


    Mingxi, who had taken off her mask, was so pretty. It was worth it even if he might receive a beating from Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression turned ugly again. He tossed the books around and disturbed them. ¡°Are you guys done exchanging numbers? Class has begun! Can you at least obey the rules?¡±


    As Mingxi wasn¡¯t exactly afraid of him right now, she looked up at the clock hanging on top of the blackboard. She was confused. ¡°There¡¯s still another five minutes.¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Once Mingxi was done exchanging numbers, she sat down, took out today¡¯s desserts from her drawer and gave it to him. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Fu Yangxi wasn¡¯t really appeased with this. He gave Zhao Mingxi a chilly look. ¡°You only made one portion today, right?¡±


    Mingxi nodded obediently. ¡°Yep, just one.¡±


    Yesterday, she saw that she had a lot of ingredients, so she made three portions and gave the other two to Ke Chengwen and another follower who had helped her two days ago. Fu Yangxi gave her a look which was so full of envy and didn¡¯t even pay any attention to her for the whole day. His lack of attention caused her luck to grow at a snail¡¯s pace. Thus, Mingxi only made one portion today.


    Only then did Fu Yangxi look slightly better. He accepted it, took off the lid and was about to begin eating with a small spoon.


    When Ke Chengwen and the other followers behind them smelled the sweet scent of desserts, they swallowed their saliva in jealousy.


    Fu Yangxi had two bites before feeling a little dissatisfied. He contemplated for a moment. Suddenly, as if he was struck by some sort of idea, he stood up abruptly with the container.


    Mingxi: ?


    Then, she watched as he took the desserts and left his seat. While placing a spoonful of hazelnut cream into his mouth, he walked across the passageway, taking slow steps in a circle.


    He spoke confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t move, everyone. I¡¯m in charge of cleaning duties today, so let me look around to check on our class¡¯ cleanliness.¡±


    The whole class: Go away!!


    That smells so f*cking good! We¡¯re so hungry!!


    Mingxi: ¡­


    Who was the one who said to obey the rules just now?


    Fu Yangxi was satisfied. He walked back with his head held high.


    Mingxi scooted over to give him some space, allowing him to get into his seat.


    Mingxi looked at the dessert in his hands and asked, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    The cream of the desert in Fu Yangxi¡¯s hands was about to be licked clean by him. He focused hard on the transparent container, twisting the small spoon in order to scrape off the last bit. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s so-so.¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to smile.


    Mingxi used her left hand to support her head as she leaned on the table. For the first time ever, she was focusing on his features.


    Although Fu Yangxi has always had that arrogant and odd-looking mop of red hair, one could easily observe from the way it was pressed down in certain places that he lacked sleep or that he didn¡¯t sleep at all. If he had slept for a short while, the short wisps of hair around his forehead would curl upwards while there would be signs of his hair being slept on from the back. However, Mingxi noticed that there was no such sign of Fu Yangxi having slept last night¡ª Had he not slept at all yesterday?


    But Mingxi didn¡¯t know if she had the right to ask about this based on their current relationship.


    Just as class was about to start, Mingxi gave it some thought and still could not help but to ask, ¡°Why were you angrier than I was just now when we were downstairs? Could it be that you¡­¡±


    Before Mingxi could finish her question, Fu Yangxi went stiff with the small spoon in his hand.


    As if he had heard a joke that was so out of this world, he let out a huff and said coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. I don¡¯t know and I didn¡¯t! The reason why I was so angry was because you are my follower, and you were bullied right in front of my eyes. Got it?¡±


    Mingxi contemplated his answer. Fu Yangxi seemed to treat Ke Chengwen the same. So long as he had accepted you as his follower, he would stand up for you.


    Oh no, I think I¡¯m kind of touched.


    After such a long time of hard work, was she finally going to be accepted as his follower?


    ¡°Then, since when have you¡­¡± Mingxi wanted to ask Fu Yangxi since when did he treat her as his follower. Did their gang not have any rituals to perform before an acceptance? Did she not need to give them her blood to form a pact or something before joining their ranks?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart was about to beat out of his chest. He hurriedly cut her off, ¡°What do you mean ¡®when¡¯? I already said no, I haven¡¯t li¡ª¡±


    He suddenly stopped.


    His body went stiff.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Fu Yangxi changed the subject awkwardly, ¡°Laundry. I haven¡¯t done my laundry.¡±


    Mingxi asked again, ¡°What?¡±


    Mingxi wanted to continue asking, but Fu Yangxi used a book to cover his face and pushed her face lightly to the side. His pale neck was flushed red. ¡°Why are you asking such things when class is about to start? Little Mask, you¡¯ve been talking a lot ever since you took off your mask.¡±


    ¡°What in the world is a Little Mask?¡± While Fu Yangxi was not paying attention to her, Mingxi took the opportunity to look at him in disdain, as if asking ¡®what exactly is running through your head all day?¡¯.


    If she didn¡¯t do it now, when this overlord looks over, she will have the courage to do so anymore.


    Ke Chengwen who was sitting in the row behind them stretched his head out like a tortoise out of its shell. He whispered, ¡°That¡¯s the nickname Xi ge got you. All his followers have a nickname.¡±


    Mingxi, ¡°¡­¡± What kind of an ugly name is this?


    Fine.*


    *This was already written in English.


    Although it was ugly, she didn¡¯t mind it.


    ¡°Then what do I call Fu Yangxi? Xi ge?¡±


    Just as Ke Chengwen was about to speak, Fu Yangxi¡¯s voice cut in from behind the book, ¡°You can make one for me.¡±


    ¡°Make one for you?¡± Mingxi pointed at her own nose in disbelief.


    Was her position ranked so high in this gang?!


    Had he taken her as his left guard?!


    What was she, that she could make a name for the Boss?!


    But since things have come to this, she took a glance at Fu Yangxi¡¯s red hair and said casually, ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Red Fu.¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 23.1 - (Part 1)

    The first thing Zhao Zhanhuai did when he got home was to call his mother to the study room and briefly explain the situation to her.


    His mother was skeptical. ¡°Auntie Zhang has been working for us for so many years. She has always been an obedient one. Mingxi has only been in our home for two years, what could she possibly have against her? Was your secretary mistaken?¡±


    When Zhao Zhanhuai recalled how firm Mingxi was when she threw away the photograph, a gush of courage emerged and he said to his mother, ¡°Then let¡¯s get everyone to testify their version of events.¡±


    Aside from the nanny Auntie Zhang, there was another hourly maid, a chef, a driver and a gardener working in the Zhao family villa.


    Zhang Yufen had no idea that the first thing Zhao Zhanhuai did when he got home was to call Madam Zhao to the study room. Then, he ordered everyone aside from herself to go to the study room as well.


    She only knew that after these people came out, they all could not help but to look at her.


    ¡°What happened?¡± For some reason, Zhang Yufen felt a sense of foreboding.


    Everyone avoided her.


    The hourly maid whom she never really had a great relationship with looked at her with an odd gleam in her eyes. She said, ¡°I hope you sought enough blessings for yourself.¡±


    As Zhao Mingxi only got here two years ago, the Zhao family¡¯s explanation to them was that due to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s poor health, she was always living in the countryside. Now that she is 15 years old, they feel like it was about time she came home.


    No one thought much of it. After all, they only started to work here a few years ago, so they had no say in the Zhao family¡¯s internal affairs.


    However, Zhang Yufen was different from them. Zhang Yufen has been in the Zhao family for years. She was a long-time worker. She often flaunted her seniority and advantage of having taken care of Zhao Yuan for many years.


    When she saw how the Zhao family had to share half the attention they used to spend on Zhao Yuan on Zhao Mingxi, Zhang Yufen often felt unjust on behalf of Zhao Yuan.


    Nonetheless, she never did anything extreme save for the few times she gave her the cold eye and said a few passive aggressive words.


    There was one time when Zhao Mingxi wanted to talk about this, but as she could not produce any evidence of Zhang Yufen treating her badly, she could only let it slide.


    As for the other workers, they all felt that Zhang Yufen was a senior, hence there was no need for them to go against her. Therefore it was impossible for them to report this to the Zhao family.


    Furthermore, none of the members of the Zhao family noticed anything amiss.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that this was what Zhao Zhanhuai purposely came home to ask about?


    Zhang Yufen immediately understood what was going on, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. She even said to that hourly maid, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Even if they know that I don¡¯t treat Miss Mingxi well, what will they do? There¡¯s no way they would fire me just because of such a small matter, right? At most they would only give me a short lecture.¡±


    The hourly maid gave her a dissatisfied look before knocking on the door to the study room and entering.


    Although she disliked her, she felt like she made a fair point.


    It was just her attitude problem. Zhang Yufen has been working in the Zhao family home for so many years, everyone in the Zhao family respected her, so there was no way that just because of this small matter¡­


    In the end, before she could finish her thought, Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s raised voice could be heard from the study room, ¡°Small matter? How is the matter of you, a nanny, exceeding your limits a small matter?! Did you know that just because of your ¡®small matters¡¯, Mingxi¡ª¡±


    In the study room, Madam Zhao exclaimed, ¡°What happened to Mingxi?!¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai was frustrated. He did not dare to tell her about the fact that Zhao Mingxi wanted to sever all ties with them. Instead he said, ¡°Because of these things, Mingxi left home.¡±


    His mother found this suspicious. ¡°Mingxi has left home many times. Didn¡¯t you see her recently and said that she was going to return on my birthday? Why are you suddenly so angry today?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai did not know how to explain himself. He could only glare at Zhang Yufen who was trembling in fear. ¡°Fine. Take your salary and leave.¡±


    With regards to how he was to convince Mingxi to come home, Zhao Zhanhuai had no idea. If he were to send things over, he would appear insincere. But if he were to fire Zhang Yufen, Mingxi just might come home before the birthday banquet. Then his family¡¯s stability can still be saved.


    Zhang Yufen¡¯s head went into a buzz. She was in disbelief. Her face went pale as her jaw dropped.


    Madam Zhao stood up in confusion as well. ¡°Why can¡¯t she just apologize to Mingxi? Why must you kick her out? She¡¯s already almost fifty years old. Where else can she find work?¡±


    When the people outside heard what was going on in the study room, they all looked at each other in shock.


    What happened to Zhao Zhanhuai today? He was usually such a gentle person. Why was he firing people so suddenly?


    *


    While things were getting more intense on Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s side¡­


    Mingxi was called out by the International Class¡¯ homeroom teacher.


    Mingxi initially thought that their teacher was going to scold her for chatting even though it was minutes before class was about to start, but what the teacher was actually concerned about was whether she was struggling with her studies ever since she transferred here from the Normal Class.


    Their teacher Mr. Lu said with a smile, ¡°Mingxi, the October monthly exam will be held tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. If you feel like it will be too hard for you, you can excuse yourself from it with the reason being your failure to catch up with our syllabus.¡±


    Mingxi was a little confused. Why did their teacher sound as if he didn¡¯t want her to take part in this month¡¯s exams?


    The teacher avoided her gaze. He took a sip of his tea and said in a muffled and sad tone, ¡°Truth is, the average mark of the International Class has always been much lower than the other two classes¡¯, and the greater the gap, the more embarrassed I am¡ª So do you want to take part from November onwards? When it comes to transfers, the school will allow a one-time exemption.¡±


    Mingxi instantly understood his words.


    In A High, these three classes were independent from the Normal Classes. Their learning speed was a few times faster.


    Aside from the Gold Medal Class who takes part in the National Competition every year and the Evergreen Class which was ever growing in terms of their results, even the syllabus of the International Class was greatly ahead of Normal Classes¡¯.


    It could be said that the 20 over Normal Classes could not be compared to these three classes.


    Their exam papers were different as well.


    And Mingxi¡¯s results were always slightly below average among the Normal Classes.


    The only time she got good results was when she accidentally came in 3rd place.


    However, even if she had the best results among the Normal Classes, she would still be considered below average in these three classes.


    In other words, Mingxi was not qualified for this exam.


    Their class already had someone like Fu Yangxi who would obtain great results when he was in a good mood and would simply fill in the blanks when he was in a bad mood. He would constantly make their class¡¯ average go up and down like a roller coaster.


    If someone from the Normal Class came over, would it not just pull down their average even further?


    Although their homeroom teacher was feeling anxious about it, he did not show it.


    Mingxi did not know how to tell her teacher that she had been ¡®debuffed¡¯ during her previous exams, and now that she had absorbed Fu Yangxi¡¯s luck and obtained 66 tiny buds, these ¡®debuff¡¯ would no longer influence her when it came to the exams.


    With her standards, it was impossible for her to be ranked last in the International Class!


    She could only pretend not to understand his words. ¡°But teacher, I really want to take this exam. I¡¯ve already caught up to the syllabus, and I want to see what level I am at right now.¡±


    The teacher was a little impatient. ¡°The main point is that our International Class is always in the last place¡­¡±


    Mingxi cut him off, ¡°What is the total number of students in these three classes? 150, right? What if I can get into the Top 20 for this month¡¯s exam? Then there won¡¯t be the possibility of me pulling down our average marks, right?¡±


    The teacher looked at her with his jaw dropped. He must be feeling like she was a little too overconfident with her abilities.


    Young girls sure like to dream.


    What kind of people made up the Top 20? Shen Liyao and his competition team already took 6 spots. As for the rest, they were all from the Gold Medal Class and Evergreen Class. None of them from the International Class has ever made it into the Top 20.


    Seeing as how his attempts to persuade Mingxi was futile, their teacher could only let her go.


    Nonetheless, he was now even more depressed when he thought about the upcoming monthly exams.


    Due to this matter, Mingxi had a heavier load on her shoulders. She had to obtain great results for this monthly exam, or at least to a point where she would not pull down the average scores for their class.


    When she returned to class, she spent her whole afternoon break on doing test papers.


    Fu Yangxi knew that she took her exams seriously, hence he did not bother her. When afternoon rolled around, he lied and said that his hands slipped so he accidentally got another meal, but it was only for her.


    Mingxi finished a paper with lightning speed. After she was done eating, she placed the empty container aside. She didn¡¯t even notice that in order to avoid walking out from behind her, Fu Yangxi had jumped out the window to throw away the container.


    The whole class watched this scene unfold in shock.


    Mingxi continued to do test papers until the next afternoon when Mr. Yang from the Literary Center came to find her during the second period. He asked if she was willing to be the host for the upcoming Annual School Celebration.


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, but you¡¯re really popular right now.¡± Mr. Yang smiled and blinked as he spoke, ¡°But we have yet to decide on the host, so why not sign yourself up? I strongly recommend you to do it.¡±


    After Mr. Yang left, Mingxi opened up the forum to take a look. Only then did she realize that after that incident with E Xiaoxia, she had become this year¡¯s School Beauty.


    Previously, be it the Annual School Celebration or New Year¡¯s Day, such festivities were usually hosted by Zhao Yuan or another guy who was well-versed in hosting and performing.


    But for this year, it might be because she was fresh meat that she obtained many cheers of confidence by the crowd.


    Nonetheless, there were people questioning this in the forum: ¡°Hasn¡¯t she already stolen Zhao Yuan¡¯s title of School Beauty? And now she wants to take away Zhao Yuan¡¯s right to become the host?¡±


    ¡°Besides, our school¡¯s annual celebration will be broadcasted on TV! Aside from looks, should we not get someone who has good results too? The results of a simpleton from the Normal Class surely can¡¯t compete with our previous School Beauty¡¯s, right?¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t long before someone from the Normal Class rebutted: ¡°The exams for the Normal Classes and those three classes were never the same, so that means that these two School Beauties have never competed on an equal platform. Who gave you the courage to claim that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results are not as good as Zhao Yuan¡¯s? At least she had gotten into the Top 3 among the Normal Classes.¡±


    The students from those three classes always felt like they were above the rest. So immediately someone commented: ¡°With your Normal Class exams that are so easy that I can use my toes to score full marks? What is so hard about getting in Top 3? I can do it even with my eyes closed.¡±


    Then an argument broke out.


    Finally, someone made a firm note: ¡°What¡¯s the point in arguing? Isn¡¯t the October monthly exam coming up? We¡¯ll just wait and see their results.¡±


    Mingxi was shocked. What the heck is going on?


    Whoever wants to be the host, go ahead and do it! She never said that she wanted to steal that spot from Zhao Yuan!


    But she had no choice but to participate in the October monthly exam.


    Someone even called her a simpleton. She wanted to see who was the true simpleton.


    Mingxi pulled up her sleeves and returned to class to continue doing the test papers.


    *


    While Zhao Mingxi had no intention whatsoever to become the host, the people from the Evergreen Class were becoming unsettled.


    Previously it was always someone who was from their class who became the host. So why was it that this year a lot of people in the forum were leaning towards the International Class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi?


    ¡°Is Zhao Mingxi even qualified for the job? Can you all not just look at her visuals?¡± When Pu Shuang saw Zhao Yuan resting her head on the table, she could not help but to stand up for her. In just a few days¡¯ time, Zhao Mingxi had taken everything away from her. She was about to lose her title as host that she had for the past two years as well.


    A guy said, ¡°She is really beautiful.¡±


    Pu Shuang spoke in disdain, ¡°You boys only know how to look at someone¡¯s face. What else does she have aside from her appearance?! Those who came from the Normal Class will only be ranked last in our class! Moreover, Zhao Mingxi had only obtained good results once. Other than that, her results were always below average! As for Yuanyuan, she has constantly been representing us in the Top 20 among the three classes. Wouldn¡¯t these glorious results be more of a positive impact on society if she is the host?¡±


    As the guys could not think of a better argument, they all agreed. ¡°It is true that mere beauty without wits is a little lacking.¡±


    Zhao Yuan lost to Zhao Mingxi in the School Beauty Contest.


    Zhao Yuan initially thought that she could ignore it. After all, she had the love of her family, good results, intelligence, and she knew how to play piano and dance ballet.


    But this was a really odd feeling¡ª When she saw those IDs who used to talk about her frequently now change to talk about the International Class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi, she felt a slight sense of envy.


    On the one hand, she told herself that this was just temporary. These people wanted something fresh. They will surely re-focus their attention on her later.


    On the other hand, she could not help but to open up the posts about Zhao Mingxi. She searched for the keywords ¡®Zhao Mingxi¡¯ and ¡®zmx¡¯, and like an addict, she tried to focus on the flaws in her photos. Then she would tell herself that she had nothing to worry about.


    Zhao Yun also felt that she could not maintain such a mindset. Just because she lost once doesn¡¯t mean that she will continue losing.


    It won¡¯t be long before she will be able to win over her in other areas.


    She regained her composure and began to prepare for the October monthly exam.


    Just like what those people said, this was the first time that she and Zhao Mingxi were taking the same exam.


    ¡­


    *


    The exam days were here.


    On the day of the exam, during their morning self-study period, their homeroom teacher Mr. Lu was observing them from outside the class. He noticed that although Zhao Mingxi was from the Normal Class, she was focused and hard-working. With just these qualities, it was enough to leave a good impression on Mr. Lu. He even felt bad about how he persuaded her not to take the exams yesterday afternoon.


    But a good impression was one thing. When Mr. Lu thought about how the average results were going to drop, he felt an itch on his scalp and a pain in his chest.


    Mingxi¡¯s ultimate goal was to escape her fate as the unlucky side character and get into the best university she could possibly get into. Without the Zhao family, she was still the Zhao Mingxi who came out of a small Northern town, so she could only rely on a good university to change her fate.


    Although an ordinary October monthly exam was a small thing, she still had to try her best.


    She kept on doing test papers, and by the time she noticed her surroundings, it was already the moment before the exam papers were to be distributed. The invigilators were asking the students to shift the position of the tables.


    This was Mingxi¡¯s first exam after being reborn.


    She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t nervous.


    She looked at the 66 frail buds in her flower pot and turned to Fu Yangxi who had his head full of red hair leaned against his hand as he flipped carelessly through a book, his eyes unfocused as he looked at her. She said, ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    When she looked over, Fu Yangxi immediately retracted his gaze.


    Only after he heard her speak did he pretend to have just seen her.


    ¡°So?¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart was beating faster because of her. He took off his noise-cancelling headphones. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just an October monthly exam? Since you¡¯re my follower, no one will say anything if you don¡¯t do well.¡±


    Mingxi put out her hand with her palms up and looked at him.


    Fu Yangxi: ?


    Mingxi said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be frank. Can you let me hold your hand for a couple of minutes?¡±


    F*ck.


    Fu Yangxi almost fell out of his chair.


    Mingxi immediately placed her hands in front of him. Her hands were thin and as pale as jade.


    Fu Yangxi looked at her hand, then raised his gaze to look at her before his face flushed red.


    If she wanted to hold hands she could have just said so. Why pull the whole ¡®I¡¯m nervous¡¯ or ¡®I need you to give me courage¡¯ as an excuse?


    He wondered if Zhao Mingxi had read one too many romance novels.


    ¡°Right here?¡± Fu Yangxi pulled a long face as he slowly sat straight, acting as if he didn¡¯t want to hold hands at all.


    There are so many people in class. There is no snow, nor is there any rain.


    What an unromantic setting for their first time holding hands.


    ¡°Quick.¡± Mingxi was getting impatient. There was only around 15 minutes before the exam was about to start.


    ¡°What are you in a rush for?¡± Her anxiousness made Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart skip a beat. He offered her his hand with an unwilling fa?ade. Fu Yangxi turned his head to face Ke Chengwen, and pulled on an expression that said ¡®what the f*ck am I supposed to do when she¡¯s so clingy?¡¯.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­


    To his surprise, the moment he reached one hand out, both his hands were held tightly in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s haste.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡­!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi spent the whole 15 minutes in a daze. Aside from that one time when Zhao Mingxi was applying medicine on him, this was the first time he ever held hands with a girl.


    And it was the kind where their hands were tightly held together.


    His thoughts were everywhere, yet he refused to think about his hands.


    Although he felt like his relationship with Zhao Mingxi ought to have progressed to this stage, isn¡¯t she a little too thoughtless about this?!


    Suddenly they were holding hands before the exam!


    At that moment, a familiar figure appeared outside their class. Fu Yangxi instinctively took a glance. He recognized him. He had seen him before at the library, someone called Shen something Yao.


    Just as he noticed this guy, the bell signaling the start of the exams rang. That guy rushed to the Gold Medal Class while Zhao Mingxi pulled her hand away and said, ¡°The exams are starting. Good luck.¡±


    The product of holding hands for 15 minutes was the instant growth of 10 tiny buds! Mingxi felt slightly more confident in her exams!


    ¡ªThat¡¯s it?


    Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi in shock. Shouldn¡¯t she be writing about their first time holding hands in her diary? Why is she so nonchalant about this? She was as casual as how she confessed that day at the library. She couldn¡¯t even confess with proper words! How was he to accept her confession then?


    Fu Yangxi stared at Zhao Mingxi. He kept on staring until the invigilator at the podium had no choice but to cough and walk over to him in order to block his line of sight. ¡°Focus on your exams.¡±


    Only then did Fu Yangxi retract his gaze.


    After a while, when the invigilator left, Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but to look at her again.


    But this time, he was focused on the speed at which Zhao Mingxi was answering the exam paper.


    What the hell? Is she writing blindly? Why is she writing so fast? Didn¡¯t she transfer here from the Normal Class?

 Chapter 23.2 - (Part 2)

    Zhao Zhanhuai directly ignored his mother¡¯s shock and disapproval. After firing Zhang Yufen, he planned to pay a proper visit to Zhao Mingxi again.


    And this time, they will have a proper conversation.


    As they were only a week away from the birthday banquet, he was hard-pressed on bringing her back.


    When he heard that they were having their exams, Zhao Zhanhuai even purposely waited for another two days. Two days later, in the afternoon when they were done with their exams, he got his secretary to drive the car and come along with him to bring the clothes which the nanny brought home back to A High.


    He didn¡¯t look for Zhao Mingxi at the International Class this time. He knew the reality of what would happen. If he did the same thing he did previously, he might not even be able to get in a few words before Mingxi would turn and go back to class. He wouldn¡¯t be able to make any progress then.


    He wanted to look for Zhao Mingxi¡¯s dean and homeroom teacher first so that they could ask Zhao Mingxi to come over. Then, he would ask them to give him and Zhao Mingxi some time to talk.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was having a headache about this matter as well. This was the first time that he, as a 25-year-old man, had to deal with the issue of a rebellious teenager.


    Furthermore, he had only attended Zhao Yuan¡¯s Parent Teacher Meeting once when she was in her First Year. He had never done so for Mingxi¡ª Thus, after parking the car outside and entering the school, he was like a blind man as he did not know where to find the dean and Mingxi¡¯s homeroom teacher.


    The exams have just ended so they can¡¯t be in the office, right?


    Just as Zhao Zhanhuai was tossing his car keys to the secretary so that he could park the car, he suddenly saw a familiar figure coming out from the convenience store.


    That girl had some snacks in her arms. When she saw him, she exclaimed, ¡°Zhanhuai ge!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai replied, ¡°You are?¡±


    That girl walked over to him. ¡°I am Pu Shuang. I¡¯m Yuanyuan¡¯s close friend. I¡¯ve been to your house before, but you just got back from work and went straight to the study room that day so you might not have noticed me,¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai nodded. ¡°I see. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Not only was Zhao Zhanhuai handsome, he was also young. With his neat and chipper black and white suit, everyone in school who passed by them would spare him another glance.


    And they would look at Pu Shuang as well.


    Pu Shuang could feel the heat rushing to her face. She asked, ¡°Did you come here to look for Yuanyuan?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai shook his head. He then thought about how Pu Shuang and Zhao Yuan were from the same class, and since the Evergreen Class and International Class are in the same academic building, they should have the same dean. Thus, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m looking for your dean. Do you know where he might be right now?¡±


    As Zhao Zhanhuai was extremely handsome, Pu Shuang couldn¡¯t help but to ask again, ¡°What¡¯s your business with our dean?¡±


    But Zhao Zhanhuai just said, ¡°Just tell me where he is. If you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask around.¡±


    Pu Shuang looked behind him and saw his secretary carrying a bunch of things while standing afar by the car.


    Those things looked like presents.


    Could it be that he got these presents for their dean as well as their homeroom teacher, and that he plans to invite them for Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthday banquet? That¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t say anything to her?


    When Pu Shuang realized this, she was even more jealous of Zhao Yuan. Her elder brother was so handsome and absolutely spoiled her. He was even so detail-oriented to the point where he would give her teachers presents on her behalf.


    No wonder the dean and their homeroom teacher would always pay more attention to Zhao Yuan.


    Pu Shuang offered joyfully, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai entered the dean¡¯s office.


    Then, Pu Shuang left.


    When she left the dean¡¯s office, she coincidentally bumped into Zhao Yuan who had just come out of the piano room. She went over and looped her arm around hers. ¡°Guess who paid a visit to our school?¡±


    Zhao Yuan asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Your eldest brother.¡± Pu Shuang smiled as she leaned in to whisper into Zhao Yuan¡¯s ear. ¡°His secretary was carrying a bunch of things while he went to visit the dean and our homeroom teacher. My guess is that he came here for your birthday banquet. After all, we¡¯re already in Year 3. He would want the teachers to take extra care of you, hence he secretly came over to give them some gifts.¡±


    Zhao Yuan looked towards the dean¡¯s office. A blush formed on her cheeks.


    Her whole family spoiled her, especially her second eldest brother Zhao Mo who was the most protective of her. But for some reason, she was always especially attracted to her eldest brother Zhao Zhanhuai.


    Maybe it was because of how gentle he was in everything he did.


    When she was young, she liked to stick around her eldest brother. But as she grew older and found out that she was not the biological daughter of the Zhao family, she was initially sad and nervous. Then when she looked at Zhao Zhanhuai, a sense of anticipation and happiness appeared in her heart.


    There was a vague feeling of a crush forming in Zhao Yuan¡¯s heart, but she could not put a finger on what that feeling was just yet.


    Nonetheless, it was an undisputed fact that her eldest brother treated her very well.


    The slight dissatisfaction she felt from when her eldest brother failed to console her when he came home that day disappeared instantly. She assumed that he must have been bothered by something in the company, hence he was in a bad mood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to hotpot today.¡± Zhao Yuan said happily, ¡°Then when we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll get my eldest brother to fetch us home.¡±


    Pu Shuang was extremely jealous. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re a princess. You¡¯re so lucky.¡±


    While the two of them were chatting as they walked downstairs, they saw Zhao Mingxi who was walking upstairs.


    They met right at the stairway.


    When Pu Shuang saw Zhao Mingxi, she purposely raised her voice. ¡°Yuanyuan, your eldest brother came looking for you in school again. He even got you so many gifts. He treats you so well!¡±


    Zhao Mingxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    So what was she supposed to do? Cooperate and feign a look of envy?


    Zhao Yuan hurriedly covered Pu Shuang¡¯s mouth. She nodded at Mingxi, then ran away with Pu Shuang in laughter.


    Mingxi continued upstairs, wondering what business the dean has with her.


    *


    Meanwhile, in the dean¡¯s office.


    Normal Class 6¡¯s homeroom teacher was a little slow in collecting the exam papers, so when he sent the papers to the dean¡¯s office, he coincidentally bumped into Zhao Zhanhuai who was waiting for the dean.


    He unconsciously looked toward Zhao Zhanhuai. In that instant, the wheels in his mind started to run. He felt as if he was really familiar. He looked like someone he used to teach¡­ Zhao Mingxi¡¯s guardian?


    When Zhao Zhanhuai saw this middle-aged man staring at him through his spectacles, he immediately got up and offered to shake his hand. ¡°Hello. You are¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I am Normal Class 6¡¯s homeroom teacher, Li Yong.¡± The teacher did not accept his hand shake. He even tossed the test papers on the table before saying, ¡°Have you come to school to pick up your other sister again?¡±


    ¡°Are you Mingxi¡¯s ex-homeroom teacher?¡± Although Zhao Zhanhuai had no idea why this homeroom teacher was suddenly so hostile towards him, he still maintained a respectful attitude and explained, ¡°I¡¯m here for Mingxi today, not for Yuanyuan.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± The teacher snorted. ¡°How rare of you to look for her. Last year when she got gastroenteritis in the middle of an exam, no one from her family came. I even had to get two students from my class to send her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°She never told us about it!¡± Zhao Zhanhuai was exasperated. He had no idea that Zhao Mingxi had gastroenteritis. He went through his memories once more and affirmed himself, ¡°She never told any of us!¡±


    ¡°Of course she would never tell you about it! What¡¯s the point in telling you?¡± The teacher looked down at him. ¡°No one from your family has ever attended her Parent Teacher Meeting! I even went out of my way to ask about this last year. Why was it that Zhao Yuan from the Evergreen Class had family members over but our Mingxi had no one? I wanted to ask what the hell were you guys thinking, but the next thing I saw was you leaving in the car with your other sister!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt a sharp stab in his heart.


    It was true that he attended Zhao Yuan¡¯s Parent Teacher Meeting. Then he got their mother to attend Mingxi¡¯s. However, their mother was so busy with playing with her friends that day that she forgot about it, hence her absence.


    ¡°My mother forgot about it.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai could only apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But this was just one occasion, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®just one occasion¡¯? Do you think it was just one occasion?¡± The teacher had to stop himself before he threw the papers in Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s face. ¡°There was a period of time when such a hardworking student like Zhao Mingxi would fall asleep in class. I asked her about it a few times. I even gave her a good scolding before she confessed that it was because she was busy cooking all day that she didn¡¯t have time to do her homework, hence she had to burn the midnight oil to complete them and ultimately caused her to fall asleep in class¡ª Aren¡¯t you guys from a wealthy family? Since you can drive cars worth a few hundred thousand yuan, why must you get Zhao Mingxi to cook for you everyday?! She has such a heavy workload as a Year 2 student. Do you not want her to get into university?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai was shocked. ¡°Mingxi gets sleepy in class¡­?¡±


    He never thought of this.


    He thought that Mingxi was happy whenever she made dinner for them. She was good at cooking, and she wanted to ingratiate herself with the family.


    But he never thought about the impact of this matter on Mingxi.


    While the first thing Zhao Yuning and Zhao Yuan did when they got home was to do their homework, she was in the kitchen dunking her hands in water with that nanny who treated her poorly.


    She was human too. Of course she would be sleepy.


    When she first arrived at their home, she was only 15 years old; still a skinny little girl who did not dare to even raise her head.


    He did tell her back then that she did not need to make dinner for them.


    But Zhao Yuning was an immature child. He only wanted to eat what Zhao Mingxi cooked.


    Thus, Mingxi told him with her eyes gleaming, ¡°It¡¯s alright, da ge*. It won¡¯t take me long anyway.¡±


    *da ge = eldest brother


    As Zhao Zhanhuai was still not that close to Mingxi and their relationship was still in an awkward phase, he could only let her be.


    But if it was Zhao Yuan¡ª


    Zhao Zhanhuai could not imagine how their family would allow Zhao Yuan to use her hands which were used to play piano to wash vegetables instead.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s heart clenched painfully.


    ¡°She¡¯s not made out of metal. How could she not be sleepy?¡± The teacher snorted coldly.


    He always thought that Mingxi had a lot of natural talent. He could see through her answers that she was a bright student, but for some reason she would always be either sick or inconvenienced during her exams, hence she had never taken a proper exam before.


    This made him wonder if it was because Mingxi lacked certain vitamins in her body¡ª But the Zhao family was so rich, how could they raise a child who lacked vitamins?


    He bought vitamins and supplements for Mingxi and insisted that she eat them everyday. After Mingxi gave him the money and thanked him, he couldn¡¯t help but to look at the Evergreen Class¡¯ Zhao Yuan to see how she was doing. In the end, all he saw was a completely different and confident child who was raised with love.


    His heart ached even though he was just her homeroom teacher.


    Therefore, he naturally held a grudge against the Zhao family.


    ¡°When she scraped her knee during Sports Day last year, no one from her family came either,¡± the teacher continued to complain. ¡°Later on her face got injured and she fell back in her studies. When I heard that she was staying in school, I was happy on her behalf. Now that she didn¡¯t have to make dinner anymore, can you imagine how much more time she would have to study?!¡±


    ¡°It is not enough to provide mere financial support when it comes to a child¡¯s growth. Will you treat your other sister this poorly?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt a sharp prick in his heart.


    The teacher¡¯s words were like a sharp knife, stabbing him in the chest repeatedly.


    No¡ª


    Because Zhao Yuan will speak her mind. She was raised in a honey pot and taught to be innocent and ignorant. Whenever she needs something, she will say it.


    But Mingxi won¡¯t do the same. She was raised in an entirely different circumstance, and was used to bearing her own burdens.


    Yet their family used the same method to treat two children with completely different personalities.


    Were they too arrogant, or were they simply lacking in love?


    They were supposed to treat Mingxi with more care, but they failed to do so.


    Zhao Zhanhuai used to think that he merely missed the first 15 years of his sister¡¯s life. But now he realized that he had missed these two years as well.


    The teacher plainly disliked him. He turned to leave, but before he went off, he said in a tone full of distrust, ¡°Don¡¯t touch the sealed exam papers.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt dejected.


    That teacher made one correct point. If their family did their job, why would Mingxi have to ingratiate herself with them? Is it not them who owes Mingxi?


    Zhao Zhanhuai suddenly felt that Mingxi¡¯s decision to stay in school was the right choice. If she was only going to receive such poor treatment at home, she might as well move out and live on her own.


    At this moment, Zhao Zhanhuai felt extremely uncomfortable. He desperately wants to see Mingxi.


    He still remembered that time when he first took her to school to deal with the transferring procedure, how Mingxi¡¯s eyes gleamed with the liveliness and anticipation of a young girl.


    It wasn¡¯t until the door behind him was opened that Zhao Zhanhuai came back to his senses.


    When Mingxi saw him, she immediately looked around the dean¡¯s office. When she noticed that there was just Zhao Zhanhuai there, she instantly frowned, realizing that it was probably Zhao Zhanhuai who asked the dean to summon her here.


    Mingxi turned to leave.


    But this time, Zhao Zhanhuai didn¡¯t know how to treat her.


    As compared to the arrogance he had during his previous visits, this time, Zhao Zhanhuai realized that their home was probably a torturous hell for Mingxi. If he was truly thinking for her, the thing he ought to do would not be to force her to go home.


    ¡°Mingxi,¡± Zhao Zhanhuai took a deep breath and called out to her. ¡°I came here this time to tell you that if you don¡¯t want to come home, it¡¯s fine. But I hope I will still be your brother, and if you ever need anything, I will help you.¡±


    When he saw how Zhao Mingxi paid no mind to him and continued to walk downstairs, Zhao Zhanhuai felt immense guilt in his heart and hurried after her. He placed a card in her hands and said, ¡°This is my supplementary card. Go ahead and use it. I won¡¯t tell anyone from our family. It¡¯ll be our secret.¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t figure out Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s intentions.


    She said, ¡°Supplementary card? How much can I use? Lies. What if I use up everything in it? Don¡¯t you like Zhao Yuan? Aren¡¯t you saving this for your wedding with her? When the time comes, do I have to use this money to wish the both of you an everlasting marriage?¡±


    When she saw how shocked Zhao Zhanhuai was at the end of her rant, Mingxi realized something. Oh crap, I don¡¯t think Zhao Zhanhuai is in love with Zhao Yuan yet.


    It was a slip of the tongue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this.¡± Mingxi tossed the card back to Zhao Zhanhuai.


    ¡°There is only 30,000 yuan in here. It¡¯s what we owe you. Don¡¯t you get it? I¡¯m giving a part of what we owe to you first.¡±


    Mingxi refused to believe that the Zhao family was this kind-hearted. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t think that the halo surrounding the male lead would let her go that easily¡ª If she dared to take the male lead¡¯s money, wouldn¡¯t that bring more bad luck to her? The luck that she worked so hard to obtain might just return to its original state.


    Mingxi walked ahead without even looking back.


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt helpless. After standing on the spot for a few minutes, he collected his thoughts. He sought for that teacher he met just now and gave his card to him. He explained the situation and asked him to take good care of Mingxi. Although he received another lecture, Mr. Li ultimately accepted it.


    Only then did Zhao Zhanhuai feel slightly better.


    He returned to the parking lot outside school with a heavy heart. When he saw his secretary carrying the items, he said in a somber tone, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want them. Forget it, let¡¯s head back to the company first.¡±


    As for Zhao Yuan, she was done eating her hotpot. She thought that Zhao Zhanhuai was coming to pick her up today¡ª But in the end, he didn¡¯t show up?


    And for some reason, he wasn¡¯t picking up her calls either.


    Did he forget again?


    Does it take this long to talk to the dean and send him gifts?


    As Zhao Yuan was anxious, she couldn¡¯t help but to return to school with Pu Shuang. When they went to the dean¡¯s office, they realized that the door had been locked long ago.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s car was not parked outside the school as well. It appeared as if Zhao Zhanhuai had left quite some time ago.


    Zhao Yuan was both angered and embarrassed. She almost couldn¡¯t control the expression on her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that my eldest brother went to look for the dean to send him gifts?¡±


    Pu Shuang was hard-pressed as she replied, ¡°It was merely a guess. He only asked me where the dean¡¯s office was. But if he wasn¡¯t going there for you, it couldn¡¯t be that he went for the sake of Zhao Mingxi, right?¡±


    Could it be that he really went for the sake of Zhao Mingxi? Pu Shuang guessed. When she saw Zhao Yuan¡¯s face, she thought, could it be that the Zhao family isn¡¯t as loving toward Zhao Yuan as I thought they were?


    Zhao Yuan could feel Pu Shuang¡¯s gaze. She felt as if she was struck. As she didn¡¯t want to dwell on this anymore, she got in the driver¡¯s car and went home.


    Once she got home, she realized that Auntie Zhang had been fired.


    Zhao Yuan was in disbelief.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for my permission before sending her off?¡±


    Zhao Yuan rushed to Zhang Yufen¡¯s room. When she saw the empty room, the corner of her eyes went red. ¡°What did she do? What crime did she commit that she had to be fired?¡±


    Their mother was still out shopping. There was only Zhao Yuning and a few workers at home.


    Zhao Yuning never bothered about these things. Furthermore, he was wondering about the outcome of Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s visit to Zhao Mingxi today.


    Thus, he casually gave her a few consoling words.


    But the more she listened to him, the more she felt bothered by it. So she went to sit at the swing in their lawn.


    The driver explained to Zhao Yuan, ¡°Miss, you were taking your exams, so we couldn¡¯t notify you about this. Your brother got Auntie Zhang to send something to Miss Mingxi at school. But due to her bad attitude and lies, your brother fired her in a fit of anger.¡±


    ¡°My eldest brother?¡± Zhao Yuan couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°But he knows that I¡¯m very close to Auntie Zhang. She treats me very, very well. Even if she made a small mistake, he shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The driver did not dare to finish her sentence. Although they felt the same, after seeing Zhao Zhanhuai so enraged yesterday, they felt that it would be best not to be on Zhang Yufen¡¯s side.


    When Zhao Yuan failed to get any response, she felt a sense of foreboding.


    Why did her eldest brother fire the person closest to her due to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s small matter?


    She used to be the most important person to him.


    The sound of a car braking could be heard from outside.


    Zhao Yuan walked towards the gate with her red rimmed eyes and pale face. When she saw Zhao Zhanhuai getting down from the car, she could no longer contain the wretchedness she felt in her heart. Zhao Mingxi was suddenly the School Beauty, her eldest brother hasn¡¯t gone to fetch her twice, even Auntie Zhang was fired for no apparent reason.


    She didn¡¯t even change her shoes before running into Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s arms.


    The driver and Zhao Yuning were used to such a scene. Zhao Yuning wanted to run over and ask Zhao Zhanhuai about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s matter as well, but in the end, he was superseded by Zhao Yuan. This made him frown in slight dissatisfaction.


    Recently, after some comparison between them, he was beginning to realize the good sides of Zhao Mingxi. Not only was she a good cook, she would also play games and rear cats with him. As for Zhao Yuan, aside from her companionship when they were young, after she grew up, she only stuck to their eldest brother.


    Sometimes, Zhao Yuning would realize that with regards to this point, it was undeniable that Zhao Mingxi was truly the one related to him¡ª


    No one else in this family was allergic to cats or peanuts.


    Zhao Zhanhui opened his arms and allowed Zhao Yuan to hug him. He unconsciously softened his tone. ¡°What happened? Did someone bully you?¡±


    Only when Zhao Yuan heard his gentle voice did she let out a mental sigh of relief. She felt so wronged that her tears were flowing freely. She rubbed against his chest. ¡°Why did you fire Auntie Zhang? Answer me!¡±


    Zhao Yuan was usually generous and kind, so this sort of delicate and innocent tone was saved exclusively for Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s ears only.


    Before this, Zhao Zhanhuai would treat this as a normal thing. But now the words Mingxi said kept running through his mind¡ª ¡°Wish the both of you an everlasting marriage.¡±


    What did she mean? Mingxi thought that he liked Zhao Yuan? Or was it that Zhao Yuan liked him? But he has always thought of Zhao Yuan as his younger sister and nothing else. How could it be? Was Mingxi overthinking it?


    However, Zhao Zhanhuai suddenly noticed Zhao Yuan¡¯s tone and the way she squirmed in his arms.


    ¡°Da ge, can I go to your room tonight, just like how we were when we were kids?¡±


    The expression on Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s face changed abruptly.


    Could it be that Yuanyuan¡ª?


    This isn¡¯t right.


    A multitude of expressions went across Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s face.


    If Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t remind him today, he might have just allowed their relationship to grow in this direction naturally. But when he heard this sentence from Mingxi today, it became like a fish bone stuck in his mind.


    It was impossible for him to allow this to go on when he was now aware of Zhao Yuan¡¯s feelings towards him.


    Just when Zhao Yuan was about to continue her complaint, she felt Zhao Zhanhuai pushing her away stiffly. His gaze was one of avoidance as he walked towards the stairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re already a grown up. Stop crying because of such petty matters. Sleep in your own room.¡±


    Zhao Yuan watched in shock as her eldest brother awkwardly pulled a distance between them. He just entered his own room and rejected her.


    A if she had been slapped, the complaining words that were about to escape her lips came to a stop.


    When Zhao Yuan watched all this unfold, even her blood seemed to have frozen. She belatedly realized that something was amiss, and a sense of fear appeared in her heart.


    The old Zhao Zhanhuai would never reject her.


    Since when did he¡­?

 Chapter 24.1 - (Part 1)

    Only when Zhao Zhanhuai got back to his room did he realize that there were many things belonging to Zhao Yuan in his room. There were two pillows on the couch, and she left a short jacket in his room as well.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was experiencing a pounding headache.


    In terms of a brother-sister relationship, their actions may be a little too close for comfort in the eyes of a stranger. Yuanyuan didn¡¯t seem to be this reliant on their other family members as well.


    Zhao Zhanhuai didn¡¯t think much of this back then. He didn¡¯t think that the current Zhao Yuan had that kind of feelings for him either. But Mingxi¡¯s words were like a police siren for him, making him come to a sudden realization¡ª It didn¡¯t matter if she had that thought or not. He was doing to kill it before it could be born.


    There was an urgent need to create a distance between them.


    Zhao Zhanhuai put aside his own pain and quickly got the secretary to clean up the things that Zhao Yuan had left in his room. Then, the items were all placed in a cardboard box and returned to Zhao Yuan.


    There were a few other items which he didn¡¯t know if they belonged to Zhao Yuan. So long as it was for female use, he would get the secretary to pack them in. Since he kept mostly to himself and has never brought anyone home before, these things could only be Zhao Yuan¡¯s.


    While he was tidying up the things, Zhao Zhanhuai gradually noticed an increasing sense of biasness.


    He didn¡¯t have a single thing in his room that was related to Mingxi.


    If he were to recall carefully, it was likely Mingxi had never entered his room before.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s heart sank even further.


    When Zhao Yuan received the cardboard box from the secretary, she felt so wronged that her chest began to heave. She slammed the door with a loud thud, and she never came downstairs even though it was already dinner time.


    The auntie knocked on her door twice, but she still kept her head tucked under her blanket, refusing to eat.


    It was rare for Zhao Yuan to do this at home. This was because everyone at home spoiled her, and she had never been bullied by anyone.


    But whenever it was to a point where she would refuse to eat, her family members would definitely take turns to coax her out.


    But today, their mother wasn¡¯t home yet. There was only Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning in the house.


    Zhao Yuning wasn¡¯t one who could read the room well. He was unkind to anyone he spoke to. He came over, knocked on the door and said, ¡°Yuan jie, are you eating dinner? If you aren¡¯t then at least tell us. Is it worth doing all this just because Auntie Zhang was fired? Da ge said that Auntie Zhang has always treated Mingxi jie poorly. Is Auntie Zhang more important or is Mingxi jie more important?¡±


    Zhao Yuning muttered to himself, ¡°Needless to say, firing 100 Auntie Zhangs would not be as important as Mingxi jie¡¯s return.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s heart was in great pain.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was supposed to ask about her. However, he was adamant on creating a distance between him and Zhao Yuan. Furthermore, for the whole night he couldn¡¯t help but to recall what Mingxi¡¯s ex-homeroom teacher told him this afternoon.


    The guilt he felt for Zhao Mingxi was so overwhelming¡ª Back then when Mingxi refused to eat, he had never bothered to coax her. Why did he have to only spoil Yuanyuan?


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Zhao Zhanhuai said with furrowed brows, ¡°Let her be.¡±


    Even though she waited until it was 10 p.m., no one came to comfort Zhao Yuan.


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s eyes were swollen to the size of walnuts. Gradually and finally, as if she had ants in her pants, she panicked.


    This was completely unexpected.


    Why is this happening?


    Around 11 p.m., a bright light coming from a car flashed through her windows, signaling the return of their mother who had just returned from promoting her birthday banquet.


    After a while, Zhao Yuan¡¯s door opened. Madam Zhao walked in, sat by the bed and gently lifted up Zhao Yuan¡¯s blanket. She sighed and consoled her, ¡°Yuanyuan, do you have to go to this extent for an Auntie Zhang? It was truly Auntie Zhang¡¯s fault this time. Your brother is still mad about it.¡±


    ¡°If you are truly unwilling to let go of her, after the birthday banquet when Mingxi returns, I¡¯ll get Auntie Zhang to apologize to her and admit her faults. Then I¡¯ll hire Auntie Zhang again.¡±


    Her mother still cared for her.


    Zhao Yuan felt greatly relieved. She sat up and sniffled. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    But actually, was she really doing all this because of Auntie Zhang? What she truly cared about was her eldest brother and Zhao Yuning¡¯s attitude.


    After her mother was done consoling her, she looked out the window at the cold night and couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°I wonder how Mingxi is doing in school. She hasn¡¯t been home in a while. I regretted it the moment I scolded her back then, but I had no means of backing down.¡±


    The relieved expression on Zhao Yuan¡¯s face instantly went hard.


    The hand that she had placed underneath the blanket curled up into a tight fist silently.


    ¡°She will come home once she has thought things through.¡± Zhao Yuan could say a few consoling words while forcing out a smile.


    Her mother nodded. ¡°After she returns from the banquet, let¡¯s buy her some of her favorite things.¡±


    Zhao Yuan, ¡°¡­¡±


    As her mother was a little tired as well, she spoke no further and left the room.


    For the whole night, Zhao Yuan found it hard to sleep. She was both anxious and agonized.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was just a mere misconception, but it felt as if ever since Mingxi left home, everything at home seemed to have changed, quietly and unnoticeably.


    *


    The next day, Zhao Yuan¡¯s eyes were a little swollen. They were so prominent that even some powder could not cover them up.


    During the Flag Raising Ceremony, Pu Shuang immediately noticed it and asked, ¡°What happened to you? Did something happen at home last night? I¡¯m sorry for misleading you yesterday. I didn¡¯t know that your brother really went to look for Zhao Mingxi¡­¡±


    After giving it some thought, Pu Shuang consoled her, ¡°I think that the reason why everyone has their attention focused on Zhao Mingxi is because she left home.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Zhao Yuan turned, her eyes unconsciously locked on Zhao Mingxi who was standing not far away at the third row of the International Class. There were also many people like her who were secretly looking at Zhao Mingxi.


    After Zhao Mingxi took off her mask, she was getting prettier and prettier with each passing day. In the morning mist, her complexion was milky white, her facial features delicate and beautiful, and as she stood in the crowd doing absolutely nothing, it was enough to make others turn into her background.


    Furthermore, she didn¡¯t bring many clothes with her when she left home, but for some reason she was constantly wearing well-tailored branded clothing lately, and it made her appear even more outstanding.


    Zhao Yuan furrowed her brows. ¡°But I can¡¯t possibly follow in her footsteps and leave home as well.¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Pu Shuang whispered. ¡°Our teacher said that our October monthly exam results will be released today! Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results are definitely going to flop while your results have always been good.¡±


    ¡°When you show your results to your mother and eldest brother, they will definitely pay attention to you again.¡±


    ¡­


    During the Flag Raising Ceremony, all the homeroom teachers from all three classes were not present. They were all rushing to arrange the rankings for the newly marked monthly exam results.


    There was only the dean who was in charge of discipline.


    Every class was separated into a square-shaped formation. As Mingxi was considered quite tall for a girl, she stood at the middle of the third row.


    She was still thinking about last weekend¡¯s monthly exam as well as the questions she asked Professor Gao yesterday.


    Over at Professor Gao¡¯s place, Mingxi felt a long-awaited, simple sense of happiness from studying.


    Just like how she was back at the small Northern town, she didn¡¯t need to think or care about anything. She only needed to focus on her studies.


    The mere action of bringing the praise from her teachers back to her grandmother and Mr. and Mrs. Dong was enough to make her happy.


    It was a shame that she could only go there once a week.


    While Mingxi was absent-mindedly thinking of all these, suddenly, someone whistled loudly at her. The girl behind her carefully pulled her hand. Mingxi lowered her head and turned back. The girl stuffed a phone case in her hands.


    Mingxi was confused. What is this?


    Someone whistled.


    She instinctively looked back and saw the tall Fu Yangxi standing at the last row. His red hair which was like a porcupine stood out among the morning mist and cold winds. His pale face still had a sheen over tiredness on it, but his face revealed a happy expression.


    When he saw that he had attracted her attention, Fu Yangxi immediately raised his hand and pointed at the item she was holding in her hands.


    He wanted her to look at her phone?


    Mingxi looked closer and noticed that the phone cover of the phone in his hands was black in color, and it was the same design as the one that girl had just stuffed in her hands.


    The only difference was that his black phone case had a simple design of a small sun.


    As for her own white colored phone case, it bore the design of a small mask, outlined by black ink.


    Mingxi: ???


    Matching phone cases?


    Mingxi was shocked.


    But upon a closer look, she noticed that a dozen boys from the back row had all taken out their phones for her to see.


    They were all the same kind of phone case, save for their difference in color. Orange, yellow, blue, green and purple, even the drawings at the back were different. Someone of them had a simple cartoon character design; some of them had a simple pile of sh*t.


    The one who got a yellow phone cover with a simple design of  pile of sh*t looked at Zhao Mingxi with a pained expression.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Only then did Mingxi¡¯s pounding heart slow down a little.


    What a surprise.


    She thought that Fu Yangxi had given her a matching phone case. Turns out it was just a phone case specially made for the people in his weird gang.


    How childish.


    Although she felt that this gesture was both childish and arrogant, Mingxi still found a sense of belonging from this, as if a group of people had accepted her as one of their own.


    Mingxi smiled and turned to look at Fu Yangxi. Then, she lowered her head, took out her phone and changed her phone case. After that, she raised her phone again, and without looking back, she waved it at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears immediately flushed red. He quickly turned and said to Ke Chengwen who was beside him, ¡°I told you she¡¯ll change it.¡±


    Ke Chengwen secretly blocked him from the cold glare coming from their neighboring competition class¡¯ Shen Liyao. He was unsure of what to say. ¡°Try to keep it low-profile, Xi ge. They¡¯re all looking at you. If you wanted to buy a matching phone case, go ahead. Why did you have to force all of us to change one as well?¡±


    ¡°What matching phone case? Are you crazy? She¡¯s the one who likes me. That kind of girly thing should be done by her.¡± Fu Yangxi was in denial. He glared at Ke Chengwen. ¡°The one that I got is a gang phone case! Am I not allowed to have my own personal preference?¡±


    Ke Chengwen instantly replied, ¡°You¡¯re allowed!¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Leave.¡±


    Once he was done talking, Fu Yangxi raised his head. He saw how the dean who was up front was staring at him, as if he was about to pull him out. Fu Yangxi raised his brows, and his lips formed the word ¡°building¡± without a sound.


    ¡°¡­¡± The dean immediately made a turn and patrolled another area.


    Ke Chengwen, ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi, who had just changed a new phone case, was in a good mood. The way he walked was filled with arrogance. Although he had yet to complete his previous punishment of cleaning the toilets, after he returned to class, he took the initiative to throw away all the rubbish on their floor.


    As they didn¡¯t have a self-study period this morning, when Mingxi saw him leaving to throw the rubbish, her eyes gleamed and she hurried after him.


    Due to Fu Yangxi¡¯s long legs, it didn¡¯t take him long before he reached the ground floor.


    Mingxi jogged all the way. It took her quite the effort before she managed to catch up to him at the small alley located at the ground floor of their academic building.


    When Fu Yangxi heard footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Let me help you!¡± Mingxi quickly reached out a hand and took away the trash bags which Fu Yangxi was holding in one hand.


    Recently, the plants in her flower pot have stopped growing.


    But it was mainly because she had given him desserts and helped him do his homework too many times, leading to a diminishing margin of zero.


    Aside from that, she had accidentally hugged him and held his hands, so the luck brought by these two physical touches were all used up.


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t figure out what to do next.


    She hadn¡¯t tried throwing rubbish on his behalf, so she might as well give it a try.


    Fu Yangxi held on to the trash can, unwilling to let go. However, when he saw how determined Mingxi was with her shining eyes, he could only unhand the trash can.


    Only when Mingxi held it did she realize that it was quite heavy. She had to hold it with both hands. She quickly said, ¡°Xi ge, you head on upstairs. Leave this to me.¡±


    Sometimes Fu Yangxi would wonder if she was treating him a little too well. She was even willing to do such a small task like throwing away the trash on his behalf. Could this be what they call ¡®mutual help in humble circumstances¡¯?


    He observed her quietly.


    The October winds were cold. Mingxi stood before him with her head slightly raised. Fu Yangxi felt a sensation as if he had just eaten a strawberry flavored candy.


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head. When he noticed that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s shoelaces have come loose, he asked, ¡°Is this how you normally tie your shoelaces?¡±


    Mingxi looked down at her white sport shoes in confusion. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The method she used to tie her shoelaces was quite weird whereby she would merely tie two simple knots. While it wasn¡¯t to the extent where it would easily come loose, it does look rather messy.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Fu Yangxi suddenly commanded.


    Mingxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi was getting impatient. He said coldly, ¡°Take one step closer to me.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Mingxi asked in disdain. Nonetheless, she still held unto the bags and took a step towards him hesitantly.


    Fu Yangxi abruptly bent down, his fingers touching her shoelaces. He pulled apart the laces on both her legs and tied two perfect and beautiful butterfly knots. ¡°This is the right way to do it.¡±


    In the small alley, Mingxi was standing still while Fu Yangxi was half-squatted before her. Both their shadows were pulled long due to the orange sunset.


    Mingxi looked down at his head of red hair. Her fingers which were holding on to the trash can unknowingly clenched tight. She was nervous for some reason.


    She felt that Fu Yangxi had been acting rather odd recently.


    ¡ªHe was being oddly good to her.


    She averted her gaze to focus on the shoelaces which Fu Yangxi had tied for her.


    Mingxi was stunned. All her life, including her last one, aside from her grandmother, Fu Yangxi was the only one who had tied her shoelaces for her.


    Mingxi immediately retracted her foot in an unnatural manner, and proceeded to take one step back.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s fingers were still on her shoes. So when she suddenly retracted her foot, his body instantly went stiff.


    Once he realized what he had done, his heart started to pound loudly against his chest. With his red ears, he slowly stood up like a rigid rock.


    He squinted at Zhao Mingxi, his eyes conveying a look of ¡®have you been living under a rock, Little Mask?¡¯. He crossed his arms and with an arrogant tone and said, ¡°What are you so nervous about? We¡¯re in the same class and you are my follower. It¡¯s only right for us to help each other out¡ª Unless you¡ª¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t need to hear his next words to guess that he was about to say something illogical again. Unfortunately, her hands were busy with the trash cans, hence she could not use them to cover her ears.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Mingxi really wanted to cover his head with the trash can. She made a move and went ahead without him.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed hard before following her.


    He couldn¡¯t help but to smile.


    When he observed her delicate and pretty silhouette, he suddenly felt the urge to say, ¡®Let¡¯s date.¡¯


    But before the words could leave his mouth, he swallowed them back.


    Little Mask hasn¡¯t even confessed yet. She might not be ready.


    He shouldn¡¯t rush things.


    ¡°Let¡¯s throw it together.¡± Fu Yangxi caught up to her in just a few steps. He tucked one of his hands in his pocket and tried his best to stop the corners of his mouth from curling up. He reached out one hand and held up the other end of the trash can.


    Mingxi wanted nothing but to carry the trash can and run at that moment. ¡°No need. It¡¯s fine. I can do this myself.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I get it. Whenever a girl says ¡®no¡¯, she means ¡®yes¡¯. Whenever a girl says ¡®it¡¯s fine¡¯, it means ¡®something is wrong¡¯.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡­


    You don¡¯t know anything!


    Fu Yangxi paid no mind to her and continued to hold on to the trash can.


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t figure out why he would allow his other followers to help him throw away the trash, but when it came to her, he wouldn¡¯t allow her to do things like throwing away the trash and cleaning the toilets.


    Mingxi could only understand it as a little punk having his moment of chivalry.


    Being able to throw half is better than not being able to throw anything at all.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Mingxi felt dejected. She had no choice but to hold on to the other side of the silver trash can and head towards the school¡¯s trash site with Fu Yangxi.

 Chapter 24.2

    After they were done throwing away the trash, as they were walking back to class with the empty trash can, Fu Yangxi was caught by the dean who had just come out from the academic building.


    The dean wanted to talk to him about what he did this morning during the Flag Raising Ceremony.


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. He had no choice but to give the trash can to Mingxi and ask her to go up on her own first.


    Mingxi was glad that Fu Yangxi wasn¡¯t around. She took the trash can and walked upstairs slowly. She counted the amount of tiny buds in her flower pot. As this was the first time she had helped Fu Yangxi throw rubbish, three little buds grew.


    Up until now, there are 79 buds.


    As Mingxi felt motivated once more, her whole body seems to have been refreshed. She smiled all the way back to the International Class.


    In the end, before she could enter her class, as she was walking upstairs, she raised her head and saw Shen Liyao and the other five from the School Representative Team.


    The students from the Gold Medal Class would normally use the left stairway of the academic building, but for some reason they left from the right stairway today.


    When a group of them saw Zhao Mingxi, they all appeared awkward. They instinctively looked towards Shen Liyao.


    The moment Shen Liyao saw the smile on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face, he felt as if the sight had pricked his eye. He couldn¡¯t help but to clench the fingers in his pocket tightly.


    He saw everything in the upstairs corridor.


    He saw how Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi went off to throw rubbish together. The two of them talking happily all the way.


    Fu Yangxi even helped her tie her shoelaces.


    Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t help but to look down at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s shoes. An emotion akin to anxiousness filled his heart.


    He subconsciously took a step forward, but was held back by Ye Bai¡¯s hand on his shoulder. Ye Bai whispered in his ear, ¡°She might have done that on purpose. God Yao, control yourself.¡±


    However this time, Shen Liyao directly slapped Ye Bai¡¯s hand away.


    His mind was like a tightrope, filled with only images of Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi together. He couldn¡¯t calm down nor could he control himself.


    What in the world is she trying to do?


    Even though he was not around, she would still talk with Fu Yangxi.


    He even saw them holding hands before the exams.


    Shen Liyao¡¯s fists were tightly clenched in his pockets. He tried to maintain his composure as he stood in front of Zhao Mingxi. ¡°I received some news today that the Dong family will be returning this Saturday. Did you know about this? If need be¡ª¡±


    There was a pause. Shen Liyao raised his gaze and with all his might, he tried to speak in an indifferent tone, ¡°I can go and pick them up with you.¡±


    Shen Liyao had met the Dong family two years ago. He also knew about the relationship between the Dong family, the Zhao family and Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡°What?¡± Mingxi was stunned for a moment. She belatedly realized that after the Dong family struck gold, they had most likely found themselves in the social circles of the Zhao and Shen families. Thus, it was not surprising for the news of them returning to their country to reach Shen Liyao¡¯s ears.


    She hurriedly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no need for you to do so. Thank you for your reminder, but I can pick them up on my own.¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s brows furrowed instantly. ¡°Why?¡±


    Mingxi answered, ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯? What if they mistake you as my boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t understand what was going on with Zhao Mingxi lately, just as how he couldn¡¯t understand why Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t want others to mistake him as¡ª


    The feeling of annoyance could not be dispersed from his heart. He was no longer able to control himself. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Mingxi got it now. Shen Liyao thinks that she still likes him.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a good place to talk about this, since Shen Liyao was the one who initiated it, Mingxi decided to make everything clear once and for all.


    Or else was she to spend more time asking him out to the nearby caf¨¦?


    After all, her pursuit of Shen Liyao was a really casual thing. He had never shown her any affection, so he probably didn¡¯t think of it as anything significant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡±


    Mingxi looked at Shen Liyao with a serious expression. ¡°I might have liked you because you helped me once. But since I was young back then, if I have offended you, please do not take my actions to heart.¡±


    Mingxi could not get any clearer.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The stairway fell into a bout of silence, as if only the sound of the wind could be heard.


    Ye Bai was so shocked that his jaw fell open.


    Shen Liyao watched as Zhao Mingxi said the four words ¡®don¡¯t like you anymore¡¯ in a clear tone. His stiff expression was akin to that of a plaster figure.


    For a moment there, he felt a slight sense of pain in his heart.


    When his other teammates from the School Representative Team looked at his expression, they didn¡¯t dare to even take a deep breath.


    Although Shen Liyao had been able to make a guess about this lately, he still refused to believe it. But who knew that before he could convince himself, she had actually said it herself.


    Shen Liyao didn¡¯t know if he was supposed to compliment Zhao Mingxi for being so certain or something. Based on his memories of her, whenever she wanted to do something or if she made any decision, she had never been sloppy about it.


    She was so decisive that her previous pursuit seemed like a joke.


    Shen Liyao initially thought that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s absence from his sight would cause him to let out a huge sigh of relief as he no longer had to spend time dealing with her.


    However at this moment, he didn¡¯t feel released at all. Instead, what came to him was a surge of painful emotions.


    Never was there a time when he had felt such clear feelings of losing something¡­


    Shen Liyao pulled a long face as he stared at Zhao Mingxi.


    Zhao Mingxi assumed that she had embarrassed him, so she could only continue awkwardly, ¡°I think that¡¯s it? Bye, I still have to get back to class.¡±


    After she was done, Zhao Mingxi quickly left without even looking at the reactions of Shen Liyao and his teammates who were behind him.


    ¡­


    They stared at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s silhouette for a few seconds.


    Ye Bai was still in disbelief. ¡°Is she joking? She stopped liking you just like that. When has there ever been a person who would not be dramatic when they go from liking to not liking at all? She must still be trying to get a reaction out of you, right?¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s mind was in a buzz. He didn¡¯t have the mood to think about what Ye Bai said.


    How did things turn out to be like this?!


    He even started to think back. On the day she suddenly decided to leave him, did he do something?


    But there was none. Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t think of anything. The day when she decided to give up on him out of nowhere was just another ordinary sunny day.


    The more it was like this, the more it made Shen Liyao¡¯s stomach queasy.


    Ye Bai said, ¡°But just now when Fu Yangxi was tying her shoelaces for her, she unconsciously took a step back¡ª She doesn¡¯t seem to have moved on from you yet?¡±


    ¡°Leave me be for a moment.¡± Shen Liyao shook off his hand and turned to walk downstairs.


    ¡°God Yao, we have to conduct an experiment later, and marks will be counted for it!¡± a guy from the School Representative Team hurriedly reminded.


    Ye Bai quickly caught up to him and said, ¡°Do you like her? You can¡¯t possibly have fallen for her, right? If you don¡¯t like Zhao Mingxi, then there is no point in you being bothered about what she said!¡±


    Shen Liyao stopped walking. As if he had to force himself to say these words, he answered, ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡±


    Ye Bai said, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Shen Liyao told himself, he didn¡¯t like her. It didn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing big.


    So many people would stuff love letters on his table everyday. Her absence didn¡¯t matter.


    Although he admired her and that they could continue as friends¡ª She just didn¡¯t like him anymore.


    But at this moment, Shen Liyao was still so lost that he couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Everything was spiraling out of his control.


    He didn¡¯t have the mood to conduct some sh*tty experiment. He continued to walk downstairs and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    *


    At the same time, in the office, a few teachers had formed a circle as they analyzed one exam paper in shock.


    ¡°The final question requires Linear Functional Analysis. This was a question which I had set in order to create a gap between their marks. This topic is beyond a high schooler¡¯s syllabus. What was extremely relieving for me was that there were a total of seven people who managed to answer this with clear work, and there were even three among them who got the steps right. This shows that they have dabbled into many areas of study.¡±


    Said the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang who was both their math teacher as well as their homeroom teacher.


    ¡°This is Shen Liyao¡¯s paper. I¡¯ve seen his handwriting for the past two to three years so I am sure that this belongs to him.¡± He waved the exam paper to his left, the happiness in his eyes apparent. Then, he waved the exam paper to his right. ¡°This is our class¡¯ Qiu Wei¡¯s paper.¡±


    When it comes to outstanding students, as teachers they were able to recognize their handwritings easily.


    ¡°Now the problem is, whose one is this?¡±


    Mr. Jiang said, ¡°I have never seen this student¡¯s handwriting before!¡±


    Although the exam papers have all been marked, they had yet to be unsealed so they couldn¡¯t see their names. The three of them were extremely shocked and confused about this exam paper, so much so that they were discussing it over breakfast.


    The Evergreen Class¡¯ Mrs. Ye Bing squinted at the International Class¡¯ Mr. Lu who was sitting at the corner. She gave him a mysterious smile. ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be from the International Class, right?¡±


    ¡°I say, Mr. Lu, if your class continues on with these results, you¡¯re all about to get kicked out of this building! Although your class does not need to join competitions nor are they required to obtain good results, and they only need to develop in all areas¡ª but we can¡¯t have a huge gap between us, right? Wouldn¡¯t you guys fall into the category of a Normal Class then?¡±


    ¡°Also, look at your results this month. It has already been reduced by half due to that boy from the Fu family. Will the other half be reduced this month due to the monthly exams?¡±


    Mr. Lu bit into his pancake. Although his face was full of anger, he did not dare to say a word.


    What sin did he commit that he had to be stuck with this group of students from the International Class? Their results were only so-so, but they were the best in creating trouble for him.


    Although he felt uncomfortable about this, he still retained a smile as he replied Mrs. Ye Bing, ¡°I think it should be someone from the Evergreen Class. You should compare their handwritings.¡±


    Mr. Jiang agreed, ¡°It has to be someone from the Evergreen Class.¡±


    Although Ye Bing could not determine which student in her class did this exam paper belong to, she agreed that it had to be someone from her class.


    The corners of her red lips curled up. She picked that exam paper up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not make any more assumptions. Hurry up and bring the other exam papers here. We¡¯ll arrange their rankings.¡±


    After a while, the teachers in charge of other subjects brought over their exam papers. When they sent it over, they all said that there was one student with a handwriting that they were unfamiliar with who seemed to have gotten rather good results. Their marks were very high as well.


    Only the biology teacher didn¡¯t say anything about this.


    This piqued the interest of the three homeroom teachers. Even the teachers of other subjects felt that there was an unfamiliar handwriting?


    Because they were paying a lot more attention to this student who not only had unfamiliar handwriting, they also scored full marks for their Math paper, while they were separating the papers, they also paid more attention as to the identity of this student.


    When the seal was opened, the three homeroom teachers surrounded the paper.


    Although Mr. Lu felt that this as none of his business, he still went over in a sour mood. He pretended to be a mere extra and that he was not jealous at all.


    In the end, when the name was revealed¡ª


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ???


    Mr. Lu couldn¡¯t believe his eyes!


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Ye Bing and Mr. Jiang were stunned. ¡°T-This, who is this Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    F*ck, when it comes to his students scoring full marks, these two draw up a blank as to the identity of his student. Mr. Lu yelled out angrily, ¡°She¡¯s from our class! The student who just transferred from the other block¡¯s Normal Class!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Mr. Lu was stunned for a good five seconds before he quickly flipped through Zhao Mingxi¡¯s other subject papers. After merely going through Chinese and English, his hands were already shaking. He felt as if he had just struck gold as he was both in disbelief and fear. He was afraid that in the next moment, her marks for her other subject papers would be average¡ª


    In the end, after reading through all her exam papers, aside from her Biology paper which she didn¡¯t complete and had scored an average mark on, the scores for her other subjects were extremely high, the total of which added up to 700.


    ¡°What the hell? A transfer student from the Normal Class? 700 marks?¡± Ye Bing couldn¡¯t control her emotions. ¡°This time¡¯s Math paper was really hard! It¡¯s as hard as last year¡¯s Hundred School Tournament¡¯s paper! Did you guys set easy papers for the other subjects?¡±


    The other subject teachers all said, ¡°No, we made it especially hard for our subjects as well.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s going on?¡± Ye Bing couldn¡¯t believe it. She hurriedly turned back. ¡°Quickly add the marks of the other students so that we can arrange their rankings.¡±


    If someone who had just transferred from the Normal Class could get 700 marks, wouldn¡¯t the other students from the Gold Medal Class and Evergreen Class be able to get scores of 700 and above then?


    *


    As it was merely a monthly exam, it was easy for the students in the Evergreen Class, hence no one paid any mind to it.


    However, as this exam would determine who would be the host for the Annual School Celebration as well as being the first common exam taken by the new School Beauty as well as the previous School Beauty, everyone in the Evergreen Class couldn¡¯t help but to pay attention to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results.


    Previously, Zhao Yuan didn¡¯t care about these exams as well. After all, her results were good, so if nothing went wrong, her ranking would be around 20. Although it couldn¡¯t be compared with the more intelligent School Representative Team, it was still enough to annihilate around 99% of students in their area.


    Nonetheless, as this month¡¯s exam was joined by Zhao Mingxi, she felt a little nervous.


    She had been waiting in her classroom ever since the end of breakfast. Although she appeared as if she was nonchalant while reading a book, her mind was focused on the door as she waited for their homeroom teacher to display their results on the screen.


    Ye Bai and the rest from the School Representative Team were all quietly discussing what had happened to Zhao Mingxi as they had all witnessed Zhao Mingxi rejecting Shen Liyao this morning at the corridor.


    Thus, they went from not caring about this monthly exam¡¯s results ¡ª because no matter what they would always be the Top 6 ¡ª to paying a lot more attention to it.


    As for Zhao Mingxi, she was obviously nervous about this.


    She heard that they had yet to choose the team for this year¡¯s Hundred School Tournament. Usually, only 20 will be selected. Therefore, if she manages to get into the Top 20, she would be able to join the Hundred School Tournament.


    God knows how much she wanted to join that Tournament.


    This time when she took the exam for the first few subjects, she could happily feel that her ¡®debuff¡¯ had all but disappeared. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the dozen buds which had just grown before the exams.


    But when it came to Biology, the familiar feeling of being unable to write and almost blacking out appeared once more. Thus, she couldn¡¯t do her best in the Biology paper.


    I wonder how it¡¯ll turn out in the end.


    She kept on looking at the clock. She turned back and asked Ke Chengwen, ¡°When will the homeroom teacher for the International Class usually come to announce the results?¡±


    ¡°Before the start of the first period, around 8.50 a.m..¡± Ke Chengwen was playing a game while sitting on a table, his legs swinging. ¡°Are you nervous, Little Mask?¡±


    After he finished speaking, Fu Yangxi rolled up a book and swatted him on the leg heavily. He then looked at him with a threatening glare.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t allow anyone else to use this nickname.


    Ke Chengwen quickly switched it up, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡± Mingxi confessed honestly. This was the fastest way for her to earn money. ¡°I want to join the Tournament.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t earn a lot of money by merely taking exams for others or tutoring them.


    But if she joins the Tournament and gets into the finals, she heard that the school will give them 50,000 yuan as a cash prize.


    And if she wins the Tournament, not only the school, even the city will give her money! She would get extra marks as well! She wouldn¡¯t be able to find better benefits anywhere else!


    Of course, winning the Tournament was not something Mingxi dared to hope for.


    ¡°But your results¡ª¡± Ke Chengwen gave her a one over before speaking in a hesitant manner, ¡°Are so-so, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Fu Yangxi smacked him again.


    Ke Chengwen¡¯s legs were swollen. He didn¡¯t dare to sit on the table anymore. He quickly crawled back to his seat.


    The guy who previously had the gall to ask what Mingxi looked like under the mask asked in a small voice, ¡°When it comes to exams, the more important part is the fact that she joined it. I¡¯ll be thankful if she doesn¡¯t pull down our average marks.¡±


    He originally thought that his voice was small enough that no one could hear him in this noisy classroom. Unfortunately for him, Fu Yangxi immediately stood up with a fierce look. ¡°Tao Han, come here for a moment.¡±


    Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°¡­His name is Wang Han.¡±


    F*ck.


    That guy instantly hid underneath his desk.


    The class was in an uproar.


    Fu Yangxi was about to angrily drag Tao Han out from behind Mingxi. When Mingxi recalled how he had been summoned by the dean this morning, she quickly blocked him.


    When Fu Yangxi saw that he couldn¡¯t get out from behind Mingxi, he pulled open the window to his right and was about to jump out.


    At this moment.


    Their homeroom teacher Mr. Lu suddenly rushed in!


    Everyone watched as Mr. Lu with his bright face and confident steps walked over to Zhao Mingxi. The way he looked at her was as if he was looking at his own biological daughter!


    Then¡ª!


    He abruptly pulled her up and hugged her. Then, he mumbled, ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve finally made a comeback,¡± as he jumped a few times with Zhao Mingxi in his arms.


    The dizzy Zhao Mingxi: ¡­?


    Fu Yangxi: !!!???


    ¡°Lu Zhangwei, what the f*ck do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Fu Yangxi was exasperated. He quickly pulled Zhao Mingxi out of his arms.

 Chapter 25.1

    When Mrs. Ye Bing entered the Evergreen Class with the exam papers, her lips were pressed tightly together, forming an ugly frown.


    The whole of the Evergreen Class could feel how angry she was and how she was about to unleash that anger unto them.


    When they heard her first sentence of, ¡°Our overall results this time is not bad, there isn¡¯t much difference from before¡±, they all let out a sigh of relief.


    But in the next second, they all watched as she slammed the exam papers on the podium!


    ¡°But you have all done so badly in the Maths paper!¡±


    ¡°None of you scored full marks for it!¡±


    ¡°There are three people who scored full marks, including someone from the upstairs International Class. So why isn¡¯t there anyone from our class who got full marks?!¡±


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m a worse teacher than the other two Maths teachers?!¡±


    Ye Bing was burning up on the inside. She could forget about the fact that she always lost to the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang. After all, their class made up the School Representative Team, so it was normal for her to be unable to win against them.


    However, this was the first time in a few years that she had been overtaken by the International Class¡¯ Mr. Lu!


    When she recalled how back in the office, Lu Wangwei was smiling in absolute delight as he said to her, ¡°all is fair in love and war¡±, with his look of having obtained advantages yet choosing to put on an innocent farce, the fire in Ye Bing¡¯s heart raged stronger.


    ¡°That person from the International Class must have been very lucky,¡± someone beneath the podium muttered.


    That question was so difficult. It was hard for them to even understand it.


    Not only was it beyond their syllabus, it was way beyond the scope of the Tournament.


    They knew based on how Ye Bing said that only three people from their block managed to answer the question. Not even all six members from the School Representative Team managed to answer it¡ª So how could someone from the International Class who always scored results lower than theirs be able to answer it?


    No one took it to heart. It was just one question. In the end, they would still trump over the International Class¡¯ total marks.


    Zhao Yuan wasn¡¯t bothered by it either. Although she didn¡¯t complete that question, she was still quite good in her other subjects, so her final ranking will not be too bad.


    All in all, it was impossible for the only person from the International Class who scored full marks for the Maths paper to be Zhao Mingxi.


    She continued to keep her head lowered, her eyes focused on the book. However, her mind was where the teachers were moving on to the next step of announcing the rankings.


    The projector was turned on. Zhao Yuan was getting increasingly nervous. Although she did not seem like it, her hands which were unconsciously clenching the pages of the book were covered in sweat.


    Pu Shuang who was sitting beside her whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. So long as you¡¯ve performed as you normally did, you will be in the Top 20 amongst the three classes. Zhao Mingxi just transferred here from the Normal Class last month. She probably has yet to catch up with our syllabus, so how could she possibly compete against you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous.¡± Zhao Yuan shook her head and said, ¡°I am certain that my results will be better than hers. I¡¯m just afraid that¡ª¡±


    She was afraid that the gap between her results and Zhao Mingxi¡¯s will not be big.


    Afraid that Zhao Mingxi would have made great improvement in her studies.


    Although Zhao Yuan didn¡¯t finish her sentence, Pu Shuang understood what she meant. ¡°True. As Zhao Mingxi started from the bottom, whenever she makes any progress your family will definitely notice it. But as your results have been consistently good, your family members must be used to it already.¡±


    Zhao Mingxi¡¯s transfer from the Normal Class to this building must be accompanied by a huge fall. She has to fall to the bottom of the rankings. Only then will Zhao Yuan¡¯s family notice the difference between them.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Zhao Yuan closed her eyes and regained her composure.


    When she opened her eyes once more, the results were displayed on the screen.


    She held her breath as she searched for her own ranking, looking through the results of each and every subject.


    Pu Shuang looked from up to down and found her name first. She said, ¡°Oh my God, Yuanyuan, you¡¯re amazing! Ranked No.5 in class and ranked No.20 among the three classes!¡±


    ¡°You got into the Top 20 again!¡±


    Zhao Yuan immediately let out half a sigh of relief. She smiled at Pu Shuang as she spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t do my best this time.¡±


    Pu Shuang said, ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t worry about it so much. There are a total of 150 people among the three classes. Zhao Mingxi will either be in the 149th or 150th place. Her results weren¡¯t that good to begin with with her average being near the bottom of the Normal Classes. Besides, it is practically impossible for someone who had just transferred from the Normal Class to catch up to our syllabus!¡±


    The more Zhao Yuan listened, the more she felt relieved. She said, ¡°I do hope that she doesn¡¯t get such bad results, or else my eldest brother will have to be called here by her homeroom teacher again.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, Ye Bing pressed a button and changed the screen from displaying the results of their class to the results of their whole building. She said with a cold expression, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you ought to be happy just because you scored good results. Look at the results of the School Representative Team and observe the gap between your results and theirs.¡±


    The students from the Evergreen Class began to seek for the results of the people they were familiar with on the list of the whole building¡¯s ranking.


    Suddenly.


    Someone said, ¡°Oh my God, wait a minute. Am I seeing this right? Is that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°What place is she in¡ª? Have I gone blind? Teacher, can you zoom in a little?!¡±


    ¡°Li Haiyang, was she the one who rejected you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean Li Haiyang*? You should call him Li Jingyu*. That Young Master from the Fu family personally gave him this nickname. Isn¡¯t that exciting?¡±


    *Haiyang = sea. Jingyu = whale.


    Li Haiyang said, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡­


    What¡¯s going on?


    When Zhao Yuan and Pu Shuang heard someone mention Zhao Mingxi, they thought they were imagining it at first.


    Usually when Ye Bing displayed the rankings on the screen she would scroll down slowly from top to bottom. She has only shown the rankings of this block for a few minutes, so they should still be looking at the Top 50.


    Zhao Mingxi got into the Top 50¡ª?


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s heart fell to the pit of her stomach. She quickly raised her head and looked towards the screen.


    Then, she saw a sight which she simply could not believe or comprehend.


    White background, black boxes. The number in front of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s name was 19.


    From left the right, the one which attracted their attention the most was the Maths column.


    Full marks.


    She scored full marks.


    Voices began to appear beside her ears:


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi who just transferred from the Normal Class is ranked 19????? She got into the Top 20?¡±


    ¡°What the hell? Oh my God! It is so hard to get into the Top 20. Usually more than 10 students from the Gold Medal Class will take up those spaces and only around five students from our class can get in. No one from the International Class has ever gotten into the Top 20! But why is it that this time¡ª Didn¡¯t Zhao Mingxi say that she was from the Normal Class?¡±


    More and more people were noticing Zhao Mingxi who was in 19th place.


    Then, someone took note of the same thing as Zhao Yuan¡ª


    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s the one who scored full marks for Maths?!¡±


    The moment someone made this statement, everyone fell into shock.


    Then, the whole class went into an uproar which was akin to boiling water.


    The person from the International Class who was one of the three who scored full marks for Maths as mentioned by Ye Bing just now was her??


    When Ye Bing saw how the whole class started to make noise due to Zhao Mingxi, she pulled a long face. ¡°You still have the courage to talk about others? She had just transferred here for a month and is still trying hard to catch up to our syllabus, yet she could obtain full marks for Maths! I have taught you all for so long but none of you had any idea on how to answer the last question?!¡±


    Zhao Yuan looked at the name which was sitting right on top of hers.


    For the next five minutes, she felt as if she was in a dream.


    She wondered if she had encountered a demon.


    She appeared extremely uncomfortable.


    Her whole mind was aloof. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but to regain her composure. She whispered to Pu Shuang, ¡°¡­Am I hearing things? Is that Mingxi? 19th place¡­? In front of me?¡±


    Pu Shuang was still in shock, so much so that she had yet to shut her mouth and return to her senses. ¡°What?¡±


    When the guy in front of Zhao Yuan heard her, he thought that she couldn¡¯t see it properly, so he turned around and told her kindly, ¡°Yes, that is Zhao Mingxi. She actually got full marks for Maths! Who would¡¯ve known? And it was such a tough question too! How did she end up in the Normal Class anyways?¡±


    ¡°Is your elder sister good at one subject¡ª Wait, it can¡¯t be considered as being good at one subject. She¡¯s only bad at Biology, seeing as how she scored quite well for her other subjects.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhao Yuan, ¡°¡­¡±


    *


    Meanwhile, the International Class was still in an uproar.


    Their homeroom teacher Mr. Lu didn¡¯t even use the projector. The moment he ran in excitedly to hug Zhao Mingxi, he told her on the spot that she obtained full marks for Maths this time. She was ranked No.1 in the International Class and ranked No.19 in their whole building.


    The whole class looked at Zhao Mingxi in surprise.


    ¡°Oh my God, Little¡ª No, Zhao Mingxi, you¡¯re quite good, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ke Chengwen exclaimed. ¡°If only we knew that your results were this good, Xi ge and I would have copied from you.¡±


    ¡°Copy, copy, copy. You only know how to copy!¡± Fu Yangxi had a proud smile on his face. He gave Zhao Mingxi a look and emphasized, ¡°I have never cheated on my exams, alright?¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re lazy to even answer the paper, so why would you cheat? Are you trying to copy her name into your top left corner?¡±


    Fu Yangxi picked up a dictionary on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s table. ¡°You¡¯re getting brave, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ke Chengwen quickly smiled and retreated.


    ¡°I¡¯m in 19th place?¡± Zhao Mingxi had yet to return to her senses. She pointed at her own nose and looked at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Did they mark the papers correctly? Is it true?¡±


    The thing is, she had always gotten 1st place back in Tong City. But ever since she got here, she had never obtained good results. Not only did this cause her to be unable to determine her true results, it also made her think that the Maths standard over here had trumped over Tong City¡¯s by a lot. Thus, it led to her going from the 1st place to nearing the end of the ranks.


    Who would¡¯ve known that without the disadvantages, she would immediately come in 19th place?


    Why does she look so silly when she¡¯s shocked?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart almost melted. He couldn¡¯t help but to ruffle her hair, unable to keep in the smile on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy, Little Mask. You¡¯ve already gotten 1st place and yet you¡¯re asking me who is probably in the last place if you¡¯ve gotten 1st place? You¡¯re purposely showing off, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    With her hair in a mess, Zhao Mingxi was pulled to sit down by Fu Yangxi.


    After sitting down, her heart started to beat at a fast pace. She was trying her best to accept the fact that she really wasn¡¯t that bad.


    As she continued to think about it, she couldn¡¯t help but to place her face in her hands in excitement.


    However.


    ¡ª¡±Are you sure that there was nothing wrong with the marking process? And there¡¯s cameras in the classroom so don¡¯t you think about suspecting that I¡¯ve cheated.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t want her feelings to go up and down like a roller coaster.


    ¡°Silly child.¡± Mr. Lu¡¯s gaze upon her was filled with affection.


    He returned to the podium and looked toward Zhao Mingxi with an excited gaze which positively screamed ¡®I finally have one promising child from my household¡¯.


    ¡°Ahem, everyone settle down. I want to say a few words.¡±


    ¡°This is the happiest day of my teaching career. No one from the International Class has ever gotten first place for Maths. Although this time we are tied with two others from the Gold Medal Class, but we still got No.1! This means that my teaching has been effective. It means that all my hard work did not go to waste¡­¡±


    What followed after was an endless speech of hurt and pain, spanning all the way to when Mr. Lu had yet to lose the hair on his head and decided to spend the rest of his life educating the young.


    Just as a group of people from the International Class was about to throw spoiled chicken eggs at him, what made their hearts go through a roller coaster really appeared.


    A Biology teacher appeared at the entrance to their class and called for Mr. Lu. He said that there was a problem with two students¡¯ Biology papers.


    They needed to rearrange the final marks again.


    ¡°What?¡± Mr. Lu was shocked. Their class had just gotten someone who squeezed into the Top 20, so please do not let it be Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results. With an anxious heart, he asked, ¡°Which two?¡±


    ¡°Your class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi and the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Dan Qi.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mr. Lu followed the Biology teacher with his emotions on tenterhooks.


    The mood in the International Class turned anxious.


    Fu Yangxi looked out the window and frowned. ¡°They released the results before checking it properly, and now they¡¯ve got to rearrange it again. What if your results become lower? Then wouldn¡¯t they have made us happy for nothing?¡±


    Mingx sighed. She actually thought of this as the plot going in the right direction¡ª Or else how was it possible for her to get into the Top 20 so easily?


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe in Fu Yangxi¡¯s luck. She simply didn¡¯t believe in herself.


    Achieving such good results so suddenly after obtaining terrible results for the past two years. Even she thought she was dreaming.


    ¡°Relax.¡± Mingxi was surprisingly calm. She took a sip of the milk from her table and poked a straw into it.


    ¡­

 Chapter 25.2 - (Part 2)

    The Evergreen Class received the news about the rearrangement as well. They heard that it involved the International Class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi and the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Dan Qi.


    The moment they heard this news, Ye Bing left the class to participate in the rearrangement too.


    After the strict Ye Bing had left, the discussion in the Evergreen Class increased in volume.


    ¡°I was wondering why Zhao Mingxi had gotten such high marks. Turns out there was a miscalculation.¡±


    Li Haiyang couldn¡¯t help but to stand up for Zhao Mingxi. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that it was just because one blank space in a Biology question had been asked wrongly? That only amounts to 3 marks. Even if they deduct those 3 marks, she would still have 697 marks, and that itself is impressive.¡±


    ¡°But if that happens, her ranking will drop¡ª She might be,¡± That person raised his head and said, ¡°She might be ranked below Zhao Yuan at 22nd place.¡±


    The blood in Zhao Yuan¡¯s veins rushed to her head. The buzzing in her mind had finally reduced albeit just a little. She forced herself to calculate the outcome if Zhao Mingxi really lost those 3 marks.


    If a deduction is made, then she will be in 19th place while Zhao Mingxi will be in 22nd place.


    Pu Shuang made a quick mental calculation as well. She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, ¡°Who would¡¯ve known that Zhao Mingxi would do so well this time?  Could it be purely coincidental? Did Shen Liyao point out the important areas for her? But if they are to rearrange the rankings, she will be right below you. Then¡ª¡±


    Pu Shuang wanted to say that ¡®it is at least better than having her defeat you¡¯, but when she saw the look on Zhao Yuan¡¯s face, she could not muster up the courage to finish her sentence.


    The few minutes of waiting was absolutely torturous for the three classes.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yuan kept on staring at the screen. Around five minutes later, Ye Bing returned.


    Ye Bing refreshed the page.


    Due to what happened just now, everyone subconsciously looked for Zhao Mingxi and Dan Qi¡¯s names. They all wanted to see the change in their rankings.


    Then, they saw¡ª


    Zhao Mingxi actually moved up??? Marks were added instead of deducted?


    She moved up to the 17th place?!


    As compared to the noise they made just now, the current Evergreen Class fell into pure silence.


    ¡­


    Ye Bing explained coldly, ¡°There were two answers for a question in the Biology paper, but the other one belongs to the syllabus of a university student. As it was not in the scope of our syllabus, we marked it wrongly at first glance. Now everything has been fixed, and only two students used the other answer. ¡±


    ¡°Let me remind you all once more. Those who plan to join the Tournament, you ought to try your best to expand the range of your knowledge.¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s blood was as if it had been frozen over. She watched as Zhao Mingxi went up to the 17th place due to the addition of those 3 marks.


    As for Dan Qi who was ranked behind her, her ranking had also gone up because of those 3 marks.


    She suddenly fell to the 21st place!!!?


    Due to the fact that this time Zhao Yuan¡¯s ranking had been affected as well, everyone subconsciously took a glance at Zhao Yuan.


    Zhao Yuan tried her best to maintain a calm facade, but how was she to truly calm down? Her mind was blank.


    Why is this happening?


    Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results used to be so bad.


    How could she have defeated her in just one month? Did she sign up for tuition classes? But who was teaching her to the point where she would surpass her so quickly?


    Zhao Yuan started to pant. She was afraid that others could see her flustered expression, so she had no choice but to lower her head.


    E Xiaoxia looked at Zhao Yuan and said in an enigmatic tone, ¡°Looks like Zhao Mingxi isn¡¯t that bad after all.¡±


    *


    In contrast to the Evergreen Class¡¯ somberness, the International Class fell into an uproar again.


    ¡°I am so happy! 17th place, 17th place, I taught someone in 17th place! What does this mean? This means that the International Class will only be better from this point onwards!¡±


    Mr. Lu walked over in big strides. His face was flushed red in excitement and the rims of his eyes were actually damp. He rushed over and was about to pull Mingxi up.


    Fu Yangxi stopped him in time. He chided, ¡°Mr. Lu, please be a good example to your students and calm down.¡±


    The followers in the International Class were all looking at Zhao Mingxi in admiration¡ª Now they knew why Xi ge had rejected this transfer student so many times at the beginning yet as time went by he slowly began to accept her. Maybe it was because he realized that her results were good and he wanted to copy her homework.


    However, why did someone who transferred from the Normal Class obtain such good results?


    Could it be that she had not bothered to take the exam seriously last time and pretended to be stupid?


    All in all, everyone was very surprised.


    The face of the long-tongued Wang Han who previously said that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results were bad had swelled. He shook in fear, unwilling to raise his head.


    ¡°17? There won¡¯t be any mistakes this time, right?¡±


    Mingxi asked in shock.


    Although she was trying her best to appear calm and collected, she was actually feeling as happy as Mr. Lu, if not more.


    Despite the fact that it was just a monthly exam, it still meant that there was a possibility for her fate to be changed completely.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know why he was feeling this odd sense of satisfaction akin to when he got through a dungeon in a game when he saw how happy she was.


    When he saw Mingxi stand up abruptly with an excited look, he stood up hurriedly as well.


    Mingxi turned to look at Fu Yangxi. Her surprise seemed to have been cut off.


    What? Why did he stand up after her?


    Fu Yangxi thought that Little Mask must be overwhelmed to tears right now, the look in her eyes was as if she was going to suddenly envelop him in a hug.


    He pulled up the zipper of his jacket. Then, with flushed cheeks, red ears and a determined look, he put his chin up and said, ¡°Come!¡±


    Mingxi: ?


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t figure out what he was trying to do.


    Fu Yangxi would do crazy stuff more than 100 times a day. Since she was already used to it, she quickly sat down.


    Ke Chengwen, ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t want a hug?


    Fu Yangxi was both angered and embarrassed. He touched his nose and hurriedly pretended as if nothing happened by turning around and sitting down as well.


    Due to such an awkward scene, everyone calmed down, save for Mr. Lu.


    At least until next month, whenever he hears Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Ye Bing boast about the good results of the students in their classes, he will no longer have to feel envious and put on a fake smile in order to remain polite!!!


    Who was it who advised Zhao Mingxi not to participate in this month¡¯s monthly exams?


    It was him!


    Mr. Lu was extremely thankful that Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t listen to him!


    *


    After obtaining such results, during the afternoon break, the Literature teacher came again to look for Mingxi in order to ask her to be the host. However, Mingxi had just gone to the toilet when she arrived so she missed her. Therefore, she could only get someone to pass the message to Mingxi asking her to appear at her office in the next few days.


    After their lunch break, at the end of the third period, Mr. Lu called Mingxi to the teachers¡¯ office. He complimented her before asking about Mingxi¡¯s studies.


    He had always been very concerned about Mingxi. When she first transferred into the International Class, he even purposely allowed her to choose her own seat.


    Now that he feels that Mingxi is a good seedling which can be cultivated, he paid even more attention to her.


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious as to why you have never been able to score such good results back in the Normal Class.¡± Mr. Lu was flipping through Mingxi¡¯s homework as he asked, ¡°Based on your homework, I wouldn¡¯t think that you were someone who used to rank around 600 to 700 in the Normal Classes.¡±


    Before Mingxi could say anything, the door to the office was pushed open. Mr. Li from Normal Class 6 had entered with a tea cup and he said, ¡°I am curious about this as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Mr. Lu took a glance at Mr. Li. Then, he said to Mingxi, ¡°Before you transferred here, your ex-homeroom teacher asked me to take good care of you.¡±


    Mingxi quickly said, ¡°Thank you sir!¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. Lu Wangwei, stop saying all this nonsense, or else she might get scared of you.¡± When Mr. Li saw how Mingxi was still standing in front of Mr. Lu¡¯s desk, he pulled a chair to her and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    When Mingxi saw Mr. Li, her heart felt warm. He had always treated her very well back when she was in Normal Class 6.


    Mr. Li said with a smile, ¡°Our Mingxi has finally made it. A few teachers were discussing about you during lunch. They all said that the student who came from my Normal Class 6 had defeated a majority of students in the three competitive classes and that you were very outstanding. It made me so proud to hear it.¡±


    ¡°It has already reached your ears?¡± Mingxi was a little shy as she lightly scratched her face.


    She simply could not figure out a way to explain the occurrences which had happened to her previously. Just as she was thinking about how to answer this question, she suddenly thought of Professor Gao, so she said, ¡°I found an amazing teacher who provided me with tuition classes. I have done many test papers as well recently so my results may have risen due to these reasons.¡±


    Such situations whereby one¡¯s results suddenly shot up in Year 3 was not something unheard of.


    The two teachers weren¡¯t suspicious of this answer at all. They both felt that it was most likely that this child was not into it previously, and her family was an affecting factor too.


    Now that she was staying in school, had left such disturbances and joined tuition classes, it was only natural for her results to get better.


    ¡°Then you should be a black horse with unstable results. You have to continue working hard in the future. Don¡¯t let your results go down from here.¡±


    Due to his words, Mingxi was suddenly reminded of a problem she was most concerned about. ¡°Mr. Lu, have the participants for the Hundred School Tournament been decided? I don¡¯t know if I can participate in it with my result as No.17.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can join it as well.¡± However, Mr. Lu¡¯s face turned somber. He sighed and said, ¡°But it¡¯s hard. This is decided by the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang. He is the student of the infamous gold trainer Professor Gao, and he is the teacher who leads the team every year.¡±


    ¡°The ones who are usually chosen to participate would have the average results above the 18th place out of everyone in this building¡ª Another two spots are for two students from the International Class who specializes in foreign language.¡±


    ¡°Although you are at 17th place this time, your average results are still pulled down too much by your previous scores,¡± Mr. Lu said. ¡°So it is really quite hard. Nonetheless, I will still mention this to Mr. Jiang.¡±


    As Mr. Lu spoke, he also felt a little distressed.


    He wanted to get Zhao Mingxi to join as well. The more chances she gets, the more hope he has for his bonus.


    Although Mingxi was slightly disappointed by this, she still nodded.


    *


    Despite the fact that the monthly exam was a mere brief interlude, it still led to Zhao Mingxi entering the group of people leading the ranks among the three classes. At least she had fired her first cannon and established her place in the three classes.


    The people who called her transfer student gradually decreased. There were even some who forgot that she was from the Normal Class.


    The announcing of the results in the Gold Medal Class was not as dramatic as it was in the Evergreen Class. Mr. Jiang merely passed a piece of paper with the rankings to everyone in class. Then, he gave a short speech.


    Shen Liyao had never paid much attention to that list. Regardless of whether or not he took a glimpse of it, he was still in 1st place.


    But this time, he held the paper tightly to the point where his knuckles turned white. His expression was unreadable, his eyes glued to the paper.


    It was the same as how he liked to take the longer route to the Normal Class¡¯ building and take a glimpse of the rankings of the Normal Classes after their exams.


    Zhao Mingxi in 17th place. It was within his expectations.


    The gap between them was getting smaller.


    Shen Liyao had a feeling that someday she was going to gradually crawl up to the spot beside him, and everyone would see how bright she shined.


    However, he used to be pretty certain that she was doing all this because of him.


    But this time, he was completely unsure.


    She was still raising her head, but she was no longer looking in his direction.

 Chapter 26.1

    Only on Wednesday did Zhao Yuning receive the news that Zhao Mingxi came in 17th place in the October monthly exam, and that she had a higher ranking than Zhao Yuan.


    He felt both suspicious and surprised.


    He waited anxiously until it was lunch time. Then, he immediately ran over to the Year 3 side of the cafeteria.


    It has been a whole month since Zhao Yuning has had the chance to eat a meal cooked by Zhao Mingxi. He hadn¡¯t been dragged back to school by Zhao Mingxi whenever he skipped school to go to the cyber cafe as well.


    He still did not believe the words that Zhao Mingxi said to him. He refused to think that she was truly able to sever all ties with their family.


    He placed all his hope on his eldest brother. However, his eldest brother hasn¡¯t been coming home recently, and he always appeared as if he didn¡¯t know how to explain the reason for this occurrence to him.


    Zhao Yuning knew then that his eldest brother did not manage to coax Mingxi home.


    Zhao Yuning originally thought that without Zhao Mingxi, him and his family will only return to how they were two years ago.


    But what he didn¡¯t expect was to be even more disappointed and fearful than he thought when he was about to truly lose Zhao Mingxi.


    Zhao Mingxi hasn¡¯t appeared in his life for a month.


    Only then did he realize that he didn¡¯t hate this elder sister as much, nor was Zhao Mingxi as unimportant as he thought she was.


    ¡°I saw on the forum that the host for this year¡¯s Annual School Celebration is Zhao Mingxi, is that true?¡±


    The first thing Zhao Yuning did when he came over was to ask about Zhao Mingxi.


    The fingers that Zhao Yuan had wrapped around the chopsticks clenched tighter unconsciously.


    Pu Shuang said, ¡°Those are only rumors on the forum. The teacher from the Literature Department did look for her, but ultimately the host has yet to be decided. Besides, it has always been Zhao Yuan for the past few years, so it¡¯s impossible for them to change the host this year!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zhao Yuning was a little disappointed. That spot always belonged to Zhao Yuan. If they were to change to Zhao Mingxi this year, it would be quite good.


    Pu Shuang couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°Zhao Yuning, they are both your elder sisters, so why don¡¯t you ask about Yuanyuan? She didn¡¯t do well this time so imagine how she feels¡ª¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do well?¡± Zhao Yuning took a spoonful of rice and looked at her with wide eyes. He asked Zhao Yuan, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get in 22nd place this time? You¡¯ve always had such results, so why didn¡¯t you do well?¡±


    Zhao Yuan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuning was still thinking about Zhao Mingxi. He said in contemplation, ¡°By the way, how did Zhao Mingxi¡¯s results improve so quickly? If I tell our family about this, Mom will be so happy¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuan knew that with the existence of this loudspeaker in the form of Zhao Yuning, there was no way that she could hide the fact that she lost to Zhao Mingxi in this monthly exam.


    Since she lost in the monthly exam, she will have to win against her in the Hundred School Tournament and the Annual School Celebration.


    She remained silent for a while. Then, she said through gritted teeth, ¡°If you want to see Mingxi be the host so badly, I will go to the Literature Department this afternoon and recommend Mingxi to the teacher.¡±


    If it was Zhao Zhanhuai or any other guy, they would have noticed the sorrow in Zhao Yuan¡¯s voice. However, Zhao Yuning had a one-track mind. He immediately stood up and exclaimed, ¡°Really?!¡±


    Zhao Yuan, ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuan clenched her chopsticks tightly. Nowadays, she has been hoping for Zhao Mingxi to hurry home.


    The more days that Zhao Mingxi wasn¡¯t home, the more attention their family would place on her.


    *


    As the weather turned cold, during the afternoon Music class in the lecture room, some girls had put on their scarves. The fuzzy material looped on top of their sweaters made them look even prettier and warm.


    Because Zhao Mingxi had grown up in the North, she was less susceptible to the cold. Her pale neck was exposed. She did not wear anything around it, but she did not feel chilly at all.


    However, when Fu Yangxi observed her while lying down on his table with his noise-cancelling headphones on, he immediately furrowed his brows.


    Is Little Mask¡¯s family okay? Do they not even have the money to buy her a scarf?


    But why then did he see Zhao Yuan* who was from the class downstairs dressed so warmly?


    * Fu Yangxi used the wrong word for her name.


    She was even wearing black Dr. Martens. But Little Mask only wore sports shoes everyday.


    The more Fu Yangxi thought about it, the more agitated he became. He gestured with one finger for the follower at his right to come over. Then, he took out a credit card and gave it to the follower.


    That follower took the credit card and sneaked out of the back door of the lecture hall.


    Fu Yangxi turned back and stretched his long legs. He accidentally kicked the chair of the girl in front of him.


    When that girl turned back and saw Fu Yangxi¡¯s face, her cheeks flushed red. She put her hand up to cover her mouth and whispered to the person beside her, ¡°It¡¯s that guy from the International Class. The super wealthy one.¡±


    The two girls in front took turns to look back at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi thought that they were looking for a fight. He pulled a long face and glared at them, ¡°What? You wanna fight?¡±


    Those two girls got so scared that they hurriedly turned their heads to face the front again.


    After a while, one of the girls folded a paper crane and with a flushed appearance, passed it to him through the tips of her fingers. She placed the paper crane on Fu Yangxi¡¯s table.


    A love letter?


    Fu Yangxi instinctively frowned. He reached out a hand and was about to crumple it and throw it away when he thought of something. He immediately looked towards Zhao Mingxi from the corner of his eyes.


    Oh no, Little Mask has got to be jealous. Will he have to coax her for a long time after this?


    He was experiencing a headache.


    However, what he saw was a Zhao Mingxi who had not noticed this at all. She was still focused on doing her Maths questions, the tip of her pencil brushing against the paper continuously.


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mood instantly dropped. He stared at Zhao Mingxi for quite some time. Then, while trying his best to act as if it was an accident, he bumped his elbow against Zhao Mingxi.


    Zhao Mingxi thought that Fu Yangxi was complaining that she had taken too much of his space. She gave him an odd look, using her eyes to ask him ¡®You already have so much space, why are you still pushing against me?¡¯. Nonetheless, she still pushed her books to the left and continued to do her questions.


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    Sometimes, Fu Yangxi was truly angered by Zhao Mingxi¡¯s slow reactions. It even made him question if she really liked him.


    Why is she never jealous?!


    Why was she not envious when she saw those two girls purposely trying to get with him this morning? Instead she was waiting behind him quietly?!


    Was she too magnanimous or was she so certain that he would only like her?!


    Mingxi was still doing her questions. She could feel Fu Yangxi¡¯s burning stare. What had she done to him this time? She raised her head and gave Fu Yangxi a look. Then, she subconsciously looked at the thermos on her table.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi hesitated for a moment before passing the thermos to him. ¡°There¡¯s soy milk in there. Do you want some?¡±


    Is he still hungry or something?


    But she had used this thermos already. This Young Master will most likely be bothered by it.


    When Fu Yangxi saw the thermos she had passed to him, the coolness in his expression disappeared. The words that he had prepared for her in his mind, ¡®I¡¯m not an easy pursuit. You should be cautious at all times, don¡¯t let others try to get to me.¡¯, were instantly tossed to the back of his mind.


    The tips of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears instantly flushed red. She was passing the cup that her lips had touched to him.


    This has to be some sort of hidden message, right?


    This definitely has to be some sort of hidden message.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s frown deepened. His fingers were uncontrollably drawing circles on the table. He said with an unwilling facade, ¡°If you insist so strongly, I guess I have no choice but to try it out¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Zhao Mingxi ruffle through her bag and suddenly pull out a couple of paper cups. She picked out a clean one from among them, opened the thermos and carefully poured out a cup of soy milk.


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    What the hell? Was she giving him the cold-shoulder?


    Fu Yangxi was suddenly no longer as excited to drink it anymore. He looked at Zhao Mingxi and chugged the whole drink while biting the edge of the paper cup.


    Mingxi originally thought that the action of giving him some soy milk will not cause any tiny buds to grow. After all, she was no longer gaining any luck from giving him desserts. But unexpectedly, after Fu Yangxi had finished drinking, the flower pot actually moved a little?!


    50 tiny buds could combine into a small tree. Now she already had one small tree and 29 tiny buds.


    She still had more to do.


    Mingxi immediately poured another cup for Fu Yangxi. Her eyes were practically gleaming. ¡°Another cup?¡±


    ¡°?¡± Fu Yangxi downed another cup in confusion.


    ¡°Another cup.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± He finished another cup.


    ¡°Another cup?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± He finished yet another cup.


    One small tree and 31 tiny buds.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°One last cup?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was about to get sick from it. He shut his mouth tightly. Did she think she was feeding a pig? Who in their right mind would drink 80ml of soy milk in one go? Unless she was doing this on purpose? Punishing him for talking to other girls just now?


    Fu Yangxi muttered, ¡°I only said one sentence.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°?¡±


    Fortunately, there was none left in the thermos. Mingxi whispered to Fu Yangxi, ¡°If you like this, I¡¯ll bring you a bottle each day from now on. We¡¯ll change from desserts to this, okay?¡±


    F*ck. Little Mask¡¯s jealousy can only be described as ¡®it never rains but it pours¡¯. Although Fu Yangxi thought that this was a sweet thing, he immediately said, ¡°Rejected. I want desserts. What kind of man drinks soy milk everyday?¡±


    My chest will grow bigger if I drink any more.


    Fu Yangxi subconsciously looked down at his own chest.


    Mingxi looked at the two newly grown tiny buds. Although she had yet to reap the benefits to the fullest, she could only say, ¡°Alright.¡±


    *


    The Music class was taught through the combination of several classes at the lecture hall. Prior to this, Fu Yangxi would always skip such classes. He had never attended even a single one of them. However, he actually attended class today.


    Not only that, this month was also the month that he had appeared the most. He came to school almost every day.


    Due to the fact that his mop of red hair was far too eye-catching, the music teacher on stage couldn¡¯t help but to call him up to play a song on a piano.


    Before this, Fu Yangxi would have been lazy to even stand up. But today, as he looked at Zhao Mingxi who was sitting beside him, he had the intention to showcase his talent. The corner of his lips curled up before he walked on stage in a sluggish manner.


    After getting on stage, Fu Yangxi played a tune with a smooth flow.


    Zhao Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to put down her pencil. She was beginning to look at Fu Yangxi in a different light.


    However, the more she thought about this, the more it felt obvious to her. Although he appeared lazy and relaxed most of the time and was far too indolent to do anything, he was still the Young Master of the Fu family. The influence from his childhood could not be denied, hence the talents he possessed were most likely far more than an average person¡¯s.


    As for Mingxi, she didn¡¯t know how to play any instruments before she was 17.


    However, after graduating from high school in her past life, she spent a few years learning the cello.


    She hasn¡¯t played it for some time now, so she was a little unfamiliar with it. Nonetheless, it should be no problem for her to play a tune.


    Thus, when it was her turn, she played a small part of a familiar song.


    The low and graceful sound of music flowed through slowly. Mingxi had beautiful features, and the afternoon sun was shining on her warmly.


    The eyes of everyone in the hall were on her at that instant. After all, they had all seen others perform, but this was their first time seeing Zhao Mingxi play any sort of instrument.


    Shen Liyao who was sitting in the last row pursed his lips, his eyes fixed on Zhao Mingxi.


    It wasn¡¯t common for him to attend these kinds of huge classes as well. However, when he saw the students from the International Class coming to attend the class and spotted the familiar figure in the crowd, he didn¡¯t know why but he took a turn this way.


    By the time he returned to his senses, he had already entered the lecture hall.


    Ye Bai who was beside him was discussing with another guy from the School Representative Team, ¡°Zhao Mingxi actually knows how to play musical instruments? I¡¯ve never heard about this before!¡±


    Shen Liyao didn¡¯t know about this either. He knew Zhao Mingxi for two years, yet it was as if he had only truly begun to know her recently.


    He could only watch as she transformed from a pearl covered with dust, gradually blowing off the dust layer by layer.


    As for the girls around Zhao Yuan, they were even more shocked.


    Pu Shuang opened her mouth wide. ¡°Since when did Zhao Mingxi know how to play the cello?! And her playing is rather, rather¡ª¡±


    Rather good.


    If her playing of the cello was given 8 marks, then her figure and facial features would completely fill in the remaining 2 marks.


    The simple stage in the lecture hall was as if it was turned into a performance stage.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still better.¡± Pu Shuang came back to her senses. She hurriedly said to Zhao Yuan, ¡°Your piano is already at Grade 10.¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s lips were ash white. The hands that she had placed in her pockets were cold and stiff. She slowly clenched her fist to the point that her nails were digging into her palm.


    She suddenly stood up and left from the back door of the lecture hall.


    Fu Yangxi had his hands supporting the back of his head. While he was watching Zhao Mingxi play the cello, he noticed Zhao Yuan from the corner of his eye. He furrowed his brows. ¡°Where is she headed off to?¡±


    Ke Chengwen took a glance. ¡°She seems to be going in the direction of the office of the Literature Department.¡±


    He suddenly thought of something. Fu Yangxi revealed a mischievous smile. ¡°You have someone you know in Year 1, right?¡±


    Ke Chengwen had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Xi ge, what do you want to do?¡±

 Chapter 26.2

    Chapter 26 (Part 2)


    Back in the classroom¡­


    Ke Chengwen was still talking about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s cello performance a while ago.


    ¡°F*ck, Mingxi. You¡¯re way too modest. Why have you never made any mention about such a skill?!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as if it was an important skill.¡± Mingxi kept her test papers in her desk drawer.


    Besides, it was a skill that she had learned in her past life, so she wasn¡¯t sure if she still knew how to do it.


    Who would¡¯ve known that the moment she touched the cello, the familiar tune which was carved in her mind started to appear.


    Looks like everything is unreal save for the knowledge embedded in your mind.


    ¡°Stop ogling at her.¡± Fu Yangxi pushed Ke Chengwen¡¯s head to the side roughly.


    After the few of them sat down, Mingxi saw Fu Yangxi pour himself a cup of hot water. Then, he poured out a few vitamin-like white tablets from several bottles and gulped it all down with the hot water.


    Just as Mingxi was about to ask him what he was drinking, she saw Fu Yangxi suddenly wave lazily towards the entrance to their class. ¡°Come here.¡±


    A follower immediately ran over and placed a huge box on Mingxi¡¯s table. He was allowing her to make the first choice.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Mingxi¡¯s attention was drawn to it.


    What she saw was a whole box of fluffy scarves. They all looked soft and relaxing. She couldn¡¯t put a finger on the brand linked to it, but seeing as how exquisite it was, it must be an expensive brand.


    However, because they had bought too much, it could only be kept in a box.


    Ke Chengwen explained, ¡°Gang scarves.¡±


    Fu Yangxi tossed the white bottles into the desk drawer and sat on his desk. He cuffed his hands behind his head and swung his legs. He was looking at Zhao Mingxi happily.


    The small mole beneath his eye seemed even more apparent from this angle.


    ¡°You are currently the No.1 follower, so you can choose first.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°¡­The things in your gang sure are unique. First it¡¯s a phone case, and now it¡¯s a scarf.¡±


    Has she finally infiltrated the gang and became the No.1 follower after a month of effort?


    Although Mingxi wasn¡¯t cold at all, considering how it was a group activity, she felt obliged to join.


    She looked around before finally pulling out a white one. Then, she lowered her head and wrapped it around her neck.


    The scarf was very comfortable. She felt much warmer after putting it on.


    When Fu Yangxi saw this, he feigned a look of nonchalance and coughed before reaching out a hand to grab blindly. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll choose at random as well.¡±


    Due to his blind grabbing, he pulled out a pink one. When he saw that, he pulled a long face and tossed it back in.


    He took a glance at Mingxi¡¯s choice before reaching in to pull out a black one.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    You call this random? You¡¯re obviously choosing a specific one.


    The scarves were happily given to everyone in class.


    In the midst of this joyful atmosphere, Mingxi sat down and continued to do her test papers.


    Fu Yangxi placed one leg above the other as he sat on the table. He was happily taking off the one he was originally wearing and putting on the new one.


    Then, Mingxi looked up and suddenly noticed that at the right side nearing the back of his neck, there were two deep and long gashes.


    Similar to the injury on his hand previously, it seemed as if he had been injured by shattered glass. It had now scabbed over, but she could imagine how horrifying the cut was when it was first inflicted.


    Mingxi instantly stood up and pushed Fu Yangxi¡¯s face to one side.


    The two of them were suddenly very close. He could feel Mingxi¡¯s breath on him.


    ¡­


    Her eyelashes were like a crow¡¯s feathers. They were long and black, clear as day.


    ¡°What, what are you doing?¡± Fu Yangxi was shocked. He thought she suddenly wanted to kiss him so his face immediately went red while his body became as stiff as a rock¡ª But after waiting for two seconds, Mingxi still had yet to do anything.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s eyelids twitched. Only then did he realize that she was looking at the wound on his neck.


    Fu Yangxi changed his expression and instantly pushed Mingxi away. He stood straight, took two steps back and quickly put on the scarf.


    ¡°What happened to your neck?¡± Mingxi stared at his neck in shock.


    She did not see such a wound on Fu Yangxi¡¯s neck a week ago. So if her guess was right, he must¡¯ve been injured this week.


    However, as the days were getting colder recently, Fu Yangxi had always had a scarf on. Furthermore, he was seated on her right, so she would never have been able to notice the right side of his neck.


    Thus, she only found out today.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression was more relaxed now. He touched his neck which was covered by the scarf and said nonchalantly, ¡°When I was cooking instant noodles, the temperature of the water was too high so the glass bowl shattered.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°This happened previously as well?¡±


    Fu Yangxi looked at her. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too forgetful. It¡¯s already the second time. If you were a little more unlucky, the glass shards could¡¯ve cut through your veins.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know why but she felt a surge of anger within her. ¡°Have you always been like this?¡±


    When Fu Yangxi saw her expression, for some reason, his heart felt a little weak.


    He tried to cover up the gentleness he felt in his heart. He curled his feet around a chair and pulled it over. Then, he sat down, and with his arms crossed, he looked at Zhao Mingxi, raised his eyebrows in joy and said proudly, ¡°Little Mask, have you never heard of this saying that a scar is a man¡¯s medal of honour?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡­


    To hell with your medals.


    *


    Mingxi felt unsettled for the whole afternoon. She was wondering if it was because of her sucking away Fu Yangxi¡¯s luck that he was constantly so unlucky.


    He had been cut by glass shards twice already.


    Aside from the fact that Fu Yangxi was treating her very well right now and was protecting her as he would a follower, she should still know how to repay his kindness.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t friends with Fu Yangxi, in fact, they were merely strangers, she could not allow herself to do such a thing whereby she would transfer her unluckiness to Fu Yangxi.


    The system said to her: ¡°Such an occurrence will never happen. You are merely freeloading on his luck, not absorbing it. Do you get it? Fu Yangxi getting cut by glass is definitely not something caused by your actions.¡±


    When Mingxi heard the system¡¯s words, she let out a sigh of relief. Nonetheless, she still felt a little uneasy.


    She decided to stop freeloading on his luck for a few days and observe the situation.


    *


    As for the other side, while Zhao Yuning had some free time after the end of the second period after lunch, he was suddenly pulled to the Literature Department¡¯s office by a friend. ¡°A senior from Year 3 is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Zhao Yuning didn¡¯t know anyone from Year 3. However, his friend kept on pulling him to the point where he couldn¡¯t even escape. Thus, with a feeling of annoyance, he got dragged to the Literature Department.


    Before he could get close, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.


    Zhao Yuning subconsciously stopped walking.


    ¡°Teacher,¡± It was Zhao Yuan¡¯s soft voice. ¡°Have you decided on the host for next month¡¯s Annual School Celebration?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± A woman¡¯s gentle voice could be heard from the other side.


    Zhao Yuning thought that Zhao Yuan was going to do what she said during lunch time which was to recommend Zhao Mingxi. Therefore, he didn¡¯t dare to disturb them. He merely waited outside for her to come out.


    He thought to himself, Yuanyuan jie is truly magnanimous.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been the host for the past two years. My experience and capabilities far exceeds anyone¡¯s qualifications to be the host this year.¡±


    ¡°I know Mingxi is very popular right now, including the fact that she scored higher than I did this time. However, Miss, have you seen the forum? A lot of people are wondering if Mingxi cheated¡ª She- because she¡¯s my elder sister and I know her very well, she would never have been able to score such marks in normal exams. She did look for Shen Liyao before the exams.¡±


    ¡°The Annual School Celebration¡¯s pictures will eventually be posted on the school¡¯s website, I think it might not be a very good impression on the public, right? So I hope you can still give me this chance.¡±


    ¡°If you agree, I can invite a pianist from Berklee for this year¡¯s piano recital.¡±


    ¡°The CCTV can prove if a student has cheated, not by the words of students in a forum.¡± that teacher said. ¡°But I still want to thank you for telling me about such a topic in the forum. If there are such rumors, then indeed, choosing Zhao Mingxi may not be good for the school¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He heard a few things after that. The teacher seemed to be saying something to Zhao Yuan. However, Zhao Yuning could care less.


    The blood in his system was boiling while his head was buzzing like an old broken TV.


    If the person standing there was someone like E Xiaoxia, Zhao Yuning would not react this way.


    But why was it Zhao Yuan?


    How could it be Zhao Yuan?


    Zhao Yuan was never one to fight against others for something.


    But soon after, Zhao Yuning noticed something. Although Zhao Yuan had never forcefully taken anything from anyone, everyone in their family including her friends would take the initiative to help her pick on Zhao Mingxi¡ª Just like the previous E Xiaoxia incident.


    ¡­


    He recalled all the previous incidents.


    The blood in Zhao Yuning¡¯s veins rushed to his head. He was so shocked that he forgot to leave.


    His expression changed again and again. He didn¡¯t even notice that the guy who brought him there had left.


    He didn¡¯t know how long had passed when the door was opened.


    Zhao Yuan walked out and closed the door politely. There was a smile on her face.


    She looked back and met Zhao Yuning¡¯s unbelieving eyes.


    The air became deadly quiet.


    Zhao Yuan was shocked. She exclaimed, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    *


    The atmosphere in the Zhao family was rather awkward after school had ended today.


    Zhao Zhanhuai had yet to come home. Madam Zhao didn¡¯t know why, but for some reason Zhao Yuning and Zhao Yuan got into a fight. After returning home, with an angry look, Zhao Yuning locked himself in his room to play games. He didn¡¯t come out until it was time for dinner.


    As for Zhao Yuan, her eyes were red-rimmed. When she was asked what happened, she refused to say anything and went to her room as well.


    Madam Zhao was certain that it was Zhao Yuning who bullied Zhao Yuan. She walked upstairs with a frown and knocked on the door before dragging Zhao Yuning out. ¡°Apologize to your sister. What did you do this time?¡±


    Zhao Yuning was about to throw a fit. ¡°What the f*ck does this have to do with me? Why don¡¯t you ask her what she did? She told the teacher that Zhao Mingxi cheated¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Madam Zhao was in disbelief. ¡°Why would Yuanyuan say such a thing?¡±


    Zhao Yuning gritted his teeth. He regretted not recording the whole conversation.


    When Zhao Yuan heard the commotion outside, she immediately opened the door and ran out. She said to Madam Zhao, ¡°No, Mom, it has nothing to do with Yuning. I bumped into some other matters. Really!¡±


    When Madam Zhao saw how fearful Zhao Yuan was, she was even more certain that it was Zhao Yuning who had bullied her. She got even angrier. ¡°Yuning, you¡¯re already 15. Why can¡¯t you man up and take responsibility for what you¡¯ve done?!¡±


    Zhao Yuning was so angered that his head was spinning. He glared angrily at Zhao Yuan.


    Now he understood how helpless Zhao Mingxi felt when she couldn¡¯t even explain herself. He felt so f*cking wronged! His fist was clenched tightly.


    ¡°Come down and have dinner.¡± Madam Zhao ordered before turning to go downstairs.


    ¡°Amazing.¡± The way Zhao Yuning looked at Zhao Yuan was as if he didn¡¯t know her at all. ¡°Is it fun to have all of us wrapped around your fingers?¡±


    Zhao Yuan said, ¡°Yuning, let me explain. I was forced to do it! I simply didn¡¯t want to lose this opportunity¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are very different from what I imagined.¡±


    Zhao Yuning glared at her and cut her off in disappointment, ¡°Since you have done something wrong, the least you could do is apologize. Not to me, but to the teacher because you spewed nonsense to her face. You should apologize to Zhao Mingxi, because you slandered her name. But you¡¯re still trying to find excuses for yourself. You don¡¯t feel regretful at all.¡±


    Zhao Yuan was afraid that Madam Zhao would hear him so she lowered her voice. ¡°We grew up together. Why must you always favour Zhao Mingxi over me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re claiming what doesn¡¯t belong to you! Don¡¯t you get it?!¡± Zhao Yuning was so angered that his words were no longer filtered. The frustration and anxiety he felt ever since Zhao Mingxi left home had accumulated to the maximum at this point.


    He yelled out, ¡°You¡¯re claiming what doesn¡¯t belong to you. Who do you think you are to have everyone lean in favour of you?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t even let me have a pet cat. This is my house so why can¡¯t I have a cat? I just want a f*cking cat! I want 100 f*cking cats!¡±


    Madam Zhao rushed over and gave Zhao Yuning a slap on the face.


    That night, with a handprint on his face, Zhao Yuning left the Zhao family home and checked into a hotel.

 Chapter 26.3 - (Part 3)

    It was only after Zhao Zhanhuai had returned when Madam Zhao discovered that Zhao Mingxi had come in 17th place for this month¡¯s monthly exam, and that she had ranked even higher than Zhao Yuan.


    She was naturally overjoyed. With mixed feelings, she said, ¡°Mingxi¡¯s results have never been good. Now that she has obtained such a rank, it shows that she has put in a lot of effort.¡±


    ¡°With such good results, if she was home, we would have prepared a huge meal for her so that we could celebrate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that she¡¯s not home.¡±


    ¡°Should I go to school and visit her tomorrow?¡± Madam Zhao couldn¡¯t help but to straighten her back and ask.


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt his scalp tighten. He hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s only three days left until the birthday banquet. She will come, so don¡¯t go to school. If you say something insensitive she might get mad again.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought, ¡®No matter what, even if Mingxi never returns, I must bring her back for the birthday banquet.¡¯


    Or else this birthday banquet will truly cause the Zhao family to fall apart.


    Madam Zhao could only sit back down.


    When she saw how the house was so quiet and cold, Madam Zhao¡¯s mood soured.


    How did it become like this? Couldn¡¯t they just get along with each other? Mingxi and Yuning just had to leave home and they both even blocked me on their phones.


    Where did it go wrong?


    Although Madam Zhao did not want to blame Zhao Yuan and thought that it was Zhao Yuning who had bullied Zhao Yuan¡ª After all since they were young, Zhao Yuning had been an impatient one while Zhao Yuan was more obedient. However, now that she saw Zhao Mingxi and Zhao Yuning leaving this home because of Zhao Yuan, she couldn¡¯t help but to blame Zhao Yuan a little.


    Zhao Yuan cried as she sat on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I¡¯ll try to get Yuning to come home tomorrow.¡±


    Madam Zhao pushed her hand away and went upstairs in frustration. ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t agitate him further. Send his eldest brother over after a few days.¡±


    Zhao Yuan never could have imagined that things would turn out this way. She opened her mouth, but when she saw Madam Zhao¡¯s figure, she closed it.


    She looked towards Zhao Zhanhuai with watery eyes.


    Zhao Zhanhuai gave her a glass of water. ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    Zhao Yuan wanted to get some comfort from Zhao Zhanhuai, just like how she did all this while.


    However, when Zhao Zhanhuai saw her, he couldn¡¯t help but to feel as if the person who was looking at him was ¡®Zhao Mingxi¡¯ who had no one by her side when she sprained her ankle during Sports Day.


    Furthermore, he was continuously reminded that he had no blood relations with Zhao Yuan.


    He felt uncomfortable. So he avoided Zhao Yuan¡¯s gaze and hurriedly ran upstairs as if he was escaping.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuan watched his retreating figure in disbelief. She immediately stood up.


    She felt increasingly nervous. The fear of an imminent loss was carving itself into her mind.


    What¡¯s going on with everyone at home? Is it merely because Zhao Mingxi had left home?


    ¡­If she left home as well, who would they pay more attention to?


    *


    Zhao Yuan couldn¡¯t figure out why Zhao Yuning would suddenly appear at the Literature Department yesterday. She wondered if it was Zhao Mingxi who was behind all this. However, when she asked Pu Shuang and the others from her class, they all said that when she left the lecture hall, Zhao Mingxi was still performing on stage.


    ¡°¡­¡± Then who could it be?


    As Zhao Yuning and her were still not talking, it was impossible for her to ask him this question.


    She suddenly locked eyes with someone who was looking at her from the 5th floor of the academic building.


    As they were too far apart, she couldn¡¯t see who it was. Nonetheless, the arrogant short red hair which was shining gold due to him being under the sun had exposed his identity.


    That person¡¯s skin may be extremely pale, but his eyes were dark and cold.


    Zhao Yuan felt a chilly wind blowing in her direction, causing her hairs to stand.


    When she looked up again, Fu Yangxi had already left with his arms around two other guys¡¯ shoulders.


    ¡ªCould it be Fu Yangxi? Or is it just a coincidence?


    Zhao Yuan was doubtful that the Young Master of the Fu family would do such a thing to her just for Zhao Mingxi.


    *


    As Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t like to do exercises between classes, and the homeroom teacher couldn¡¯t possibly force him to do it, so he let him be. Thus, for every period of exercise between classes, he would hug his Pikachu pillow to sleep.


    Mingxi had just returned from exercising. When she passed by the Evergreen Class, she suddenly heard someone call out to her. ¡°Mingxi!¡±


    Mr. Lu ran up to her. He was out of breath when he said, ¡°Why do you walk so fast? We¡¯ll talk while we¡¯re walking.¡±


    ¡°What happened, sir?¡±


    Mr. Lu said, ¡°I¡¯ve received news that our school has received another spot for the Hundred School Tournament.¡±


    Mingxi was shocked. ¡°Really?¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s heart rate began to speed up. She couldn¡¯t hide the excitement on her face.


    If A High could obtain another spot, does it mean that the chances of her joining the Hundred School Tournament is a little higher?!


    ¡°Yes. The news is correct. I¡¯ll notify the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang. Who knows, he might allow you to join.¡±


    After he was done speaking and before Mingxi could react, Lu Wangwei hurriedly ran upstairs. He went to the office in search of Mr. Jiang while sweating bullets.


    Mingxi stood on the spot for a while, stunned. Only after she had calmed down did she continue upstairs.


    She shouldn¡¯t raise her hopes, or else if she is not chosen to enter the Tournament, she will definitely be disappointed.


    This was what her grandmother had taught her. Calm down and don¡¯t put your hopes too high.


    Mr. Lu wasn¡¯t the person with the most information in school. If the news could reach him, it means that the other teachers had known about it for a while already.


    There were even a lot of students from the Gold Medal Class and Evergreen Class who had found out about this.


    ¡°Oh my God, Kong Jiaze was right, our school did obtain another spot! She is truly ahead of everyone when it comes to such news!¡±


    Ye Bai put down the experiment in his hands and exclaimed.


    Shen Liyao had his sleeves pulled up as he assembled a few grey colored machines by the side quietly. There were stacks of parts which had been assembled placed on his table.


    There was a high chance that Shen Liyao didn¡¯t go home last night and slept in the experiment room.


    Ye Bai couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°God Yao, actually with your current standard, you won¡¯t face a lot of pressure when it comes to obtaining National Champion. So it shouldn¡¯t take a lot out of you to date someone. I think Kong Jiaze is not bad. She can dance ballet and her results are good. The both of you are practically a match made in heaven¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Shen Liyao¡¯s expression was so cold that it was terrifying, his hands not stopping at all.


    ¡°¡ª¡± Ye Bai shut his mouth in fear.


    He placed his attention on the parts which Shen Liyao had completed.


    Then, he took a glance at Shen Liyao¡¯s handwritten timing board. He didn¡¯t know if it was his own misperception, but for the past few days the rate of Shen Liyao making a mistake seemed to be higher than before.


    It was as if it all began on that day when Zhao Mingxi said she no longer liked him in the corridor.


    Ye Bai instantly sensed where it went wrong.


    ¡°Or else¡ª¡± Ye Bai suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get Zhao Mingxi back? Actually, the both of you are quite a matching couple. Aside from her average results, she¡¯s quite good. Besides, her results are slowly getting better¡­¡±


    Ye Bai raised his head to look at Shen Liyao¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I told you to shut up. If you say another word, get out.¡± Shen Liyao¡¯s expression was still the same.


    Ye Bai looked at Shen Liyao¡¯s hands again.


    Shen Liyao never stopped what he was doing.


    ¡­


    However.


    It was very obvious that he had wrongly connected three lines, and the reds and blues were connected the other way round. Despite Shen Liyao¡¯s frown, it didn¡¯t seem as if he had noticed this.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    We¡¯re done for.


    Ye Bai thought. We¡¯re absolutely f*cked.


    The matter of an extra spot also reached the ears of the Evergreen Class.


    The average marks of Mu Jiao from the Evergreen Class placed her at the sweet spot of 19¡ª Every time she would only miss the spot to enter the Tournament by one place. But this time there was suddenly news of another spot. So isn¡¯t it sure to be hers?


    She was so excited that she immediately went to look for her homeroom teacher, Miss Ye Bing.


    Ye Bing was her aunt. Furthermore, Ye Bing was currently being pursued by the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang.


    With this connection, Mu Jiao simply could not think of another person aside from herself who was more worthy of this spot.


    Before the name list could be announced, the Evergreen Class was beginning to celebrate on behalf of Mu Jiao.


    She was always in 19th place and would brush against the final spot for entering the Tournament. Now she finally had the chance to enter.


    ¡°I saw the International Class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi talking to her homeroom teacher by the stairs today. They were talking about the extra spot.¡±


    Someone from the Evergreen Class said, ¡°The International Class¡¯ homeroom teacher¡ª Lu Wangwei, what is he thinking? Could it be that he thinks that the extra spot could be Zhao Mingxi¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Even if Zhao Mingxi came in 17th place this time, her results are still worse than all of us in this class.¡±


    The more that person spoke, the bigger the area of their criticism. ¡°The International Class are no good. Everyone ranging from the teachers to the students all like to dream.¡±


    Zhao Yuan who was originally doing her own work with her head lowered suddenly turned to look at that person.


    That person thought that she was warning them not to talk bad about Zhao Mingxi, so they immediately stopped talking.


    The host of the School Celebration, the Hundred School Tournament.


    Zhao Yuan clenched her pen while thinking, I will at least win in these two things.


    ¡­


    However, on this Thursday afternoon, a heavy bomb which was out of everyone¡¯s expectations exploded in this building.


    After the name list was announced, the last person to join was surprisingly Zhao Mingxi.


    *


    The moment this news was released, it spread across the whole building like a disease. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped when they heard the news. Even Lu Wangwei himself was stunned¡ª Although he did ask the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang, he never actually had any hopes of it coming true!


    The students in the Evergreen Class repeatedly confirmed, ¡°Is it really Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    ¡°Go downstairs and see it for yourself. Her name is printed in black and white on that name list.¡±


    ???


    The Evergreen Class was about to have PTSD against these three words, or rather this name.


    ¡°This is unfair!¡±


    ¡°Why is it Zhao Mingxi? If we choose according to the rankings, the person in 19th place is Mu Jiao, so why was Mu Jiao ignored?¡±


    ¡°Another case of doing things under the table? I¡¯m infuriated!¡±


    Someone said, ¡°Also, I heard that this chance was specially requested by Professor Gao for our school. Yet they gave it so nonchalantly to Zhao Mingxi. For such an honorable person like Professor Gao, when he catches wind of this he¡¯ll probably be angered to death¡ª How much did Zhao Mingxi spend, oh, no, how much did Fu Yangxi spend for her?¡±


    As Mu Jiao¡¯s hopes were shattered, her tears were falling like buckets. She dropped herself on her table and cried. Everyone in the Evergreen Class felt uncomfortable seeing her like this.


    The Evergreen Class was about to riot to their dean.


    Aside from the Evergreen Class, Ye Bing herself found it unfair as well. She interrogated Mr. Jiang in the office, ¡°Why was this chance given to the International Class? You know how difficult it is to obtain a spot, so why not do this fairly? This spot should have clearly been Mu Jiao¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, then who am I to ask? It was the dean who gave the order.¡±


    Ye Bing also started to suspect Fu Yangxi. ¡°Did the Fu family use the building donation as a threat again? That¡¯s inhumane!¡±


    ¡°No, I have to find the dean! Since it belongs to my class¡¯ student, I¡¯ll definitely get it back for her!¡±


    The International Class was in an uproar as well. However, it was the joyful kind of noise, celebrating the fact that ¡®LOL no matter how angry you are, the spot was still given to our class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi¡¯.


    During the period between classes, a few students from the Evergreen Class came to the International Class to scold them.


    One of Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers in the International Class put the scarf around his neck and rolled up his sleeves while standing at the entrance to the class. ¡°Come on then. Who¡¯s being the scaredy cat? Let¡¯s fight it out.¡±


    That scene was as if it was out of a comedy movie.


    ¡°You¡¯re so noisy.¡± The innocent Fu Yangxi took a glimpse at what was going on outside. Although he was tired, he couldn¡¯t sleep.


    He raised an eyebrow in confusion, then said to Zhao Mingxi in a light tone, ¡°I have never looked for the dean in order to ask him to give you the spot. I won¡¯t claim credit for something I¡¯ve never done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mingxi was still in shock. It was as if a huge chunk of a biscuit had fallen from the sky and hit her, causing her to be in a daze.


    She felt like this had something to do with Professor Gao¡ª A fortnight ago, his grandson was down with a fever. Mingxi then carried the child to the hospital even though it was raining. But is it possible that Professor Gao helped her merely because of this?


    It¡¯s impossible, right?!


    She had never received such good luck in her past life!


    Mingxi tried her best to retain her composure. ¡°I think we should wait. Who knows, it might end up like the marks of the monthly exam and they could¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    Meanwhile, the Evergreen Class who was standing outside their class started to increase the volume of their riot. Most of them were directed to Fu Yangxi.


    ¡°Fu Yangxi, the Evergreen Class isn¡¯t a class you can bully! Are you aware of the importance of this spot? How could you steal it so casually?!¡±


    ¡°Fu Yangxi, what kind of man are you to buy a spot with your money? If you have the ability to buy a spot for your horse, then you should man up and come out here!¡±


    Fu Yangxi, ¡°¡­¡±


    My horse??? Fu Yangxi wondered if he had heard the wrong thing.


    He quickly searched the term up on Baidu as he was not sure if it was a curse word.*


    *translator¡¯s note: in the Mandarin original, the words used were Âí×Ó (ma zi) which directly translates to ¡®horse¡¯. However, in recent days, it has been used like a slang word meaning ¡®your girl¡¯. But it has been explained that this generation has been using it wrong as it was originally used to describe how a woman, like a horse, belongs to a man.


    When he saw the description, the anger in his expression greatly decreased.


    Zhao Mingxi and Ke Chengwen watched as the tip of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears suddenly flush red. ¡°Are you not angry?¡±


    In a pretense, Fu Yangxi slammed his palm on the table. ¡°I¡¯m so angry, hmph.¡±

 Chapter 27.1 - (Part 1)

    However, the Evergreen Class only dared to make noise outside of the classroom.


    When Fu Yangxi came out with a dark look on his face, before the other half of that mop of red hair could leave the door, the huge crowd dispersed like the small minions who were running away to protect their own tower. Their backs were cautiously stuck to the wall, afraid of Fu Yangxi¡¯s approach.


    They only had the courage to continue glaring at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this noise?¡± Fu Yangxi had his silver headphones around his neck. Both his hands were stuffed in his pockets as he looked towards the people from the Evergreen Class. ¡°Since the spot has been given to Zhao Mingxi, it means that she has that capability. What are you ugly people making all this fuss for?¡±


    When the followers in the International Class saw Fu Yangxi¡¯s appearance, they immediately mustered up some courage. They puffed up their chest and yelled back.


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°How dare you unsightly people claim that we used money to buy that spot? What¡¯s the use of giving this spot to you people from the Evergreen Class anyways? Did anyone from your class manage to complete that last question for the previous Math exam? LOL.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this spot forcefully given to Zhao Mingxi because the dean looks up to our class? We don¡¯t even want the title of School Beauty! Tsk!¡±


    The more they spoke, the more outrageous and insulting it was!


    What did they mean by not wanting it? They were obviously flaunting themselves despite having obtained the long end of the stick!


    The group of people from the Evergreen Class were about to lose it. They all had their fists clenched tight, ready to rush up to fight against them¡ª fight against everyone aside from Fu Yangxi.


    The class monitor who was the leader of the Evergreen Class said, ¡°Fu Yangxi, this isn¡¯t a small matter. It has something to do with the Tournament. If you have the ability then do it fairly. Don¡¯t utilize such low methods behind our backs!¡±


    The more they spoke, the more emotional they got. Furthermore, the two classes had a long history of hate, and due to the accumulation of such hate, the boys from the two classes were beginning to push against each other. The corridor of the 5th floor was gradually getting more and more crowded. Even the students from the Gold Medal Class couldn¡¯t help but to stick their heads out of their windows to watch the show.


    Zhao Mingxi wanted to stand up and go out, but she was stopped by Ke Chengwen. ¡°Your appearance will only make things worse. Let¡¯s just wait for Xi ge to finish dealing with them first.¡±


    Seeing as how a war was about to happen, the dean got extremely anxious. He rushed over with sweat running down his forehead. ¡°What are you all doing? Do all of you want to clean the toilets again?¡±


    When Fu Yangxi gave him a threatening glare saying, ¡®if you dare make me clean the toilets again I will tear down the whole building¡¯, the dean swallowed, turned to the Evergreen Class and yelled angrily, ¡°What are you guys from the Evergreen Class doing? Are you guys too free after eating lunch? If you don¡¯t return to your own class, everyone who is present here will be punished!¡±


    ¡°How could you punish our class only?¡± The Evergreen Class got even angrier. Just as the scene got more intense, Ye Bing arrived with a solemn look along with Mu Jiao who had red-rimmed eyes.


    Ye Bing said coldly, ¡°Since the students in this building already found out about it, sir, let¡¯s make it clear right now! How in the world did such a selection happen?! You have to explain it to us and give everyone a fair answer!¡±


    The dean had explained himself so many times that blisters were almost growing on his tongue. ¡°I already said that this was a spot specially requested by Professor Gao for Zhao Mingxi! What in the world are you guys making all this fuss for?!¡±


    Whispers broke out among the crowd.


    ¡°Who will believe that?!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? If that spot was specially given to Zhao Mingxi I will swallow 300 basketballs!¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi had only transferred here from the Normal Class a month ago. Professor Gao has never been to the building of the Normal Class so he would not know her. Dean, how could you push such a responsibility to Professor Gao? And to say that he was the one who had specially requested for this? Ha, then why didn¡¯t Professor Gao make a special request for me?¡±


    No one believed it.


    It was impossible for them to believe it.


    Aside from the fact that Professor Gao had an eccentric character and he would never do such a thing, the Gold Medal Class¡¯ Mr. Jiang was Professor Gao¡¯s student, yet he had never heard of such news! This was definitely done by someone behind the scenes! This wasn¡¯t the first time Fu Yangxi had done such a thing. Isn¡¯t it that every time he bullies the Evergreen Class, the dean would always let him go and punish those from the Evergreen Class?


    It was absolutely preposterous and simply unbearable!


    Mu Jiao was right behind Ye Bing. The more she thought about it, the sadder she was. Her tears were falling in long lines. It was a chance which was supposed to have been hers, yet it was stolen by the International Class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi.


    Should she blame herself for not being rich or pretty enough to attract the attention of the Fu family¡¯s Young Master?


    Mu Jiao was a petite girl. She was never the type who would go against others and would always focus on her own studies. But now, she was being bullied to this extent.


    The Evergreen Class including Ye Bing were especially angered by this.


    Ye Bing said, ¡°Sir, you have to tell us the truth!¡±


    The dean was about to lose his cool. ¡°I already told you!¡±


    Mr. Lu had his arms crossed as he stood quietly at the corner. Although a huge fight was breaking out, whenever he thought about how the spot for the Tournament belonged to their class, he was always very close to laughing out loud.


    As Mr. Jiang was the homeroom teacher of the Gold Medal Class and he was the teacher in charge of the Tournament Representative Team, he had the most say out of all the classes.


    He came out as a middleman and said to the dean, ¡°Sir, as we are people who work in the education industry, we cannot bend over backwards for underhanded dealings. How about this, let me have a say. Let¡¯s go in accordance with the rules and give the Tournament spot to the Evergreen Class¡¯ Mu Jiao.¡±


    Fu Yangxi scoffed. ¡°Interesting. I haven¡¯t even done anything and yet you¡¯re talking about bending over backwards. Who wants your old back to bend over backwards?¡±


    It¡¯ll make odd cracking sounds if he does so.


    ¡°How could you talk to a teacher like this?!¡± Mr. Jiang was enraged. His face was flushed red and his eyes rounded in a glare.


    Mr. Lu thought, you¡¯re finally experiencing how I¡¯m always angered to the point of aging another 10 years.


    At this moment.


    ¡°Jiang Guangping, what in the world are you doing?!¡±


    A voice which was strict and unamendable to reason suddenly cut through the chaos in the corridor.


    Why does this voice sound like, like¡­


    Everyone turned to look. An angered dean was holding up his phone, and he was on a video call.


    As for the other side of the video call¡ª


    Although the signal was quite bad, it was still Professor Gao¡¯s face which was enough to make them tremble in fear!


    The people from the Evergreen Class were overjoyed. Did Professor Gao make a call because he heard of how the spot was given to Zhao Mingxi as well? Professor Gao has always been a fair and justiciable man. Once he finds out the truth, he will not allow such a thing to happen!


    There was hope glimmering in Mu Jiao¡¯s eyes.


    Miss Ye Bing also hurriedly took this chance and hurriedly spoke, ¡°The situation is this: did you not make a special request for another spot in the Tournament just for your juniors? By right that person should be chosen in accordance to the rankings, so the spot ought to belong to our Evergreen Class¡¯ Mu Jiao. But now, in the name list that was presented by the dean, the new spot was given to Zhao Mingxi. Please make a fair judgment¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, she was cut off. ¡°It is for Zhao Mingxi.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The air in the corridor fell silent. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped in shock.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Ye Bing could not process what Professor Gao said.


    Everyone in the corridor, including the students from the Evergreen Class and International Class couldn¡¯t return to their senses.


    It is for Zhao Mingxi.


    What does that mean?


    Professor Gao was trying hard to maintain a stern look. He said patiently, ¡°My intention from the beginning was to make a special request for a spot to be given to my most promising student, and that is my disciple, Zhao Mingxi. So what are all of you making such noise for?! And you dare say that it was unfair? Do I not have the right to recommend someone anymore?! Come, Miss Ye Bing, right? How about you become the Vice President of the Tournament? Then you can recommend whoever you want!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Ye Bing was yelled at so much that she fell into a daze.


    ¡°Wang Zhi, did I not send you the application and explain it clearly to you already?¡± Professor Gao said to the dean. ¡°I have a great impression of Zhao Mingxi. There were only 3 people who managed to complete the final Math question in the previous exam. Wasn¡¯t she one of them?¡±


    The dean hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what is there to question? Stop calling me!¡± Professor Gao then hung up the call with a cold face.


    ¡­


    The moment he hung up, a cold gust of wind blew across the whole corridor.


    ¡­


    Everyone exchanged looks.


    Fu Yangxi scoffed.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers giggled.


    Everyone from the Evergreen Class: ¡°¡­¡±


    The Evergreen Class made such a great fuss just to become a laughing stock.


    Disciple? Since when did Zhao Mingxi become Professor Gao¡¯s disciple?! And this spot was really a f*cking special request made for her. So what were they doing? Stealing another¡¯s spot? They were jumping around like ants.


    The Evergreen Class was absolutely embarrassed.


    The dean said in exasperation, ¡°I already told you but you simply refused to believe me. You just had to disturb Professor Gao before believing it, right?¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mu Jiao was stunned¡ª Specially requested for Zhao Mingxi?


    Then all her tears, what were they for?


    Wouldn¡¯t she appear very silly? She immediately wiped her tears, wanting nothing more than to dig a hole and stick her head into it.


    Ye Bing felt as if she had just met with the biggest downfall of her teaching career. Her expression went from ugly to pale.


    With her ashen complexion, she quietly turned and went downstairs.


    When she saw the students from the Evergreen Class still standing outside the other class in shock, she yelled, ¡°What are you still standing around for? Get back to class!¡±


    Only then did the students from the Evergreen Class regain their senses. Their faces were so red as they rushed downstairs like a hive of bees.


    The group of people from the International Class had just woken up from their daze. F*ck, what the hell? That spot was originally given by Professor Gao to their class¡¯ Zhao Mingxi, yet those people from the Evergreen Class had come here to make such a huge fuss. Did they not have any ounce of pride?!


    They quickly caught up to what was happening and ridiculed, ¡°Who was the one who said that if the spot was specially requested for Zhao Mingxi they would swallow 300 basketballs? Come on then, swallow it! Or are you unwilling to go through with what you said?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t buy that amount of basketballs you can put it on our class¡¯ tab!¡±


    ¡°Our class isn¡¯t lacking in money!¡±


    When the sounds of mockery and laughter began, the Evergreen Class ran even faster.


    Even Mr. Jiang was awkwardly trying his best to pretend as if nothing had happened and returned to his class.


    *


    As compared to the ashen faces of those in the Evergreen Class, the International Class was overjoyed and absolutely satisfied. A bunch of followers were leaning against the railings on the corridor while pointing their middle fingers at the Evergreen Class.


    Mr. Lu would never have thought that it would result in such an outcome. He was so happy that it couldn¡¯t be hidden from his expression. He called for Mingxi to come to the office and encouraged her once more. He even took out an exquisite notebook and fountain pen from his drawer and gave them to Mingxi, wishing her all the best for the Tournament.


    Disciple?


    Mingxi had never heard of this from Professor Gao. She guessed that Professor Gao probably said it because he was afraid that people in school would doubt her.


    Whatever it is, everything has already been settled. The spot for the Tournament belonged to her. She could finally join the Tournament.


    Mingxi left the office in high spirits.


    As for the Evergreen Class downstairs, they only dared to rebut and not speak. They all hid in their class in extreme embarrassment.


    Ah, the International Class is so annoying. They were already annoying enough back then with Fu Yangxi and his money. Now there¡¯s another Zhao Mingxi whose visuals and luck is way above theirs.


    When Mu Jiao heard the angry remarks made by her classmates in class, she buried her head deeper into her arms as she rested on the table, the awkwardness enough to make her face burn. She dared not say another word.


    Li Haiyang did not join the debate this afternoon. He went to play basketball.


    After school, two boys noticed a present wrapped in a cartoon printed box in his desk drawer. They immediately exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God, you can¡¯t still be thinking of pursuing Zhao Mingxi, right? Our classes are mortal enemies!¡±


    ¡°Give it back to me.¡± Li Haiyang snatched the present back in a huff and stuffed it back into his drawer.


    When the two boys saw the reminder on his calendar on ¡®October 24th¡¯, they both found it weird.


    One of them picked up the calendar to take a look and asked, ¡°Li Haiyang, did you get her birthday wrong? Shouldn¡¯t Zhao Mingxi¡¯s birthday be on the same day as Zhao Yuan, that is October 14th?¡±


    Having received such a reminder, Li Haiyang just noticed this and found it weird as well. ¡°But this was what Zhao Mingxi said. Their class¡¯ Wang Han overheard and told me.¡±


    ¡°Weird. She should be on the same day as Zhao Yuan.¡±


    Another guy said, ¡°There might have been a miscommunication somewhere. Maybe Wang Han heard the wrong thing. Forget it, who cares? Basketball is more important.¡±


    Li Haiyang furrowed his brows. He felt that it might have been Wang Han who had misheard as well. If he were to send her a gift, he ought to do it on October 14th.


    No one paid attention to the boys as they had their conversation at the back of the class.


    When Zhao Yuan found out that the extra spot for the Tournament was given to Zhao Mingxi, she kept quiet for the whole afternoon and went straight home after school. It was most likely because she had to go try out the designer outfit for the birthday banquet.


    There were only E Xiaoxia and a handful of girls still packing their bags in class.


    E Xiaoxia overheard their conversation and couldn¡¯t help but to put some thought into it.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Did the International Class¡¯ Wang Han hear the wrong thing or was it that Zhao Mingxi forgot her own birthday?


    Or could it be that Zhao Mingxi was being rebellious and refused to have the same birthday as Zhao Yuan, hence she simply told a random date to another?


    Or is it that¡ª


    E Xiaoxia didn¡¯t know if her imagination was running too wild.


    She recalled how whenever she went to Zhao Yuan¡¯s house, Zhao Yuan¡¯s family members would appear very awkward around Zhao Mingxi.


    A terrifying assumption suddenly appeared in her mind.

 Chapter 27.2

    The matter of the spot for the Tournament came to a stop. Some were happy, some were not. The Evergreen Class caved in while the International Class celebrated with pride.


    As for the person who was in the center of this dispute, Mingxi did not even pay any mind to what happened between the classes. She was overjoyed. All her thoughts were now focused on her studies.


    Besides, because of how Fu Yangxi¡¯s neck had been so coincidentally injured, she was quite worried about it. Thus, she decided to stop interacting with Fu Yangxi for a while.


    Fu Yangxi was confused. Why was it that ever since Thursday afternoon, Little Mask seemed to be putting in all her effort to avoid him?


    ¡°Do your own homework today.¡± Mingxi pushed his homework back to him.


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t throw your comic books on my table.¡± Mingxi was prepared to arrange it for him when she suddenly gave it a thought and retracted her hands. ¡°Arrange them yourself.¡±


    ¡°Throw the rubbish? Do it on your own.¡±


    ¡°Dessert? There¡¯s none today.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was so frustrated to the point that he couldn¡¯t sleep. He furrowed his brows as he looked at Zhao Mingxi. He couldn¡¯t figure out why she was angry.


    Was she still mad at the fact that he spoke with those two girls during the Music Class? ¡ª But he only said one sentence!


    Or was she upset over the fact that he didn¡¯t immediately pick a fight with the Evergreen Class when they came over to cause a ruckus yesterday¡ª? But didn¡¯t she ask him not to be so impulsive?


    Or was it that there was something else which he did wrong?


    Thus, for the whole of Friday morning, Fu Yangxi was wracking his brains, trying to reflect on his actions. He didn¡¯t even have the appetite to eat.


    *


    After Zhao Yuning moved out from home. The thought of having been slapped in the face by his mother enraged him. Therefore, he did not attend classes on Thursday and chose to sleep for a whole day.


    When his teacher called, Zhao Zhanhuai helped him take a sick leave.


    Originally, Zhao Yuning was so upset that he wanted to skip Friday¡¯s classes as well, wanting to go out and play games with his group of friends.


    However, after seeing his friends, he didn¡¯t know why but he thought of the scene from some time ago when Zhao Mingxi would drag him out of the cyber cafe. Suddenly, he lost the interest to continue wasting his time.


    So after playing for the whole afternoon, he returned to school with flagging interest.


    Without Zhao Mingxi¡¯s lunchbox, Zhao Yuning felt as if he didn¡¯t belong anywhere. He was lost as to where to spend his lunch time.


    As for Zhao Yuan, she was the one person he absolutely did not want to see right now.


    Zhao Yuning walked around the canteen. After that, he went up to the third floor of the canteen, and coincidentally saw Zhao Mingxi and He Yuan having lunch nearby.


    When Zhao Yuning saw the opened insulated lunch box beside Zhao Mingxi¡¯s table, his brows were raised in joy and he subconsciously wanted to walk over there.


    But after taking two steps, he remembered that the current Zhao Mingxi would no longer want to eat on the same table as him.


    A sense of annoyed sadness which he had nowhere to vent to surged in Zhao Yuning¡¯s heart.


    He calmed down, ordered a meal then turned to look at Zhao Mingxi.


    When he saw that they were still sitting there, he hesitated. Nonetheless, Zhao Yuning still walked over.


    Mingxi and He Yang looked up and saw Zhao Yuning walking over to them.


    ¡°Jie, I heard that you did well for the monthly exam.¡± Zhao Yuning squeezed all the juices in his brain to figure out a topic. He sat opposite Zhao Mingxi. ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    He Yang immediately put down her chopsticks and gave him a side eye. ¡°Little kid, what are you doing here? There are so many other seats.¡±


    Zhao Yuning suppressed his own anger and passed a card to Zhao Mingxi. He said, ¡°This is my lunch card. There are still a few thousand yuan inside so it should be enough for you to spend for a while. Da ge will give me money¡ª so don¡¯t find a job or anything¡ª¡±


    Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t even receive it nor did she raise her hand. She straight up rejected him. ¡°No need.¡±


    He Yang said as well, ¡°Don¡¯t be so fake. If she takes your card right now, will she have to become your worker and make lunch for you after this? Then due to some minor fault she¡¯ll get kicked out from home? Do you take Mingxi as someone who can be ordered around to your whims and fancies?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Yuning clenched the card in his hands, his heart squeezing uncomfortably.


    He wanted to complain to Zhao Mingxi about how he had a big fight with Zhao Yuan yesterday and that he was no longer living at home.


    However, he felt that the current Zhao Mingxi would not have the patience to listen to his complaints.


    Besides, what was the point in him talking about this?


    Back then, the person who helped Zhao Yuan bully Zhao Mingxi was him. Now, the person who was not willing to let Zhao Mingxi go was also him.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t help but to say, ¡°Jie, I left home. For tomorrow¡¯s banquet, I¡­¡±


    Mingxi gave him a look and furrowed her brows, ¡°Zhao Yuning, are you still confused about the situation here? I¡¯ve already made myself very clear, when I say sever all ties, I mean¡ª mind your own business, and I will keep out of yours. This includes the rest of the family. You have your own family and you guys are living harmoniously. Yet you are hoping for me to be the one to take care of you? ¡±


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t used to be like this!¡± Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He said, ¡°Back then you would¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, Mingxi looked as if she no longer wanted to listen to him. Along with He Yang, she picked up her plate and changed her seat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuning simply couldn¡¯t understand how a person is able to retract their feelings so decisively.


    For the past two years, he didn¡¯t know how Zhao Mingxi treated the other family members, but Zhao Mingxi treated him extremely well. He was certain that Zhao Mingxi cared very much for this younger brother of hers as well.


    Whenever their mother scolded him, Zhao Mingxi would even fight back against their mother on his behalf.


    However, ever since Zhao Mingxi left home, everything changed. She suddenly retracted all the feelings she had ever felt for them without any hesitation.


    She may be able to retract them, but he was unable to get used to it.


    Until now, he was still unused to it.


    Zhao Yuning watched as Zhao Mingxi and He Yang ate their lunch. After a while, two students from the International Class walked over to them with their trays of food and ate lunch together with them. Zhao Mingxi appeared far more relaxed with those two followers of Fu Yangxi from the International Class than she was with him.


    She made new friends.


    She will be rearing cats with another person.


    Zhao Yuning saw Zhao Mingxi pick a dish from her own plate and give it to another.


    Originally, the person who sat opposite her would be himself, and she would only give him the most delicious dishes.


    But now she will no longer treat him so well. Will she have another ¡®new younger brother¡¯ who will replace him?


    Zhao Yuning was distraught with anxiety.


    *


    In a blink of an eye, it was Saturday.


    The Zhao family booked a whole hotel. After all, it was Madam Zhao¡¯s 50th birthday, so the whole family wanted to have a big celebration.


    Mr. Zhao and Zhao Mo pushed aside the work they had at hand and got on the earliest flight home.


    ¡°Yuning is still a little unhappy, but he said he will come at around 6 p.m.. I¡¯ve already got someone to send him his suit.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai entered with a clean cut suit. He looked especially dashing, save for his furrowed brows. ¡°But later when he comes, don¡¯t get mad at him again. You know that he is at a rebellious stage.¡±


    Madam Zhao sent her friends out. As they had all complimented her youth-like appearance, Madam Zhao was very happy.


    She said to Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°I understand. It will be fine so long as he does not anger me. Why would I want to be upset with him? You are his eldest brother. If you have the time, spend it on disciplining him. He is already 15 yet he still has such a bad temper.¡±


    When she was done, Madam Zhao couldn¡¯t help but to ask the one question she was most curious about, ¡°What about Mingxi? Did you get someone to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Zhanhuai froze.


    Madam Zhao did not pay attention to his expression. She spoke to Zhao Yuan who was still in the changing room, ¡°Yuanyuan, are you done trying? Come out and try this one on.¡±


    Zhao Yuan who was inside made a noise, and Madam Zhao went in to help her pull up her zip. Once she was done, Madam Zhao continued to urge Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°I asked you a question. Have you asked someone to pick her up?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Zhao Zhanhuai raised his hand and looked at his watch. ¡°She¡¯ll be here in a maximum of two hours.¡±


    Madam Zhao said unhappily, ¡°Another two hours?! It¡¯s already 5 p.m.! Tell her to hurry up! If she is any later she won¡¯t have enough time to try on a gown!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I bought four gowns. Two of them are in her size while the other two are Yuanyuan¡¯s. Just now Yuanyuan said that she wanted to try on that white mermaid gown so I allowed her to try it on first. As for the remaining three, I think there is only one of them which is in Mingxi¡¯s size. I¡¯m afraid that she might not feel comfortable in it when she comes later. If that happens, get the designer to bring over the extra ones.¡±


    If this was back then, Zhao Zhanhuai might not have noticed such details, but at this moment Zhao Zhanhuai felt as if this was something bothering him.


    Zhao Zhanhuai whispered, ¡°So why did you allow Zhao Yuan to wear Mingxi¡¯s? Shouldn¡¯t Mingxi¡¯s things be Mingxi¡¯s?¡±


    Madam Zhao found him unreasonable. ¡°Why are you nit-picking on such things? It¡¯s just an outfit. If Mingxi likes something else, we can buy another. There are loads of extras. Mingxi won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai rubbed his forehead. He felt that he would not be able to explain the current situation to his mother.


    Now is not the time to think about whether or not Zhao Mingxi will like these remaining outfits.


    Instead, they should tackle the problem of whether or not she will come.


    He did send someone to pick her up.


    If that person fails, he might have to pick her up himself.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Zhanhuai had a feeling that even if he was the one who went, Mingxi might still not come tonight.


    *


    Zhao Mo entered with a wine glass in his hands. He coincidentally overheard their conversation and scoffed, ¡°Such a huge fuss just because she left home? And she even got da ge to ask someone to pick her up? This younger sister of ours sure isn¡¯t an easy one.¡±


    Zhao Mo had just got home in a rush just now. He took a nap in the hotel and just got up. His downward cast fox-like eyes and messy silver hair made him appear slightly sleepy.


    ¡°Alright, alright. You haven¡¯t been home for the past year and a half because of your overseas filming, so you don¡¯t know what happened. Don¡¯t be so nosy.¡± Madam Zhao snatched the glass of red wine from him and said, ¡°It is true that we had wronged her, hence her decision to leave home.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai had never been able to get along with the playboy Zhao Mo. He was too lazy to even spare him a glance before walking by his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick her up now.¡±


    Zhao Mo appeared bored as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯ve met everyone save for Zhao Mingxi. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Zhao Mo was not bothered by Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s coldness. He took the car keys and chased after him. He quickly followed after him to the underground car park and smiled as he said, ¡°Ge, you¡¯ve changed. You actually volunteered to pick Zhao Mingxi up. Didn¡¯t you use to pick up Zhao Yuan only? There were even two times when I had to pick Zhao Mingxi up. The shocked look on her face still makes me laugh.¡±


    Zhao Mo¡¯s words were like arrows shooting directly at the spot which was closest to Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he coldly ordered.


    Zhao Mo shrugged. ¡°I can go see for myself if that little girl has grown up. I remember how small she was two years ago. But everyone in our family has rather long limbs, so she shouldn¡¯t be an exception. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai immediately stopped walking. He said to Zhao Mo, ¡°You should be careful not to spew nonsense in front of Zhao Mingxi today, and don¡¯t act so poorly like how you did before. Now, she¡¯s¡ª she¡ª¡±


    Zhao Mo¡¯s personality always made him an easy one to hate.


    When Mingxi first got home, Zhao Mo was relentless and always put her down on purpose. He bullied Mingxi to the extent that she would blow up in anger. Zhao Mo seemed to take this as his personal source of joy. It wasn¡¯t until Mingxi ignored him and pretended he didn¡¯t exist did he lose interest in her.


    Nonetheless, Zhao Mingxi had already been at home for two years. For the past two years, Zhao Mo felt that he did have some fond feelings for this biological younger sister whom he was not familiar with.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Zhao Mo stopped smiling. ¡°Is she in her rebellious phase? It can¡¯t be that she got a boyfriend and refused to come home, right?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said in annoyance, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see her.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Mo could not imagine how messy today was going to be.


    After around 20 minutes, he did see the current Zhao Mingxi.


    But after another 10 minutes, he along with the famous Fu family¡¯s Young Master were both arrested and brought to the police station.

 Chapter 28.1

    Zhao Zhanhuai was still looking for a parking spot. Zhao Mo was impatient, so he got out of the car first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get out of the car first! I¡¯m warning you, if you see Zhao Mingxi, don¡¯t¡ª¡± When he saw Zhao Mo rushing off to look for her, Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. He hurriedly parked the car at a tight parking spot.


    Zhao Mo was the first to find Zhao Mingxi at the library.


    Although he wasn¡¯t some famous superstar, he still had a bit of fame. He wore a baseball cap, lowered the tip to cover his face and pretended to be mysterious as he walked speedily towards her. He smiled as he gave a heavy pat on Mingxi¡¯s right shoulder.


    Mingxi thought it was either He Yang or Fu Yangxi. She turned to her right.


    But Zhao Mo¡¯s voice appeared on her left, ¡°Little Bean Sprout, are you pretending to study again? Let me see what questions you are answering.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, he reached out and grabbed the Tournament questions on Mingxi¡¯s table. He scoffed and habitually mocked her, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re doing Tournament questions. I advise you to give up. No matter how hard you study, your IQ is still stuck there.¡±


    She never could have imagined that it would be Zhao Mo.


    The veins in Mingxi¡¯s head immediately started to throb.


    But it made sense. No matter how busy Zhao Mo was, he had to return home for Madam Zhao¡¯s birthday.


    Mingxi instantly stood up and pushed Zhao Mo. Then, she snatched her book back from Zhao Mo¡¯s hands before quickly keeping her pencil box and items back in her bag. The library was not a suitable place to fight, so Mingxi simply swung her bag on her shoulder and left without a word.


    Mingxi used so much energy that Zhao Mo almost lost his balance.


    He held onto the table and looked at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s figure with an odd look¡ª What¡¯s going on?


    Back then when he would play jokes like this on her, she wouldn¡¯t have such a huge reaction. In fact, she would even cut up fruits for him while calling her er ge* like a little scaredy cat.


    *er ge: second eldest brother


    Why is it that after half a year of not seeing each other, my little sister¡¯s attitude took a turn for the worst?


    Zhao Mo hurriedly chased after her.


    Outside the library.


    Mingxi sped down the stairs.


    In her past life, when she had just entered the gates of the Zhao family home, Zhao Mo hated her. With every sentence he spoke, he would carry a hint of mockery.


    After two years, she did a lot of things to suck up to her family. Only then did Zhao Mo show signs of treating her as his younger sister¡ª However, his sharp tongue was a habit of his, so his words were still unpleasant to hear.


    Before she passed away at the age of 23, everyone from her family including Zhao Mo finally showed signs of fully letting down their walls around her. But that was already five years later. This time, Mingxi will never waste another five years on them¡ª it was simply a huge waste of time!


    ¡°Little Bean Sprout, you¡¯re getting arrogant. You¡¯re no longer trying to imitate Zhao Yuan but instead turning to go down the rebellious road?¡± Zhao Mo caught up to her and habitually reached out his hand, trying to pinch Mingxi¡¯s face.


    However, Mingxi slapped him on the back of his hand.


    ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhao Mo thought that his ears were malfunctioning.


    Zhao Mingxi was asking him to go away?


    His hand went stiff. He looked at Zhao Mingxi with a shocked expression, then he repeated dumbfoundedly, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to go away?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m asking you to go away.¡± Mingxi did not attempt to hide the contempt in her expression.


    When she was at the tender age of 15, she did not know that people like Zhao Mo simply needed some form of discipline. She thought that those in the entertainment industry would all carry a bit of an artistic personality with them.


    Later she realized that this ¡®artistic personality¡¯ was absolute bullsh*t. He just pissed people off.


    ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, Zhao Mo¡¯s feelings were akin to having been abruptly struck by lightning a couple of times. It absolutely surprised him to the point that he forgot how to respond.


    After he returned to his senses, he was absolutely enraged.


    He caught up to Zhao Mingxi at the lane covered with trees and said in anger, ¡°I just f*cking got back from an overseas trip. Forget about the fact that you didn¡¯t even greet me, yet now you want me to go away? Zhao Mingxi, aren¡¯t you acting a little too f*cking rebellious?¡±


    This guy thought that she was being rebellious, huh.


    Zhao Mo lowered his voice and said as he held on to Mingxi¡¯s wrist, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go to the hotel. Today is the banquet. I¡¯m not in the mood to discipline bratty children like you who don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Before his fingers could make contact with Mingxi¡¯s wrist, Mingxi raised her arm and slapped his hand away.


    There was a clear sound of a slap in the air.


    Zhao Mo didn¡¯t know if it was his misconception, but he felt as if the way Zhao Mingxi was looking at her was as if he was a fly that used to approach her. It also had a hint of regret¡ª what was she regretting about?


    Did she regret trying to gain the favour of this second eldest brother of hers?


    Or did she regret coming to this home?


    Zhao Mo immediately lost it when he saw how she gave him the cold shoulder. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, you¡ª what kind of look is that? Why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    ¡°Take it as how you want to interpret it,¡± Mingxi said. ¡°Go back? In your dreams! If you still won¡¯t leave me alone, I¡¯ll call the guards on you. If you don¡¯t want to appear on the cover page of tomorrow¡¯s newspaper, leave now!


    Zhao Mo said, ¡°You¡¯re gonna call¡ª¡±


    Mingxi cut him off, ¡°Oh, I forgot. You¡¯re just a minor D-List celebrity. Your fans are all zombies with practically none alive. It might be that no one cares about such a small thing.¡±


    Zhao Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Mo was so angry that his blood pressure was shooting up while the whites of his eyes went red. In the midst of his anger, he saw Mingxi¡¯s cold and disgusted expression, and he felt the prickly feeling of a needle continuously stabbing in his heart.


    He finally understood why Zhao Zhanhuai was so hesitant before they left home.


    The respect and ingratiation Mingxi once had towards him were all but gone. What was left was only the uncomfortable feeling of looking at a stranger who would not stop bothering her.


    Why is this so?


    Zhao Mo sucked in a mouthful of cold air. He noticed that a few people who were playing basketball had looked over to them. He knew that this was not the place to pick a fight. He reached out a hand and forcefully held on to Mingxi¡¯s wrist. ¡°We¡¯ll talk once we get back to the hotel!¡±


    Not far away from the shaded lane was Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen who were carrying take-outs with them as they walked towards the library. Before they could get close, they saw a stranger with a baseball cap dragging Zhao Mingxi.


    With a buzz in his mind, Fu Yangxi lost all sense of rationality.


    He ran over and gave Zhao Mo a kick which sent him flying.


    Mingxi wanted to stop him, but it was too late.


    As Zhao Mo did not see it coming, he hit the metal fencing surrounding the basketball court by the waist. Stars appeared in his eyes. And because his hat was sent flying as well, it hit his nose and blocked his vision, causing him to be unable to see who was the culprit.


    Then, someone picked him up by his shoulder in apparent anger and with another punch, he fell to the ground.


    After that, he heard those boys who were playing basketball shout in his direction.


    ¡°Oh my god, Xi ge? Xi ge is beating someone up. Who is it? Is it a hooligan?¡±


    ¡°A hooligan sneaked into school to disrespect a girl? My fist is ready!¡±


    Zhao Mo couldn¡¯t stop cursing mentally. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck! What the f*ck is happening!


    He hastily tried to get up.


    But in the next second, rain-like punches landed on his body and face.


    By the time Zhao Zhanhuai caught up to him, he only saw a bloody and disfigured Zhao Mo.


    *


    30 minutes later. At the police station.


    ¡°A bunch of high school boys beating up a grown man. Do you guys ever think before you act? Did you know that if you were to fight on school grounds you would be punished?¡±


    The policeman raised his chin up as he reprimanded the row of tall boys before him in great anger, ¡°And you, why is your hair dyed red? Why did you lead the fight?!¡±


    His group of followers all lowered their heads like chickens eating their feed.


    ¡°He¡¯s a pervert! Who am I supposed to beat up if not him?¡± Fu Yangxi did not show any signs of backing down. He raised up his chin and said, ¡°As for the red hair, that¡¯s because I¡¯m handsome. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything in the law that says that people with red hair are unable to act as a human¡ª¡±


    After he was done, Fu Yangxi turned and saw the lawyer who was rushing over with his briefcase. ¡°Where is Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    The capable and sharp Lawyer Zhang quickly walked over and said, ¡°Young Master Fu, she is waiting outside.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave her alone with that crazy hooligan.¡±


    ¡°Who the f*ck is a perverted hooligan?!¡± Zhao Mo, who was being reprimanded by another policeman, shouted. The moment he opened his mouth, the skin around the corner of his lips cracked, causing it to bleed.


    He said through gritted teeth, ¡°I am her brother! Her second eldest brother! I wanted to bring her home to attend the birthday banquet today!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. ¡°Zhao Mo, just don¡¯t talk anymore. Shut up.¡±


    The policeman instantly yelled back, ¡°Don¡¯t you cause trouble too! Since you are the complainant¡¯s brother, why were you misunderstood by the public as a hooligan? Who allowed you to touch her?¡±


    Zhao Mo shouted, ¡°I am an artist! At that moment I saw people looking over, and I was afraid of being followed by stalker fans, so I was in a hurry to bring Zhao Mingxi back¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Ke Chengwen and Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers laughed. ¡°Stalker fans? Our Xi ge has way more stalker fans than you do.¡±


    Zhao Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Mo was angered to the point that his heart was about to burst, his blood pressure having gone up and down a few times already. If it wasn¡¯t because they were at the police station, he would have definitely given this brat a good lesson.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Ahem, although that is the truth, you guys shouldn¡¯t have boasted about it.¡±


    Zhao Mo and Zhao Zhanhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi said to Lawyer Zhang, ¡°Oh, I think I dropped a few strands of hair. Did you go to the scene and count them?¡±


    ¡°I counted them. Rest assured, Young Master.¡±


    The policemen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Lawyer Zhang said to Zhao Mo who was shaking in anger and Zhao Zhanhuai who had gone pale, ¡°Sirs, I will be taking over and will be the one to communicate with regards to everything that happens after this.¡±


    Fu Yangxi and both of his followers walked out from the office of the police station.


    Zhao Mingxi hugged her bag as waited anxiously in the corridor. Her shadow was pulled long. When she saw them come out, she immediately stood up. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. Because the people who were involved in the beating included Ke Chengwen and the others, in order to not cause trouble for them, Lawyer Zhang will most likely choose to settle.¡± Fu Yangxi looked at Mingxi¡¯s wrist. When he saw that there wasn¡¯t much of a mark left on her thin and pale wrist, the fire in his heart seemed to have dissipated a little.


    The person inside the clinic rushed them, ¡°Come here immediately!¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Fu Yangxi yelled towards the other end of the corridor.


    He paused as the tip of his toes rubbed against the floor. He did not dare to raise his head and look at Zhao Mingxi because he felt guilty.


    Mingxi looked at him.


    After a short while, the person in the clinic urged him again. Only then did Fu Yangxi scratch his head and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Little Mask, for hitting your brother. I didn¡¯t know he was¡ª¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t care about them.¡±


    So this was what he wanted to say.


    Mingxi felt an itch in her nose. Aside from He Yang and Dong Shen who were her friends that she knew since her past life, no one else has ever stood up for her like this.


    Actually, sometimes it doesn¡¯t matter if that person is your family or not.


    Only those who treat you well are the most important people in your life.


    She looked towards Fu Yangxi and the people behind him. ¡°So long as you guys are alright.¡±


    Ke Chengwen quickly replied, ¡°We¡¯re fine. We¡¯re brothers, so we have to stand up for each other. And don¡¯t worry, Xi ge has already told us not to tell anyone about us bumping into your family members today.¡±


    Fu Yangxi gently ruffled Zhao Mingxi¡¯s hair, his tone light and fast, ¡°So just wait for us for a short while, don¡¯t go away. We¡¯ll go clean up our wounds at the clinic. Then we¡¯ll leave together.¡±


    They didn¡¯t suffer serious injuries, just that the skin on their knuckles were scratched.


    As for Zhao Mo who had been beaten up to that extent, he most likely will have to move to the hospital later.


    Mingxi nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    It was already 7p.m.. The birthday banquet had long since begun, but Zhao Zhanhuai, Zhao Mo and Zhao Mingxi were nowhere to be found nor were they picking up their phones.


    Madam Zhao was getting extremely anxious.


    Since this matter had blown up, it would be impossible to keep this a secret from the rest of the Zhao family any longer.


    Zhao Zhanhuai gave an annoyed look to Zhao Mo who had got them into trouble. Then, with a heavy heart and a frown, he walked to the windows and called the others.

 Chapter 28.2

    Tonight, Madam Zhao¡¯s birthday banquet was ruined. Everyone from the Zhao family was in a bad mood.


    Zhao Mo had been sent to the hospital.


    Zhao Yuan, Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s secretary and his manager had all rushed over.


    When his parents found out that it was Young Master Fu who had been the one to inflict such damage on Zhao Mo, they immediately pulled a long face. It was impossible for them to win in court if the opponent was the Fu family. Thus, they had no choice but to settle it privately.


    Aside from this, the two of them also found out something that was even more shocking.


    *


    Outside the compound of the police station.


    Madam Zhao wrapped the windbreaker around herself. Her whole body was swaying. She could not wrap her head around nor understand what Zhao Zhanhuai had just said. ¡°What do you mean Mingxi wants to sever all ties with our family?! Explain it to us. What in the world is going on?! Didn¡¯t she just want to run away from home?! You even visited her several times in school! What are you saying right now?!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai looked extremely tired. He rubbed the center of his forehead and said, ¡°Actually, ever since she ran away from home, I have been unable to coax her to come back. I was just afraid that you guys would react like this when you find out, hence why I kept it a secret. But it seems like I can no longer hide this.¡±


    Mr. Zhao¡¯s complexion was pale. ¡°What happened at home while I was away?! How could it end up like this?!¡±


    ¡°Can you not ask me about this?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai couldn¡¯t explain himself. He almost lost control over his usually calm expression as well. ¡°How would I know why things have developed to this point? Shouldn¡¯t the both of you ask yourselves first if you have ever cared about Mingxi?¡±


    Zhao Yuning squatted by the side. He felt similarly frustrated when he heard the three of them argue.


    ¡°She is just acting like a child. Now that she has caused such a ruckus and everyone came to see her, she has managed to attract everyone¡¯s attention, so she should be happy.¡± Madam Zhao was certain. ¡°Since you can¡¯t get her to come home, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. He then made a gesture inviting her to go ahead.


    Before Madam Zhao could take even three steps towards the police station, Zhao Mingxi walked out.


    A few tall boys were following behind her. The one in the lead was the guy who hurt Zhao Mo to the point that he had to go to the hospital. His short red hair seemed especially cold at night. He appeared arrogant and bossy, the corner of his lips covered with a band aid.


    When her parents saw this, a flame was ignited in their hearts.


    However, due to the other¡¯s status, they could only control and suppress their rage.


    Mingxi took a glance at the people outside the compound. Then, she turned to Fu Yangxi and said, ¡°Please wait for me for a moment. There are matters which I must settle.¡±


    Ke Chengwen said with a tone of worry, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, you can¡¯t really be trying to cut off all ties with your family¡ª¡±


    Even after she does so, she is still a student. Where can she go? Besides, her family members were merely being biased.


    Ke Chengwen felt that she didn¡¯t need to go to this extent.


    But before he could finish, he was cut off.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Fu Yangxi said. ¡°Don¡¯t try to give such ambiguous advice. As the saying goes, only those who drank the water would know its temperature. If a stranger tries to butt in, they will only appear even more annoying. Zhao Mingxi, don¡¯t listen to what other people have to say, including me. Make your own choice. So long as you have thought it through, any decision is a good decision.¡±


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi and gave him a firm nod.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Fu Yangxi pointed at the lawyer behind him.


    Mingxi shook her head. ¡°I want to deal with this myself.¡±


    Fu Yangxi looked over Zhao Mingxi¡¯s head. He scanned through that whole family with cold eyes. He didn¡¯t feel comfortable about this, but he still understood that he had to give Little Mask some space for her to settle her own problems.


    He thought for a while before taking her bag in his hands. Then, he reached out a hand and said, ¡°Alright then. Your phone.¡±


    Mingxi: ?


    Mingxi took out her phone from her pocket.


    Fu Yangxi said again, ¡°Thumbprint.¡±


    Mingxi used her thumb to unlock the phone.


    Fu Yangxi quickly opened her phone app and typed in his phone number.


    After that, he stuffed the phone back in her hands and said with a surprisingly steady voice, ¡°I¡¯ve set your phone to always be unlocked. Later you¡¯ll just have to press a number and once you give me a call, I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°We¡¯ll be there too.¡±


    Mingxi nodded. Then, she turned and walked towards her family.


    Although the night winds were cold, she could feel a strong and sturdy wall behind her.


    *


    When Mr. Zhao saw how Mingxi walked over with a cold expression along with eyes which were looking at them as if she was looking at a bunch of strangers who were trying to pick a bone with her, the veins on his forehead started to throb.


    ¡°Stop looking for me.¡± Mingxi spoke first. ¡°Again and again. It¡¯s really annoying.¡±


    Before Madam Zhao could speak, she was taken aback, her mind going blank instantly.


    Annoying? Mingxi said that they were annoying?


    She suddenly realized that what Zhao Zhanhuai had been saying all long was the truth¡ª Mingxi really did seem like she wanted to sever all ties with them.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s expression started to change. Her body was slightly trembling due to her disbelief. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, what in the world are you saying? Since the matter of your classmates beating up your er ge was merely a misunderstanding, we won¡¯t blame you for it. Come home with us right now! Did you know that you haven¡¯t been home for a month now? Come home and we¡¯ll talk things through!¡±


    ¡°Do you still not understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Mingxi said coldly. She tried her best to make herself even clearer so that everyone in this family can understand her in one go. ¡°Severing all ties. In simpler terms, it means that you guys no longer have to raise me. And when you guys are old, I do not have any responsibility to take care of you as well. In legal terms, it means that we no longer owe anything to each other.¡±


    Madam Zhao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi took out a card and tossed it to Zhao Zhanhuai.


    Zhao Yuning, who was at a corner, stood up immediately.


    Zhao Yuning said, ¡°Jie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me jie.¡± Mingxi directly cut him off.


    Zhao Yuning choked up.


    Zhao Zhanhuai looked pale as he took the card, ¡°This is¡ª¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°This is a sum of money I borrowed from He Yang. 13,000 yuan as a repayment for all the money the Zhao family has spent on me for the past two years. I can slowly return He Yang her money, but I don¡¯t want to owe anything to you guys. As for what you guys owe, I¡¯m too lazy to ask for it.¡±


    Mingxi paused to think a little before continuing, ¡°Oh, there are still a couple of things that I want returned to me. My photos. Please delete them from your phones, or even cut them out. Don¡¯t use my photos for illegal transactions. I only have around 10 days before I become an adult, so I will have the right to ask for my things. Please delete all my photos and messages.¡±


    ¡°As for your photos, I¡¯ve deleted them a long time ago.¡±


    There was a moment when Madam Zhao almost couldn¡¯t breathe. She panted and held her chest as she said, ¡°Today is your mother¡¯s birthday. Do you have to throw such a tantrum on my birthday?!!¡±


    Mr. Zhao looked at Mingxi in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t help but to scold Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning, ¡°What in the world happened when I was not around?!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s heart was aching in pain. He had a feeling that if they fail to coax Mingxi home today, they will really have nothing to do with her in the future. He couldn¡¯t help but to add on, ¡°Mingxi, at least for today, you shouldn¡¯t throw such a tantrum on mother¡¯s birthday¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum.¡±


    Why did they all think that she was merely throwing a tantrum? Were they so certain that she could not leave their family? Or were they sure that she would definitely want to suck up to them?


    Mingxi inhaled deeply and said, ¡°I was wrong from the beginning. I shouldn¡¯t have placed hopes on my birth parents, shouldn¡¯t have looked forward to a new life in this place with all of you, shouldn¡¯t have tried to covet things that did not belong to me. Now that I¡¯ve moved out, there will no longer be anyone who would make you decide uncomfortably between me and Zhao Yuan nor would there be anyone bothering you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Please just take this as your last time carrying out your duties as a family. The last time to treat me better. Let me go. Stop bothering me. All right?¡±


    The air became eerily quiet for a moment.


    The sound of the wind seemed to carry a hint of wailing.


    Their parents were originally angry when Mingxi first came out of the police station, but at this moment, their minds were completely empty.


    They spent a long time searching for their biological daughter. After they found her and brought her home, they thought that they would finally be able to fill up the gap of regret in their hearts.


    Who would¡¯ve thought that she would want to sever all ties with them.


    Sever all ties.


    Even the mere mention of these words, be it true or false, was like a knife slicing again and again at a person¡¯s organs.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s heart was as if it was wrapped by a huge pair of hands and it was squeezing so hard that it hurt. She never would have thought that there would be such a moment today.


    The moments that she had spent with Mingxi suddenly swept across her mind¡ª When she tried on clothes, Mingxi was always patiently waiting and said that she looked good. Mingxi was the most patient one out of everyone in this family; when her shoulders were aching Mingxi would take the initiative to massage them; when she complained about the absence of her husband, Mingxi would give her ideas¡­


    And at this moment, these little instances had all combined to result in Mingxi¡¯s cold gaze.


    How did it end up like this?


    Madam Zhao scrunched up the front of her dress, speechless. She could only stand there stiffly as if she had lost her voice.


    Mr. Zhao¡¯s head was buzzing as well. He got caught up in so many things after his return so it was natural that he could not react in time. He could only subconsciously walk towards Zhao Mingxi, trying to bring her home.


    However, when Mingxi saw what he was doing, she took a step back.


    Her act of taking a step back hurt them immensely.


    It means¡ª Don¡¯t come near me.


    Two years ago, she was still a girl who was trying her best to run towards them, but now she was retreating as if she merely thought of them as strangers.


    Both the hearts and minds of Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were aching.


    Right now, they have already run out of things to say.


    ¡­


    Mingxi was no longer paying attention to them.


    After 10 seconds, Mingxi called the number in her phone.


    Moments later, a never seen before silver colored cross country motorcycle drove over. A few cars were following behind it.


    In the midst of roaring engines, Fu Yangxi took off his helmet. His features were sharp and handsome; his red hair arrogant.


    He bent down and placed the cold helmet on Mingxi¡¯s head.


    When Mingxi saw him, she felt relieved.


    I¡¯ve finally severed all ties with them.


    The huge rock on her shoulders had finally fallen to the ground. Maybe she should have done this earlier. She was merely blinded in her past life.


    However, when her back was facing the Zhao family, her eyes still went red.


    Mingxi stubbornly refused to admit that it was due to her own weakness. She was only willing to admit that she felt dejected due to having wasted eight whole years on them.


    She muttered to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Fu Yangxi buckled the clasp around her chin. Then, with a flick of his finger, he wiped away the small tears at the corner of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Are you that happy to leave that hellish place?¡± Fu Yangxi raised his head and frowned at the direction of the Zhao family. ¡°Hop on. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Since they don¡¯t want Little Mask, Little Mask will be his.


    ¡­


    On this windy night, the hearts of the Zhao family members were as heavy as rocks. They watched as that motorcycle drove through the wind. They went along with the neon lights, across the bridge and finally drove across the river.


    Zhao Mingxi¡¯s dark hair was blown with the wind as she went farther and farther away from them.


    Not once did Zhao Mingxi turn back.

 Chapter 29.1

    ¡­


    The emotions of everyone in the Zhao family had boiled down to a wreck. They didn¡¯t even know how they got home.


    When Madam Zhao got back to the villa, her fingers were still trembling. She was trying her best to calm down, but when she took off her high heels, she lost focus for a while and almost fell down as she lost her balance. Zhao Zhanhuai who was standing beside was hesitant. Nonetheless, he still helped her up.


    Madam Zhao didn¡¯t say anything. She pulled up her dress and rushed to her room.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the sound of crying came out from the room.


    As Madam Zhao¡¯s cries resounded throughout the house, the whole atmosphere became even more depressed and solemn.


    Because the nanny and the chef had no idea what happened, they did not dare to stay in the villa and left to their own quarters.


    Mr. Zhao was clearly in a bad mood. He looked in the direction of Madam Zhao¡¯s room. He partially blamed Madam Zhao, but he was so exhausted that he didn¡¯t say much. He merely said, ¡°There are still many guests at the birthday banquet who have yet to be sent off. I have to make a trip there.¡±


    The birthday banquet this year could be considered as a total failure.


    Also, it just might be the most unforgettable birthday for Madam Zhao.


    Madam Zhao had just put on her evening dress and did not have the time to interact with the guests even for just a while. In fact, she received the call from Zhao Zhanhuai before the arrival of a majority of guests¡ª and now they are in this situation. How could their family still have the mood to return to the birthday banquet and continue to receive guests?


    Zhao Zhanhuai nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the hospital later. Zhao Mo¡¯s injuries are minor. He didn¡¯t suffer any injuries to his bones. You can be rest assured.¡±


    ¡°How can I be rest assured? All of you only know how to make me worry!¡± Mr. Zhao adjusted his tie. His face was pale as he walked outside and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about Mingxi once I get back. In fact, I want to ask you all about this! I¡¯ve only been on a business trip for a month. How did things turn out to be like this?!¡±


    Once Mr. Zhao left, Zhao Yuning looked tired of it all. He turned and was about to leave as well.


    Zhao Zhanhuai hurriedly held him by his elbow, his emotions in a wreck. ¡°Why are you running away?! Zhao Yuning, where are you off to?!¡±


    ¡°Brother, did you forget that I¡¯m still living away from home?¡± Zhao Yuning sneered, ¡°I only attended today¡¯s birthday banquet because you asked me to, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have gone! I¡¯m so mad. Mom has yet to apologize to me for slapping me on the face indiscriminately too!¡±


    After he finished talking, Zhao Yuning could care less about Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s reaction. He took off his tuxedo jacket and threw it into the cabinet at the entrance, turned around and left.


    Once Mr. Zhao and Zhao Yuning left, the entire Zhao family villa looked like an empty grave.


    There was only the faint sound of Madam Zhao¡¯s cries.


    It was so quiet that no one could bear staying there any longer.


    Zhao Zhanhuai sat down on the sofa and massaged his forehead in dismay.


    After taking a deep breath, he realized that no one else could clean up this mess except for him.


    A short moment later, he went upstairs and knocked on the door of his mother¡¯s room a few times.


    ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­How did things turn out to be like this? Is there still room for us to return everything to how it was?¡± Madam Zhao recalled the indifferent tone that Mingxi had used when she told them that she had deleted all their photos, asked them to delete her photos and to not carry out illegal activities. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like she was being stabbed with a needle. Her chest was getting tighter and she was experiencing shortness of breath along with heart palpitations.


    She cried until she was out of breath. ¡°What do I owe her anyway?! I clearly allowed her to use the card on whatever she wants! Buy any clothes she wants! Whatever she wants to eat! I even personally decorated the room for her¡­ Just! Just why does she hate me so much?!¡±


    Madam Zhao¡¯s cries were so noisy that it was like a mixer in Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s head.


    He closed his eyes and suppressed his emotions. He tried to persuade her, ¡°Perhaps we should reflect on our own attitude.¡±


    Madam Zhao merely continued to cry. After she had calmed down a little bit, she asked a few questions about Zhao Mo¡¯s current situation, and felt relieved after asking. Then, she must have thought of something as she collapsed into a crying fit again.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was having a headache. He planned to let her calm down by herself, so he turned and walked downstairs.


    There was the sound of a car stopping outside. Zhao Yuan had also returned. As soon as she entered the door, she heard Madam Zhao¡¯s faint sobbing and she knew what had happened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to her.¡± Zhao Yuan picked up the corner of her dress and walked upstairs.


    Zhao Zhanhuai subconsciously glanced at the gown she was wearing.


    For some reason, his throat felt as if something was stuck there.


    Mingxi has been pushed out of the house, gone forever in the cold night breeze.


    But Zhao Yuan is still wearing Mingxi¡¯s dress.


    Actually, this gown did not fit Zhao Yuan¡ª She was much shorter than Mingxi, and the neat fishtail gown that was supposed to be knee-length was dragged loosely behind her.


    However, despite the fact that it obviously didn¡¯t fit her well, she still wore it on her body as if it was an obvious thing to do, just like many things before.


    A huge example would be a spot in the Chemistry competition; a small example would be a rabbit doll.


    Whatever Mingxi has, she will have the same. But what she has, Mingxi cannot touch.


    ¡ªAlthough it was supposed to be Zhao Mingxi¡¯s.


    Zhao Zhanhuai retracted his gaze with mixed emotions.


    Zhao Yuan hurriedly entered the door to Madam Zhao¡¯s room.


    Soon, the crying ceased.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s headache was also partially cured.


    His assistant had just returned from the hospital. He asked him, ¡°Are you staying home tonight?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the company,¡± Zhao Zhanhuai said with a distracted tone.


    He also threw his formal suit on the sofa and left the villa.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he especially did not want to stay in this deserted villa tonight.


    Zhao Yuan said something along the lines of, ¡°Mom, you still have me.¡± So as Madam Zhao was comforted by Zhao Yuan, her attention was slightly diverted, and her mood improved.


    But her sight inevitably fell on Zhao Yuan¡¯s evening gown.


    For some reason, she found it far too dazzling for her eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you still wearing this?¡±


    Zhao Yuan leaned her head on her knees, ¡°Mom, you have such a good eye for fashion. Many people praised that the dress was beautiful tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Madam Zhao only felt that in an instant, she had slapped herself on the face with her own words.


    ¡ª¡°What do I owe her anyway?¡±


    Why doesn¡¯t she owe Zhao Mingxi?


    She was always afraid that Zhao Yuan would feel disappointed and rejected because she was not the biological daughter of the family, so she tried various methods to show her love for Zhao Yuan. She wanted to tell Zhao Yuan that she was still her mother, just like before.


    So when Zhao Mingxi accidentally picked up Zhao Yuan¡¯s doll two years ago, she quickly rushed over, took the doll and returned it to Zhao Yuan. She said to Mingxi, ¡°If you want this I can buy you another one. Don¡¯t steal Yuanyuan¡¯s.¡±


    Thus, when Zhao Yuan showed her liking for this dress, she didn¡¯t hesitate to give it to her, and thought that Mingxi wouldn¡¯t mind.


    But when a child has been pushed aside again and again for two years, how could she not mind? It was precisely these matters that piled up and led to what happened today!


    It was herself! In order to maintain the 15 year relationship between her and her adopted daughter, she ignored Mingxi¡¯s feelings during those incidents!


    It was she herself who pushed Mingxi farther and farther!


    Madam Zhao felt as if a needle was stabbing her in the heart. She was anxious and in pain. She could not continue to see Zhao Yuan wearing this dress, it was like a slap after slap on her face, reminding her of how she used to treat Mingxi.


    She quickly buried herself in the blanket and said, ¡°You go out first. Leave me alone for a while.¡±


    Zhao Yuan looked at her in shock, ¡°Mom, why are you suddenly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get out! Leave me alone for a while!¡± Madam Zhao¡¯s sobs came from under the blanket.


    *


    Mingxi sat in the back seat of the motorcycle, clutching Fu Yangxi¡¯s jacket with both hands.


    The traffic flowed like a waterfall, and the cold wind blew across her temples on this night. She watched the flashing neon lights across the river, passing by one street light after another as she slowly calmed down.


    She belatedly realized, ¡°By the way, where did you get your motorcycle from?!¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s jacket was blown up by the wind. He deliberately said, ¡°I can¡¯t hear you!¡±


    Mingxi had to straighten up slightly. She grabbed his shoulders, climbed to the side of his ears, and shouted, ¡°I said, where did you get your motorcycle from?!¡±


    She was sticking so close to him that even if her breath that came out was blown away by the cold wind, it still fell on his auricle albeit only a little. Fu Yangxi was extremely sensitive there, and a chilling feeling came in an instant.


    The tips of his ears suddenly flushed red. His hands shook, causing him to almost lose control over the vehicle.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed hard, ¡°Ke Chengwen has a friend who is a vehicle seller, and his showroom was just a few hundred meters away, so we went to pick up a few vehicles.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mingxi looked back. There were four or five motorcycles behind him. Mingxi turned her head fully and made a head count. She noticed that all of Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers were there except for Ke Chengwen. She was suddenly struck in realization¡ª


    ¡°Wait, where is Ke Chengwen? We left him at the police station!¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Why do you care so much about Ke Chengwen?¡±


    ¡°Over here!¡± Ke Chengwen was driving a sports car as he caught up to them. He lowered the window and beckoned to them.


    Ke Chengwen was already 18 and owned a driver¡¯s license.


    Mingxi glanced at the four-wheeled sports car that Ke Chengwen was driving and asked Fu Yangxi, ¡°So there are sports cars. Then why did you come here with a motorcycle?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s cool!¡± Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows and boasted. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that a few fast-moving motorcycles suddenly stopped by your side, buzzing around you, is like a scene from a movie? Don¡¯t you girls like this sort of thing? It¡¯s a pity that we didn¡¯t have sunglasses on.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    As expected, Xi ge is truly Xi ge.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Then where are we going?¡±


    Fu Yangxi answered, ¡°Let¡¯s get down first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold at night. If we continue to be exposed to the night wind our fingers will go stiff.¡± He parked the motorcycle by the side of the road, moved his leg over and got out. He then hugged Mingxi¡¯s waist naturally and helped her down. He was blushing as he helped her tuck in her scarf.


    Mingxi saw how familiar he was with his actions and felt that something wasn¡¯t right, but her brain was blown by the cold wind and her thoughts became slow. She didn¡¯t notice anything wrong for a while.


    The way Mingxi was staring at Fu Yangxi caused him to unnaturally turn his head away. His face was red. The corner of his lips curled up, but he immediately hissed in pain.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Is it painful?¡±


    Fu Yangxi touched the band-aid at the corner of his lips, ¡°Nah, this is just a small injury. There is nothing that I fear.¡±


    Ke Chengwen also stopped the car by the side of the road.


    After the rear window was lowered, He Yang poked her head out and beckoned to Mingxi. ¡°Mingxi!¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Why is He Yang here as well?¡±


    ¡°How can you not have some barbecue or something to celebrate such a great day of breaking the cocoon and turning into a butterfly! That¡¯s why Xi ge invited your friend,¡± Ke Chengwen said. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, get in the car!¡±


    Mingxi felt warmth in her heart. All the unhappiness at the police station seemed to be wiped out.


    She walked over there and pulled the car door open.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Fu Yangxi interrupted suddenly. He took huge strides to the door, opened it, and pulled a boy out. ¡°Jiang Xiuqiu, take the passenger seat.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time and this is how you treat your old friend?¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu?!


    Mingxi¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly¡ª Isn¡¯t this that, that person who is in second place on the list of people who can be freeloaded?


    The boy named Jiang Xiuqiu had a pair of almond shaped eyes. He was wearing a high collared sweater which covered the lower half of his face. It was as if he was extremely afraid of the cold, hence he dressed like it was already winter. He glared at Fu Yangxi through his hands. Then when he took a glance at Mingxi¡¯s face, his gaze paused on her. He reluctantly sat down in the passenger seat.


    Mingxi¡¯s eyes were fixated on him.


    2%!


    I have yet to try the 2% return of luck. I wonder what it would be like!


    Fu Yangxi was blocking the door of the car and was about to urge Mingxi to get in the car. Suddenly, he followed Mingxi¡¯s line of sight and fell on Jiang Xiuqiu.


    Him: ¡°¡­¡±


    One second, two seconds, three seconds¡ª Fu Yangxi pinched his watch and counted 10 seconds, yet all he saw was Zhao Mingxi still staring at Jiang Xiuqiu!


    Is Jiang Xiuqiu that handsome?


    She has never even stared at him like this before!


    Mingxi came back to her senses and found that Fu Yangxi was staring at her. His face suddenly showed an ugly expression.


    Mingxi asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Your eyesight sure is good at night.¡± Fu Yangxi tried his best not to be jealous.


    He pushed Mingxi in and they both got in the car quickly.

 Chapter 29.2

    Fu Yangxi threw the key to his follower and the motorcycle was driven back.


    The group sat down in the warm barbeque shop.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Mingxi and Jiang Xiuqiu asked at the same time. Both of them were surprised and immediately made an expression of understanding after the questions.


    Fu Yangxi stared at Zhao Mingxi, then at Jiang Xiuqiu, and finally at Ke Chengwen who had brought Jiang Xiuqiu over. His fists were almost clenched hard.


    Ke Chengwen panicked and motioned with his eyes, ¡®He contacted me and told me that he wanted to come. I didn¡¯t go out of my way to bring him over¡¯. Fu Yangxi then glared back with his eyes, ¡®You couldn¡¯t have just refused?¡¯. The expression in Ke Chengwen¡¯s eyes got even more bitter. ¡®Isn¡¯t he your childhood friend? How could I refuse?¡¯


    After several rounds of glaring, Fu Yangxi¡¯s short red hair was blown by the night wind and it made him look like a hedgehog. Because of this, a further layer of frost formed on his face. He flipped through the menu and was acting very annoying, ¡°What do you mean ¡®it¡¯s you¡¯, Little Mask? Have you and Jiang Xiuqiu known each other since a long time ago?¡±


    Mingxi explained, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t consider us as knowing each other. I merely took the cello exam at the Palace of Literature and Art for him more than half a month ago. He was the one with the nickname ¡®Handsome J¡¯.¡±


    The price was 8,000 yuan. She was wondering who could be such a huge spender. Turns out he is Fu Yangxi¡¯s wealthy friend.


    Now that Mingxi thought about it, no wonder the small tender seedlings were growing so fast in those few days. It was most likely that there was an increase due to this matter.


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face, ¡°Then you two have added each other on WeChat?¡±


    Mingxi answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She was sitting for his exams on his behalf. How else were they to maintain contact without WeChat?


    Fu Yangxi started to feel jealous over what was going on and teased, ¡°Isn¡¯t it such a coincidence then?¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi only felt that the wound on the corner of his mouth was hurting really badly!


    While wiping the chopsticks, Jiang Xiuqiu looked at Fu Yangxi with a smile. Then, he said to Zhao Mingxi, ¡°But it¡¯s different for me. My knowledge of you came from¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi stuffed a piece of cantaloupe in his mouth from across the table. Fu Yangxi was agitated. ¡°You are such a loud mouth and a busybody. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Eat your fruit!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu continued to smile, as if he had a bargaining chip used to threaten Fu Yangxi.


    Looking at Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s meaningful smile, Mingxi wondered if Fu Yangxi was saying bad things behind her back¡ª It was probably when she had just changed classes and tried every means possible to be desk mates with him. He hated her the most back then.


    He Yang couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, so she broke the deadlock, ¡°The meat is here!¡±


    Mingxi stood up on her own, took the dish from the waiter, and placed it on the table. Seeing the large number of people in the store and the lack of waiters, she subconsciously asked for an apron to wear and said, ¡°You guys go ahead and eat. I am good at barbecuing, so I will cook them for you first.¡±


    Fu Yangxi had never cooked meat before, but seeing how natural it was for Zhao Mingxi to take the tongs and cook, he felt uncomfortable.


    He stood up and grabbed the tongs in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s hand. Using his height advantage, he took off the apron she put on from behind. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s vision was blocked by the apron. By the time she could see again, she was already pushed into the seat by Fu Yangxi.


    She was stunned. ¡°You¡¯ll do it?¡±


    Several people looked at Fu Yangxi in surprise.


    Jiang Xiuqiu cupped his face in his hands. He gave Zhao Mingxi a few extra glances, narrowed his smile, and noted to himself that something interesting was going on.


    ¡°Why? Are you looking down on me?¡± Fu Yangxi said. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t cook? You¡¯re obviously trying to provoke me.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Mingxi held back a smile.


    Fu Yangxi and Mingxi changed positions. He sat on the outside, cut the meat into several pieces with a pair of scissors, and threw them in in a hurry.


    After a while, there was the smell of something burning, and the oil was crackling.


    The meat in his hands was as if it was particularly inflexible. It almost flew out.


    A waiter nearby looked anxious. He was afraid that the boy with the hedgehog-like red hair would burn down their restaurant. He moved away from a table of people and quickly walked over. ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi let go of the tongs in a jealous manner.


    ¡°Who wants to eat these pieces?¡± The waiter referred to the pieces of barbecue that were roasted so thoroughly and so dark that even their parents would not be able to recognize them.


    Fu Yangxi looked at Jiang Xiuqiu. Jiang Xiuqiu looked away.


    Fu Yangxi looked at Ke Chengwen. Ke Chengwen coughed and looked out the window. ¡°The moonlight sure is beautiful.¡±


    Seeing that no one wanted it, Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression became dull and bleak, ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°I want a few pieces too.¡± Mingxi couldn¡¯t bear to see no one supporting him, so she handed her plate over.


    Fu Yangxi snorted and tugged down the corners of his mouth despite the fact that he actually felt really happy about it.


    However, in the next second, he dumped the charred barbecue on both him and Mingxi¡¯s plates into the trash can.


    It¡¯s better to not eat it if it¡¯s burnt.


    When they finally started to eat the barbecue, Mingxi stared at Jiang Xiuqiu on the opposite side, and started to hit on Jiang Xiuqiu. She said, ¡°Employer, let¡¯s shake hands. If you have similar jobs in the future, feel free to find me..¡±


    She originally thought that Fu Yangxi¡¯s friend would be as difficult to deal with as Fu Yangxi is, but to her surprise, Jiang Xiuqiu had a very good temper. He smiled and stretched out his hand. ¡°No problem.¡±


    Mingxi was excited. She immediately wiped her hands on her clothes and shook his hands.


    Fu Yangxi who was still eating barbecue and had no time to stop them: ¡°¡­¡±


    As soon as Mingxi touched Jiang Xiuqiu, the young seedling in the flower pot immediately moved.


    One and a half buds have grown!


    Although there were not as many young buds as when she touched Fu Yangxi for the first time, it was still enough to make her happy!


    Mingxi was motivated. She chewed on a piece of barbecue and asked, ¡°Jiang Xiuqiu, did you not come to school for almost a month because you fell ill? There should be a lot of papers on your desk, do you need someone to help you organize it? Do you need someone to run errands for you as well?¡±


    Ke Chengwen silently looked at Fu Yangxi¡¯s face which was turning green: ¡°¡­¡±


    Before Jiang Xiuqiu could speak, Fu Yangxi pulled Mingxi¡¯s body over, clasped her shoulders with both his hands, and glared at her angrily¡ª


    ¡°What, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Mingxi was confused.


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face as he gave her a fierce glare. After holding back for a long time, he forced out a question, ¡°Are you my follower or his follower?¡±


    Mingxi swallowed the barbecued meat. ¡°Can¡¯t I be both of your followers?¡±


    Is there any professional competition for being the boss?


    ¡°No!¡± Fu Yangxi was anxious and depraved¡ª He wondered if Little Mask really didn¡¯t get it or if she was faking it. Does the word ¡®follower¡¯ really mean ¡®follower¡¯? Does she want him to take the initiative to pierce through the veil covering the word?


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Fu Yangxi flushed red. He said angrily, ¡°One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, okay?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu laughed and coughed violently beside him. He drank a mouthful of water and sighed. ¡°What can I do? My personality and charm is simply unstoppable.¡±


    There was a layer of goosebumps on Mingxi¡¯s body. She thought, between 6% and 2%, she would definitely choose Fu Yangxi¡¯s 6%.


    ¡°Then I will choose to be your follower.¡±


    The tip of Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears flushed red. He felt relieved. He let go of Mingxi¡¯s shoulders, and gave Mingxi a few pieces of meat in a boss-like manner.


    Mingxi said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Fu Yangxi triumphantly dusted off the non-existent dust on his body. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Jiang Xiuqiu, his gaze domineering and cool. ¡°It seems like my personality is the more attractive one.¡±


    Ke Chengwen and He Yang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Very good, two layers of goosebumps. Little Mask is clenching her fist. More attractive my ass.


    The barbeque restaurant was steaming hot, and the aroma of meat and condiments overflowed. Mingxi felt very warm. Seeing this group of young people playing in front of her, her heart was also warm.


    Some things grew silently to make up for the empty corners of her heart.


    Midway through their meal, the waiter brought some fruit wine. No one noticed that Mingxi had also drunk two glasses.


    By the time Fu Yangxi found that something was wrong with her, he hurriedly stopped her, but she had already drunk three glasses.


    Mingxi started to feel dizzy, and the moon outside the window became blurry.


    Fu Yangxi shook her.


    But Fu Yangxi was starting to become two Fu Yangxi.


    She turned her head, and the yellowish-green glass window frame behind her turned into two.


    ¡­


    Mingxi was leaning her head on her hand. Her beautiful face was flushed, her eyelashes smeared with mist, and her eyes fell involuntarily to the side of the street. There was a grandmother and grandchild selling bright red tanghulu in the cold wind.


    The granddaughter was saying something coquettishly. She pulled her grandmother¡¯s sleeves and kept on swinging it. Ultimately, her grandmother couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and took out a tanghulu before handing it to her granddaughter.


    When the grandmother turned, she had a kind and peaceful smile on her face. She rubbed her granddaughter¡¯s head with her dirty hands.


    Mingxi stared blankly. Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t keep her emotions in anymore. Her nose felt sour and the whites of her eyes were turning red at the corners. All the feelings she had accumulated after she was reborn and found out that her grandmother had passed away poured out in an instant.


    Tears flowed down uncontrollably.


    ¡°My grandma.¡± Mingxi cried out, with a hoarse tone in her voice, ¡°My grandma left me thousands of dollars before she died!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone at the table looked at her.


    ¡°Oh no, Zhao Mingxi can¡¯t drink. She¡¯ll get drunk even with a bit of alcohol in her system.¡± He Yang just remembered. She herself was a little dizzy as well.


    Fu Yangxi quickly got up and pulled Mingxi over to him. He frowned at He Yang. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    Mingxi hugged Fu Yangxi like she was holding a telephone pole as she cried.


    She couldn¡¯t even see her grandmother one last time.


    When she left Tongcheng, her grandmother was uneasy, but she was full of expectations and yearning. She also said to her grandmother that once she got the Zhao family¡¯s love, she would pick up her grandmother and bring her there some time later. Then, when she is admitted to a good university and lands a job, she can provide for her grandmother.


    However, not long after she arrived at the Zhao family home, two days before and after her birthday, she continuously called her grandmother but no one answered the phone. By the time she noticed that something was wrong, she received a call from the town.


    They said that after she left, her grandmother went to deliver some goods on her own. She was accidentally trapped by the heavy rain and slid down the mountain because of the ailment in her legs. She passed away that night.


    The people in the town were kind. They could not bear to call her to inform her until the funeral had been held for her grandmother.


    Because of the late discovery, and the medical condition in the town was not so good, they did not even know the exact time when her grandmother had passed away.


    At that time, Mingxi was completely stunned.


    She rushed back to Tongcheng.


    She was silent in the cold mourning hall, crying until she went numb.


    She even said that she wanted to help her grandmother live a good life, but in the end it was her grandmother who left her with a worn red cloth bag which contained the tuition fees that her grandmother had saved from not treating her years of painful leg ailments.


    It was as if someone flipped a switch in Mingxi, droplets of tears were falling continuously. The tip of her nose had turned red from crying.


    She wiped her face messily with her hands.


    With hot pepper on her hands, her eyes felt hotter the more she wiped it, and the tears flowed even more violently.


    Fu Yangxi hurriedly grabbed the tissue on the table and wiped the tears from her face.


    Fu Yangxi had never really seen Zhao Mingxi cry like this where she looked as if she was at the point of collapse. He felt a tightness in his heart and turned to ask He Yang, ¡°Who is her grandma? Where does she live? What is the address? Send it to me.¡±


    ¡°She has already passed away.¡± He Yang looked at Mingxi sadly. ¡°She¡ª Forget it, it should be okay to say these things.¡±


    He Yang skipped some of the Zhao family¡¯s biological daughters and non-biological matters, and only told Fu Yangxi and the others about how Mingxi had lived in Tongcheng in the North and returned to the Zhao family at the age of fifteen.


    The more Fu Yangxi listened, the deeper his frown.


    Ke Chengwen looked at Mingxi with mixed emotions. ¡°This is so unexpected.¡±


    In fact, looking at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s outstanding temperament, he thought that she was raised like a spoiled princess. But if one were to really think about it, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to realize that how could a spoiled person be able to barbecue meat and cook so well?


    Mingxi¡¯s body was light and fluttering. It was as if her brain was filled with water. She was swaying, but she could hear their conversation faintly. She suddenly cried out sadly again. Grabbing the person in front of her, she banged her forehead upwards and wallowed, ¡°She¡¯s dead. She¡¯s dead because of me.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    As to what the others said after that, Mingxi could no longer hear them clearly. Even if she did hear it, her mind was slow in processing it. She was unable to identify what they were talking about.


    She was immersed in a huge and sorrowful dream, as if she had returned to that day in the funeral hall in her previous life.


    ray¡¯s note: this was one of the chapters that made me cry really hard, and it was difficult to translate as well. the elderly are truly my weakness (T?T) as always, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

 Chapter 29.3

    Her hands and feet were numb from the cold, and her body was shaking from her cries.


    Mingxi vaguely felt that she had been half-carried out of the barbecue restaurant by Fu Yangxi, and that she had vomited all over him. He squatted in front of her, re-tying her messy shoelaces. Then, he gave a few orders to Jiang Xiuqiu and the others.


    The street lamp outside the barbeque restaurant shone on the ground. Tiny insects flew around in the cold.


    Each breath turned into white mist.


    Her tears fell on the ground.


    It was terribly cold. Even the tears dripping down her neck were cold.


    She had another scarf around her neck.


    It was finally warm.


    Mingxi hugged the warm telephone pole in front of her.


    ¡­


    Then, Mingxi completely lost consciousness.


    She fell asleep.


    ¡­


    It is strange how a drunk person would know that they are drunk before they wake up.


    She was about to regain consciousness, but it was as if a mountain was pressing on top of her, and she couldn¡¯t lift it up.


    Her eyelids were also too heavy and tired. She could only feel a little flickering light.


    Like a stuck projector, the only things she could remember were a few sporadic pictures of last night.


    The hum of the engine and the slight shaking made Mingxi feel a splitting headache, and the weightlessness during the landing made her stomach twist. She was about to throw up everything she ate last night.


    ¡­


    By the time Mingxi was vaguely conscious and was about to open her eyes, the first thing she noticed was how cold it was.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Why is it way colder than yesterday?


    Did the temperature drop by a few dozen degrees?


    A whole bunch of noises kept invading her ears. The seat was bumpy all the time, and the bones on Mingxi¡¯s body seemed to be not her own.


    She tried to open her eyes, her consciousness still a little slow.


    What caught her eye was a somewhat dirty car window. Was she in a car?


    Human traffickers?!


    Mingxi was shocked. She was so frightened that she was completely awake.


    Mingxi looked to the left. When she saw Fu Yangxi sitting on her left, Mingxi suddenly felt relieved. Even if she was kidnapped by a human trafficker, so long as Fu Yangxi was with her, someone would pay for her ransom as well.


    Fu Yangxi was sleeping out of exhaustion. His lips were pressed tightly and his eyebrows were furrowed. He had a change of clothes and he wasn¡¯t wearing his noise-reducing headphones.


    Mingxi quickly realized that the silver earphones were hanging on her ears.


    She took it off. Seeing as it was out of battery, she turned it off.


    Mingxi looked to the right again. It was a dilapidated and familiar station. The waiting hall was hung with the ¡°‡Ö¡±* characters that were posted last year and have not yet been taken off. The dust was fluttering, and the cries of people coming and going were very noisy. It was a shabby but thriving place.


    *‡Ö is a common Chinese character seen and referred to in weddings.


    Red, green, and even colorful advertisements were everywhere on both sides of the street.


    The car was still driving forward, passing by many tricycles.


    On the uneven gravel road, there were garbage dumps at a distance, and the trash cans along the road appeared like furnishings.


    Mingxi¡¯s eyelids twitched. Suddenly, she was hit by a sense of familiarity.


    Even the deserted soymilk stalls on the corners of the street feel familiar.


    The boss advertised with an accent familiar to Mingxi, ¡°Soy milk! Soy milk that are delicious and inexpensive!¡±


    The aroma seemed to overtake her senses.


    She stopped breathing altogether.


    Her heart was pounding, her forehead involuntarily pressed against the cold car window. She felt the difference in temperature.


    She didn¡¯t know how long it took until the bumps finally stopped.


    The car went around for a long time before stopping at an old alley in town. The deep and secluded alley was just like how it was in Mingxi¡¯s memory. The ground was covered with moss. It had just rained, and it was full of water.


    Looking up, there was a chaotic and ragged tube-shaped apartment. Few windows were closed, most of which were wide open. One or two bamboo poles were stretched out, with faded T-shirts, school uniforms and dried bacon hanging indiscriminately.


    ¡­


    It¡¯s all too familiar.


    Just a few steps further down the alley was the small yard where she used to live with her grandmother. There would be some gardenia trees growing inside, a few pots of sun-dried radishes, and some of her grandmother¡¯s shoes neatly arranged.


    After realizing where this was, Mingxi¡¯s heart beat faster and faster, and the fingers that touched the car window were slightly trembling.


    Some places have changed a little, but most things in her memory have not changed.


    A group of teenagers swaggered across the city in groups, holding basketballs to play in a small open area with less rain.


    When the car stopped, the driver spoke with a local accent, ¡°We¡¯re here. Wake up and pay up.¡±


    Only then did Mingxi notice that there was a car following behind them.


    Ke Chengwen, Jiang Xiuqiu and He Yang rubbed their eyes and got out of the car with a look as if they had yet to fully wake up.


    Fu Yangxi also woke up. Once he was awake, he subconsciously glanced at Zhao Mingxi who was beside him.


    He yawned and, as usual, with an impatient face, took out a few red banknotes and handed them to the driver. Then, he got out of the car and walked to her side.


    He opened the door for Mingxi.


    Mingxi¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. She stared at him blankly.


    At this moment, she felt as if she was dreaming.


    Is Alice in Wonderland or something?


    How did I end up at the place where I grew up in the span of one night¡¯s sleep? It would clearly take more than 10 hours to get here by train.


    But how did she get on the train when she was sound asleep?


    Mingxi suddenly remembered the buzzing sound of take-off and landing when she was sleeping¡ª a private jet?


    And there is Fu Yangxi¡ª These people¡ª


    It was as if they had broken into her dream by mistake.


    Fu Yangxi stood in front of the car door. He was holding on to the door, waiting for her to get down.


    Against the morning light, his short dazzling red hair warmed the cold morning mist by a lot.


    Seeing how stunned she was, Fu Yangxi leaned over slightly, curled up the corner of his mouth and smiled, ¡°What are you still in a daze for?¡±


    Mingxi got out of the car slowly while Fu Yangxi covered the top of the car door.


    He kicked a board under the car, enough to cover the water in the mud.


    ¡°Wele home, little girl,*¡± he said to Zhao Mingxi.


    * he said this in English.

 Chapter 30.1

    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s sudden use of such greasy English instantly pulled Mingxi back from the illusion.


    He Yang couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She said to Ke Chengwen, ¡°Do all of you from the International Class act like him?¡±


    Ke Chengwen took advantage of Fu Yangxi¡¯s lack of time to berate him and covered his mouth to whisper to He Yang, ¡°To be honest, I am the most normal one, and I am also the handsomest guy in class.¡±


    He Yang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Forget it, she shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations.


    None of them are normal.


    Mingxi returned from the state of falling into a dream. She got out of the car and couldn¡¯t help but to hold her breath.


    She looked at all the familiar but also slightly unfamiliar things in front of her. Her adrenal hormones secreted very quickly, and her heart thumped loudly.


    She looked at everyone and couldn¡¯t help but to ask, ¡°How did we get here?¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°There¡¯s no runway in your town, so the plane drove to the city center first, and then Xi ge booked two cars. We drove on the mud road for four hours before we got here.¡±


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi.


    It was difficult for her to describe how she felt at this moment. It was as if someone brought charcoal and lit up a pit of fire during the coldest time and gathered clothes for her, telling her that everything went well.


    ¡­


    There was something stirring in her throat. Mingxi wanted to say something, but she felt  that saying thank you at this time was too strange.


    Fu Yangxi, with a sharp and sloppy breath of vitality, was so pompous and enthusiastic that he could be picked out from the crowd at one glance.


    Mingxi used to approach him purely for luck, but now he was a very important person for Mingxi, even if he didn¡¯t have any luck.


    Very important. Mingxi quietly made this decision in her heart.


    Due to Zhao Mingxi¡¯s stare, Fu Yangxi¡¯s face became hot all of a sudden.


    ¡°Well, there is nothing difficult in the world so long as you are rich.¡± Fu Yangxi tried his best to calm down. He stroked his hair backwards with one hand. Then, triumphantly, he put on a cool expression saying ¡®this was just a piece of cake. I¡¯m just doing it out of convenience so you don¡¯t have to be too touched¡¯.


    He took Zhao Mingxi¡¯s school bag out of the car with one hand.


    As soon as he was done being proud, Ke Chengwen suddenly complained, ¡°By the way, Xi ge, you are really good at making last minute decisions. Any day would have been fine, but you just had to come over here in the middle of the night last night! It was just after a downpour, so there is mud everywhere. I almost fell apart. And Zhao Mingxi, how heavy are you? Xi ge said that you were too heavy and we couldn¡¯t even move you. We had to¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s ears became red all of a sudden. He interrupted him roughly, ¡°You sure do talk a lot, don¡¯t you? Would you like to sign up for the one-million-words per hour contest?¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    He Yang asked in surprise, ¡°Is there really such a contest?¡±


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone get in. The wind is so strong here.¡± Fu Yangxi urged as he glanced at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s earlobe which had gone white due to the cold.


    Mingxi nodded and took a deep breath. She mentally prepared herself to walk towards the dilapidated courtyard deep in the alley.


    As for Fu Yangxi, he went around and said a few words to the two drivers.


    There was the sound of the engine starting, and the two drivers quickly drove their old cars away from the bumpy road.


    Jiang Xiuqiu fell behind. He rubbed his palms together. He wanted nothing but to pull his sweater collar over his head right now as he trembled with the cold. He walked to Fu Yangxi and asked with a cold breath, ¡°So when will they come over and pick us up?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning at seven o¡¯clock.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu said in a low voice, ¡°Then doesn¡¯t it mean that we have to spend the night here?¡±


    Fu Yangxi glanced at Zhao Mingxi who was walking in front and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s rare for my Little Mask to come here, and besides¡ª¡± Fu Yangxi glanced left and right before saying in a low voice, ¡°I checked, the green leather train that can bring us back only operates once every day at seven o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s sleepy eyelids suddenly twitched, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we have to take a train when we go back. Where¡¯s the private plane which we used when we came?!¡±


    ¡°My grandfather was notified as soon as we got off the plane.¡± Fu Yangxi took out his phone and glanced at it. ¡°30¡ª Now 52 missed calls. I didn¡¯t answer them, so he cancelled my permission¡ª What are you doing? Jiang Xiuqiu, what¡¯s with that look? Have you been poisoned?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re playing with death,¡± Jiang Xiuqiu said. ¡°He¡¯ll teach you a lesson the moment you get home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my business.¡± Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t take it seriously. In fact, he continued in a justified manner. ¡°Look at the beautiful scenery here. If it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to come out and see the great rivers and mountains of our motherland!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu glanced at the poor countryside around him: ¡°¡­¡±


    Then I really have to thank you, Young Master.


    Mingxi walked into the yard.


    The familiar small tea table made out of bamboo in the yard was gone. It was left in the corner under the eaves. No one had moved it for a long time, leaving a layer of dust.


    The window paper she had pasted on the glass window was peeled off as well, leaving only a mark.


    The gardenias were gone too, and the earth was covered with rough and crude marble bricks.


    The earth-red courtyard wall has also been rebuilt.


    To be precise, this area was not owned by Mingxi and her grandmother, but by Aunt Li¡¯s family who lived next door. It used to be rented out. After her grandmother passed away, Aunt Li renovated the small yard.


    Everything remained the same, but the people have changed.


    Nonetheless, Mingxi¡¯s mood was completely different from that of her previous life.


    After her grandmother passed away in her previous life, she always came back alone. Not to mention how desperate she was when she came back after knowing she had terminal illness.


    As she walked through the crowd, she felt that she did not belong anywhere.


    But this time, perhaps it was because of the sound of a group of friends mucking around, the courtyard became lively.


    Mingxi¡¯s mood also became bright and cheerful, full of hope for the future.


    Fu Yangxi walked over with her schoolbag. He had one hand in his pocket, and the other handing her Yunnan Baiyao¡¯s steam eye mask. He looked around, trying his best not to look at her and pretended to be nonchalant about it. ¡°Put it on, your eyes are swollen.¡±


    Mingxi unpacked the disposable eye mask and found that it was a steam eye mask with a hollow-out design, and the eyes could be exposed.


    After she put it on, Fu Yangxi glanced at her.


    Zhao Mingxi had fair skin, jet-black eyes, long black eyelashes, and the whites of her eyes were red like a rabbit¡¯s.


    After putting it on, the two pointed tips on the corners of the blindfold were lifted up, making her look even more like a dazed rabbit.


    Fu Yangxi almost could not maintain his cold expression.


    ¡°Is it funny?¡± Mingxi pressed the hot part around her eyes with her hand in order to warm her hands as well. She asked, ¡°Where did you get it from?¡±


    Fu Yangxi took out a similar pack. ¡°I just got it on the way.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu who was standing at a corner in the cold: ¡­


    Who was the one who asked the driver to park the car for almost half a day at the passenger terminal?


    As Fu Yangxi was carrying her school bag in one hand, he spent a long time struggling to open the packaging with one hand.


    Mingxi reached out her hand and opened it for him. Then, she went on her tiptoes and put it on him. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Fu Yangxi held his breath suddenly.


    The air was chilly, and Zhao Mingxi¡¯s pale face became even whiter due to the cold.


    In just the span of one night, her face seemed to have gotten a little smaller. Most of her face was covered by the eye mask, with only light pink lips and a white chin exposed.


    She leaned in.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed, feeling his blood rush to his scalp.

 Chapter 30.2

    Ke Chengwen jumped to them like a monkey and yelled, ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I didn¡¯t sleep well either. Jiang Xiuqiu took the back seat for himself, causing my legs to go numb and my dark circles to come out. Why do I have no part in this?!¡±


    The atmosphere was instantly destroyed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your f*cking eye circles usually dark?!¡± Fu Yangxi pushed his head away angrily. ¡°There¡¯s none left. I only bought two.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi received so much help from them last night. She felt that she had developed a revolutionary friendship with them.


    She shyly took off the eye mask from her face and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I give mine to you? I¡¯ve slept enough, and my eyes don¡¯t feel uncomfortable.¡±


    Ke Chengwen was just about to happily accept it.


    Fu Yangxi slapped his hand away.


    With a long face, Fu Yangxi took out another three from the bag. ¡°Here.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°???¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s only two?¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s face didn¡¯t flush, his heart didn¡¯t skip a beat nor did he blink. ¡°I forgot that there was another box.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    All five of them put on the eye mask, causing them to look like Jiang Yang thieves who broke in and robbed people. It shocked Aunt Li who was on her way to wash the vegetables with a porcelain basin.


    Mingxi quickly took off her eye mask and walked over. ¡°Aunt Li, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ve come back for a quick visit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mingxi?!¡± Aunt Li recognized Mingxi and immediately put down the porcelain basin. She came over and pulled her closer to look at her carefully. Then, she said with a heavy emotion, ¡°Mingxi has become prettier.¡±


    Aunt Li was very enthusiastic. She coaxed the five of them to stay for dinner. She set the brazier on fire, allowing them to surround it and warm their hands. After she was done with her work, she dragged Mingxi aside to talk for a long time.


    Mingxi stayed in her old room for a long time, picking up the things that she did not have the time to take with her previously one by one.


    For lunch, they ate a big pot of rice from Aunt Li¡¯s house. Although it was steaming hot, the rice was hard and the taste of the dishes was average.


    But Fu Yangxi and Jiang Xiuqiu did not say anything. Ke Chengwen and He Yang also actively helped Aunt Li wash the dishes.


    In the blink of an eye, evening had arrived.


    Mingxi planned to pay respects to her grandmother. Except for Jiang Xiuqiu, who was extremely cold and inseparable from the brazier, the other three went with her.


    They bought lighters and colorful paper money from a store in town, stuffed them in a red plastic bag, and walked up the mountain through the muddy terrain.


    There were many graves on the mountain. This kind of small town was not as particular as how people would be in a big city, as seen from how the graves were scattered everywhere.


    Mingxi¡¯s grandmother¡¯s grave was in a remote corner on a relatively sloping hill. As it was currently raining and the ground was slippery, one could easily fall with a slip of the foot.


    After they paid their respects which lasted only 10 minutes, Ke Chengwen and He Yang had each slipped at least once.


    Thus, Mingxi said to He Yang, ¡°The three of you should head back first.¡±


    He Yang looked at the muddy water on her body. They had no choice but to go back, else the muddy water would soak into their clothes and it would be immensely uncomfortable.


    Besides, they were done paying their respects, and outsiders like them ought not prolong their stay, so they said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll head back first. You should be careful not to fall as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mingxi nodded.


    Fu Yangxi pretended not to hear her. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t fall. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    The mountain was remote and secluded. It simply wasn¡¯t a place suited for a girl on her own. Thus, Ke Chengwen said, ¡°Then, Xi ge, stay with Zhao Mingxi for a while. He Yang and I will go down first.¡±


    The moment the two of them left, the mountain instantly fell quiet.


    Mingxi burned the paper money silently.


    Fu Yangxi stood aside and looked down at her. He scratched the back of his head, distraught as he did not know how to comfort her. In fact, he almost wanted to call Ke Chengwen back.


    Mingxi was the first to look up at him. She smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to comfort me. I¡¯m not sad. Are we going back to school tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ª¡± Fu Yangxi let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to talk about going back with the train, both of them heard the continuous sound of a dog barking.


    It¡¯s barks were too intimidating, as if it was going to rush over at any time.


    Mingxi was taken aback. She quickly put down the paper money and stood up. ¡°Since when was there a dog on this mountain?!¡±


    She grabbed Fu Yangxi¡¯s wrist and was about to drag him away.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know if it was her misperception, but Fu Yangxi was staring at the Tibetan mastiff. His body was extremely stiff, and the palm of his hand which was held by Mingxi was full of sweat.


    It was the first time Mingxi saw him like this. There was no expression on his face. In fact, it was mixed with a little coldness.


    He stubbornly bit his lower lip.


    ¡°Fu Yangxi!¡± Mingxi yelled. She was shocked by his behaviour.


    Fu Yangxi reluctantly withdrew from that state and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. After he realized what was going on, he said, ¡°Oh no¡± before he quickly pulled Mingxi around and ran.


    Due to their one moment of hesitation, a tall Tibetan mastiff rushed towards them with a toothy grin.


    The dog had a strong spine and its eyes were black.


    In an instant, the sharp fangs in its mouth got closer to them, and the pungent heat overwhelmed their senses.


    Fu Yangxi stood in front of Zhao Mingxi.


    The two slipped on their feet and suddenly lost their footing. They stepped on the slippery soil and fell to the bottom of the hillside.


    As the soil was soft, they were not injured.


    However, they could see that the dog was about to rush down again.


    ¡°Blackie!¡±


    The dog barked and bared its teeth fiercely at them. Soon a local farmer came over and stretched out a hand at them apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The two of you, quick, I¡¯ll pull you up.¡±


    Fu Yangxi helped Mingxi up. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Mingxi shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. He was furious at the middle-aged man who was holding the dog. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about us. Just tie your dog up and pull it away!¡±


    When Fu Yangxi and Mingxi returned, there was more muddy water on their bodies than He Yang and Ke Chengwen that they practically became clay figures.


    Aunt Li was taken aback. She quickly asked them to take a bath.


    As Mingxi was more familiar with the facilities here, she washed up quickly. After she was done, she changed into the clothes Aunt Li gave her and came out.


    Fu Yangxi was comparatively slower.


    ¡°You guys met a giant dog?¡± Jiang Xiuqiu walked over and asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mingxi thought of Fu Yangxi¡¯s reaction in the afternoon and felt that something was wrong. She asked out of worry, ¡°Does Fu Yangxi have some kind of phobia against dogs?¡±


    His reaction today was very abnormal. Even when he came back to take a bath, he remained silent. There was a huge difference as compared to his usual arrogant self.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    Just as Jiang Xiuqiu was about to speak, he was interrupted by Fu Yangxi who came out of the shower. ¡°F*ck, you got caught. Don¡¯t speak ill of me behind my back!¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s short red hair was dripping wet and his hair was not quite dry. He hurriedly pulled Zhao Mingxi behind him, away from Jiang Xiuqiu.


    He returned to his usual cocky personality and looked at Zhao Mingxi in a displeased manner. ¡°Little Mask, enough. You said that you only recognize me as the boss, yet you still talk bad about me with other people!¡±

 Chapter 31.1 - (Part 1)

    Despite his lack of great popularity, Zhao Mo was still considered a celebrity. Therefore, it was no surprise that some news agencies posted about him entering the police station. But before Zhao Mo¡¯s manager could finish preparing the emergency measures, the news was suppressed by the Fu family.


    After all, the matter involved the Young Master of the Fu family. Although they looked down on a D-list celebrity, they did not want this matter to blow up.


    Either way, a huge weight was lifted off Zhao Mo¡¯s manager¡¯s shoulders.


    At the hospital, Zhao Mo belatedly realized that he had been blocked by Zhao Mingxi. He was in disbelief. His fox eyes were blown wide, his fingers poking at the phone. He looked at Zhao Zhanhuai in shock. ¡°She blocked me?! What the hell? She blocked me?!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai saw that Zhao Mo was still unclear about the situation, but he was too lazy to deal with him, so he asked his assistant to help him clean up Zhao Mo¡¯s things and prepared to leave the hospital.


    Zhao Mo softened his look of arrogance. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Could it be that Zhao Mingxi broke off with our family because of me¡­? Because I¡¯ve always been bullying her?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought: You were definitely part of the reason.


    Zhao Yuning, who was sitting aside, crossed his arms. When he saw how Zhao Mo was acting, he felt a little relieved. At least Zhao Mingxi hated him more.


    Zhao Yuning deliberately said, ¡°Er ge, who else could it be if not you? I¡¯ve always gotten along very well with Mingxi. Da ge and dad are always in the company, so you bullied Mingxi all day when you were at home¡ª Oh, and mom¡ª¡±


    When Zhao Yuning thought of Madam Zhao, he closed his mouth. There was a slightly dejected expression on his face.


    As Zhao Zhanhuai listened to Zhao Yuning¡¯s words, he was oddly amused by it. He added with a bitter tone, ¡°Also, Yuning and I were the first to know that Mingxi had severed all ties with our family. You were the last to know. Just by this, you¡¯ll know who Mingxi regards as more important in her heart.¡±


    The expression on Zhao Mo¡¯s face was one of extreme gloom. ¡°Zhao Mingxi doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her.¡±


    The nurse who was watching all this: ¡°¡­¡±


    What¡¯s there to be compared?!


    Zhao Mo was helped out of the bed. As soon as his right foot touched the ground, he hissed in pain, ¡°Slowly! Slowly!¡±


    He touched his earrings that had come off during the fight and couldn¡¯t help but to be annoyed. ¡°If I ever meet those stinky brats led by the red-haired guy again, I¡¯ll beat them to death. As for Zhao Mingxi, if she doesn¡¯t want to come home, let her be. Her attempt to try to cut off contact with our family was probably instigated by that red-haired guy! After a while, her thoughts will be cleared up and she¡¯ll know to return to us!¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe that a 17 or 18-year-old can pull off such a stunt!¡±


    However, the moment he finished speaking, no one continued the conversation.


    Zhao Mo raised his head. He saw how deep in thought and worried Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning were.


    He remembered the indifferent look in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s eyes at the library that day. He felt his heart drop to his stomach and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°¡ªIt can¡¯t be true, right? Has she really severed all ties with us? Is she this rebellious now?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Dad was furious with me last night because of this incident. I still don¡¯t know how to deal with it.¡±


    Only then did Zhao Mo¡¯s expression change.


    He gave it some thought and sneered, ¡°Hey, this is a big deal. I¡¯m not leaving anymore, I¡¯ll stay and settle this matter.¡±


    Zhao Yuning couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Er ge, what can you possibly do? I¡¯m already thankful if you don¡¯t make things worse.¡±


    Zhao Yuning originally wanted to go back to the hotel, but Zhao Zhanhuai said that the family was going to have a meeting because of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s matter.


    Hence why he reluctantly got into Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s car.


    As soon as they entered the house, the three brothers felt that the atmosphere at home was particularly solemn.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai walked over and asked.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s eyes were red and swollen, and Mr. Zhao¡¯s face was pale. Zhao Yuan came over and handed him a piece of paper.


    Zhao Zhanhuai took a glance at it. His eyelids suddenly twitched. This was a letter from a lawyer asking them to return Miss Zhao Mingxi¡¯s personal belongings¡ª including photos, the household registration book and other items as soon as possible.


    It also emphasized that the portrait of Miss Zhao Mingxi was to be removed from group photos.


    The inscription was Zhang Yize. He was the lawyer who was next to Young Master Fu when they met at the police station that day.


    This lawyer¡¯s letter was like a slap in the face. It hit every single one of them who thought that Zhao Mingxi would not really leave.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think that Mingxi would actually do this¡­¡± Madam Zhao covered her face and cried again. ¡°At that time, when she ran away from home, I scolded her and called her a brat. I thought she was a kid throwing tantrums again. I even felt that she was terribly annoying¡­ but I didn¡¯t think that she would really cut off relations with me. Why is she so decisive? I carried her in my womb for 10 months¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop crying!¡± Mr. Zhao could feel an incoming headache after hearing Madam Zhao¡¯s muttering all morning.


    Zhao Mo and Zhao Yuning took a look at the lawyer¡¯s letter, their expressions solemn and worried.


    After Madam Zhao stopped sobbing, the living room was silent for a while.


    Everyone found it difficult to breathe.


    Zhao Mo grabbed his silver hair, turned around and sat down on the sofa. ¡°I think all this happened because of that brat with the surname Fu! It¡¯s fine if Zhao Mingxi won¡¯t return now, she will definitely come back one day¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Zhao stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand the current situation? Your sister, your biological sister, was bullied by you so much that she left!¡±


    ¡°Why are you blaming me for this?¡± Zhao Mo also got angry. ¡°I just came back, how would I know¡ª¡±


    Mr. Zhao reprimanded, ¡°If you didn¡¯t go to school and ridicule your sister again, would your sister act like this?!¡±


    Zhao Mo got upset and wanted to rebut him, but Zhao Zhanhuai frowned and said, ¡°Enough.¡±


    The Zhao family was practically in shambles.


    Instead, Zhao Yuan seemed to be ignored by them.


    Zhao Yuan stood in the corner, biting her lower lip. She gradually pinched her nails into the palms of her hands.


    She never thought that Zhao Mingxi¡¯s departure would have such a huge impact on the Zhao family.


    Yet before Zhao Mingxi came, they belonged to her alone.


    She didn¡¯t know when Zhao Mingxi began to occupy the spaces in their hearts.


    ¡­


    Even for Zhao Mo, he found teasing Zhao Mingxi, who had a bad temper, much more fun than teasing her.


    Mingxi left home completely last night. When Zhao Yuan got up this morning, she saw Madam Zhao telling people to move some things.


    She thought she was going to empty Zhao Mingxi¡¯s room and restore their life back to how it used to be.


    But she didn¡¯t expect Madam Zhao to keep all of Mingxi¡¯s things. She made people put dust-proof cloth on her things, so that when Mingxi came back, these things would not be dusty.


    ¡ªEven if Zhao Mingxi has made it clear, everyone is still waiting for her to come back.


    Madam Zhao also told her to avoid contact with Zhao Mingxi at school so as not to trigger Mingxi.


    Zhao Yuan felt as if her heart was being stuffed with something.


    She carefully brought up Aunt Zhang, the nanny who had been driven away, to Madam Zhao.


    This time, Madam Zhao¡¯s answer was very firm. In fact, she was very annoyed when she mentioned this person. ¡°She bullied Mingxi, so she definitely can¡¯t come back here. Don¡¯t say anything on her behalf anymore.¡±


    ¡­


    Zhao Yuan could feel that everything in the family was changing.


    And because of the break between Mingxi and Zhao family in front of the police station last night, this change was rapidly exacerbated.


    The balance suddenly tilted towards Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡­


    ¡°Maybe I should leave,¡± Zhao Yuan suddenly said. Her words broke the deadlock. ¡°It might be because Mingxi hates me, that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t want to come home.¡±


    She stood there, her tears falling down in huge droplets. She was obviously overwhelmed by their argument.


    The Zhao family turned to look at her at the same time.


    Mr. Zhao stopped her immediately. ¡°What are you talking about? What are you leaving for? This is none of your business. I promised a long time ago that the Zhao family is not so poor that we can¡¯t even raise another child.¡±


    Madam Zhao looked at Zhao Yuan¡¯s red-rimmed eyes, and she felt a little sad.


    ¡­Under normal circumstances, she would have immediately gone and hugged Zhao Yuan.


    But last night, Madam Zhao¡¯s mind was filled with all the memories of Zhao Mingxi spending time with her. Somehow, she felt as if she would be sorry to her biological daughter, Zhao Mingxi, if she did so. Suddenly, her heart made a painful squeeze.


    So Madam Zhao merely moved her fingertips and did nothing. She just verbally assured her, ¡°Yes, don¡¯t talk such nonsense.¡±


    Zhao Yuan covered her face, tears dripping from her fingers.


    Zhao Mo was accustomed to seeing women cry in the entertainment industry, so his eyes suddenly caught something curious when he saw Zhao Yuan.


    Saying such things at this time would make her sound very kind, but why¡ª


    Why does it feel like something¡¯s not right?


    Zhao Mo hadn¡¯t seen Zhao Yuan for a long time. He felt that Zhao Yuan seemed to have changed from what he remembered.


    But quickly he wondered if he was being too sensitive. He actually used the way he would look at people in the entertainment industry to look at his sister.


    Zhao Yuning¡¯s expression was more obvious. He used to think that Zhao Yuan was always the wronged party, that it was Zhao Mingxi who took her things. But since the last conflict in the Literature Department, he felt that he couldn¡¯t understand Zhao Yuan anymore.


    Zhao Yuan might be crying now, but her tears may not necessarily be true.


    Maybe she¡¯s pulling some tricks out of her sleeve again.


    Zhao Yuning suddenly let out a cold snort of disdain.


    Zhao Yuan: ¡°¡­¡±


    The whole family: ¡°¡­¡±


    Madam Zhao explained, ¡°Yuning and Yuanyuan had a fight, and they haven¡¯t resolved it yet.¡±


    But at this moment, no one had the mind to care about the conflict between Zhao Yuning and Zhao Yuan.


    Everyone was silent in this gloomy atmosphere.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was called to the study by Mr. Zhao. Naturally, he wanted to talk about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s matter.


    Only Zhao Mo with his legs crossed, observed Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuan as they went upstairs. He felt around his chin for a moment, and beckoned to Zhao Yuning, ¡°Come here, tell me what happened between you and Zhao Yuan?¡±


    *


    As for E Xiaoxia, she spent the whole weekend thinking about what she heard last Friday.


    She was puzzled.


    She made a special trip to the school information department after school on Friday. She logged into the main website, and checked the student status information of Zhao Mingxi and Zhao Yuan. She saw that it was clearly October 14th.


    ¡ª¡ªSo why did Zhao Mingxi tell Fu Yangxi that her birthday was on the 24th of October?


    A slip of the tongue?


    She didn¡¯t want to receive gifts, so she gave out a random date?


    But E Xiaoxia intuitively felt that this matter was not that simple.


    She faintly wondered if Zhao Mingxi was actually the adopted or illegitimate daughter of the Zhao family.


    But she was not sure.


    So on Saturday morning, she couldn¡¯t help but to go to the villa complex where the Zhao family was located.


    She used to come here often. After she arrived, she would go to Zhao Yuan¡¯s room to play. The Zhao family¡¯s driver and others knew her. In addition, the nanny of the Zhao family didn¡¯t know what happened between her and Zhao Yuan. She thought that they were still friends, so she let her change her shoes and enter.


    As soon as E Xiaoxia entered the Zhao family¡¯s home, she noticed that Madam Zhao was ordering people to cover the things in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s room with dust-proof cloth.


    And Madam Zhao was staring at a photo frame of Zhao Mingxi in the corridor in a daze. Then, she covered her face and weeped.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Is she sad because Zhao Mingxi ran away from home?


    E Xiaoxia was a little confused.


    Zhao Yuan came downstairs and immediately saw E Xiaoxia sitting in the living room with a glass of water. Her expression changed immediately and she hurriedly walked down. ¡°Who let you in?¡±


    The nanny who was at the side panicked and said quickly, ¡°Miss, I thought she¡¯s your friend.¡±


    Zhao Yuan said, ¡°I don¡¯t have such a snake as a friend. Don¡¯t let her in in the future.¡±


    E Xiaoxia was kicked out just two minutes after she sat down.


    But she was not surprised. After all, the original intention of her visit was to assess the situation.


    While E Xiaoxia walked out, she turned her head to look inside. She saw Zhao Yuan go up to comfort Madam Zhao, but Madam Zhao gently flicked her hand away. Then, Madam Zhao entered the room, and Zhao Yuan stood outside with an ugly expression.


    Seeing that E Xiaoxia was still looking around outside the door, the nanny rushed over to drive her away. ¡°Miss Zhao wants you to leave immediately!¡±


    ¡°Why so fierce?¡± E Xiaoxia mumbled. She carried her school bag and quickly left.


    In her mind, she had a feeling that things in the Zhao family were very messed up.


    Zhao Mingxi was only picked up from the country two years ago. If her birthday is not the same as Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthday, it means that one of them must be an illegitimate or adopted daughter.


    And judging by Madam Zhao¡¯s attitude¡ª


    Madam Zhao¡¯s sudden reluctance to part with Zhao Mingxi; Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s repeated visits to our school to find Zhao Mingxi; the Zhao family still caring about Zhao Mingxi¡ª This shows that Zhao Mingxi is not the illegitimate daughter.


    But Madam Zhao¡¯s attitude towards Zhao Yuan is a little too much, it changed from loving to slight indifference. The same goes to Zhao Zhanhuai, who stopped picking up Zhao Yuan after school during this period¡ª This means that the event that may have led to such a turning point is that the Zhao family discovered that Zhao Yuan is not their biological daughter.


    Could it be that Zhao Yuan is the illegitimate daughter of Mr. Zhao?


    E Xiaoxia made a lot of speculation. Her instincts told her that she must have guessed something correctly.


    It¡¯s just that there was currently no evidence to back her up.


    ¡­


    She grit her teeth and felt that she shouldn¡¯t just let go of this opportunity. She had to get some information from Zhao Yuan or Zhao Mingxi.

 Chapter 31.2

    Over at Tongcheng.


    After they got down from the mountain, the sky turned dark in the blink of an eye.


    During dinner, Fu Yangxi kept interrupting them, so Mingxi couldn¡¯t find out anything from Jiang Xiuqiu.


    Everyone was extremely curious, especially Ke Chengwen as he stretched out his head to listen to the story of how they were so frightened by the Tibetan mastiff.


    Fu Yangxi slammed his chopsticks on the porcelain bowl, his face flushed. He was really annoyed. ¡°I admit that I¡¯m afraid of dogs, okay?!¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Ke Chengwen laughed out loud. He said in surprise, ¡°Xi ge, you also have something you¡¯re afraid of?! What¡¯s so scary about dogs? They¡¯re such cute creatures! No wonder you never come to my house, it¡¯s because I have a pet husky. Next time I will take it to school so you guys can take a look at him. He¡¯s very well-behaved, and he isn¡¯t fierce at all.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was all jittery. He stood up and grabbed Ke Chengwen by the back of his collar. He warned in a dark tone, ¡°You¡¯re dead if you dare to bring it to school!¡±


    Ke Chengwen fled the room in fear.


    He Yang and Aunt Li who had their bowls in their hands smiled at the conversation. They turned their heads to look at the two of them.


    All of a sudden, the air was filled with cheerfulness.


    But Mingxi thought of Fu Yangxi¡¯s abnormal reaction at that time and couldn¡¯t laugh.


    She was very worried, but she didn¡¯t know whether to ask about it or not.


    She turned her head and stared at Fu Yangxi for a while. She couldn¡¯t help but say to Ke Chengwen who was running around, ¡°A fear of dogs is nothing to be ashamed of. I¡¯m also afraid of them. Sit down and eat. The food will get cold later.¡±


    Upon seeing this, Aunt Li gave Fu Yangxi, who she thought was the most handsome among the boys, a piece of bamboo shoot. ¡°This is a specialty of ours. You young people from the city must have never eaten it. Give it a try.¡±


    Fu Yangxi looked at the black bamboo shoots and tried not to show his disgust. ¡°No thanks.¡±


    ¡°At least have a bite.¡± Aunt Li stretched out her chopsticks, reluctant to give up.


    Fu Yangxi simply withdrew his bowl. ¡°Auntie, I never eat this.¡±


    Mingxi broke the deadlock by placing a small piece into Fu Yangxi¡¯s bowl. She whispered, ¡°Take it as a token of kindness from Aunt Li. If you¡¯re not allergic to it, you should at least try it.¡±


    It was the first time for Fu Yangxi to receive a dish given by Zhao Mingxi, and it was by leaning her small head over, whispering gently as she did so. He glanced at Zhao Mingxi, and the tips of his ears suddenly became hot. He pretended to reluctantly pick up the bamboo shoot. He put it into his mouth and chewed slowly. ¡°Fine, then I guess I have no choice but to take a bite.¡±


    Aunt Li who still had her chopsticks stretched out. ¡°¡­¡±


    Their supper was finished in the midst of such chaos.


    Mingxi and He Yang shared a room.


    The trip took a lot of their energy, and having been too tired during the day, so all of them quickly fell asleep.


    He Yang was so tired that she even snored slightly.


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so she went out with a jacket on and gently packed up the sewing box and other things that her grandmother had used before.


    The moon was shining brightly and the night was silent. It gave Mingxi some time to process her emotions.


    She missed her grandmother very much. She thought, don¡¯t worry grandma, I will live a good life this time.


    ¡­


    On the next day, the sun came through the mist and shone on the earth. It was a new day.


    They all skipped class and took the train back to City A.


    It was a 14 hour train journey. By the time they left the train station sleepily, it was already 9 p.m., and the lights around the train station were bright.


    Mingxi glanced at the time, and was suddenly shocked awake. She almost forgot about Uncle Dong¡¯s family¡¯s return to China!


    The flight the Dong family took happened to land at around 10 p.m.. There was still an hour for her to get to the airport.


    Mingxi hurriedly took her schoolbag from Fu Yangxi. ¡°I almost forgot, I have to go to the airport to pick up a friend!¡±


    Ke Chengwen drove the car from the parking lot and stopped in front of them. ¡°Come on, Zhao Mingxi. I just happened to have someone park the car here. I¡¯ll take you to the airport, and then I¡¯ll take He Yang and Jiang Xiuqiu home.¡±


    He looked at He Yang and Jiang Xiuqiu. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t in a hurry, right? Just sleep in the car if you¡¯re not in a hurry.¡±


    He Yang yawned and climbed into the car. ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯ll get in the car first.¡±


    Mingxi felt it was too troublesome for Ke Chengwen, and he didn¡¯t have much rest after taking the train for more than 10 hours. She hurriedly said, ¡°It will be a long way around to the airport, you don¡¯t have to do this! I can just go by myself¡ª¡±


    ¡°What can you do on your own?! You want to be dragged into a ravine by a black car and sold off in the middle of the night?¡±


    Fu Yangxi interrupted Zhao Mingxi.


    He raised his hand to tighten Mingxi¡¯s scarf, then took her by the shoulder and turned her around.


    Mingxi felt dizzy. By the time she reacted, Fu Yangxi had already opened the car door and pushed her in.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu glanced at Fu Yangxi. He patted him on the shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re on your own, buddy.¡±


    After that, he turned back and got into the passenger seat without hesitation.


    As soon as Fu Yangxi was about to close the car door, Mingxi hurriedly blocked him. Fearing that he would close the door, she stretched out her feet to stop him. She quickly raised her head and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Of course this young master has to wait for his family members to pick him up. How can I squeeze into a small broken car with you? Look at Ke Chengwen¡¯s car. It¡¯s all covered in dust having been out in the open all night.¡±


    Fu Yangxi stuffed his hands in his pockets, his face full of disgust. He stared at Zhao Mingxi. ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t be worried about me¡ª¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he heard Mingxi say, ¡°I am worried about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard. His heart was pounding and his eyes fell on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face.


    She was worried for him.


    Fu Yangxi wanted to smile, but he was afraid of being discovered.


    He licked his back molars quickly, looked away, and tried to look cool for a second. ¡°Please, what is there to worry about?¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°You mobilized a private jet privately and skipped class. Your parents won¡¯t scold you, right?¡±


    Fu Yangxi swallowed.


    He stretched out his hand, ruffled Mingxi¡¯s hair, and said proudly, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯m the only child of the family, okay? How can they blame me for such minor things?¡±


    ¡°Little Mask, just go or you¡¯ll miss your schedule later.¡±


    Mingxi looked at him for a while before she retracted her foot. ¡°Okay, you have to take care of yourself, alright?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Fu Yangxi smiled, trying his best not to hide his embarrassment.


    Fu Yangxi closed the door lightly.


    Mingxi looked back.


    The night lights shone brightly behind Fu Yangxi. The young man who was tall and slender waved at her.


    As soon as they left, a black limousine slowly drove over.


    *


    Half an hour later, in the Fu family¡¯s old mansion.


    The lights under the eaves were all on.


    A well-dressed old man was playing chess as a few people chased after the already beaten up Fu Yangxi.


    The mouths of Lawyer Zhang and the housekeeper twitched as they looked at Fu Yangxi¡¯s flame-like red hair getting kicked out of the room in the middle of the night. He ran for his life before he was ushered into the courtyard.


    Finally, he had no choice but to jump on a decorative small mountain.


    Fu Yangxi grabbed the fake mountain, turned his head and glared at the old man. He furiously yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t care, I like her! If you dare touch her, I¡¯ll jump off right now! I¡¯ll jump from here¡ª no, I¡¯ll jump from the building we own! I¡¯ll crash our company¡¯s stock!¡±


    The old man was so angry that his blood pressure went straight up.


    He didn¡¯t know about this before. After all, although Fu Yangxi always got into fights and troubles in school, he never did anything on a huge scale.


    That was until Fu Yangxi was sent to the police station the night before. The news couldn¡¯t be kept secret anymore and finally reached his ears.


    He immediately asked Fu Yangxi to be brought back. However, this kid became more rampant and even utilized a private jet!


    Just to go on a date with a little girl?!


    ¡°Why would I want to touch her? I can just put my hands on you! I will definitely beat you to death, you little bastard!¡±


    The old man rolled up his sleeves and angrily moved his old arms and legs to climb up the fake mountain. ¡°Even if you like her, you still have to see whether she likes you or not! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re experiencing unrequited love. You are not worthy of being a member of the Fu family!¡±


    Lawyer Zhang and the housekeeper hurriedly helped the old man down. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, Sir. You might fall.¡±


    The old man was panting as he held the chessboard underneath the fake mountain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an unrequited love. We¡¯re both in love with each other!¡±


    The old man scolded, ¡°¡®In love with each other¡¯, my ass!¡±


    Fu Yangxi yelled from the top of the fake mountain, ¡°If I am killed, no one will inherit the family estate.¡±


    He knew very well that the old man didn¡¯t like Fu Zhiyi.


    The old man trembled with anger. He held the chessboard and pointed at Fu Yangxi. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because your elder brother died, you bastard would never inherit this! You killed your father and brother, yet you still have the audacity to bring this up! If it wasn¡¯t because of you, your brother may still be living well in this world. He was my favourite and most outstanding grandson. If he was still around, do you think you would even get half a dime?¡±


    Fu Yangxi went stiff, but he quickly recovered. ¡°My brother is no longer here. You only have me. You have no choice.¡±


    The old man was furious. He threw away the chessboard and took a pile of kraft paper with photos from Lawyer Zhang. He tossed it under the fake mountain. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you, you should figure this out by yourself. Don¡¯t be stupid enough to be taken advantage of. You just might find yourself counting money for others.¡±


    Fu Yangxi jumped off the fake mountain. He picked up what the old man had thrown at him, but he didn¡¯t even bother to open it.


    He threw it back to Lawyer Zhang nonchalantly. ¡°What¡¯s this? I don¡¯t want to look at it. I¡¯m 80% sure that they are probably things used to cause misunderstandings between Zhao Mingxi and I. I don¡¯t believe it, I only believe what I see.¡±


    The old man¡¯s complexion was pale. ¡°Get out of my sight! I want you out within a minute and go back to your own home. Don¡¯t let me see your face anymore!¡±


    Lawyer Zhang hurriedly glanced at Fu Yangxi¡¯s limping leg as he got down the fake mountain. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The young master has suffered several beatings just now, and his back and legs are probably bruised. Should we call the doctor to get some medicine?¡±


    ¡°He deserved it,¡± the old man scolded Fu Yangxi. ¡°Your brother is dead. What¡¯s wrong with suffering just a little injury?¡±


    After he finished speaking, the old man turned around and left.


    Lawyer Zhang turned to look at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi stood there quietly with his head down, a layer of frost condensed on his short hair. He looked extremely tired.


    He was about to turn and leave in silence.


    But when he turned around, perhaps it was because he accidentally moved the spot where he was beaten, he couldn¡¯t help hissing and his face was all scrunched up in pain.


    Lawyer Zhang hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll send you back. Go back in and lie down for a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Fu Yangxi wiped his face. With a relaxed tone, he said, ¡°Thank you, Lawyer Zhang.¡±


    Lawyer Zhang shook his head. He sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the car over.¡±


    Lawyer Zhang went off to get the car.


    It was the first time for Lawyer Zhang¡¯s long-time assistant to come to the Fu family¡¯s old mansion. It was also his first time witnessing such a scene. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard before asking in a low voice, ¡°I thought the grandfather and grandson were having fun, what with all that jumping¡ª Why did the old man hit him for real? If I were at the receiving end of those hits, my bones would have shattered. Also, he purposely avoided hitting his face, picking only places where clothes could cover.¡±


    Lawyer Zhang replied, ¡°How could he possibly hit his face? If the Fu family¡¯s Young Master is seen leaving the Fu family¡¯s old mansion with an injury on his face, wouldn¡¯t it be all over the news tomorrow?¡±


    The assistant asked again, ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t warrant him hitting him as if he is his enemy, right? Young Master Fu can¡¯t even walk properly anymore.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not to the extent of an enemy. The old man still treats him like a grandson, but there is simply a hurdle that can¡¯t be overlooked despite it having been so many years since then. Anyway¡ª¡± Lawyer Zhang shook his head. ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t ask about this anymore. You understand the saying ¡®curiosity kills the cat¡¯, right?¡±


    The assistant closed his mouth quickly, and dared not question any further.


    ray¡¯s note: hey everyone! hope you¡¯re all doing well. as for me, i have a huge announcement to make: i¡¯ll be translating a new novel entitled ÁðÁ§°ãÈô»¨ (Flower of Azure) written by Fresh ¹û¹û. you can find the link to the story HERE.


    this author is  the same person who wrote the novel / drama »¨Ç§¹Ç (The Journey of Flower). for those who have watched or read The Journey of Flower,  you will notice that Flower of Azure is quite similar in the sense of its setting and character backgrounds. i¡¯m really excited for this new project. it¡¯s definitely different from this book, but i hope you guys can give it a try!


    and don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll still be working on this story, nothing will change. updates for both novels will be at the same time each Sunday. thanks again for all the support you guys have given me and the story so far. i would describe chapter 31 as the chapter that introduces the new arc which is Fu Yangxi¡¯s background. spoiler alert: prepare your tissues!

 Chapter 31.3

    Lawyer Zhang drove Fu Yangxi back in his car. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at Fu Yangxi, who had closed his eyes and calmed down, from his rearview mirror.


    This young man has changed a lot.


    He remembered the first time he met him. He was still a newcomer in the legal profession, and he followed his boss to deal with the Fu family¡¯s affairs.


    At that time, Fu Yangxi was only 13 years old, and his elder brother Fu Zhihong was 18 years old.


    The two brothers were well-taught. They treated others with modesty and politeness. Anyone in contact with them would feel like a spring breeze had blown through them.


    The 13-year-old Fu Yangxi was still a child. His clear eyes were especially clean and innocent. When he ran into a caddie on the golf course he would quickly help him up to apologize. At that time, he was still like Fu Zhihong, with pitch-black short hair, looking like a clean little white poplar, tall and slender.


    Then, that incident happened.


    The incident was a hot topic at the time. After all, the kidnappers dared to kidnap the two young masters of the Fu family and publicly demanded that Fu Chao personally bring the ransom to redeem his two sons.


    It almost appeared in the newspapers at that time, but since it would be a bad influence to their business, the Fu family managed to suppress it with a little money. Only some small gossip circulated in private.


    As for what happened to the kidnapping case, even though Lawyer Zhang was already regarded as a trusted friend of the Fu family, he was still not clear about it.


    All he knew was that Fu Chao, who had gone to redeem his sons, didn¡¯t come back, and neither did Fu Zhihong. They all died there, and the appearance of their corpses was rather gruesome. Because one person escaped, both of them were harshly punished when they were re-captured by the kidnappers.


    Only Fu Yangxi returned.


    Something must have happened during the kidnapping. Because after his return, not only did Fu Yangxi not receive any comfort or hugs, he was also not forgiven by his grandfather and mother.


    At that time, the old man gave him two options: either leave with the money or stay and clean up the mess. Fu Yangxi probably chose the latter.


    Then when Lawyer Zhang saw Fu Yangxi again, it was already the beginning of this year.


    Fu Yangxi was already 18 years old, and he grew up to be completely different from his brother back then.


    Dyed red hair, a lackluster spirit in studying.


    There was no trace of that 13-year-old boy anymore.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi opened his eyes abruptly. It gave Lawyer Zhang a shock but he managed to  quickly withdraw his gaze.


    In the night, the car drove into an exorbitant villa.


    There were several cars parked outside the villa, one of which had the license plate of Fu Yangxi¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Madam is back?¡± Lawyer Zhang frowned when he saw her car.


    ¡°Everything that should come will eventually arrive.¡± Fu Yangxi cheered up and exercised his arms a little. He pushed the door and quickly stepped out of the car.


    After taking two steps, he sucked in a deep breath and made larger steps so that he would touch his wounds less often.


    The villa was cold. There was not a single photo or frame.


    The lights were also frigid.


    There was only a lamp in the living room, and a woman with delicate makeup was sitting on the sofa. She held her arms, heard the footsteps, and glanced at him coldly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you know how to come home. I heard that you went to the police station. You¡¯re really capable now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said nothing. He turned and walked upstairs.


    In the next second, a glass crashed and shattered on the floor in front of him with a ¡®bang¡¯.


    The glass shards exploded and cut across the back of Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s eyelids twitched. The two servants in the corner were almost innocently injured. They hurriedly avoided it.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°You can leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank- Thank you, Young Master.¡± The two quickly hid in the kitchen.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Fu Yangxi turned around and said in an annoyed manner. ¡°Yes, I went to the police station, but it was Lawyer Zhang who got me out. I didn¡¯t bother you to go. What¡¯s it got to do with you anyways? And I used the private jet under my own name, so what does it matter to you?¡±


    ¡°You caused your father and brother¡¯s death and yet you still dare to talk back! You still have the audacity to be so happy?!¡± Yu Jiarong gritted her teeth and asked. ¡°You still have the audacity to fall in love? Are you so complacent that you have forgotten what you¡¯ve done to them?!¡±


    Fu Yangxi tightly clenched his fists.


    As Yu Jiarong got closer, she stared at the young man before her who looked very similar to Fu Chao. She asked with a tone as if she was weeping blood, ¡°Why were you the only one who survived?¡±


    ¡°Are you happy to be the only one who survived?¡±


    ¡°That road had no ditches and no obstructions, so why did you run so slowly?¡±


    ¡°Did you know that it was because of you that your father and brother died? Your father loved you so much, but he died because of you. Is your one life worth both of theirs?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s temples began to throb suddenly. ¡°Have you taken your medicine?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t eat them! If you send me to the hospital, won¡¯t you forget these things? You have to remember your faults forever!¡±


    When she saw how pale he looked and how he was about to turn and leave, Yu Jiarong stopped him angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t stand it after just a few words? Your brother and father are dead. Have you ever thought of how cold they would be underground?¡±


    Silence. A while later, Fu Yangxi suppressed his anger and turned upstairs without saying a word.


    Yu Jiarong was still yelling behind him, but he chose to ignore it.


    ¡­


    After tossing and turning on the train all night, Fu Yangxi was so exhausted that he fell asleep on the bed.


    He began to lose the distinction between dreams and reality.


    ¡­


    He kept on running.


    The sound of the wind brushed past his ears. Half of his ears were about to be cut off.


    In the dark night, the moon was large and round, its distance from the ground very low, as if it could swallow everything. It was cold. His fingers were cracked, the corners of his mouth were swollen, and his face was splattered with blood. He ran forward with all his might.


    The sense of rush and panic in the dream spread from within him, and his whole body was covered in sweat.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of a dog barking, one after another. It wasn¡¯t just one dog, it was a whole group of them.


    In the dark night, the group of hungry and vicious dogs kept chasing him. He could practically feel the stench and heat coming from their mouths, lingering by his ears.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t want his legs to go weak, but his ankle was severely bitten, and the piercing pain soon came.


    He fell to the ground abruptly, his hands and elbows fractured in every single place.


    The tingling sensation spread all over the body. It was incredibly painful.


    His father desperately tried untie the rope around his hands. He wanted to drag out some time so he could escape along the ventilation duct and find help as soon as possible.


    He ran for a long time, so long that his lungs felt like they were about to burst.


    Suddenly, he was dragged back by the group of hungry dogs.


    Little Fu Yangxi cried. He was out of breath, his heart in absolute despair. He tried to snatch his leg back and desperately tried to run forward¡ª¡ª


    But there was no way for him to make it in time.


    He was too late.


    He couldn¡¯t do anything in time.


    In the end, there were only two corpses waiting for him.


    Fu Yangxi woke up in cold sweat. He sat up instantly, panting wildly as he did so.


    Huge beads of sweat fell drop by drop from that head of short red hair.


    After realizing that this was just another nightmare, Fu Yangxi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, swallowed, and calmed down a little.


    He sat there for a while. Then, he forced himself up, went to the bedside table to pull out two white bottles and unscrewed the caps.


    He poured out a few pills and swallowed them without any water.


    However, sleep still did not come to him.


    It was always difficult for him to fall asleep at night. He would have nightmares as soon as he slept.


    The intermittent crying rang in his ears once more. Fu Yangxi thought he was dreaming again.


    But that was not the case.


    The cries came from Yu Jiarong¡¯s room.


    Yu Jiarong often cried in the middle of the night. She had a mild bipolar disorder, but she would never let herself stay in the hospital for long.


    After crying for a while, she came over and knocked on Fu Yangxi¡¯s door.


    The voice of hopelessness and despair came from outside Fu Yangxi¡¯s room. It was still the repeated interrogations. ¡°Why were you the only one who survived?¡±


    ¡°Why were you so slow when your father asked you to get help?¡±


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi listened quietly.


    A short while later, Yu Jiarong slowly squatted down outside his room. She hid her face as she cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yangyang, I¡¯m really sorry. It just hurts so much. You¡¯ll make me feel better, right? Don¡¯t forget your brother¡ª They¡¯ve all forgotten, no one remembers your brother anymore, but you can¡¯t forget.¡±


    Fu Yangxi remained silent.


    After a while, Yu Jiarong seemed to be a little more sober. She fumbled around and left, sobbing as she went.


    Fu Yangxi glanced out the window. The morning fog was hazy.


    Another night had passed. The sky was about to be bright again.


    His mother had been blaming him for so many years, thinking that he was the only one who escaped.


    But sometimes Fu Yangxi would also wonder if he ran faster; if he was stronger and braver; if he didn¡¯t have to take a detour because of that group of vicious dogs, even if they pulled his whole leg off¡ª would the outcome be different?


    Everyone in the family felt that he and his brother looked too similar. The same face, the same black hair, and the same personality. Whenever they saw him, he reminded them that both Fu Zhihong and Fu Chao were dead. Only Fu Yangxi with the weakest body survived.


    So no one wanted to look at him anymore.


    After the age of 13, Yu Jiarong always stared at him with hatred in her eyes, hating him for being too similar to Fu Zhihong.


    So he dyed his hair red.


    Then Yu Jiarong hated him because he no longer looked like Fu Zhihong.


    Yu Jiarong hated that Fu Zhihong and Fu Chao were no longer found in him, so she went to pick up Fu Zhiyi.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi lay down again, resting his head on his hands. He stared at the ceiling for a long time in cold sweat.


    He tried to make Zhao Mingxi¡¯s face appear in his mind.


    ¡ªThose eyes that were shining, clean and clear when they saw him.


    He tried to make her smile fill his mind, and let her voice linger in his ears with the words she said.


    ¡ª¡±My name is Zhao Mingxi. I just transferred here from Normal Class Six.¡±


    ¡ª¡±Can I run on his behalf?¡±


    ¡­


    Little Mask likes me.


    Little Mask cares for me.


    At least I have Little Mask.


    ¡­


    After chanting it many times, his anxious mood slowly began to calm down.


    Suddenly, there was a madness in Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart. He had a mad desire to see Zhao Mingxi. That desire burned hot every night, and it was even more turbulent tonight. If it was Zhao Mingxi, would she blame him if she knew about this? Would she still say ¡®I¡¯m worried about you¡¯ to him?


    Fu Yangxi was uncertain.


    He couldn¡¯t help but get up and put on his shoes and jacket. Then, he jumped out of the window. When he did this, his mind was blank, just like a person who was about to freeze to death, eagerly trying to head towards the scorching fire.


    He took off in one of his family¡¯s cars.


    In the early hours of the morning, the sky was still dark, and the whole world had yet to wake up.


    Fu Yangxi rushed all the way to the school dormitory. His cheeks were pale due to the cold. He panted wildly. When he saw the iron gate, he realized that the dormitory where Zhao Mingxi lived had a guard stationed at the entrance.


    He stopped running.


    A warm yellow light outside the guard¡¯s booth dragged his figure long.


    White puffs came out of his mouth, and his eyelashes seemed to be condensed with hoarfrost.


    After standing blankly for a while, Fu Yangxi collapsed and sat down on the flowerbed next to him in exhaustion.


    He wanted to wait for Zhao Mingxi to wake up. He wanted him to be the first person Zhao Mingxi sees when she comes downstairs. He wanted to see her earlier.


    No one likes him, they all hate him.


    But as long as Zhao Mingxi likes him, he is not afraid.

 Chapter 32

    Mingxi was always diligent when it came to getting up early. The sky was still bright, and the world was silent.


    She came down with her school bag, took the key from the lady in charge of the dormitories and squatted down to open the iron gate.


    As soon as the iron gate was opened, she noticed the tall figure outside.


    ¡°Hi, Xi ge. Why are you here so early in the morning? Did you not sleep last night?¡± Mingxi jumped down the steps three by three and ran down quickly. She arranged the bangs on her forehead. ¡°Is there anything urgent?¡±


    ¡°How could I have not slept?!¡± Fu Yangxi said with an expression of ¡®do you think I am a man made out of steel?¡¯. ¡°I fell asleep the moment I got home from the train station yesterday. I woke up early in the morning and came out for a walk since I had nothing to do. I just happened to pass by your dormitory.¡±


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°Did you manage to pick up your friend yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± When Mingxi thought of the Dong family, the corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but rise. Even if she hadn¡¯t seen them for two years, she didn¡¯t feel strange when she met them again. Both Aunt Dong and Uncle Dong have gained weight while Dong Shen has lost weight.


    She said, ¡°They will have to find a place to settle down first. I¡¯ll be having a meal with them after school today, and Dong Shen will transfer to our school after a while.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Dong Shen.¡±


    Fu Yangxi observed Zhao Mingxi¡¯s excited expression and tried not to show the jealousy he felt. He pretended to ask casually, ¡°Is he a boy or a girl?¡±


    ¡°A boy. He¡¯s a year younger than me and we used to be neighbors.¡±


    Fu Yangxi asked abruptly, ¡°Do you have a crush on him?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We were just neighbors.¡± Mingxi frowned and looked at Fu Yangxi. She wondered if Fu Yangxi, the school bully with only one brain cell, knew what ¡®having a crush¡¯ was. The girl in the music class handed him a thousand paper cranes last time, yet he fiercely asked if the girl wanted to fight him. Fu Yangxi probably isn¡¯t even aware of topics like feelings and romance.


    ¡°Then does he have a crush on you?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± Mingxi answered helplessly. ¡°I want to study hard now. You also know the situation in my family. I am not Zhao Mingxi. I am Niu Colu* Mingxi. I must raise my grades to a higher level.¡±


    *Niu Colu is the name of a character from the Chinese drama ¡®Empresses in the Palace¡¯. This character was both cunning and smart, which is what Mingxi is referring to in this context.


    When Fu Yangxi got the answer he wanted, he tried his best not to appear too happy.


    He thought triumphantly, she¡¯s just using ¡®studies¡¯ as an excuse.


    She obviously likes me.


    Since it¡¯s like this¡­


    ¡°Here.¡± Fu Yangxi stuffed one hand in his pocket, turned his head, and coldly handed a packet of breakfast to Mingxi.


    Mingxi was shocked. She took a look at the kraft paper bag and saw that there were McDonald¡¯s inside and several Chinese style breakfasts.


    She raised her head to look at Fu Yangxi again and said in disbelief, ¡°Is this for me?¡±


    Did the sun come up from the west today?


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi who was surrounded by the early morning cold air, with dew condensed on the ends of his hair. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. ¡°You- Did you purposely come here early in the morning just to give me breakfast?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®purposely¡¯?! Little Mask, how can you be so narcissistic?¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s pale neck went red as he immediately answered irritably. It was as if he heard some impossible joke. ¡°My driver bought a lot, and since I couldn¡¯t finish it, I figured you could help me get rid of the rest. I¡¯m too lazy to hold this. You take it to the classroom and give it to Ke Chengwen and the others.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mingxi glanced at the obvious portion of a few people in her hands.


    She also felt that she was a little too narcissistic just now.


    For a young master like Fu Yangxi, he could casually call a helicopter for his followers, but he would have to be crazy to do such a thing as squatting downstairs in front of the girls¡¯ dormitory just to deliver breakfast early in the morning.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just take it to class?¡± Mingxi asked.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Can¡¯t I stop by and get the clothes I stuffed in your school bag yesterday?¡±


    The jackets that they wore yesterday were all soiled with muddy water, so they bought a few clothes from the shops in the town.


    The others had to carry their dirty clothes by themselves, but Fu Yangxi was too lazy to carry them.


    His dirty jacket was wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in Mingxi¡¯s school bag.


    Mingxi recalled this and muttered, ¡°I thought you would just throw that jacket away.¡±


    It¡¯s just a dirty jacket. Did he have to deliberately come here to get it? It also made her feel like she was being narcissistic, thinking that he specially came here to send her breakfast.


    ¡°It¡¯s very expensive, okay?!¡± Fu Yangxi yelled angrily. ¡°Go back and take a closer look at the words on the label. It¡¯s more than 30,000 yuan per piece! Why else would I be here if I didn¡¯t want to get my clothes¡ª¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I know it¡¯s very expensive. Keep it down.¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s yell was so loud that her ears were about to go numb. She glanced at the people around them, turned and ran upstairs. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go up and get it now.¡±


    Fu Yangxi watched her run up. When he saw how the school bag on her back bumped up and down, his lips curled into a smile.


    Mingxi took the clothes down and carried them in a bag. Only then was Young Master Fu satisfied.


    The two walked to their class in the morning mist.


    After Mingxi entered the classroom, she hurriedly opened a textbook and ate while reading.


    After taking just two bites, she put the rest of the breakfast on Ke Chengwen¡¯s table and left it to Ke Chengwen.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to obtain that spot in the Hundred School Tournament. She must prepare well and not waste this opportunity. Regardless of whether she could get the prize in the end, she must make it to the finals.


    When Fu Yangxi saw that she only took two bites, he felt that it was such a waste. But seeing as how she was seizing the time to study, he knew it was better not to bother her.


    He sat aside, looked at her for a while and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When will you participate in the training camp of the Hundred School Tournament?¡±


    Mingxi turned on her phone and checked the date. She replied, ¡°I have to go to the training camp on October 23rd. It will last for 10 days.¡±


    ¡°Then your birthday will be spent at the training camp?¡±


    Mingxi was stunned for a moment. She looked at Fu Yangxi in surprise. She only said a date perfunctorily last time but he remembered it.


    Who would¡¯ve known that with his lack of sleep and poor performance in his studies, his memory is actually so good.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when the time comes. It doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t celebrate it.¡± Mingxi said indifferently. ¡°You accompanied me back to my grandma¡¯s place. It¡¯s already the best birthday present.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°We¡¯ll think of a solution when the time comes then.¡±


    He thought, it should be okay for me to run to the training camp that day.


    But this was a surprise, and Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t plan to tell her just yet.


    Fu Yangxi paused. He flipped through the pages of the book and continued to stare at Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhao Mingxi was very uncomfortable with his stare. She turned her head and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you not sleeping this morning?¡±


    In the past, the first thing Fu Yangxi did when he came to school every morning would be to lie on the table to make up for his lack of sleep the night before, and his energy would be quite low.


    What¡¯s up with him today? Why is he talking so much?


    And the way he looked at her was as if he was waiting for her to say something.


    Fu Yangxi thought that Zhao Mingxi would add, ¡®Your birthday is coming soon, I can celebrate it with you as well¡¯.


    However, even after waiting for a long time, Zhao Mingxi did not say such a sentence.


    He stared at Zhao Mingxi, wondering if Little Mask had forgotten his birthday.


    That¡¯s impossible.


    How could you not remember the birthday of the person you like?


    Also, he specifically hinted for Ke Chengwen to emphasize it twice that day.


    Zhao Mingxi probably wants to surprise me, that¡¯s why she¡¯s deliberately pretending that she can¡¯t remember my birthday.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± When Fu Yangxi thought this way, the corner of his lips curled up, his heart full of expectation. ¡°I told you I had enough sleep last night.¡±


    He took out the recharged noise-cancelling headphones and put them on. Then, he pulled out his Pikachu pillow and lied on the table.


    As soon as his bored gaze fell out of the window, he saw the group of people from the School Representative Team walking past.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know if it was his misperception, but why did he feel that the School Representative Team has been coming up from the stairs on the right of the International Class recently?


    Obviously, the most convenient path for students in the Gold Medal Class is to take the stairs on the left.


    And they used to use the stairs on the left¡ª


    This has caused this group of people to appear more frequently outside the corridors of the International Class.


    Even people like Fu Yangxi who never cared and were indifferent to others noticed this.


    As well as the person in the lead called Shen something Yao.


    Every time he passed by, he would look in Fu Yangxi¡¯s direction.


    Fu Yangxi raised his head slightly. He frowned unhappily, his eyes dark as he looked back at Shen Liyao with a cold gaze.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Zhao Mingxi¡¯s voice suddenly appeared from beside him.


    Mingxi held the gel pen and looked suspiciously at Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand which was placed on the table. Because he was lying on the table, his sleeve was slightly lifted up, so the small bruise on his wrist was exposed.


    Mingxi may not have noticed it if it was on someone else.


    But Fu Yangxi¡¯s skin was pale, so the bruises were particularly obvious on him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi came back to his senses. He instantly pulled his sleeve down to cover the bruise.


    Seeing that Zhao Mingxi was still looking at him, he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°I got it when we fell down at that mountain after being chased by the dog.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°This was from the day before yesterday? But I don¡¯t remember seeing this injury on you when we returned on the train yesterday.¡±


    Fu Yangxi rebutted, ¡°You were so dizzy on the train, how could you have remembered it clearly?¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Mingxi didn¡¯t pry any further. She took out the medicinal bottle that hadn¡¯t been used up last time from her table. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    Fu Yangxi thought that he should be fine since this was not the first time she¡¯s done this for him. She had applied medicine once for him in front of the library, and now that this was the second time, he would no longer be stiff all over.


    But he didn¡¯t expect his heart to beat so fast at this moment.


    Mingxi poured some medicine on the bruise on his wrist before rubbing it with the palm of her hand.


    Fu Yangxi lowered his eyes to look at her. His gaze fell on her slightly pursed lips. He felt as if a light was shining on a dark corner in his heart, illuminating it a little and warming it up. All his limbs were about to melt under such warmth.


    Fu Yangxi smiled.


    Mingxi thought he was going to say something like ¡®scars are a man¡¯s medal of honor¡¯, so she immediately cut him off before he could even speak, ¡°Shut up and stay still.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡­


    Mingxi felt that there may be more bruises than the one on his wrist. While he was distracted, she pulled on his sleeve, wanting to push it up.


    However, Fu Yangxi was very alert and withdrew his hand in time.


    Mingxi took advantage of the absence of people in the classroom and went to pull his jacket.


    Fu Yangxi almost jumped on the table. He quickly stepped back and leaned his back against the wall. He covered his chest with both hands as if guarding his innocence, his face completely flushed. ¡°What are you trying to do so early in the morning?¡±


    As expected of Little Mask. She advances so abruptly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. If you have more, do it on your own.¡± Mingxi was angry.


    Why is this young master always acting as if I want to take advantage of him?


    I¡¯ve never even had such thoughts!


    But there shouldn¡¯t be much in other places anyway.


    Mingxi was sure that the small slope where they fell was very soft. After all, she didn¡¯t suffer a lot of injuries from the fall.


    ¡°Take it.¡± Mingxi pushed the medicine onto Fu Yangxi¡¯s table.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t seem to mind her fierceness. He even seemed to be used to this concept of indulging this follower of his to occasionally ¡®disrespect a superior¡¯.


    Fu Yangxi picked up the medicine and went to the bathroom leisurely.

 Chapter 33

    After eight o¡¯clock, the students of the International Class entered the classroom one after another.


    When Ke Chengwen came in, he was holding a bunch of jackets, looking around with his hands on his waist. Then, he came in after confirming that no teacher was nearby. He was acting all mysterious.


    ¡°Is Xi ge here already?¡± He saw that there was a trace of someone having sat in Fu Yangxi¡¯s place, but that person was not in his seat.


    Mingxi continued to do her mock papers without raising her head. ¡°He went to the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi, come here.¡± Ke Chengwen whispered excitedly. ¡°I want to show you something precious.¡±


    Mingxi felt chills all over when she heard what he said. She put down the pen and looked back at him in disgust. Ke Chengwen looked left and right. Then, he carefully and excitedly lifted the jacket in his arms¡ª


    Suddenly, she heard a puppy bark!


    It was a husky about two or three months old. It was only the size of a pillow with black and white spots. It looked both fierce and cute. It tilted its head and stared at Mingxi.


    It was absolutely adorable.


    Mingxi¡¯s eyes lit up. She reached out and touched the puppy¡¯s head. The puppy looked at her curiously. Instead of biting her, it licked the palm of her hand.


    Many students who have already entered the classroom also looked over. A few girls looked excited.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Where did you get it from?¡±


    ¡°My husky gave birth to it.¡± Ke Chengwen said. ¡°I only recently learned that Xi ge is afraid of dogs. Don¡¯t you think this weakness is way too out of character for Fu Yangxi? If you say that to the people in the Evergreen Class, they will laugh at him. So I thought of bringing a puppy so that he could get used to it. Maybe once he gets close to a puppy that doesn¡¯t bite, he won¡¯t be afraid of dogs anymore¡­¡±


    Mingxi thought Ke Chengwen had picked it up at school and it would be sent away soon.


    She didn¡¯t expect him to deliberately bring it from home to Fu Yangxi.


    She disagreed and said, ¡°I think you should forget it. Didn¡¯t he say that he is afraid of dogs? Why must you make him overcome¡ª¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Fu Yangxi came in through the back door of the classroom, still carrying the medicine bottle in his hand.


    His gaze slowly fell on the dog in Ke Chengwen¡¯s arms.


    He swallowed hard, and his expression changed suddenly.


    ¡°Xi ge, look!¡± Without any fear of death, Ke Chengwen held the dog and handed it to Fu Yangxi.


    The puppy was eager and pounced on Fu Yangxi.


    For a moment, Mingxi didn¡¯t know if it was her misperception, but she saw a nearly frozen expression, as if returning to a nightmare, on Fu Yangxi¡¯s face.


    It was an expression of someone falling fast, really fast, straight down to the ground.


    On that day at the hillside, everything happened too fast, and Mingxi herself was extremely afraid of the Tibetan mastiff so she couldn¡¯t see exactly what kind of stiff expression Fu Yangxi had on when he stared at the Tibetan mastiff.


    She could see it clearly now.


    ¡ªThat was an expression that would never appear on Fu Yangxi¡¯s face at all.


    Because of this, Mingxi¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her blood rushed to the top of her head.


    She hurried over to stand in front of Fu Yangxi and said, ¡°Alright that¡¯s enough, class is about to start. You should send the dog to the school guard, otherwise Mr. Lu will¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, she realized that something was wrong. She turned her head to take a look.


    The figure behind her had disappeared.


    Fu Yangxi had left the class with the medicine bottle.


    ¡­


    Ke Chengwen opened his mouth wide. He was still in shock having finally seen Fu Yangxi¡¯s reaction. He belatedly realized that he might have caused trouble for himself.


    He felt a chill down his spine and said to Mingxi, ¡°I¡¯m done for. Xi ge is going to beat me to death later. I really didn¡¯t know that he was so scared. Since it¡¯s just a little puppy and it¡¯s not scary at all, I thought of bringing it over for fun.¡±


    Mingxi said to him, ¡°Send the puppy away first. I¡¯ll go and look for him.¡±


    Ke Chengwen swallowed. Before he could reply, Mingxi had already rushed out of the classroom.


    The bell rang. When Mingxi saw Mr. Lu coming out of the office with a textbook, she was suddenly very nervous. Before Mr. Lu could stop her, she rushed downstairs in a panic. She searched the whole of the academic building, yet she couldn¡¯t even find Fu Yangxi¡¯s shadow at all.


    The school was too big. If she was to continue looking for him, she would have to skip all of today¡¯s morning classes.


    Thus, Mingxi climbed to the top of the academic building again, planning to look down from a high place.


    She was out of breath when she reached the roof. It was there when she saw Fu Yangxi.


    Surprisingly, Fu Yangxi was lying down on the roof.


    There were a few horizontal reclining chairs on the roof for students to come up for early reading, but the reclining chairs often had dust accumulated on it, so no students would usually come up here.


    Fu Yangxi lay calmly on one of the reclining chairs. With his hands folded, he looked at the sky.


    He looked like he was thinking about something, yet at the same time it was like his mind was empty.


    Mingxi panted heavily as she approached him.


    Hearing footsteps, Fu Yangxi straightened up and asked in surprise, ¡°Why did you come up here?¡±


    Mingxi walked over and took out two pieces of tissue paper from her pocket. She wiped the chair and sat down before looking at him. ¡°Are you not going to class?¡±


    The corners of Fu Yangxi¡¯s mouth twitched. He sighed and replied nonchalantly, ¡°Your boss here suddenly felt sleepy. The classroom was too noisy, so I came up to lay down for a while.¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you, Little Mask, what are you doing up here? You actually dare to skip class?¡±


    This was not Zhao Mingxi¡¯s style at all.


    ¡°You can skip class, but I can¡¯t?¡±


    Mingxi also felt that this was not like her. Did she skip class for Fu Yangxi? And she even rushed out without thinking about it. It was not for the young shoots in her flower pot either.


    But even though Fu Yangxi was fierce to her at first, he gradually became very nice to her after he decided to accept her into his circle.


    On the day they arrived in Tongcheng, Mingxi decided that from now on, Fu Yangxi would be her very important friend.


    There was nothing wrong for her to be worried about him.


    ¡°Go and sit in another chair.¡± Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows and looked at her in a displeased manner. ¡°I can¡¯t lie down with you around.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mingxi stayed still. ¡°I only have two tissue papers. After wiping this chair, I no longer have any tissue papers to wipe anything else. Sitting on another chair will only leave a bunch of dust on my uniform.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t ask about his fear of dogs, and Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t mention it either.


    This could be regarded as a tacit agreement between the two of them.


    Fu Yangxi felt that if Zhao Mingxi wanted to say something about her family, she could always tell him. But if she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, why bother exposing other people¡¯s scars?


    Zhao Mingxi thought that if Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t want others to know that he was afraid of dogs, he must have his own reasons, so she didn¡¯t feel the need to keep asking.


    Fu Yangxi felt that Zhao Mingxi was worried about him. She cared about him, and wanted to rely on him.


    Zhao Mingxi was the one who could tear through the darkness every time and break in regardless of any obstacles.


    Life is hard.


    But with Little Mask, it feels a little more bearable.


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to restrain a smile from appearing on his lips. A warm feeling subconsciously flowed from his heart, and the stiffness in his body just seemed to have melted away.


    Suddenly, Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Fu Yangxi answered, ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±


    If they went any later, he would cause Little Mask to receive a scolding by their teacher as well.


    Mingxi froze for a moment. Is Fu Yangxi done sorting out his emotions already?


    When the two went down, they were reprimanded by Mr. Lu. While Mr. Lu scolded, he was also worried about delaying Zhao Mingxi¡¯s study, so he let Zhao Mingxi in and carried on lecturing Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi was speechless.


    After Fu Yangxi came in, Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t even look at him.


    Although Fu Yangxi said that he slept well last night, he slept for the rest of the day. He was afraid of noise, so he kept on wearing his noise-reducing headphones with a frown.


    Mingxi made an appointment to have dinner with the Dong family after school. As they knew that she was living in the school dorms, to make it easier for her, Aunt Dong chose to eat at a nearby Sichuan restaurant.


    To Zhao Mingxi, the Dong family was a family with very close relations to her. Since she didn¡¯t feel like there was anything she couldn¡¯t tell them, Mingxi told them about what happened for the past two years.


    Of course, she concealed some things that would make the Dong family very indignant, and only told them that she had recently severed contact with the Zhao family.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Fu Yangxi was still in the classroom.


    When Ke Chengwen saw him packing his school bag, he couldn¡¯t help but apologize in a low voice, ¡°Xi ge, I didn¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± Fu Yangxi said lightly. ¡°Consider this matter done and dusted. Don¡¯t bring dogs in front of me anymore.¡±


    Ke Chengwen hurriedly nodded.


    Ke Chengwen thought he had known Fu Yangxi for a long time ¨C is two years long? ¨C but sometimes he felt like he didn¡¯t understand him at all. Nonetheless, since Fu Yangxi says that this matter is over, it¡¯s over. Ke Chengwen quietly let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Fu Yangxi remembered the eyes of the man with the surname Shen from the School Representative Team that had been staring at Zhao Mingxi when he passed the window this morning. He felt unhappy about this and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on with that guy from the School Representative Team?¡±


    Ke Chengwen knew who he was talking about as soon as he heard this. He quickly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it like what Zhao Mingxi said that day? That he simply knows Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    Fu Yangxi turned to look at Ke Chengwen and asked in a suspicious tone, ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Xi ge, is there a bottle missing from the medicine bag Zhao Mingxi gave you?¡± Ke Chengwen caught this with a sharp eye and quickly changed the subject.


    Fu Yangxi looked in the medicine bag on the table and found that he had left a bottle in the bathroom. He glared at Ke Chengwen and said, ¡°We¡¯ll continue after I come back.¡±


    After that, he turned and left the classroom.


    Ke Chengwen let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed Fu Yangxi.


    But just when Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen walked to the bathroom door, they suddenly heard the words ¡®Zhao Mingxi¡¯ coming from inside. At first glance, it looked like it was a boy talking about Zhao Mingxi.


    When Ke Chengwen saw Fu Yangxi¡¯s ugly expression, he raised his foot and wanted to go in. Unexpectedly, they heard the next sentence¡ª


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi¡¯s desserts are really delicious. It was great when she used to chase after Shen Liyao. We would get to eat desserts every day. Now that she is in a conflict with Shen Liyao, we don¡¯t have the good fortune to eat them anymore.¡±


    ¡°The Hundred School Tournament is coming soon. When that happens, she¡¯ll have to go to training camp with our School Representative Team. I wonder if she¡¯ll reconcile with God Yao then.¡±


    ¡°Now that God Yao is about to loosen up after two years of pursuit, she won¡¯t just give up halfway, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you think she really gave up? Or is she still using the Fu family¡¯s young master to make Shen Liyao jealous? Why did Ye Bai say that she seemed to really give¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t dare to listen to the rest of the sentence.


    The air suddenly became suffocating.


    As it was the evening, the sky in the corridor was gloomy to begin with, but at this moment, more heavy rain was approaching and dark clouds were covering the sky.


    He watched as Fu Yangxi¡¯s complexion gradually turned pale.


    ¡­


    Oh no.


    Ke Chengwen thought in despair, what I was most worried about has happened.


    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s face was pale, and his expression was stormy.


    Ke Chengwen quickly stopped him, ¡°It¡¯s just gossip! It¡¯s not true at all!¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe them! Little Mask isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s unknowingly clenched fists were shaking. He breathed heavily and lifted Ke Chengwen by the collar before pushing him away. Then he rushed into the bathroom.


    ¡°What the fuck are you guys talking about? Say it again if you dare.¡±

 Chapter 34

    The two boys on the School Representative Team were taken aback. They didn¡¯t think that they would be caught by the person itself since they were gossiping after school.


    They immediately understood the situation, grabbed the team uniform that they had tossed aside, turned off the faucet, and slipped away.


    ¡°Stop if you dare!¡± Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression was gloomy and terrifying. He rushed out to grab someone, but was stopped by Ke Chengwen again.


    ¡°Forget it, forget it, Xi ge. Think about how many times you¡¯ve been scolded by the dean this month. You even went to the police station! Calm down! Calm down!¡±


    The two boys dared not turn their heads for fear that Fu Yangxi would see their faces clearly.


    They hurriedly fled down the academic building.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t calm down at all. His mind was filled with the conversation between the two boys just now.


    ¡°What do they mean by chasing after the guy with the surname Shen? What do they mean by ¡®can they reconcile¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Was the ¡®Fu family¡¯s young master¡¯ referring to me? They said Little Mask used me to make the guy with the surname Shen jealous?¡±


    As if what Fu Yangxi heard was nonsense, he turned to look at Ke Chengwen. ¡°These people have too much time in their hands to come up with things like this!¡±


    However, Ke Chengwen who was at the side walked over to turn off the faucet, his lips squirming as he stole glances at him. He appeared as if he was hiding something.


    The air fell silent for a while.


    Fu Yangxi paused. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡±


    He suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.


    He glared at Ke Chengwen. ¡°What are you hiding from me? I¡¯ll give you one last chance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª That¡¯s¡ª¡± Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t know how to tell him.


    Fu Yangxi urged, ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°When Zhao Mingxi first changed classes, didn¡¯t you ask me to find out about her family, preferences, former friends, etc.?¡±


    Ke Chengwen was frazzled. He kept on speaking without a filter, ¡°She used to pursue Shen Liyao! The Shen Liyao from our neighbouring class! The other family¡¯s child*! Shen Liyao, who has won gold medals for years, thinks that he is better than everyone and is arrogant as hell!¡±


    *Translator¡¯s note: Some Chinese parents have a tendency to compare their children with another family¡¯s child, usually saying to their own child (as a form of lecturing) that the other family¡¯s child is better than them. In this context, Ke Chengwen is trying to draw a comparison between Shen Liyao and Fu Yangxi, effectively highlighting the better qualities of Shen Liyao as the trophy child.


    ¡°Shen Liyao is very famous. It¡¯s just that Xi ge, since you sleep in class every day, you don¡¯t even remember the name of our homeroom teacher, moreover heard of that guy! It¡¯s the handsome guy who you saw in the library last time¡ª¡±


    ¡°But she said he was just a friend.¡±


    Ke Chengwen murmured, ¡°Girls are shy. It¡¯s impossible for her to tell us that she used to pursue Shen Liyao. Besides, at that time, Xi ge, you chased her away every day. She didn¡¯t have a good impression of us, so why would she tell us about this?¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t understand the situation before him.


    An anxious fire filled his heart.


    He didn¡¯t understand whether it was jealousy or something else.


    Shen Liyao, very handsome; has won gold medals for years; another family¡¯s child.


    Then what about me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Fu Yangxi took a deep breath, looking calmer. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding.¡±


    Just because Shen Liyao was excellent, he knew Little Mask, and Little Mask used to give him desserts.


    Did this group of people make up the fact that Little Mask used to pursue Shen Liyao?


    Then he¡¯s at least 100 streets ahead of Shen Liyao. He can use money to bury Shen Liyao alive, is that not good enough?


    Little Mask even gave him desserts for almost a month.


    ¡ª¡ªWhy don¡¯t these people make something up about him and Little Mask?


    Fu Yangxi suddenly realized that he was being jealous of mere rumors.


    Since Zhao Mingxi said that he was just a friend, he believed that he was just a friend.


    He doesn¡¯t care about the bullshit these people have to say.


    When Ke Chengwen saw him like this, he knew he couldn¡¯t convince him otherwise. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back first? Xi ge, are you going back to the villa or the apartment today?¡±


    ¡ªNo, how could he not care?


    He cared a lot.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be going back. Let¡¯s clarify some things first.¡±


    Fu Yangxi suddenly moved his legs and walked out.


    Ke Chengwen thought he was going to find those two gossiping people to settle their business, so he quickly followed.


    However, he saw him running upstairs to the Information Department.


    Fu Yangxi rushed into the Information Department. The teacher here hadn¡¯t got off work yet, so when he saw him coming in, he stood up subconsciously.


    Fu Yangxi rushed into the digital archives room without saying a word.


    Ke Chengwen followed, rushed in and closed the door.


    By the time Ke Chengwen walked over, Fu Yangxi had already typed on the keyboard and logged in to the school¡¯s internal official website.


    The internal official website holds a lot of photos of previous activities according to the timeline. Photos of weekly basketball games or flag raising ceremonies will also be displayed here.


    Fu Yangxi instantly retrieved all the school photos from last year.


    All the photos were displayed on the computer, and many details became clear at a glance.


    In every basketball game where Shen Liyao appeared, Zhao Mingxi was there, and Zhao Mingxi held the water for him.


    During the school celebration last year, Zhao Mingxi and Shen Liyao appeared in the pictures of each other¡¯s class.


    When recruiting new recruits last year, Zhao Mingxi also went to help Shen Liyao. She was still wearing a mask at that time.


    Turns out the Little Mask that Fu Yangxi knew was also known to Shen Liyao, in fact, he knew her even earlier and longer than him.


    ¡­


    It could be said that there were quite a lot of photos with the two of them in the same frame.


    If you download all of these pictures, there will probably be a few gigabytes.


    There are also check-in records in the library and check-in records in the broadcasting room. The signatures of the two often appeared next to each other.


    Bit by bit, like a long and grand process of a crush.


    Presented itself explicitly before Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen.


    ¡­


    Ke Chengwen practically lost the courage to look any further.


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face. His fingers gripped the mouse tightly, but he still scrolled down, looking through the photos one by one.


    The computer¡¯s LED screen was reflected on his face. Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t know how he felt as he looked at these things.


    Fu Yangxi had never been on the forum before. Those boring scandals in school were a waste of time for him.


    The last time he asked a group of followers to vote for Zhao Mingxi was the only time he ever went to the forum. Even then, he merely clicked directly into the voting channel and did not pay attention to the gossip.


    However this time, he couldn¡¯t help but take out his phone and open the forum to take a look.


    In the original post about Little Mask, there were far more mentions of Little Mask and Shen Liyao than Little Mask and him.


    Someone posted a question: ¡°Is there anyone with any news about the new School Beauty and Shen Liyao from the School Representative Team? It feels like they have a long history between them.


    Someone asked: ¡°Zhao Mingxi is now the School Beauty, so everything about how she used to chase after Shen Liyao has been dug up. At that time, I wondered why she had so much courage. Turns out that it was because she was so beautiful~¡±


    ¡°What role does that F (not mentioning the name) play in this? Obviously Shen Liyao is her official pair. Is she using him to make Shen Liyao jealous?¡±


    The more Fu Yangxi read, the more he could feel the nerves in his forehead throbbing.


    Little Mask used to pursue others. Why does the whole world know this except for me?!


    Jealousy, like an unknown insect, gnawed at his heart, torturing him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look anymore, Xi ge.¡± Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but say.


    The reason why he was afraid that Fu Yangxi would find out about this was precisely because he was afraid of this scene.


    Although based on Xi ge¡¯s character he wouldn¡¯t care about such gossip, but if he sees others saying that Zhao Mingxi may have approached him because she was trying to make Shen Liyao jealous, wouldn¡¯t he explode immediately?


    He might even blow up the school.


    Ke Chengwen tried his best to stop this from happening, but what has to come will eventually occur.


    After a long time, Fu Yangxi finally turned off the computer, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.


    He stood up and clenched his hands into fists. ¡°What does it matter if she used to like that guy with the surname Shen? I¡¯m not a traditional character from the Qing dynasty, why should I be bothered about this?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she used to like him¡ª but she definitely doesn¡¯t like him now.¡±


    Now, Zhao Mingxi likes me. Yes, that¡¯s right.


    The person she likes now is me.


    But even after repeating this in his head over and over again, Fu Yangxi became more and more uncertain, and the question mark in his heart grew bigger and bigger.


    ¡­


    He felt as if he had misunderstood something.


    It was he himself who had been weaving a dream of self-deception for himself by mistake.


    And now that there is an accidental tear in this dream, that opening has revealed the truth that made him feel like he was in an ice cellar.


    ¡ªThe opening will only get bigger and bigger.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know whether he should investigate this matter to the end.


    If the answer is a blow to the head, what should he do?


    Fu Yangxi suddenly remembered the pile of photos the old man asked Lawyer Zhang to give him.


    The old man said he was going through unrequited love¡ª


    Was there something in the photos?


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s heartbeat sped up abruptly.


    He immediately typed out a text message and sent it to Lawyer Zhang, asking him to send the things to the KTV room near the school.


    Then, Fu Yangxi walked out of the Information Department. His limbs were stiff, his head buzzing. He didn¡¯t know how he left the school.


    Half an hour later, at the KTV room outside the school.


    There was no singing, only dead silence in the room.


    Fu Yangxi sat silently, his expression dull and solemn. He looked closely at the photos the old man had given him one by one.


    Ke Chengwen dared not say a word as he stood beside him.


    ¡­


    The first photo was the day when Little Mask came up to help him take out the trash. The two of them were talking in the alley. The alley was facing the academic building. The one surnamed Shen was standing on the fifth floor, looking at them from a distance.


    So at that time, did Zhao Mingxi really rush up to help him take out the trash, or did she come because Shen Liyao was watching?


    In the second photo, before the monthly exam, Little Mask suddenly hurriedly held his hand. A corner of the photo from the class¡¯ surveillance camera was printed, and Shen Liyao could be seen passing by¡ª


    So did she really want to hold his hand, or did she hold his hand abruptly after seeing Shen Liyao?


    The third, fourth and fifth pictures were a series of screenshots from the library¡¯s surveillance cameras. Before he arrived at the library that day, Little Mask clearly had a quarrel with Shen Liyao, and they looked quite familiar with each other. But she told him that he was just an ordinary friend.


    In addition to these photos, there was also a record of Little Mask¡¯s application to transfer classes last year.


    Turns out, Little Mask didn¡¯t want to transfer to the International Class at the beginning, and she definitely did not transfer to the International Class because she fell in love with him at first sight.


    The first time she applied last year was for the Gold Medal Class which Shen Liyao was in, but she did not meet the grades required at that time and was rejected, so she applied for the International Class this year.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi clutched these items so hard to the point that his knuckles were pale. Bit by bit, the blood rushed from his limbs to the top of his head, and his whole body became cold.


    The old man was very resourceful. Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t even know where he got all this information from.


    He only knew that a lot of things had already been clues. It was just that he chose to humiliate and deceive himself.


    ¡­


    When she rushed to run 800 meters for him, everyone in the next class knew that Shen Liyao¡¯s was not pleased about this.


    At that time, what role did I play? Was I just a tool?


    She suddenly wanted to apply medicine on his wound this morning, and Shen Liyao just happened to pass by.


    Turns out Shen Liyao was the one who gave her the key points for the Hundred School Tournament. She had been flipping through it so much that it was practically crumpled.


    Also, when she refused Li Jingyu, she said that she wanted to focus on her studies, not that she already had someone she liked¡ª She knew that he was listening by the window.


    He did find it strange that time.


    So that¡¯s what it was.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know how to describe his mood at the moment¡­ Angry? Upset? He didn¡¯t even have the strength to display these emotions. Once there are these emotions, feelings of hatred will follow, yet he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate.


    His mind was overwhelmed with feelings of distraught.


    It was as if he had personally pierced a dream that he had woven, ushered in reality, and found out that he was nothing but a joke.


    Regardless of whether she used him or not, he did not care anymore.


    There was a voice in his head maliciously repeating over and over again¡ª


    Little Mask doesn¡¯t like me.


    Little Mask never liked me.


    After she held his hand in the library, he never imagined such a possibility. The voice knocked him off the cliff and caused him to tremble unconsciously.


    ¡­


    But does she remember my birthday?


    This was the main thought in Fu Yangxi¡¯s mind.


    As if he was holding on to a lifeline, he thought desperately, what if all this is just a misunderstanding? Such a coincidence can happen in this world! Just when she was being kind to me, Shen Liyao appeared! If I misunderstood her because of this and went to make trouble unreasonably, then I would be considered insane!


    She did like Shen Liyao, but what does that matter? She has no contact with Shen Liyao at all now, so I definitely won¡¯t mind this!


    As long as she likes me now, I¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened today!


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone else. I only want to hear this from her.¡± Fu Yangxi wiped his face. He suddenly stood up and asked Ke Chengwen to take out his phone. ¡°Call her.¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s sanity was stretched to the brim.


    Although his face was already very pale and his lips looked bloodless, he maintained the last bit of decency by trying hard to maintain his expression and not let himself show any signs of embarrassment.


    He settled down and said to Ke Chengwen slowly, ¡°Help me ask her.¡±


    ¡­


    Ke Chengwen looked at him hesitantly for a while. In the end, he had no choice but to call her.


    ¡­


    At this moment, only their breathing could be heard in the room.


    ¡­


    After a while, the call got through.


    Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t know how to ask her. He glanced at Fu Yangxi¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Mingxi, where are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having dinner with the Dong family? I see. Well, um, it¡¯s just that¡ª¡± Ke Chengwen paused. ¡°Do you remember when Xi ge¡¯s birthday is? Do we want to surprise him?¡±


    There was a static sound before Mingxi who was at the other end of the line replied, ¡°Yes, of course we should give him a surprise.¡±


    Ke Chengwen put her on speaker.


    Then Fu Yangxi heard Mingxi ask, ¡°But when is his birthday?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The air was dead silent.


    Ke Chengwen dared not look at Fu Yangxi¡¯s face, so he asked, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow, we¡¯ll discuss what to give him in school then. We have to discuss this privately and keep it a secret from Xi ge. What are you planning to give?¡±


    She said, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. Give me some time to figure something out.¡±


    Ke Chengwen¡¯s heart was pounding with nervousness. He tried to coax the truth out of her, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far with your gift, or else everyone in class will know that you like Xi ge.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he shouted and prayed in his heart, Zhao Mingxi, hurry up and say that I¡¯m being stupid! Say that you do like Xi ge! Otherwise Xi ge will really blow up the school tomorrow! Other people will suffer too!


    Mingxi on the other side was taken aback.


    She suddenly realized that some of her actions since she changed classes could be easily misunderstood. Based on Ke Chengwen¡¯s tone, he seemed to think she was pursuing Fu Yangxi.


    Thank goodness Fu Yangxi doesn¡¯t think so.


    Fortunately, Fu Yangxi¡¯s single-cell brain has yet to realize this, and he just treats me as a same-sex follower. If he mistakes me for liking him, we won¡¯t even be able to stay as friends anymore. Just like the girl who gave him a thousand paper cranes that day, Ihe would think that I was looking for a beating.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t want to lose Fu Yangxi, so she hurriedly took the phone and ran to the toilet before explaining, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s absolute nonsense. I treat Xi ge like my boss, I won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Mingxi wanted to say that she would not overstep her boundaries, but for some reason Ke Chengwen was suddenly disconnected on the other side of the call, effectively cutting her off.


    Then, there was a busy tone.


    Out of battery¡­?

 Chapter 35.1

    Fu Yangxi reached out his hand and hung up the call.


    He didn¡¯t know what he would do if he continued listening.


    ¡­


    Everything is clear now.


    Little Mask never liked me at all.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, or maybe he wasn¡¯t thinking about anything at all. His mind was buzzing, and there seemed to be a big hand coming out of his stomach, squeezing his internal organs. For a moment, he felt empty everywhere and had absolutely no energy. He sat down on the sofa and looked at the ground blankly without saying a word.


    Ke Chengwen¡¯s heart was beating like a drum as he looked at Fu Yangxi at a loss. ¡°Xi ge¡ª¡±


    Ke Chengwen felt that he was also responsible for this. If he told Fu Yangxi when Zhao Mingxi first transferred that Zhao Mingxi used to pursue Shen Liyao before, then he wouldn¡¯t let Xi ge¡¯s feelings develop to this point. But he didn¡¯t think so much at that time just because he was afraid that Xi ge¡¯s temper would explode.


    ¡°You can leave first.¡± Fu Yangxi interrupted him. ¡°Let me be for a while.¡±


    Ke Chengwen still couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If you feel deceived and angered and you don¡¯t want to see Zhao Mingxi, why not get Lawyer Zhang to negotiate with the dean and transfer Zhao Mingxi to another class?¡±


    Although Zhao Mingxi was also his friend, Ke Chengwen only got to know her because of Fu Yangxi.


    Ke Chengwen still subconsciously stood on Fu Yangxi¡¯s side.


    ¡°¡®Deceive¡¯? When did Zhao Mingxi deceive me? If you¡¯re referring to those comments in the posts saying she was kind to me because she wanted to make Shen Liyao jealous, I don¡¯t believe a single word of it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not that kind of person. You¡¯re not allowed to believe it or even talk about it. Next time you hear someone gossiping about this, just beat them up.¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s tone was flat and emotionless.


    The light in the room is dim, making it difficult to see his expression.


    ¡°When I do things, I only care about what I want and don¡¯t want. Even if you force me to do something by putting a knife to my neck, I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said.


    He would not like a person just because that person likes him. It started a long time ago, maybe it was the moment she took off the mask; maybe it was that night in the library; maybe even earlier, the moment his fingers touched hers when he realized that he liked Zhao Mingxi.


    Therefore, there was no deception, and there was no misunderstanding.


    He also didn¡¯t care if Zhao Mingxi used to like others. He only wanted to know if Zhao Mingxi liked him now.


    And now he knows.


    She doesn¡¯t like him.


    She just treated him as a boss, and the series of good actions done on his behalf after her transfer was maybe just so she could integrate into the class more quickly.


    It was because he had never received this before, so after getting a small match, he thought she had a whole pit of warm fire waiting for him.


    He thought too much, way too much.


    Fu Yangxi felt embarrassed.


    After being silent for a long time, he tugged at the corner of his mouth. ¡°You are not allowed to tell anyone about what happened today.¡±


    No one had yet to know that he had turned himself into such a big joke. After today, he could still pretend that nothing had happened.


    Ke Chengwen looked at him and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But no matter how Fu Yangxi tried to cheer himself up, he was still shaking with emptiness.


    A flash of lightning struck, illuminating Fu Yangxi¡¯s pale face.


    Then, the pouring rain started to fall outside the room.


    ¡­


    Mingxi hung up the phone, feeling puzzled. Why did Ke Chengwen make such a weird call? Why can¡¯t he just tell me this in school tomorrow?


    But she still wrote down Fu Yangxi¡¯s birthday on her phone¡¯s memo.


    The last time they made a fuss about it, she was thinking about her own affairs, so she didn¡¯t catch it.


    Fortunately, Ke Chengwen reminded her again, so she remembered it this time.


    Mingxi wrote a lot in her memo, all of which were important dates for important people. He Yang, Aunt Dong and Dong Shen.


    After giving it some thought, she circled November 5th and pinned it at the top so she wouldn¡¯t forget it again.


    ¡°Mingxi, the dishes are getting cold.¡± Dong Shen called out to her.


    Mingxi hurried back.


    Dong Hui placed Mingxi¡¯s favorite food in front of her and asked carefully, ¡°Do you want to move in with us? Though we have yet to receive the title for our house. I just paid the deposit when I was abroad two months ago and it¡¯s estimated that there¡¯ll be another month left before we can move in. It¡¯s in a very good community, second-hand villa¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aunt Dong. I want to live in school. It¡¯s more convenient.¡±


    Dong Hui hurriedly asked again, ¡°What about during the winter and summer vacations? Xixi, you must have a place to call home, right? Otherwise, how scared will you be when the school is empty? Come to our house! Just nod your head and we will allocate a room to you immediately after the house is delivered.¡±


    When Dong Hui saw Mingxi hesitating, she quickly said, ¡°Why are you so hesitant? Uncle Dong and I watched you grow up. You are smart and hardworking, and we have always treated you as our daughter. Now that we are able to help you financially, why are you hesitating? Your grandma asked us to take care of you before she died. If we knew that the Zhao family would act like this, we would not have gone abroad in the first place.¡±


    Dong Shen also said, ¡°Exactly. Besides, Mingxi, didn¡¯t you say you want to take me shopping for new clothes? In a few days, I will have to trouble you with all kinds of transfer procedures.¡±


    Mingxi lowered her head and held her chopsticks tightly. The tip of her nose felt slightly sour. Finally, she nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing that Mingxi had agreed, the Dong family was very happy. But this time the Dong family had just returned to China and was also staying in a hotel. Many things have not been arranged yet, so Mingxi could only live in school first. Then when it¡¯s time for winter vacation, she can move to the Dong family¡¯s newly bought house.


    Mingxi and Dong Hui¡¯s family had a lively meal. After dinner, the four of them came down from the second floor of the restaurant.


    Seeing as it was an absolute downpour outside, Dong Hui said, ¡°We¡¯ll send you back to school first, then we¡¯ll head back to the hotel.¡±


    Mingxi stopped being overly-polite with them and said directly, ¡°Okay. Thank you, auntie.¡±


    Mingxi, Dong Hui and Dong Shen waited under the eaves of the hotel for Uncle Dong to drive his car over.


    A familiar car was also slowly driving over.


    The driver was holding an umbrella. Madam Zhao, Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Yuning got out of the car.


    Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning have been in a stalemate, making Zhao Yuan anxious. She was worried that if the stalemate goes on for a long time, Zhao Yuning will not go home and Madam Zhao will blame herself.


    So she thought of a way, which was to ask both of them out to have a meal together.


    Madam Zhao was still depressed about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s affairs and had no appetite, but when she heard that Zhao Yuning was also eating together with them, she hurried out, thinking that she had already lost a daughter so she could not afford to risk her relationship with Zhao Yuning anymore.


    As for Zhao Yuning, he didn¡¯t want to come at all. The reason why he came was because after talking to Zhao Mo that day about what Zhao Yuan did in the Department of Literature, his second eldest brother gave it some thought and asked him to pay more attention to Zhao Yuan.


    He wanted to see what Zhao Yuan wanted to do, hence why he came.


    But the three of them didn¡¯t expect to see Mingxi standing under the eaves before they got out of the car.


    In reality, A City was not that big. Moreover, there were only so many famous five-star hotels. As long as you live in this city, you will definitely bump into someone familiar some day.


    Zhao Mingxi looked thinner and her clothes were a little thicker. Maybe she just came out of school. Her school uniform was covered by a long coat, but she didn¡¯t look bloated at all. On the contrary, she looked slim because of her tall stature. She had fair skin and she still had on the long-life charm that her grandmother got for her.


    She was a beautiful young girl that could be easily identified even from afar.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s heart felt congested. The children in her family were all very excellent in terms of appearance, but Mingxi was undoubtedly the most outstanding one. When she first brought Mingxi home, she was shocked to see how beautiful Mingxi was. At that time, she really wanted to pull her close and take more looks at her.


    But because she was worried about Zhao Yuan¡¯s feelings, she never dared to take more glances.


    And now, such a beautiful child belongs to someone else¡¯s family.


    Both Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning noticed Dong Hui and Dong Shen who were next to her.


    They never expected that the first thing the Dong family did when they returned to China was to find Mingxi.


    The expressions of the two were exactly the same as if they had been hit with a bat. They immediately walked over with their umbrellas.


    Originally, Madam Zhao thought that even if their relationship had been severed, Mingxi would at least say hello to them if she encountered them in the crowd, right?


    But unexpectedly¡­


    No.


    Mingxi did see them, but she immediately withdrew her gaze and got into the Dong family¡¯s car.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Madam Zhao felt suffocated. Her heart suddenly felt as though it had been pierced by a needle.


    Without giving it any further thought, she rushed to block the door and the driver hurriedly followed with the umbrella.


    Zhao Yuan stood alone on the steps of the hotel, but when she turned around, she saw that both Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning hadn¡¯t followed. Instead, they braved the heavy rain to stop the car. There was an instant change in her expression.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi!¡± Madam Zhao felt a pain in her heart. ¡°You won¡¯t even say hello anymore when we meet?!¡±


    Mingxi got into the car, but Madam Zhao pulled the door to prevent her from closing it. Mingxi frowned. ¡°Let go.¡±


    Dong Shen was sitting on Mingxi¡¯s right. When he saw Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning, he became angry and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? Can¡¯t you just let her go? Stop pestering her. What were you doing before this? Why should she say hello? Why should she greet you guys after she severed her relationship with you?¡±


    Zhao Yuning held the umbrella and looked at Zhao Mingxi sadly. He couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Jie*¡ª¡±


    *jie = elder sister


    ¡°¡®Jie¡¯? What ¡®jie¡¯? She¡¯s my elder sister now!¡± Dong Shen deliberately said this to trigger Zhao Yuning. He hugged Mingxi¡¯s arm and leaned his head on her shoulder.


    Zhao Yuning was anxious and desperate. He wanted nothing but to rush in and fight Dong Shen. ¡°Let go of Zhao Mingxi, you fatty.¡±

 Chapter 35.2

    Two years ago, Dong Shen was very fat and was laughed at by Zhao Yuning several times, but two years later, Dong Shen had become a handsome young man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna!¡± Dong Shen said angrily. ¡°Your whole family are the real fatties.¡±


    Seeing that it became a small battle between two children, Dong Hui, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and said to Madam Zhao, ¡°Honestly, Zhao jie, you lost a great treasure. Mingxi is kind and hardworking, precisely the kind of daughter I want. Since you don¡¯t want her, you should have said so earlier. It would have been better if you let her come to us. Our whole family will buy her beautiful clothes and let her live in a beautiful room. She won¡¯t have to live so pitifully at your place.¡±


    Madam Zhao simply wanted to slap Dong Hui in spite of her family education and shut her up, but the pain in her heart was too overwhelming¡ª It seems like she truly did not fulfill her responsibility as a mother, that even outsiders treated Zhao Mingxi better than her.


    She couldn¡¯t help but say to Zhao Mingxi who was silent, ¡°Mingxi, let¡¯s have a chat, alright? Mom has reflected a lot in the past two days, I apologize to you¡ª¡±


    ¡°What kind of apology is this? You will just talk about it, but will your family take any action? You already have your biological daughter Zhao Yuan, so why are you still looking for Mingxi?!¡±


    Dong Shen was the most uncomfortable about this scene. He said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you guys that Mingxi can¡¯t even have her birthday on the proper date. Until now she is still using Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthday! Let me tell you this, just wait a few days. As soon as Mingxi turns eighteen, my mother will bring her to change the date on her ID card! She won¡¯t need you guys anymore.¡±


    After Dong Shen finished speaking, he reached over Zhao Mingxi and forcibly pulled off Madam Zhao¡¯s fingers.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s blood surged to the top of her head.


    She couldn¡¯t refute what Dong Shen said.


    Yes, they did wrong Mingxi in this matter.


    About three years ago, Zhao Yuan was injured during her school¡¯s Sports Day. After she was sent to the hospital, they discovered that Zhao Yuan was not their biological daughter because her DNA was different from theirs.


    Afterwards, they figured out that there had been an incident in the hospital that year whereby they took home the wrong child.


    They didn¡¯t know if it was the work of Zhao Yuan¡¯s biological mother or someone else, but the two children were swapped while they were still in the incubator.


    So afterwards they started looking for their biological daughter Zhao Mingxi.


    At that time, they thought that they would never be able to find her, so in the midst of the whole family¡¯s despair, they decided to treat Zhao Yuan as their biological daughter. They changed Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthday from October 24 to her own real birth date, October 14.


    But to their surprise, after the change, they found Mingxi.


    They faced a problem then, whether to change the date of Zhao Yuan¡¯s ID card again to Mingxi, or to ask the newcomer Mingxi to compromise and change the date according to Zhao Yuan¡¯s real birthday.


    Back then, Zhao Yuan was only 15 years old, and she was about to change the date for the second time. She thought that the Zhao family didn¡¯t want her anymore, so she cried really hard that day. Madam Zhao felt sorry for her, so she begged Mr. Zhao to change Zhao Mingxi¡¯s date¡­


    At that time, Madam Zhao thought that Mingxi wouldn¡¯t mind. After all, the family would celebrate her true birthday again on the 24th. The ID was just a number.


    But now, Madam Zhao regrets that decision.


    She could clearly see what she was like. Because she didn¡¯t want to push Zhao Yuan away, she chose to push Mingxi further away bit by bit.


    ¡­


    Half of Madam Zhao¡¯s body was exposed to the rain outside. She was so sad that her internal organs hurt. She subconsciously looked at Mingxi, who had been silent, and pleaded, ¡°Mingxi, have I completely lost you?¡±


    She still had a flicker of hope that Mingxi would come back to her.


    But what she didn¡¯t expect was for Mingxi to look up at her and calmly say, ¡°Yes, you have lost me.¡±


    Zhao Mingxi seemed to have really let go of them completely.


    She no longer worried about them, nor would she ever beg for the love of their family again.


    At that moment, Madam Zhao could see darkness tunneling her vision. Dong Shen took this opportunity to tear her fingers away from the door.


    The Dong family¡¯s car drove away.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s legs went soft and she almost sat on her knees in the rain but was quickly helped up by the driver and Zhao Yuning.


    Madam Zhao cried so much as she recalled what just happened. ¡°Why is this happening?¡±


    However, she clearly knew the reason why this was happening.


    She realized that she was the executioner who caused all this.


    ¡°If- if we change Mingxi¡¯s birthday, will that make everything better?¡± Madam Zhao asked Zhao Yuning in tears.


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s face changed when she heard her under the eaves of the restaurant.


    ¡­


    *


    The Dong family¡¯s return to China gave Mingxi a little bit of confidence. At least someone will attend the parent-teacher meetings in the future.


    There will no longer be anyone secretly taunting whether she was the adopted daughter of the Zhao family, or why the handsome eldest brother of the Zhao family always only picked Zhao Yuan up from school and not her.


    Aunt Dong will come to pick her up in the future.


    God knows how grateful Mingxi was that in this life, the Dong family is still there.


    Because she took some time out to have dinner with them after school, after returning to school in the evening, Mingxi forced herself to do a few more test papers and didn¡¯t go to bed until midnight.


    The next morning, Mingxi was still the first to wake up in the entire dormitory.


    As soon as she entered the classroom, she saw that Jiang Xiuqiu had already returned to school. His seat was on the other side, surrounded by several girls. When he saw Mingxi coming in, he raised his peach eyes and glanced at Mingxi.


    Mingxi raised her hand to say hello and walked to her seat.


    Since Fu Yangxi was not happy that she was trying to freeload on Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s luck, she simply won¡¯t do it. 2% was dispensable for her anyways.


    However, Mingxi could feel that something was wrong. Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t come to class today. On the other hand, Ke Chengwen lay on the table lazily as he read some comic books. When he saw her, his expression was a little strange, and after a hurried greeting, he lowered his head to continue reading his comic books.


    But what¡¯s strange was not this, it was the fact that Fu Yangxi¡¯s table¡ª Why is it empty?


    The noise-canceling headphones were gone, and the jacket that was messily thrown was gone as well.


    His favorite Pikachu pillow that he always carried around for the past few months ever since she bought it for him had also disappeared.


    She heard that Fu Yangxi used to be absent from school frequently, skipping for two or three days at a time. However, he came to school every day for the past month. That¡¯s why Mingxi was a little startled when she saw that his table was empty.


    ¡°Where is Fu Yangxi?¡± Mingxi couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°It¡¯s not the weekend, so why is his stuff missing?¡±


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°He took two days off. I think he¡¯ll come back the day after tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Why did he suddenly ask for leave?¡± Mingxi thought of the sudden rainstorm and cold current last night, and was inevitably a little worried. ¡°Is he sick?¡±


    Ke Chengwen looked at Mingxi, feeling a mix of emotions. He said vaguely, ¡°He got caught in the rain after school yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Does he have a fever? Is it serious?¡± Mingxi asked.


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a little cold,¡± Ke Chengwen said.


    Mingxi had no choice but to sit down first. In the end, Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t come to class at all today.


    As Mingxi had to prepare for the Hundred School Tournament, she didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    But once she started doing the questions, she raised her head, and when she saw the empty seat beside her, she felt a little uncomfortable.


    This was the first time that Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t give her a heads up before he decided to not come to school.


    Without his voice around her, everything seemed much quieter.


    Finally, when school was about to end, Mingxi couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and texted him.


    ¡°Xi ge, Ke Chengwen told me that you caught a cold.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a fever? There should be a private doctor at home, right? Have you seen the doctor yet?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your body temperature?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you need? I can send it over to you.¡±


    Mingxi kept holding the phone. She was restless. When she saw that Fu Yangxi never answered, she couldn¡¯t help but send another one: ¡°Was it so uncomfortable that you fell asleep? If you can see my message, please reply me QAQ*.¡±


    *QAQ is a crying emoticon


    Even after she was done with her messages, there was still no reply from him.


    ¡­


    Mingxi subconsciously began to look through the chat records between her and Fu Yangxi. In the past, in order to improve her luck, she only sent three messages to Fu Yangxi every day, and almost all of them were three periods.


    This was the first time that she had sent Fu Yangxi five messages with actual content in them.


    Mingxi felt uneasy.


    It was mainly because of the fact that she had recently discovered Fu Yangxi¡¯s fear of dogs, and she often found scratches from glass explosions on his body. Although he said that he got those scratches when the glass bowl exploded after being filled with overly hot instant noodles, Mingxi always felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right with his story.


    She started packing her school bag the moment the final school bell rang. She was planning to visit Fu Yangxi¡¯s house.


    She turned around and asked Ke Chengwen, ¡°Do you know the address to Fu Yangxi¡¯s home? Can you send it to me?¡±


    Ke Chengwen was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you not want it before?!¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°I¡¯m scared that he can¡¯t take care of himself. Didn¡¯t you say that there are no adults in his home and that he lives by himself most of the time?¡±


    ¡­


    After getting the address from Ke Chengwen, Mingxi carried her schoolbag, bought some anti-fever medicine and anti-fever stickers, and hurried to Fu Yangxi¡¯s address with an umbrella.


    Over at this side, after she left, Ke Chengwen quickly sent a text message to Fu Yangxi: ¡°Crap. Xi ge, I couldn¡¯t stand the temptation of a beautiful girl and told Zhao Mingxi your address. It¡¯s the address of your own apartment, not your mother¡¯s villa.¡±


    After falling out of love, Fu Yangxi, who was curled up in the bed decadently, continued to stare at the WeChat messages sent by Zhao Mingxi. His mood was complicated and sad. A hundred episodes of life and death in TV dramas had already been staged in his mind.


    When he saw the message from Ke Chengwen pop up, he withdrew from the chatroom and took a look. Then he immediately sat up.


    What the hell? Little Mask is coming? But I haven¡¯t even washed my hair yet!


    Fu Yangxi was in absolute despair. She said that she didn¡¯t like me, so why does she still care about me?


    Just let me die!

 Chapter 36

    Following the address, Mingxi ended up at a high-end residential area. It looked a lot like a commercial district on the outside, but when she walked into the building, she realized that it was a service apartment.


    She went to the security guard to explain the situation. The security guard took the walkie-talkie and most likely spoke to Fu Yangxi before he took her to the penthouse.


    Mingxi stood outside the door, carrying a bag of anti-fever medicine, and rang the doorbell.


    After a while.


    Someone opened the door.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s red hair was damp, his frizzy hair scattered around his forehead. He was wrapped in a quilt as he opened the door.


    There was no light on the entrance. Due to the thunderstorm, there was barely any light here. His lips were pale and dry, and his face was abnormally flushed.


    In short, he looked exactly like someone who did not receive any care while being sick.


    Mingxi looked up at him and was startled. ¡°Xi ge, why is your hair wet? Did you wash your hair while having a fever?! Do you want to die?¡±


    Fu Yangxi rubbed his forehead and instead asked nonchalantly, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t notice his strangeness. She directly looked into her house. ¡°Ke Chengwen said you¡¯re sick. Is there anyone at home¡ª¡±


    After taking a look inside, Mingxi was certain that there was no one in Fu Yangxi¡¯s house.


    The interior of the penthouse was far too deserted. The curtains were drawn, the living room was empty and there was no furniture at all, not even a background behind the TV. There was only a sofa and white walls. It was as if he only bought a floor within this 200 square meter building.


    The marble top on the open kitchen counter looked new, and the warranty label on the refrigerator had not even been torn off yet.


    Thank goodness I came. Otherwise, this¡ª What would Fu Yangxi eat tonight? Is he still going to eat takeaways although he is sick?


    Before she could see everything else clearly, she was pushed out by Fu Yangxi with a finger against her forehead.


    The fingers on the forehead are hot.


    Fu Yangxi would not let her in.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to prepare for the Hundred School Tournament and meet the person you want to see? I can¡¯t believe you still have time to come and visit a deskmate like me.¡± Fu Yangxi said coldly with a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mingxi was stunned. ¡°I finished my review during the day, and I¡¯m only free after school. I heard that you¡¯re sick, so I just¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi interrupted her with a sad tone, ¡°Why does it matter to you whether I¡¯m sick or not? Do you care?¡±


    Mingxi: ???


    What?


    The fever must have gotten to his head!


    I haven¡¯t seen him for just a day, yet the way he spoke has become strange.


    Mingxi was afraid that his brain had truly overheated, so she anxiously hung the medicine bag on his wrist and pushed him in. ¡°Hurry up and blow your hair dry! Then go and lie down on the bed!¡±


    She accidentally pushed him a bit hard, causing Fu Yangxi to stagger, and the heat emanating from his body suddenly overwhelmed her.


    Mingxi hurriedly supported him.


    ¡°Exactly how heavy are you?!¡± Mingxi asked strenuously. She felt as if a great mountain was pressing on top of her. She was almost crushed to the ground. Her height of 1.7 meters was like a small bamboo shoot swaying in the wind, ready to break at any time. ¡°You usually look so thin¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 1.88 meters tall, okay?! You go and ask for the weight of other guys who are 1.88 meters tall!¡± Fu Yangxi said angrily. ¡°And the quilt is practically another 20 kilograms!¡±


    He was filled with righteous indignation as he thought, only Shen Liyao is light; only Shen Liyao is thin.


    Forget about the fact that she didn¡¯t like him, she was even criticizing his weight?!


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Fu Yangxi was furious. He shook Mingxi¡¯s hand away, turned around and walked inside.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi closed the door, took off her school bag and looked around. Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t even have a coffee table in this huge penthouse, so she had to place her things on the ground first.


    Fu Yangxi sat down angrily on the sofa.


    Mingxi walked over. Fu Yangxi was very hot, and she could feel a heat wave coming from him even though he was wrapped in the quilt.


    She raised her hand to touch his neck and was so scalded that she retracted her hand. She thought, this is bad, he has to go to the hospital.


    Mingxi hurriedly said to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Didn¡¯t your family doctor come? Shall I accompany you to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital.¡± Fu Yangxi glanced at her, his eyes red-rimmed. There was a mix of emotions on his face, a combination of irritation, anger, desolation and hurt.


    He quickly turned away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi thought that his brains must have been fried by the fever, so she didn¡¯t bother to argue with him.


    ¡°Forget it then. Either way, it¡¯s not good for you to go out and get blown by the cold winds after the rain. We¡¯ll just have to break your fever at home. Do you have boiled water here?¡±


    Mingxi went to the entrance to turn on a light, and then went to the kitchen counter to find some water.


    After realizing that there was no hot water, she tiptoed out, found a kettle from the kitchen cabinet and started to boil the water.


    Mingxi hurriedly boiled the water while urging, ¡°Hurry up and blow-dry your hair. Then after you¡¯re done, put on a fever-reducing patch. Drink hot water, take your medicine and go to bed. You¡¯ll be fine after you sweat it out.¡±


    After a few minutes, the water was boiling.


    Mingxi thought that Fu Yangxi had also gone to the bathroom to blow-dry his hair. However, when she turned her head to check on him, he was still sitting on the sofa with a pale face, staring at her with a dead gaze.


    His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked so weak it was as if he had experienced the end of the world.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Isn¡¯t it just a cold? Why is he acting like he fell out of love?!


    However, Mingxi remembered how she got drunk last time and vomited on him, so she immediately gave up on the thought of lecturing him.


    Mingxi found a glass and poured a cup of hot water. Then she went to the bathroom to get a bath towel and a hair dryer¡ª The water on the bathroom tiles hasn¡¯t dried yet. Fu Yangxi had just washed his hair?


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t understand what was going through his mind. Why would he wash his hair when he¡¯s sick?


    She walked up to Fu Yangxi, handed him the hot water, and asked him to hold it with both hands. ¡°Drink some water, your lips are very dry.¡±


    Fu Yangxi took the water, like an eggplant beaten by frost, his head was continuously hung low.


    Mingxi took a towel and put it on his head, wiping the water off him indiscriminately.


    She couldn¡¯t identify the scent of Fu Yangxi¡¯s shampoo. However, she did notice that it was the source of the faint scent of pine on his body, coupled with some gardenia, it was refreshing and fragrant.


    But when Mingxi wiped his hair and felt his warm forehead under her fingers, she no longer cared about freeloading on his luck. She wanted to quickly dry his hair so that he could lie down on the bed and sweat it out under the quilt.


    Fu Yangxi stared at the ground, thinking bitter thoughts, Little Mask treats me very well, but she only thinks of me as her boss.


    She doesn¡¯t like me at all.


    What is so good about Shen Liyao? Is he taller? Is he richer?


    ¡°Xi ge, do you use this towel to wipe your hair? I just took one randomly.¡± Only when Mingxi was almost done drying his hair did she recall this question.


    Fu Yangxi looked up at her weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mat,¡± he said with a bitter tone.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°¡­Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    Fu Yangxi simply did not have the mind to care about such things. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Xi ge.¡±


    Mingxi stopped what she was doing. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Should I call you Boss then?¡±


    ¡®Boss¡¯, this damn word. He thought she liked him, but she just regarded him as her boss!


    Putting in all his feelings on someone who didn¡¯t even like him back was too embarrassing.


    Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t help but angrily yell, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Boss!¡±


    ¡°Then what should I call you?¡± When Mingxi saw that his red hair had been wiped dry, she threw the towel aside. She then picked up the hair dryer and started blow-drying his hair.


    Fu Yangxi said with an utmost saddened tone, ¡°I was reckless when I was young, and I was arrogant to accept you as my follower. Now, you are no longer my follower.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    It¡¯s only been a month since you were ¡®young¡¯?


    Fu Yangxi lowered his voice and said, ¡°You should call me Young Master Fu.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi stopped blow-drying his hair once it became dry, soft and fluffy.


    She lowered her eyes to meet Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the fever or something else, but his fair skin was very pale, and the tiny tear moles at the corner of his eyes were more obvious.


    It¡¯s not the first time that Mingxi found him extremely good-looking, but with his freshly blown hair, his attractiveness seemed especially fatal. Messy short red hair, a high nose bridge, a fragile look due to his illness, and the watery glaze over his eyes.


    While Mingxi looked at his face, she actually fell into a daze with the hair dryer in her hands.


    Only after Mingxi came back to her senses did she fully process what he was talking about. She simply took his advice and said, ¡°What? Oh, alright then, Young Master Fu, have you taken your medicine? And I mean medicine in the literal sense.* If you haven¡¯t, I bought you some medicine for the cold.¡±


    *Mingxi is explaining because the Chinese have a tendency to ask whether one has eaten medicine or not to indicate that they are acting a little out of the ordinary/crazy.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    She really doesn¡¯t love me! She just called me Young Master Fu so nonchalantly!


    Mingxi took out two pills from the medicines that she had brought, stuffed them into Fu Yangxi¡¯s hands, and put a white fever-reducing patch on his forehead. She said, ¡°Take the medicine and go to bed. I¡¯ll go and make some porridge first.¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s eyes followed her, staring at her as she cooked the porridge.


    Mingxi looked for rice everywhere, but found that Fu Yangxi had nothing at home. So in the end she had no choice but to take out her mobile phone and ordered a takeaway, asking the fresh food store to send over some millet and vegetables.


    The place where the rich lived was very convenient. In less than 10 minutes, a delivery guy had already delivered the goods to the door.


    Mingxi took the things, walked over to the open kitchen, and began to make porridge.


    She noticed that Fu Yangxi still hadn¡¯t gone to bed. Instead, he had his head against the white walls, sitting on the sofa while looking at her.


    Mingxi didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    It¡¯s fine so long as he¡¯s eaten the medicine. The fever-reducing patch should work later, so even if he sits in the living room wrapped in a quilt, the effect will still be the same.


    There was a momentary silence in this double-storey penthouse.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly said with a hoarse voice, ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s been a while since you changed classes, yet I haven¡¯t heard you talk about other people before.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know He Yang?¡± Mingxi said without turning back. ¡°Then there are some people I knew before, but you wouldn¡¯t want to know them. Even if you do know them, you probably can¡¯t remember their names, such as Geng Jing, the monitor of Class 6¡­¡±


    Mingxi said a bunch of names. Fu Yangxi scanned through them and found that she had left out Shen Liyao¡¯s name.


    ¡°What about those from the School Representative Team? Do you know anyone from there?¡±


    Mingxi heard Fu Yangxi¡¯s hoarse voice coming from the sofa.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with the School Representative Team?¡± Mingxi thought that Fu Yangxi could not sleep so he was chatting with her casually. She said, ¡°I know a few people. Those people are young and vigorous, and they often win gold medals. They are really amazing.¡±


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°Do girls like that type of guy?¡±


    Mingxi thought about the number of love letters Shen Liyao had received before. In just one weekend, the letters stuffed in the table could fill a trash can. He should rank first in their school, and no one could be ranked second.


    So she answered, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s the case for most girls.¡±


    Then she stopped speaking.


    The porridge was almost ready. Mingxi squatted down to look for the bowls and spoons. She eventually found two sets of bowls in the disinfection cabinet. She raised her head and asked Fu Yangxi, ¡°There are black and red ones, which bowl do you want?¡±


    Fu Yangxi replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    Mingxi subconsciously chose the black-colored bowl and began to serve the porridge.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand which was placed in the quilt suddenly clenched silently. Anger, embarrassment, loss, sadness, all these emotions surged into his heart.


    He envied Shen Liyao.


    He was in utter despair.


    Mingxi watched as he shook his head before he turned listlessly and left for his bedroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Drink the porridge first and then sleep.¡± Mingxi looked at him with the porridge in her hands.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t say a word. He walked into the room wrapped in a quilt and lay down on the bed. Then, he wrapped himself into a bear, and buried his head in it.


    Mingxi carried the porridge in, thinking that he must be feeling uncomfortable. After taking the medicine, he should be starting to feel sleepy. So she put the porridge on the bedside table next to him and said, ¡°Get up and eat while you still have some strength. I¡¯ve also kept some in the rice cooker so that it can stay warm.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Once Mingxi saw this, she knew she couldn¡¯t stay any longer.


    She closed the door gently, turned to go out, and turned off the light. She picked up her school bag and planned to leave.


    However, just before leaving, she saw Fu Yangxi¡¯s mobile phone dropped on the ground, so she picked it up for him and took it to the room.


    Mingxi suddenly noticed that Fu Yangxi¡¯s phone was without the phone case¡ª¡ª


    Isn¡¯t it his gang¡¯s phone case? Why did he take it off so casually?


    ¡­


    On the one hand, Mingxi felt that she became as naive as Fu Yangxi as she still cared about this. However, she couldn¡¯t help but stare at the phone case that was no longer similar to her own.


    For some reason, she felt a sense of loss.


    It may be her misperception, but the Fu Yangxi today seemed to be a little stranger than before. He even asked her to call him Young Master Fu again.


    Nonetheless, Mingxi immediately changed her mind. Maybe it¡¯s because of the fever and discomfort?


    Humans are like this ¨C once you get used to being intimate with someone, your emotions will undergo a subconscious change even when the smallest details are changed in that person, and all this would happen before you could understand the reason why.


    Mingxi inexplicably became depressed along with Fu Yangxi¡¯s gloomy mood.


    She shook her head to stop herself from overthinking and left Fu Yangxi¡¯s penthouse.


    When she got downstairs, she was worried about how she was going to get back to school. Just then, a car slowly came to a stop in front of her.


    Lawyer Zhang, whom she had already met last time, poked his head out of the driver¡¯s seat and said, ¡°Miss Zhao, it¡¯s raining outside. Young Master Fu has asked me to give you a ride back to school.¡±

 Chapter 37

    After Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning came back from the hotel that day, they also caught a cold because they were exposed to the rain.


    As a young boy, Zhao Yuning had a pretty good physique. He was alright after drinking a bowl of ginger soup cooked by the nanny. However, Madam Zhao was seriously ill.


    It may seem like the illness was caused by external factors, but it was actually an illness stemming from the mind.


    The Zhao family knew why, but they couldn¡¯t do anything. Zhao Mingxi was almost 18 years old so they couldn¡¯t forcefully bring her back.


    Besides, even if they did bring her back, there was no way they could go back to how they were before. Zhao Mingxi would only hate them even more.


    The Zhao family finally realized this in all sobriety.


    Nonetheless, no matter what, the Zhao family did not give up. A biological relationship is the most unbreakable thing in the world. Zhao Mingxi can be angry and resent them for a year or two, but it is impossible for her to not want them for a lifetime.


    In addition, now that they know to repent and compensate, won¡¯t their relationship slowly ease up over time?


    The question now was how to alleviate it.


    Just as Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning had seen outside the hotel, now whenever Zhao Mingxi saw any one of them from the Zhao family, she wouldn¡¯t even spare a glance at them, let alone greet them.


    Going head-on to look for her would have no effect at all. She would definitely turn around and leave just like before.


    They may not even be able to say a word before their efforts would be regarded as futile and annoying.


    There must be some other way to soften her resolve slowly.


    The Zhao family members were each thinking of a way.


    Mr. Zhao still hadn¡¯t fully accepted the gravity of the situation. Although he heard Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s account of what happened during this period, he still felt that Mingxi might have only been trying to throw a tantrum and that this matter could be changed.


    Mingxi was disappointed because the family was always standing on Zhao Yuan¡¯s side. It may have started out as small matters, but these disappointments accumulated in layers which led to her final decision to leave the house.


    So where was the source?


    It was their partiality.


    Mr. Zhao had a private conversation with everyone in the family, emphasizing that in the future, Zhao Yuan and Zhao Mingxi must be treated equally. Regardless of whether Mingxi was present or not, they must be fair and just.


    Occurrences like Madam Zhao giving Mingxi¡¯s skirt to Zhao Yuan at the last birthday party will never happen again.


    In particular, he reprimanded Zhao Mo. ¡°Watch your mouth. I don¡¯t mind you using foul language on a daily basis, but you must be more aware of what you say during critical moments.¡±


    He also said to Madam Zhao, ¡°You have the greatest impact on Mingxi. You must act fairly in the future. Also, Mingxi is our biological daughter. It¡¯s okay to take her side a little more, especially at times like this.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai also had a conversation with Zhao Mo and Madam Zhao respectively.


    He mainly lectured Zhao Mo, ¡°To be honest, if you waited for me that day instead of impulsively finding Mingxi, maybe you wouldn¡¯t have entered the police station and things would not have developed this way. You are the main reason why this happened.¡±


    Zhao Mo was so angered that he was amused. ¡°You¡¯re all ganging up on me just because of a little girl? You¡¯re all trying to teach me a lesson, right? How would I know that on that day¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Zhao, who just came in, gave him a heavy smack on the head. ¡°I have already told you! Change the way you speak! Can¡¯t you say the word ¡®little sister¡¯? Did you have to call her a ¡®little girl¡¯? This situation happened because of you! If you still want to stay at home, go to the study and write down the word ¡®little sister¡¯ 100 times for me right now!¡±


    Mr. Zhao¡¯s face was ashen.


    He always had the image of a strict father and the whole family feared him.


    Zhao Mo could feel the anger crawling into his heart, but he chose to take the brunt of it all. He turned around and went to the study to write down some Mandarin words.


    The conversation between Zhao Zhanhuai and Madam Zhao was mainly to analyze the reasons why things have become like this.


    The two recalled some past events. The more they recalled, the more they remembered more details about how they had neglected Zhao Mingxi because of Zhao Yuan. Madam Zhao¡¯s face was pale and she started crying again.


    Zhao Zhanhuai had a headache and reminded Madam Zhao, ¡°You should mainly start from these details in the future and pay attention to Mingxi¡¯s feelings.¡± After that, he hurriedly left.


    In addition, Mr. Zhao also held a meeting for the family¡¯s drivers and other employees, emphasizing that Zhao Mingxi is their biological daughter and that she must not be neglected in the future.


    If things like what happened with Nanny Zhang happens again, they will be immediately fired.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yuan was naturally excluded from the private conversations of the Zhao family.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were deliberately hiding it from her, but it was their own family matter. She didn¡¯t need to be mixed up in this. If she were to appear in front of Mingxi, it would only trigger Mingxi even more. So it was better for her not to show up.


    What¡¯s more, the Zhao family also considered her feelings.


    But Zhao Yuan only felt that her family was acting weird recently. They often went to the study two by two, as if they were deliberately avoiding her in order to do some sort of illegal transaction.


    Aside from them, their servants were acting oddly too.


    The gardener began to buy the seeds of flowers that Zhao Mingxi liked and the chef began to study the dishes Zhao Mingxi liked to eat. When the driver brought her something, he would also find other students to inquire about Zhao Mingxi from time to time.


    She also saw Zhao Yuning, who would get too hungry to sleep in the middle of the night, get up and go to the kitchen to study how Zhao Mingxi used to cook. He wanted to try making a lunch box so that he could take it to school to Zhao Mingxi¡ª


    Of course Zhao Yuan knew that this was their form of compensation for the loss of their family member.


    Because he had eaten too many lunch boxes made by Zhao Mingxi, yet he never knew how to be grateful. Now that he has lost it, he feels empty and wants to make up for it.


    But when she saw all this, it only made her extremely anxious and irritable.


    Although Zhao Mingxi had left this home, she was still everywhere in this house.


    Even her presence was stronger than when she first came two years ago.


    Zhao Yuan was both scared and jealous.


    A human¡¯s energy and love are limited. Once more energy is put on Zhao Mingxi, the Zhao family will inevitably ignore her.


    Not to mention that although Zhao Zhanhuai was still gentle to her all this while, he was actually avoiding her.


    Aside from that, there was the problem of her stiff relationship with Zhao Yuning.


    Even Mr. Zhao no longer personally taught her golf on the weekends. Instead, he left her to a coach. Zhao Mo didn¡¯t spend much time at home, but he kept looking at her with scrutiny in his eyes. He was no longer as close to her as before Zhao Mingxi came.


    Zhao Yuan felt anxious and knew that she could not let this situation go on any further.


    ¡­


    She called Aunt Zhang. Nanny Zhang was still expecting Zhao Yuan to get her back.


    But in this situation where Madam Zhao had already rejected her once, Zhao Yuan had no idea how to ask the Zhao family to ask for Nanny Zhang to be re-hired again.


    Zhang Yufen heard Zhao Yuan crying with great grievance. She got anxious and quickly comforted her. ¡°There¡¯s no rush, Miss. There is no need to hurry about my matter. You must take care of yourself first. You must stay calm, study and compete in the Tournament. Don¡¯t slack, especially with regards to the one you¡¯re about to participate in¡ª¡±


    Zhao Yuan said, ¡°The Hundred School Tournament.¡±


    ¡°Yes, especially for this Tournament. You can¡¯t lose to Zhao Mingxi. You have to make your family see that you are better than her,¡± Zhang Yufen advised. ¡°Secondly, you have to find a way to repair your relationship with the Zhao family. You have to take the initiative. Now that the situation has changed, you can¡¯t sit and wait anymore.¡±


    Zhao Yuan was upset, but still she agreed, ¡°I understand.¡±


    It would not be easy for her to take the initiative.


    For the past fifteen years, as the only girl in the Zhao family, Zhao Yuan had always been spoiled like a little princess. So when Zhao Mingxi first came, she felt a little sense of crisis.


    Having been spoiled all her life, she only knew how to be spoiled. She was not good at the act of pleasing others.


    As far as she knew, she only needed to be beautiful and obedient. How could she have known that the whole family would become like this now because of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s departure from home?


    Zhao Yuan thought for a while. Finally, she recalled something.


    Recently, Zhao Zhanhuai has been having a headache because of a matter in the company. His company intends to take over a piece of land, but the other company has always kept the price high, so Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s acquisition has been hindered.


    Zhao Yuan remembered that company, it was the Lu family¡¯s company. It was the Evergreen Class¡¯ Lu Ye¡¯s family company.


    Lu Ye used to like her, so she could help her eldest brother. This way, her eldest brother would definitely treat her differently.


    As she thought about this, Zhao Yuan opened her WeChat and wondered how to make Lu Ye do this willingly.


    ¡­


    *


    Fu Yangxi did not come to class again on Thursday. Mingxi was at a loss, looking at the seat beside her almost 300 times a day.


    She counted her young shoots. It had already reached 180.


    500 was still too far away, but Mingxi was no longer as urgent now. After all, the injury on her face has healed and she was no longer as unlucky in her exams. The amount of luck she freeloaded had already made her a lot more lucky.


    As for the rest, so long as she continued to stay by Fu Yangxi¡¯s side, she could always get 500 trees before graduating from high school.


    This was also the reason why when Fu Yangxi was away, she did not go to Jiang Xiuqiu for luck.


    It was not until Friday when Fu Yangxi finally came to school.


    Both his cell phone and pillow fell to the ground when he hurriedly jumped into the bathroom to wash his hair on Wednesday evening.


    The phone case was cracked and the pillow was soaked. Thus, he could only put it on the balcony. And since it has been raining for the past few days, it could not be dried.


    Fu Yangxi had no choice but to leave it at home.


    As soon as Fu Yangxi came¡ª Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t come to class for two days, Mingxi couldn¡¯t help keeping her eyes on him. Therefore, Mingxi, who had never paid much attention to detail, discovered that he hadn¡¯t brought the Pikachu pillow.


    He has never separated from the pillow ever since I gave it to him. What happened in the past two days?


    Because of the strangeness in her heart, Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but to look at Fu Yangxi¡¯s handsome face for a long time.


    She kept staring at him as he walked into the classroom with a blank expression, pulled out his chair and sat down.


    Mingxi felt that he was obviously depressed, his aura was full of low pressure.


    When he walked in, he was wearing his noise-cancelling headphones. Although he didn¡¯t look pissed, it was blank. He started to sleep as soon as he sat down and took off his jacket. He didn¡¯t say a word nor did he greet Ke Chengwen, Jiang Xiuqiu or her.


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi¡¯s silent and dull mop of red hair and murmured in her heart.


    ¡­What happened?


    If it wasn¡¯t because only she and Ke Chengwen were on the call when she was reminded that she forgot Fu Yangxi¡¯s birthday, Mingxi would have almost thought that Fu Yangxi was angry because of this.


    However, she figured he wasn¡¯t this petty.


    Mingxi thought that he might have just been in a bad mood because of his sickness.


    It was quite uncomfortable to be sick, so Mingxi didn¡¯t bother him and let him sleep peacefully all morning. In fact, when his followers in the class passed by him, she put a finger on her lips and reminded them to keep quiet.


    During the third period break, Mingxi saw that Fu Yangxi was still quiet. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but run to the convenience store to buy a bag of sweets.


    ¡°Is there a bitter aftertaste in your mouth? Take this then.¡± Mingxi shook him awake gently.

 Chapter 38

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat this. Stay away from me.¡± Fu Yangxi raised his head and glanced at Zhao Mingxi. Then his gaze fell on her hand pushing against his arm. He added, ¡°Also, it is improper for a man and woman to touch each other so casually, so you should be more careful from now on.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi tried her best not to squint her eyes in confusion. She unpacked the package and handed it to Fu Yangxi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today?! Just try one, there are both lemon and strawberry flavors available. When you¡¯re sick you need to replenish your energy!¡±


    Fu Yangxi glanced at her with eyes full of sorrow. ¡°Do you really care if I still have energy or not?¡±


    He pressed his lips tightly and leaned his whole body on the cold wall.


    As soon as Mingxi leaned forward and he retreated, the whole scene turned into a scene of Mingxi oppressing him, forcing him to put his hand on the edge of his chair, trapping him in the corner, and his look as if he would rather die than obey.


    The whole class couldn¡¯t help but look over out of curiosity.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s cheeks were hot. She hurriedly withdrew her hands and set her back straight.


    ¡°Are you still ill?¡± Mingxi had no choice but to put the sweet into her own mouth. She muttered and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re still not feeling well, why not ask for another day off? Did you bring a thermometer? Have you taken your temperature?¡±


    She felt that his fever had gone away. She could feel it while she was sitting next to him for three periods in the morning. She no longer felt the scorching heat coming from his body as compared to when she was at his house the day before yesterday.


    Boys at this age are physically strong so they would recover quickly.


    But why is it that even though the fever is gone, he still looks so tired?


    Thinking of this, Mingxi stretched out her hand subconsciously to check the body temperature on Fu Yangxi¡¯s forehead.


    However, Fu Yangxi avoided her again.


    He even stood up abruptly.


    With a crash, the chair fell on the floor.


    Fu Yangxi turned around and walked out of the classroom. He looked cold and tired. ¡°I have recovered from my illness, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡±


    Mingxi looked up at him. She turned her neck like a sunflower would to the sun and asked inexplicably, ¡°Then why are you unhappy?¡±


    Mingxi grabbed his shirt in confusion.


    Fu Yangxi turned away. ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy.¡±


    Did she want me to say, ¡°Because I thought you liked me; because I have always been playing into this one-sided love. Now that my dreams are broken, my self-esteem is also smashed to the ground. I feel like a humiliated clown.¡±? Did she want me to say such embarrassing words?


    It was too mortifying. He didn¡¯t know how to face it.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Mingxi said. ¡°Xi ge, I can still read your mood. Did something happen to you at home?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing happened.¡±


    Fu Yangxi fell silent before pushing Zhao Mingxi¡¯s hand away. ¡°Remember that it is improper for a man and woman to touch each other so casually.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi watched as Fu Yangxi left the classroom. She felt really puzzled.


    ¡­


    At first, she thought that Fu Yangxi was just unable to lift up his spirits because of his illness, but now it seems that something bad must have happened to him, maybe something troublesome.


    Maybe something happened at home? But she didn¡¯t know anything about his home¡­


    At the beginning, Mingxi¡¯s mind was only filled with her terminal illness, so she didn¡¯t want to ask so much.


    Later, she became friends with Fu Yangxi, Ke Chengwen and the others. She didn¡¯t know if he would be provoked if she used her humble status as a follower to inquire about his privacy. Thus, she suppressed her curiosity and refrained from questioning him.


    And now¡ª Mingxi panicked. She didn¡¯t care anymore. She turned her head and asked Ke Chengwen about this.


    ¡°Xi ge is acting weird these days. Did something happen?¡±


    Ke Chengwen was shocked when he saw Zhao Mingxi. He immediately used a book to block his face. However, Mingxi quickly took the book away. ¡°Don¡¯t avoid my question.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking too much about it,¡± Ke Chengwen murmured. ¡°Xi ge is the same as usual.¡±


    He reached out a hand to grab the book.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®same as usual¡¯?¡± Mingxi grabbed his book and rebutted. ¡°He used to practically write the words ¡®cocky¡¯ and ¡®narcissistic¡¯ on his face, but why is it that ever since he got sick, he looks as if someone had beat him up?¡±


    ¡°He was scolded by his grandfather, that¡¯s why he¡¯s in a bad mood. He¡¯ll be fine in another two days.¡±


    Ke Chengwen thought, wouldn¡¯t telling you be equivalent to embarassing Xi ge?


    Besides, you were the one who said that you didn¡¯t like Brother Xi on the phone. Won¡¯t you feel embarrassed and awkward after knowing Xi ge¡¯s thoughts? Won¡¯t you run away and reject him?


    Ke Chengwen felt that once he said it, not only would Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi never get to be a couple, they might not even be friends.


    This kind of ¡®I like the enemy, but the enemy doesn¡¯t like me. But for a long time, I mistakenly thought that the enemy liked me, and finally found out that the enemy already had someone else they liked¡¯¡ª This sort of mess. Ke Chengwen¡¯s straight-oriented brain was buzzing when he thought of all this.


    He felt that if he got caught in the middle, he would become the bad guy.


    So Ke Chengwen casually said, ¡°He is that type of person. He isn¡¯t targeting you. Didn¡¯t you see that he has been indifferent to us all day today? Just let him figure it out himself.¡±


    After two days of thinking, maybe the ¡®feeling of being betrayed¡¯ would disappear, and everyone can continue being friends, as if nothing had happened.


    Although Ke Chengwen said that Fu Yangxi¡¯s dampened mood was due to his grandfather.


    Mingxi still felt like something was wrong.


    ¡­


    She didn¡¯t want Fu Yangxi to be unhappy.


    She couldn¡¯t bear to see Fu Yangxi depressed, but she didn¡¯t know how to make him feel better.


    At noon, Mingxi deliberately pulled He Yang along with her to go outside the school. She bought a small pot of cactus and placed it on Fu Yangxi¡¯s table. She hoped that he would feel better when he saw some green plants.


    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t throw it away, but he didn¡¯t take another glance at it nor did he explode in anger like he would before and blame her for messing up his table.


    The red bird in Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart seemed to be dead. It lay on the ground softly with two rows of tears. It could no longer show off.


    As for Mingxi, she felt at a loss.


    Because she was concerned about what happened to Fu Yangxi, Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but focus on him all day and turn her head to look at him from time to time during class.


    As she watched, Mingxi stopped brushing the tip of her pen on the notebook. The accumulation of ink became a dot as she fell in a daze.


    ¡­Because she suddenly discovered that the person next to her was really good-looking.


    Impeccable facial features, exquisite handsomeness, and when there¡¯s no expression on his face, there was an unapproachable feeling.


    It made people feel a kind of, just a kind of¡ª inexplicable, unclear, as if one¡¯s heart was crawling with ants, sour and vague feeling.


    Mingxi¡¯s gaze subconsciously fell on his tightly pressed thin lips and suddenly felt an itch on her body. However, she couldn¡¯t reach out to scratch it.


    Because no matter where she scratched, it was like she was scratching on a barrier.


    Mingxi touched her chest unconsciously. Only then did she realize that her heart was the one that felt itchy.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi was leaning his head on his hand, his eyelids not lifting at the slightest. He was trying his best to act indifferent, pretending not to notice Mingxi¡¯s gaze falling upon his face. He was also pretending that the roots of his ears were not crazily hot at all.


    He knew it. He doesn¡¯t look bad, right? Why has Little Mask never stared at him before?


    Now that Zhao Mingxi was finally staring at him like this, Fu Yangxi really wanted to Photoshop his profile a little so that he could become more handsome.


    Nonetheless, he also knew that he was good-looking enough, so he boldly turned the pages of the book casually, pretending to be nonchalant about this.


    After a while, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s gaze, and Fu Yangxi¡¯s mood after a few days of cloudiness finally improved albeit by just a little.


    He changed his posture so that his left hand was propped below his head while his right hand was holding his mobile phone underneath the table. He quickly went on Baidu and searched ¡®Which angle of a high school boy¡¯s face with a height of 1.88 meters is the most attractive to girls¡¯¡­


    While Zhao Mingxi was staring at Fu Yangxi¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple and swallowing unconsciously, Mr. Lu who was on the podium couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and yelled, ¡°Mingxi! What are you looking at? Is the face of your deskmate blooming?¡±


    Mingxi was taken aback. She quickly sat up straight and placed both her hands on the table.


    The corner of Fu Yangxi¡¯s mouth twitched, and the little bird that was on the verge of death finally jerked its leg.

 Chapter 39.1

    While the atmosphere of the International Class had become really weird because of Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi, the atmosphere of the Evergreen Class and Gold Medal Class were not much better either.


    For the last fight for the seat in the Tournament, the entire Evergreen Class was defeated in public. So far, whenever they met people from the International Class on the road, they could not hold their heads up. The group of Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers in the International Class were also unkind with their words. Whenever they saw them, they would mock and ridicule them. They wanted to fight but they had no reason to do so, hence they were frustrated to death.


    In addition, Miss Ye Bing, their homeroom teacher, was criticized face-to-face for offending Professor Gao. Recently, the air pressure in their class has also been extremely low. As soon as she entered the classroom, she would pull a long face, effectively strangling all the fun in the room. This caused the entire Evergreen Class to be in dire straits and miserable.


    In such a situation, the entire class could easily start fights with each other.


    At the beginning, when the title of School Beauty was given to Zhao Mingxi, the people in the Evergreen Class didn¡¯t think it mattered. Anyway, Zhao Mingxi was several times more beautiful than Zhao Yuan. This was a fact before their eyes. Afterwards, when Zhao Mingxi was about to become the host of the Annual School Celebration, most of the people in the Evergreen Class were still indifferent. After all, why did it matter who became the host¡­?


    But after experiencing the last incident, the dignity of the entire Evergreen Class was trampled to the ground. They couldn¡¯t sit still anymore! They started to think of Zhao Mingxi as a member of the International Class and began to quarrel with the enemy!


    So when the lineup of events for the Annual School Celebration was released and the Literature Department announced that this year¡¯s host was still Zhao Yuan, the entire Evergreen Class let out sighs of relief and cheered.


    After all, the class of the host would have the right to perform at the finale.


    Zhao Yuan also let out a mental sigh of relief. She was finally able to win something back after the recent series of incidents.


    ¡­


    What Zhao Yuan and the Evergreen Class didn¡¯t know was that just after she had contacted the teacher of the Literature Department that day, that teacher still offered the position to Zhao Mingxi again.


    But Mingxi flatly refused her.


    Thus, this opportunity went round and round before it finally fell into Zhao Yuan¡¯s hands.


    Mingxi¡¯s thoughts were very simple. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to fight with Zhao Yuan for what she has.


    It was more sensible for her to have more time to study.


    If this happened in the past, Mingxi might want to perform something for the show because the Zhao family would be watching during school celebrations. She would want to show off her face for the family to see.


    After all, she was also a child who was full of expectations and wanted to be praised.


    But now Mingxi didn¡¯t care about these at all.


    Even without their love, she could live well by herself.


    Except for those who participated in the Tournament, the Evergreen Class was celebrating.


    They enthusiastically began to prepare for the finale of this year¡¯s school celebration.


    Only two people were not so happy.


    Li Haiyang thought this year¡¯s host would be Zhao Mingxi so he quietly looked forward to it for a long time, but now he was told that it was going to be Zhao Yuan?


    What¡¯s the difference between this and a fan who waited for a long time for his idol¡¯s concert, but was suddenly told that a passerby would be on the stage?


    He didn¡¯t like Zhao Yuan, so naturally she was just a passerby to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys find it boring?¡± Li Haiyang grabbed the gift from the table and couldn¡¯t help but murmur, ¡°It was Zhao Yuan for the first two years. Don¡¯t the school teachers feel bored?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Lu Ye, who happened to walk by, heard him and immediately came back and grabbed him by the collar. He almost fought him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhao Yuan? Zhao Yuan is good-looking. If you¡¯re not convinced, just shut up!¡±


    Looking at the wound on Lu Ye¡¯s face, Li Haiyang felt that Lu Ye was a little stupid. ¡°You stole your father¡¯s bidding documents for Zhao Yuan and threatened your dad with your life! Does Zhao Yuan know that you did this? And even if you succeeded in helping Zhao Yuan, will Zhao Yuan remember you in the end?¡±


    The two were friends, so Li Haiyang found it necessary to remind Lu Ye.


    However, he was interrupted by Lu Ye before he could finish his sentence.


    ¡°What do you know? Zhao Yuan promised to go to the movies with me next weekend.¡± Lu Ye glanced at Zhao Yuan¡¯s beautiful figure in the front row with a happy smile on his face. ¡°At least I finally have a chance.¡±


    He ridiculed Li Haiyang again, ¡°What about you? It¡¯s been so many days, yet you still haven¡¯t been able to give her a gift.¡±


    Li Haiyangyu was rendered speechless.


    Another person who was not so happy was E Xiaoxia.


    Her popularity in the Evergreen Class had declined to the point that only Miao Ran, who was her childhood friend, would still talk to her.


    However, she couldn¡¯t figure out why everyone hated her yet not Zhao Yuan.


    Can¡¯t anyone see that Zhao Yuan is not as kind as she seems?


    E Xiaoxia glanced at Zhao Yuan who was smiling and talking to Lu Ye. Then, she lowered her head to open her stationery box and glanced at two palm-sized transparent sealed bags.


    The first one contained a few hairs that she took from Zhao Yuning¡¯s sweater while he was playing basketball in school two days ago.


    E Xiaoxia wasn¡¯t sure if it was Zhao Yuning¡¯s. To be on the safe side, she paid out several thousand yuan and asked Miao Ran to pretend to have a crush on Zhao Yuning¡¯s junior so that she could hand the money to one of Zhao Yuning¡¯s basketball teammates. That guy pulled a few pieces of hair from his head and put them in another sealed bag.


    All that was needed next was a piece of Zhao Yuan¡¯s hair.


    E Xiaoxia was thoughtful. For the past few days, she had been thinking of ways to get Zhao Yuan¡¯s hair. However, Zhao Yuan was being very defensive towards her now. No matter how cautious she was, as soon as she got close to Zhao Yuan, she would be pushed away by Pu Shuang.


    So it was very difficult.


    But E Xiaoxia did not give up. She always felt that her intuition wasn¡¯t wrong.


    And even if there was a mistake in her intuition and the DNA test shows that Zhao Yuning and Zhao Yuan are siblings, there was not much for her to lose.


    At noon that day, when she saw that Zhao Yuan did not go to dinner with Pu Shuang and the others but left the school alone, she hurriedly followed.


    Zhao Yuan seemed to have an appointment and was waiting at a Japanese restaurant.


    E Xiaoxia pulled out the chair at another table and sat behind the green plants, only to find that the person who rushed to meet Zhao Yuan was a nanny.


    E Xiaoxia took a closer look and found that she recognized her. She was the Nanny Zhang in Zhao Yuan¡¯s family¡ª the one who treated Zhao Yuan the best.


    Previously, whenever E Xiaoxia went to Zhao Yuan¡¯s house, she observed that Nanny Zhang was always very enthusiastic, but she was only enthusiastic to Zhao Yuan¡¯s friends. In comparison, her attitude towards Zhao Mingxi was really bad.


    Now Nanny Zhang seems to have left the Zhao family.


    E Xiaoxia saw Zhao Yuan giving Nanny Zhang some money, saying that it was for her daily expenses.


    E Xiaoxia¡¯s eyes wandered around. She called a waiter, gave him tens of thousands of yuan and whispered a few words to him.


    Although the waiter couldn¡¯t figure out why the customer would want him to take the hair of those from the table over there, he was certainly willing to do such a simple thing for tens of thousands of yuan.


    However, after walking over and serving the hot pot, the waiter became a little nervous and for a moment forgot whether ¡°that woman¡± which E Xiaoxia mentioned was the young one or the older one.


    As he did not have so much time to think, he quietly took the sample from the both of them.

 Chapter 39.2

    Before Zhao Yuan could find out about her, E Xiaoxia got a few strands of her hair. Then, without eating any of her food, she hurried away.


    After meeting Nanny Zhang, Zhao Yuan went back to school and bumped into Pu Shuang who was buying snacks in the supermarket near the entrance of the school.


    The two walked back together.


    ¡°You gave your nanny money?¡± Pu Shuang was surprised when Zhao Yuan mentioned it. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she fired because she said bad things about Zhao Mingxi? An employee who couldn¡¯t control her mouth, dismissal is worthy of the crime, right? I¡¯m sure you can find a new nanny who is efficient at work-¡±


    Before Pu Shuang finished speaking, she glanced at Zhao Yuan¡¯s face and quickly said, ¡°Of course, I mean, it wasn¡¯t necessary to dismiss her. It¡¯s just a sentence from Zhao Mingxi and she didn¡¯t commit any big mistakes. It¡¯s too pitiful for her to be fired just like this.¡±


    Zhao Yuan said, ¡°That¡¯s why I gave her 50,000 yuan. After all, it¡¯s not easy to find a job at the end of the year. She used to be very good to me. When I¡¯m down with a cold, she will cook chicken soup for me and take care of me all night.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind.¡± Pu Shuang sighed. ¡°50,000 yuan. That¡¯s enough for her to not work for half a year. You can give it to her this one time, but there shouldn¡¯t be a next time, or else she might just cheat you out of your money.¡±


    Zhao Yuan¡¯s expression relaxed. She said, ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    When the two walked across the basketball court, Pu Shuang asked again, ¡°What about your eldest brother?¡±


    Zhao Yuan smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai naturally didn¡¯t know how she managed it. He only thought that she invited her classmate to dinner and then that classmate begged his dad. That¡¯s why the Lu family showed signs of letting go.


    Zhao Zhanhuai felt that she had helped a lot, so he took the initiative to call her last night.


    This was practically the first time Zhao Zhanhuai had taken the initiative to call her this month.


    Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s company must now acquire that piece of land in order to make a new layout, otherwise the operating benefits of the entire year will collapse.


    Even if the Lu family refused to lower the price, in the end Zhao Zhanhuai would still buy that piece of land for a big price.


    Now, Zhao Yuan has helped him pry Mr. Lu¡¯s mouth open and the purchase price had a possibility of lowering. This could save Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s company a large amount of working capital.


    Of course Zhao Zhanhuai felt relieved.


    Zhao Yuan won again and again, so she was in a good mood today. She just felt that everything could be restored by herself to the way it was when there was no Zhao Mingxi.


    Next, it was time to prepare for the School Celebration and the Tournament.


    ¡°Lu Ye looks like he got beat up when he came to school today. I wonder if he was beaten by his father.¡± Pu Shuang looked at Zhao Yuan. She hesitated. ¡°Did you really agree to date him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only watching a movie,¡± Zhao Yuan glanced at Pu Shuang and said. ¡°I¡¯ve never promised to date anyone before.¡±


    Pu Shuang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Pu Shuang stopped, suddenly feeling strange towards Zhao Yuan. At that moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But Zhao Yuan was already way ahead of her.


    Pu Shuang stared at Zhao Yuan¡¯s back for a while, then followed after her.


    *


    The fact that Lu Ye helped Zhao Yuan quickly reached Ke Chengwen¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t that Ke Chengwen wanted to inquire about it deliberately, but the basketball court was only so big.


    Lu Ye was so excited to be able to watch a movie with the goddess. He was so loud when he was proclaiming it everywhere.


    In the afternoon, during the physical education class, Ke Chengwen went over with a basketball and immediately told Fu Yangxi and Jiang Xiuqiu about it.


    Jiang Xiuqiu was wearing a down jacket as he curled up in the corner and shook his hands. His neck was tucked into his collar. He couldn¡¯t figure out the situation. ¡°So? What does this have to do with us?¡±


    After he said this, he smiled and accepted the love letters handed over by the two blushing girls.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Ke Chengwen said anxiously. ¡°You don¡¯t know the troubles in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s house! What is Zhao Yuan doing now? She is winning favor! The reason why she asked Lu Ye to do that is because she wants the Zhao family to turn to her side!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu stuffed the love letter into his pocket and returned to his expressionless appearance. ¡°But Zhao Mingxi has severed ties with her family, right? She doesn¡¯t care who the Zhao family will favor in the future. The emperor is not in a hurry, so why are you, the eunuch, so anxious?¡±


    ¡°Xi ge, what do you say?¡± Ke Chengwen could not communicate with Jiang Xiuqiu, so he looked directly to Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s arrogant red hair froze in the cold wind. His handsome eyes were filled with depression because of his loss of love.


    He stared sullenly at Shen Liyao, who was playing basketball over there, and unconsciously pressed his fingers on the can of Coke until the liquid popped out and the can was squeezed into a twisted ball.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be listening to what Ke Chengwen said.


    But after Ke Chengwen finished speaking, he let out a cold sigh.


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Ke Chengwen quickly searched in his pocket and took out his phone for him.


    Fu Yangxi picked up the phone, got up, walked a few steps away from them, and dialed a number.


    Jiang Xiuqiu was so cold that he couldn¡¯t move his neck. He turned his whole body over to look at Fu Yangxi. He wondered, ¡°He is-¡±


    Ke Chengwen said in understanding, ¡°Ruining Zhao Yuan¡¯s plans.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu: ¡°¡­¡±


    When Fu Yangxi came back, Jiang Xiuqiu sighed and said, ¡°Zhao Mingxi doesn¡¯t like you at all. You¡¯ve fallen out of love, yet you still care about her.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not caring about her. I simply can¡¯t understand the Zhao family and don¡¯t want them to get better. This is my personal business, understood?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this earlier? Ever since we were little, I have never seen anyone pursuing us because of our personality. You still don¡¯t believe in that. Look, it¡¯s true¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s mentality instantly collapsed, and his sanity immediately exploded into burning fireworks.


    His blood rushed up to his head. He stood up with a loud noise, dropped the coke can, and grabbed Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s collar: ¡°Do you want to f*cking fight?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s collar was deformed, but he was like an old, calm monk. He wasn¡¯t angry, instead, he sighed in mourning.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi let go of Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s collar and sat down beside him in frustration.


    The warmth on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s body was real. She once created a wonderful dream for him, and it made his limbs warm every night when he fell asleep.


    Zhao Mingxi once gave him one more reason to dream, which made him a bit less afraid of the nightmares of the past.


    But now, the dream is broken, and the light is gone.


    Zhao Mingxi was still warm, and the candy she gave him was still very sweet.


    But Fu Yangxi¡¯s fingertips remained cold.


    Seeing the depressing atmosphere looming above the two of them, Ke Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but to be affected as well. He sat down next to them. After thinking about it in distress, Ke Chengwen said, ¡°Maybe-¡±


    The two heads next to him turned to look at him.


    Ke Chengwen was under a lot of pressure, but he could only bite the bullet and express his thoughts, ¡°There¡¯s nothing too difficult in this world for the rich. Maybe we can think of a way to throw money at the Shen family to drive Shen Liyao away and make him transfer to another school?! If Zhao Mingxi can¡¯t see Shen Liyao, she will gradually forget about him!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. Have you never heard that long-distance relationships can stimulate people¡¯s hormones? By doing this, you won¡¯t know whether you are helping the two of them or breaking them apart.¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu continued to analyze, ¡°Moreover, if Shen Liyao transfers to another school so abruptly, Zhao Mingxi will definitely feel that something is wrong. Fu Yangxi could be like the villain in a TV series. Have you ever seen a villain getting together with the main female protagonist?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The three of them couldn¡¯t think of any other methods.


    Fu Yangxi continued to glare at Shen Liyao from a distance.

 Chapter 39.3

    Shen Liyao has also been upset recently.


    The number of errors in his experiments had increased and he was absent-minded when playing basketball.


    After that day when Zhao Mingxi declared that she no longer liked him in front of his teammates in the hallway, she never came to look for him again.


    More than that, she was avoiding him deliberately.


    The person he met every day just disappeared from his world.


    At first, Shen Liyao still held some secret expectation with a cold face, thinking that this was another chance for her to act mischievous, and that she was perhaps not sincere.


    However, as time passed day by day, Shen Liyao gradually realized that Zhao Mingxi, amidst the daily confusion and anxiety, really walked there and then stopped.


    She will not approach his world anymore.


    Shen Liyao was not used to this.


    How could he get used to this?


    She was no longer on the sidelines when he played basketball.


    When he pushed the door of the broadcasting room, he subconsciously thought she would be inside and was ready to say hello, but it was other girls who greeted him.


    They no longer encountered each other in the library. He used to stay in the computer science area because he thought Zhao Mingxi would still be there, pretending to be searching for him inadvertently¡ª but no.


    She never appeared anymore.


    Although everything was out of his control, Shen Liyao was still desperately enduring the anxiety caused by these unusual occurrences.


    If he made a mistake in an experiment, then he would punish himself by doing it again.


    When he was distracted while reading literature, he would force himself to calm down.


    He felt that he didn¡¯t like Zhao Mingxi. All the abnormal psychology that appeared now was just some of the consequences of the word ¡®unaccustomed¡¯.


    Once he gets used to the absence of Zhao Mingxi, everything will be back on track.


    ¡ªThat was what Shen Liyao thought.


    But what was strange was that during Madam Zhao¡¯s birthday party, he could not help but pick the style that Zhao Mingxi said was the most suitable for him before, and pretended to scan the crowd casually to see whether Zhao Mingxi was coming.


    Of course Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t come that day. Later he heard that Zhao Mingxi had severed all ties with her family.


    When Zhao Mingxi no longer appeared in his world, his speed of obtaining information seriously lagged behind. He could only latch on to some gossip between her and Fu Yangxi from others.


    Shen Liyao began to realize that other emotions were breeding in his heart. It was not just an unaccustomed feeling, but also¡ª the irritability of seeing gold medals fall into the hands of others when he was a child.


    After all, the classrooms of the two classes were on the same floor, so there would be occasions when they would pass each other by in the corridor.


    Shen Liyao pretended not to see her everytime. But through the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of Zhao Mingxi and noticed that she, too, was not paying any attention to him.


    Shen Liyao was unhappy. He thought that Zhao Mingxi was actually holding it back. After the two passed each other by, Zhao Mingxi should look back. But when he couldn¡¯t help it and looked back.


    He realized.


    The only one turning back was him.


    ¡­


    If he was just not accustomed to it, then in more than a month, he should have been accustomed to not having Zhao Mingxi in his life.


    But why was he still so unhappy?


    Could there be something else?


    To prove this point, Shen Liyao accepted an invitation from Kong Jiaze a few days ago and accompanied her to the zoo. Kong Jiaze was excited. She even put on a skirt with her bare legs out in the cold wind of more than ten degrees. However, after finishing all the dating projects, Shen Liyao only felt disappointed. He even went back to the school laboratory in advance that night.


    Kong Jiaze can¡¯t do it, others can¡¯t seem to do it either.


    Shen Liyao gradually developed a terrible speculation in his heart.


    Do I actually care about Zhao Mingxi¡ª?


    After a few days of solemn contemplation, Shen Liyao asked Ye Bai coldly in the laboratory, ¡°If I go chasing after Zhao Mingxi now, what do you think?¡±


    Ye Bai was shocked to the core. Although he discovered Shen Liyao¡¯s abnormality recently, he wondered whether Shen Liyao actually liked Zhao Mingxi. However, he never expected that Shen Liyao would have the idea of chasing people back! How determined was he?! At least Zhao Mingxi and a gold medal must be regarded as equally important.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ye Bai¡¯s pupils were shaking. After he recovered, he thought about it and said, ¡°I think, God Yao, if you are really uncomfortable, then you can chase her back. If it¡¯s you, surely Zhao Mingxi will come back as soon as you start. She used to like you so much.¡±


    As Shen Liyao received an affirmative answer, he was relieved and feeling a lot more relaxed.


    He had a rare good night¡¯s sleep this night.


    Shen Liyao has always acted quickly. On the second day, he began to formulate a series of schedules.


    It was impossible for someone like Shen Liyao to confess rashly. He intended to take this step by step.


    Let¡¯s be friends first.


    So this Friday, after playing basketball, he returned to the classroom to take the school stipend and time schedule for training and walked towards the International Class.

 CH 39.4

    On Mingxi¡¯s side, she stared at Fu Yangxi during the first class in the afternoon. After being lectured by Mr. Lu, she dared not continue to stare at him.


    The second class was physical education. She played volleyball with the girls in the International Class for a while, then went to the school gate to pick up a dessert delivered by the employees of He Yang¡¯s shop. She returned to the classroom before the class started.


    Mingxi wiped the sweat from her forehead. When she saw that Fu Yangxi hadn¡¯t returned, she placed the dessert she was going to give him on his table.


    Although she didn¡¯t make it by herself, she spent her own money on it, so some tender seedlings could grow.


    But before she sat down, someone outside called her, saying that someone in the Gold Medal Class was looking for her to arrange the matters of the training camp.


    A 10-day training camp will begin next weekend.


    Mingxi was afraid that she might have missed something, so she hurried out.


    She didn¡¯t expect that it was Shen Liyao who came to communicate with her.


    Shen Liyao stood in the corridor, handed her the form, and pointed to the signature below, ¡°The training camp¡¯s address is on the top. After school next Friday, all 20 of us will set off from the school gate. The school will be responsible for the transport. You don¡¯t have to worry about the accommodation nor the expenses. You only need to bring some workbooks, and if you are not used to the hotel, you can bring some daily necessities. After you¡¯ve read it clearly, you can sign here.¡±


    After a pause, Shen Liyao said again, ¡°Also, it will get cold next week, so bring more warm clothes.¡±


    Mingxi quickly signed the form and glanced at him strangely, ¡°Why are you doing this? Isn¡¯t your team¡¯s Yue Teng in charge of this?¡±


    Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t explain himself, so he just kept his face cold and didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡­


    When Fu Yangxi and his friends came up, they saw Zhao Mingxi and Shen Liyao standing in the corridor talking.


    They were just talking about how to separate the two of them, but in the next second they saw them so close together.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s face turned green immediately!


    It was tolerable but unbearable!


    The string in his mind broke and the veins at his temples twitched suddenly. He was about to rush over but was stopped by Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu. The two of them pulled him back to the classroom.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡±


    ¡°Xi ge, don¡¯t be so reckless! It¡¯s too childish of you to break them up just because they¡¯re talking! You will only lose points on Zhao Mingxi¡¯s side!¡±


    Fu Yangxi was anxious and frustrated. ¡°Then what should I do? Watch them get back together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a conversation¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi said angrily, ¡°No, she is not allowed to talk to that damn skinny boy!¡±


    After a while, Mingxi and Shen Liyao who were outside the corridor felt that the guys from the International Class were all trying to get out. When the two said one word, one person would squeeze between the two and walk over to fetch water, ¡°excuse me¡±, then after saying another word, someone else would squeeze between the two and walk back to the class from between them after going to the toilet.


    Shen Liyao said, ¡°This is a group training for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°20 people¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Group¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me again. I can¡¯t hold it in anymore. Please excuse me.¡±


    Shen Liyao¡¯s face became more and more upset, it was almost cold. Like a talk show, he quickly finished the rest of his sentence, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, add yourself to the group. All the activities will be notified in the group, remember to read the group announcement¡ª¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Shen Liyao couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. ¡°Did the entire International Class hold in their piss so that they can go to the toilet at the same time? And why must all of you squeeze in between us when the road is so wide?¡±


    When Zhao Mingxi saw Fu Yangxi¡¯s group from the corner of her eyes, she started appearing contemptuous. She didn¡¯t want to talk nonsense with Shen Liyao. She hurriedly scanned the code, added herself into the group and said, ¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll talk again when there¡¯s other matters.¡±


    After that, she quickly slipped back to the classroom.


    Shen Liyao: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was about to explode in anger. ;Why did she scan the code just now? They even exchanged contact information??? Do they think I¡¯m dead???


    Mingxi returned to her seat with the watch, and found that the air pressure around Fu Yangxi¡¯s body was more gloomy than in the morning. He stared outside as he sharpened a sharpener without saying a word. His face was dark, and a few broken pencils were thrown beside him.


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Mingxi turned to look at Ke Chengwen. When Mingxi didn¡¯t receive an answer, she took out the dessert from the drawer of her table and handed it to Fu Yangxi. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Fu Yangxi continued to sharpen the blade. ¡°I¡¯m not eating it.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Why? Although I didn¡¯t make this, He Yang¡¯s family specializes in desserts. The desserts from her family¡¯s shop are delicious. Why don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m on a diet.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The followers in class: ¡°¡­¡±


    The last class was a self-study class. Fu Yangxi sharpened the knife for one class, and when he looked sideways, he felt depressed and absent-minded.


    Mingxi looked at him for a while. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but to take out her mobile phone and text He Yang.


    ¡°Why do I feel that Fu Yangxi is angry with me? Is it my misperception? Did Ke Chengwen tell you anything?¡±


    The reply came quickly: ¡°I¡¯m in a normal class, so why would Ke Chengwen tell me what happened to you guys? But in general, trust your instincts. If you think so, the reason for his anger must be you.¡±


    ¡­


    Mingxi glanced at Fu Yangxi again. Fu Yangxi looked upset when she looked over.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mingxi was 99% certain that the cause of his bad mood for the past few days was really related to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused??¡± Mingxi typed quickly: ¡°I even went to his house to give him medicine after he caught a cold. Why is he mad at me? Is it because I was angry that I went to his home without asking and violated his privacy?¡±


    He Yang: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that. Although I don¡¯t know much about Fu Yangxi, he doesn¡¯t seem to be that kind of person. He cares a lot about you. Would you like to ask him?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°If he would tell me when I asked, I wouldn¡¯t be taking the risk of getting caught by the head teacher and sending you a text message right now.¡±


    ¡­


    For some reason, He Yang felt as if she was giving advice to a bad boyfriend who was confused as to the reason why his girlfriend was angry.


    She shook her head and quickly tossed off the weird thought.


    He Yang said: ¡°Then it should be something that hurt his self-esteem, hence why he couldn¡¯t tell you. If you care about this friendship, just hold on and carefully find out what the reason is.¡±


    Of course Mingxi cared. There was no second person in the world who would get her a private jet just because she missed her grandma.


    When Mingxi turned off her cell phone, the school bell rang.


    Fu Yangxi was quiet. With a face of ¡®I¡¯m dead, leave me alone¡¯, he stood up and started packing up his school bag. In fact, he didn¡¯t have any books in his school bag. He just threw his earphones and the bottles and cans in casually.


    Mingxi glanced at it and wondered a little about what vitamins he was eating, but she couldn¡¯t understand the French words. She planned to take a photo of it and check it online.


    This school week is over and it¡¯s finally the weekend. Then, it¡¯ll be two more days before I can see Fu Yangxi again.


    But the misunderstanding hasn¡¯t been solved yet.


    In the past, Mingxi naturally didn¡¯t care so much. But now, not only did she care, there were also some other indistinguishable emotions in her heart.


    ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± Mingxi asked.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyelids. ¡°What else? Should I stay and observe how thin a person can be?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What in the world is he talking about? ;Mingxi couldn¡¯t understand him at all.


    ¡°Who said you¡¯re fat?¡± Mingxi stopped him and racked her brains to find adjectives. She was good in science, but so-so in liberal arts. After thinking about it for a long time, she tried to comfort him, ¡°You are 1.88 meters in height, everything looks nice on you, there¡¯s some meat in your bones and you¡¯re not fat at all.¡±


    These comforting words were totally unconvincing.


    Fu Yangxi took away his hand, replied with an ¡°Oh¡± and continued to walk away.


    Mingxi blurted out, ¡°You can¡¯t go!¡±


    It may be that she was speaking too eagerly, but Ke Chengwen and a group of people in the classroom were looking over at them. Fu Yangxi¡¯s throat moved, and he looked over as well


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s gaze fell on her pale face. He found the clear emotion showing that she cared in the expression on her face. The little bird in Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart kicked its legs again, and there appeared such a resurgence of sparks. His expression eased up slowly and he pulled the corner of his mouth downward: ¡°Why? What else do you want?¡±


    Mingxi choked.The gears in her mind began spinning. She turned through the question booklet without thinking much about it and pointed to a question. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer this question.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi was so angry! The Little Mask asked him to stay so that he could help solve the problem! Is he just a tool who will go where he is directed?!


    All the sparks turned into a cold wind of merciless pain in an instant.


    Fu Yangxi angrily threw his school bag on Ke Chengwen¡¯s desk and asked Ke Chengwen to go first. Then, he hooked the chairs with his feet, sat down dramatically, took Mingxi¡¯s paper and pen, and started writing.


    In the process of solving the problem, Mingxi was surprised to find that his train of thought was very fast, not at all like the speed of a person who usually sleeps every day.


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t you participate in the Tournament if you have this ability?¡±


    Fu Yangxi did not even bother to look at her. ¡°Is a hundred gold medals worth even one millionth of my wealth?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Sorry for bothering you.


    A few minutes later, the classroom was empty, and there were only two people left. Fu Yangxi handed the solved question in front of Mingxi, and one again, with a look of ¡®I¡¯m dead, leave me alone¡¯, he picked up his school bag and walked out.


    Mingxi couldn¡¯t be bothered to even take a look at the question. She hurriedly picked up her school bag and ran after him. ¡°There is another thing. Aunt Li sent me a local product. One of them is for you. You should come with me to get it.¡±


    ¡°Is there no one else?¡± Fu Yangxi glanced at her and asked coolly, ¡°For example, those friends from your training camp.¡±


    His accent was placed on the words ¡®those friends¡¯ as he spoke through gritted teeth.


    Mingxi replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s only for you and Jiang Xiuqiu¡ª Ke Chengwen, uh, she said that Ke Chengwen might not appreciate it, so there¡¯s none for him.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi followed Mingxi to the ground floor of the dormitory. Because Mingxi herself was there, the lady in charge of the dorms was more lenient and asked Fu Yangxi to follow Mingxi up.


    After he went up to get the local product, Mingxi suddenly said that her light bulb was broken.


    Although Fu Yangxi was upset about the fact that Little Mask didn¡¯t like him, it was impossible for him to leave her alone like this. So he took a chair, placed it on the floor and stepped on it to change the light bulb for her.


    In the end, the moment he looked up, he noticed something. This wasn¡¯t the case of a broken light bulb. The whole light bulb was practically gone!


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°You have to buy a light bulb. You can wait here, I¡¯ll go down and¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Mingxi take up a cup full of water and poured it on the lower bunk bed. The blanket was wet in an instant. Mingxi jumped up in a panic. ¡°Oh no, what should I do? The blanket is wet and I can¡¯t sleep with it anymore.¡±


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi suddenly had a guess in his heart. He swallowed and tried his best to pretend to be unaffected by this. He said, ¡°What else can you do? I suppose you can come to my house for the weekend? Besides¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi licked his lips, trying to hold down the heat spreading to the tips of his ears. He said nonchalantly, ¡°Besides, there are many rooms in my house.¡±


    As soon as he stopped speaking, he saw Little Mask with her head hung low. She sighed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the only solution.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡­¡±


    ???


    What¡¯s going on?


    Why did he feel like Little Mask was trying every possible means to stay with him? Was it his misperception? Or was he being too narcissistic again???

 CH 40.1

    ?As Zhao Yuan was able to help Zhao Zhanhuai, she was somewhat proud of herself. She wanted to take this opportunity to restore her relationship with Zhao Zhanhuai to how it was before.


    Thus, after she returned home from school, she did not go upstairs after having her meal. Instead, she sat on the sofa and watched TV absent-mindedly, waiting for Zhao Zhanhuai to return.


    Zhao Zhanhuai has been very busy with the company''s affairs recently, and his work hours would usually end after 10 o''clock in the evening.


    Because of the low atmosphere at home during this period, he felt emotionally overwhelmed, so he would even deliberately stay at the company until after 11 o''clock in the evening before returning.


    But today, he didn¡¯t want to return at all.


    Zhao Yuan really helped him with the Lu''s land, but how could Zhao Zhanhuai, a 25-year-old adult man, not tell that Zhao Yuan wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to him? She was so excited on the phone call with him, and he guessed that she would still try to take credit in front of him after he goes home.


    It''s just the little girl''s mentality. Zhao Zhanhuai didn''t think there was anything in it.


    It was just that he was under a lot of pressure.


    Zhao Yuan wanted praise, care and warmth, and now he was very clear that he couldn¡¯t give it.


    Whether it was because of sympathy for his sister Zhao Mingxi, or because of Zhao Yuan''s small actions that he had previously noticed, he could no longer look directly at Zhao Yuan as he would before.


    On the one hand, he really needed the Lu''s to let go of the profits. But on the other hand, there was no way he could go against his will and get closer to Zhao Yuan.


    So as he drove back, Zhao Zhanhuai had many thoughts in his mind. He wanted there to be a few more red lights on the road so that he could get home later. It would be best if he got home when Zhao Yuan was already asleep so he wouldn¡¯t have to face her.


    But unexpectedly, it was almost midnight when he returned home, the car had just stopped outside the Zhao family¡¯s villa, and from the floor-to-ceiling glass, he could see Zhao Yuan waiting in the living room with a book, looking out from time to time.


    Zhao Zhanhuai''s scalp felt numb suddenly.


    He hesitated in the car for a long time and had the urge to drive the car back to the company immediately.


    But before he could restart the car, Zhao Yuan found his car with surprise on her face. She hurriedly put on her slippers and went to greet him, ¡°Brother.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai: ¡°...¡±


    *


    This night.


    Lu Ye¡¯s father received a call from his assistant in the middle of the night. The assistant was panicking. ¡°Mr. Lu, bad news. Mr. Jiang suddenly returned to China and has been demanding to see you. His flight is about to land now. Do you want me to go pick him up or¡ª¡±


    Lu Xu held the phone sleepily. When he heard the words ¡®Mr. Jiang¡¯, he immediately woke up as if he had been struck.


    He jumped up and hurriedly put on his clothes. ¡°Why did President Jiang suddenly return to China?! Is there something wrong with the company?! Hurry up and tell me the flight schedule so I can go pick him up personally!¡±


    President Jiang was the CEO and largest shareholder of Lu Xu¡¯s company. It could be said that the company''s support depended on the capital of President Jiang! A little leak from the fingers of those wealthy people was enough for Lu Xu¡¯s company to make a lot of money!


    In the past, President Jiang always stayed abroad and we would occasionally meet through remote means. But now he has returned to China in person without even a heads up? Is there a big problem with the company?


    Lu Xu was wearing his clothes while sweating profusely. He hurried to the airport by car.


    After picking up Mr. Jiang, Lu Xu could see that Mr. Jiang looked very angry. He didn''t bring any luggage and he looked like he was rushing. He obviously went out of his way to come back to solve a problem.


    Lu Xu felt his heart drop to his stomach. Although he didn''t know what happened, he could already feel that something was wrong, so he couldn''t help but ask shakily, ¡°Mr. Jiang, what- what happened?¡±


    "How should I know what happened?!" President Jiang was furious. He yelled, ¡°I was in a foreign country with a 15 hour time zone difference, and just an hour ago, I suddenly received news from the Fu¡¯s investment representative that they were going to withdraw from buying the shares from my main business. I don¡¯t even know what happened! I was so exhausted that I called and asked, and the other party gave me a reminder! So I want to ask you what you have done!¡±


    Lu Xu was so uptight as he was scolded. However, he was still confused. ¡°But I haven''t done anything recently. All the projects are progressing according to your requirements, and everything is going very smoothly."


    ¡°Were you about to sell a piece of land from the golf course?" Mr. Jiang said angrily, ¡°If you haven''t signed the contract, don''t sign it. This project will be terminated immediately.¡±


    Lu Xu was shocked. ¡°Why should we stop so suddenly? Although this project can''t make a lot of money, the partner is Zhao Zhanhuai, a subsidiary of the Zhao Enterprise. He is a rising star and is very capable. We are only one step away from completing the agreement. If we stop now, won¡¯t we be losing money?¡±


    President Jiang¡¯s attitude was very tough. ¡°Pay it up then! Do you think your little money is enough for me to pay for the losses caused by the Fu¡¯s?¡±


    ¡­


    Although Lu Xu was confused, upon seeing President Jiang¡¯s irritable attitude, he also knew that it was not a trivial matter. He guessed that this incident had offended some upper-level boss. The other party directly pressured President Jiang, and then through the hierarchy, the pressure fell on himself!


    Lu Xu didn''t dare to neglect his orders at all. He immediately ran back to the company, adjusted the bidding candidates, and directly crossed out the company of Zhao Zhanhuai who was about to sign the contract from the list of partners.


    *


    Zhao Zhanhuai received the news after arriving at the company the next day.


    The four teams of this project had already drawn up the contract, waiting to be signed today.


    But for some reason, all the past contracts faxed to them in the morning received no reply. He called the Lu''s, but the people on Lu''s side were quite perfunctory, and they hung up without mentioning the main points.


    The person in charge of the four teams of the project intuitively felt that something was going on. He picked up the contract and went to Lu''s in person, but he was turned away from the front desk.


    The manager of the four teams panicked and hurried back to the company to find Zhao Zhanhuai.


    Zhao Zhanhuai must take the land from the Lu''s side so that the entire project can continue. Furthermore, for this project, too much cost has been invested in the early stage, and now that it cannot be successfully signed, it means that all the funds in the early stage have gone to waste.


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought that the Lu company had a temporary change of mind, wanting to start from the ground and raise the price. He suppressed his anger and took his assistant to visit the Lu''s in person.


    However, what he didn¡¯t expect was...


    The Lu company did not want to raise the price, but instead, they have chosen not to sell it.


    "Mr. Lu, what do you mean?" No matter how gentle Zhao Zhanhuai was, the veins on his forehead were still throbbing from anger. ¡°Aren''t you deliberately disturbing my company''s project? You know how much I invested in the early stage. Aside from the money cost, manpower and material resources alone cannot be estimated!"


    Lu Xu was also angry. Due to this project of Zhao Zhanhuai, he was heavily scolded by President Jiang last night. He angrily said, ¡°That is your own business! Business is always accompanied by risks. Don¡¯t you understand this?¡±


    "A last minute change. Who would dare to cooperate with the Lu company in the future?"


    ¡°You don''t have to worry about this.¡± Lu Xu thought, it¡¯s better than offending the top brass.


    Zhao Zhanhuai took a deep breath. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll raise the price on my side by 10% higher than the price I negotiated for the first time. I can¡¯t go any higher, otherwise it will be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Little Zhao, don''t you understand what I mean? I am stopping the project." Lu Xu said, "It means that even if this piece of land rots in my hands, I will not sell it to you. It''s not the problem of you raising the price.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai couldn''t understand how things could become like this. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    When he mentioned this, Lu Xu felt a fire emerging from his heart.


    As President Jiang refused to let Lu Xu tell Zhao Zhanhuai why, Lu Xu had to cast his anger on the fact that he was bitten by his ungrateful son. ¡°Then you might as well go back and ask your sister what sort of tricks your sister used on my son that he dared to steal my bidding information. While my family has a prodigal son, your family does not seem to be doing much better either!¡±


    When Lu Xu said this, Zhao Zhanhuai completely regarded it as personal hatred.


    Lu Xu was angry that Zhao Yuan took advantage of Lu Ye, so he deliberately led him on?


    Zhao Zhanhuai''s face was pale when he returned to the company. He strode back to the office with big steps and slammed the door shut. The entire company''s employees had never seen the young CEO so angry!


    After the people in the four teams of the project learned the news, they were filled with outrage. More than a dozen people have been preparing for the project for three months without taking a break and it has all gone to waste!


    This piece of land was essential to the progress of this project.


    Originally, Zhao Zhanhuai was planning to buy it at the original price if it could not be bought at a lower price. He just had to spend a little more money.


    Later profits should be able to recover all costs.


    When Zhao Yuan said that she could help, Zhao Zhanhuai thought that she would at best ask her classmate Lu Ye to speak kindly of them to his father. However, he never expected that she would make Lu Ye steal the bidding information and threaten Lu Xu! So now Lu Xu was angry and had suspended the cooperation completely!


    Now the Lu company simply did not want to cooperate and won''t sell it anymore!


    This brought Zhao Zhanhuai''s company even greater backlash and loss! Now that the address is changed, at least half of the tens of millions paid in the previous period will be wasted!


    An entire project was ruined by a little girl.


    ¡°Absolute nonsense!¡± Zhao Zhanhuai threw the ripped contract in front of Zhao Yuan that night. ¡°Don''t get involved in my affairs in the future!¡±


    Zhao Yuan''s complexion was pale. ¡°I didn''t expect that things would turn out like this. Lu Ye clearly promised that it was okay, and Lu Ye''s dad was about to sign a contract with you before, right? It shows that Lu Ye and I had no intentions to do bad things! There must be another reason why things have turned out like this!¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to shirk responsibility?¡± Zhao Zhanhuai looked at Zhao Yuan''s eyes with an indescribable look of disappointment.


    This was the matter involving Zhao Zhanhuai''s company. The company lost tens of millions, so Mr and Mrs Zhao were naturally upset over this.


    However, Madam Zhao couldn''t bear Zhao Yuan being blamed by the whole family in this way, so she couldn''t help but say to Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°Forget it, the matter has reached this point, what else can we say?¡±


    "It is indeed useless to do anything now." Zhao Zhanhuai looked upset and shook his head. ¡°But in the future, Zhao Yuan, please don''t instigate the classmates in your class to do anything without my permission. I know all of your classmates come from wealthy backgrounds and some families may help our company¡ª but with your abilities, they will only throw me in a ditch as you did today!"


    "Also, Zhao Mingxi has left home, so you don''t need to do everything possible to compete with her anymore."


    As soon as he said this, it seemed to have been poked into her most secretive thoughts. Zhao Yuan''s body went stiff immediately. Her eyes were flushed red and her nails were pinched into her palms.


    Sitting on the sofa, she felt the scrutinizing gazes of Zhao Mo and Zhao Yuning. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles and she was flustered.


    Why on earth is this happening?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Zhao Yuan cried. ¡°I just wanted to help you, big brother.¡±


    However, perhaps only Mr Zhao, who didn¡¯t stay at home often, and Madam Zhao, who pitied Zhao Yuan, couldn¡¯t see it.


    The other three saw through her immediately.


    If it wasn¡¯t to attract the attention of their family members, Zhao Yuan would not deliberately try to help Zhao Zhanhuai with this project.


    In this regard, Zhao Yuning, Zhao Mo and Zhao Zhanhuai did not feel surprised.


    They only felt that the Zhao Yuan in front of them had become vaguely unknown to them.


    Zhao Yuan didn''t seem to be fighting with Zhao Mingxi for favor or anything in the past¡ª or did she, just that they didn''t find out?


    Or she didn''t have to fight for anything before, because everyone''s hearts were crooked and they were all leaning in her favor.


    This recognition made Zhao Mo frown.


    As for Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning, they couldn''t help but reflect on this.


    ray''s note: hello everyone. hope you''re all doing well. i''m going to cut to the chase - i am in need of financial assistance. a landslide has occured about a meter away from my home and it is going to strike my home soon. i am trying to save as much money as i can, in any way i can, so that we can leave our home and move some place new. no time to blame anyone, i need to get my family out. if you can provide assistance i would be extremely grateful. a video of the landslide can be found here.


    i apologize for being the bearer of such upsetting news. this story is, for me, an escape and a place of happiness. i would not have made such a plea here unless i had no choice. and for that, i sincerely apologize. updates for the story will go on as usual unless something unexpected happens. thank you all once again for your support so far.

 CH 40.2

    The atmosphere in the Zhao family had fallen below zero recently. Even the nanny was afraid to step out of the kitchen, for fear that she might be hit by the low pressure in the Zhao family.


    Now it was even more dead and heavy.


    Because of this incident, Zhao Zhanhuai''s company suffered serious losses. He had to go and save it, so he didn''t care about anything else and moved to an apartment near the company that night.


    Originally, Zhao Yuning was still living in the hotel, and Zhao Mo, who was a wanderer, was never home. Mr Zhao was also busy. In addition, Zhao Zhanhuai moved out of the Zhao family home. The Zhao family¡¯s villa suddenly went from past excitement to quiet desertion, like a lonely grave.


    Two months ago, even if Madam Zhao were to imagine with all her might, she would not have thought that the Zhao family would break apart like this.


    Rather than saying that the current situation was brought about by Zhao Mingxi''s departure from home, it was better to say that Zhao Yuan, who shouldn''t have possessed the surname Zhao, brought it upon them.


    Madam Zhao felt anxious when she thought that her own biological children were driven away by a girl who was not related to her by blood.


    This was how people were. Even though Madam Zhao tried her best to make herself forget about the ¡®not biological¡¯ part by treating Zhao Yuan as her own daughter, and even treated her better than her own daughter, but once conflicts and disagreements occur, it will still make Madam Zhao feel as if there¡¯s a spike in her throat.


    After Zhao Zhanhuai left home that day, Zhao Yuan cried for two hours under the blanket in her room.


    But this time, the Zhao family did not take turns to comfort her.


    ¡­


    What happened in the Zhao family didn''t even reach Mingxi''s ears.


    She packed her clothes and followed Fu Yangxi back to his home.


    Mingxi originally wanted to resolve the conflict as soon as possible as she thought that the estrangement could not stay overnight.


    But she never expected that the atmosphere at this moment would be so awkward...


    Sitting on the sofa with her school bag in her arms, she was seated far away from Fu Yangxi, blushing as they sat across each other.


    How could this be?


    Mingxi didn''t think so much when she poured the glass of water at the time. She just hoped that she would not be separated from Fu Yangxi immediately.


    If she knew this, she wouldn''t come to his house for the second time even if it killed her.


    ¡­


    Although there were two bathrooms in the duplex apartment, Fu Yangxi asked someone to transform the second floor into a billiard room and a projection room. In addition, the bathroom on the second floor had not been used for many years and could be cleaned out overnight. So it was equivalent to only one bathroom.


    This meant that two people would have to share one bathroom.


    It also meant that when a person takes a bath, the person outside will inevitably hear the sound of splashing water, smell the fragrant shower gel, and perceive the sound of water flowing through the body.


    In addition, when the two first came in, Fu Yangxi''s face was red, and he rushed to the balcony to collect a lot of clothes.


    The scattered clothes were also very large...


    If Mingxi were to wear one of his sweaters, it would reach her knees.


    Last time Mingxi was here, her attention was all on Fu Yangxi''s fever.


    And Fu Yangxi might have also cleaned up.


    This time, her visit was completely unexpected by the two of them. It also caused many things to be exposed.


    Shavers were scattered randomly on the coffee table.


    It''s all things that boys could use.


    This suddenly made Mingxi realize that even no matter how arrogant the temper, no matter how obnoxious was the way he spoke, the person in front of her was really a tall, handsome and energetic young man with a juvenile male hormone, rather than a Wifi hotspot that she had been habitually treating him as...


    Mingxi''s gaze fell again down to Fu Yangxi''s big slippers which were a few sizes bigger than hers. The feeling that she couldn''t scratch her legs due to the obstruction of her boots once again appeared in her heart.


    ¡°Maybe I should go back to school¡ª¡± Mingxi stood up.


    Before she finished speaking, Fu Yangxi quickly stood up. He tried his best to calm himself down. He was a head taller than Mingxi. He glared at Zhao Mingxi. ¡°Why do you have to go back?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only that small spot on the blanket.¡±


    "What do you mean small spot? Your blanket is soaked and it¡¯ll take two days for it to dry. What should you do when you go back? Where will you sleep?!¡±


    Mingxi suggested, ¡°Or I can stay in a hotel.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°You can stay here, I will go out to stay in the hotel tonight!¡±


    After that, Fu Yangxi added, ¡°Don''t think too much about this. I have always been righteous, if something like this happened to Ke Chengwen I will also keep him for two nights.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi couldn''t tell why she felt a sudden loss after hearing his analogy... She couldn''t let the owner go out and live by himself, so she hesitated and said, "Then- Then I think we should both just stay here tonight.¡±


    Fu Yangxi swallowed and gave a cold "yep". He appeared very reluctantly. ¡°Tsk, looks like this is all we can do.¡±


    Once this was over.


    The air fell into silence again.


    In order to break this weird atmosphere, Mingxi said, "You have a movie theater on the second floor, right? Would you like to watch a movie?"


    She didn''t know if it was her misperception, but she felt that the dark clouds covering Fu Yangxi''s head, which had been low in the past few days, seemed to have dispersed a little bit.


    Fu Yangxi stood up blankly and led her upstairs. ¡°Which movie to watch? You choose.¡±


    Mingxi answered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After a pause, Fu Yangxi put his hands in his pockets. Without turning his head back, he said coldly, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to eat together tomorrow.¡±


    "Not at noon." Mingxi said, "Tomorrow at noon, I¡¯ll have to accompany Dong Shen to buy some things like clothes and supplies since he transferred from another city."


    ¡°Dong Seng?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®shen¡¯ that means ¡®deep¡¯.¡± Mingxi knew that he couldn''t remember, so she quietly rolled her eyes behind him. ¡°I mentioned it last time.¡±


    After a pause, Mingxi hurriedly said, "Let¡¯s eat together tomorrow night."


    She also couldn''t describe her own thoughts at this time. In short, Fu Yangxi was acting weird these days, and he rarely offered an invitation to eat, so she didn''t want to refuse it. Moreover, although the two have spent a lot of time together, they have never eaten together before.


    She didn¡¯t know if she was overthinking this, but after she said this, the back of the person in front of her looked much more pleasant.


    ?


    Mingxi couldn''t understand Fu Yangxi''s thoughts. She suddenly climbed two steps quickly and jumped to the steps in front of him to look back at his expression.


    As a result, she saw Fu Yangxi''s face that said ¡®Although we can have a meal together, I am still thoroughly dead inside. Although I feel tired and not in love, a man does not shed his tears easily, so leave me alone.¡¯


    Fu Yangxi raised his head. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t look happy.


    Mingxi felt that while it was hard to guess what was on a boy¡¯s mind, Fu Yangxi''s mind was even harder to decipher.


    Before this, he was weird and Mingxi didn''t know what he was thinking about. Now Mingxi was beginning to figure out what he was thinking, but found that the difficulty was no less than doing a few sets of Mathematical Olympiad problems.


    Mingxi''s brain began to hurt. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    She figured that while she waited to watch the movie, she must ask Fu Yangxi what was going on these days, and where did she offend him.


    Fu Yangxi opened the door and the two entered the theater room.


    Mingxi was stunned.


    Is this the life of the rich? The apartment that one person lived in was almost as good as the villa of the Zhao family. The huge room was empty, with only a sofa missing. Behind the sofa was a row of shelves with books and DVDs piled up in a mess. On the opposite white wall is a whole projection screen.


    The projector was on, emitting a faint blue light.


    Fu Yangxi walked over. His profile was sharply defined, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and the blue light cast a shadow on his face.


    Mingxi looked at him, and then at his hand that was fiddling with the remote.


    The hand was pale and slender, and because of his pampered upbringing, it had no thin calluses. It ought to be dry and warm when held in the early winter.


    ¡­


    Mingxi¡¯s mind suddenly began to wander. She was unconsciously recalling the feeling of holding Fu Yangxi''s hand before the last monthly exam.


    But in fact, at that time, all the attention was on the buds of her flower pot.


    It was no different from the behavior of many students who would hold the hand of the statue of Einstein in school before an exam.


    She couldn¡¯t remember how it felt at all.


    Mingxi remembered the feeling of her hair being messed up by his hand again. The strength was not light at all, and it was even a little heavier, just like rubbing a rag.


    She didn''t care much at the time.


    But at this moment, she was inexplicably thinking of it.


    Why?


    Mingxi licked her dry lips subconsciously.


    "Have you watched this?"


    When he came back to his senses, Mingxi saw Fu Yangxi put up a science fiction film.


    ¡°I have.¡±


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°With who?¡±


    Mingxi''s gaze was still on Fu Yangxi''s well-defined face, and she subconsciously replied, ¡°When I first came to City A, I watched this together with Shen Liyao and Dong Shen. It was very touching. I cried."


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn''t expect to get such an answer at all.


    Fu Yangxi''s fingers gripping the DVD suddenly tightened.


    Fu Yangxi abruptly realized that Shen Liyao had known people around Zhao Mingxi a long time ago, and knew about Zhao Mingxi''s family earlier than he did.


    "Oh, is that so? Good." Fu Yangxi didn''t put on any expression, he merely slid the disc back, his brows and eyes gloomy in the cloud of blue light.


    ¡°Would you like to change the movie?¡± Mingxi was very comfortable with the situation. ¡°If you want to watch it, I can watch it again.¡±


    After a pause, Fu Yangxi said lightly, ¡°Is the movie good?¡±


    Mingxi recalled the plot and said, ¡°It''s about a little boy with artificial intelligence who went through an adventure in order to become a real child. It was very touching.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°You remember it quite clearly.¡±


    Mingxi thought he wanted to listen, so she began to introduce the movie, ¡°It was in a movie theater, it was dark all around, and the effect was very good. I still remember one part where¡­¡±


    However, before she could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi interrupted, ¡°I suddenly feel sleepy.¡±


    Mingxi: ?


    If he were to continue listening to her, Fu Yangxi couldn¡¯t guarantee that he wouldn''t find Shen Liyao and beat him up in the middle of the night. He knew that he shouldn''t have negative emotions because of such a thing, but he was still inevitably jealous.


    He was jealous that Shen Liyao and Little Mask had been set to marry since they were babies, and that he was a part of Little Mask¡¯s life in the past.


    He was more jealous of the fact that Shen Liyao was liked by Little Mask¡ª she really liked him, not the kind where he was overthinking on his own.


    Mingxi observed the mess of hair on his forehead. It was then that he lowered his eyes and suddenly turned downstairs.


    ¡°Are we not watching anything?¡± Mingxi hurriedly followed after him.


    She felt that Fu Yangxi¡¯s recent mood swings were like that of an irregular old uncle...


    ¡°Next time.¡±


    "You go take a shower, and then go to bed early." Fu Yangxi sent Mingxi to the front of the room.


    ¡­


    The moment Mingxi entered the room, Fu Yangxi almost blurted out his thoughts. So do you still like Shen Liyao?


    But he felt like a clown. He didn''t have the courage to ask, and he was more afraid of getting an answer that he didn''t want to hear.


    ray''s note: thank you so much for the kind words and support everyone. for now, the situation has been alerted to the higher ups, and work should begin next month to fix the slope. hopefully it''ll all be better soon!


    merry christmas everyone! it''s been a year since this story started. i''m so thankful for each and every one of you who has stuck through the story from beginning till the end. please continue to show your love for the story and stay tuned because there''s going to be a few exciting chapters ahead!

 CH 41.1

    Mingxi curled up in the blanket after taking a shower. She still couldn''t figure him out after thinking about it, and she wasn''t in the mood to review her school work either. She couldn''t help but send a WeChat message to He Yang: "Could it be that boys also get upset once every month?"


    He Yang: "What happened?"


    "Fu Yangxi and I were planning to watch a movie, but he suddenly said that he was sleepy and that we¡¯ll watch it another day."


    Mingxi typed quickly, wanting nothing but to tell He Yang what happened in the afternoon.


    "What''s going on? Does he hate me? Or is it that when he heard me say those things about Shen Liyao and Dong Shen, he felt that it was very boring and didn¡¯t want to listen anymore? But am I not trying to share my past group of friends with him after I got to understand his group of friends?!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he regrets taking me as a follower? He has been emphasizing that I shouldn¡¯t call him ¡®boss¡¯ recently..."


    The more Mingxi typed, the more indignant she became: ¡°How can he take back his words after accepting me as his follower?! If you don''t carry out your promises, are you even a man?!¡±


    He Yang replied with a voice message after a short delay: "This boy changes his mind in three minutes. This is not okay.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    He Yang: "By the way, I discovered something."


    Mingxi: ¡°What is it?¡±


    He Yang was typing for a long time, then she suddenly said: "Zhao Mingxi, have you noticed that the topic you have been talking about these days is always Fu Yangxi? It stands to reason that you have had a lot of contact with Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu after you changed classes, but you seem to have only mentioned Fu Yangxi to me the most."


    "Look through the chat history yourself."


    This line of text jumped out of the dialog box unexpectedly, and Mingxi was shocked for a moment.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡­


    She stared at this line of words blankly. Her heart was suddenly beating fast and her blood rushed to her scalp.


    That kind of feeling was hard to describe. It was like the sky¡¯s spirit cover was opened in an instant and lightning struck down, rendering consciousness and thinking completely blank for a moment.


    It was only after receiving such a reminder by He Yang that she realized that her attention had been on Fu Yangxi a lot recently?!


    The way she stared at him in class to the point where Mr Lu had to call her out on it.


    ...Today when she heard him say that even if it was Ke Chengwen''s blanket that was soaked, he would also provide him with a place to live. There was still a flash of disappointment in her heart¡ª but what was she disappointed for? How many years has he and Ke Chengwen known each other? How long has she known him? Isn''t this normal?!


    And that morning when she saw Fu Yangxi carrying breakfast to the ground floor of the dormitory. When she heard that he was just coming to fetch his coat which was worth tens of thousands of dollars, she was suddenly splashed with cold water¡ª why did she have that emotional change?!


    Mingxi sat up while being wrapped in a blanket. She stared at the phone dumbfoundedly, suddenly not knowing how to react.


    She just felt her mouth go dry.


    As to what He Yang sent her next, Mingxi didn''t even have the mind to listen. She was in a daze with her mobile phone in her hands.


    ¡­


    At the same time, Fu Yangxi was lying in bed, feeling like a child who did not receive any love. He stared up at the ceiling, having lost sleep again.


    He couldn''t sleep, and he didn''t dare to sleep.


    In the past, he tried to fall asleep with the mood of ¡®Little Mask likes me¡¯ and survived many nightmare filled nights.


    And now, Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t like him.


    The nightmares were back.


    Ke Chengwen created a group on WeChat and pulled Jiang Xiuqiu in. The two sent condolences to him.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°Xi ge, what are you doing? Did you use the candlelight dinner we taught you?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu: "...Remove the word ¡®we¡¯. Candlelight dinner? What kind of corny idea is this? Using this trick will only make Zhao Mingxi question Fu Yangxi¡¯s eye for aesthetics."


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°Xi ge, actually, just because Zhao Mingxi doesn''t like you now, it doesn''t necessarily mean that she won''t like you in the future! Life is so long, who can tell?! Jiang Xiuqiu, instead of dashing his hopes, you might as well find a way to make Zhao Mingxi like Xi ge!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu said: "Do you want to listen to my opinion? My opinion is that Zhao Mingxi likes Shen Liyao, and Fu Yangxi and Shen Liyao are completely different beings. The failure rate is very high."


    "It''s useless even if you dye your hair black. The difference in personality is too big."


    Fu Yangxi was lying on the bed with two rows of cold tears. From the bottom of his heart, he didn''t believe that Zhao Mingxi would like him. But seeing Jiang Xiuqiu''s words, he felt a sting in his heart.


    He stood up and scolded a paragraph of words.


    ¡°You, the one with the surname Jiang, is such a pessimist. I always knew that a dog can¡¯t spit out ivory from its mouth. You just have to force me to break my relationship with you! Today Zhao Mingxi took the initiative to ask me to watch a movie. :D"


    Jiang Xiuqiu: "You don''t listen to the words of the loyal. If you listened to my advice before to stabilize your mind and don''t be passionate so quickly, you won''t end up in such a situation right now. She asked you to watch a movie because she felt awkward when she went to your house. She probably wanted to relieve that awkward atmosphere. Why can''t you understand that experience is the mother of wisdom?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu is actually so f*cking accurate.


    Little Mask seemed to have only invited me to watch a movie to ease the awkwardness.


    Also, she and Shen Liyao saw the random movie I chose.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi''s heart was shattered into pieces. He lay back on the bed in the winter breeze.


    Later, Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu discussed some tricks, but Fu Yangxi didn''t look at it anymore. He turned his face sideways and looked out the window sleeplessly.


    Gradually, the dim light penetrated halfway through the curtains.


    Dawn had arrived.


    Fu Yangxi''s eyes became panda eyes.


    The hour hand pointed to five o''clock in the morning. The consequence of not falling asleep for even a moment was a throbbing head.


    Fu Yangxi got up, washed his face with cold water and went out to buy breakfast.


    ¡­


    When Mingxi got up at around 7am, she found several different breakfasts in the microwave.


    Fu Yangxi seemed to have gotten up and then went back to his room.


    Fu Yangxi was always in a bad mood in the morning. Even when he used to be in a good mood, all arrogant and triumphant, he would still sleep through the first two classes of school with a long face. This made people suspect that he was chased by a dog in a dream for a million meters.


    Mingxi thought that he should still be asleep at the moment, so she moved gently so as to not disturb him.


    She packed up her things, put on a black down jacket and planned to go out, but when she walked to the hallway, she glanced at the gray and black on her body. She figured that since she was going to see Aunt Dong today, it would be better to change to a brighter color¡ª Aunt Dong noted last time that she was always dressed in gray albeit her young age.


    Mingxi didn''t want the Dong family to feel that she wasn¡¯t doing well.


    After hesitating, she returned to the room and put on the other pink jacket that she had brought yesterday.


    Fu Yangxi absent-mindedly struggled up from the sofa in the room. Hearing the movement outside, he quickly raised his eyes and took a glance.


    Because the room¡¯s door was not closed, he could see Zhao Mingxi walking outside. Little Mask went out and came back. She changed into better-looking clothes, closed the door and went out.


    Fu Yangxi hesitated about how to go out to say hello, and then what reason would he use to ask her to come home early in the evening and have dinner together.


    Fu Yangxi thought bitterly, although the candle light dinner is a little corny, what if it''s useful?


    As a result, while he was thinking, he heard Zhao Mingxi''s gentle footsteps walking towards the door of his room.


    Some of the tangled problems in Fu Yangxi''s mind were immediately emptied and disconnected. He nervously pulled off the blanket and jumped onto the bed, before closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.


    ¡­


    Mingxi walked over cautiously when she saw that Fu Yangxi''s door was not completely closed.


    ¡°Young Master Fu?¡± She whispered and knocked gently on the door.


    No one responded.


    Mingxi noticed from the corner of the door that most of the dark green and white striped blanket on Fu Yangxi''s bed had fallen on the ground. She couldn''t help but walk in gently.


    Fu Yangxi was falling asleep with his back facing her. There was only a small piece of blanket on his body. He looked like he had gotten into his bed in a hurry. With a white short-sleeved T-shirt on his upper body, the boy''s sharp and firm arms were exposed.


    If he falls asleep without a blanket, his cold will recur tomorrow.


    Mingxi picked up the blanket on the ground and put in all her effort to pull it on him. Because she was afraid of waking him up, Mingxi moved extremely slowly. She pulled up halfway, then went around to the window to continue pulling.


    So her line of sight couldn''t help but fall on his face.


    Fu Yangxi closed his eyes tightly, his lips tightly pressed. She wondered if he was having a nightmare or something, for his eyelashes trembled violently. A bunch of short red hair curled up in front of his forehead.


    Mingxi pulled the blanket on him and stood still while staring at him for a while.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because he had not completely recovered from his cold, and did not drink a lot of water, but his tightly pressed lips showed some pale and cracked marks.


    When he fell asleep, his eyes were not fierce, and the small mole at the end of his right eye diminished his irritability a little, making him look a little more youthful and delicate.


    ...I have to admit that this arrogant prince is quite handsome.


    When she came back to her senses, Mingxi''s sight had already lingered between Fu Yangxi''s eyebrows and lips dozens of times!


    She was tense, and He Yang''s words last night burst into her mind.


    WeChat chat search history¡ª


    The three characters ¡®Fu Yangxi¡¯ appeared 1,096 times.


    There were more than a thousand! Mingxi was dumbfounded after searching a lot last night. She hadn''t realized it before!


    Mingxi swallowed. Her face started to heat up unconsciously.


    She seemed to have a guilty conscience, so she didn''t dare to look any more. She stepped back and left Fu Yangxi''s room quietly.


    ¡­


    Mingxi carried her school bag on her back, boiled water in the living room, left a post-it note saying "Remember to drink hot water", and hurried away.


    The room went quiet quickly.


    As Fu Yangxi was holding his breath, he was practically suffocating. He took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes.


    She didn''t like him yet she still covered him with a blanket!


    He didn''t let her call him ¡®Xi ge¡¯ or ¡®Boss¡¯, but when she really called him ¡®Young Master Fu¡¯ in good faith, he panicked again.


    ray''s note: happy new year everyone! may this new year be filled with joy, health, safety, prosperity and success for all of you £Ü(£ÞO£Þ)£¯


    you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story.

 CH 41.2

    Mingxi, Dong Hui and Dong Shen made an appointment to meet each other at the mall.


    After going abroad for two years, Dong Shen''s taste had improved a lot. He was no longer the same chubby boy before. He was now 1.78 meters tall, dressed in a very cool manner. He could even be called a handsome boy. Walking beside Mingxi, the two attracted a lot of attention together.


    Last time, Dong Hui mainly asked Mingxi about the situation in the past two years, but this time, Mingxi had the opportunity to have a good conversation with her young playmate Dong Shen.


    ¡°Mingxi jie, you¡¯ve really changed a lot. Of course, the change is not in your personality, but you have changed a lot on the outside.¡± Dong Shen blushed a little when he saw Mingxi. He was not good at expressing himself. What he wanted to say was that when Mingxi first came out of Tongcheng, she would be a little timid when she faced anything strange here, but now Mingxi was no longer like that. She had a courageous personality and would do whatever she thought of.


    Mingxi smiled and said, "You too. You¡¯ve become more handsome."


    In fact, they have all changed a lot. After two years of absence, such change was really shocking.


    Dong Shen asked again, ¡°Is your face completely healed?¡±


    The Dong family went abroad after Mingxi entered the Zhao family and Mingxi''s grandmother passed away.


    There was a scar on Mingxi''s face at the time and she wanted to hide it from them, but she couldn''t resist Dong Hui and her request to video call her, so the Dong family knew about it.


    Dong Hui even gave Mingxi a sum of money, but Mingxi did not accept it.


    "It''s completely healed." Mingxi touched her cheek subconsciously.


    If Dong Shen didn''t ask, she would have almost forgotten that her face was injured.


    All this was thanks to Fu Yangxi whose luck she freeloaded on.


    Mingxi glanced at her own young shoots again. Four small trees had grown and that was equivalent to 200 young shoots.


    Mingxi remembered that Fu Yangxi''s birthday was approaching, so she decided to prepare a gift for him.


    When she and Dong Shen were walking around the mall, whenever they saw some small things where the production date happened to be November 5th, they would buy them all, including baseball caps and other things. But Mingxi has no idea about what to give him. She just kept accumulating these items quietly, hoping that Fu Yangxi would feel that her gift was different. She also hoped that Fu Yangxi would be happier that day.


    "Oh, yes." Mingxi suddenly took out her mobile phone and showed Dong Shen the photo she took yesterday. When she went to the balcony to dry her clothes last night, she saw a white bottle falling out of Fu Yangxi''s school bag. She picked it up and casually took a photo of the French words on it and then stuffed it into Fu Yangxi''s school bag.


    ¡°Didn''t you just come back from France? You should understand what these words mean, right?¡±


    Dong Shen took the phone and looked at the photo for a while. Then, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand this. I can only distinguish a few words, such as treatment, usage, and chronic insomnia disorder. After all, I only use oral English and don¡¯t understand professional vocabulary. You should take it to a doctor and ask them.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t say ¡®vitamins¡¯?¡± Mingxi was stunned.


    Dong Shen said, ¡°Of course not, vitamin is another word.¡±


    It was then that Mingxi discovered that because Fu Yangxi once said "vitamins", she assumed that all the medicine Fu Yangxi took were vitamins.


    Insomnia?


    But why would he have insomnia?


    Mingxi saw him lying lazily on the table, sleeping every day in class, so she always thought that he slept better than ordinary people.


    Mingxi suddenly remembered the bruises and glass scratches that had appeared inexplicably on Fu Yangxi several times, and her eyelids suddenly twitched.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Dong Shen asked.


    "Nothing." Mingxi came back to her senses and put away the photos. She planned to find a chance to take another photo of one of Fu Yangxi¡¯s medicines, and then go to a doctor in a hospital to inquire about them.


    Because she was interrupted by this incident, Mingxi lost her mood to go shopping.


    She just wanted to go back to Fu Yangxi''s house quickly.


    Mingxi and Dong Shen accompanied Dong Hui on her shopping spree. Meanwhile, Madam Zhao was accompanied by her friends from her social circle as they bought some bags and relaxed.


    Madam Zhao did not expect to meet Dong Hui and Mingxi coming down the escalator here.


    ¡°...¡±


    She was taken aback for a moment. She subconsciously took a step there, but the escalator she was on was going up, so she could only turn her head and watched Zhao Mingxi, Dong Hui and Dong Shen leave.


    When her friend saw the odd look on her face, they followed her gaze and saw Zhao Mingxi and the people around her. They couldn¡¯t help but say to Madam Zhao, ¡°Isn¡¯t that your child? Who is next to her, your relatives? Why is she shopping with another family?¡±


    Madam Zhao felt anxious. She didn''t know what to say for a while.


    Her gaze fell on Zhao Mingxi''s hand holding Dong Hui¡ª Zhao Mingxi used to hold her hand when she went out shopping with her.


    Now that Mingxi has left, no one will go shopping with her.


    At this moment, Madam Zhao''s heart was no longer filled with just regret. A feeling of jealousy towards Dong Hui had also emerged. Why did she lose her biological daughter, yet Dong Hui could get along with Mingxi so well?


    "It''s a relative of my family." Madam Zhao replied. But she could only say that, otherwise, the news of Zhao Mingxi''s break with them would be spread out tomorrow.


    "I think your Mingxi is kind to your relative." The friend beside her curled their lips into a smile and said, ¡°She is helping them choose some new clothes, how patient. My daughter would never be so patient with me."


    The two turned their heads and saw Mingxi walking into a branded store with Dong Hui. She picked up a piece of clothing at the entrance of the store and made gestures to Dong Hui.


    Madam Zhao only felt that her heart was getting overwhelmed. She wanted her to stop talking, but she was still mumbling about it, "I like your Mingxi. She looks beautiful. Let her come out and go shopping with us next time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Madam Zhao''s lips were pale. She smiled, but her smile was filled with reluctance. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take her out next time.¡±


    When Zhao Mingxi''s figure was about to disappear from their field of vision, Madam Zhao only felt anxious, and a tingling sensation of losing something.


    This cannot go on.


    She thought.


    I must find a way to slowly pull Mingxi back.


    She was expecting Mingxi to change her mind gradually and finally come home. But seeing her living so happily outside now, she seems to have regarded Dong Hui as a relative. On the contrary, it didn¡¯t matter whether she wanted to be with her real family or not.


    If they don¡¯t come up with something, Madam Zhao is afraid that she will lose Zhao Mingxi forever.


    She gritted her teeth and sent a text message to Zhao Zhanhuai: "Is there any way you can go and tell Mingxi''s school to let them take back Mingxi¡¯s right to live in school?"


    *


    After Mingxi left home, Fu Yangxi went to take a shower, took the key and went out.


    10 minutes later, he walked into a familiar private barber shop. As soon as he walked in, the designer quickly emptied the place and escorted him to the third floor.


    ¡°Young Master Fu, do you want to cut it short? A shorter cut will make you look more energetic.¡±


    In the mirror, Fu Yangxi had red arrogant short hair, but his mood was obviously a little low today. He was not as lazy and sloppy as before, but was cold and tired, barely opening his eyelids.


    The designer could only see Fu Yangxi¡¯s lowered eyes. He was unable to guess what he was thinking.


    After a while, he raised his eyes and said, "Dye it black."


    "Dye it black?" The designer was stunned. ¡°You never thought of dyeing it black before."


    Dark hair, dark eyebrows and cold pale skin, just like Fu Zhihong.


    Yu Jiarong would not accept it, nor would Grandpa.


    But Zhao Mingxi obviously liked this type of guy.


    Fu Yangxi very much hoped to return to the previous dream of self-deception.


    He said impatiently, ¡°Enough with the nonsense, just dye it black."


    After sitting in the barber shop for two hours, his body felt like it was going to fall apart.


    ¡°4,500.¡±


    Fu Yangxi stood up, took out his mobile phone from his pocket and scanned the code to pay.


    When he went downstairs, the employees in the store couldn''t help but stare at Young Master Fu.


    Hair color has too much of an influence on a person''s temperament.


    Before, Young Master Fu had short red hedgehog-like spiky hair. He practically placed the arrogance and scariness on his face, making people want to run as soon as they saw him. It almost made people ignore his handsome and charming appearance.


    But at this time, his pitch-black short hair, clean and tall, was a little bit less violent and uninhibited at a glance. It was a little bit more crisp and indifferent, proud and young.


    When he turned to scan the code, the neck at the collar of his coat was strong, revealing young and powerful lines.


    Several people in the shop were dumbfounded as they looked at him.


    "What are you looking at?" Fu Yangxi came back to his senses. Seeing these people staring at him, he glared back anxiously. ¡°If you look some more, your eyeballs might fall off.¡±


    The people in the shop hurriedly looked away. Young Master Fu was still Young Master Fu. Even if he changed a hairstyle it did not mean that he changed his temper.


    Fu Yangxi touched his new hairstyle in an unfamiliar manner and walked out of the barber shop.


    He took a selfie with a stinky face and sent it to the group.


    Sure enough, Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu started making noise again.


    The three of them got in a video call.


    Jiang Xiuqiu: "???? I just talked about it last night, yet you actually went ahead and did it? Young Master Fu, you are really doing everything to get her attention.¡±


    Fu Yangxi suddenly jumped into a rage: "Are you f*cking with me? What do you mean you ¡®just talked about it¡¯? Didn''t you say that Zhao Mingxi likes this type?!"


    Ke Chengwen hurriedly tried to smooth things over, ¡°Okay, Xi ge, hurry up and buy candles and steak¡ª¡±


    After thinking about it, Ke Chengwen said again, ¡°I think Zhao Mingxi''s still prefers the more learned type. Xi ge, it might be difficult for you to pretend to be studious."


    Fu Yangxi became anxious and said angrily, ¡°Can you explain to me what is meant by ''difficult for you to pretend to be studious¡¯? If you don''t explain it clearly, your dog life will be gone tonight. I am studious, understood?"


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu replied, "I can vouch for Fu Yangxi on this."


    Fu Yangxi urged with a long face, ¡°What else? Don''t hide your ideas, send them all at once."


    Ke Chengwen retracted his neck and said, "Also, do you want to buy a few Olympiad Mathematics books and a few gold medals and place them at your home? Then during the candle light dinner tonight, when Zhao Mingxi asks who your idol is, you must speak of Einstein, remember, Einstein! The most inspirational moment is when the apple falls¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°That¡¯s Newton!¡±


    Ke Chengwen scratched his head and said, "In short, in addition to developing toward her type, you have to be romantic. Then, you can beat Shen Liyao."


    When Fu Yangxi heard the name Shen Liyao, there was a surge of dark clouds above his head. Seeing that he would be furious in the next second, Ke Chengwen quickly said, ¡°Zhao Mingxi likes the quiet and cold type, Xi ge, stop talking!"


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi swallowed the swear word at the tip of his tongue.


    "See you in the next life." He cut off the video directly and found a place to buy materials for dinner.


    When he had that red hedgehog-like hair before, he looked arrogant and domineering, and no one dared to look at him directly on the street.


    Now that he dyed his hair black, there were many girls staring at him as he walked down the street.


    Fu Yangxi''s fists were itchy. With a glare that said, "Want to fight?", he stared back at them.


    Finally, he scared away the people who were staring at him.


    Fu Yangxi''s face was dark. He tried his best to endure the discomfort caused by his black hair.


    He glanced at the time. Little Mask should be having lunch with Dong Hui and her family.


    Maybe he could buy some things first, and then pick her up at the place she is having her meal.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi held secret expectations in his heart. Perhaps he thought that after Little Mask sees his black hair, something similar to ¡®like¡¯ would appear in her eyes.


    Thus, he couldn¡¯t wait to see her.


    Although they could see each other tonight, he wanted to see her now.


    Just like a child eager to offer treasures.


    Fu Yangxi came out from the first floor of the mall carrying candles and steaks in white environmentally friendly bags. Then, he drove to the place where Mingxi told him she was going to eat last night.


    He arrived quickly.


    There was only one place to eat here and the whole building was covered by glass windows.


    Fu Yangxi quickly saw Zhao Mingxi who was eating in a western restaurant from across the street, and the people opposite her.

 CH 42

    Fu Yangxi paused in his footsteps.


    Sitting across from Zhao Mingxi was Shen Liyao.


    The western restaurant was exquisite. The street was not wide, so even the cups on the table could be clearly seen across four lanes.


    A fragrant incense was burnt at the side of the table near the glass window.


    On the other side, there was a young sommelier in a tuxedo playing the violin. Even if he couldn¡¯t hear what the tune was, but seeing the expression of the sommelier indulging in it, he knew that it should be a romantic tune.


    Fu Yangxi stared at that scene and did not respond for five minutes.


    He forgot the look on his face, and his brain was as if it had gone rusty.


    ¡­Is this a date?


    Fu Yangxi moved his eyes, and his gaze fell on the pink outfit Zhao Mingxi put on specially this morning.


    ¡­


    Zhao Mingxi was feeling a little upset at the moment. She poked at the steak that was just served with a fork and said to Shen Liyao who was sitting opposite her, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect busy people like you to come out and shop in the mall. Just now, when Aunt Dong asked you over for dinner, why didn''t you refuse?¡±


    Shen Liyao slowly cut the steak in a nonchalant manner.


    Of course he wouldn''t say that he specifically called Dong Hui to ask Zhao Mingxi out for dinner.


    Although Dong Hui rejected the Zhao family because she felt that the Zhao family had treated Zhao Mingxi badly, she treated Shen Liyao with the look of a son-in-law.


    Two years ago, when she heard that the Zhao family and the Shen family had promised for their children to be wed, she was happy for Zhao Mingxi. Before leaving, she told Shen Liyao to take good care of Zhao Mingxi.


    Shen Liyao did not disappoint Dong Hui.


    Although he later found Zhao Mingxi annoying, he did help Zhao Mingxi many times.


    In fact, the reason why Zhao Mingxi fell in love with him was probably because of that heavy rain. Zhao Yuan and Zhao Yuning forgot about her and left her at the mall. She lost her way, had no umbrella, no battery on her phone and no money to take a taxi. It was he who escorted her home.


    But now, whenever Zhao Mingxi saw Shen Liyao she would be like an embarrassed rabbit whereby she would turn and run.


    Shen Liyao had no choice but to think of other ways to spend more time with her.


    Shen Liyao said, "Aunt Dong is an elder, so I can''t possibly refuse her invitation. It¡¯s you who just turned around and walked away."


    With these words, Shen Liyao started to add some force into his steak cutting actions. He said, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, we have known each other for at least two years already. Are you now unwilling to even eat at the same table with me as a friend?"


    "Shen Liyao, don''t you feel awkward?!" Mingxi couldn''t help but say, ¡°You don''t like me, and I don''t like you anymore. The best thing for us is not to meet. Even if we meet on the street, we should pretend not to know each other. It''s so awkward to have to eat together that I can practically feel my toes bursting out of the room!¡±


    Mingxi was distraught as she spoke. She was about to cut the steak to smush.


    She also wanted to go back as soon as possible to find out what medicine Fu Yangxi was taking.


    But now, she was interrupted by Shen Liyao. Shen Liyao proposed this western restaurant that had a long waiting time. Aunt Dong immediately agreed so that there was more time for them to converse.


    She didn''t want to sit here and eat with Shen Liyao.


    When Shen Liyao heard her words, an unfamiliar anxiety appeared in his heart.


    Just as he was about to say something, Dong Hui and Dong Shen came back from the bathroom. They each took a side at the opposite ends of the table.


    Shen Liyao glanced at Zhao Mingxi and closed his mouth.


    Dong Hui also noticed that the atmosphere between these two younglings was not quite right. She quickly broke the tension and scooped a bowl of corn soup for each of them.


    "Why are you guys acting so awkward?" Dong Hui smiled. ¡°Little Shen, I''m going to have to lecture you on this. Don''t be too prideful. You obviously like Mingxi, right? Our Mingxi is so smart and beautiful. If she runs away, you won¡¯t even have a place to cry.¡±


    Mingxi was simply powerless to refute.


    She was now like someone who was forcibly pulled by her elders to attend a blind date.


    She reluctantly thought, Shen Liyao doesn¡¯t even like me. In the past two years, it was because of Aunt Dong''s request that he helped me, and with a cold face at that.


    Besides, even if Shen Liyao liked her now, her enthusiasm had long since passed.


    Unexpectedly, Shen Liyao was silent for two seconds before he said, "Yes."


    Mingxi almost spit out a mouthful of soup.


    She raised her head suddenly.


    What the hell???


    What does he mean by ¡®yes¡¯?


    Shen Liyao raised his head. He fixed his eyes on her. There was a myriad of emotions behind them.


    Mingxi looked at Dong Hui with a shocked expression. She felt as if she was practically sitting on pins and needles. She immediately picked up her school bag and wanted to run away.


    Dong Hui pushed her to sit down. She thought she was embarrassed.


    In Dong Hui''s eyes, Shen Liyao was a child with both good character and great academic performance. Although his personality is a bit cold and it made people feel uncomfortable, she also understood that geniuses were generally a little weird. He had an absolutely promising future.


    Regardless of whether Mingxi was suitable for him or not, he was definitely the best young man that could be found in this area.


    The Zhao family was not good at anything. The only good thing they had was this promise with the Shen family.


    Dong Hui admired him and wanted to find a better other half for Zhao Mingxi, So after her return, she wanted to match the two together.


    But she didn''t expect Shen Liyao to find her first before she started the matchmaking.


    This shows that Shen Liyao cares about Mingxi.


    Isn''t it up to Mingxi now?


    Dong Hui also remembered that Mingxi liked Shen Liyao, so why were they acting so awkward now?


    "It''s your senior year of high school so of course, I don''t support you guys to date, but you two can do so once you get to college. When you reach Uncle Dong and I¡¯s age, you will know how important your youth is. Time cannot be wasted on unnecessary awkwardness. Come on, can¡¯t the two of you talk it out?"


    Mingxi had a headache. ¡°Aunt Dong, it''s not what you think¡ª¡±


    Shen Liyao interrupted Zhao Mingxi, ¡°I understand, Aunt Dong.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Dong Hui said, ¡°That''s more like it. You guys match well with each other.¡±


    "Mingxi used to talk about you in her video calls with us. Since you also like her now, what else can be of hindrance?"


    Turns out, the violin was playing "Serenade". It was mixed with the noise of the traffic on the street, and pierced into the ears of the listeners.


    The air was filled with the dryness of dust and the tide after the rainstorm.


    A tall black figure stood at the door of the western restaurant and heard Dong Hui''s words clearly.


    So to some extent, Little Mask and Shen Liyao have met each other¡¯s parents.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s fingers where the heavy bag of steak hung were clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned white.


    His brain buzzed. He only felt like a fool, as if he had abruptly inserted himself into this world.


    His steak could not be compared to the steak on the table. He came later, and the candles and scents were also not elegant enough.


    His short black hair was reflected from the glass window. He looked like a shoddy clown.


    Fu Yangxi did not move.


    Not far away, Dong Hui felt a gaze and looked up. She saw a handsome and tall boy with pale face and dark eyes staring at them.


    Dong Hui looked at him in wonder. In the next second, she saw that boy disappear in the doorway.


    ¡­


    After Mingxi had dealt with Dong Hui and Shen Liyao, she vowed in her heart that in the future, she must confirm the attendees for this kind of meal before agreeing.


    Although she could understand Aunt Dong''s feelings as an elder, she still felt completely depressed after this meal.


    She hurriedly found an excuse to leave after eating.


    On the way home, she sent a WeChat message to Shen Liyao, telling him that she would go to Aunt Dong and make it clear that they had no relationship with each other since a long time ago. Mingxi didn¡¯t care what Shen Liyao replied. She pulled him into her list of blocked contacts.


    Aunt Dong happily matched her with Shen Liyao. She wanted to explain to Aunt Dong and she had to think carefully about the wording.


    Mingxi only felt a headache coming on.


    She returned to Fu Yangxi with her school bag and rang the doorbell, but no one responded for five minutes.


    ¡ªIs he not home?


    Mingxi turned on her phone and realized that Fu Yangxi had sent her a WeChat message half an hour ago.


    "The password to open the door is 102488. You can go in directly and stay as long as you like."


    Mingxi asked: ¡°What about you?¡±


    A long time passed.


    "I have something to do, so I¡¯m going back to my old house."


    Mingxi suddenly remembered the bruise on his wrist after Fu Yangxi returned to his old house last time.


    Her eyelids twitched hastily again. She quickly asked: ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    Fu Yangxi did not reply anymore.

 CH 43.1

    Fu Yangxi didn¡¯t come back. Mingxi spent the night alone.


    After turning off the lights, the whole room suddenly felt empty. Only a light blue lamp was left in the hallway, emitting a faintly shining light. Most of the other places were kept in darkness.


    The 200 square meter apartment was originally big, and since it was without much furniture, it looked empty.


    But now there was not even a sound, so it was completely deserted and silent, with a boundless feeling of bone-chilling cold.


    This was different from what Mingxi thought.


    She thought that the place where Fu Yangxi lived, considering his flamboyant and wanton personality, must be very lively, with a lot of noises and the love of his parents and friends.


    But this was not the case.


    Mingxi discovered that she knew very little about Fu Yangxi.


    She stayed in the apartment by herself. As her heart was troubled, she did not fall asleep at night.


    Mingxi couldn''t help but to get up and go to the bar to pour a glass of water.


    Although the owner was away and it would be a bad idea to explore this apartment alone, Mingxi couldn''t help but look around.


    She felt an itch in her heart. She was very curious about what movies Fu Yangxi would usually watch, so she went to the second floor and browsed through the vinyl and movies in the theater room. There were mostly niche science fiction films in the collection, and there were some covers in purely foreign languages, so she couldn¡¯t distinguish what kind of genres they were.


    What was surprising was that although Young Master Fu was as sharp as a blazing sun, he was not a messy person. The movies were all numbered.


    Mingxi took a photo of these movie catalogs. She planned to choose the ones he hadn''t seen when the two of them watched movies in the future.


    Next, Mingxi, with her pajamas, went to another room on the second floor to take a look.


    On the table lay the sweeping robot that was disassembled and half repaired. The gray and black parts were placed there casually. Mingxi subconsciously wanted to go over and take a look, but her upbringing made her feel that it was not good to touch other people''s things at will. So she just looked at it from afar for a while.


    After walking around the apartment, all the places gave Mingxi the feeling of only two words:


    Vast and empty.


    After so long, it was already past midnight.


    It was late at night.


    Mingxi quickly went downstairs to her room.


    She looked at the ceiling and couldn''t sleep, tossing and turning constantly. She couldn''t help but to turn over the chat dialog with He Yang and stare at the 1,096 chat records with ¡®Fu Yangxi¡¯ in a daze.


    The feeling of an unfamiliar itch reappeared in her heart.


    What a mess. When Mingxi came back to her senses, she had already started searching on Baidu¡ª How to judge whether I like someone or not.


    Mingxi was startled and wanted to withdraw from the page on instinct. However, she licked her dry lips and still couldn''t help but glance over the page with a stiff posture.


    The first result was impressively: ¡®When you can''t help but understand the other person''s preferences.¡¯


    Mingxi glanced at the photo she had taken of the movies and was immediately shocked.


    She covered her face, buried her head in the pillow and took a few deep breaths.


    After a while, after being mentally prepared.


    Mingxi continued to scroll down.


    The second one was: ¡®When you can''t help but stare at the other person and think that the other person looks good.¡¯


    Mingxi''s blood had flown to her scalp, and her face became hot for some reason.


    The third one was: ¡®You can¡¯t sleep because of the other person and worry about the other person.¡¯


    That was Mingxi''s last straw.


    She threw the phone aside and faced the ceiling. Then, she raised her legs and did a few kicks and cycling motions, trying to forget what she had just seen.


    But Pandora''s Box had been opened, and some things were uncontrollable.


    After a while, Mingxi was still scratching her head and cheeks. She couldn''t help but get up, grabbed the phone, swallowed her saliva and continued to look down.


    She looked down one by one.


    Then.


    She found that she could relate to almost all of them.


    Mingxi scrolled down to the last one. The last one was: ¡®When you start to doubt whether you like the other person, open this test because of this and satisfy them one by one, then there is no need to doubt, the answer is ¡®yes¡¯.¡¯


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    ???


    Mingxi couldn''t sleep at all now.


    She lost all sense of tiredness.


    One sheep.


    Two sheep.


    Three Fu Yangxi.


    ¡­


    Mingxi''s heart was pounding as she lay on the bed. In the end, she didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep all night.


    Mingxi has always been a good sleeper. This was the first time that sleep had eluded her in so long.


    The sky was turning white, and the Zhao Mingxi today continued to lie on the bed like a salted fish with her eyes open, very apathetic.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Mingxi thought that Fu Yangxi would come back the next day. Because she couldn''t sleep, she got up early and started cleaning. She pulled the sofa to the floor-to-ceiling window, unloaded the curtains and threw it in the washing machine. After the washing was done, she dried the curtains and used all her effort to hang it up again.


    She was so busy that she was sweating all over. Just like that, the whole morning passed.


    During the cleaning, Mingxi found Fu Yangxi''s broken phone case.


    She couldn''t help but search through Taobao and ordered herself a phone case that was exactly the same as the original one.


    Fu Yangxi did not come back at noon.


    In the afternoon, Mingxi searched the Internet for a bunch of answers on ¡®How to stop my elders from matchmaking me with someone I don¡¯t like¡¯. Then, she racked her brains to organize the words, deleted and edited it, before sending it to Aunt Dong. She wanted to clear things up about what happened at the western restaurant.


    Next, she went to Professor Gao as usual to accompany his grandson and study.


    When she came back at about eight o''clock in the evening and put in the password, for some reason, she was expecting to see Fu Yangxi sitting on the sofa, playing games.


    But when she opened the door, everything on the bar was intact, the same as when she left.


    Fu Yangxi still didn''t return.


    *


    On Monday, Mingxi went to school in the cold wind. The seat beside her was still empty until the second period. It was just as it was when she left with Fu Yangxi last weekend.


    She couldn''t help turning her head to find out some news from Ke Chengwen in between classes.


    However, Ke Chengwen was also confused. He held the basketball and said. ¡°I don''t know. Xi ge used to skip school all the time. The dean and Mr Lu are used to it. The fact that he attended classes every day last month was actually really surprising.¡±


    "And if you don''t know why he didn''t come, how would we know? Didn''t you go to his house this weekend?"


    Speaking of which, Ke Chengwen couldn''t help but speak with envy, ¡°Although I know Xi ge¡¯s address, I¡¯ve never even gone through the door of his apartment before. How is it? How big is it? How is the life of a rich person living alone?"


    Mingxi was too shy to tell Ke Chengwen that she not only went through the door, she also knew the password to open the door.


    Because Fu Yangxi did not reply to the message, Mingxi was really upset. So she couldn''t help but ask Jiang Xiuqiu in the afternoon, ¡°Did something happen with his family? He hurried back on Saturday.¡±


    While receiving another love letter, Jiang Xiuqiu took the time to raise his peachy eyes and glanced at Mingxi. Then, he said, ¡°Don''t worry about him, Little Mask. It shouldn''t be anything bad. He has a cousin who returned to China not long ago and wants to transfer to our school. He may have gone back because of this.¡±


    Ke Chengwen couldn''t help but defend Fu Yangxi, ¡°Xi ge said no one is allowed to call¡ª¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s not here, isn¡¯t he? So he can¡¯t stop me.¡±


    The two of them went off arguing. Mingxi returned to her seat and continued to write her homework thoughtfully.


    Jiang Xiuqiu and Fu Yangxi have known each other for the longest time. If he says it''s nothing, then there shouldn¡¯t be anything serious.


    Perhaps I was over-concerned.


    Mingxi was somewhat relieved.


    On the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Mingxi moved out of his house and returned to the school dormitory.


    Fu Yangxi never came.


    Except her, all the students in the class were obviously used to it.


    Only then did Mingxi understand what Ke Chengwen meant when he said that Fu Yangxi had a lackluster attitude.


    No wonder he didn''t remember the names of the homeroom teacher and classmates.


    With the rate of his attendance, it would be surprising for him to remember anyone''s name!


    For three whole days, none of the young seedlings in Mingxi¡¯s flower pot grew. She tried her best to make herself less disappointed, but some uncontrollable emotions broke out in her heart, unable to restrain its growth.


    For example, Article 5 of ¡®How to Determine Whether I Like a Person¡¯¡ª When you miss that person.


    Mingxi bit her lip as she sorted out the papers that had been placed on Fu Yangxi''s desk these days. She stuffed them into the drawer of his desk. The training camp was about to begin. The final day of the training camp was the preliminary round, so Mingxi didn''t have time to think about anything else. She began to devote herself to practicing numerous sample questions.


    In the second period on Thursday afternoon, Mingxi sorted out her homework and sent it to the office. When she walked towards the office, she saw a tall figure coming out of the dean''s office at the end of the corridor and went downstairs in a flash. The figure looked very much like Fu Yangxi, but not so much¡ª his short hair was pitch black.


    Mingxi subconsciously crossed through the crowd in the corridor and hurriedly chased after him, but the other party had already come downstairs quickly. In the end, not even a corner of his shirt could be seen clearly.


    The class bell rang in the academic building. Mingxi was stopped by Mr Lu, so she had no choice but to turn her head and enter the office.


    The cold current hit more and more violently. The last leaf in the school turned yellow and withered in the blink of an eye.


    There was heavy rain the next day.


    There was stagnant water everywhere in the school.


    Mingxi put on a thick coat, a scarf, tied her hair into a bun and packed her luggage. She packed a Tournament question book and a large stack of draft paper in her school bag. Then, she went to camp with 20 other people. A group of people came to the school gate in the cold wind, waiting for the school''s rented bus. The cold air condensed into white snow.


    Shen Liyao paused when he saw her. He walked towards her on his own initiative.


    Mingxi was holding tightly onto the white phone case with a small mask painted on the back. She turned to look inside the school, wanting to see if Fu Yangxi was here today. After looking back, she found that Shen Liyao was standing beside her with a black suitcase. She frowned and moved a few places to the right.


    Amidst the cold wind, Shen Liyao''s face changed.


    The other 19 people who participated in the training camp were a little surprised when they saw this scene.


    The first surprise was that God Yao would take the initiative to stand beside Zhao Mingxi. The second surprise was that Zhao Mingxi refused to stand beside him, as if she did not want to stay with him.


    ¡ªBut this is Shen Liyao!


    Six people from the Evergreen Class came, including Zhao Yuan and Pu Shuang. Three from the International Class came. Besides Zhao Mingxi, there were two students specializing in English. The remaining 12 places were all taken by the Gold Medal Class. In addition to the five from the School Representative Team, there were also seven people who were all from the Gold Medal Class.


    Mingxi counted. There are a total of seven girls. When the time comes, I wonder how they''re going to allocate us in the hotel.


    While she was thinking about this, Pu Shuang couldn''t help but whisper to Zhao Yuan, ¡°They won''t put us and Zhao Mingxi together in the hotel, would they?¡±


    Zhao Yuan didn''t say a word.


    Ever since the incident with Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s company, she lost a lot of weight and did not look very good.


    She quietly turned her head to look at Zhao Mingxi. She saw Zhao Mingxi standing alone against the cold wind at the end. Her white earlobes were becoming more and more pale from the cold. She had tied her hair up in a bun, revealing a slender swan-like neck. Several boys couldn''t help but look at her.


    Zhao Yuan clenched her fingers involuntarily and squeezed the suitcase tightly.


    Doing more was a wrong move. Now, everyone in the family feels like I am competing with Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡ª¡ªZhao Mingxi only did well in that one exam. Maybe she was just lucky. Otherwise, why were her grades so bad before?


    Zhao Yuan decided to do nothing first. She will wait for the results of the Tournament 10 days later to get rid of Zhao Mingxi completely.


    In this group, except for Zhao Mingxi, the others were all veteran contestants.


    They have participated in training camps year after year.


    Zhao Mingxi was the only one who was suddenly squeezed in this year because of the spot given by Professor Gao.


    20 people thus became 21 people.


    It was conceivable that when a strange face suddenly appeared in a small circle, they would inevitably be excluded and questioned.


    Zhao Mingxi''s monthly test scores were good, but she was fortunate enough to get a chance to be ahead of others. Isn''t it a bit unfair?


    The crowd became clear about this fact quickly. So Zhao Mingxi was left alone.


    Even the two people from the International Class were left out and stood in the corner.


    Shen Liyao and the people on the School Representative Team wanted to be with her and help her blend in, but she walked away on her own.


    Mingxi didn''t care about this at all. The bus drove up and she was the last one to quietly get into the car with her luggage.


    ray''s note: you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story.

 CH 43.2

    The training camp was in a hotel near a university. On the first day, Mr. Jiang hurriedly arranged and allocated the students to their rooms. Then, he started counting the number of people and issued the test papers.


    The rhythm suddenly sped up.


    Mingxi didn''t have time to think about other things. She spent all her time practicing questions until 11 o''clock in the evening.


    A group of people with the highest intelligence quotient gathered together, so the atmosphere obviously changed. When discussing theories, it was not an exaggeration to say that there was invisible gunpowder in the air.


    Meals were also rushed, taking only around 10 minutes to finish.


    Mingxi liked this pure atmosphere very much, save for the incident when she had to go out and buy some food to supplement her energy the next afternoon and found that her pencil case, test papers and school bag were all thrown into the trash can when he came back.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi endured it for two seconds, resisting the sudden throb of the veins on her temple. She calmly walked over and picked up her school bag¡ª the one that Fu Yangxi gave her, from the red trash can.


    There would inevitably be some unfinished milk, discarded banana peels and spicy strips in the trash can.


    The test papers and pencil case were deliberately turned out of the school bag and thrown in. They were useless now as they were all stained with oil. Only the bottom of the school bag was stained with sewage, but it was dripping with dirty water.


    Mingxi''s mood exploded in an instant.


    Holding her school bag with two fingers, she coldly glanced at the training classroom, ¡°Who did it?¡±


    There were only a few people in the classroom. Shen Liyao and his group went to the neighboring university to play basketball. At the moment there were only five girls and three boys in the classroom.


    Mingxi instantly looked at Zhao Yuan. Zhao Yuan stood up subconsciously. She hurriedly walked over and handed her a tissue, ¡°Mingxi, wipe it quickly. Maybe it can still be used.¡±


    Not Zhao Yuan. Mingxi estimated that Zhao Yuan would not use such inferior methods.


    Besides, Zhao Yuan was not there when she went out just now.


    Carrying the school bag dripping with dirty water, she strode across the class and asked the other people in the classroom one by one, ¡°Was it you? Or you?¡±


    "No, no." The three boys were shocked.


    They never expected her attitude to be so tough. Two girls panicked instantly.


    Mingxi walked up to Pu Shuang and another girl from the Evergreen Class angrily, ¡°Was it you two?¡±


    The oil dripping from the school bag dripped on Pu Shuang''s knees. Pu Shuang stood up angrily and dusted her pants, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, be careful. Do you know how much my pants cost?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s you.¡±


    The moment Mingxi exposed Pu Shuang, she picked up the school bag from her desk drawer, pulled open the zipper, walked to the trash can and turned the bag upside down.


    Pen bags, notebooks, laptops and other things crashed into the trash can and made a dozen sounds.


    The whole classroom was silent.


    Everyone dared not breathe.


    Pu Shuang was dumbfounded. After she came back to her senses, she screamed and rushed to grab her bag. ¡°Zhao Mingxi!¡±


    Mingxi threw her school bag in right before her eyes.


    ¡°Were you involved as well?¡± Mingxi looked at the other girl from the Evergreen Class again.


    Seeing how shocked that girl was and how she refused to look into her eyes, Mingxi walked over, took her school bag and threw it into the trash can.


    The second school bag was thrown into the trash can and it couldn¡¯t make any contact with the oil, so Mingxi stepped on it.


    The whole classroom was stunned.


    "Zhao Mingxi, what kind of attitude is this? Isn''t it enough to throw just one? Besides, we simply thought your school bag was trash since it fell on the ground, so what''s wrong with throwing it in the trash can?¡±


    Mingxi said coldly, ¡°So if you are standing on the ground and I think you are rubbish, is it okay to throw you in the trash can?¡±


    "Come on." Mingxi rolled up her sleeves to grab the girl who talked back to her.


    The girl didn''t expect Zhao Mingxi to be so scary when she got angry. She felt deceived by her sweet appearance. She immediately shrank to the wall.


    Mingxi''s face was calm, but she was trying her best to suppress the anger in her heart. Mingxi grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the trash can.


    This was a matter between the girls. As the three boys found it inappropriate to intervene, they merely stood there, staring dumbfoundedly.


    The girl was so scared that her tears came out. She desperately held on to a table, but she didn''t expect Zhao Mingxi to use all her energy. In the end, the table was also pulled along to another row.


    Only then was that girl completely scared. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, let go. I was wrong.¡±


    Zhao Mingxi pushed her hand away coldly. The girl hurriedly grasped her fiery and painful wrist.


    Pu Shuang looked at Zhao Mingxi in shock¡ª Based on her memory, Zhao Mingxi was not like that. She used to go to the Zhao family¡¯s house with E Xiaoxia. If they broke one of Zhao Mingxi¡¯s belongings, most of the time, Zhao Mingxi would just bear with it without making any noise.


    She never expected that the current Zhao Mingxi no longer cared about the way the Zhao family would look at her because she had already left the Zhao family. Therefore, she had to take her revenge.


    In the past, she thought that the Zhao family would teach a lesson to the people around Zhao Yuan because of this, but this hope was lost. Now Mingxi must learn to protect herself.


    She walked towards Pu Shuang.


    Pu Shuang swallowed. She took a step back and sat down on the chair.


    "This is the first time and the last time." Mingxi warned, ¡°If you do these small tricks behind my back, it will be retaliated against you a hundredfold.¡±


    Another girl from the Evergreen Class who had her school bag thrown away by Mingxi had the courage to say, ¡°You came in by sheer luck, and there will be no next time. Do you think you can make it to the finals? You will not be in the next finals training camp.¡±


    Mingxi stared at her. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t make it, do you think you will? How about this - whoever has poorer results in this preliminary contest will drop out.¡±


    The group of people sucked in a cold breath.


    What a huge and risky bet!!!


    Pu Shuang felt that Zhao Mingxi was simply too arrogant. She passed the exam only once, but she still wants to enter the finals???


    Pu Shuang couldn''t help but angrily say, ¡°I accept. Whoever has poorer grades will drop out! Everyone here will be a witness! Zhao Mingxi, don''t you lose at that time and not drop out!¡±


    Zhao Yuan who was at the side looked like she wanted to stop Pu Shuang but couldn''t stop her.


    "Okay, the bet is on." Mingxi looked at Pu Shuang. She picked up the paper and pen on a person''s desk, wrote a line of words and placed it in front of Pu Shuang. ¡°Sign this!¡±


    Pu Shuang gritted her teeth and signed it.


    Shen Liyao and his group also returned. Their expressions changed when they saw this scene in the classroom.


    This episode soon traveled to the ears of Mr. Jiang.


    Naturally, Mr. Jiang punished them. Although Pu Shuang and the others were the first to make the move, Zhao Mingxi also threw away two school bags and doubled the retribution. So he gave a lesson to both sides, scolding them for making the training camp a mess and that they should focus on learning.


    Shen Liyao was listening outside. He couldn''t help but push the door and enter to explain the situation to Mr. Jiang.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Mingxi was still staring at the soiled school bag. It was her birthday today, how unfortunate.


    When the two special students from the International Class saw this, they quickly called Fu Yangxi.


    *


    They didn''t have Fu Yangxi''s contact information at first, but before coming to the training camp, Fu Yangxi came to the school to find them on Thursday. He gave them his mobile phone number and asked them to look after Zhao Mingxi. He told them to call him if anything happens.


    Even if they were only things as small as a sesame seed.


    The two were shocked.


    Not many of the followers in the class had Young Master Fu''s mobile phone number. They have now directly advanced to the first level. Can they squeeze into the core circle around the prince?


    When Fu Yangxi received the call, he put on a calm face while having dinner with Grandfather Fu.


    The old man looked at his short black hair and found it very obtrusive. He couldn''t help it. He threw his chopsticks on the bowl, frowned and said, ¡°You stayed here and pestered me for a few days. When will you leave? Why did you suddenly think of dyeing your hair?¡±


    Fu Yangxi didn''t answer. Instead, he asked, ¡°When will you restore my authority?¡±


    After he returned from Tongcheng with a private jet, the old man froze his account. Some people who could be sent in the past could not be done anymore. Now, there was only Lawyer Zhang who would dare to not listen to the old man and help him in private.


    ¡°You want me to restore your authority? Why don¡¯t you look at what you do all day long?! You make trouble all the time, you are one of the last in terms of your school grades and you don''t go to the management courses I arranged for you!¡±


    As the old man spoke, his anger was rising.


    He glanced around. If it weren''t for the guy who would stop him, he was really going to beat the kid with his old arms and legs.


    "I''ll go." Fu Yangxi said suddenly.


    The sound of the old man''s scolding stopped abruptly.


    He looked at Fu Yangxi incredulously. Even the servants beside him looked at Fu Yangxi in shock.


    Lawyer Zhang, who had stayed behind to eat at the same table, also opened his eyes wide.


    The air quieted down.


    In the evening the sky was dim and heavy with mist.


    Fu Yangxi took a mouthful of food without raising his head. ¡°I plan to behave properly, so you ought to restore my authority to me."


    "Why?" The old man couldn''t help blurting out.


    For the past five years, this kid barely went to school. And when he did go to school, he would always be sleeping. He dragged the International Class down with his own efforts. If it weren¡¯t for the Fu¡¯s donation of buildings, he would have been sent out of A High a long time ago, having given nothing but headaches whenever the dean and principal saw him.


    In addition, he did not go to all kinds of occasions where the Fu family needed him, such as charity banquets and bidding meetings.


    Last year, he didn¡¯t even show up for a shareholder meeting held by his grandfather for him.


    A group of people waited for him. In the end, all of them left with a long face, and because of this matter, they directly lost a few foreign partners.


    With his cynical and lazy appearance, even if the old man made up his mind to let him inherit the business, the board of directors might not all agree because they were afraid that the Fu family''s future would be ruined in his hands.


    "What other reason can there be?" Fu Yangxi raised the corner of his mouth and sneered indifferently, ¡°You are going to send Fu Zhiyi into our school. If I don''t restore my authority, will you just watch as he trumps over me?¡±


    "What kind of thoughts are these?!" The old man was enraged at what he said, so much so that he could feel his high blood pressure spiking on the spot. He rolled up his sleeves and picked up the iron spoon, ready to beat him across the table.


    Fu Yangxi quickly dropped the dishes and chopsticks and jumped away stealthily.


    At this moment, he answered the phone. After the call, his expression changed, and he ran away without eating.


    The old man threw down the spoon, panting. He asked Lawyer Zhang, who was seated next to him, ¡°Where is he going?¡±


    Lawyer Zhang said, ¡°I am 80% sure that he went looking for that girl again.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The old man sat down. His face was not so ugly anymore. He even greeted Lawyer Zhang and his secretary, "Eat, this is a family dinner, so everyone should eat more.¡±


    The secretary listened to the hum of the car coming from outside the yard and the sound of it being driven away. He couldn''t help asking the old man, "Is Young Master Fu serious? Didn''t he not care about Fu Zhiyi before? Why does he suddenly want to fight against Fu Zhiyi now?¡±


    In the past, the old man forced Fu Yangxi to sign and transfer the shares to him. When that happened, he didn''t even raise his eyelids. He didn''t care much about the benefits that Fu Zhiyi, his uncle''s illegitimate son, got from the Fu family.


    Why was he suddenly¡ª?


    The old man snorted, ¡°This kid, he¡¯s afraid that we will see through his thoughts. He didn¡¯t come to me, asking for his authority because of Fu Zhiyi. He did so for that little¡ª¡±


    The old man suddenly asked Lawyer Zhang, ¡°What is that little girl''s name?¡±


    "Zhao Mingxi." Lawyer Zhang quickly said, ¡°Are you going to give her a sum of money to make her leave Young Master Fu¡ª¡±


    "What the hell? You and Fu Yangxi have watched too many TV series, haven¡¯t you?¡± The old man was furious. ¡°I''m just asking.¡±


    The old man murmured to himself, ¡°Now it seems that her existence is also a good thing?¡±


    Back then, the kidnapper was the Fu family''s business enemy. As he was forced to go bankrupt by the Fu family, the kidnapping was his form of revenge.


    However, Fu Yangxi who survived alone would still inevitably be complained about by everyone in the Fu family.


    At that time, he gave the 13-year-old Fu Yangxi a choice.


    Escape or endure.


    Either take the money that has been squandered for several lifetimes, go abroad, and stay away from the Fu family. In this case, he will never be stabbed behind his back in the future, and he won¡¯t have to suffer the hurtful words of the people who survived. The shadows of his brother and father will never be seen on him.


    Or stay and take on the part of responsibility that belonged to him. It may take a long time for everyone to heal their wounds. In this process, he may be traumatized by his mother and his other relatives because of their healing process.


    At that time, the old man thought, if little Fu Yangxi chose the first one, then maybe he could only transfer the inheritance to others in the end.


    Unexpectedly, little Fu Yangxi, who was only 13 years old at the time, chose to stay.


    It''s not that he couldn¡¯t escape, but he chose to bear and endure. In his own way, he became an emotional outlet and healed the scars of that year for everyone.


    Few people would have the courage to make such a decision, not to mention that he was only 13 at the time, so the old man made up his mind at that time, it had to be him.


    But Fu Yangxi who stayed behind also faced a problem. He couldn¡¯t be too good, and he couldn¡¯t live too well.


    If he lived too well, laughed too happily, he would feel sorry for those who died because of him.


    Even if he could pass the obstacle in the form of other people''s complaints, he couldn¡¯t face his own heart.


    So in the past five years, he exiled himself, changed his hair color and changed his personality. He lived as if he was enacting revenge on himself, like a waste of a person. He refused to be better and refused to get in touch with the family business, let alone take a cruise ship like the other rich kids.


    The most he ever spent was on that last plane.


    He just lived a simple high school life.


    But now, the old man heard him say with his own ears, ¡°I plan to do things right.¡±


    The old man felt a mix of emotions for a while.


    When a person has something they care about, they will want to live well.


    When he has someone he wants to fight for, he will walk out of the darkness of the past.


    The girl next to him may be the one who can drag him out.


    It was not her hand that pulled him out, but his desire to like her surging in his heart.


    Because he likes her, he wants to be liked by her, so he wants to be better.


    That''s why he had the idea of leaving the quagmire that used to trap him.


    The old man suddenly smiled to himself, and the wrinkles on his face stretched out. ¡°This little bastard¡­ What are you doing? Everyone, please help yourselves.¡±


    The old man happily picked up a few dishes and emptied both plates with great appetite.


    The people on the table looked at each other in confusion.

 CH 43.3

    Mingxi returned to the hotel room after being lectured.


    Because there were a total of seven girls, in the end she was assigned to her own room.


    She didn''t find the washing machine in the hotel room, so she turned on the faucet, put her school bag in the bathtub and squatted down to clean it by herself.


    The hotel was very deserted. The gray marble floor tiles were icy and the lights were not so bright, only the lamp beside the bed glowed yellow. There were unturned magazines on the coffee table and the curtains were pulled tightly shut. The atmosphere was very desolate.


    Mingxi''s sleeves were folded to the elbows. Because there was no washing powder, she squeezed a little shower gel and vigorously scrubbed the oil stains on the school bag.


    She watched as little blobs of yellow oil floated to the surface of the water in the bathtub.


    Her face was reflected in the water. A few strands of hair were scattered around her cheeks.


    At this moment.


    A very strong thought came to Mingxi''s mind.


    It would be great if Fu Yangxi is here.


    The tall Fu Yangxi, with short red hair and looked like a morning sun.


    She suddenly.


    Really missed Fu Yangxi.


    She wanted to send a message to Fu Yangxi and ask him where he is now.


    She wanted to ask why he hadn''t appeared for seven days.


    Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.


    Adding that Saturday night, it was a little more than seven days.


    Today was Mingxi¡¯s birthday. However, not many people knew it, not even Aunt Dong and the others.


    In the past, Mingxi was adopted by her grandmother. Because she was adopted, she didn''t know her exact birthday. At that time, her grandmother gave her a random date. It wasn¡¯t until after she had returned to the Zhao family two years ago did she know that her date of birth was October 24th.


    But even if she knew it, it wasn''t on her ID card. The Zhao family changed the date on her ID card to October 14th, the same as Zhao Yuan.


    Mingxi didn''t care if she had a birthday party or not. She had no accurate concept of this nor was she a person with a sense of ritual.


    She just¡ª


    Missed Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi suddenly turned on the faucet and flushed down the foam in her hand. Then, she picked up her phone.


    She clicked on the dialog with Fu Yangxi and strongly wanted to send him something. Her mood now seemed to be back to the moment when she first sent Fu Yangxi WeChat messages and stared at the potted young seedlings, not knowing what to send. The only difference was that now she wasn¡¯t even looking at her flower pot.


    She didn''t know since when did her reason for getting close to him changed from simply trying to freeload on his luck to getting warmth.


    Or maybe, she likes him.


    When the word ¡®like¡¯ appeared in her mind, Mingxi''s heart began to pound and her blood rushed to her limbs, making her brain feel hot. She felt so impulsive that she wanted to send a message in the next second. However, in the next second, all the negative and timid emotions poured in.


    Mingxi has never experienced this kind of feeling before.


    She used to think she liked Shen Liyao, and she also worked hard to understand Shen Liyao''s preferences.


    But Mingxi found that when she used to like Shen Liyao, she didn''t miss him, she didn''t feel like crying when she was protected, and she didn''t feel so relieved when she was supported. She never had insomnia nor had she ever been nervous because Shen Liyao ignored her.


    Mingxi thought, if my emotions towards Shen Liyao was a crush, then what is this emotion of intense desire?


    Or, at that time, what I had for Shen Liyao was only admiration and a need to please.


    Mingxi entered on WeChat: ¡°I miss you so much.¡± Delete.


    "Are you okay?" Delete.


    "Where are you now?" Delete.


    Before she could type out a whole sentence, she deleted them.


    She didn''t know what to send.


    Mingxi thought for a long time. Finally, she rubbed her head, threw her phone aside in frustration and continued to squat down to wash her school bag.


    Just then, she heard several screams in the next room.


    It seemed like Pu Shuang¡¯s voice. ¡°Who threw away my luggage?????!¡±


    The soundproofing of the hotel room was not very good.


    Several girls screamed, ¡°My shoes were also thrown away. When I came up just now, I saw that the shoes in the ditch looked like mine. I thought they weren¡¯t mine, but now they¡¯re all gone!¡±


    ¡°Is it Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    "Zhao Mingxi came back after us."


    "I''m so annoyed. Go and check the surveillance! I don¡¯t even have one shred of clothing in this cold weather."


    Then, a few girls rushed to the front desk of the hotel.


    Mingxi was dumbfounded. She stood up immediately. For some reason, she suspected that Fu Yangxi was behind this.


    For such an arrogant act of revenge, who could it be besides Fu Yangxi?


    She stood there for a while. Suddenly, she heard movement outside the door.


    Mingxi walked toward the door immediately¡ª Did he come?


    Mingxi didn''t even bother to look through the peephole, she rushed over and opened the door happily.


    However, standing outside the door was Shen Liyao.


    Mingxi''s expression faltered for a moment. She was a little surprised. Shen Liyao was holding a small butter cake, and on the other hand he was holding a bag. It looked like a gift.


    After two years of acquaintance, they could be considered as childhood sweethearts. Thus, Shen Liyao knew her real birthday.


    When Mingxi saw that it was him, the secret hope in her heart suddenly dimmed.


    Shen Liyao also noticed the change in her expression. He frowned slightly and said, "Don''t take what happened today to heart. Those girls have been scolded by Mr. Jiang anyway. Your mind should still be focused on studying. If these things happen again, just tell the teacher or me¡ª Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out for your birthday.¡±


    With just such a sentence, Mingxi knew that she and Shen Liyao were not compatible.


    Don''t take it to heart.


    But for her, there were some things that were impossible not to take to heart.


    Shen Liyao was a person with a good family background and did not lack anything in his life. He could never imagine how much she wanted to be loved by the Zhao family nor how much she wanted Shen Liyao''s appreciation.


    Mingxi''s excitement was dimmed. She opened her mouth and was just about to refuse when suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the corner of the stairs.


    Although it was only a flash, Mingxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she chased after the figure instantly.

 CH 43.4

    Outside the hotel was a spacious boulevard.


    The moonlight shone on the ground, appearing cold and icy.


    Mingxi watched the familiar figure in front of her. He was tall and thin in the moonlight, and the shadow of the leaves fell on him. His pace was fast.


    Mingxi''s heart was beating fast. Yes, she didn''t get it wrong on Thursday. It was Fu Yangxi who came out of the dean''s office that day.


    It''s just that she didn''t know that he dyed his hair black.


    He came, but why did he turn and leave?


    Fu Yangxi felt that he shouldn''t have shown up. When he came, he saw the two people at the entrance of the hotel room.


    He stood in the corner with his knuckles all pale. The blood rushed from his limbs to the top of his head, turning his whole body cold.


    Although he was mentally prepared before coming, that he might meet Zhao Mingxi who was with Shen Liyao, but he found that even if he really wanted to accept this fact, he still felt terribly defeated.


    The sky was very dark.


    Mingxi couldn''t catch up with him. Mingxi couldn''t help stopping.


    "Fu Yangxi." Mingxi shouted.


    Suddenly, she could feel her grievance seeping out of her sour nose.


    ¡ªIt was an emotion she would not have towards others.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Mingxi didn''t know what to say. She merely hadn''t seen him for a few days, yet suddenly he felt unfamiliar. Moreover, she could see that Fu Yangxi had been avoiding her, although she didn''t know why. But Mingxi couldn''t help but stop him.


    A lot of emotions felt sour at its core.


    Finally, they all gathered in the brain, and the sentence that blurted out was, ¡°My shoelaces are untied.¡±


    The air seemed to stand still. The moonlight swayed and the shadows of the trees on the ground were also rocking with the wind.


    Fu Yangxi stopped abruptly.


    His tall figure moved and his shoulders began to turn.


    At this moment.


    Everything seemed to have slowed down.


    Fu Yangxi turned his head and glanced at Mingxi.


    He didn¡¯t say a word and suddenly began to walk back.


    After two steps, he ran towards her with his head lowered.


    It was quiet all around. Mingxi looked at him.


    The sound of shoes stepping on the ground seemed to be stepping on Mingxi''s heart with each step.


    Fu Yangxi ran back, silence and the injuries of being abandoned hanging from his dark hair.


    She didn¡¯t want him anymore, but whenever she yelled he would come back.


    He knelt down and tied Zhao Mingxi¡¯s loose shoelaces.


    He did it very slowly.


    Mingxi lowered her eyes and broke the silence, ¡°Are you here to celebrate my birthday?¡±


    "Yeah," Fu Yangxi replied dully.


    He laced Mingxi''s shoes and stood up.


    Mingxi raised her eyes to look at him. Today''s Fu Yangxi was a little different from normal.She didn''t know if it was because of his black hair, but his eyebrows were heavier and the arrogance between his eyebrows was gone, only the retreat and the unwilling youthful spirit remained.


    He looked behind Mingxi.


    Mingxi subconsciously followed his gaze and turned her head.


    When he saw Mingxi turning her head, his whole body stiffened. He said in a soft voice, ¡°I¡¯ll spend your birthday with you after you¡¯re done with the others. No matter how late, please call me later, alright?¡±


    "I''ll wait for you." Fu Yangxi retreated to the most humble position.


    "Zhao Mingxi! You can''t go." Shen Liyao chased after Mingxi from the hotel with big strides.


    Mingxi realized what he was carrying in his other hand a transparent crystal box with gold medals in it.


    He wanted to give this to her.


    "I''m serious," Shen Liyao calmly said. ¡°About what I said to Aunt Dong that day.¡±


    Fu Yangxi also saw it clearly. He glanced at Mingxi subconsciously and swallowed. He tried his best to suppress the hostility and jealousy that was surging in his eyes and turned to leave.


    He couldn''t keep watching, otherwise he couldn''t guarantee what he would do.


    "Wait." However, Mingxi grabbed his wrist.


    Mingxi was afraid that he would run away.


    Mingxi wasn¡¯t sure whether Fu Yangxi liked her or if he just treated her as a follower.


    But she instinctively wanted to clear up the relationship with Shen Liyao in front of him.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t aware of his own feelings yet and just treats her as a follower, she didn¡¯t want him to misunderstand her.


    Fu Yangxi was stiff and didn''t turn his head. He wondered, does she want me to stay and witness Shen Liyao¡¯s confession to her?


    Or does she want all three of us to celebrate her birthday together?


    Fu Yangxi''s heart went cold. He thought hopelessly, Little Mask really is heartless.


    But the next second.


    What he heard was¡ª


    "Sorry, I don''t want to celebrate my birthday with you."


    Fu Yangxi felt dizzy. Is she saying this to me?


    He was like a stiff stone slab falling down an endless pit, like he was about to fall into a nightmare. He took a deep breath, turned his head slowly and looked at Zhao Mingxi.


    But Zhao Mingxi was looking at Shen Liyao.


    Wait a minute?


    The next sentence Zhao Mingxi said to Shen Liyao was, ¡°Shen Liyao, I''m sorry. I''ve told you clearly several times that even before I changed classes I stopped liking you.¡±


    "The other day I was coerced by Aunt Dong to eat together, but because I was concerned about the pride of my elders, I didn''t say this on the spot."


    "I went to explain the truth to Aunt Dong afterwards. She should also respect my opinion in the future and she will not forcefully match the two of us anymore."


    With each sentence coming from Mingxi, Shen Liyao''s face turned a shade paler.


    However, Fu Yangxi was stunned for the first time. Then, the blood poured back little by little, and his pale face returned to a healthier look little by little.


    His brain hummed and his heart pounded¡ª Little Mask is rejecting Shen Liyao?


    She isn¡¯t rejecting me?


    She¡¯s rejecting Shen Liyao?


    She said she didn''t like Shen Liyao even before she changed classes?


    Fu Yangxi''s sanity returned bit by bit, and he also slowly regained sensation in his cold limbs.


    She said she doesn¡¯t like Shen Liyao.


    She didn''t like him long before she changed classes.


    That early?


    ¡ªFu Yangxi realized that he almost laughed out loud so he quickly clamped his lips shut.


    "So please take your birthday gifts and cake back. I don''t like you."


    Mingxi''s attitude was firm, cold even.


    "If you continue doing this in the future, we won¡¯t even be friends anymore."


    Shen Liyao''s face was extremely ugly.


    Even though he realized that Zhao Mingxi was avoiding him, he never thought that she would be unwilling to even celebrate her birthday as friends.


    Why did things turn out to be like this?


    ¡­


    He wanted to say something, but Zhao Mingxi had already dragged Fu Yangxi away.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi was being dragged by Zhao Mingxi. At this moment, his whole person was like an old TV set in disrepair, thinking over and over again about what Zhao Mingxi had said to Shen Liyao.


    Every time he repeats it, the corners of his mouth would move a little upwards uncontrollably.


    The frequency of his heartbeat had reached its highest peak and blood surged up to his head.


    His whole person was light and fluttering. If he wasn¡¯t being dragged, he might have floated to the sky.


    ¡°Little Mask, you¡ª¡±


    Mingxi held his hand, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Xi ge, let''s go celebrate my birthday.¡±


    Warmth came from the palm of her hand, warming Fu Yangxi''s frozen blood. All the sadness in the past few days seemed to be driven away by this sentence.


    What she said was ¡®Xi ge, let''s go celebrate my birthday¡¯.


    Not ¡®Shen Liyao, let¡¯s go celebrate my birthday.¡¯


    Does this mean that Shen Liyao is now a passerby to her?! Passerby A! Passerby B! Passersby C!


    Fu Yangxi confirmed this again.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly said, "Is there a playground around here?"


    Mingxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi wanted to run 300 laps around the playground. He suppressed his expression, trying his best not to behave as ecstatic as the MVP of the national football team.


    "So where did you disappear to for the past few days?"


    "I was held back by my grandfather." Fu Yangxi was too embarrassed to say that he saw her, Shen Liyao and the Dong family eating at a western restaurant and found a place to hide in frustration.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, Mingxi was wearing Fu Yangxi''s coat, and was taken to a private room in a luxurious hotel.


    There were pink, yellow and blue balloons everywhere in the box. "Happy 18th Birthday" was pasted on the windows.


    The biggest cake was pushed out by Dong Shen and He Yang.


    Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu were both here. Jiang Xiuqiu was woken up when they both entered the room.


    Mingxi''s nose felt sour. She couldn''t help whining, ¡°I thought you guys forgot my birthday."


    "How is that possible?" Ke Chengwen exaggerated, ¡°Xi ge¡ª" Xi ge would remind us almost 800 times a day.


    Fu Yangxi stepped on his foot before he could say it.


    The expression on his face was distorted.


    They all sat down around the cake.


    Because it wasn¡¯t 12am yet, she couldn¡¯t blow out the candles and cut the cake.


    Jiang Xiuqiu sat lazily in the corner. He took a look at Zhao Mingxi, followed Zhao Mingxi''s line of sight which fell on Fu Yangxi and suddenly laughed playfully. He suggested, ¡°Let''s play a game of truth.¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly warmed up.


    Minxi couldn''t help but allow her attention to fall on Fu Yangxi. She felt a little regretful about the fact that he had dyed his hair black. Red was also very nice, but¡­ how do I put this into words¡­ His temperament is different now. He is still the same person, and he¡¯s still very handsome. The more Mingxi looked, the faster her heart beat.


    The moment she realized that she likes Fu Yangxi, she began to think that Fu Yangxi was good in every way.


    Fu Yangxi was sitting next to Zhao Mingxi. All the sadness and grievances during this period of time turned into a redness that spread from the tips of his ears.


    What''s going on? Why do I feel like the way Little Mask looks at me has changed a little?


    Is it my misperception again? Or am I being overly narcissistic again?


    The first spin of the wine bottle turned to Mingxi.


    Jiang Xiuqiu glanced at Fu Yangxi then at Zhao Mingxi. He asked out of the blue, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, my question is, if Fu Yangxi and Shen Liyao fell into the river at the same time, who would you save?¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s body went stiff. He couldn''t help but glare at him and motioned with his eyes which said, ¡®You''re so f*cking impatient to ask this kind of question. Zhao Mingxi just ended her last crush, so she will definitely choose Shen Liyao. You¡¯re just purposely trying to irritate her¡ª¡¯


    But he didn''t expect to see Mingxi answer without even a second thought, ¡°I will save Fu Yangxi.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ???


    Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi incredulously, his mind blank.


    Jiang Xiuqiu seemed to be smiling. He quickly spinned the wine bottle a second time. It turned to Zhao Mingxi again. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to ask Zhao Mingxi a second question. Is Fu Yangxi better looking with red hair or black hair?¡±


    Fu Yangxi became nervous again.


    Little Mask will definitely choose black...


    In the end, he heard Zhao Mingxi answer, ¡°As long as it¡¯s Fu Yangxi, everything looks good."


    ¡°...¡±


    The people in the private room: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Mingxi thought so in her heart, so she said so on her lips.


    She kept her gaze on Fu Yangxi''s face. She hadn''t seen him for a week, so she couldn''t help but look a little more.


    Ke Chengwen said, "Little Mask, you''re pretty good at complimenting people.¡±


    In this joyful atmosphere, Zhao Mingxi made Fu Yangxi''s cheeks hotter and hotter. His heart was about to explode.


    Thump, thump, thump.


    He clenched his hands in his pockets, his face flushed. What''s the matter? Did Little Mask suddenly open up the six vessels of the body*?


    Jiang Xiuqiu immediately asked the third question, ¡°If Ke Chengwen and I fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?¡±


    Mingxi''s mind was still on Fu Yangxi, so she subconsciously said, "I will save Fu Yangxi."


    ¡°...¡±


    The whole room fell into silence.


    An awkward atmosphere started to spread out.


    Ke Chengwen couldn''t help yelling, ¡°There is no Fu Yangxi in this question!¡±


    "..." Mingxi let out a slow noise of realization. ¡°Oh, then I- then I will save Ke Chengwen.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­


    Wait, what''s the matter with your reluctant expression???


    "Well, what can I do when I am simply too charming?¡± The cool and cocky Fu Yangxi has returned.


    He tried hard to hold back the corners of his mouth from rising.


    However, the little bird in his heart had resurrected on the spot, flapping its wings frantically, wishing to stand upside down and do 300 push-ups. All this exposed his joy and delight.


    ray''s note: screaming crying hyperventilating i can''t breathe are you guys seeing this oh my gosh i''m choking PLEASE FINALLY YES!!!


    you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story.

 CH 44.1

    When Shen Liyao came back, his face looked cold and silent like never before.


    Yue Teng, his roommate, was eating barbecue with Ye Bai and two other people in the hotel room. When they heard the door opening, they all raised their heads. They saw Shen Liyao close the door silently, take off his coat and change out of his shoes. A shadow fell on him, making him seem dead.


    Without saying a word, he went into the bathroom.


    The other people in the room were stunned and the conversation came to an abrupt stop.


    The faucet was unscrewed and the sound of cold water came from the bathroom.


    Yue Teng was the first to notice the birthday cake box at Shen Liyao''s feet¡ª Yesterday, Shen Liyao inquired about choosing a cake. After asking a group of people''s opinions, Shen Liyao did a data analysis and finally picked this shape.


    However, it was lying there stiffly now, without being opened.


    In addition, in the transparent crystal box next to him, Shen Liyao''s red and blue pile of gold medals, which was like a stamp collection since childhood, was also not sent out.


    The atmosphere was silent for five minutes.


    After they gradually realized what happened.


    The people in the room were so shocked that their jaws almost fell to the ground.


    Yue Teng covered his mouth and whispered, ¡°God Yao was rejected? How could this be? Or did he have something to do on the way and didn''t go to Zhao Mingxi at all?¡±


    Ye Bai hurriedly pushed him with his elbow. ¡°Lower down your voice!¡±


    Shen Liyao was obviously in a bad mood. His expression could even be considered gloomy.


    Looking at this reaction, he really looked like he was rejected by Zhao Mingxi.


    They all looked at each other and couldn''t believe it. They just thought it could be included as one of the most surprising things this year.


    Ye Bai didn''t expect that his prediction would be wrong. In fact, no one would have thought of it! Forget the fact that Shen Liyao was suddenly given up by Zhao Mingxi. When he was determined to approach her, he was rejected repeatedly?!


    Ye Bai swallowed nervously. He wiped his hands hurriedly, stood up and walked to the bathroom.


    "Did something happen? Did you not see Zhao Mingxi or¡­¡±


    "I saw her." Shen Liyao''s voice was deep and hoarse. He held the sink with both hands and raised his head to look at himself in the mirror, water droplets still hanging on his chin.


    There was nothing to deny.


    His self-esteem was shattered long ago when Zhao Mingxi pulled Fu Yangxi away.


    Shen Liyao''s eyes were even a little dazed.


    ¡­


    Ye Bai was stunned. He had never seen such a gaze on Shen Liyao, as if he seemed to have lost control completely.


    Ye Bai was suddenly anxious. ¡°Then why did it turn out like this? Was there any misunderstanding? You are so proactive, yet Zhao Mingxi is still angry? This doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    Ye Bai glanced at the things that had been returned on the ground and analyzed, ¡°Kong Jiaze and her colleagues are training in the hotel next door. Did Kong Jiaze come to us yesterday? Although you didn''t go out to see Kong Jiaze, you were still caught by Zhao Mingxi, so she must have misunderstood¡ª Is she jealous?!¡±


    Yue Teng and the other two from the School Representative Team also walked over and couldn''t help but said, ¡°Yes, that must be the reason, right?¡±


    Several people rushed to give Shen Liyao ideas.


    ¡°God Yao, what did Zhao Mingxi say when she refused you? Did she just say that she didn''t want your gift?¡±


    "A girl''s mind is so hard to guess! Why did they circle around us every day last month, and now they ran away without a word?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can call my elder sister to ask what is going on? What is Zhao Mingxi thinking?¡±


    Shen Liyao''s brain was buzzing at first, but now he was getting more and more agitated with the noise. He could hardly restrain his calm expression.


    ¡°Everyone shut up!¡±


    He was totally unable to say that when Zhao Mingxi refused him, the guy with the surname Fu was also there.


    Rather than rejecting him, it was better to consider it a repetition. She was deliberately emphasizing it to Fu Yangxi.


    So¡ª


    Did she fall in love with the guy surnamed Fu?


    Shen Liyao could not accept this fact.


    But his mind kept flashing over and over again the image of when Zhao Mingxi raised her eyes to look at Fu Yangxi tonight. It was glistening a little under the moonlight, which was exactly the same as when she looked at him before. No, it was not exactly the same. When she looked at Fu Yangxi, there was something more in her eyes. On the contrary, the look in her eyes when she looked at me before was just as plain as a fan watching an idol.


    Why is this happening?


    ¡­


    The big boys of the School Representative Team watched as Shen Liyao turned around and sat down on the bed with his jaw tight. Although Shen Liyao didn''t say anything, after having known each other for so long, training and competing together, they could clearly feel that Shen Liyao was trapped in an unprecedented annoyance.


    There was a shadow under his eyelids, and he was not calm at all.


    This was not like him.


    Seeing him like this, they didn¡¯t dare to speak any further. Ye Bai took the lead in comforting him, ¡°Sometimes when a girl says she doesn¡¯t like it, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she doesn¡¯t. God Yao, I bet Zhao Mingxi absolutely still likes you! Maybe now her crush is not so strong, but human emotions are like silk. It is impossible to take it all back in an instant! Do you know what movies would usually call this current predicament of yours?¡±


    Shen Liyao never watched these boring things.


    If this was in the past, he would reply to Ye Bai coldly and say that this was boring.


    However, at this moment he couldn''t help but raise his head. ¡°What is it called?¡±


    ¡°It''s called the great pain of coaxing your wife after having displeased her!" Ye Bai gave a group of boys popular science knowledge. ¡°It means that she used to chase you before, but now you have to chase her back. This is a test for you, God Yao. And in this kind of drama, there is 100% that the male lead is successful. All it takes is a little energy and effort. Don''t worry!¡±


    Yue Teng and the other two boys said, ¡°...Really? Ye Bai, you haven''t even been in a relationship before.¡±


    Ye Bai said, ¡°I guarantee!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Shen Liyao''s mind felt a little settled now. He didn''t believe that Zhao Mingxi really didn''t like him at all.


    In the past, Zhao Mingxi pursued him for two years. It was not an easy feat to just erase those two years overnight.


    Therefore, after such a deduction, the conclusion drawn now was very simple.


    He should not give up.


    If he backed down, Zhao Mingxi might really end up liking Fu Yangxi.


    While Shen Liyao was thinking about the countermeasures, Yue Teng also called his elder sister at the same time. Several people here talked about the current difficulties Shen Liyao was facing.


    Shen Liyao was a proud man, so it was difficult to confess such a thing. But since several people on the School Representative Team knew that Zhao Mingxi said, "I don''t like him anymore", they couldn''t pretend to be ignorant. It was better to help him discuss it generously.


    There was another thought for the members of the School Representative Team¡ª Oh my God, this is God Yao! I can¡¯t believe he would actually stumble for love!


    Yue Teng¡¯s elder sister who was in university quickly replied to them, ¡°The difficulty that your friend is facing now is that the girl already has an equally excellent guy beside her. He is much richer than your friend, taller than your friend and looks even better than your friend, right?¡±


    "No, no, no!" Yue Teng hurriedly said, ¡°But my friend receives more love letters. The prince has a very bad temper and he barely makes an effort to come to school. Almost no one has ever given him a love letter.¡±


    "That doesn''t mean that your friend is more handsome. He has fewer love letters because of the problem with his character." His elder sister said, ¡°I saw the photos you sent over. He is handsomer than your friend. If the girl is more of a visual sort of person, it''s normal for her to fall in love with him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was a sudden silence in the hotel room.


    Shen Liyao''s face turned pale.


    Yue Teng was absolutely embarrassed. He hurriedly clutched his mobile phone and whispered, ¡°Sis, can you please help me quickly? My friends are all listening."


    "Fine, this is just my own aesthetic." Over the phone came the voice of Yue Teng¡¯s elder sister, ¡°The current method is to use your strengths and avoid your weaknesses. Don''t compare your money and looks with the other party. Just use your studies, temper and sensitivity to compete with him. Let your friend be better than everything he is better at.¡±


    After hanging up the phone.


    Ye Bai came to a realization. ¡°Get into a robot transformation competition with the Fu prince?"


    ¡­


    No matter what, Shen Liyao, who had obtained a few methods and clues, no longer looked so cold.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and told himself to be patient. Then, he went and put the birthday cake at the door of Zhao Mingxi''s hotel room and left a note. She should be able to see it when she comes back.


    *


    Over here, the atmosphere of Zhao Mingxi''s birthday was full of joy.


    The hotel room was lit with warm yellow lights, the off-white sofa was soft and the long table was filled with various snacks and food. In the middle was a three-tiered cake with cherries put together to form the words ¡®Happy 18th Birthday, Zhao Mingxi''.


    Everyone gathered together, luxurious and warm.


    Everyone gave gifts, among which Fu Yangxi''s box was the largest. It could fit the entire table.


    Mingxi looked curious and immediately wanted to open it, but Fu Yangxi raised his hand and pressed it on the box. ¡°Open it once you get back.¡±


    Mingxi couldn''t help asking, ¡°What''s in it and why is it so big?¡±


    "Just some miscellaneous gadgets. Don''t worry, it''s not worth a lot. Is it possible for me to run around the street and prepare a gift so carefully?" Fu Yangxi stood aside, put his hands in his pockets and tried his best to keep the coldness on his face. However, the tips of the ears were slightly red.


    Mingxi''s heart thumped loudly and she couldn''t help but feel happy. She lowered her head, licked her lips and took a sip of her drink. ¡°Then I will take it home and open it later.¡±


    Dong Shen glanced at Zhao Mingxi and then at Fu Yangxi. He felt very upset.


    He forced himself in and sat down between the two of them. He excitedly took Zhao Mingxi''s arm. ¡°Mingxi jie, look at mine, look at mine! Mine doesn''t have as many rules as a certain Young Master, so you can tear it open now!¡±


    A big living person squeezed in in the middle, so Mingxi had to move one position to the left.


    Fu Yangxi immediately pulled a long face. He glared at Dong Shen.


    However, Dong Shen didn''t notice it. He moved his hips left and right, trying to push Fu Yangxi out of the sofa.


    Fu Yangxi wanted to find fault in him, but he resisted it. Since this was Mingxi''s friend, he endured it for three seconds with a long face. However, he glared at Dong Shen¡¯s hand which was holding Mingxi''s arm. In the end, he still exploded in an instant, ¡°Little friend, is your butt a little too big?¡±


    When Dong Shen was picked up by Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen, Fu Yangxi made a foul face and set three rules for him.


    1. No physical contact with Zhao Mingxi is allowed.


    2. Physical contact with Zhao Mingxi is still not allowed.


    3. He will beat him if he has too much physical contact with Zhao Mingxi.


    Oh, he dares to threaten me.


    I¡¯m not afraid of you.


    Dong Shen was a newborn calf that was not afraid of tigers.


    Dong Shen turned his head and glanced at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Bro, if you think the sofa is too small, you can sit there. There are so many places on the opposite sofa and it''s just a few steps away. Are you too old to even move your legs?¡±


    ray''s note: you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story!

 CH 44.2

    ???


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows inconceivably. He was the only one who dared to provoke others, and no one dared to provoke him so grandly! Is this kid tired of life? Does he wanna die?! Fu Yangxi walked away in an instant. He stood up and lifted Dong Shen''s back collar with one hand, wanting to lift him off.


    Ke Chengwen stopped him and persuaded him, ¡°Forget it, Xi ge, for the sake of him being half a relative to Little Mask, he might even be your brother-in-law in the future¡­¡±


    Fu Yangxi gave him an angry glare.


    Ke Chengwen quickly changed his words, ¡°Zhao Mingxi.¡±


    Despite this, there was still laughter in the room.


    Jiang Xiuqiu with his peachy eyes, sang with the microphone in his hand and cast a smile at the waiter who brought in the dinner and fruits. The waiter blushed and couldn''t help but look at him more. He Yang, who was gnawing at the watermelon from a distance, saw this scene and felt a little sad.


    Many of the fruits brought in were Zhao Mingxi''s favorites, pineapples and mangoes. She ate them until she was full.


    When the song reached its climax, Mingxi pulled He Yang up and participated in singing together.


    Fu Yangxi took a deep breath quietly, pretending to just appreciate them listening to the song. He tried to walk behind her calmly and pretended to be nonchalant.


    The distance was so close.


    The light and shadow flowed. Fu Yangxi lowered his eyes slightly, staring at Zhao Mingxi''s earlobe and side profile. The colorful lights fell on it, sliding and flowing, just like Fu Yangxi''s mood. It was as if small fireworks exploded in his heart, and ever since he saw her, it never stopped.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t help but think of the way she said she expressed her dislike in a loud voice to Shen Liyao. Thank goodness. Thank goodness she didn''t like someone else. He rubbed his face and tried to keep the corners of his mouth from going up so pompously.


    It may be because of the combination of Mingxi, He Yang and Jiang Xiuqiu, their voices were so penetrating that the balloons on the ceiling fell one after another.


    Accompanied by the singing on the big screen.


    The red, yellow, green and blue colorful balloons flew so lightly. Everyone couldn''t help but look up and smile happily at the same time.


    When she raised her head, Mingxi couldn''t help but glance at Fu Yangxi who was beside her.


    The corners of his mouth were also curled up into a smile. The short black hair made his skin fairer and his handsome eyebrows were a bit less irritable, looking a little childish.


    During this period of time, he has always been in a bad mood. Mingxi had never seen him so happy before. Could it be that his family''s affairs have been resolved?


    Because he was happy, Mingxi''s mood became even brighter.


    Mingxi turned her head and continued to look at the falling balloons, reaching out to grab one of them with interest.


    Fu Yangxi also turned his head to look at her at this time.


    He saw her eyes turning into crescents. Two strands of hair were scattered around her ears.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed, his eyes dark. He subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to help her put it behind her ears, but when he realized that his fingers had already been raised, he immediately retracted his hands with a "swish".


    His ears were red and he felt extremely guilty. He quickly held his disobedient right hand from left to right and looked around. Only when he saw that no one was paying attention to him was he slightly relieved.


    ¡°What should we do with all the fallen balloons?¡± Ke Chengwen asked. ¡°If we step on them and explode them one by one, those who are downstairs will say that we are being a nuisance.¡±


    "Then so be it." Fu Yangxi looked arrogant and cold-hearted with a face practically saying ¡®I am rich¡¯. "It¡¯s rare for Little Mask to celebrate her birthday, so it¡¯s okay to be a nuisance for once. Worse comes to worst we¡¯ll just pay them a lot of money."


    Ke Chengwen: Have you only been a nuisance once? You are ¡®not a nuisance¡¯ surviving in the middle of ¡®nuisances¡¯.


    "I have a way." Mingxi said, "Wipe the balloon on your hair and it will float up."


    Then, she picked up a balloon.


    Ke Chengwen looked at her in surprise, ¡°Is there such a thing?¡± Subconsciously, he and Fu Yangxi bent down at the same time and moved their heads over. Upon seeing this, Dong Shen also hurried over.


    Mingxi chose Fu Yangxi''s head without even thinking about it.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­


    Dong Shen: ¡­


    What happened?


    What''s the situation?


    Why did they suddenly feel that they were exuding the fragrance of a single dog??? Was it their own misperception? These two were clearly still in a cold war two days ago!


    Mingxi wiped the balloon on Fu Yangxi''s head indiscriminately and then threw the balloon to the ceiling. The balloon quickly flew back to the ceiling leisurely.


    With messy black hair, Fu Yangxi looked at Ke Chengwen triumphantly with his hands in his pockets. He turned his head and glanced at Dong Shen.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­


    I¡¯m not jealous, thanks.


    Dong Shen: ¡­


    Damn it, I¡¯m so angry.


    Others picked up the balloons one after another and followed suit. Soon the balloon on the spot was thrown to the ceiling by six people. When it was almost 12am, the candles were lit and the lights were turned off, leaving only the romantic music playing slowly.


    12am sharp. Mingxi was surrounded in the middle.


    Fu Yangxi and the others began to sing her birthday song, both in Mandarin and English.


    Mingxi put her hands under her chin and hung her head. She closed her eyes, smiled and made a wish.


    ¡ªThis was the happiest birthday of her life.


    Her wish was for the fate of the female side character and terminal illness to disappear as soon as possible, the Dong family to be in good health and for there to be someone named ¡®Fu Yangxi¡¯ accompanying her on her birthday every year.


    Mingxi suddenly thought, am I too greedy to ask for three at a time?


    If I can only keep one.


    Then.


    God, please grant my last wish.


    I will wish for the rest next year.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t know that in fact, as early as this year and this day, Mingxi made such a wish related to him.


    ¡­


    It was past midnight. The moonlight outside was bright. In the cheerful atmosphere, Mingxi blew out the candles.


    At this point, the boys were not sleepy, but the girls and Jiang Xiuqiu were sleepy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have some supper and then I¡¯ll take you back." Fu Yangxi said to Mingxi.


    He went to the door to pick up the supper delivered by the waiter. Then, he closed the door with his feet and spread the supper on the table.


    While everyone was eating supper and Fu Yangxi was paying, Mingxi saw Jiang Xiuqiu sitting in the corner, dozing off. She couldn''t help but walk over and push him. ¡°Jiang Xiuqiu, can I ask you some questions?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu raised his eyes to look at her. ¡°What sort of questions?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu didn''t know why, but he immediately understood her. ¡°About Fu Yangxi?¡±


    Mingxi knew little about Fu Yangxi, which was a sharp contrast to how much Fu Yangxi knew about her.


    In the beginning, she only used him as a Wifi spot and didn''t care about his affairs too much. Then, she regarded him as a boss. She didn''t have any unreasonable thoughts and didn¡¯t think of inquiring.


    But now, when Mingxi determined that he was her crush, she couldn''t help but want to learn more. In particular, what kind of medicine did he usually take? Apart from being afraid of dogs, did he have anything he couldn¡¯t eat or taboos she shouldn¡¯t touch on?


    Mingxi felt that her mindset of a young girl was so embarrassing that she almost exploded. She blushed and became a little embarrassed. She turned around and looked at the door. Seeing that Fu Yangxi hadn''t returned yet, she hurriedly seized the time. "Yes."


    Jiang Xiuqiu couldn''t help laughing for some reason. ¡°It''s better for you to know some things through him, but I can tell you this.¡±


    "What?" Mingxi sat aside and asked curiously.


    Throughout Fu Yangxi¡¯s life, he never liked any girl. In fact, he didn''t even speak more than 10 sentences to them. When someone came to strike up a conversation, he would look like a bully with a face saying ¡®wanna fight?¡¯. So his luck with girls could be said to be very bad.


    But Jiang Xiuqiu smiled with his peachy eyes, feeling mischievous.


    He caught a glimpse of the flying chess on the table and began to rant, ¡°Fu Yangxi used to have a childhood sweetheart who was very beautiful. She was comparable to you.¡±


    Mingx¡¯s heart fell.


    Jiang Xiuqiu didn''t dare to make up too much of a story. ¡°He didn¡¯t like her, but we were very familiar with her. We studied together abroad when we were young. Fu Yangxi often took her home to play and always called her Little Flying Chess because she often played flying chess with Fu Yangxi¡ª Little Mask, you haven''t played flying chess with Fu Yangxi yet, have you?¡±


    Mingxi felt angry for a moment.


    What the hell?


    The nickname he gave her was probably an imitation of what he gave to others.


    Mingxi almost exploded in anger. ¡°I see.¡±


    When Fu Yangxi came back from paying, his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth were raised happily. He was planning to send Zhao Mingxi home. But in the end, as soon as he opened the door and came in, Zhao Mingxi was glaring at him.


    As he walked over, Zhao Mingxi went to eat supper without saying a word.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Fu Yangxi''s smile froze. Jiang Xiuqiu walked over with the wine glass and patted his shoulder. ¡°Do you remember the incident when we climbed trees together when we were young, but you didn''t hold me and caused me to fall and break my leg so I ended up in the hospital for three months?"


    "Why are you suddenly talking about this? You wanna fight?" Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows coldly.


    Jiang Xiuqiu smiled and shrugged. ¡°Nope. I can¡¯t beat you.¡±


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi''s attention was still on Zhao Mingxi. Several people stretched their waists, packed their things and planned to leave. Fu Yangxi picked up his coat and the gift box and sent Zhao Mingxi home.


    In the middle of the night, the moonlight was very bright. The others went to take a taxi while the two walked all the way back to the hotel where she was training.


    For some reason, Fu Yangxi felt that Little Mask¡¯s mood suddenly went down.


    He frowned and was wondering how to ask her about it when the two of them had already returned to the training hotel without knowing it.


    As soon as they returned to the entrance of the room, they saw the cake Shen Liyao placed at the door.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head and glanced at it. His face turned dark immediately. Why isn¡¯t this kid giving up yet? Little Mask already said she doesn¡¯t like him anymore. Does he not understand what it means to not like someone? It means she hates him! Can¡¯t he be at least a little self-aware?!


    Although Little Mask didn¡¯t like him, not liking him meant that there was unlimited space.


    Fu Yangxi immediately kicked the cake box aside with his feet while pretending to be nonchalant. He was still not satisfied, so he picked it up again and said to Mingxi, ¡°I¡¯ll throw this away.¡±


    Mingxi didn''t care about it. She nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Fu Yangxi noticed that her gaze was still on the cake, and he started to feel jealous again. ¡°Was the veal steak in the western restaurant delicious that day?¡±


    As a result, Zhao Mingxi looked up as if she was jealous. The scent of jealousy was all over her body. She gave him a scoff and stared at him. ¡°Is flying chess fun?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ???


    What flying chess?

 CH 45

    Mingxi realized that she was acting as if she had gnawed on a green apple. Her words came out sour before she could stop it. She was a little embarrassed and felt out of place suddenly, so she quickly changed the subject. ¡°Wait, let me find the room card.¡±


    She opened the door, raised her hand and inserted the room¡¯s access card into the slot.


    The lights turned on and the air conditioner buzzed.


    Fu Yangxi followed in. He bent over and placed a large box of gifts on the floor by the wall.


    Realizing that he had actually entered Zhao Mingxi''s hotel room and that there must be a lot of clothes on the girl''s bed, Fu Yangxi''s ears went red and he dared not look up.


    He stiffly returned to the door. As he was big and tall, his head was about to hit the upper frame of the door. He completely blocked the light outside the corridor.


    "What in the world did you give?" When Mingxi came back and took off her coat and jacket, she couldn''t help squatting over to open the present.


    Fu Yangxi''s heart jumped and he rushed over to hold the gift box. ¡°Little Mask, you¡¯re too impatient. Can''t wait for me to leave before taking it apart? I''m still here¡ª¡±


    Before he finished speaking, both of them realized that the distance between them was a little too close.


    Both felt the temperature of the other¡¯s skin coming through the clothes and a thin layer of air.


    ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Mingxi squatted there like a small ball. Fu Yangxi bent down from the top of her head to hold the box. If his posture was lower, his chin could touch the top of her hair.


    How would it feel if my chin touches the top of a girl''s hair? It should be gentle, like knocking on silk, right?


    Fu Yangxi lowered his eyes and looked at her. From his point of view, he could see the tip of her pretty white nose, the thin sweater on her back and the outline of the girl''s slender spine. Her black hair hung down with a little scent of shampoo.


    C-Cute.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed. The tip of his heart seemed to be swept away by her long hair, for it felt numb and itchy.


    Meanwhile, Mingxi''s fingers which were opening the box curled up into the shape of a lid. She stared at the outline of Fu Yangxi''s shadow in front of her, feeling the hormonal breath of the boy behind her and his warm body.


    His black down jacket was unzipped and the dry scent seemed to penetrate the tip of her nose, wrapping her from head to toe with warmth.


    Mingxi felt a little dizzy and stiff as well.


    If she hadn''t noticed that she liked him before, she could still be open and honest, and she would act naturally despite being so close to him.


    However, once she noticed it, every minute of every second of contact was like a little mouse stealing lamp oil, making her feel guilty.


    ¡ªI¡¯m acting so stiff and weird. Will he find out that I like him?


    Mingxi''s heart jumped to her throat.


    She leaned aside quickly and got out from under the motion of him leaning over.


    Mingxi''s movements were a bit funny. She staggered and almost fell, but Fu Yangxi held her from the back.


    However, in an atmosphere where the air was filled with stiff and hot factors, the two of them couldn''t really be bothered anymore.


    Fu Yangxi quickly released the hand holding her wrist. The tips of his ears were red. He turned to look away, not knowing where to put his eyes. Finally, his gaze landed on the ceiling. ¡°The color of the ceiling is good.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi stumbled and said, ¡°Then- Then I- I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡ªYou¡¯re leaving just like that?


    Ming-looking-down-xi said, ¡°...Okay.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said that he was leaving, but when he looked at Zhao Mingxi, he realized that his feet couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Mingxi licked her dry lips and looked up at him. Her eyes fell on the shadow of his handsome eyebrows. She did not urge him to leave.


    The air became awkwardly quiet once more.


    ¡­


    The two suddenly spoke at the same time.


    Mingxi asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"


    Fu Yangxi asked, "Do you want to eat together tomorrow?"


    Mingxi said, "You go first."


    Fu Yangxi said, "You go first."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    As their sentences kept on clashing, the atmosphere suddenly became more awkward.


    The two hurriedly turned their heads to the opposite sides, their cheeks heating up into two red tomatoes.


    Fu Yangxi stared at the door frame beside him, trying hard to study whether the door frame was made of composite material or steel plate. He put his hands in his pockets and tried to prop up the edges, pretending to be cold and nonchalant. ¡°Isn''t tomorrow Sunday? I happen to have something to do nearby. If you¡¯re okay, we can have lunch together."


    As he spoke, Fu Yangxi found an excuse. ¡°Hey, don''t misunderstand me, Little Mask. I just happened to be around here and I just remembered that I have never treated my desk mate to a meal. I''m usually very generous to my previous desk mates and would treat them all to a meal.¡±


    Mingxi felt that he had lost his mind. Obviously she could feel that there was a loophole in Fu Yangxi''s words¡ª Since when has he ever had a desk mate? How did he treat his former ¡®desk mates¡¯ to a meal? But she just blushed and couldn''t be bothered about it.


    With a heated mind, she quickly agreed, "Okay."


    When Fu Yangxi saw that Mingxi hadn''t said a word for a long time, he thought she was going to refuse, so he was planning to mention Ke Chengwen or someone else. ¡°Or we can call He Yang and Ke Chengwen¡ª¡±


    In the end, before he finished speaking, Zhao Mingxi agreed.


    She agreed?!


    A meal with just the two of us! She agreed.


    Despite knowing each other for so long, the two of them have never eaten or done anything together. Ke Chengwen and others have always been a part of their activities. This was the first time.


    The corner of Fu Yangxi''s mouth was about to rise to the sky. He quickly glanced at Zhao Mingxi.


    Mingxi stretched a happy smile and looked at him.


    Fu Yangxi twisted his head quickly as if he was electrocuted and returned to his cold look. ¡°Um, let''s do this then. I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow.¡±


    Mingxi thought, eating together would also be considered a date. Thus, she quickly agreed without hesitation, "Okay!"


    Fu Yangxi looked at her in surprise.


    Why did Little Mask agree so cheerfully?!


    Fu Yangxi''s head became hot, almost thinking that Zhao Mingxi liked him again.


    But after absorbing the experience from what happened last time, he no longer dared to think about it so easily.


    Anyway, as long as she doesn¡¯t like Shen Liyao, it¡¯s progress¡ª Fu Yangxi was already satisfied.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Fu Yangxi also felt a little stupid for saying this. He said twice in just 10 minutes that he was going to leave, but in the end he still stayed there. This was practically an open secret.


    He appeared shy as he took two steps back and walked out the door. Then, he waved to Zhao Mingxi. ¡°You don¡¯t have to send me off.¡±


    Mingxi''s "I will send you downstairs" immediately got swallowed back into her throat. He made sense. Would it be possible for Fu Yangxi, a 1.88 meters tall male, to encounter danger when he goes downstairs? If I send him down myself, my intentions would be too obvious.


    So Mingxi held back her shyness, pulled the door frame, nodded and said softly, "See you tomorrow."


    "See you tomorrow." Fu Yangxi waved to Zhao Mingxi, his heart feeling as if it had been dipped in candy. He didn''t forget to throw away the cake on the ground. He picked up the cake roughly and made a disgusted look. Then, he took two steps back while staring at her.


    As a result, he retreated to the stairway diagonally across from him. He stepped into thin air, and with a flash of his tall body, he almost fell.


    ¡°Fu¡ª¡±


    Mingxi was taken aback. However, Fu Yangxi stood up straight again with amazing balance.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi only felt embarrassed. He took one glance at Zhao Mingxi with a blushing face before he turned around and skipped downstairs.


    Mingxi stood by the door for a while. She calmed down her fast beating heart and rubbed her face which was stiff but at the same time sore from the constant smiling. Then, she closed the door and returned to the room.


    The first thing she did was to quickly open the present.


    She didn''t care about other people''s gifts. She squatted in the corner and opened Fu Yangxi''s big box first. When the big box opened, it revealed several small boxes. However, they were not too small¡ª The large ones were as big as a basketball and the small ones were so delicate that they were just the size of her palm.


    The boxes were not all the same. They were all tied with bows and the technique was similar to that of how Fu Yangxi tied her shoes.


    Did he tie it himself?


    When Mingxi guessed this, she couldn''t help licking her lips again.


    She counted. There were a total of 18 small boxes in the big box.


    After staring at it for several seconds, Mingxi chose one of the silk-blue boxes and took it out. Just holding it in her hand, Mingxi already felt like a hot potato. Her heart was pounding. She was about to open it, but she felt that there was no sense of ritual squatting here to open it, so she threw herself on the bed joyfully while holding the present.


    She untied the blue velvet silk ribbon on the box and smelled the faint fragrance inside.


    Is it perfume¡ª? Mingxi thought curiously.


    Then, she opened it.


    She discovered that it was a very delicate rattle used to amuse children.


    The scent was the woody sandalwood fragrance of the rattle.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi: ???


    What kind of gift is this? Why did he give me a rattle? I¡¯m 18 years old, not 3 years old!


    The expression on Mingxi''s face was a bit dull for a moment.


    However, she then found that the wooden bottom of the rattle seemed to be inscribed with something.


    It was a few English words.


    ¡®¡ªstream two years old.¡¯


    Mingxi didn''t understand what it meant for a while and subconsciously thought it was a trademark.


    She turned back to open the other small boxes in the big box and found that there were many other things inside, including a golden watch with engraved feathers, a pen, a hairpin for children and a transparent emerald bottle of perfume.


    Fu Yangxi may not be good at picking perfumes. It was not a girly perfume, but it exuded a light and cold fragrance, like a cello¡¯s tune streaming through the air after the rain. The name of the perfume was also called ¡®Cello Girl¡¯.


    The bottom of the perfume was engraved with several other English words.


    ¡®¡ªstream eighteen years old.¡¯


    Suddenly, a shocking revelation hit Mingxi. She immediately understood what Fu Yangxi had given.


    From the age of 1 to 18, he gave her a birthday gift for every year he missed.


    ¡­


    While Mingxi was holding the box, some subtle emotions indescribably smudged on the tip of her heart. It felt sour and itchy and she could clearly hear her heartbeat in this quiet room.


    Again and again.


    Heavily


    Like raindrops crackling down.


    ¡ªWhy would he give such a thoughtful gift?


    He can¡¯t possibly like¡ª


    Mingxi''s current mood was like an ant crawling to the tip of her heart, scratching the tip of her heart, making it feel itchy. However, the ant only scratched there and refused to fall.


    She didn''t dare to make such an arbitrary judgment.


    Even so, Mingxi knew that this was the most cared-for and happiest birthday she had ever had since she was born.


    She licked her lips and rolled on the bed while holding the perfume box. Her cheeks were still hot. She embarrassedly buried her face in the soft pillow and rolled for a while. Then, she took another deep breath, but the restlessness in her heart still did not calm down.


    I want to send him a message.


    I want to chat with him.


    Mingxi thought.


    Anyway, it''s already after 12am, so there¡¯s no way I can still revise. It''s better to ask him if he is home and just have a quick chat.


    Mingxi glanced at the set of exercises spread out on the table next to her. Her heart was filled with guilt while she thought so and fished for the phone.


    There was a mess of words in her head.


    And while she didn''t know what to post and was typing all the time.


    A message was sent from the other.


    ¡ªHurry up and go to bed.


    Mingxi was taken aback and felt extremely ashamed. Could it be that I was caught while typing? The question is how could Fu Yangxi know that I was typing? Unless he was staring at the phone!


    Ahhhhh, Mingxi covered her face. She didn''t dare to look at the phone anymore, so turned off the phone in a hurry and plunged her head into the pillow.


    It¡¯s so warm.


    Her heart was beating too fast.


    At the other side.


    Fu Yangxi, who had been holding his phone, fell off the sofa and quickly got up.


    There was no one nearby, so the corners of his mouth rose to the sky unscrupulously.


    He just sat on the ground while staring at the phone. He waited for Zhao Mingxi to send something back¡ª What did she want to say just now that she was constantly on typing mode?


    ¡­


    In the end, Little Mask did not send a message on this night.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    The next day, Fu Yangxi, who had developed a pair of panda eyes, went to the bar to pour water in vain steps and turned on the phone to start searching:


    ¡ª"Hurry up and go to bed", are these four words so direct that it will annoy girls?

 CH 46

    Mingxi didn''t know that when she went to celebrate her birthday with Fu Yangxi, He Yang and Dong Shen, the Zhao family had actually been here.


    Regarding Mingxi¡¯s birthday, the Zhao family felt very complicated about it. They didn¡¯t know how they could get together with Zhao Mingxi and mend the cracks when they had broken up to this point¡ª She should not be willing to celebrate her birthday with them now.


    Therefore, on Mingxi¡¯s birthday, when the Zhao family ate in the morning, the air pressure on the dining table was very low.


    Everyone knew that today was Zhao Mingxi¡¯s birthday, but looking at the empty spot on the table, everyone fell silent. They mechanically stirred the porridge in the bowl, not knowing what to say or what to do.


    Zhao Yuning had stayed in the hotel for more than half a month and never went home. But because Zhao Yuan went to the training camp and she won''t be back for another 10 days or so, he was still taken home by Zhao Zhanhuai, who had half threatened and half coaxed him back. It was impossible for the Zhao family to really let him, a 15 to 16 year old child, stay outside for a long time.


    However, the first condition that Zhao Yuning made for agreeing to go home and live was to raise a stray cat he found near the hotel.


    Zhao Yuan was allergic to cat hair and was prone to itching and eczema. Although Zhao Yuan''s actions not long ago caused the loss in Zhao Zhanhuai''s company, it was impossible for Madam Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai and Mr Zhao to take Zhao Yuan''s health lightly out of anger.


    So Mr and Mrs Zhao discussed it in private and planned to agree to Zhao Yuning¡¯s request first. They would let him bring the cat back to keep it for around 10 days. When Zhao Yuan comes back, they will take advantage of his carelessness to send the cat away. Take it as a buffer strategy.


    Zhao Yuning still didn¡¯t know that other people in the family were thinking of fooling him and thought they had really allowed him to keep a cat, so he excitedly took his friend to the pet shop and bought a cat litter box, cat litter, very high-end automatic drinking fountains and automatic feeding machines. Then, he set up a nest for his Xiao Mei on the third floor of the villa.


    He had something to do for the past two days, so he stayed on the third floor of the villa and didn''t come down.


    When he was eating in the morning, he was covered with cat fur. He looked at the empty place opposite him, feeling suddenly lost. Now there were cats, but the person who kept the cats secretly with him was no longer there.


    Zhao Mingxi will not pick up food for him nor will she play games with him in the middle of the night anymore.


    Zhao Yuning felt lonely. In addition to losing an older sister, he also lost an important playmate.


    Zhao Yuning suddenly counted the days, only to realize that Zhao Mingxi hadn''t been home for more than two months. If converted into a year, then it was a quarter of a year. After so long, the family finally realized that Zhao Mingxi would never be back in a short period of time.


    Even if Zhao Yuning didn''t want to accept it, he could only admit this reality.


    He kept a cat these few days, thinking that he could divert his attention and won''t think about it again. However, he never expected that although Zhao Mingxi had only been here for two years, there were traces of her everywhere in the house¡ª including the light blue cushion on her chair. Zhao Yuning saw that she was no longer sitting on her light blue cushion and there was no longer tableware placed in her seat. He felt very uncomfortable.


    Zhao Yuning said nothing.


    Madam Zhao had not been able to eat or sleep well recently. She seemed to have aged further and was not in the mood to speak.


    Zhao Mo was not home.


    Zhao Zhanhuai ate in a bad mood. He had to go to the company as soon as possible after breakfast to solve the mess that had happened a while ago.


    Only Mr Zhao looked at the newspaper and at Mingxi''s empty seat. He was very upset. ¡°If I remember correctly, today is Mingxi''s birthday. Do you all have any ideas?¡±


    "She doesn''t recognize us and refuses to come home. How else can we celebrate her birthday?" Madam Zhao said in a numb voice, feeling weak when she spoke, as if she was about to die at any time. ¡°What she hates most right now, I¡¯m afraid, is me.¡±


    She thought about her failure as a mother. Zhao Yuning didn''t like her and Mingxi hated her.


    It seemed that only Zhao Yuan was close to her¡ª But thinking of this made Madam Zhao even more heartbroken. What¡¯s the use of being close to her if she is not my biological child?


    What if Zhao Yuan finds her biological parents one day and leaves us for her biological parents?


    Won¡¯t I lose everything?


    After discovering that Zhao Yuan was not her biological child three years ago, they never tried to find Zhao Yuan''s biological parents.


    At that time, Mr Zhao suggested finding them.


    Because Mr Zhao was a more traditional man, he was more inclined to a blood-related relationship. She was not his own daughter, so wasn¡¯t he raising a daughter for others?


    It was also he who insisted on finding Zhao Mingxi.


    However, Madam Zhao at the time couldn''t bear to let Zhao Yuan go, so she cried and clamored to prevent Mr Zhao from looking for Zhao Yuan''s biological parents.


    Then, the matter was never spoken of again.


    "Don''t say such depressing words." Mr Zhao frowned. ¡°A blood-related relationship can never be broken.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, ¡°She is just a little girl training outside alone. It must be very hard for her. We must celebrate her birthday with her. She has grown up and is 18 years old, but we have only spent two birthdays with her.¡±


    With that last sentence, the four people at the table went silent.


    ¡­


    If it weren''t for his reminder, they almost forgot that for Zhao Mingxi¡¯s whole life, she had only received birthday wishes for two years.


    In the first year, she cried due to Zhao Mo¡¯s bullying.


    The next year, Zhao Yuan''s friends came and she had an argument with them, which was not a pleasant memory.


    Mr and Mrs Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning suddenly felt very sorry for Zhao Mingxi.


    While Zhao Yuan grew up carefree, learning piano, painting, riding and various talents, she waited for adoption in that small place and was trapped by poverty with her grandmother. When Zhao Yuan fell and had a group of family members taking turns to hug and comfort her, she could only get up silently by herself. Every birthday, Zhao Yuan¡¯s family and a group of friends would give a lot of gifts. When the gifts were so many that she had to open them for a few days, Mingxi probably only had an extra bowl of longevity noodles every year...


    Before this, they rarely thought about it.


    Because when Mingxi first came, she seemed to be dressed decently, not as if she had suffered a lot. Her grandmother was also good enough to her and she had no worries about food and clothing.


    Although they felt guilty, they were more unfamiliar.


    Although they had the mentality of compensation at the beginning, after a long time, they forgot that Mingxi was only found in the middle of the way.


    However, now several people were wondering whether the reason why Mingxi was so concerned about her grandmother who adopted her at the time was because the two depended on each other a lot¡ª Even the more decent clothes when she came. Would she also have used the little money she earned from working during the winter and summer vacations to buy them?


    They did not dare to think in further detail.


    The more they thought about it, the more miserable their hearts felt.


    "I''m so sorry to Mingxi jie." Zhao Yuning buried his head. Suddenly, big tears fell down his cheeks. "At that time, I didn''t know that she wanted to participate in the chemistry competition. I saw the participation form on her table. Anyway, she was in a normal class and her grades were not good, so she didn''t need it, so I took it to Zhao Yuan jie."


    "Later, Zhao Mingxi lost her temper and didn''t play with me. I felt a little guilty, but I didn''t apologize because of my temper. I didn''t think that now¡ª"


    Unexpectedly, now that I want to apologize, I don''t even have that chance anymore.


    Zhao Yuning started crying as he talked, getting all choked up. In the end, he dropped his chopsticks and went back to the room.


    There was dead silence on the dining table.


    Zhao Yuning said he was sorry to Zhao Mingxi, but who out of them didn¡¯t feel apologetic to Zhao Mingxi?


    There were so many things they could think of.


    It''s all small things.


    However, after the person left, these things were like tiny thorns which pricked the heart from time to time. It led them to think suddenly, could it be that these little things have become the straw that pressed on Mingxi and the straw had accumulated so much that she completely went away?


    Mr Zhao stood up, walked to the window and took a smoke. Then, he said, ¡°When Mingxi had just come back, one day she and Yuanyuan came back from school, and when I came back from a business trip, I subconsciously picked up Yuanyuan. She should have been pretty sad at the time.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said in embarrassment, ¡°I used to act unreasonably as well. I only picked up Yuanyuan every weekend."


    Madam Zhao had an even longer list.


    She stared at the barely eaten breakfast in front of her, unable to swallow, and her eyes went red.


    *


    A lot of things happened on this day at the same time. E Xiaoxia received a call from her uncle from the hospital to inform her that the result of the DNA test had come out.


    In the sample she sent, the male and the two females were not related by blood.


    As for the DNA identification of the two women, it showed that they were in a mother-daughter relationship.


    E Xiaoxia couldn''t believe her ears. She was so surprised that her hands were shaking. "How is this possible? Uncle, are you not mistaken?"


    She originally thought that Zhao Yuan was at most a stepsister to Zhao Yuning. Zhao Yuan might be an illegitimate daughter, but she never expected that she had no blood relationship with them at all???


    What''s going on?


    And why is there a blood relationship between Zhao Yuan and that nanny? Is he sure about this?


    "Xia Xia, who¡¯s sample did you send me?¡± Her uncle said on the phone, ¡°I asked my colleague who has been working in this field for more than 10 years to do the test, how could something go wrong?¡±


    E Xiaoxia couldn''t hear what her uncle was saying anymore.


    She almost couldn''t hold the phone firmly. She was completely shocked, as if she had lost her voice. After finally coming back to her senses, she swallowed her saliva nervously and hurriedly said to her uncle, ¡°Uncle, please make a copy of the original identification result and send me both the original and the copy. Please send the electronic version to me as well. It is very important to me.¡±


    How could it not be important?


    E Xiaoxia faintly felt that she had discovered a great secret of the Zhao family.


    She had to think about how to deal with it.


    E Xiaoxia hung up the phone and sat down on the ground, still unable to recover from the shock.


    She now slowly remembered Zhao Yuan''s series of weird reactions before-


    Two years after Zhao Mingxi came to the Zhao family home, when she said that Zhao Mingxi must look mediocre under the mask, Zhao Yuan''s face went stiff.


    When she mentioned that Zhao Mingxi was totally rejected by Zhao Yuan''s family members, Zhao Yuan stopped her and told her not to talk so casually, though she looked relieved. Now that she thought about it, E Xiaoxia seemed to realize that there was still a faint hint of worry hidden in that expression...


    ¡­


    Also, it''s no wonder that Zhao Yuan''s feelings for Zhao Zhanhuai were very delicate.


    If the two were not siblings, E Xiaoxia would have thought that Zhao Yuan liked her elder brother! E Xiaoxia had also ridiculed Zhao Yuan about the matter of the brother complex.


    But now that I think about it, isn¡¯t it an outright crush¡ª?!


    So does Zhao Yuan actually know that she is not a part of the Zhao family? Does everyone in the Zhao family know?


    Also, does the Zhao family know that Zhao Yuan and Zhang Yufen are related by blood?!


    ¡ªThey probably don¡¯t know!


    Otherwise, why did Zhao Yuan and other Zhao family members treat Zhang Yufen just as an ordinary nanny every time I went to the Zhao family¡¯s house?


    Zhao Mingxi came back more than two years ago. The Zhao family said she was another daughter who was in poor health and had been raised in the country when she was a child.


    However, not many people in this circle believed that, including the E family. They all wondered whether she was the illegitimate daughter of Mr Zhao.


    Nonetheless, she never expected that this might be a plot of having picked up the wrong child?!


    E Xiaoxia was so surprised by this family that her brain buzzed.


    If everyone in school found out that Zhao Yuan, the ever so delicate School Beauty, was just a fake who occupied the real child¡¯s place, and that Zhao Mingxi, who has been squeezed out, was supposed to be the real one who should have known them since childhood and praised as a princess in their circle.


    Friends, resources, family, money and identity should have all belonged to Zhao Mingxi.


    ¡ªWhat would the people in school think? OMG!


    *


    Meanwhile, over here.


    After the Zhao family made a decision, once Zhao Zhanhuai came back from the company in the evening, the family drove a large SUV with custom-made cakes and some gifts they bought in the trunk and set off to the training place where Zhao Mingxi was.


    Zhao Zhanhuai drove, Zhao Mo wore a cap and sat in the passenger seat while Mr and Mrs Zhao and Zhao Yuning were in the back seat.


    To some extent, Zhao Mingxi''s break with his family caused the Zhao family, who had always found it difficult to gather together, to finally get together for once and work together to do a certain thing.


    But when they went, Zhao Mingxi was no longer in the training hotel.


    After asking the front desk and a student, they found out that Zhao Mingxi was away celebrating her birthday with her friends.


    Because they didn''t know where she went and didn''t install a tracker in her mobile phone, the Zhao family had to park the car in the underground garage, open a suite in the hotel and wait on the sofa.


    Speaking of Fu Yangxi, the Zhao family were a little puzzled.


    "Does that prince like Mingxi jie? Otherwise, why did he beat er ge on Mingxi jie¡¯s behalf last time?"


    Zhao Mo was extremely annoyed when he heard Fu Yangxi''s name. ¡°Zhao Yuning, please explain what you mean by the boy surnamed Fu hitting me? It¡¯s obvious that we were fighting each other and I also gave him quite a few wounds, alright? Not to mention that group of boys were bullying the weak with numbers!¡±


    Mr Zhao glanced at the wall clock and his face turned a bit ugly. ¡°It''s already past 10pm. Why isn¡¯t Mingxi back yet? She can¡¯t be dating, is she?! Puppy love before she turns 18. Even if the kid has a lot of money, it won¡¯t do! No, I have to look for her.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai quickly stopped his father.


    "Dad, calm down, even if she is dating right now¡ª" Zhao Zhanhuai paused and said, "We can''t control her anymore."


    "It will only worsen the already rigid relationship."


    When this was said, there was dead silence in the suite and they all fell silent again.


    The Zhao family did not see Zhao Mingxi come back even after half past eleven.


    After waiting for more than five hours, Madam Zhao, who was the most overwhelmed, looked faintly pale. She tiredly lay on the sofa.


    Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai couldn''t help but go out to look for them again. They waited at the entrance of the hotel for a while.


    When they went out, they ran into Zhao Yuan and her group of friends who came back after eating supper.


    Zhao Yuan was stunned. "Dad, big brother, why are you here?"


    In order to celebrate Zhao Mingxi''s birthday, they specially reserved a room, but Zhao Yuan had not been notified yet.


    Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai were a little embarrassed, so they only nodded to her.


    Zhao Yuan''s first reaction was that they had come to visit her in the training camp, but then she remembered that today was Zhao Mingxi''s birthday, so her joy disappeared immediately.


    But Pu Shuang and the other friends beside Zhao Yuan didn''t know that today was Zhao Mingxi''s birthday. After all, they all thought Zhao Mingxi and Zhao Yuan¡¯s birthdays were on October 14th.


    So when they saw Zhao Yuan''s family, they subconsciously thought that they were here for Zhao Yuan.


    The girls were very enthusiastic and said to Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°Uncle, brother, would you like to have supper with us? Yuanyuan will treat you today.¡±


    But Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai recognized Pu Shuang and the other girl. According to the boy they spoke to today, the two girls threw Zhao Mingxi¡¯s school bag, pencil case, test papers and other things into the trash. Then, Zhao Mingxi had a big fight with them and was scolded by Mr Jiang.


    When they heard that, several members of the Zhao family were so angry that they couldn''t speak.


    However, they never expected that when something like this happened, Mingxi didn''t tell her family, nor did Zhao Yuan.


    If it hadn''t been for the friends around Xiao Shen, they wouldn''t know.


    Moreover, now, Zhao Yuan and Pu Shuang were still talking and laughing while coming back from outside.


    Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai looked at Zhao Yuan with extremely ugly expressions.


    Zhao Yuan didn''t know that her family knew what happened this afternoon. She didn''t respond and she couldn''t help asking, "Dad, brother, what''s the matter?"


    At this moment, Zhao Yuning, Madam Zhao and Zhao Mo just came out of the hotel.


    Zhao Yuning saw Pu Shuang and the other girl at a glance and anger took over his brain immediately. He rushed up and cursed, ¡°F*ck, Yue Teng was talking about you both this afternoon, right? You two still have the audacity to stand here? How did you both bully Zhao Mingxi? Come out with the truth now!!¡±


    Pu Shuang and several other girls were suddenly shocked, their faces pale.


    Could it be that Zhao Yuan''s family didn''t come for Zhao Yuan, but to teach them a lesson on behalf of Zhao Mingxi for what happened in the afternoon?


    But isn¡¯t this too much?! The whole family is here?!


    Isn¡¯t it known that the Zhao family only dotes on Zhao Yuan and doesn¡¯t care much about Zhao Mingxi?

 CH 47.1

    Pu Shuang didn''t think that Zhao Mingxi''s parents would come just for this. She shrank and defended, ¡°This is not what you think it is. We were just joking among friends."


    Zhao Yuning became even more angry. ¡°Joking with my friends? Then am I joking with you if I throw you into a smelly ditch?! Would you like to give it a try?¡±


    As Zhao Yuning spoke, he angrily came over and pulled Pu Shuang.


    Although Zhao Yuning was young, he was still a boy. With a bit of brute force, he really pulled Pu Shuang into the smelly ditch next to the hotel.


    Pu Shuang stepped one foot on empty air while the other stepped into the ditch. The cold and smelly sensation immediately spread from her toes.


    Angry and anxious, she gave Zhao Yuning a push. ¡°Zhao Yuning, what are you doing? We know each other!¡±


    Zhao Yuning said angrily, ¡°Yes, you also know that we know each other. If I had known that you took the lead in bullying Zhao Mingxi, would I still have let you in my home?¡±


    Seeing that the two children were about to fight, Mr Zhao thought of how indecent it would be for a boy and a girl to fight at the entrance of a hotel, Mr Zhao scowled. "Enough!"


    Pu Shuang pushed Zhao Yuning away angrily and came up from the ditch. She was supported by two girls on each side and barely stood firm.


    Mr Zhao stared at Pu Shuang and said, ¡°You¡¯re Pu Shuang, right? I''ll talk to your homeroom teacher later. Did you really think that Zhao Mingxi is without family? Do you know that this is called school violence?! And you would even dare call this a joke. Should older students like you be playing this sort of joke?!¡±


    Pu Shuang''s face went pale immediately.


    Before she and another girl did this, she didn''t expect the Zhao family to come. Today is not a special day. Why did the Zhao family come over? What''s more, it''s just a matter of throwing a school bag, and there was barely any conflict. Didn''t Zhao Mingxi already execute revenge?


    ¡ªCould it be that Zhao Mingxi told her family about this little thing? She would never tell them before.


    If Zhao Mingxi''s father really talks to Ye Bing, the homeroom teacher, then wouldn''t I be asked to bring my parents over as well?


    Her family has always been strict. If her family knew about it, she would have to be punished!


    Pu Shuang was so flustered that she quickly looked at Zhao Yuan.


    If it were not for Zhao Yuan, Zhao Mingxi and she would have no grievances with each other. She would not do such a thing.


    Zhao Yuan''s heart was beating even harder. Irritability and anxiety came to her heart together. While resenting Pu Shuang''s inability to use her mind and dragging her through the mud as well, she was angry and anxious at the same time. Why did her family make such a fuss about a small matter? Now all her classmates were watching and knew that her family valued Zhao Mingxi¡ª Maybe it will be passed around the school tomorrow that she has fallen out of favor at home.


    Zhao Yuan''s first reaction was to clear up the relationship with Pu Shuang, although it meant disposing of her friend to protect herself. She immediately panicked to Mr Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai, Madam Zhao and Zhao Mo. ¡°What happened?!¡±


    Then, she turned to Pu Shuang in shock. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the classroom this afternoon. You threw Mingxi''s school bag in the trash can? Shuang Shuang, how could you do this?¡±


    Pu Shuang and the other three girls: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Yuan changed her attitude so quickly that it made their brains buzz and they couldn''t respond at once.


    Just when they couldn''t react, Zhao Yuan quickly stood behind Mr Zhao and said to Pu Shuang with an ugly expression, ¡°You need to apologize to Mingxi. If you do this again in the future, we will no longer be friends.¡±


    When the Zhao family saw that Zhao Yuan didn''t know about it, their expressions looked a little better.


    If she knew and allowed her friends to bully Mingxi¡ª then she really wasn''t the Zhao Yuan they knew.


    Only Zhao Yuning and Zhao Mo couldn¡¯t believe that Zhao Yuan had nothing to do with this matter.


    Zhao Mo crossed his arms and stroked his chin. He looked at Zhao Yuan''s expressions and movements. No matter how he looked, he felt like she was performing. This acting was a bit clumsy. If she really didn¡¯t know, why is she panicking?


    "Liar!" Zhao Yuning pointed at Zhao Yuan. He turned to Madam Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai and the others. ¡°Dad, Mom, last time I said she lied about Zhao Mingxi in front of the teacher of the Literature Department in order to steal the opportunity of becoming the host. You guys didn''t believe it. This time you should¡ª¡±


    Zhao Yuan interrupted Zhao Yuning, ¡°Yuning, now is not the time to turn over old accounts and bring up our previous conflicts.¡±


    She turned around, furrowed her eyebrows at Pu Shuang and said, ¡°If I knew you were going to do this behind my back, I wouldn¡¯t have left the classroom in the afternoon. No wonder Mingxi looked angry when I came back and I still didn¡¯t know why.¡±


    Pu Shuang and the others were dumbfounded: "..."


    Zhao Yuan thought, I¡¯m also trying to protect myself, I have no other choice.


    Mr Zhao''s face was terribly cold. He said, "Forget it, we¡¯ll let it be for now! I will definitely talk to your homeroom teacher about this. There are still a few days left in the training camp, so you kids don''t cause any more trouble!¡±


    Pu Shuang felt aggrieved. Tears were about to fall after the lecture by Mr Zhao. She wiped her eyes, turned and rushed into the hotel.


    The other girls looked at each other and followed in.


    "You should also go back and rest. We¡¯ll talk about it when you go home after the training camp." Mr Zhao frowned and looked at Zhao Yuan.


    The more she spoke, the more were the chances of making a mistake, hence Zhao Yuan didn''t dare to say anything. She lowered her head and made a noise of agreement before turning into the hotel.


    After Zhao Yuan left, the Zhao family couldn''t help but turn their heads to look at her back.


    They didn¡¯t know if it was their misperception, but recently, Zhao Yuan has become very different from before.


    If it was because Mingxi left home and they focused all their attention on Mingxi so she felt unhappy and wanted to fight for favor, they could understand. But based on their memories, Zhao Yuan was empathetic. At best she would act like a baby for this, complaining with a few words¡ª


    But now, why were this series of incidents excluding Zhao Mingxi all related to Zhao Yuan?


    Or maybe, Zhao Yuan''s nature was not as flawless as they thought.


    ¡­


    The Zhao family waited for five to six hours today. They didn''t even see Zhao Mingxi. Their mood was originally bad, but now because of this incident, their mood got even worse. They began to doubt themselves. Their biological child was forced away for a child who was not related by blood. Was it because they had a hole in their brains?


    Mingxi and Fu Yangxi came back from the back entrance of the hotel.


    The Zhao family waited almost all night and still couldn¡¯t see Zhao Mingxi. One could imagine how tormenting the mood was that night.


    Later, they couldn''t stand it anymore.


    Madam Zhao had a splitting headache and took a painkiller in the car. Zhao Zhanhuai also had to get up early to go to work tomorrow.


    As a last resort, Mr Zhao left the gift at the front desk of the hotel and asked the front desk to hand it over to Zhao Mingxi tomorrow. Then, they drove the car and left the same way they came.


    However, on the way back, the atmosphere in the car became even more depressing.


    *


    When Zhao Yuan returned to the hotel room, Pu Shuang came over and argued with her.


    ¡°I want to ask you something. Didn¡¯t you know that I was going to throw Zhao Mingxi¡¯s school bag? It¡¯s because you choked up and cried the night before, saying that your family only cares about Zhao Mingxi recently and they¡¯re all ignoring you, that¡¯s why I did it on your behalf! Before I threw it, I talked to the person next to you in a low voice. You heard me too. You said you shouldn¡¯t be involved in this, so you went out¡ª Was this what you meant when you said, ''we¡¯re doing this behind your back''?¡±


    "Zhao Yuan, how can you be so shameless?" Pu Shuang finally scolded this sentence.


    She finally understood why E Xiaoxia used to say that Zhao Yuan was hiding behind them, making them charge into battle. Because they were good friends, they always protected Zhao Yuan. They felt that it was Zhao Mingxi''s fault. An ¡®illegitimate girl¡¯ dared to disrespect Zhao Yuan, so they wanted to help Zhao Yuan teach Zhao Mingxi a lesson.


    But now.


    ¡°We¡¯re sisters when you need us, but when you don¡¯t need us, you¡¯ll ask us to leave, right? It''s funny to see us being used and ordered around by you, isn''t it?¡±


    "Calm down." Zhao Yuan frowned and looked at other rooms in the corridor. "There are still many people on our floor. Do you want to wake Mr Jiang up?"


    Pu Shuang couldn''t calm down. She was extremely angry. Seeing Zhao Yuan''s unaffected expression, she felt that she had wrongly devoted her sincerity.


    ¡°From now on, you¡¯re on your own.¡¯'' Pu Shuang slammed the door after she entered the room.


    She will never help Zhao Yuan again.


    Zhao Yuan watched her enter the room and slam the door. She looked agitated and her heart felt as if it was being held down by an invisible boulder.


    Friends, family, she was losing these things one by one.


    But why does Zhao Mingxi have everything?


    ¡ªAll this happened because Zhao Mingxi ran away from home.


    That¡¯s when the family began to pay attention to her.


    Zhao Yuan bit her lip and turned to enter the room. She turned on the computer and downloaded an application form for school residency.


    As if no one else knows how to run away from home.


    Zhao Yuan believed that in the same way, the Zhao family would not allow herself to live outside. Although there was no blood relationship, there was still a basis formed based on the relationship for the past 15 years. Besides, her biological parents couldn¡¯t be found just yet. The Zhao family knew that she only had them.


    *


    Mingxi didn''t know what happened here.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next morning when she got up that she found out that the Zhao family had left her a gift at the front desk of the hotel. The receptionist stopped her and handed the gift to her.


    Of course, Mingxi didn''t even look at it.


    Two hours later, these gifts were delivered back to the Zhao family¡¯s home by the hotel''s front desk courier in the same city.


    The Zhao family was still eating breakfast in a bad mood. Madam Zhao heard the doorbell and asked the nanny to pick up the courier. Seeing that these birthday gifts were returned intact, she almost had a heart attack.


    They called and asked the front desk what was going on. The receptionist replied with embarrassment, ¡°Miss Zhao asked us to tell you that such late family affection is worth even less than grass. Instead of wasting your time looking for her, you might as well live in harmony with Zhao Yuan. Otherwise, you just might lose both of them."


    "Also." The receptionist paused before continuing, ¡°She said that because these are merely waste, you will have to pay for the delivery.¡±


    Madam Zhao saw that the courier at the door was still waiting for them to settle the courier fee.


    The string of crystal bracelets that Madam Zhao gave to Mingxi and was especially cherished by Mingxi at the time was also directly returned.


    Waste???


    The whole family at the table: "..."


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the situation left them dizzy.


    *


    Mingxi took the dried test papers and other things, brought them to the classroom and started doing questions all morning.


    During the intermittent period, she glanced at her plants and found that there were more than six small trees. If they were converted into small shoots, it would be 325 shoots.


    They grew neatly in that small palm-sized pot. The greenery was really cute.


    She could take a look and relax her eyes whenever she was tired of doing the questions.


    As the plants grew, Mingxi could sense that she was feeling less and less restrained. There were fewer cases of mental decline when the brain would be suddenly blocked when doing questions¡ª But although they were rare, they still occasionally exist.


    For example, for the question she just did, her thoughts were smooth and the answer on the draft paper was correct, but at the last step, the answer that fell on the test paper changed a number.


    If this was a real Tournament exam, she would lose 10 points all at once.


    Mingxi didn''t know if other characters would start to improve their IQs with the growth of their plants and would no longer be affected by Zhao Yuan''s heroine halo.


    She couldn¡¯t be bothered with such things. She had to solve her own problems first.


    The preliminary competition was about to take place in a few days. Her top priority now was to let the plants grow again as much as possible.


    This way she would have a greater chance of reaching the finals.


    And Mingxi hasn''t forgotten her bet with Pu Shuang, whoever gets poorer results will drop out.


    So Mingxi clicked on the system that hadn''t appeared for a long time: "The growth of my potted plants has slowed down recently, probably because I have already done everything I can. Is there any way to make it grow faster?"


    Seeing that she was on the right track, the system took a part-time job to help more impoverished girls. It took a while to respond: "Have you done what I asked you to do?"


    Skin contact, hugs.


    It was indeed done either deliberately or by coincidence.


    Mingxi''s face was a little embarrassed at the mention of such things. She scratched her cheek and said softly: "Yeah."


    The system said: "Then only kisses are left."


    Mingxi subconsciously uttered an "Okay". When she came back to her senses, her face flushed instantly. "Huh???"


    What the hell???


    K-Kiss???


    The system said: "According to the rules, the reader will get excited the first time you hold his hand. But when you hold his hand a second time, the reader¡¯s feelings will be diminished. However, if you slam the other''s lips with your lips, the reader will get excited again. The rule of thumb is natural¡ª and note that it is best to have a kiss where the director can get a shot at every angle. It shouldn¡¯t just be a peck. Then the increased luck will be even more abundant.¡±


    "Of course, it depends on whether you want it or not. If you don''t want to, you can still deliver desserts slowly and do little things to slowly grow buds, but as compared to how it was in the beginning, these things basically can''t grow much luck anymore."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Is it really okay for the system to say the word ¡®kiss¡¯ so calmly in such a mechanical voice?!


    System: "It''s okay, I can understand your reluctance. After all, kissing someone you don''t like is really a psychological barrier."


    Mingxi''s pen made a heavy cut on the draft paper. Her heart was beating loudly. I¡­ I guess I can do it.


    Before the system finished speaking, it heard this sentence in Mingxi''s heart: "..."


    ???


    What happened during the time I went to help other female side characters?!

 CH 47.2

    Because of such a reminder from the system, when Mingxi saw Fu Yangxi again, she had an unusually nervous feeling in her heart.


    And she couldn¡¯t help but to allow her eyes to fall upon his thin lips.


    Like a ghost, she imagined if there was any way she could kiss him by coincidence¡ª?


    Don¡¯t characters in TV dramas end up kissing easily due to a fall?


    But why is it that I will only break my leg if I trip on Fu Yangxi?


    Am I not standing tall enough?


    "Thank you." Fu Yangxi took the cheese and strawberry drink from the waiter of the milk tea shop. He put the straw in and handed it to Zhao Mingxi. Mingxi was still staring at him.


    It was a bit hot today. Fu Yangxi didn''t wear a jacket. The sleeves of his black sweater were rolled up, revealing enamel-like arms with beautiful lines. He was tall, his shoulders were broad and he was so very handsome. Many girls in line looked at him.


    Mingxi raised her head and her gaze fell on his chin and lips. Her eyelashes trembled slightly and the expression in her eyes began to change.


    "What''s the matter?" Fu Yangxi appeared nonchalant and cold. He looked like he could go on a runway at any time with one hand in his pocket. In reality, he was panicking internally and wanted to take out his phone on the spot and start searching: ¡®The girl said that she only thinks of me as her boss but she keeps staring at me. What''s going on?¡¯


    Fu Yangxi was almost acting narcissistic again.


    Control your thoughts.


    He began to analyze rationally.


    Is there something on my face or hair?


    Mingxi swallowed and instantly became sober.


    What am I thinking? It doesn''t matter if we hold hands or hug or something, if I suddenly go up on my tiptoes, Fu Yangxi will run away in an instant. He will probably get upset and beat me up.


    Mingxi took the milk tea and said, ¡°It''s nothing, it''s just that there¡¯s something in your hair.¡±


    Sure enough.


    Fu Yangxi was glad that he was not narcissistic this time.


    The two walked aside.


    Mingxi said, "Lower your head, I''ll pick it out for you."


    "Women are so troublesome." Fu Yangxi pulled a face, his expression saying, ¡®I don''t want others to touch my hair, but because you are the number one follower, I¡¯ll let you touch it.¡¯. He bent his head down ¡®unwillingly¡¯.


    Mingxi held the milk tea in one hand and lifted the other hand to pick off a handful of colored confetti from the shop on his short hair.


    She touched his hair while picking them out.


    Boys¡¯ hair is completely different from girls¡¯ hair. It was short and stiff, very stubborn, a bit like a hairy golden retriever looking up with teary eyes at her due to its wrongly cut hair.


    Mingxi couldn''t hold back and touched it with her hands.


    After she realized what she was doing, she quickly put down her hand and turned her head with a guilty conscience.


    Fu Yangxi wore an impatient look, but the tips of his ears were also red and he, too, turned his head.


    The air became humid and tense again.


    Mingxi said, "The teacher will talk about the exam in the afternoon. He reminded us to go early so I have to leave in half an hour."


    Fu Yangxi nodded and said coldly, ¡°You have to get back, no delays.¡±


    The two talked and started walking side by side in the direction of the hotel.


    Suddenly, Fu Yangxi took out a candied haw. Mingxi wondered if he took it out from his school bag or something


    Under the sun, the candied haws glowed with a shining luster.


    He held it quietly in his hand and handed it over.


    There was traffic outside the boulevard, but most of the noise was blocked by Fu Yangxi''s tall figure.


    Only silence and time were left flowing.


    The candied haws were wrapped in clean plastic paper and there was a layer of newspaper on the outside of the plastic paper. The exposed top was wrapped in honey syrup and the red external layer was golden. It looked both sour and sweet.


    "Here." Fu Yangxi placed one hand in his pocket and tilted his head to look at the traffic, as if he was simply handing it to Zhao Mingxi.


    Mingxi was excited for a moment. ¡°Where¡¯d you get it from?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, the driver who sent me here bought it for his son and accidentally bought an extra one.¡± Fu Yangxi waited for Zhao Mingxi to pick up the candied haw and put his other hand into his trouser pocket triumphantly. With a disgusted expression on his face, he said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to eat this kind of girly stuff, so I can only give it to you.¡±


    Mingxi tasted one and chewed a few times. She said with her mouth full, ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank your driver. How old is he? Is he handsome?¡±


    Fu Yangxi suddenly wanted to shake her shoulders. He said angrily, ¡°What are you thinking? Xiao Li is already married!¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    What was I thinking?


    I didn¡¯t think of anything!!


    "By the way, thank you for your gift. I like it very much." Mingxi held the candied haws and said, "Maybe I should give you a gift in return first."


    Mingxi was a little nervous when she said this and couldn''t help licking her lips.


    What she licked was naturally sweet syrup that was so sweet that it went straight to her heart.


    "Oh, what is it?" Fu Yangxi felt that giving gifts back was a bit odd and he wasn''t very happy, but since Little Mask insisted, he could only take it.


    On the green road at the entrance of the hotel, at noon, the sun fell on their faces, leaving a warm sting.


    Mingxi resisted the beating of her heart. She pretended to have simply rummaged through her jacket pocket and took out a crystal hair tie.


    Dark black, glowing with the luster of crow feathers, crystal clear in the sun.


    Of course, even so, it could be seen that it was a girl''s hair tie.


    Fu Yangxi thought that Little Mask wanted to tie her hair, but Little Mask asked him to spread out his hands. "This is a gift for you."


    Mingxi''s fingertips were on Fu Yangxi''s palm.


    As if a feather had swept over it lightly, Fu Yangxi''s palm was numb.


    Fu Yangxi: ???


    A hair tie?


    But his hair was so short that he didn¡¯t need to tie his hair.


    A girl¡¯s thoughts are really hard to understand.


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Mingxi felt that although Fu Yangxi has a bad and irritable temper, acting like a fried durian all day long and no girls would go after him, he was so handsome, so there must be many warblers around him¡ª including the Little Flying Chess.


    Although he wasn¡¯t aware of his feelings yet and she wasn¡¯t sure whether he liked her or not, according to Mingxi''s habit of doing things, she must first get ahead of others and take an oath of sovereignty to include him in her own possession.


    When other girls see him wearing a girl''s hair tie, they will know that he belongs to another and will not get close anymore.


    ¡ªEspecially that Little Flying Chess.


    "It''s nothing." Mingxi deceived him vaguely. ¡°It''s just a hair tie. I think it looks good, so I took it to a temple on the mountain and asked for it to be blessed. You can put it on. Wearing it is good for your luck."


    When Fu Yangxi heard that Zhao Mingxi made a special trip to consecrate an item for him on the mountain, his pale neck flushed pink. Although his face said ¡®What kind of girly stuff is this? It¡¯s a bit disgusting¡¯, he still wore it on his right hand.


    It was a bit girly indeed.


    A tall boy of 1.88 meters wearing such a small hair tie.


    But Mingxi couldn''t help laughing and was in a good mood. It felt that without Fu Yangxi''s knowledge, she had left the mark of ¡®this is my possession¡¯.


    "Then I''ll enter the hotel now. See you next week." Mingxi waved and entered the hotel.


    "Okay." Fu Yangxi also raised his hand and waved. He had to act until the very end. ¡°Hurry in, otherwise it¡¯ll delay my actual purpose of coming here.¡±


    After Zhao Mingxi entered, Fu Yangxi stood at the entrance of the hotel for a while and then walked back with the corners of his mouth raised.


    After a while, a black colored car drove over.


    He got in the car.


    After getting in the car, the driver couldn''t help but stare at the small hair tie on his right hand.


    What¡¯s going on?!!!


    Is Young Master dating someone?!


    "What are you looking at?" Although Fu Yangxi felt like wearing this gadget on his hand was far too girly, he still found it very precious. He quickly rolled his sleeves down to prevent Xiao Li from seeing it.


    But after he pulled his sleeves down, he couldn''t help showing off, so he pulled them up again.


    With a proud face, he handed his wrist to Xiao Li and said triumphantly, ¡°I know you want to see it, so I''ll just show it to you. Did you know that it¡¯s been blessed? You don¡¯t have one like this, huh?¡±


    Xiao Li: ¡°...¡±


    Oh, my silly Young Master.


    *


    The training camp was over quickly. Pu Shuang and the others didn¡¯t bring Mingxi any trouble after that one incident. As the competition and training became more and more intense, all 21 people in the team worked hard. They did not have the time to engage in those crooked ways.


    During the 10 days of training, the rest of the contestants have changed their impressions of Mingxi.


    When she first came, they felt that she got the place through backhanded means and she was not well-known in the competition circle. Her participation in the Tournament this time was most likely just for show.


    But they never expected that she could solve many problems in the training process, and her speed was not slower than that of Shen Liyao and the School Representative Team.


    So these people began to look at her differently.


    However, at this moment, these people have only changed their impressions initially. They conceded that she might have entered the Tournament with real skills, but they didn''t think she could really achieve any results in this competition¡ª After all, there was a huge number of professionals in the Hundred School Tournament.


    Even if she was strong, it was only the level of an ordinarily smart contestant.


    In this way, 10 days passed in the midst of the busy schedule.


    The group set off back to school.


    The day they went back to school was on a Tuesday.


    The bus slowly arrived at the school gate. It was 10am, the time for the second period.


    The students were all in the classroom. There was no one in school, with only a few teachers passing by occasionally.


    As the group walked towards the building of the three classes, they met several students who were on duty from the Evergreen Class and the International Class who were taking out the trash.


    Those on duty all looked over here and whispered to each other while covering their mouths.


    Those who came back from the training camp felt a little strange¡ª When they went to the training camp, their mobile phones were basically handed in, so they didn''t know what happened in school.


    Did we miss something?


    As they got closer and closer, some of the people returning from the training camp couldn''t help taking out their phones and going to the forum to see if something happened.


    After some reading, someone whispered, "F*ck!"


    "What happened?" someone asked.


    ¡°See for yourselves.¡±


    Zhao Yuan was walking to the door of the classroom. She glanced at Zhao Mingxi who was going upstairs from the corner of her eyes, wondering how to defeat her this time. Is it useful to run away from home? I''m afraid I¡¯ll have to do something before I run away from home.


    She suddenly felt something.


    Many people in the classroom looked up one after another. Their eyes were a little strange, with a kind of excitement of finding new, juicy gossip.


    They were looking at¡ª


    Me?


    ray''s note: dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn

 CH 48.1

    Zhao Yuan frowned and walked toward her seat. Her seat was in the third row and she had to walk past the podium.


    Lu Ye happened to be wiping the blackboard on the podium. He glanced down at her.


    Because of the mess up last time, Zhao Yuan felt even more annoyed about Lu Ye. She didn''t even want to go out with Lu Ye to watch that movie and became extremely indifferent to Lu Ye. During this period of time, Lu Ye had always been hesitant to get close to the goddess, but he didn''t dare to approach her.


    However, at this time, Zhao Yuan felt that his gaze was a little weird¡ª It was definitely not the eyes of an admirer, but some look of subtle disbelief and awakening.


    Zhao Yuan thought that this was another means to attract her attention, so she returned to her seat without looking at him.


    Miss Ye Bing, the homeroom teacher, came in quickly and briefly explained the next study arrangements. She reminded the students who participated in the training and preliminary competition to adjust themselves as soon as possible and return to their daily studies.


    Ye Bing has always spoken very fast, and she didn''t stop her eyes on any of her classmates.


    However, Zhao Yuan didn¡¯t know if it was her misperception, but she felt that when Miss Ye was looking at her, her gaze had clearly stopped, and then she hurriedly looked away two seconds later.


    ?


    Zhao Yuan''s heart skipped a beat suddenly. Her bad premonition became stronger and stronger.


    There were some small comments that reached her ears which seemed to be mixed with the word ¡®Zhao Yuan¡¯. Zhao Yuan looked over at them stiffly, but when she bumped eyes with some of her classmates on the right side, they were all avoiding her gaze.


    ¡­


    Her desk mate was Pu Shuang, but because the relationship between the two fell to a freezing point during the training camp, at this moment, Pu Shuang''s face was cold and she didn''t want to help her find out what happened.


    E Xiaoxia, who was not far away, kept looking at her from the corner of her eyes. Seeing her looking over, she quickly turned away.


    What happened? Why has everyone been staring at me ever since we came back from the training camp?


    Could it be that Lu Ye did something?


    It was a bit embarrassing to ask in person, so Zhao Yuan bit her lip and took out her phone to open the forum.


    Miss Ye Bing, who was still talking on the podium, saw her using her mobile phone in class. She hesitated and chose to close one eye to it.


    Zhao Yuan didn''t understand what happened at first, until she logged into the forum and saw the red headline hung on the top of the page.


    That post was really glaring. Because there were so many clicks and replies and it¡¯s always the top one, it¡¯s hard to not notice it at first glance.


    ¡®OP¡¯s relative works in the hospital. Here are the DNA results of the former School Beauty Zhao Yuan and a nanny from the Zhao family. Strange, why are the two people identified as mother and daughter?¡¯


    ???


    Zhao Yuan didn''t realize what it meant for a moment, but when she saw this title, her blood rushed to her forehead. She was unable to control her anger.


    Who is making this up?


    How can I be related to Zhang Yufen?!


    A nanny?!


    The main post was a DNA result.


    The comment section below had nearly tens of thousands of replies.


    There were more than 200 pages of comments in total, with various opinions.


    ¡ª"Is this for real? What can a mere DNA result tell? Can I just take two hairs from random strangers and say that they are in a parent-child relationship?"


    ¡ª"How much hatred is there between OP and Zhao Yuan?"


    At first, most people suspected that the DNA result was fake.


    However, most of the students in Middle School A and nearby schools were from wealthy families. Some of the students¡¯ parents were doctors and some of the students were very good at computers. They all went to authenticate the document.


    About 200 comments later, a second year male student from a family of doctors came out and affirmed the genuineness of the DNA result. It was really a DNA result from the hospital. It was completely compliant. Also a boy who was good at computers in a normal class of senior high school went to test it out. He said that there was no trace of this DNA result having ever been photoshopped!


    From here, some people gradually believed that the DNA result was genuine.


    But immediately someone asked: "Well, what if it is not Zhao Yuan and the so-and-so nanny at all, but someone just took the hair of herself and her mother in order to slander Zhao Yuan and used it to slander others? Isn¡¯t this too predictable?¡±


    After a while.


    A girl with a parent who has been reading the gossip and working in the Third Hospital couldn''t help but interject: ¡°I didn''t want to say it, but last weekend, the Third Hospital did have samples under the names Zhao Yuan and Zhang Yufen."


    As soon as these words came out, the entire forum almost exploded!


    The topic was completely pointed in an unpredictable direction!


    At the beginning, some people doubted the authenticity of the DNA result, but after 400 comments, almost most people believed that the DNA result was authentic. Even if it was mixed with the refuting voices of a few of Zhao Yuan''s suitors, it was quickly overwhelmed.


    Explosive discussions one after another:


    ¡ª"So what''s the situation? Is the former School Flower the illegitimate daughter of her father and the nanny?!!! I checked, several large and small companies in the Zhao family are actually quite famous in this city, they have quite a lot of assets! Zhao Yuan¡¯s father is called Zhao Hongzhi! God!! Does his wife and his staff know that he had an affair with the nanny and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter?!!!¡±


    ¡ª¡±I¡¯m replying to the comment above. Zhao Hongzhi''s wife must know, otherwise how could Zhao Yuan stay at home for so many years?¡±


    ¡ª"That''s awkward enough. To raise an illegitimate daughter for the nanny?¡±


    ¡ª"Assuming that the Zhao family knows that Zhao Yuan is an illegitimate daughter, then why is her elder brother so kind to her? People in our class have seen her elder brother drive over to pick her up before."


    ¡ª¡±To the person above me, you revealed that you are in the senior high school¡¯s Evergreen Class. Forget it, I won¡¯t scold you for dragging your classmate through the mud. After all, everyone is trying to get a piece of this juicy gossip. Who knows what''s going on? The Zhao family is so messed up.¡±


    ¡ª "I heard that Zhao Yuan''s second brother is still a D-list star. He¡¯s the one named Zhao Mo or something. If this happens, will it affect his career as an artist?"


    ¡ª"There is another question. Since the former School Beauty was born to the nanny and Zhao Hongzhi, why can the nanny named Zhang Yufen stay in Zhao''s house for so many years? (Don''t ask who I am. Zhao Yuan hosted a birthday party at home once, so everyone knows that Zhang Yufen was still working as a nanny at her house two months ago)"


    ¡ª"I still can''t help but sigh. That picture of the nanny looks so ugly. Zhao Hongzhi is worth more than 100 million at any rate, yet he really isn¡¯t picky at all!"


    ¡­


    The explosive remarks came one after another.


    Zhao Yuan learned about this only after returning from the training camp. The title of the post was posted three days ago, which meant that it had been a long time since the people in the school and nearby schools had seen this post and participated in the discussion.


    No wonder everyone''s eyes were a little strange when we just came in.


    Even the homeroom teacher was hesitant to talk.


    Zhao Yuan was embarrassed and angry. She didn''t dare to continue reading this post. Her heart was pounding with anger, her hand which was holding the phone was trembling and blood was rushing to her scalp. Her vision went black, anger and fear surged within her like a storm.


    The anger was because she was not an illegitimate child at all.


    The fear was because she was afraid of being discovered that she was actually not even a child of the Zhao family!


    But who did it?!


    Zhao Yuan was extremely angry. Ye Bing was still talking on the podium, but she suddenly stood up.


    "What''s wrong, Zhao Yuan? Sit down."


    "Everything said in the forum is not true!" Zhao Yuan''s heart was beating wildly as she shouted at the people in her class.


    She trembled all over and tears flowed down her eyes.


    Ye Bing calmly said to her, ¡°Zhao Yuan, why not go to the office with me and calm down a little? The school will resolve the matter on the forum.¡±


    When some people in the Evergreen Class who were whispering about the matter saw this, they all stopped gossiping among each other.


    Zhao Yuan looked so wronged. Could it be true that those things in the forum are just rumors?


    In the next second, Zhao Yuan grabbed her school bag and rushed out.


    Who else can do such a thing? Who else can hate me so much? It must be Zhao Mingxi!


    *


    As soon as Zhao Yuan ran out with red rimmed eyes, the Evergreen Class became agitated and the whole classroom was in an uproar.


    Ye Bing was afraid that something might happen to Zhao Yuan, so she hurried out.


    Because Ye Bing was not there, the whole class became more noisy and some people couldn''t help but rush upstairs. They saw Zhao Yuan going upstairs.


    "F*ck, I was so scared. This is the biggest gossip I¡¯ve heard in all my three years in high school."


    "Who released the DNA result on the forum? How much hatred does this person have against Zhao Yuan? Concocting such an outrageous thing!"


    "Do you think it''s a fabrication? I think it¡¯s very real. The OP was so rigorous and firm. But I don''t know why the Zhao family still raised Zhao Yuan at home when they knew that Zhao Yuan was an illegitimate child¡ª I don''t understand them! Anyway, it''s so messy and exciting!¡±


    "I also feel that 80% of that post is true. Have you heard about this? My dad went home last night and said that they have a project with Zhao Enterprise. This gossip also spread through the Zhao family¡¯s companies yesterday! Zhao Yuan¡¯s father should have known about it yesterday!"


    "??? How can a little thing from the school forum spread to that kind of big company?"


    "I heard someone posted a copy on the door of Zhao Yuan''s father''s company."


    ¡°...¡±


    Pu Shuang was dumbfounded amidst the noise in the classroom. She couldn''t help swallowing hard. In the chaos, she seemed to have noticed something¡ª So is this the reason why Zhao Zhanhuai did not come to pick up Zhao Yuan recently? Is it because she is an illegitimate daughter?


    But the explanation doesn''t make sense. What about Zhao Mingxi?


    ¡­


    While the school was in an uproar, Mr Zhao was also losing his temper at home.


    Last night, he felt that the eyes of the people at the front desk of the company when they called him "Mr Zhao" were a little different. Only when he went to the company this morning did he learn an explosive news that someone posted a paternity test at the entrance of the company yesterday.


    After several employees found out last night, they quickly tore it off the glass door of the building. However, the content of the DNA result was as if it had long legs, and it spread throughout the company this morning.


    Mr Zhao no longer wanted to recall how the assistant came in sweating profusely to tell him about this matter.


    He looked at the DNA result and his face went green! He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it to the ground!


    Mr Zhao was incoherent with anger, ¡°Who the hell did this?!¡±


    He asked the assistant, but the assistant didn''t know. The assistant quickly said, "I''ll go to the security department to check the cameras!"


    But the urgent task now was obviously not to check who deliberately posted a paternity test at the company¡¯s door, but to figure out whether the paternity test was true or not and find out what was going on.


    How could Zhao Yuan be related to Zhang Yufen?!


    Who is Zhang Yufen?


    Mr Zhao almost couldn''t recall who she was. When he remembered that it was the nanny he fired from his family who didn''t brush her teeth very often, his blood pressure almost skyrocketed!


    The assistant did not know whether to speak or not. He said, "The school forum where your child is studying seems to be discussing this matter, and the other party also posted a copy on the forum. Now they are all saying..."


    "What is it?" Mr Zhao was so angry that he walked around the office and smashed three cups.


    The assistant gave him a frightened look, but he still bit the bullet and said, ¡°They said that you and your nanny had an affair, that''s why Zhao Yuan was born. They also said that you are really not picky since you would even go for the nanny."


    "...How is this possible?!" Mr Zhao was so angry that his face was flushed. He was red all the way to the roots of his hair. He roared like a lion, ¡°Whoever continues to spread such baseless rumors will be driven out of the company!"


    However, these kinds of derailed rumors were the most talked about after tea. The morning was not over. Not only the employees of Zhao Hongzhi''s company knew it tacitly, even the people in the office building next door burst into laughter.


    The veins on Mr Zhao¡¯s forehead popped. When he drove home from the underground garage, two young white-collar workers from the company next door were still talking about this with coffee in their hands. "Really? The old boss in the next building?"


    As he talked, he laughed. "Is there a picture of the nanny? F*ck,  she looks like this? They say she¡¯s 50 years old, but it looks like she''s over 60, right? Of all people he chose to have an affair with the nanny at home. What a heavy taste he has!"


    ¡°...¡±


    Mr Zhao was about to have a heart attack. He slammed the car door shut, his eyes widening to the size of his fists.


    ray''s note: the drama omg

 CH 48.2

    "How can Zhao Yuan be Zhang Yufen''s child?! We haven''t noticed anything amiss for so many years!"


    The entire Zhao family was struck by lightning.


    This meant many things¡ª


    It may mean that the swapping of children back then was deliberately done! It may also mean that their child was deliberately abandoned and became an orphan who suffered and almost froze to death! The other party stuffed a daughter of their own who was completely irrelevant to them. She was fed, dressed and educated for many years. Even the other party has been working as a nanny in their house for so many years and has been very close to Zhao Yuan!


    The other party did not lose anything, and together with her child, they maliciously stole their child''s life!


    Whenever they thought that this possibility may be true, the Zhao family became disgusted and angry.


    Assuming this is true, then Zhang Yufen was the culprit, and they have raised the child of the culprit for 18 years! And because they loved the culprit¡¯s child too much, they forced their own children to break up with their families!


    Madam Zhao slumped on the side with a pale face. She had yet to fully process what was going on.


    "This is unbelievable." Zhao Zhanhuai frowned. "Who can think of such an imaginative scenario and spread it everywhere?¡±


    He was totally unable to think about the possibility of this extreme horror.


    "Where is Zhao Yuning?" Zhao Mo asked, "Does he know about this?"


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, "He doesn''t go on the forum very much, and the first and third years are also separated in school, so he probably doesn''t know. But Assistant Li said that three days ago, someone posted about this on the forum of his school. There¡¯s a lot of gossip now, so it¡¯s hard to guarantee that he hasn¡¯t found out already.¡±


    "What the hell is this?" Zhao Mo scratched his hair irritably. "Someone is talking about this in Weibo. My agent asked me to go back quickly, otherwise the reporter who is looking for me may come near our home. I can''t stay at home anymore.¡±


    Mr Zhao was angry like a volcano. He forced himself to calm down a little bit. "Then just go back to your company first! You will only cause trouble if you stay at home, and it won''t help!"


    Madam Zhao picked up the paternity test on the ground and slowly recovered her senses. She cried and asked, "So, Zhao Hongzhi, you bastard, you can¡¯t possibly have anything to do with Zhang Yufen¡ª¡±


    "No way!" Zhao Hongzhi was so enraged that he jumped up without a care for his image. "Even if I want to, I will find a tender model. Zhang Yufen is a nanny. How could I possibly have anything to do with her?! Do you know what the people outside are saying about me right now? Even the employees of my company are laughing at me behind my back, so don''t add to the mess with your silly implications at this time!"


    Zhao Zhanhuai was a little more rational. He said: "This matter is still unconfirmed. I am afraid that Dad''s company¡¯s competitors might have deliberately created such rumors to cause unrest. If we want to verify this, we have to send the hair strands of Zhang Yufen and Zhao Yuan to do a test. Zhao Mo, you go back to the company first. Wang jie*, take my mother upstairs to rest."


    Then he asked Mr Zhao, "Dad, how do you think this should be resolved now?"


    Zhao Zhanhuai couldn''t help taking in a deep breath. ¡°You can''t let the public opinion be anymore or your reputation will be ruined! How can I participate in the summit next month? I am far too embarrassed to participate!"


    ¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a small thing to be accused of having an affair with the nanny at home.


    The problem is, it¡¯s about Mr Zhao¡¯s reputation.


    He cheated with the nanny at home despite his old age. What will the people in their circle think?


    When discussing business and playing golf in the future, how would those middle-aged men laugh at him behind his back?


    There were also those groups of wives with an even looser tongue. Within two days, this matter would be spread all over their circle.


    "You must make a decision as soon as possible," Zhao Zhanhuai and the assistant said.


    Mr Zhao scratched his hair irritably.


    *


    E Xiaoxia sat in the classroom and watched absent-mindedly. She looked at how everyone was in turmoil, especially Zhao Yuan¡ª There was a feeling of having executed a successful revenge. She couldn''t help shaking her legs. She untied the earphone cord and put on her earphones.


    The next step was to watch the show.


    The reason why she only released the one that proved that Zhao Yuan and Zhang Yufen were biological mother and daughter but did not include the one showing that Zhao Yuan and Zhao Yuning were not siblings was because directors should always pay more attention to how the plot was to be pushed little by little.


    If I let everyone know that Zhao Yuan is not the daughter of the Zhao family, but the daughter of the nanny, the explosion would be finished all at once, then what else is there to watch?


    I must everyone mistakenly think that Zhao Yuan is the illegitimate daughter of Mr Zhao and the nanny. Only this sort of water is muddy enough.


    Pu Shuang looked at E Xiaoxia who was smiling strangely.


    Is she happy that something so huge happened to Zhao Yuan?


    But then again, if something like this happened to Zhao Yuan before, the two of them would rush out to curse others and defend Zhao Yuan first. But now both of them were no longer on Zhao Yuan''s side, instead they were gloating a little¡ª Is this Zhao Yuan''s problem or their problem?


    Pu Shuang pursed her lips, feeling that she and E Xiaoxia were still different people. She disdained to be grouped with E Xiaoxia.


    ¡­


    When Mingxi returned to the classroom and put down her school bag, she also found out about it. There was no other reason but Ke Chengwen who would never miss the opportunity to pick up on even the smallest piece of gossip.


    As soon as Ke Chengwen saw her, his eyes lit up. He quickly moved his head over. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, are the rumors on the forum true? Did you know that¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi pushed his head away.


    Fu Yangxi glared at him displeasedly and said, "Just talk normally. What are you doing with your head stretched out like a tortoise? Your saliva sprayed all over me. She just came back from the preliminary exam in the training camp. How can she know what happened on the forum?¡±


    "What are you talking about?" Mingxi¡¯s heart fell, thinking that something bad had happened to her.


    Why did I keep seeing everyone discussing something while I was walking all the way from the bus back to class?


    She glanced at Fu Yangxi and saw that Fu Yangxi didn''t want to say anything. She sat down and turned to ask Ke Chengwen. "What is it? Does it have something to do with me?"


    Ke Chengwen''s lust for gossip was burning. "This is a long story!"


    Mingxi said, "Then make it short."


    "Class is about to start soon!" Fu Yangxi was not too happy that she and Ke Chengwen were so close. He raised his hand to her head, twisted her head back and muttered, "You can talk even with your back turned away. How can you twist your head so much? Are you not afraid of spraining your neck?"


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi. "Huh?"


    Fu Yangxi said, "It has nothing to do with you. It¡¯s Zhao Yuan from the Evergreen Class who is related to this. What has it got to do with you?"


    Ke Chengwen took the opportunity to intervene and briefly summarized, ¡°Someone posted something bad about Zhao Yuan on the forum!"


    While the three were having a conversation, Mr Lu came in. As soon as he came in, he said to them, "Zhao Mingxi, the opportunity to compete is hard to come by. You have to study hard! You kept on staring at your desk mate before going off to training camp, yet you¡¯re still doing the same after returning from training camp?!"


    "Or should I just change seats for you two?"


    Fu Yangxi almost slapped the table and said angrily, "Lu Zhangwei, don''t try to ask for trouble!"


    Mingxi was also taken aback. "Teacher, forget it..."


    The two sentences of refusal were unanimous.


    After saying these two sentences, both Mingxi and Fu Yangxi went a little stiff at the same time.


    The air became distressed.


    The tips of their ears were red and they both felt guilty. They quickly turned away, refusing to look at each other.


    Lu Wangwei was about to continue speaking when there was a sudden commotion outside.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    They saw Miss Ye Bing from the Evergreen Class and a group of students suddenly rushed here. However, unlike last time, the student following this time seemed to be just excited to watch the show and rushed over with the girl in front.


    And the girl in front¡ª


    Lu Wangwei recognized Zhao Yuan from the Evergreen Class.


    Seeing her pale complexion, angry expression and the redness under her eyes, Lu Wangwei suddenly became vigilant. There was a premonition that she was coming to find the students in his class. So before the group of people rushed over, he walked up to them. "What are you doing?!"


    "What do you want with our class?!"


    Zhao Yuan stared at Fu Yangxi and Zhao Mingxi, who had their heads emerging from the back of the classroom, from outside the window. She was all choked up. "You guys were the ones who did it, right?! Such intolerable bullies!"


    Fu Yangxi felt a surge of anger. He wanted to stand up as soon as he slapped the table. He pointed at his own nose in disbelief. ¡°Was she speaking to me just now?? Was it me? Is she tired of living?¡±


    Mingxi had just returned to the classroom and had not figured out what was going on. She frowned, and under the guidance of Ke Chengwen, opened the school forum.


    And before Fu Yangxi came out, a group of followers in the International Class were already out of the ground and angry. "What the hell? Why is everything thrown on our boss? Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself? Are you even worthy of our boss sparing you a glance?¡±


    Seeing that the scene was going to be chaotic.


    A person climbed up the stairs. It was Li Ye, Mr Zhao¡¯s assistant.


    Zhao Yuan''s eyes became even redder when she saw someone she was familiar with.


    Li Ye walked over in a suit and leather shoes. First, he handed a business card to Ye Bing and Lu Wangwei, and then he said, ¡°I am Mr. Zhao Hongzhi''s assistant. See, our boss can''t come as he is occupied with other matters, but this incident has also spread to our boss''s ears. Thus, he has asked me to deal with this matter first.¡±


    The noises in the corridor immediately fell silent. They were all waiting excitedly for the newest piece of gossip.


    Waiting for Li Ye to say something.


    This was the person who represented Zhao Hongzhi, another party in the gossip!


    Everyone''s hearts were beating with excitement.


    Someone in the crowd couldn''t help asking, ¡°So, is Zhao Yuan the illegitimate daughter of the nanny?¡±


    "No." Li Ye shook his head firmly. ¡°You may not know this, but Miss Zhao Yuan is not related to the Zhao family.¡±


    As soon as this remark came out, there was an uproar.


    Li Ye continued, ¡°The Zhao family has always raised Zhao Yuan as their biological daughter. Her parent-child relationship with the nanny was only known to my boss and my boss¡¯s family very recently. They were also very shocked and have asked me to bring Miss Zhao Yuan back so that they can do a DNA test carefully.¡±


    Zhao Yuan''s face changed and her breathing became rapid. She stared at Li Ye in disbelief¡ª Who made him say the words ¡®not related¡¯?


    So what she desperately wanted to cover up was just revealed by Mr Zhao so mercilessly?!


    Has the Zhao family ever thought about how she would regain her foothold in school after saying these things?


    What the hell?


    The crowd did not react in time. Someone couldn''t help but ask, ¡°If there is no blood relationship between them, why did they raise her as their own daughter?"


    Li Ye said, ¡°Because they picked up the wrong child in the hospital. Miss Mingxi became an abandoned baby and Miss Zhao Yuan was taken home as their own. Both the Zhao family and Miss Zhao Mingxi are victims! When we learned that the nanny Zhang Yufen may be related to Miss Zhao Yuan, we were also shocked. We decided to verify the truth of this matter first. If it is true, we will definitely hold the nanny to blame!¡±


    Li Ye''s voice was very clear and loud.


    When these words were heard, everyone in the hallway immediately made up a big scene in their heads.


    Every sentence was shocking!


    In other words, 18 years ago, the Zhao family took the wrong child home. Zhao Mingxi was the real daughter and Zhao Yuan occupied the magpie''s nest, but the latter was regarded as a real daughter and loved by the Zhao family.


    And now, they found out that the nanny who had been staying at the Zhao family¡¯s house was probably Zhao Yuan''s biological mother¡ª that is, the culprit who swapped the children back then?


    The amount of information was simply too much! Everyone was horrified.


    Li Ye tried to keep his cool.


    Just before he came, Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai made a decision. Since things have developed to this point, the most important thing was of course to preserve the image of Mr Zhao, who was equivalent to the company¡¯s reputation, and stop the derailing of the scandal between Mr Zhao and the nanny.


    Then there was only one way¡ª to clarify that Mr Zhao and Zhao Yuan were not related at all.


    The people in the Zhao family were all thinking about the paternity test now. How could they think about the mood of Zhao Yuan, who may be the culprit¡¯s daughter, at this moment?


    Zhao Yuan stared at Li Ye with a pale face. At this moment, she understood that she had become an abandoned pawn.


    ray''s note: the big reveal has finally come... let me know what your thoughts in the comments section!


    you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story

 CH 49

    The Zhao family understood that this matter must be resolved as soon as possible. Zhao Zhanhuai''s company suffered a heavy loss last time and it had yet to recover its vitality until now. If Zhao Hongzhi''s reputation is also stigmatized, then Zhao Enterprise will encounter a very severe crisis of trust in this industry!


    Fame and reputation were trivial matters. The key was that the raging scandal would affect the evaluation of Zhao''s upstream and downstream cooperative enterprises. If it is not resolved, the loss will not only be the tens of millions!


    Therefore, instead of letting the chairman of the Zhao family become a cheater who had an affair with the nanny, it was better to include the Zhao family¡ª to declare to the public that the Zhao family''s daughter was swapped back then and that the Zhao family did not know it. The Zhao family was also a victim!


    So after Li Ye came to the school, Mr Zhao immediately ordered someone to send an email to the company''s shareholders, trying to explain the matter with his utmost efforts.


    On the one hand, Zhao Zhanhuai also asked someone to check the IP of the school forum and keep an eye at the company''s door to see who was deliberately exposing this matter. On the other hand, he made Li Ye bring Zhao Yuan back from school first, and then asked him to find the fired Zhang Yufen.


    This time, the Zhao family will personally send them both to do the DNA test!


    ¡­


    While the Zhao family was struggling to clean up the mess, the students in A High could be said to have heard the biggest piece of gossip in three years! A group of people were held back by the gossip that they could not find their sense of direction anymore. Even the teachers looked at each other and didn''t know what to say.


    Now the Zhao family was going to do a DNA test again. The results of the second test have not yet come out, but the matter of the real and fake daughter of the Zhao family has been settled.


    "I''m so shocked that I can''t speak, let me breathe a bit... What only happens in TV dramas actually happened in real life..."


    "If it¡¯s really as Zhao Hongzhi¡¯s assistant said, then the Zhao family and Zhao Mingxi are too pitiful! The Zhao family raised a child for another family for no reason and spent so much money on people who have nothing to do with them. Have you seen what Zhao Yuan wears? Although they are not luxury items, they are all the trendiest famous brands. I heard that she spends hundreds of thousands in summer and winter camps abroad during every winter and summer vacation. If it was me¡ª I would feel really hurt. I would even want Zhao Yuan and her biological parents to pay me back!"


    "What''s so pitiful about the Zhao family? Based on what the assistant said, they discovered that Zhao Yuan was not their own two years ago, yet they continued to raise them. Who can be blamed for this decision?! And their family is rich, so you don''t need to worry about it. Zhao Mingxi is the only miserable one! For no reason, she became an abandoned baby at birth! And why do I feel that the Zhao family did not treat Zhao Mingxi as well as they did to Zhao Yuan before?!¡±


    "You''re not wrong on this..." This was said by a girl from the Evergreen Class. The expression on her face was incomprehensible as she said, ¡°Last year at the parent-teacher conference, it seemed that they only attended Zhao Yuan¡¯s conference and there was no one with Zhao Mingxi. I remember it very clearly."


    "And now Zhao Mingxi is still living in school, right? Is it because the Zhao family didn''t want her to live at home and drove her out to live in school?!"


    As they talked about it, everyone felt more sympathy for Mingxi.


    "My God, the Zhao family is really poisonous. I take back the sympathy that I had just given them. Everyone in their family except Zhao Mingxi has a hole in their brains! They treated their non-biological daughter so well yet they treated their actual daughter like trash?!¡±


    "You don''t understand. After all, they must have developed feelings for the child who they have raised for many years, and it is inevitable that they would feel unfamiliar with the child who has just returned.¡±


    "So the most pitiful person is Zhao Mingxi..."


    The whole school was discussing this matter.


    The three key words "the Zhao family", "Zhao Yuan" and "Zhao Mingxi" appeared in various places in the school. Those in the classrooms, the dormitories for boys and girls, canteens, playgrounds, and even the teacher''s office couldn''t help but mention a word or two.


    Although Zhao Yuning was ordered by the family not to be distracted, leave these things alone and study hard, how could he possibly be in the mood to study hard?


    Even the first years were talking about it after they got out of class.


    People kept asking him various questions enthusiastically, such as how they found out that Zhao Yuan was not their biological child, how did they find Zhao Mingxi, and what were his parents thinking when they raised the two children together for the past two years instead of sending Zhao Yuan back.


    Zhao Yuning was irritated and threw a book.


    Now these people''s questions were like continuous slaps on his face.


    Look. Even these people knew that the most innocent party was Zhao Mingxi, but why didn¡¯t he and his family know?


    It was precisely because of their family''s preference for Zhao Yuan in the past two years that Zhao Mingxi was now at odds with them.


    Aside from that, it was recently discovered that Zhao Yuan was most likely the daughter of the nanny Zhang Yufen?!


    Zhao Yuning was so angry that he almost threw up.


    The classmates around him only knew to gossip. They didn¡¯t know how Zhang Yufen acted in the Zhao family home, but Zhao Yuning knew.


    This nanny relied on the fact that she had worked for the Zhao family for more than 10 years to bully the other employees¡ª the driver, Nanny Wang and the others. She always liked to boast that she came to the Zhao family when Zhao Yuan had just been born.


    Zhao Yuning never liked her very much because she only cared for Zhao Yuan. Every time Zhao Yuan was out of school, she would take off Zhao Yuan¡¯s school bag and carry Zhao Yuan upstairs, for fear that Zhao Yuan would be tired.


    She didn''t dare to treat Zhao Yuning badly, but there were inevitably some differences between the two.


    But after all, she was just a nanny. She was hardworking and did her job well. Zhao Yuning, a careless boy, wouldn''t have trouble getting along with her because of such a trivial matter.


    So this nanny has been spending the Zhao family¡¯s money for so many years, enjoying a high salary.


    If it hadn''t been for the fact that her collision with Zhao Mingxi was coincidentally seen by the assistant of their eldest brother, she would probably still be staying at the Zhao family¡¯s house right now.


    But it is precisely this nanny that could possibly be Zhao Yuan''s real mother???


    So her preference for Zhao Yuan was not out of conscientiousness, but out of maternal love?


    So all the bad things she did to Zhao Mingxi were out of maliciousness?


    Zhao Yuning now recalled those details. The more he thought about it, the more he was terrified, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that his stomach was being twisted by a hand. He was so disturbed that he became nauseous.


    If this is true.


    Then what kind of criminal has their family hired at home for so many years?!


    Zhao Yuan didn''t come back after being taken away by Mr Zhao¡¯s assistant Li Ye. they all heard that she had asked the school for seven days off. It just so happened that the time required for the production of the DNA results was seven days.


    As for the other party, Mingxi received sympathetic glances from the teachers and students of the school all day long.


    As for the followers in the International Class, due to Fu Yangxi¡¯s influence, they have always been protective of Zhao Mingxi.


    Now that the matter has been exposed, this group of followers looked at Zhao Mingxi as if they were looking at Disney¡¯s poor wandering princess. They did Mingxi¡¯s class duty, refilled Mingxi¡¯s water, and there were even people who bought some snacks and fed it to Mingxi. Of course, Fu Yangxi almost thought that he wanted to chase Zhao Mingxi, so he got scared away by Fu Yangxi¡¯s angry expression.


    It may be that the two words "abandoned baby" mentioned by Li Ye were really shocking. The teachers and students in the school added a lot of their own imagination into the plot of Mingxi''s displacement from childhood. There may even be people who would add in the plot when Xiao Yanzi was beaten up by those in the Hanxuan Chess Club.* They couldn¡¯t help but come to the International Class to see if there was any scar on Mingxi¡ª


    *This is a plot point from the famous Chinese drama ¡®My Fair Princess¡¯.


    In the end, all they saw was a Zhao Mingxi who was fair and beautiful, and her wrists were pale white. What kind of scars could she possibly have?


    So a group of girls couldn''t help but whisper about what skin care products Zhao Mingxi used. Someone said, ¡°The environment she grew up in must have been very difficult. She probably didn¡¯t use any skin care products. The fact that she is still so beautiful, it seems that it is indeed due to genetics."


    Lu Wangwei and the teacher in charge of the sixth class were also very uneasy. With a look of affection, they called Mingxi to the office to comfort her during the break.


    At noon, Mingxi went back to the dormitory to pick up the textbooks left in the dormitory. The lady in charge of the dorms also poked her head out to stop her, tearfully handing her two pieces of cured bacon that she had marinated so that she could replenish her body.


    Mingxi: ¡­


    This matter continued into the evening. Even the Evergreen Class started to come over to apologize. They said to Mingxi outside the classroom, ¡°Sorry we laughed at your grades before. We were too arrogant. In reality, the fact that you have experienced those things and yet you could reach the standard of the Normal Class when you first come to A High is very inspirational."


    Someone from the Gold Medal Class also came over to give her refills for her mechanical pencil. It was a girl with glasses who went to the preliminary training camp together and did not participate in Pu Shuang and the others in throwing her school bag. Her way of giving her a heart gesture was also very cool. She said to her, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, I¡¯m looking forward to meeting you in the final exam.¡±


    A new School Beauty Support Club was created in the forum.


    Although it was not as strong as Zhao Yuan''s support club, it was also gradually beginning to take shape.


    Mingxi was so confused!


    "Is over-imagining things a tradition of the people in your school? How can there be so many versions of tragic stories extended from Li Ye¡¯s one sentence?"


    Ke Chengwen wiped his eyes with a tissue and asked through choked sobs, "So were you really an abandoned baby?"


    "It wasn¡¯t that miserable." Mingxi was a little speechless as she looked at Ke Chengwen''s non-existent tears. She continued, ¡°I don''t remember what happened when I was a child, but it''s not like I was beaten by Zhao Yuan''s biological mother as the forum said. In fact, I have been with my grandma ever since I could remember. There is no such thing as me not having enough food or clothes to dress warmly in the winter."


    It was just that her resources were indeed less than one-thousandth of those rich children in the city.


    But of course grandma wouldn''t let her freeze and go hungry. Grandma had a small grocery store. She repaired shoes, made deliveries and would occasionally buy her meat after paying her tuition. Therefore, Zhao Mingxi''s childhood was quite relaxed.


    Mingxi had no impression of Zhang Yufen at all. So now that the Zhao family was doing a DNA test again, she was also waiting for the result.


    If what happened back then is really related to Zhang Yufen, then Zhang Yufen must go to jail.


    Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi and didn''t speak for a long time.


    He felt bitter and wanted to comfort her, but he had never had any comforting experience. So he suddenly stood up, compiled all the snacks bought by the followers and put a lot of them on Mingxi¡¯s table. He said with a cool tone, "Yours."


    Then, he put his noise-canceling headphones on Mingxi''s ears.


    The moment the silver noise-canceling headphones covered her ears, the world went quiet.


    No sound could be heard in her ears. She fell into an absolute vacuum-like silence. She could only feel the soft touch of the earphones, and her eyes fell on Fu Yangxi''s face.


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi. She felt a little bit dumbfounded. She wanted to say that these things were over, that there was really no need to treat her like a fragile vase.


    But then she thought about it.


    Don''t boys always have a protective desire for weak girls? She should let Fu Yangxi sympathize with her. Then, he¡¯ll realize that she is a girl with a chest, not a follower who can run 30 laps at will. Maybe this will make him like her as soon as possible.


    With this thought in mind, Mingxi lay down on the table, buried her head in her arms and stopped talking.


    ¡­


    ???


    Is she crying?


    Fu Yangxi looked at her in shock.


    Fu Yangxi was anxious.


    Oh no, except for that one time she was drunk, I haven''t seen Little Mask cry before.


    Fu Yangxi stood there, completely at a loss. He wanted to touch Mingxi''s shoulder, but Mingxi didn''t wear a coat, she only wore a thin sweater. This girl''s shoulders were weak and slender, like a butterfly flapping its wings. It seemed to exude a little fragrance.


    He didn¡¯t need to place his hands on them to know that it was soft and warm.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t dare to touch her at all.


    The followers were hustling in the classroom, some even boldly came over and handed her tissues.


    Fu Yangxi pulled his face irritably. He glared at the people who had approached them and said in a low voice, ¡°What are you guys trying to do? Do you guys only know how to gossip all day? If you have nothing to do, go and drive away those people outside! From now on, our class is not allowed to talk about this matter anymore!¡±


    "It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re not allowed to talk about it either!" Fu Yangxi turned his head and said angrily at Ke Chengwen.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°...¡±


    Thanks to Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi was finally able to regain some peace for a moment. The International Class dared not mention the issue of real and fake daughters anymore.


    After a while.


    Fu Yangxi was still racking his brains.


    The noise-reducing earphones on Mingxi''s head were suddenly lifted up a little bit, and Fu Yangxi''s voice could be heard.


    "Little Mask, don''t cry. Shall I tie your shoelaces for you?"


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to use a gentler tone, but because he has never been gentle, the feeling he gave was still of ''you better let me tie them, or else I¡¯ll hack you down''. It was enough to make a child cry.


    Seeing Mingxi''s silence, Fu Yangxi was at a loss. He continued to scare the child.


    ¡°If not I¡¯ll just run 30 laps. Or is there something you want to eat?¡±


    As Fu Yangxi spoke, he began to grit his teeth, wanting nothing but to beat up the Zhao family.


    "If not, do you want to beat up your family? Or beat up that whatever named nanny."


    The corner of Mingxi''s mouth rose uncontrollably. She continued to lie her head on the table and buried her face in her arms. Her legs moved to the right side, indicating for him to tie it.


    Due to his tall stature, it was a bit difficult for Fu Yangxi to squat down from his seat, but he moved the chair away and squatted down anyway. He furrowed his eyebrows, untied the knotted shoelaces for her, and then tied them back into a bow.


    Mingxi lifted her head quietly. The lingering light fell on Fu Yangxi''s head and on his slender fingers that were never touched by the spring sun. Her heart was beating like crazy. She also felt an unusual satisfaction of being pampered¡ª although she may have obtained it through trickery.


    After Fu Yangxi was done and lifted his head up, she quickly buried her head back.


    Because she wanted to laugh, Mingxi''s shoulders trembled violently.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡­


    Why the hell is she crying harder?!


    Is my way of coaxing people wrong?!


    *


    Over at the Zhao family home.


    Li Ye drove Zhao Yuan back and said to Zhao Yuan, "Don''t go to school during this time. One is because the paternity test takes a few days, and the other is because the school rumors are not good for you."


    Of course, it was mainly due to the former.


    The Zhao family was now in chaos. Besides the Zhao family, even Li Ye couldn¡¯t imagine such a thing. If it was him who had raised a daughter for more than 10 years and gave her the best only to find out that she was the child of the criminal who discarded his own daughter, what would he do?


    After hearing what Li Ye said, Zhao Yuan bit her lower lip without saying a word.


    She sat in the passenger seat, her vision blackening at the edges throughout the journey. Her heart was pounding and blood rushed to her head.


    On the one hand, she did not believe that Zhang Yufen was her biological mother. On the other hand, she recalled the details of how Zhang Yufen had been particularly good to her since she was a child. She became more and more frightened¡ª


    So if I really am Zhang Yufen''s child, what will the Zhao family do to me?!


    I am obviously innocent. My parents and elder brother should not be angry with me.


    But Zhang Yufen¡¯s actions of swapping the children, concealing her identity and coming to the Zhao family to be a nanny are nothing but a criminal''s behavior! Can the Zhao family let Zhang Yufen go?! Setting aside the question of whether Zhang Yufen is dead or alive, Zhang Yufen deserves it, but once the DNA test results come out, will the Zhao family take care of me as they did before?


    Of course not!


    Zhao Yuan clearly saw that she was about to lose everything and be beaten back to the original point.


    She would no longer have good educational resources, no longer have cards to spend endlessly and will not be sought after by her classmates.


    She couldn''t accept all this. She couldn''t accept that she was just a nanny''s child.


    At this moment, for Zhao Yuan, it was as if she was witnessing her own destiny falling straight down, returning to the lowest point of poverty.


    There will be nothing left.


    Zhao Yuan tried to calm herself down. At this point, there is only one way, and that is to prevent the Zhao family from doing this paternity test. I can¡¯t let them find Zhang Yufen!


    Assistant Li Ye parked the car outside the courtyard of the Zhao family¡¯s villa. The Zhao family¡¯s villa was deadly silent, full of the aura of impending doom.


    As Li Ye kept his eyes on her all the way during their journey from the school to the home, she was unable to operate. When Li Ye got out of the car, Zhao Yuan quickly took out her mobile phone and sent a text message to Zhang Yufen.


    ¡®They have discovered that I am your daughter. For my sake, go far away. The farther you go, the better. Don¡¯t be found.¡¯


    After sending this text message, she didn¡¯t know if Zhang Yufen received it.


    Zhao Yuan calmed down. She got out of the car and followed Li Ye to the Zhao family home.


    *


    Regarding the question of who made the post, not only was the Zhao family investigating it, but the school was also discussing it.


    "Xi ge, the people on the forum suspect that it was you who made the post!" Ke Chengwen was looking at his phone when he finished eating and couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Moreover, the gossipers on the forum did not dare to mention Fu Yangxi''s name for fear of being blocked or involving themselves with trouble, so they replaced his name with X.


    Ke Chengwen still wanted to read a few funny remarks.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows as a sign of warning. He slammed the spoon on the plate, making a loud sound. ¡°It''s interesting, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s really boring." Ke Chengwen had to shut up quickly.


    Mingxi sat opposite Fu Yangxi. She swallowed the food in her mouth and couldn''t help but ask curiously, ¡°What is being said on the forum? Summarize it for me.¡±


    Ke Chengwen looked at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Are you dumb or something? She¡¯s asking you about it.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: "..." You just f*cking forbade me to talk about it. Can you not practice such double standards?!


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°The people in the forum are checking who made this post. It was found that the IP address of the post was in the school. Obviously it was sent by someone in the school. Zhao Mingxi, you were at the training camp for those few days, so it definitely has nothing to do with you. Then who could have posted it? They are currently suspecting the people in our class.¡±


    He Yang, who was sitting opposite Ke Chengwen, said, ¡°Obviously, this thing was done by someone else who hates Zhao Yuan. I wonder if it was done by E Xiaoxia, but if E Xiaoxia has the ability to do this she might as well be a spy.¡±


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi. "Do you want me to clarify things for you?"


    Fu Yangxi waved his hand. "It doesn''t matter, I don''t care about these rumors. It''s funny, do these people underestimate my taste? If I do this, would I use such an anonymous and cowardly approach??¡±


    "That''s right." Ke Chengwen proudly said, "Obviously Xi ge will get someone to fly a helicopter and scatter copies of the paternity test all around town."


    Fu Yangxi nodded boldly and agreed triumphantly.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    What''s so good about this?!


    "Anyway, before they can find out who did this, you¡¯ll have to be the subject of suspicion.¡±


    Mingxi couldn''t help taking the beef from her plate to Fu Yangxi.


    She had a mentality of ¡®since he is the person I like, I just want him to eat more and grow better¡¯.


    When Fu Yangxi saw her picking dishes for him, his ears went pinkish, but he immediately picked it up and threw it back to her plate.


    Why is she feeding me when she is so thin?


    Mingxi glanced at him in surprise. She wanted to give it back to him, but Fu Yangxi stretched out his chopsticks and blocked her.


    ¡°Are you trying to give me what you don''t like to eat? I don''t want it!" Fu Yangxi tried to conceal the burning of his ears. He furrowed his eyebrows and said angrily, ¡°Do I look like someone who will eat leftovers?¡±


    Mingxi had to retract her chopsticks angrily and put the beef into her mouth.


    What kind of oblivious straight boy is this? He can''t even tell if I like him or treat him well.


    Before, Mingxi and He Yang would eat in the cafeteria while Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen mostly went out to eat or got take outs from unhealthy places.


    However, since Mingxi became one of them, the four of them often ate together.


    In most cases, Jiang Xiuqiu ate with different girls.


    After lunch, Fu Yangxi stood up and picked up his and Zhao Mingxi''s plates.


    Mingxi watched him open his jacket, the zipper swaying. She was afraid that the oil from the plate would drip on him, and she was also afraid that the restaurant floor would be too slippery and his balance would be unstable. Thus, she quickly walked over, took her own plate and said, ¡°You don''t need to be a gentleman. Just clean up after yourself.¡±


    After she said that, Mingxi took her own plate, quickly went to the plate processing area and dumped it there.


    Fu Yangxi who stood behind her: ...


    What kind of single-minded straight girl is this? She can''t even tell if I like her or treat her well?!


    ¡­


    He Yang and Ke Chengwen who were further behind looked at each other. They wanted to kick this oblivious couple in front of them.


    Although the two of them were not together yet, why did they always feel like they were being forced to witness such scenes of love?

 CH 50.1

    "What?! Zhang Yufen is no longer in her previous hotel? She can¡¯t be found?!"


    Mr Zhao¡¯s backlog of anger erupted like a volcano for a whole day. Every strand of hair was filled with mania and anger. ¡°Why can¡¯t you find her? She is just a nanny, is she hard to find?! Isn''t all the contact information she provided when she came to work before registered? What about her phone number and emergency contacts? Where¡¯s her address?! Are you guys just sitting around, waiting to get paid?!¡±


    The people below him were trembling, afraid to speak.


    Most of the time, Zhao Hongzhi was a reasonable boss who would treat his subordinates generously. Their salaries were also high enough. But this time, things may have gotten way out of control.


    Zhao Hongzhi''s reputation will be ruined if Zhang Yufen is not found.


    There were indeed cheaters among their circle of friends, but there has never been one who has been affected this badly¡ª especially if it was an affair with an old nanny which resulted in an illegitimate daughter being raised at home for 18 years.


    Therefore, the consequence of Zhao Hongzhi being so angry that his blood pressure soared was expected.


    "The address she filled in is the address of a remote mountain village, close to the mountain near Tongcheng. We have sent additional staff to find her. As for her phone, we couldn¡¯t get through to her. I¡¯m afraid she might have thrown away the phone card and escaped.¡±


    "Can''t get through?! Let me try!"


    After a few beeps, there was an artificial voice explaining the call could not be connected.


    Mr Zhao smashed the phone in anger. It broke apart on the opposite wall and fell to the ground.


    Everyone in the living room trembled subconsciously.


    "Ran off." Mr Zhao, like a fighting beast in a cage with nowhere to vent, gritted his teeth and said these two words.


    "Very well, you¡¯ve escaped."


    Every time it was read, the blood pressure of the Zhao family members who were present went up a bit. A seed of anger spread in everyone''s minds.


    If Zhang Yufen was not guilty, this was just a misunderstanding and it was just a method of framing that one of the Zhao family''s enemies came up with, then why should Zhang Yufen abscond with the fear of having committed a crime?


    Now that she has escaped, this means that Zhao Yuan''s comments on the school forum are infinitely close to the truth.


    Mr Zhao furiously ordered, ¡°Then keep looking!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai also gave an ultimatum to the security company. ¡°She must be found within three days.¡±


    Otherwise, after three days, things may have reached the point of irreversibility and everyone would have the impression of his father messing around. This was what they meant with the proverb ¡®a rumor only requires one word, but to stop a rumor requires one to exhaust all of one¡¯s energy.


    After the security company''s people left, Mr Zhao was still anxious.


    When Zhao Zhanhuai saw that he was about to have high blood pressure and might be hospitalized, he quickly poured him a glass of water. ¡°Why not get some rest? I will take care of everything else."


    "How can I rest?" Mr Zhao rubbed his eyebrows. He could only feel his vision going black. ¡°Everything has gone wrong recently. You¡¯ve lost two or three projects and I¡¯ve also become messed up here! The shareholders have blown up my phone with their incessant calls and I have to attend a meeting tonight.¡±


    Although he really didn¡¯t want to doubt her, Mr Zhao had already been tossed madly by the recent events. He retracted his gaze and murmured to Zhao Zhanhuai, ¡°Zhang Yufen is a nanny who has stayed in our house for more than 10 years. She only knows how to buy groceries and take care of the house. Her mobile phone is still an old model with only 2G available and she is not very tech savvy. Did someone tell her about it? How else would she know that such a big thing had happened and escape in time?¡±


    Mr Zhao''s voice was not loud, but he was very angry, so Zhao Yuan naturally heard it.


    It was undeniable that after Mr Zhao inherited the family business, the fact that he could earn snowball the profits made meant he still had a bit of acumen.


    Zhao Yuan wiped her tears and did not speak, knowing that it would all be over as soon as she spoke.


    Madam Zhao, who was sitting on the sofa, saw it and she couldn''t bear it. After all, Zhao Yuan was raised by her own hands, and there is no way she could sit idly seeing Zhao Yuan cry.


    She said to Mr Zhao, ¡°Enough, stop suspecting everything. Who in this family can tip off Zhang Yufen? Besides, it''s not confirmed whether Zhang Yufen is Yuanyuan''s biological mother or not. What if this is a complete rumor created by one of your business competitors? It is possible for the other party to be buying some time by moving Zhang Yufen away just to prevent you from proving your innocence.¡±


    Mr Zhao was not in the mood to deal with Madam Zhao. He waved his hand in annoyance and said, "Both you and Zhao Yuan should go upstairs."


    After that, Mr Zhao stared at Zhao Yuan. ¡°You will stay at home for a few days and study by yourself.¡±


    Zhao Yuan nodded tearfully. She stood up from the sofa, looking like a weak willow branch trembling in the wind.


    Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai watched her as she went upstairs. They could see that she had lost a lot of weight recently, but they couldn¡¯t be bothered about it anymore.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yuan returned to her room, closed the door and leaned against it. Her mood has dwindled into a pot of porridge.


    After returning from the training camp, things have moved in a completely unforeseen direction.


    Before the training camp, the family members were acting a little distant with Zhao Yuan because Zhao Mingxi ran away from home and because they heard about Pu Shuang and the others'' harsh treatment towards Zhao Mingxi.


    She thought she could win another round.


    But she never expected that such big news would break when she returned from the training camp.


    Zhao Yuan didn¡¯t believe that it was Mr Zhao¡¯s business competitors.


    The posts on the forum were all aimed at her.


    And that person was good at finding her most sensitive spots¡ª letting the Zhao family know that she was Zhang Yufen''s daughter was more ferocious than telling the whole school that she was just a fake daughter.


    Zhao Yuan really couldn''t think of anyone else except Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi who would do things like this.


    And the biggest question was, was she related to Zhang Yufen?


    Zhao Yuan was so scared that her blood went cold.


    ¡­


    She hugged her shoulders and sat on the ground for a while. She gritted her teeth, took out her phone and wanted to send a message to Zhang Yufen, asking her to get as far away as possible.


    But the moment she took out her cell phone, she immediately realized that she couldn''t send it anymore. People from the security company said that Zhang Yufen''s cell phone could no longer be connected. If she sent a text message now, she might be found out.


    Thinking of this, Zhao Yuan immediately cleared all the messages between them and blocked and deleted Zhang Yufen''s mobile phone number with shaky hands.


    It was not enough. She fearfully restored the phone to the factory settings until she left no clues.


    *


    The circle was not big, let alone Fu Yangxi was also paying special attention to this matter.


    News reached his ears in the evening.


    "She ran away?" Fu Yangxi stopped eating his apple. He threw the apple into the trash can and frowned. "Did someone tip her off?"


    The person on the call said, ¡°Young Master Fu, do I need to check with the three telecommunications companies?¡±


    "Check, of course you have to check." Fu Yangxi thought for a while, then said, ¡°Also, check the nanny''s history for the past 50 years, her place of origin and whether she has any other criminal record which will help to increase the sentence in the future. All aspects must be checked. Then check her bank card consumption records in the last few days. If she wants to run, she must first withdraw a sum of money. Doesn''t she have a passport? She should still be in China, so she can only use the high-speed rail or long-distance transport services. She can¡¯t be far. You will find her the day after tomorrow at the latest.¡±


    "What happens after we find her?"


    "Send her to the Zhao family. I want to see what the Zhao family will do."


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°Also, has Lawyer Gao gone abroad recently? Ask him to come back quickly and wait with the team of lawyers. After she is found, it will be a matter for the court.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was very calm on the surface today. His tone was also calm, but internally he couldn''t wait to end the nanny¡¯s life.


    The caller answered, and after a while, it seemed that he had managed to contact the Zhao family. He said to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Young Master Fu, we have sent some information to Zhao Zhanhuai. Zhao Zhanhuai called and wants to thank you.¡±


    "It''s not him I¡¯m helping. I don''t want to talk to him, it''s bad luck." Fu Yangxi said coldly and hung up the phone immediately.


    After hanging up the phone, the anger in Fu Yangxi''s heart was finally dispersed.


    He lay on the sofa, crossed his leg and clicked on the WeChat dialog with Zhao Mingxi. He didn''t know if she was asleep now. He wanted to send something, but he racked his brains and didn''t know what to say.


    He stayed on the WeChat page until this morning. Zhao Mingxi asked him what he was eating. He turned the breakfast he had eaten to a better angle, took a photo and sent it. Then the two chatted casually about when they were going to school.


    Fu Yangxi flipped through the WeChat chat history and found that since some time ago, the two people had been using WeChat to chat more frequently, and the conversations began to increase.


    Zhao Mingxi would also take the initiative to ask him about other things¡ª For example, during the training camp, she asked what to do if the washing powder could not wash off the oil stains on her clothes.


    Damn it, how would I know such a thing?


    I¡¯ve never washed my clothes personally!


    So that day, he jumped up quickly and almost turned on his computer to check Baidu for an hour. He summed up all the methods and sent it to her in a Word document. He even began considering whether to ask someone to send washing powder to her or use this as an excuse to go there in person.


    But while he was thinking about it, Little Mask said, ¡°Thank you so much. I will wash it tomorrow. I¡¯ll go off to sleep first.¡± and beat him back into the winter wind.


    "..." His face immediately went hot. His head felt warm with the urge to run over in the middle of the night. Will this scare her?


    In short, Fu Yangxi was not so slow. He was able to notice that the messages Zhao Mingxi sent to him now were no longer the kind of messages that he received when she first changed classes. It had no substance in them, as if he was used as a robotic account to be tested with three full stops.


    She usually wakes up early in the morning, and if it rains, she will send him a message, asking him to bring an umbrella.


    If she saw any funny posts on Weibo or saw interesting things on the way, she would share them with him.


    Fu Yangxi was happy, but at the same time he did not dare to think too much about it for fear that it would be the same situation as last time.


    It was more uncomfortable to fall from heaven to hell than to never have owned her love.


    At this moment, Fu Yangxi was holding his phone, typing two words in the WeChat dialog box and then deleting them. The degree of entanglement was no less than that of Zhao Mingxi over there.


    Mingxi was sitting in front of the desk lamp. She was planning to send him a message, but she saw that he was constantly in the state of ¡®the other party is typing¡¯.


    Mingxi wanted to see what he wanted to send, so she waited for 10 minutes.


    While waiting, she completed another set of questions, but he hasn''t sent it yet.


    So Mingxi went to wash her hair and blew it dry. After blowing her hair, she couldn''t help but pick up her mobile phone to take a look.


    The other party was still typing!


    ???


    Is Fu Yangxi going to deliver a presidential election speech?


    Mingxi glanced at the alarm clock on the desk. It has been an hour yet he is still typing??!


    Fu Yangxi was still thinking about how to comfort her when Mingxi''s WeChat jumped out unexpectedly.


    Zhao Mingxi: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was startled. As his phone was not held firmly, it fell off the sofa with a "crack".


    He also fell over. He stretched out his hand to grab his phone, his face all flushed.


    After picking up the phone, he was afraid that Zhao Mingxi''s next sentence would be "I¡¯m off to sleep. Good night.", so he didn''t care about wiping off the dust on the phone and hurriedly replied: ¡°Why haven''t you slept yet?!¡±


    Over there, Mingxi felt that Fu Yangxi was particularly obsessed with "sleeping". Last time, she planned to send a message, but he immediately asked her to go to sleep.


    She thought that Fu Yangxi was going to remind her like an old father again, so she quickly said: "I''ll go to bed soon, good night."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    See? Every time I look for her, she¡¯ll immediately say that she wants to sleep.


    Fu Yangxi felt bitter.


    He suddenly wondered jealously that if Shen Liyao sent her a message, would she say that she wanted to sleep within five seconds?


    Although Mingxi said she was going to sleep, she still checked every second if Fu Yangxi sent a message.


    In the next second, her phone lit up. Fu Yangxi sent a message.


    Mingxi¡¯s heart throbbed immediately and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily. She hurriedly opened the message.


    "About what happened recently, don''t you have anything you want to say?"


    Fu Yangxi had just frantically searched a bunch of ways to comfort people on Baidu. He learned that the three most important steps were to listen and empathize. First, listen to the girl''s pressure and grievances, and then solve the problem from her perspective.


    He intended to be a mature man first and listen to Little Mask¡¯s complaints and grievances.


    On the other side, Mingxi''s hand which was wiping her hair paused for a moment. She stared at the line of words that Fu Yangxi sent over and her eyes went wide. Her face felt inexplicably hot¡ª What do you mean? ¡®What happened recently¡¯? What has happened recently?! I merely gave him a small hair tie and couldn''t help but stare at him during class.


    Could it be that he found out that I have a crush on him?!


    Mingxi''s heartbeat suddenly quickened. She sat on the bed weakly, staring at the phone at a loss.


    Because of the failed experience of chasing Shen Liyao last time, Mingxi didn''t dare to confess rashly.


    Just before Mingxi responded, Fu Yangxi''s next message jumped out.


    "I mean if you have been facing something unhappy, it will be much better to talk about it. Don''t keep it in your heart."


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s "What do you mean? Did you guess something? Can you just clarify what you mean?" which were typed out on the dialog box were deleted instantly.


    Does this person know that my heart jumped to my throat just now!


    Mingxi exhaled a long breath. She slowed down ehr heartbeat and felt a feeling of excitement, like riding a roller coaster.


    She wished to beat Fu Yangxi up: "Can you finish typing in one go?"


    Fu Yangxi: "? Why, do you think my typing is slow?"


    It took him a lot of effort to stumble and spell out this sentence. He has never been so gentle before.


    Yet here she was, disliking his slow typing.


    So Shen Liyao typed quickly. That damn octopus.


    Mingxi knew that Fu Yangxi was also worried that the Zhao family¡¯s affairs would affect her.


    She thought for a while, and then seriously said: ¡°Xi ge, I''m really alright. I''m fine. The sun will rise tomorrow as usual and the birds will still chirp tomorrow. There is nothing wrong so long as I have you guys.¡±


    Fu Yangxi looked at her practically self-defeating remarks and only felt that she must be in a bad mood. All her reassurances were lies to him.


    But she doesn¡¯t want to tell me!


    What should I do?


    There will definitely be many things like this in the future, but he was simply the worst at comforting people.


    Fu Yangxi really wanted to take up a class on ''how to comfort people'' immediately in the middle of the night.


    Fu Yangxi stood up impatiently and walked twice around the 200-square-meter apartment.


    Then he stopped, and inspiration flashed.


    As a mature man, he transferred some money to Mingxi via Alipay.


    Mingxi over there saw a message pop up on the phone. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She clicked on it and repeatedly counted the number of zeros.


    After she finished counting, she took a deep breath.


    ¡°???¡±


    Mingxi was shocked: "Why did you send me half a million yuan?"


    Fu Yangxi: "There¡¯s too many zeros in my bank account. I find it annoying. Why don''t you spend it on my behalf?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Sorry, I was not angered by the Zhao family during the day, but my fist is itchy at night because of your words.


    =========


    *


    The next day, the topic about the true and false daughters Zhao Yuan and Zhao Mingxi did not disappear. Instead, it intensified.


    Fortunately, one of the parties to the matter, Zhao Yuan, took a week off and didn''t come to school. Otherwise, there would be a large group of people coming to see how Zhao Yuan was feeling now.


    And it was this group of people in the Evergreen Class who felt very shocked.


    Everyone had finally come back to their senses.


    "According to Zhao Yuan¡¯s father¡ª no, now he is her adoptive father. Her adoptive father¡¯s assistant said that their family brought Zhao Mingxi back two years ago, and the whole family, including Zhao Yuan herself, had already learned that she was not their biological daughter. Yes, Zhao Mingxi is the real daughter. Then why could Zhao Yuan listen to our praises of her as if nothing had happened in the past two years? Last time when I praised her that new bag was beautiful and that her family must have given her a lot of pocket money, there was no expression of guilt on her face at all!"


    "There are more instances than that. Didn''t our class also spread the rumor that Zhao Mingxi was an illegitimate daughter? Zhao Yuan heard this and didn¡¯t even deny it. Where did the rumor that slandered Zhao Mingxi come from?"


    "Also, there was E Xiaoxia''s previous School Beauty voting incident against Zhao Mingxi. Didn¡¯t she also say that Zhao Yuan was two-faced? It''s just that everyone was on Zhao Yuan''s side at the time."


    The girls were gossiping and deliberately figuring out more details.


    Some boys still held onto their affection for Zhao Yuan and felt that the girls were too sensitive.


    But it''s not easy to say anything, because in fact, Zhao Yuan was also completely selfish toward the boys¡ª the last time Lu Ye helped her, he was beaten up by his father.


    Although it was said that the ¡®help¡¯ ended up as a failure, she shouldn¡¯t have immediately torn up Lu Ye''s movie ticket, right?! She didn¡¯t give him any respect at all?!


    From start to finish, Lu Ye looked like a humble licking dog. He fell into a bout of depression for several days.


    At that time, because Zhao Yuan was the daughter of the Zhao family, no boys dared to criticize her. They only felt that it might not have been intentional and that the rich were naturally arrogant.


    But now they just found it funny. Since she herself knew that she was a fake, where did she get the confidence and arrogance to do so?


    Listening to the discussion of these girls in the class, E Xiaoxia only felt a sense of satisfaction.


    God knows how she has been practically isolated by Zhao Yuan in class for the past two to three months!


    No one wanted to recite English words with her! No one wanted to eat with her! In fact, except for Miao Ran, none of the boys and girls in the class would say anything to her!


    Even no one wanted to get matched with her for the mandatory volleyball group in the physical education class! When the teacher asked in a strange way, there was no one to help her. She could only stand on the spot and curl up her toes tightly. Did Zhao Yuan think of her feelings?!


    E Xiaoxia took a deep breath and walked over to the few girls who were talking quietly. She tried to restore the previous relationship with them and said hello, ¡°What are you guys talking about? Can we talk together?"


    In the end, the few girls who saw her still acted as if they had seen some poisonous scorpion. They quickly packed up their textbooks and left the classroom.


    E Xiaoxia: ¡­


    For f*ck¡¯s sake, why?


    ray''s note: you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story!

 CH 50.2

    Fu Yangxi didn''t sleep on the table as usual this morning. He was wearing his noise-canceling headphones while secretly scanning the forum behind Zhao Mingxi¡¯s back.


    Fu Yangxi had never stepped foot into the forum in the past, for he felt that the gossip was delaying his sleep. However, after seeing the scandals of Zhao Mingxi and Shen Liyao on the forum, he registered a random account which was a regular sight in the forum.


    He was so angry that his heart hurt while he scrolled. But after a while he couldn''t help poking in to find further abuse.


    The direction of the wind seems to have changed a bit during this time.


    Because the interaction between Little Mask and Shen Liyao had decreased, the group of gossiping people also spoke less about them. In turn, a small group of people began to gossip about him and Little Mask.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows and tried his best to control his triumphant expression. He then lowered his head to open the posts about himself and Little Mask. While watching those people talk, the corners of his mouth rose to his temples.


    However, he quickly became dissatisfied with it.


    Why?


    It didn¡¯t matter if the amount of discussions revolving around him and Little Mask were minimal. He could let it go if there were a few withered posts like autumn frost after the rain.


    Even these people¡¯s imaginative scenarios of us are not as powerful as the ones between Little Mask and the guy with the surname Shen!


    There are a lot of detailed stories with the surname Shen in it and there are a lot of pictures of them, but there are barely any pictures where she was in the same frame with me!


    This doesn¡¯t make sense!


    Before Fu Yangxi could reminisce about the sweet moments between him and Zhao Mingxi, he had already made himself angry again.


    His heart, lungs and ribs were aching. He quickly turned his head and glared at Ke Chengwen.


    Ke Chengwen was writing his homework and felt at a loss.


    Fu Yangxi waved his phone and Ke Chengwen understood. Quickly, with the pressure of the teacher on the podium, he took out his mobile phone, opened WeChat and glanced at it.


    Fu Yangxi: "Look at the forum. I don''t have a single photo with Zhao Mingxi! Why is that so? Aren¡¯t I more photogenic than the guy with the surname Shen? Why did no one take pictures of me!"


    Ke Chengwen dare not say that he had a girl who secretly photographed him on the first day of school three years ago, but before the next day, he had someone delete the photo and sent a lawyer''s letter to the other party to warn the other girl. It scared the girl so much that she cried!


    Young Master Fu, have you forgotten this incident that happened merely three years ago? Is your brain a paramecium?! Huh?!


    Of course, Ke Chengwen only dared to roar in his heart. He honestly replied, ¡°Or I will find a chance to find an angle to take a sneak shot of you?¡±


    Fu Yangxi didn''t want to show that he was satisfied with his answer, so he replied without punctuation, "Go and figure it out."


    Ke Chengwen understood instantly.


    What he meant to do was to contact the people on the forum immediately, clear the photos of Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi and delete the ones that should be deleted. If they can be forced to replace them with photos of him and Zhao Mingxi, that would be the best.


    Ke Chengwen complained mentally, what is the difference between this and those fake companies forcing people to ship a certain couple?


    But Ke Chengwen didn''t dare to say this. He immediately carried out his orders.


    After Fu Yangxi found something to do for Ke Chengwen, he then switched his focus back to the forum. He was still really unable to contain the fire in his heart, so he started a 300-round battle with a few people who insisted that "Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi were born to be together".


    "What the hell are you talking about? Zhao Mingxi said that she doesn''t like Shen Liyao anymore, can¡¯t you understand human words????"


    The four question marks represented Young Master Fu¡¯s outrage.


    After he finished sending it out, he realized that although Little Mask had personally said that she didn''t like Shen Liyao, not many people seemed to know it.


    This group of people on the forum didn¡¯t know.


    The whole school didn¡¯t know about it, and they even continued to ship the two of them.


    Fu Yangxi glanced sideways at Little Mask who had her head down, focused on the question. Then, he continued to stare at the pictures of them in the same frame on the forum. Thinking about it, he felt like a male junior now, and the kind that was unsuccessful, squeezing his head and racking his brains to get the upper hand. His heart felt so sore and so wronged.


    But he couldn''t force her to go on the forum to clarify things.


    ¡­


    Mingxi was working on the questions when, from the corner of her eyes, she felt that today''s Fu Yangxi looked a little lifeless.


    As soon as he put on his headphones, he ignored everyone, lay on the table and buried his head in sleep.


    The black short-haired hedgehog''s head read ¡®destroy the scum¡¯ on every strand of his hair.


    He was so tall and it must be really uncomfortable to sleep in the seat. Mingxi thought that if she had the opportunity, she must figure out why he always can¡¯t sleep at night.


    When class was in session, it wasn¡¯t easy for Mingxi to ask, so she leaned forward on the table cautiously and asked in a low voice, "What''s wrong? Did you feel bad about the money when you got up this morning? I knew it. I''ll transfer it back to you."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Her breath fell on his ears, causing his ears to go red. He thought she was going to say something, but in the end, he heard something that was pretty much equivalent to "Does your stomach hurt? Drink more hot water, I¡¯ll go play my game first."


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi only felt Fu Yangxi''s mood falling lower.


    She scratched her head, so should the money be transferred back or not?


    ¡­


    Although most people in the Gold Medal Class were focused on learning and competitions, there was also a degree of discussion about Zhao Yuan.


    Shen Liyao was absent-minded for two days.


    He pressed his lips tightly. For the first time ever, he stared at his phone in class.


    He was hesitant, wondering how to talk about this with Zhao Mingxi.


    His family and the Zhao family were family acquaintances, so he knew about the relationship between Zhao Yuan and Zhao Mingxi since that day two years ago.


    It''s just that this incident was a scandal for the Zhao family at the time, so the Zhao family was unwilling to share it.


    For the past two years, he pretended not to know, but was instructed by Aunt Dong to take care of Zhao Mingxi.


    He pressed his finger on the text message box, but all his messages came back with red exclamation marks.


    Only then did Shen Liyao realize that Zhao Mingxi had blocked him on all platforms in order not to have any contact with him.


    As she said, if he no longer tries to enter her life, they can still be friends. If he uses Dong Hui to find Zhao Mingxi like the last time, she will remove him from her list of friends.


    Then, is it really impossible to go back to how it was before?


    For the first time in Shen Liyao''s life dictionary, the word ''dissatisfied¡¯ appeared.


    After class, Ye Bai nagged next to him, ¡°God Yao, help me check an IP. What kind of an idiot is this user 95835968 on the forum? They keep on forcing me to admit that Zhao Mingxi doesn''t like you!¡±


    ¡°By the way, not a lot of people know about this, right? How did they know about this? Or did they imagine it?! It¡¯s not the end between you guys yet, so how can the matter between you and Zhao Mingxi be left to them?!¡±


    ¡°In order to fight him for 300 rounds, I didn''t listen carefully to what Mr Jiang said all morning. I¡¯m so mad!¡±


    Shen Liyao glanced at Ye Bai impatiently and ignored him.


    Ye Bai also noticed that Shen Liyao was upset, so he immediately cowered and wittily did not speak unless spoken to.


    *


    All of the businesses in Ke Chengwen''s family were taken care of by the Fu family. Thus, being friends with Fu Yangxi was practically a gift from heaven.


    So he was always quite agile with his work.


    At lunch time, he went to find a few persons in charge of the school forum and also took the opportunity to follow Fu Yangxi and Zhao Mingxi to the cafeteria as they walked side by side. Then, he took a few pictures of them in the same frame.


    Therefore, during the second class in the afternoon, quite a few people found that many posts on the forum discussing the romantic tension between Zhao Mingxi and Shen Liyao had been completely deleted, just like the Internet crackdown, they disappeared simply and rudely without leaving a trace.


    Many people immediately became displeased after a bout of confusion.


    Is there any right to freedom of speech???


    The people who shipped Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi also felt that their home was destroyed in an instant.


    The fun of gossip in their high school lives was gone.


    Especially Ye Bai, after 300 rounds of battle in the morning, he still wanted to continue attacking that big fool in the afternoon.


    In the end, he found out that the place where he and the opponent almost fought was missing?


    It''s just gone?


    What¡¯s going on?!


    When Ye Bai found that it was missing, he immediately approached Shen Liyao.


    Shen Liyao also frowned.


    After Fu Yangxi just finished complimenting Ke Chengwen''s work speed, he couldn''t help being sneaky. While behind Zhao Mingxi¡¯s back, he faced the corner, logged on to his private account and took a look at the forum.


    Seeing that the past photos of Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi had been deleted, he finally felt relieved and gave Ke Chengwen a thumbs up without looking back.


    Then he began to search for new posts by Ke Chengwen with photos of him and Zhao Mingxi.


    He pulled up the corners of his mouth triumphantly, rubbed his face and tried to make himself look normal so that Little Mask would not notice.


    In the end.


    He thought he would see a lot of "F*ck, what kind of visually pleasing couple is this!" "F*ck they match so well!" "F*ck, I''m shipping this couple!" ¡ª


    But what he saw was "What the hell, the post with Shen Liyao disappeared and turned into such a few silhouette photos of the school bully?"


    Fu Yangxi: ¡­


    "Who secretly photographed these photos with the school bully? How dare you take pictures of the school bully, are you looking for death? Did you think that the school bully has turned kind just because he dyed his hair black? And there is no sense of them being a couple even from the back!¡±


    The veins on Fu Yangxi''s forehead throbbed violently: You netizen, do you have such fiery eyes that you can even tell if a couple matches well together from just their backs? Should I give you an award to send you to the moon so you can see if Mars and the Earth go well together as a couple?


    "Besides, the title is so misleading. It says that it¡¯s a match made in heaven. I thought it was God Yao and the School Beauty, that¡¯s why I clicked in to see it."


    Fu Yangxi: Are you so blind that you can even click wrongly?


    "The boy is too irritating and has a bad temper. He isn¡¯t suitable for our little goddess."


    Fu Yangxi: Why is she not suitable for me? I¡¯m not that bad.


    "I agree with the comment upstairs. Besides, he doesn¡¯t know how to be considerate at all. Why are there so many cults now?"


    Fu Yangxi''s face had completely darkened: How dare you consider my match made in heaven with the Little Mask as a cult???!!!


    Fu Yangxi forcibly held back his anger and tried to restrain himself from scolding these people.


    But after taking a deep breath for three minutes, he still couldn''t help it. Who the hell could hold it?


    This group of people must be blind, right?!


    He started typing frantically on the phone.


    Mingxi didn''t know what he was doing, she only saw that he hadn''t slept all day. He was obviously addicted to the Internet, with two dark circles under his eyes. Also, he looked very angry.


    As if he was going to make an appointment to fight with someone.


    *


    Mingxi felt like she had jinxed herself.


    She had just felt that Fu Yangxi was going to fight with someone, then during the last physical education class of the day, while she was lazily completing a question in the classroom, she heard one of Fu Yangxi¡¯s followers rushing in, saying that the boys in their International Class and the Gold Medal Class were fighting. It was because when they were playing basketball, there was a conflict and a fight started!


    He asked the boys in the classroom to go down to help!


    Mingxi stood up quickly. ¡°What about Fu Yangxi?¡±


    "Big¡ª" The younger brother took back the two words that he almost blurted out, and turned it into, ¡°Big Mingxi, please go down and persuade them not to fight anymore. Xi ge is now beating up Shen Liyao from the next class.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    What the hell is a Big Mingxi?


    20 minutes earlier.


    The venues of the Gold Medal Class and the International Class do not interfere with each other, and the basketball courts were also divided into two sides of the iron net.


    But when Shen Liyao was playing basketball, he saw that Fu Yangxi, who was on the opposite side of the iron net, took off his coat and wiped his sweat, and he was wearing a small black crystal rubber band on his exposed white forearm.


    Shen Liyao''s hand movement stopped immediately as well as his footsteps and his heartbeat instantly accelerated.


    He suddenly put down his basketball, raised his foot and walked across the iron net, all the while staring at the thing on Fu Yangxi¡¯s wrist¡ª


    If he was not mistaken, wasn¡¯t that something that used to appear in Zhao Mingxi''s hair?


    The closer Shen Liyao got, the more certain he was that it was indeed Zhao Mingxi''s.


    Did Fu Yangxi grab it by himself? After all, he was a school bully who could do anything.


    Or could it be given by Zhao Mingxi¡ª


    No. That is impossible.


    Shen Liyao couldn''t describe his mood at this moment. He only felt that his string of reason that had been tense was about to break.


    As soon as he walked over, Ye Bai, Yue Teng and the others were afraid of any conflict, so they quickly followed.


    When these few people walked over, Fu Yangxi naturally noticed it.


    Fu Yangxi had been watching Shen Liyao for some time. He had a fire in his heart for this enemy a long time ago. If it wasn¡¯t because he cared about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s feelings, he would have beaten Shen Liyao up the moment he came out from the School¡¯s Information Department that day.


    Shen Liyao still dares to come over now? Is he seeking death?


    Fu Yangxi smashed the basketball in his hand to the ground and it bounced back three meters high. He folded his arms and stared at Shen Liyao who was walking over, his squinted eyes cold and arrogant.


    Seeing Shen Liyao staring at the thing on his wrist, he deliberately moved his wrists to show off the thing on his forearm to Shen Liyao. The corners of his mouth curled up as he said coldly, "What? Looking for a fight?"


    After rolling up his sleeves, he suddenly felt that Shen Liyao was unworthy of seeing them, so he pondered about it and pulled down his sleeves again.


    Fu Yangxi felt that he was losing out if he let Shen Liyao stare at the things Little Mask gave.


    He was furious. ¡°What are you looking at? Look again and I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes.¡±


    "You snatched this from Zhao Mingxi?" Shen Liyao suppressed his anger. "It doesn''t matter if you bully other girls, why are you bullying Zhao Mingxi? You even made her run errands and make desserts for you?"


    Ke Chengwen who was next to him also hurried over with a group of followers.


    Fu Yangxi was too lazy to talk with Shen Liyao on this point, but Ke Chengwen couldn''t help but snort and explained, ¡°Don''t think that the Gold Medal Class can act so arrogantly just because you guys have a good academic score. Through which eye did you see that our Xi ge was forcing Zhao Mingxi?¡±


    Shen Liyao lowered his voice, almost shouting, "Don''t bully others just because you have money! Otherwise, why would she do this for you?!¡±


    Fu Yangxi said coldly, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Shen Liyao always had a voice in his heart that he had forcibly ignored. But now, it was telling him that not only was Zhao Mingxi no longer in love with him, she also fell in love with Fu Yangxi.


    Otherwise, why didn''t she look back at him when she pulled Fu Yangxi away last time?


    Thinking of this made Shen Liyao¡¯s stomach clench.


    And he doubts that Fu Yangxi might not know what it means to steal a girl''s hair tie.


    This person is too bad. Zhao Mingxi must not like him.


    "I have known Zhao Mingxi much longer than you have," Shen Liyao suddenly said in a deep voice. "When Zhao Mingxi came here from Tongcheng, we met on her first day here."


    He didn''t know what mood he was in when he said such things. Maybe it was jealousy, or maybe he was hurt by Zhao Mingxi and the person in front of him, so he wanted to hurt the person in front of him.


    Shen Liyao sarcastically said, ¡°Do you know where we were on the first day we met, what she was wearing, what kind of weather it was or what was the first expression she had when she saw me?¡±


    Fu Yangxi stared at Shen Liyao, his chest rising and falling, his fists slowly clenching.


    "When Zhao Mingxi used to make me desserts, did you know her then? No, you didn''t even know her. She didn''t care about anything beyond the window. She only thought of me and didn''t know who you were."


    "Are you trying to die?" Fu Yangxi squeezed this sentence out from between his teeth. His face was like a layer of frost, his eyes were red and he glared at Shen Liyao with a terrible expression on his face.


    Ke Chengwen, Ye Bai and the others watched as the two sides suddenly began to draw their arms, and the atmosphere became extremely tense in an instant.


    "And your head of black hair, are you trying to imitate¡ª"


    Before Shen Liyao could say anything further, he received a fist in the face. Fu Yangxi threw him to the ground over his shoulder.


    ¡°God Yao!¡±


    ¡°F*ck, how dare you hit Xi ge!¡±


    The two sides were triggered immediately, and chaos and war broke out.


    When Mingxi ran over with the follower, what she saw was the two tall teenagers who had been forcibly separated and were still kicking each other to death with their long legs.


    What in the world happened that they were fighting so fiercely??


    Mingxi was taken aback. She didn¡¯t even take a glance at Shen Liyao. Instead, her first glance fell on Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi''s long sleeves were slightly messy. His short hair was also messy. His eyes were red, like an injured little leopard. His fists were clenched and his knuckles seemed to be bleeding.


    Mingxi was frightened. She immediately rushed over, raised her hand and touched her face. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was still staring at Shen Liyao, looking like he could kill him.


    After confirming that Fu Yangxi''s face was okay, Mingxi quickly lifted his clothes and took a look. Seeing that there was no bruise on his ribs, Mingxi breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like there¡¯s just scratches on his knuckles.


    Everyone stared at them as she lifted Fu Yangxi''s clothes in public. "..."


    "Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apply some medicine for you before the dean comes." Mingxi pulled Fu Yangxi and wanted to leave. Seeing that she couldn''t move him, she said to Ke Chengwen, "Can you guys help him back to the classroom?"


    When Shen Liyao saw this scene, his body was aching, but his heart was hurting even more. He said in a low voice, "Zhao Mingxi."


    Mingxi realized that it was Shen Liyao who was fighting with Fu Yangxi over there.


    She turned around and glanced at Shen Liyao.


    If she didn¡¯t look, she wouldn¡¯t know. But now that she did, she was shocked.


    Shen Liyao''s mouth was bleeding and there were several shoe prints on his clothes. Zhao Mingxi, who was familiar with Fu Yangxi''s dozens of pairs of shoes, saw it at a glance. They were Fu Yangxi''s shoes.


    There was also a bruise beside Shen Liyao''s temple which looked worse than Fu Yangxi, much more miserable.


    But... Fu Yangxi''s fist was bleeding!


    Mingxi didn¡¯t realize that she was leaning so heavily in favor of him. She ignored Shen Liyao, tugged on Fu Yangxi¡¯s arm and dragged him to the classroom. ¡°You can explain the fight to me later. First, let¡¯s get you patched up. Why are you still in a daze? We¡¯re leaving! You guys, take the coat he threw on the ground.¡±


    The group from the School Representative Team watched as Mingxi''s gaze swept away from Shen Liyao. Her eyes just swept over him??


    F*ck! She¡¯s acting way too eccentric, right?


    The people in other classes who were onlookers were stunned! Does Zhao Mingxi not like Shen Liyao anymore?


    This is a clear case of dumping one and falling for another!


    Everyone looked at each other, wondering if they were brainwashed before¡ª How could we have said that Zhao Mingxi likes Shen Liyao?


    In fact, the one that she actually likes is Young Master Fu, right???


    ¡­


    As Fu Yangxi was yelled at by Zhao Mingxi, the little bird, who felt so wronged in his heart, was about to burst out in tears immediately.


    But soon after, his arm was hugged by Mingxi and he was dragged to the academic building.


    Warmth spread from his arm.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly realized¡ª Wait a minute, Little Mask, didn''t you see how badly Shen Liyao was beaten by me?


    Just now, when he saw Zhao Mingxi rushing over from the corner of his eyes, he thought that Zhao Mingxi was going to lecture him for beating up Shen Liyao! In the end, Little Mask only cared about whether his fist was scratched????


    She didn¡¯t care about the blood at the corner of Shen Liyao''s mouth. Instead, she was worried about whether or not there were scratches on his hands, as if ¡®if they are not treated in time, they will be healed automatically¡¯?


    Fu Yangxi: ¡­


    ???


    What¡¯s going on?


    !!!


    Fu Yangxi watched Zhao Mingxi, who was rushing towards the classroom while pulling him, and his footsteps suddenly felt much lighter.


    He lowered his eyes, licked his lips and tried to contain his happiness and embarrassment.


    Forgive his speculation.


    ¡ªTo her, am I more important than Shen Liyao?


    ray''s note: apologies for the late update everyone, its been quite a busy few days around here. also before i forget, i''d like to wish all our Muslim friends Eid Mubarak! wish you all a very happy and peaceful Eid.


    you can obtain early access to the next chapter by donating here or at the link in the main page of this story.

 CH 51

    As soon as Mingxi finished applying the medicine for Fu Yangxi, the dean immediately caught him with the pointer angrily.


    The dean was flushed with rage and his neck was thick, staring at the boys in the International Class and the Gold Medal Class standing in a row in the office. His gaze was especially stern towards Fu Yangxi and Shen Liyao.


    Fu Yangxi stood nonchalantly, still smiling slightly. He deliberately raised his right fist and dangled it in front of Shen Liyao to show the medicine applied to his knuckles.


    The Gold Medal Class¡¯ Ye Bai and his group were almost blinded by his waving. They are all roaring in their hearts. This is too irritating. He is bullying others just because he has Zhao Mingxi''s love! Can¡¯t he see that our class¡¯ God Yao¡¯s expression is getting more and more ugly?!


    ¡ªAt the same time, everyone had questions in their hearts, why was it that in such a dire situation, the person whom Zhao Mingxi didn''t even hesitate to defend was Fu Yangxi?


    Didn''t she see God Yao''s swollen mouth?


    Also, even if Shen Liyao was not injured, it was Fu Yangxi that Zhao Mingxi dragged away from such a scene where everyone could see them in full view. She completely embarrassed Shen Liyao.


    Was I not clear enough?


    Previously when Zhao Mingxi said in the corridor that she no longer liked Shen Liyao, the boys in the School Representative Team had not yet realized the authenticity of her words. However, at this moment, Ye Bai and the others finally realized that maybe Zhao Mingxi was telling the truth.


    And maybe, it was them who had interpreted it wrongly.


    At first, they thought that Zhao Mingxi had transferred to the International Class out of anger, but maybe she really went for Fu Yangxi? They thought that Zhao Mingxi''s series of actions to deliver desserts to Fu Yangxi were either to make Shen Liyao jealous or she was coerced by a bully like Fu Yangxi¡ª But maybe, Zhao Mingxi was willing to do it.


    The more these people thought, the weaker they became.


    Especially Ye Bai, who discovered with horror that he was most likely the stumbling block that caused Shen Liyao and Zhao Mingxi to get to where they are today.


    ¡°...¡±


    He swallowed with a guilty conscience and subconsciously looked at Shen Liyao who was standing next to Fu Yangxi.


    However, Shen Liyao''s face had already turned a sickly green and dark color.


    Today¡¯s Shen Liyao seemed to have lost all reason.


    He even provoked and angered Fu Yangxi out of nowhere.


    ¡ªThis was not like him. It was something he would never do before.


    So several people on the School Representative Team realized that the matter might have reached the worst outcome.


    The current situation was very likely that Zhao Mingxi no longer cared about Shen Liyao, but Shen Liyao cared about Zhao Mingxi.


    Oh no.


    The dean was angry at Shen Liyao for disappointing him. He pointed to Fu Yangxi who was next to him and said to Shen Liyao, ¡°It''s normal for him to fight, but why did you want to participate as well? Shen Liyao, why are you, an outstanding student, also mixing around with him?!¡±


    Hearing these words, Ke Chengwen and his group felt that it was not pleasant to the ears at all.


    What do you mean? It''s just another way of saying that their Xi ge getting into fights are commonplace while Shen Liyao getting into fights is just a fantasy.


    Fu Yangxi was also extremely dissatisfied with this sentence. He glanced at the dean. ¡°You should be clear that it was this person with the surname Shen who provoked me first!¡±


    Fu Yangxi sneered while talking. He glared at Shen Liyao and retorted the words Shen Liyao had given him harshly, ¡°Just now, when she applied medicine for me, do you know where in the classroom it happened and what was her expression? I said that you fought even if you can¡¯t fight. Could you perhaps be imitating me?¡±


    Shen Liyao instantly turned his head to look at him, his temples throbbing suddenly.


    Seeing that Shen Liyao''s face became more and more ugly, the two became more and more enraged, and the tension was about to escalate.


    The dean quickly pulled the two away.


    The dean roared, "So what''s the reason for the fight?!"


    *


    In the classroom.


    Mingxi was also asking this question.


    "So what''s the reason for the fight? To seize the basketball court?"


    The follower who had seen everything was panting with his hands on his knees. He thought that Zhao Mingxi was going to blame the boss, so he quickly defended Fu Yangxi, ¡°It was not Boss who caused the trouble first. It was Shen Liyao who came first to provoke him! He said something along the lines of how long has he known you and how many of your desserts he has eaten. Also, when he knew you, you didn¡¯t even know who our boss was.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡­


    She didn¡¯t even know Shen Liyao anymore. Shen Liyao can really lie. How many desserts did she give him? She didn¡¯t give him as much as she did to Fu Yangxi! Was pursuing someone the same as asking for life? Of course she could be lazy whenever she felt lazy with the former, but in the latter she was desperate to do it.


    ¡°Do you think Xi ge wouldn¡¯t have gotten angry after he heard this? By the way, he also said that Xi ge dyed his black hair to imitate him. Although he was beaten by Xi ge before he could say it, I suspect that this was what he implied.¡±


    The follower spoke incoherently because of his anxiety, but Mingxi understood.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi and Shen Liyao were fighting because Shen Liyao said he had known me for a long time?


    How hilarious. Just because of this?


    If it was someone else, Mingxi would have thought that the other party was jealous about the fact that she liked Shen Liyao, hence why he punched him with a hot head!


    ¡ªW-Wait.


    That happened to Fu Yangxi. Why couldn¡¯t it be Fu Yangxi who was jealous?


    After all, although Fu Yangxi looked fierce and arrogant, he was not the kind of person who would fight casually without reason. It was unreasonable for him to be provoked just because the other party said a few words.


    Suddenly, Mingxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She always felt that Fu Yangxi didn''t understand anything about love and treated girls like boys. Everything, including mobile phone cases and scarves, were given to his followers.


    But what if I was completely wrong?


    What if Fu Yangxi¡¯s words like "the breakfast is not for you, I¡¯m just here to get my coat", "even if it is Ke Chengwen, I will let him live in my house too" were white lies?


    A storm was occuring in Mingxi¡¯s mind.


    If the idea that ¡®he¡¯s jealous¡¯ is true.


    Then it seems like his previous series of abnormal actions can finally be explained.


    That time when she mentioned the movie she had watched with Shen Liyao, he was inexplicably lost and sad. Then, he didn''t want to watch that movie anymore.


    For a while, he remained lifeless and his expression practically screamed ¡®I¡¯m dead and leave me alone¡¯ all day. That was until she said in front of him that she didn¡¯t like Shen Liyao anymore and he immediately became alive and well.


    Also, his actions today.


    Looks like they can be completely explained by his jealousy.


    ...


    This thought jumped out of her head unexpectedly. The shock of it was enough to send Mingxi''s blood instantly rushing to the top of her head. Something immediately opened, as if it had been torn apart in an instant.


    Mingxi stared at the follower in front of her in a daze, causing the follower to shake his hand in front of her. She suddenly came back to her senses, swallowed her saliva and sat down heavily on the seat. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened and her face became hot.


    ¡­


    *


    After the dean was done reprimanding, school was over.


    Fu Yangxi came out of the office triumphantly.


    Shen Liyao was behind him, so he deliberately held his hand behind him, wishing to show Shen Liyao the medicine on his knuckles and pierce Shen Liyao''s heart a few more times.


    Shen Liyao was so angry that his face was pale, his fists remaining clenched.


    Ye Bai and his party desperately dragged Shen Liyao away. They didn''t want Shen Liyao to do anything irrational again.


    At the back door of the International Class, Shen Liyao and Ye Bai were struck in the heart once again.


    Zhao Mingxi was still in the classroom, obviously waiting for Fu Yangxi.


    Ke Chengwen and several followers followed Fu Yangxi into the classroom, threw the basketball into the corner, took off their jackets and shook the dust that was kicked up by those from the Gold Medal Class.


    As for Fu Yangxi, he swaggered back to his seat to pack his things.


    He had been depressed for so long before, but today''s mood could be described as victorious and akin to a bird spreading its wings.


    He didn¡¯t care about what the forum said and whether Zhao Mingxi used to like Shen Liyao before. After all, he was much more important than Shen Liyao in Little Mask¡¯s heart.


    But as soon as he looked up, he met Zhao Mingxi''s somewhat inquisitive gaze.


    Fu Yangxi became nervous for some reason. He subconsciously pressed his back against the wall. ¡°Wh-What?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t too preposterous to say that he beat up Shen Liyao because he was looking for a chance to avenge his personal issue.


    He was afraid of it being discovered by Little Mask.


    "Don''t fight anymore," Mingxi stared at him and said slowly.


    Fu Yangxi quietly breathed out a sigh of relief. He pulled the school bag out of the table drawer, threw it on the table, shook it and complained, ¡°Do you think I wanted to fight him? It was because the group of people in the Gold Medal Class deliberately provoked us. You know the kid with the last name Shen¡ª¡±


    Before Fu Yangxi finished complaining, he heard Zhao Mingxi say, ¡°I think you look better than him with black hair. Don''t listen to his nonsense, you look good in all colors.¡±


    Fu Yangxi who was caught off guard: "..."


    Ke Chengwen who was similarly caught off guard: ¡°...¡±


    What''s going on? Why am I, a dog, who walked in with good grace, suddenly struck by such a scene?


    Fu Yangxi blushed so hard that he turned into a tomato.


    Mingxi said again, ¡°And since when have I known him for a long time? It''s only two years, okay? Suppose we see each other twice a week in two years, and it only lasts half an hour each time¡ª¡±


    Mingxi paused, picked up the calculator on the desk and quickly calculated. ¡°Then the total time is calculated to be 104 hours."


    "Now, if I were to calculate how long I have known you, it¡¯s been three months! At least five days a week, 10 hours a day together, 600 hours!"


    Mingxi said in a frantic voice, ¡°Xi ge, don''t listen to what he said about how I used to give him desserts. I guarantee that I definitely didn¡¯t give him even a fraction more than I did to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s movements stopped. The roots of his ears were all red, blending with the setting sun outside the corridor.


    He tried his best not to show his pride, but he was soothed like a wounded leopard. The corners of his mouth and the hair on his forehead were all curled up.


    ¡°Do you think this is what I care about?¡± Fu Yangxi tried to remain calm, looking like he was saying ¡®Did I with others for such a small matter?¡¯. He said nonchalantly, ¡°I didn''t even hear what the guy with the surname Shen was talking about. I simply couldn¡¯t stand the arrogance of those people! Got it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you say. Let''s go.¡± Mingxi held back a smile.


    She thought, whatever you say goes.


    But I won¡¯t believe you anymore. No matter how I look at it, I feel that you are jealous.


    As Mingxi could finally understand what was going on, she felt more at ease.


    She watched Fu Yangxi walk towards the door, the corners of his mouth almost up to the sky. He was still trying to pretend to be cold, but she already had a vague guess in her heart.


    But she didn''t dare to be completely sure.


    So her heart was as if it was being eaten carefully by ants, it felt itchy and numb.


    It felt as if a long-awaited green apple was about to fall in her hands. She was very excited, but because of her anxiety, she was not so sure.


    Mingxi decided to wait.


    She wasn¡¯t 100% sure. She¡¯ll have to test her theory out a few more times.


    The answer to a question may have multiple solutions, but it does not mean that one of the solutions is completely correct.


    Don''t act rashly this time or you will be embarrassed.


    She remembered the answer she searched last time¡ª How to know whether a boy likes you.


    The first was shockingly: ¡®He will be jealous.¡¯


    Assuming that Fu Yangxi was in full compliance with this one, then she would have to see if he met the next few requirements.


    The second was: ¡®He will stare at you uncontrollably and think you are beautiful.¡¯


    Mingxi followed Fu Yangxi out of the classroom. She was staring absently at his back, thinking frantically, will Fu Yangxi think I¡¯m beautiful?


    How can I ask such a shameful question???


    "Little Mask, you are about to bump into me." She didn¡¯t know when Fu Yangxi turned around. He lightly tapped on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a meal and then we¡¯ll take you to the library, okay? Ke Chengwen said he didn''t want to go home just yet.¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­


    No, I want to go home. It''s as chilly as the cold winds outside. I just want to go back to a lonely corner to listen to single love songs by myself.


    Mingxi came back to her senses. When she was about to talk, the phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.


    Mingxi made a gesture and picked up the phone first.


    The red and happy color on Fu Yangxi''s face had not yet dissipated. He placed his hands in his coat pockets, pretending to look at the scenery when in fact, all his attention was on Zhao Mingxi.


    "She¡¯s been found?" Zhao Mingxi''s face changed as she held the phone.


    The mobile phone in Fu Yangxi''s coat also vibrated at the same time. It was a call from the person he sent out.


    The same message came. Zhang Yufen has been found.


    *


    For Mingxi, it was Dong Hui who called.


    The fact that Zhang Yufen and Zhao Yuan may have a blood relationship had caused a lot of trouble. After all, it was a scandal and it spread faster than any news. Many companies in their social circle knew about it, not to mention the Dong family, who had been following the news concerning the Zhao family a lot.


    The Dong family had almost lost their tempers when they heard about it. Assuming that the nanny is Zhao Yuan''s biological mother, then the exchange of children back then and Mingxi becoming an abandoned baby was all a premeditated plan?!


    Dong Hui was anxious to go to the Zhao family¡¯s house with Mingxi to get an explanation.


    But Mingxi was concerned about her poor health, so she discouraged her. After all, they have just found her and re-retrieved her DNA for testing. It would take a few hours before the result will be available. If they were to wait, they would most likely have to wait until late at night.


    However, Mingxi planned to go there in person.


    She didn''t want to step into the door of the Zhao family¡¯s home anymore. But for this matter, she had to wait for the result for herself.


    A car stopped near the Zhao family''s villa.


    It''s getting dark.


    Mingxi glanced at the door of the Zhao family''s villa. It felt both familiar yet unfamiliar to her. She hesitated before saying to Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen, "Can you guys just wait for me here?"


    The affairs of the Zhao family were muddy waters and the people of the Zhao family were also abominable to Mingxi.


    The last time she was outside the police station, she was holding on to the idea of solving everything by herself, not wanting others to know too many details of her previous unhappiness.


    Although she no longer classified Fu Yangxi in the ranks of ¡®others'', because of her self-esteem, she still didn¡¯t want the person she liked to see those kinds of long-winded and teary scenes.


    She didn''t know whether Fu Yangxi could understand her decision.


    But obviously, although Fu Yangxi may look prickly and arrogant, he could always detect her feelings about these little things and make concessions.


    Sometimes Mingxi couldn''t wrap her head around how he could understand her unexpectedly better than anyone else.


    He knew that she was currently feeling embarrassed.


    When he knew that Pu Shuang and the others had thrown her school bag during the training camp, his first reaction was to retaliate.


    "Don''t be afraid." Fu Yangxi followed her out of the car. He let out a mouthful of cold breath, raised his hand and messed up her hair. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°You can wait in the car. It''s cold outside."


    Fu Yangxi urged her, ¡°Go in quickly and get it done with. The sooner it¡¯s over, the better, right?¡±


    After thinking about it, Fu Yangxi felt that messing up her hair wasn¡¯t a good thing. It would be better for her to go in beautifully.


    He quickly combed her awkwardly, took off his scarf and put it on Mingxi¡¯s neck. Then, he tied a beautiful knot and said, ¡°You did a great job last time. You didn¡¯t cry. This time, it¡¯s even more unnecessary for you to feel anything. You should just take it as watching a scene in a movie and seeing how the scene ends.¡±


    "Yeah." Mingxi looked at him, and the turbulent emotions in her heart calmed down.


    She has him now.


    Mingxi¡¯s heart felt full.


    She turned and walked into the Zhao family¡¯s home.


    *


    At this moment, the Zhao family''s living room was in a mess.


    Zhang Yufen was forced down next to the coffee table. She was found when she arrived in another city on a long-distance bus. When she was found, she tried to escape and bit an employee of the security company.


    She was sitting on the ground, her hair all messed up. Her body exuded a stench as she did not take a bath for two days. She cried and cursed at Mr Zhao, ¡°You are illegally detaining me! I said that I have nothing to do with Miss Zhao Yuan. How can you speculate without any basis?¡±


    Mr Zhao turned pale. "Shut up! Then why did you run?"


    Zhang Yufen cried and said, "I just wanted to go back to my hometown, yet I was arrested like a criminal! Is there any justice left in this world?!"


    Zhao Zhanhuai said coldly, ¡°Regardless, we have already sent the samples for the re-testing of DNA. This time I asked an acquaintance, so the data will be out within four hours. The truth will be revealed in four hours.¡±


    Zhang Yufen''s entire face was pale.


    Everyone in the living room was anxious and apprehensive as they waited.


    When Mingxi walked in, Madam Zhao, who was sitting on the sofa, saw her and stood up quickly. It could be said that there was a little bit of an overjoyed appearance on her face. ¡°Mingxi, you¡¯re back?¡±


    Zhao Yuning, who was on the side, hurried to the kitchen and poured her a glass of water carefully.


    Zhao Yuan could no longer be bothered with Madam Zhao and Zhao Yuning''s enthusiasm for Zhao Mingxi. She sat on the corner of the sofa and stared at Zhang Yufen who was on the ground, suffering through every single minute.


    I¡¯ve already told her to escape. Why was she caught and brought back so easily?!


    Is the death penalty coming, or will it all be a huge misunderstanding?


    Mingxi said nothing. She walked to a corner and waited for the result to come out.


    Zhao Yuning opened his mouth and placed the glass of water on the coffee table again.


    ¡­


    Everyone''s nerves were tense like strings.


    Time passed by with every second and every minute.


    The ticking sound of the wall clock in the living room was cutting through everyone''s mind.


    Mr Zhao couldn''t help but to stand up and smoke. He walked around in the living room anxiously.


    These four hours were undoubtedly very, very long.


    The sky went from gray to late night.


    Until Zhao Zhanhuai''s cell phone suddenly vibrated. Like a deadly reminder, everyone who was present shuddered. Zhao Zhanhuai calmed down and quickly picked up the call.


    Everyone couldn''t hear what the other person on the phone said to him, but saw that his face became more and more solemn. The expression of a person like him who seldom got angry was so gloomy as he stared at Zhang Yufen that he could probably squeeze out the water from them.


    He said to the phone, "Copy the report and send me both the original and duplicate."


    Mr Zhao asked solemnly, ¡°Is it compatible or not?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai glanced at Zhao Yuan, then at Zhang Yufen on the ground, with all kinds of complicated expressions in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Everyone''s expressions changed completely when they heard this word. If the last trace of reason and calm was maintained before, then the string of reason was now completely broken.


    Madam Zhao''s complexion turned pale.


    The whole living room was dead silent for about 10 seconds.


    Then, Madam Zhao screamed, rushed over and slapped Zhang Yufen who was seated on the ground.

 CH 52

    This slap was so fierce that it could be heard from outside.


    Zhang Yufen fell to the ground upon being slapped. In just a few seconds, her face was bruised and swollen.


    She was slapped so hard that there were tears in her eyes. She spit out a mouthful of blood-filled teeth. She was so dizzy that she completely fell to the ground.


    Madam Zhao was breathing fast. Her hands were clenched around her collar as she hysterically asked, ¡°Why? What did our family ever do to you?! That you went and did this kind of thing?!¡±


    Madam Zhao couldn''t believe nor accept it.


    So everything wrong that happened was due to a person¡¯s actions? So 18 years ago, this odious woman in front of me deliberately did it?


    This woman exchanged the children and sent her own child to the Zhao family to enjoy the blessing and become our beloved little princess!


    And the child that I was actually pregnant with was abandoned by the woman in front of me in the country, in the coldest winter!


    If it weren''t for Zhao Mingxi''s fate and luck, she might not have survived at all!


    Madam Zhao''s heart was twitching and her whole body trembled.


    She looked at Zhao Mingxi who was standing in the corner. Her lips trembled and her eyes blurred with tears.


    If all this was just an accident, then Madam Zhao could still tell herself that their family was also a victim, and everything was a trick of God. But now, she found out that everything was not an accident, it''s just that she and the Zhao family were too stupid and never discovered the truth!


    Over the past 18 years, they have not only been raising the child for the culprit, but also hiring the culprit by their side¡ª They even made their children move out of the house for the culprit¡¯s child!


    Madam Zhao clung to her clothes tightly and felt out of breath. It was only at this moment that she understood what ridiculous and stupid things she had done! She picked out skirts for the culprit¡¯s child and she accused her children of not being kind enough to the culprit¡¯s child! She even asked her child to cook dinner for the culprit¡¯s child!


    Her stomach stirred.


    Anger, pain, nausea and remorse were all twisted together.


    Madam Zhao''s eyes were bloodshot. Suddenly, with a burst out of strength, she grabbed Zhang Yufen, who was covering her face on the ground, and slapped her again.


    Zhang Yufen looked at her in horror.


    As if realizing she was crazy, Zhang Yufen instinctively backed away.


    "You¡¯re crazy! Your whole family is crazy! This is personal assault!"


    "B*tch, I''m going to kill you!" Madam Zhao''s hair was messy, her eyes were gleaming with anger, and she completely lost her mind. The pain in her heart made her wish to die with Zhang Yufen at this moment.


    She took off the shoes on her feet and slapped Zhang Yufen''s face fiercely.


    Zhang Yufen flinched desperately, and the person holding her shoulder almost couldn''t control her.


    ¡°Slap!¡±


    Another slap landed on Zhang Yufen''s face fiercely.


    When she first came in, although she was embarrassed, everyone was still able to see the shape of the woman. At this moment, she had tears streaming down her face, her high and swollen face was full of blood mixed with tears, the corners of her mouth were bleeding, and her eye sockets were also bluish.


    If she continued to hit her, her face would most likely be disfigured.


    Although everyone in the Zhao family was gritting their teeth, wishing to slash Zhang Yufen on the ground 1000 times, this was a society ruled by law after all. They couldn¡¯t let Madam Zhao hit her anymore!


    Zhao Zhanhuai walked over and held Madam Zhao¡¯s shoulders. He forced her to his side. ¡°Okay, enough, Mom!¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai tried to wake Madam Zhao.


    Madam Zhao¡¯s face was full of nervous tears. Zhao Zhanhuai tried his best to take her away from Zhang Yufen. She suddenly broke free of Zhao Zhanhuai''s shackles and rushed to the bathroom.


    The sound of vomiting and flushing came from the bathroom.


    Disgusting.


    This was the reaction of everyone in the Zhao family who were present.


    They were not only disgusted by the nanny howling on the ground, disgusted by the culprit¡¯s daughter who was sitting on the side while crying, but also disgusted by themselves who had done those behaviors in the past 18 years.


    What did we do?!


    Zhang Yufen was beaten to the point that she almost fainted. She clutched the blood on her face and slumped to the ground like a foul-smelling fish that had been struggling to death.


    The symptoms of dizziness from being slapped faded slightly. After she became a little more sober, tears began to squeeze out of her wrinkled face that had been working all the year round.


    She sat up and cried hoarsely at everyone in the Zhao family, ¡°Yes, what if I am Miss Zhao Yuan''s biological mother? I only found out about this now! I am innocent, and Zhao Yuan is innocent. The hospital must have made a mistake back then. I was just a weak woman who had just given birth. How could I have done such a thing?! You should blame the hospital. Why should you blame me?!¡±


    ¡°Innocent?! The DNA report''s second test results have already come out. Yet you dare to say that you are innocent!¡± Mr Zhao was so angry that if the person before him was not a helpless woman, he might have also raised his fist and hurt her personally.


    "We will naturally investigate the guilt of the hospital, but you are the culprit!"


    Zhao Zhanhuai asked, ¡°If you didn''t know that Zhao Yuan was your biological daughter, how did you end up coming to our house to apply for a job?"


    "A coincidence! It''s all a coincidence!" Zhang Yufen got up desperately. "It''s really all a coincidence!"


    Even Zhao Zhanhuai was about to lose his temper with the violent woman on the ground. ¡°How can there be so many coincidences in this world?! So it is a coincidence that you have been good to Zhao Yuan for so many years, and it is also a coincidence that you have been bad to Mingxi? You knew that Zhao Yuan was your biological child! You were the one who switched the children!¡±


    Mingxi didn''t want to listen anymore. She asked Zhao Zhanhuai bluntly, ¡°So what punishment will she get in the end? Have you hired a lawyer?¡±


    As soon as Zhao Zhanhuai faced Mingxi, guilt climbed into his heart. His tone couldn''t help but soften a bit, ¡°Don''t worry, your elder brother will give you an explanation on this matter. We will try our best to get the heaviest sentence for her.¡±


    When Zhang Yufen heard this, her face went pale in fright.


    She knelt on the ground, turned towards Mingxi and started begging frantically, ¡°Why must you push people to a dead end? Even if I was the one who switched the children back then, but Zhao Mingxi, I did not drown you or abuse you. I even put you at the entrance of the orphanage¡ª¡±


    "Shut up!" Zhao Yuning, who was in the corner, couldn''t listen anymore. A cup was smashed into pieces in front of her.


    For all his life, he had never seen such a person. If it weren''t for her, maybe there would not be such a series of things afterwards! They were already at this point, yet she still didn''t admit her guilt and was madly justifying herself.


    The glass shards darted across Zhang Yufen''s neck. Zhang Yufen was so frightened that she never dared to speak again.


    When she was desperate, she looked at Zhao Yuan who was seated on the sofa again.


    "Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan, please help me plead to them. Please, I''m only 42 years old. I can''t spend the rest of my life in prison. For the sake of your birth mother, please help me. If it weren¡¯t for you, how could I be so insane as to do that kind of thing back then? I couldn¡¯t support you alone and I couldn¡¯t provide you with the best education. I could only take you to live in a rented house and eat instant noodles. You would have been malnourished, you were still so young¡­¡±


    "Stop talking!" Zhao Yuan stood up, trembling.


    All this was like a nightmare. Zhang Yufen''s gully face was especially the most terrifying sight in the nightmare. Why was she only 42, but looked 10 years older than Madam Zhao? Will she be her own future¡ª


    With a thud, Zhao Yuan suddenly knelt before Mr Zhao.


    This action shocked everyone who was present. Everyone looked at her.


    Zhang Yufen finally showed hope in her eyes which were filled with muddy tears. She wept bitterly.


    However, what Zhao Yuan cried and said was¡ª "Dad, big brother, have you ever thought that even if Zhang Yufen deserved the crime, I am innocent? I was innocent from beginning to end in this matter. I was replaced in the past. I have just been born, what right does a baby have to decide?¡±


    "After being your daughter for 15 years, you suddenly tell me that I am not your biological daughter, just a dove in a magpie''s nest. What can I do?¡±


    "Do I have to use my life to repay Zhao Mingxi for those 15 years?!"


    Zhang Yufen was stunned. She looked at Zhao Yuan with her mouth wide open, her tears ridiculously falling on the carpet from her wrinkles.


    "I did so much for you... Yuanyuan, you..."


    She gave so much to her daughter who said she deserved it.


    Zhang Yufen suddenly seemed to be drained of all strength in an instant. She no longer struggled anymore, but just stared at Zhao Yuan blankly.


    ¡­


    After Zhang Yufen pleaded guilty and Mingxi confirmed that Zhang Yufen would receive the heaviest punishment, she didn''t want to stay here anymore to listen to this farce.


    Now when she heard Zhao Yuan''s words, she said in a monotone voice, ¡°So since Zhang Yufen is innocent, Zhao Yuan is also innocent, your family is still innocent, then who is guilty? Is it me?¡±


    Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai were not moved by Zhao Yuan''s words.


    And when Madam Zhao was almost affected by Zhao Yuan''s pitiful appearance, she was pulled back by Zhao Mingxi''s words.


    Yeah, everyone exclaimed that they were innocent during the whole thing.


    Is this not ironic? What qualifications did they have to mention the word "innocent" in front of Zhao Mingxi?


    "Shut up!" Mr Zhao said to Zhao Yuan intolerably. ¡°How dare you still have the audacity to call me ¡®dad¡¯? Remember, you are the culprit¡¯s daughter, not the Zhao family¡¯s child!¡±


    Zhao Yuan trembled all over, her face pale.


    Mr Zhao insisted, ¡°Our family has done its best in benevolence and righteousness. Everything we have paid for you before will be paid. I¡¯m not bothered to settle the account with you, but from now on, I hope you will not appear before us anymore! Three years of tuition have been paid. Get out of this house and live on your own!¡±


    Zhao Yuan''s tears suddenly fell one by one.


    She got kicked out so easily? She couldn''t believe it. Putting aside the two years after Zhao Mingxi came, the relationship they had for the previous 15 years, didn''t the Zhao family want it anymore?


    She went to look at Zhao Yuning and Madam Zhao in disbelief, but Zhao Yuning and Madam Zhao turned away.


    She looked at Zhao Zhanhuai again¡ª the eldest brother who loved her the most since she was a child.


    However, Zhao Zhanhuai''s face was also cold and hard.


    Indeed, no matter what, they couldn''t let Zhao Yuan stay in their house anymore.


    The fact that they did not berate Zhao Yuan because of Zhang Yufen''s affairs was the last kindness and reasonableness by their family. After all, they were educated enough to know that a crime could not be imposed on the next generation.


    However, it was impossible for them to continue to treat Zhao Yuan as a family member and give Zhao Yuan money, time, energy and love.


    Upon knowing that she was the culprit¡¯s daughter, their family¡¯s stomachs were already upset, so how could they ignore this fact?!


    Zhao Yuan''s legs softened and she finally fell to the ground.


    The atmosphere in the living room was stiff.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yuan was shaking all over, recalling the major changes in her life for the past three months... All of her siblings and parents were robbed from her. She and her friends parted ways... The School Beauty competition, exam rankings, all of it were lost to Zhao Mingxi.


    She was like a loser, slipping into the abyss of life little by little. Even now the whole school knew that she was a dove occupying a magpie''s nest, and her biological mother was the nanny who switched the children¡ª Who caused all this? It was all Zhao Mingxi!


    Zhao Yuan was terribly scared and hurt. The disappointment and hatred accumulated in her heart finally made her burst out.


    Suddenly, she gritted her teeth and said cruelly to Madam Zhao and her family, ¡°You said that I am the culprit¡¯s daughter and that I don''t deserve to call you my parents. But how much better do you guys think you are?¡±


    The Zhao family all looked at her in astonishment when she abruptly said these words.


    Zhao Yuan collapsed, caring nothing of the things she said, ¡°You are all Zhang Yufen''s accomplices! Don''t pretend to be the perfect victim this time and push everything to Zhang Yufen and me! When Zhao Mingxi just returned home, it¡¯s you who asked her not to touch my things, it¡¯s you who told her not to stain the carpet on the floor, it¡¯s you who told her to take etiquette lessons from me¡ª¡±


    Zhao Yuan stared at Madam Zhao frantically and emphasized on every word, ¡°It''s you! It''s what you said that hurt her heart, not me!¡±


    Madam Zhao was short of breath and extremely enraged. She said angrily, ¡°If you didn''t appear aggrieved, why would I defend you again and again?!¡±


    Zhao Yuan got up from the ground. ¡°That¡¯s your own fault for being so stupid!¡±


    Madam Zhao¡¯s face was flushed. She rushed over and slapped Zhao Yuan. ¡°You are exactly like your mother, absolutely ungrateful!¡±


    Zhao Yuan wiped away the tears from her face angrily. She had something else to say, but with a wave by the pale-faced Mr Zhao, two people dragged her out of the Zhao family''s house.


    Madam Zhao stared at the direction in which Zhao Yuan was driven away, panting heavily. Then, she sat down on the sofa, looking like she was going crazy.


    *


    On this night, the Zhao family''s living room was a mess.


    Everyone felt like they had experienced an earthquake, their minds and bodies crumbling.


    Zhang Yufen was sent to the police station along with the evidence and was officially detained until the court session. Zhao Yuan was also kicked out of the Zhao family''s house. Zhao Zhanhuai asked two people to clean up the things in Zhao Yuan''s room, planning to empty them all and throw them away.


    Deep in the night.


    No one knew when Zhao Mingxi left. She left without saying a word. Only a few people from the Zhao family were left in the living room.


    Mr and Mrs Zhao looked around in panic. They could feel the emptiness of the house. Without footsteps, no laughter, the deadly atmosphere was like a slap after slap, striking on their own faces.


    They seem to have lost everything.


    They also seemed to have faced a devastating disaster, and everything will never be the same again.


    Because of this disaster, they finally realized that, as Zhao Yuan said, part of the reason was themselves. It was their own mistakes.


    They lost their own children forever for the sake of a criminal¡¯s child.


    This was probably the greatest punishment in the world.


    As parents, they have failed terribly.

 CH 53

    On this night, they finally got the result of what tormented everyone for a few days.


    Although the Zhao family publicly refuted the rumors and pushed the nanny Zhang Yufen out, the Zhao family was still greatly injured. Even Zhao Zhanhuai¡¯s company has lost many customers.


    So while Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai were exhausted, they still had to work together to clean up the mess.


    Zhao Mo wasn¡¯t faring much better either. More and more information about his family was getting exposed. Some people began to mock him, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to look good, but treat his sister so badly¡±. His agent was desperately doing crisis management.


    Madam Zhao stayed at home reluctantly and her mental state was visibly worse than before.


    The Zhao family seemed to be able to maintain the apparent composure, but it was actually fragmented.


    Meanwhile, the news spread throughout the school.


    The recent rumors finally came to light. Turns out, what the original post said was true. Zhao Yuan was not the true daughter of the Zhao family and Zhao Yuan''s mother was the criminal who switched the two children back then!


    It was expected that once this news was confirmed, there would be much uproar within the school.


    Before, everyone didn''t dare to talk nonsense for fear that it was a rumor that would have a bad influence on Zhao Yuan. But now, everyone only felt confused. Zhao Yuan, who has been with their classmate for three years with the identity as a superb daughter¡ª all the good education, branded bags and identity were all stolen? Even her life was a stolen life?!


    In this case, it was difficult for everyone to look at Zhao Yuan without such a stain.


    The discussion in school finally spiraled out of control.


    However, after Zhao Yuan was driven out by the Zhao family, she didn¡¯t return to school. Maybe it was out of fear or something, but she directly took half a month of sick leave with the school. Thus, these comments did not reach her ears for the time being. All of it fell into the ears of Pu Shuang and the others who were close to her in the past.


    The wall fell down and everyone pushed.


    Now Pu Shuang and the others who were part of Zhao Yuan''s attendants were also in a difficult situation.


    A few of them used to comment in class, be it intentionally or unintentionally, about Zhao Mingxi''s poor grades and hinted that Zhao Mingxi might be an illegitimate daughter. Now, they had to eat their words.


    Not everyone in the Evergreen Class defended Zhao Yuan before, and now even more so. In the Evergreen Class alone, some people could not understand the past behavior of Pu Shuang and the others, accusing them of ¡®not knowing anything yet continuing to talk nonsense, all of them are Zhao Yuan¡¯s accomplices.¡¯ ¡®Fortunately, Zhao Mingxi herself is upright and not affected by their malicious remarks.''


    Pu Shuang''s face was hot, but there was no way for her to refute it. After all, the incident whereby she blatantly threw Zhao Mingxi''s school bag during the training camp had spread all over the class.


    Now she was akin to a sinner.


    Pu Shuang wanted Zhao Yuan to come to school early to share the pressure on her¡ª because of this, Pu Shuang''s dislike for Zhao Yuan went to a deeper level.


    Zhao Yuan didn''t come to school at all because she was afraid of the eyes of people from school, but did it ever cross her mind that all those eyes would fall on her?!


    She deeply regretted that she had regarded Zhao Yuan as her best friend before, supporting her regardless of the consequences. She regretted that she found out too late that Zhao Yuan was not worth it at all.


    When Pu Shuang heard about Zhao Mingxi¡¯s affairs, she actually felt some guilt in her heart.


    She was in agony. She could imagine how Zhao Mingxi felt when she was finally taken home after 15 years, but could only watch as there was already ¡®another her¡¯ in that family. And not only that, they and E Xiaoxia secretly speculated that she was an illegitimate daughter and mocked her.


    The thought of apologizing to Zhao Mingxi actually went through Pu Shuang''s heart 100 times.


    She impulsively wanted to rush to the International Class several times and frankly apologize to Zhao Mingxi for what she had done before.


    But while it was easy for people to make mistakes, it was not as easy to make up for it bravely. She didn¡¯t want to just rush to the International Class and suffer the looks of others when she apologized. She didn''t dare to imagine how much she would want to bury herself in a hole.


    Pu Shuang didn''t have the courage, so she could only continue to suffer.


    At noon, she left the school alone and found the same school bag that Zhao Mingxi owned which she had thrown into the trash can before.


    She bought it, but she didn''t dare to let the class see it, so she wrapped it in a black plastic bag and took it back to school with a tight cover.


    =========


    *


    As for Mingxi.


    Dong Hui almost got breast hyperplasia because of this. However, the fact that Zhang Yufen was detained and awaiting interrogation was considered a good result, so Dong Hui was helpless.


    Dong Hui called Mingxi over to have a meal. According to the custom of her hometown, she got Mingxi to cross a brazier, which meant ¡®getting rid of the bad luck brought by that family¡¯.


    Compared with Dong Hui and many people who were filled with indignation, Mingxi wasn¡¯t very affected by this incident¡ª It was natural to feel lost, but she was not so angry.


    Probably because if she still cared about the Zhao family, she would feel sad when she learned the truth, because she felt that a lot of things had been taken away from her.


    But when she no longer cared about the Zhao family, what Zhang Yufen and Zhao Yuan snatched from her seemed to be a symbol of ¡®family¡¯, which was not that important.


    Therefore, instead, it was Mingxi who went to comfort the Dong family.


    Amidst the rumors, the weather was getting colder day by day.


    On this day, Zhao Zhanhuai suddenly received an email from the Fu family which clearly listed the text messages sent and received on the day Zhang Yufen escaped. Only then did the Zhao family learn that it was Zhao Yuan who informed Zhang Yufen that day and let Zhang Yufen escape!


    Mr Zhao was so angry that he cursed at home again. A white-eyed wolf, simply a white-eyed wolf.


    So far, the Zhao family was extremely disappointed with Zhao Yuan.


    This matter will not be mentioned for the time being.


    For Mingxi, this incident was over. She resumed her intense and orderly study.


    The list of finalists would usually come out soon after the training camp. This year, because the number of participants in the competition was unprecedented, the time for the announcement of the list was postponed by one day.


    But starting from 9am, everyone could check the list of finalists.


    There were more than 300 colleges and universities in the province, of which only the top 100 schools sent people to participate.


    The total number of participants was about 2,000, all of whom were among the elites in the province.


    It could be said that in such a Tournament, the ranking obtained by the participants in the tests represented the ranking of the participants in the province!


    So even though it was the preliminary round, it was already very important to the participants.


    After all, only the top 20% of the players in the province could enter the finals. Most of the participants were just running alongside them, but it was still very exciting to know their position through a preliminary match.


    Therefore, before the results came out, the amount of discussion topics around Zhao Yuan and Zhao Mingxi in the three classes immediately became less obvious. They all turned their attention to the list of finalists.


    Mingxi finished breakfast early and came to the classroom to wait. She opened the mobile web page, entered the query account, and waited for the query port to open at 9am so that she could quickly seize the network to see if she was shortlisted.


    Aside from her, there were also two other participants from the International Class. In the past, no one in the International Class cared about these tournaments.


    But this year, because of Zhao Mingxi, the entire International Class was inexplicably enthusiastic. Everyone stared at the wall clock, counting down on her behalf. Everyone waited for the arrival of 9am.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t sleep anymore, his eyes fixed on Mingxi''s phone screen.


    Ke Chengwen sat behind the two of them. When he saw how nervous Fu Yangxi was, he inexplicably thought of the husband who was waiting anxiously when his wife entered the delivery room. Of course, he didn''t dare to say this because he would definitely be beaten if he said it.


    Amidst everyone¡¯s expectations, the exciting moment of 9am finally arrived!


    Mingxi concentrated, her hands shaky as she clicked in sharply.


    In the end¡ª


    Error 403.


    The web page suddenly became blank.


    ¡°Let me try.¡± Fu Yangxi tried it with his mobile phone.


    Still the same result. The webpage was completely down.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi was about to stand up furiously. ¡°Which server does this website use? It crashed after a short login. How can I check the results?!¡±


    ¡°Xi ge, I think Mr Lu is coming," a follower yelled.


    Fu Yangxi looked outside and saw Lu Zhangwei rushing towards this side in a stride. His face was flushed and the way he looked at Zhao Mingxi was as if he was looking at his own daughter.


    Wait, why is this scene so familiar?


    Fu Yangxi''s eyelids twitched suddenly.


    He watched as Lu Zhangwei rushed into the classroom. Then, his expression changed and he urged Zhao Mingxi who was next to him, ¡°Hurry up, Little Mask, let¡¯s switch seats. You sit inside and lean against the wall.¡±


    "What''s the matter?" Mingxi was confused.


    "Quick! Sit on my side!" Fu Yangxi said anxiously.


    He had a bad premonition that Lu Wangwei was going to hug Zhao Mingxi again!


    However, at this moment, Mingxi lowered her head and glanced at her mobile phone.


    She managed to get on the website.


    After holding her breath to zoom in to the list clearly with two fingers, she suddenly jumped up and said excitedly, ¡°I''ve logged in. I''m shortlisted!¡±


    Did she read it right? 3rd in the school and 35th in the province?!


    There was no sort number on the list, so Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t know if it was from top to bottom.


    But she confirmed it again and again, her name was indeed right on it!


    The admission ticket number was also hers, it won''t be the same name and surname!


    Aaaaah I got in?!


    This was completely impossible when she was pressured by the heroine in the past, but now it has been realized?


    Mingxi''s heart beat like a drum. She glanced at her potted plants excitedly¡ª 390 buds!


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°Huh? Are you shortlisted?¡±


    "Yes, I¡¯m shortlisted!"


    Fu Yangxi hadn''t reacted yet, but just seeing how happy Zhao Mingxi who was beside him was, the corners of his mouth raised subconsciously.


    Unexpectedly, in the next second, Zhao Mingxi plunged into his arms and embraced him excitedly.


    ¡­


    ???


    !!!


    Fu Yangxi was still holding a mobile phone in one hand, and in the other hand he was still trying to pull Zhao Mingxi up and change seats with him. Thus, he was caught off guard by Zhao Mingxi.


    And they were in front of the whole class.


    With a "click", Fu Yangxi dropped the phone in his hand.


    Fu Yangxi''s eyes widened, his face flushed a little bit.


    The girl''s hair was fragrant and she fit perfectly in his arms.


    I know that she is excited, but she can''t just hug the people around her, right?! What if the person beside her isn¡¯t him? If it''s someone else, wouldn''t she be taken advantage of?!


    Fu Yangxi''s heart almost jumped out of his chest.


    Lu Zhangwei had rushed over from the entrance of the classroom.


    Fu Yangxi''s expression changed. He quickly hugged Zhao Mingxi and turned her around.


    He put Zhao Mingxi down in the seat and quickly stretched out a hand that showed extreme disgust and refusal to Lu Zhangwei. ¡°Go and hug Ke Chengwen, don''t hug me.¡±


    Teacher Lu Wangwei who was full of excitement: "..."

 CH 54.1

    In the eyes of others, Zhao Mingxi¡¯s progress was so fast that they simply couldn¡¯t believe it. She climbed from the middle of the Normal Class to the top 20 of this building in just three or four months. This time it was even more exaggerated, she was directly 3rd in the school and 35th in the province!


    But only Mingxi knew how much effort she made for this.


    Putting aside the more than 10 years of hard work before she came to this city, anyway, that hard work was emptied to zero as soon as she stepped into Zhao Yuan''s aura. In the first two years of Normal Class, no one knew how much harder she worked in order to change classes. She would burn the midnight oil to do questions, and she worked as hard as everyone else. After changing classes, she never slackened her focus on learning while fighting for her life with Fu Yangxi''s luck.


    It was precisely because she had been working hard and running, so when she finally saw the obvious reward at this moment, Mingxi seemed to have rushed out of a dark alley. Excitement and grievances climbed into her heart, and finally turned into unspeakable excitement.


    At the beginning, she accepted the binding of the system, thinking that she had no other choice. If she did not agree, she would definitely end up with a tragic death like in her previous life.


    But it turns out, the system did not lie to her. As long as she worked hard, everything would be rewarded and her destiny could be changed.


    At that moment, Mingxi¡¯s eye sockets were actually hot. She turned around and hugged Fu Yangxi in time, rubbing the wetness in the corner of her eyes on his clothes.


    When she raised her head again, Mingxi was the ¡®never crying Mingxi¡¯ again, free and easy.


    The system said to Mingxi in Mingxi''s mind: "I didn''t lie to you, you can continue to work hard. When the potted plants reach 500, all that is accumulated will be the heroine''s luck. When the time comes, you can also have the heroine¡¯s halo."


    Mingxi didn¡¯t think that far, nor did she ever intend to. Now she only wants to accumulate to 500 and get rid of the negative luck completely.


    After all, she could still vaguely feel the shackles of some negative luck during the preliminary examination. Although it was better than before, she still hasn''t been able to use 100% of her strength.


    The list of finalists could be found as long as you log in to the portal.


    Therefore, in just 10 minutes, the whole building heard of the news.


    A total of 9 people were shortlisted.


    Among them, Zhao Mingxi of the International Class was ranked 3rd among the 9 people and 35th in the province!


    Not to mention that the students in the three classes were shocked, even Miss Ye Bing and Mr Jiang who were in the office were also shocked!


    From their point of view, a student who transferred from a Normal Class had cut through multiple obstacles within three months, directly rushing to the sky from the middle reaches of the mediocre generation, and climbed to the top of the province!


    There wasn¡¯t even a process of climbing?! She rushed up directly?!


    That''s too unbelievable, isn''t it?


    But no matter how unbelievable it was, the truth was right in front of them!


    Could this be due to Professor Gao?


    Compared to participants like Shen Liyao who would definitely be shortlisted without any suspense, Zhao Mingxi as the dark horse immediately attracted everyone''s attention.


    During this period of time, there was a lot of talk about the Zhao family¡¯s exchange of daughters. In addition, she ranked 3rd place in the school, only five points away from Shen Liyao. It was difficult for everyone to not focus on her!


    "Is this a top student?" A girl in the Evergreen Class said in shock, ¡°Pu Shuang and the others quarreled with her during the training camp and ruined the mood, but it didn''t affect her at all? It only affected Pu Shuang and the others?¡±


    Pu Shuang was not shortlisted, nor was Zhao Yuan. Only one boy in the Evergreen class was shortlisted, so they were not proud about this.


    But those who were not shortlisted also got another provincial ranking.


    In the past, Zhao Yuan and Pu Shuang could be ranked about 130 and 300 in the province respectively, but this time Zhao Yuan¡¯s score fluctuated to 180. Pu Shuang¡¯s score fluctuated even more and dropped directly to more than 800 in the province.


    Because Zhao Yuan was not there, Ye Bing, the homeroom teacher, had very sternly called Pu Shuang and the other two students whose grades had fallen so severely to the office to analyze the reasons.


    ¡°She¡¯s not just a top student, she¡¯s a legendary student. See, she and Shen Liyao''s scores are only five points apart! Maybe in another year, she will surpass Shen Liyao.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll surpass God Yao. God Yao has participated in so many national competitions¡­¡±


    "Anyway, she¡¯s better than you and me."


    "No wonder Professor Gao specially applied for her spot at the time. I was not convinced at the time, but now I am convinced."


    When the group of 21 people went to participate in the training camp, except for Shen Liyao, almost everyone felt that Zhao Mingxi''s appearance in their training group was very abnormal.


    They all felt that she just did a little better in the monthly exam, and the spot she got through backhanded means showed that she did not have much strength at all.


    However, now the list of finalists was out and the truth was shown before them. Zhao Mingxi was shortlisted, but those who mocked her were not.


    With the truth being displayed right in front of you, what was the point in attempting to refute it?


    Everyone had to withdraw their previous prejudices. They were finally convinced.


    Ye Bai was also shortlisted.


    His performance was as usual this time, ranking 9th in the school, coincidentally becoming the 9th finalist, ranking 83rd in the province.


    For him, this result was enough to excite him.


    But when he looked up at Zhao Mingxi, who was far above him, his excitement was immediately as if he was being slapped down by a mountain, and he felt a lot of pressure.


    "It''s too unexpected." Ye Bai looked at the list, unable to calm down. He said to Yue Teng, "Why does Zhao Mingxi surprise people every day?!"


    It was a surprise that she no longer liked Shen Liyao.


    Her beauty was a surprise.


    Her tragic past unknown to everyone was also a surprise.


    Not only this, her grades actually skyrocketed and she overpowered everyone on the School Representative Team except Shen Liyao and Ke Chuan.


    In the past year, Ye Bai ridiculed Zhao Mingxi, mostly in a condescending way.


    Like Shen Liyao, they were all ¡®children from other families¡¯. They had excellent backgrounds, appearances and grades.


    Among those chasing Shen Liyao, Zhao Mingxi was the one who Shen Liyao minded the most.


    So they all loved to bet on her.


    During this process, Ye Bai would not deny that he had always used a superior perspective to judge Zhao Mingxi.


    But now, he suddenly wondered, what is so superior about me?


    Zhao Mingxi was very beautiful, so beautiful that it was an undeniable fact, to the point where everyone was shocked to the core.


    Zhao Mingxi''s family background was also very good, even if she was not raised in the Zhao family since she was a child, that was not what she wanted.


    Zhao Mingxi''s achievements and intelligence have been verified. She had already surpassed him.


    This girl was much better than him.


    What right did he have to evaluate her?


    His previous banter and frivolous words seemed so ignorant and superficial at this moment. Like a greasy boy who was confused, self-confident and shameless.


    Ye Bai''s face felt inexplicably hot.


    Yue Teng glanced at Shen Liyao who was not far away, pushed Ye Bai''s arm and motioned to him to whisper, "Stop talking."


    Another boy from the School Representative Team came over and whispered, ¡°I wonder what God Yao¡¯s mood is now. Zhao Mingxi is only 5 points away from him¡­ I''m even confused right now. How the f*ck am I not shortlisted?¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at the International Class next door and said, ¡°Zhao Mingxi did so well in the exam, but she doesn¡¯t look like she wants to come over and share this with God Yao. Are the two of them going on completely different paths?¡±


    Ye Bai said in a low voice, ¡°The main reason was that at the time, no one knew that Zhao Mingxi was good-looking and could obtain good grades. Also, maybe God Yao¡ª I mean maybe, maybe, in fact, he liked her at the time, but he himself didn''t know it. If we knew it earlier, wouldn''t we have encouraged him to be with her? Then things won''t be how it is now.¡±


    While Ye Bai said this, he felt extremely guilty. He didn''t know how to face Shen Liyao recently.


    He always felt that 80% of Shen Liyao¡¯s frustration in love was because of him...


    Shen Liyao happened to look up.


    Ye Bai was shocked. He hurriedly twisted his head and touched his nose, his heart in a great panic.


    ¡°You still have the audacity to mention this, huh,¡± Yue Teng said. ¡°When you were training, you also said that Zhao Mingxi was just arrogant, and that God Yao could get her back. Now why the f*ck is it getting worse? Can he still chase after her?¡±


    Ye Bai: ¡°...¡±


    During the training camp, Ye Bai did believe that he could get Zhao Mingxi back, but after the incident on the basketball court, Ye Bai was not sure.


    In addition, Zhao Mingxi''s grades were now soaring and everyone could see her excellence¡ª When compared to Shen Liyao, she seemed to be no worse than him.


    So why were they so sure that Shen Liyao would be able to get her back if he pursued her?


    So Ye Bai became even more uncertain.


    At this moment, Shen Liyao must have heard them saying Zhao Mingxi''s name, because his face looked extremely cold as he walked over here.


    Ye Bai suddenly became as anxious as a dog. He grabbed the test paper, said to Yue Teng that he was going to the teacher''s office and quickly slipped away.


    Yue Teng and another boy who had to stay to face Shen Liyao''s cold expression: "..."


    *


    As Zhao Mingxi was in the finals, the Evergreen Class faced another matter.


    And that was the bet between Pu Shuang and Zhao Mingxi¡ª At least seven people in the training classroom witnessed the bet with their own eyes. The news spread all over the building, so now the whole building knew about it!


    Now Zhao Mingxi really squeezed into the finals and she even came in 3rd place! But Pu Shuang was not on the list at all! Was it time to honor the bet???


    The people in the Evergreen Class felt a mix of emotions. Although Pu Shuang was Zhao Yuan¡¯s close friend and many people hated Pu Shuang, Pu Shuang was still a member of the Evergreen Class. If she had to eat her words and drop out of school, wouldn¡¯t the whole Evergreen Class suffer through the same humiliation?


    Pu Shuang herself felt even worse.


    She came out of Ye Bing''s office, feeling like she was being pressed into the water by her neck, drowning and suffocating uncontrollably.


    Everyone was talking about this incident wherever she went. Every sentence of ridicule, whether it was mocking or not, seemed like a slap on her face.


    ¡ª¡ªShe never thought that Zhao Mingxi would be shortlisted when she made the bet!!!


    Pu Shuang walked all the way back to the classroom. Her steps were a bit soft and her head was full with thoughts of ¡®what should I do now?!¡¯.


    She sat down in the seat. She couldn''t really drop out of school because of a bet!


    And she did it because of Zhao Yuan!


    If there was a time machine, the first thing Pu Shuang would do would be to go back to that time and slap herself awake. Why on earth would she hurt herself like this for an unworthy ¡®friend¡¯ like Zhao Yuan?


    Great, now she¡¯s done for.


    If she drops out, her family will definitely scold her to death. Besides, they would never allow her to drop out of A High so easily since she was already in her final year. However, if she doesn''t drop out, she will definitely face everyone''s ridicule for the next six months.


    No one in the class hung out with Pu Shuang anymore.


    Pu Shuang''s boyfriend also avoided her for fear of being isolated by the people in the class.


    Not far away, E Xiaoxia saw Pu Shuang¡¯s pale face and laughed. ¡°September 24th, who was the one who said that I deliberately triggered Zhao Yuan¡¯s allergy and that I was shameless?¡±


    Pu Shuang: ¡°...¡±


    She felt tormented as she sat in her seat all morning. Pu Shuang didn''t listen to a single lesson.


    She was lost. She only felt as if the classmates whispering around were talking about her. The classmates who passed around notes were also saying that she was cheeky, pretending that the bet did not happen and refused to drop out.


    She went to the bathroom after class. Even then it was as if she could hear the word "drop out".


    If this continues, not only would she not be able to go through high school smoothly, she might even go crazy.


    Pu Shuang didn''t know where the impulse came from. After the first class in the afternoon, as soon as the teacher left the classroom, she suddenly picked up her school bag and rushed towards the International Class upstairs.


    A group of people who were hungry for gossip got excited. Thinking she was going to resolve the matter with Zhao Mingxi publicly, they hurriedly followed to watch the fun.


    This matter was quite a big deal.


    Everyone wanted to see how things would be resolved¡ª Will Pu Shuang really fulfill her promise to drop out of school?


    Mingxi was stopped by Pu Shuang when she entered the classroom.


    A few steps away from her, Pu Shuang was sweating profusely and her face was pale, as if she was seriously ill.


    Pu Shuang stopped her, but bit her lip again and didn''t say a word for a long time.


    Everyone was watching.


    Mingxi had forgotten about the bet to drop out during the training camp, but when some people around whispered, ¡®Pu Shuang should quit school if she still has some courage left, otherwise it¡¯ll be really embarrassing¡¯, Mingxi suddenly remembered.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    Pu Shuang''s face flushed red, she was even trembling slightly.


    Mingxi waited for about three minutes until she heard a sudden word from her throat.


    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±

 CH 54.2

    The corridor was quiet. Everyone was watching the two of them.


    This sentence was the beginning. After saying this, Pu Shuang''s whole body seemed to be relieved and her shaking was not so severe. Nonetheless, her face was still pale. She dared not look at Zhao Mingxi again and said in one breath, ¡°I''m sorry for the many things I did before.¡±


    Pu Shuang actually realized and acknowledged that she had done something wrong.


    After Zhao Yuan¡¯s exposure as the fake daughter, she put herself in Zhao Mingxi¡¯s shoes and gave it some thought. If she was Zhao Mingxi and was targeted by so many people around Zhao Yuan, she would have wanted to tear Pu Shuang up by hand.


    It was precisely because of this substitution that Pu Shuang realized how bad she was.


    She was extremely confused. On the one hand, she felt that she had gone over Zhao Mingxi¡¯s bottom line, but on the other hand, she felt too ashamed to apologize.


    Moreover, she was afraid that she would really have to drop out of school because of this incident.


    Everyone watched. She wanted to ask Zhao Mingxi to forgive her so that she would not have to leave A High.


    "Zhao Mingxi, I was wrong. I was wrong for making those remarks that slandered you before. I don''t want to drop out of school. My dad will kill me." As Pu Shuang spoke, she burst into tears. She raised her hand to wipe them in embarrassment.


    Pu Shuang cried as she said, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t drop out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Pu Shuang heard Zhao Mingxi continue, ¡°Then don''t drop out. Spend the last six months with an honest heart, study hard and stop making trouble.¡±


    Pu Shuang raised her head in disbelief, ¡°Are you forgiving me?¡±


    Zhao Mingxi didn''t answer. She merely turned around and entered the classroom.


    The classmates around who watched the excitement looked slightly disappointed. They thought that they could see a wonderful drama or a fight between the two of them. Zhao Mingxi might really make Pu Shuang drop out of school.


    In the end, that¡¯s it¡ª?


    Amidst the noise, the students left in disappointment.


    Pu Shuang stood there, tears falling down and her face still hot.


    Zhao Mingxi made herself very clear. She didn''t mean to forgive her, but she didn''t bother to force Pu Shuang to drop out of school for such things. As far as Zhao Mingxi was concerned, life was not about the small world of 17 or 18 year old girls who were ridiculing each other and vying for strength. She was moving forward.


    Pu Shuang was even more embarrassed after she realized this.


    She didn¡¯t need to drop out, but in the future, she will remember the lessons brought by this incident.


    Fu Yangxi looked out the window and sat down after seeing that there was no conflict.


    *


    After this incident, Pu Shuang suddenly became much quieter in school.


    After Mingxi entered the finals, Dong Hui''s family and He Yang''s family sent their congratulations and invited Mingxi to eat at their homes.


    Mingxi wanted to thank Professor Gao the most. She consulted with Mr Lu and asked Mr Lu to ask Mr Jiang about what kind of alcohol Professor Gao usually likes to drink. She planned to buy some gifts to thank him on the weekend.


    Meanwhile, Fu Yangxi was facing a severe crisis.


    After he saw Mingxi''s name on the list of finalists, every day when he came to the classroom, the love letters he took out of her desk drawer increased exponentially. He felt his heart itch by these, but on the surface he had to pretend to be unaffected by them. After a glance, he retracted his gaze.


    So for three consecutive days, he got up at 5am, climbed through the window, searched for the love letters on Zhao Mingxi''s table and climbed out the window again.


    When it was 8am and everyone was almost there, he then came in with a cold face.


    Mingxi didn''t know that for the past few days Fu Yangxi would come to the classroom first and then pretend to be late, coming back again with a look of ¡®who else is cooler than me¡¯. She didn¡¯t know that many love letters had been destroyed by Fu Yangxi before she saw them.


    She only felt that Fu Yangxi''s mood was a bit low during these two or three days.


    ¡ªIs he jealous again?


    But for the past few days, she and Shen Liyao didn¡¯t even pass each other in the corridor.


    Mingxi was confident that it was definitely not because of her. It might be that he simply didn''t sleep well.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t figure out why those boys were so shameless!


    Do they know what modesty is?


    How can they write a love letter to Zhao Mingxi at every turn!


    After tossing out those colorful love letters with Ke Chengwen in the milk tea shop school for three days in a row, he was full of anger! He angrily cursed, ¡°A group of uneducated brains filled with nothing but romance!¡±


    Ke Chengwen felt like he was scolding himself, but there was no evidence.


    There was no Shen Liyao, but the world was still perilous.


    There are many others who want to pursue her!


    And now the most critical problem is that Zhao Mingxi doesn¡¯t like him yet, so the chances of her being pried away are even greater!


    On the forum, there were now fewer people talking about Zhao Mingxi and Shen Liyao as a couple, but there were not many people talking about him and Zhao Mingxi as a couple at all! Everyone said that he and Zhao Mingxi are totally incompatible!


    Fu Yangxi''s self-confidence had fallen to the extreme. After hesitating for a long time, he asked a question in the group: "Am I not charismatic?"


    Jiang Xiuqiu: ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Ke Chengwen was afraid that Fu Yangxi would get angry, so he quickly helped him restore his dignity: "No, it''s not that you¡¯re not charismatic. The main thing is that Xi ge, Zhao Mingxi and us are all brothers. I think you are still very important to her, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have chosen to save you first. Also, she was more worried for you that day at the basketball court.¡±


    "Now you have to make her understand that you are¡ª well, how should I put it, the male protagonist of a drama. You have to make her understand that you can be the male protagonist, so that her mentality can change."


    Fu Yangxi roared: "What do you mean by ''you can be a male protagonist¡¯? Please explain. Why am I not a male protagonist already?!¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu: ¡°He means that you can create some famous scenes. Try to learn from the male protagonists in other TV dramas.¡±


    Although Fu Yangxi was very dissatisfied, he coldly scoffed: "For example?"


    Jiang Xiuqiu began to teach via audio messages.


    "Find a venue. Then, do you know the kind of lights and ornaments on Taobao? The kind that looks like stars when you hang them on a tree. Take her to this sort of romantic place, and then turn on the switch and say to her, ''Hey, why is it that the moment you arrived, the stars started to shine''?¡±


    Ke Chengwen: "...Is this a bit too corny?"


    Jiang Xiuqiu said sincerely: ¡°I don''t know. Anyway, I use this trick all the time and each time it worked. If it doesn¡¯t work for Fu Yangxi, it¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    Fu Yangxi who had quietly pricked his ears to listen to these secret tips and finally heard this: "..."


    That¡¯s it?


    Ke Chengwen said, ¡°Or you can ask a few followers to dress up as robbers and pretend to rob them, and then Xi ge, you can go and save the beauty. Do you know this is called the suspension effect? It¡¯s easy for a girl to fall in love with someone who saves her when she is facing danger.¡±


    ¡°What kind of terrible tricks are you both suggesting??¡± Fu Yangxi became angry with embarrassment: ¡°None of them can be used!¡±


    Having said that, Fu Yangxi secretly placed an order on Taobao the next day.


    Robbery would scare Little Mask, Ke Chengwen was too brainless. Jiang Xiuqiu has a lot of love experience, maybe it''s worth a try.


    Mingxi was also about to ask Fu Yangxi to go to Professor Gao''s house with her.


    So there was an excuse for them to be together this weekend.


    Fu Yangxi had a stinky face, as if saying "you can¡¯t do anything without me, women are really troublesome", but he agreed immediately. On Saturday, under the cold wind, he pretended to be just passing by and went downstairs to the dormitory to pick up Zhao Mingxi.


    He brought Zhao Mingxi a pair of gloves made of white wool and velvet. He wore the black version of it. The two of them carried the gifts Mingxi bought in advance and asked Xiao Li to drive to the alley of Professor Gao''s house.


    Because she told Professor Gao in advance that she would bring a boy over to help her cook, Professor Gao was not surprised.


    Although Professor Gao had never taught Fu Yangxi, he had also heard of Fu Yangxi''s name¡ª It was a great name, and the prince once made the entire school''s teachers talk about him.


    Professor Gao was mentally prepared for a rich boy like Fu Yangxi who would not understand anything and disturb the scene.


    But he never expected that he was completely different from what he had imagined.


    The boy was tall and handsome, and his appearance was charming. As soon as he came in, he made the not-so-wide yard more cramped, but he didn''t say anything and did not show any signs of a spoiled rich brat. Instead, he found a chair, wiped it clean and sat down.


    He also played flying chess with his grandson.


    In fact, he actually found him quite pleasant?


    Mingxi took off her coat, went into the kitchen and placed the purchased items into the refrigerator. Professor Gao came in to talk to her.


    After getting acquainted with him, Professor Gao''s temper was not as cold as it was at the beginning. Of course, there were times when he acted weird, and occasionally he would make a few sarcastic remarks, but most of the time he would stand as an elder to give Mingxi tips.


    "It''s only 35th in the whole province. What¡¯s there to be so happy about? You even visited me to show off." Although Professor Gao said so, there was still a smile on his wrinkled face.


    Mingxi couldn''t help laughing. ¡°I¡¯m not that smart. I¡¯m already very happy to be in the finals.¡±


    Professor Gao said, ¡°Don''t relax, keep working hard while you¡¯re still young.¡±


    Mingxi nodded her head. "Yeah!"


    After Professor Gao finished speaking with her, Fu Yangxi lowered his head and came in to help wash the vegetables.


    The kitchen was already small to begin with. He was so tall that Mingxi couldn¡¯t even move her feet when he entered. The two huddled together and the air was full of the warm smell of each other in winter.


    Fu Yangxi slowly helped Mingxi tie her apron.


    He blushed while Mingxi''s face felt hot.


    In the small space, amongst the scent of steaming food, breathing, gazes and subtle movements seem to be slowed down, condensing into a slow and uncontrollable moving movie scene.


    ¡°Is it fastened already?¡±


    As she didn¡¯t hear Fu Yangxi''s voice, Mingxi turned her head, turned around and fell into his arms directly.


    Fu Yangxi''s chest was hit by Mingxi''s forehead. He rubbed his chest, his heart beating wildly. He immediately stammered, preemptively saying, ¡°You, why did you turn around? I haven''t fastened it yet.¡±


    Mingxi was a little uncomfortable. She pushed him away and said, ¡°I can wash them. It¡¯s just a few vegetables. Can you go out?¡±


    Before Fu Yangxi could say anything, Mingxi pushed him out and closed the kitchen screen door.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi could only sit down on the sofa.


    Professor Gao''s grandson silently poured him a cup of tea. He ruffled his grandson''s hair while holding the tea.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly thought of a question. He suddenly turned his head and looked at Professor Gao who was next to him. "Professor, has Zhao Mingxi ever¡ª"


    Shen Liyao''s grades are so good. He wouldn¡¯t have been here with Little Mask, have he?


    Professor Gao knew what this kid was thinking at a glance. He snorted coldly and said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re asking. She has never brought anyone here before, you are the first.¡±


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to contain himself, but because of such a small matter, the little bird in his heart trembled triumphantly.


    Shen Liyao and Little Mask met the Dong family in the western restaurant, but I¡¯m the first to see Professor Gao with Little Mask, so I didn''t lose!


    Thinking about this, Fu Yangxi smiled, took a sip of tea and looked towards the kitchen.


    Professor Gao¡¯s house was small and the kitchen was an open kitchen.


    Zhao Mingxi tied up her hair, revealing her white neck.


    In the faint dusk, the setting sun slanted in through the small window and fell on Zhao Mingxi''s side profile.


    It''s really strange, why does Little Mask look good doing everything?


    Cute.


    "Good view?" Professor Gao asked abruptly.


    Fu Yangxi was embarrassed. Without even thinking about it, he said somewhat proudly, ¡°Of course she looks good.¡±


    Professor Gao said with a strange tone, ¡°So good that you poured all the tea on my floor?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was shocked. He suddenly realized that his hand felt hot.


    He felt a burning sensation. He jumped up quickly, hurriedly pulling the tissues on the coffee table to wipe Professor Gao''s floor.


    Mingxi who was in the kitchen: ¡°...¡±


    She bit her lower lip, her face flushed red.


    The second requirement, I think he¡­


    ray''s note: why are they so cute

 CH 55

    After their meal, the two walked out of Professor Gao''s house.


    The sky outside was a little gloomy and the clouds were wrapped in a gray edge.


    The air was cold, even their breaths were all white.


    Fu Yangxi walked forward. When he saw the dilapidated weeds in the yard withered, he felt uncomfortable and casually said to Professor Gao, ¡°You¡¯ve got weeds everywhere. Don''t you pluck them? Should I hire someone to clean them up?¡±


    Professor Gao glared at him before he could finish speaking. ¡°Why are you talking so much nonsense? Go home after dinner. Why aren¡¯t you leaving? You still want to sleep in my house?¡±


    Professor Gao drove the two out as he spoke.


    Mingxi quickly pulled Fu Yangxi out of the yard.


    When the two left the yard, Mingxi said helplessly to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Professor Gao is very reluctant to receive help from others. Otherwise, the task of needing someone to accompany his grandson every week can be easily solved the moment he asks a student he once taught. He will not go around and post it on the net which he is unfamiliar with. If we want to help him a little bit, we can''t say so carelessly or else the old man''s self-esteem will not be able to stand it.¡±


    "Is this immortal duck stubborn?" Fu Yangxi turned his head, glanced at him and with a ''tsk'', he said, ¡°I think he¡¯s very happy that the two of us came to visit him. He even drank several glasses of alcohol, yet he went and put on a reluctant face. This old man¡­¡±


    Mingxi complained mentally, you sure are proud enough to say something like this about others when you yourself are the same.


    Fu Yangxi stopped in shock. ¡°Since when am I the same as him?¡±


    Shoot.


    Mingxi belatedly realized that she had muttered her thoughts out loud.


    Fu Yangxi gave her a warning look. ¡°Why do I feel that you have slandered me hundreds of times a day behind my back?¡±


    ¡°What slander? This is called not being afraid of the strong and having the courage to tell the truth.¡± Mingxi had to explain herself. ¡°You caught a cold that day and I went to give you medicine. You obviously expected me to visit you. But in the end when I went, you drove me away and you even pretended to look indifferent, saying things like, ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ ¡®Whether I¡¯m sick or not, does it have anything to do with you? Do you care?¡¯¡±


    Mingxi really thought that Fu Yangxi didn''t want to see her that day. But now that she thought about it, she could definitely feel the jealousy in the air.


    That day Fu Yangxi must have been jealous about something that happened a long time ago again.


    ¡°What were you saying if not empty words?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was imitated vividly by Mingxi, causing his entire face to go as red as a tomato.


    What kind of joke is this?!


    Was this my tone of voice that day?!


    Why was it so sad like a resentful woman in the cold palace?!


    Fu Yangxi became annoyed and said, ¡°That was your misperception! I was very impatient that day! I didn''t want to meet people! I was driving you away! Little Mask, you are getting bolder and bolder these days!¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to see me, why did you wash your hair?¡±


    Fu Yangxi became desperate. ¡°It was a coincidence! Coincidence, get it? I just happened to wash my hair.¡±


    "Oh¡ª" Mingxi made an expression of acknowledgement.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Seeing that she was still smiling, Fu Yangxi was embarrassed and indignant. He really wanted to find a hole in the ground and stuff himself inside. He lifted his foot and walked forward.


    Mingxi, who was behind him, laughed so hard that her stomach hurt.


    Fu Yangxi took a few steps, looked back at her with a foul face and saw that she was still where she was. He: ¡°...¡±


    Is it that funny?!


    Fu Yangxi strode back again. He pulled her down jacket¡¯s hood and walked out of the alley. ¡°Stop laughing! It''s dark! Go home!¡±


    Just as the two of them walked out with both deep and shallow footprints, a snowflake suddenly fell. It fell on the corner of Mingxi¡¯s lips. She kissed a piece of soft ice. Then, without warning, there was snow in the sky.


    This was this year¡¯s first snow.


    One after another, the white snowflakes fell from the sky.


    The two of them stopped involuntarily and looked up.


    The dark and long alleys, the dimly orange street lamps and the flying snowflakes lightly falling on them like transparent elves. The shadows of the two people on the ground were stretched out by the street lamps.


    Suddenly.


    The whole world became quiet and empty.


    "It''s snowing." Mingxi stretched out her hand.


    She and Fu Yangxi have known each other since autumn, and now it''s winter.


    Fu Yangxi plucked a piece of snowflake from her dark black hair and tied her scarf smoothly.


    Mingxi looked up at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi paused, trying to suppress the redness at the tips of his ears.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly turned away. He tried her best to say nonchalantly, ¡°I want to take you somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Mingxi asked.


    Although she hadn''t gone and didn''t know where, Mingxi''s heartbeat had already begun to beat faster.


    "Wear your gloves. You''ll know once we get there." Fu Yangxi retracted his hand and put it back in his pocket.


    He said coldly, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not specifically taking you there. Isn''t it still too early to go back to school? Unless you want to return to school so early and be bored alone, your boss will take care of you.¡±


    Mingxi restrained a smile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    20 minutes later, the car stopped in a clearing near a forest on Shiyuan North Road, about 2.5 kilometers away from the school.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi looked at the place Fu Yangxi described as ¡®when you go, you¡¯ll know it¡¯.


    There was nothing there. The bald tree shook its head violently with the wind. There was something on it that she didn¡¯t know, though it might be a wire. In short, it was pitch black and she couldn''t see anything.


    She could only feel that the snow was getting bigger and bigger. It started to fall on her shoulders.


    Mingxi was freezing to death. Fu Yangxi stood on the side where the wind was blowing and shielded her from the wind.


    She turned her head to look at Fu Yangxi who was next to her. ¡°Is this the place that you wanted to bring me?¡±


    Fu Yangxi frantically pressed the switch of the small light bulb with his hand in his pocket, but none of the lights were turned on.


    He opened his eyes in shock and looked at the hundreds of light bulbs on the tree that were completely misfired, deeply doubting life.


    It was said that cheap goods were not good, but he directly selected the most expensive one which was worth tens of thousands!


    Yet it¡¯s still faulty?!


    Is God playing with me?!


    "...Yes." Fu Yangxi pretended to be calm and tried his best to pretend to be nonchalant, saying, "We¡¯re having a walk after a meal to avoid gaining weight. But if you are cold, I should just send you back quickly."


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi followed Fu Yangxi to the grove in such a mess of a wind. Then, she was sent back to the dormitory by Fu Yangxi.


    She never thought that when he said to drop by a place, it was really just ¡®dropping by a place¡¯!


    After sending Mingxi back, Fu Yangxi asked Xiao Li to drive back to the place he had spent the whole night before decorating by himself.


    Fu Yangxi''s chest burst into flames. He really wanted to rush over to get the unscrupulous merchant and have a fight with him.


    He took out the switch in his coat pocket and pressed it angrily. He planned that if it still didn¡¯t work, he would fix it first and then bring Little Mask to see it the next day.


    In the end.


    With a "pop", the switch was just lightly touched, and hundreds of tiny light bulbs all lit up, dotted along the treetops, reflecting the light and white snowflakes. It was an absolutely breathtaking scene.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    What the hell?


    For f*ck¡¯s sake, now it works???


    A couple passed this road, got out of the car, cuddled with each other and stopped.


    The man saw Fu Yangxi holding the switch and smiled at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Brother, thank you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°£¤;%;%;£¤#;*;¡±


    Fu Yangxi was so angry that his mind was full of garbled characters.


    ¡­


    After Mingxi returned to the dormitory, she didn''t know where Fu Yangxi had gone. In any case, about half an hour later, the lady who was sitting downstairs came upstairs, knocked on the door and handed her a cup of steaming ginger milk tea and a box.


    She told her that the boy who had sent her back just turned back.


    Mingxi opened it and took a look. Inside the box was a rechargeable hot water bottle.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The lady in charge of the dorms said, ¡°He left.¡±


    Mingxi closed the door and sat at the table, holding the hot milk tea in her hands.


    She inserted the straw in and took a sip. A sweet sensation spread over her mouth and her stomach warmed.


    Mingxi walked to the balcony and looked out the window. The heavy snow was billowing. The cold air condensed into white mist on the glass window, but it was warm inside.


    She stretched out her finger and wiped the window. She could see the snow falling at night.


    Mingxi suddenly stretched out her hand and touched the top of her head.


    However, it felt completely different.


    When Fu Yangxi messed up her hair, his strength would carry some rough intimacy belonging to a boy.


    When Fu Yangxi took off the snowflakes from the tips of her hair, his fingertips were warm, and the fleeting moment of touch would make her scalp go numb.


    Mingxi lowered her head and looked down at the milk tea in her hand.


    The temperature of the milk tea passed from the palm of her hand to her fingertips and heart, making her feel the temperature that belonged to Fu Yangxi in winter.


    Some impulses and desires gradually grew.


    Her heart felt sour and itchy, as if something was scratching gently.


    ¡­


    On this night, Fu Yangxi didn''t sleep well. Mingxi didn''t sleep well either.


    She felt that she had become the potted plant in a trance. The pointed sprouts grew out quietly, and her heart was crisp and numb.


    After closing her eyes, it was all Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi could only take a deep breath and desperately control her thoughts. She tried to make herself think more about the difficult questions she encountered during the day.


    ¡­


    After a while.


    Groggily.


    Her mind finally pulled away from Fu Yangxi a little bit. She began to solve those questions.


    However, the consequence of this was that Mingxi dreamed of the Mathematical Olympiad all night, and she was even looking for a draft paper in the dream.


    The next day, she woke up with a blank look and sighed.


    It had just snowed last night and the world was completely silent. Mingxi glanced at the window. The sky hadn''t even lit up and there was still some light snow drifting in the grayness.


    She turned on the phone and checked the time¡ª it was only 6am.


    This was her first time sleeping less than 5 hours. Mingxi¡¯s head felt heavy.


    However, she couldn''t sleep at all after going to bed, so she planned to go to the classroom to study first.


    Mingxi held the book, her mind hanging in the air. She held an umbrella and walked to the classroom.


    There was no one in school on Sunday and it was very quiet. She asked the study committee member of the International Class for the key, opened the front door and went in.


    After she put down the book on her seat, Mingxi found that there were a lot of love letters in her desk drawer.


    As soon as she pulled the chair away, several letters dropped out.


    Mingxi was shocked.


    She had only seen such a pile of love letters with Shen Liyao.


    What¡¯s going on?


    She didn''t get a single copy every morning before this.


    Did they all specially choose to give them after school on Friday?


    However, she figured that she had just been in the finals recently and showed her face to the whole school, so her popularity had become higher and in turn, it was normal for people to start sending love letters. Thus, Mingxi didn''t read them.


    She just picked up the love letters on the ground.


    One of them was signed by Li Haiyang from the Evergreen Class. He hasn''t given up yet.


    Mingxi found a bag and threw the love letters in.


    She squatted down and looked inside the table. She couldn''t help but frown. It seemed that she would have to lock it in the future. The people who sent her love letters squeezed her books into a ball. A piece of candy which was inside was squeezed out of the package and got stuck on a textbook.


    Mingxi had a terrible headache, so she took this opportunity to clean up the table completely.


    She moved Fu Yangxi''s chair down, took out all her books and put them on his chair first.


    However, at this moment, she suddenly found that something was slipped into one of her seldom used books that was trapped at the bottom. It was smaller than A4, about B5 size. It had a red hard paper cover and gold bronzing lettering.


    Mingxi pulled it out.


    When she realized what it was, her breath felt choked.


    Real estate certificate???


    Mingxi opened it quickly. The address was the two small broken courtyards in Tongcheng. Her eyes moved and her pupils suddenly shrank. Her own name was on the rightful holder''s column?? And the next column was owned by her as well.


    Behind it was a white picture of property rights and land title certificates.


    Mingxi''s heart was beating. She was in a trance.


    The two yards belong to Aunt Li. Grandma rented the place when she was alive. But why is my name written on this title certificate now?


    Mingxi looked down at the date and found that the registration date was October 13.


    That was the day when Fu Yangxi caught a cold and didn''t come to school.


    Has there been a mistake?


    Mingxi''s blood raced.


    She quickly took out her mobile phone, not caring that it was still early in the morning, and called Aunt Li.


    People who lived in the countryside got up early so the call was quickly connected.


    Aunt Li thought she had finished eating their local product and wanted to ask her to send some more. Thus, she said, "Mingxi, do let me know what you want to eat."


    Mingxi couldn''t be bothered about this. She asked her about the property rights of the two yards and why the property owner was her.


    "Huh?" Aunt Li who was on the other end of the phone was at a loss. She only reacted after a long time. ¡°I thought you knew about it. A few days after you left, your classmate came again. He said that the scenery was good and he wanted to buy it because of something about its later development value. The price he offered was very high. In fact, these two small broken yards would never sell for so much money. The tiles were about to collapse after years of no repair. The village did not impose a lot of complicated terms. The cumbersome procedures were handled by the person who came with him. I only signed a contract and collected the money. I don¡¯t know the specific steps. Is there something wrong now?¡±


    ¡°Which classmate was this?¡±


    Aunt Li said, ¡°The most handsome one with the red hair.¡±


    Fu Yangxi bought these two houses. But the property owner was registered as me¡ª?


    In other words, he bought the place where I used to live with my grandma and gave it to me?


    But he never even mentioned it.


    Almost two months have passed, but he didn''t even mention a word.


    If I hadn''t cleaned up the things on the table myself, I might not have found out at all.


    Mingxi''s brain went blank.


    She didn''t know when she hung up the phone. Holding the real estate certificate in her hand, she was in a daze.


    It was difficult for her to describe her feelings at this moment.


    On the day she was taken home by Fu Yangxi in a private jet, everything seemed like a dream. After paying homage to her grandmother, feeling nostalgic for her family in the past, and then coming back to this place, she would have to wake up from her dream. In the future, that place may be demolished and it may become unrecognizable, but there was nothing she could do¡­


    However, Fu Yangxi continued this dream without giving her any warning. He bought the yard and gave it to her. The small piece of land she grew up in was completely owned by herself at the age of 18. From now on, it was up to her to decide whether to change anything.


    Fu Yangxi had a fever on the day of the change.


    It should be the second day she was at his house.


    When she went to his house, he was obviously cold, but he flew to Tongcheng the next day.


    At this time, the snow outside the classroom window was getting heavier and heavier. The cold wind was swept by radiant waves and the whole world was enveloped in pure white.


    The corner of Mingxi''s eyes went red. Clutching the red notebook in her hand, she sat down on the chair.


    Amidst the world¡¯s silence, some impulses rushed madly in her heart like a tide.


    Her mind was filled with Fu Yangxi¡¯s face.


    Vivid eyebrows of joy, anger and sorrow, with a wanton youthful air, savagely yet gently rushed into her heart.


    Mingxi licked her dry lips.


    Some longing emotions slowly surged in her heart.


    I want to fall in love with Fu Yangxi.


    I want to hold Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand.


    I want to touch Fu Yangxi''s skin and embrace him on a dry winter day.


    Everyone has their own matters to deal with, staying in their own independent world. It was so difficult for two souls to be close together.


    Mingxi never thought that one day she would meet someone who made her want to stay by his side so strongly and want him to stay with her too. It would be best if she could tie him up and keep their fingers entangled, never to separate.


    She wanted his past, present and future.


    Mingxi''s impulse surged to the top of her head. She stared at Fu Yangxi''s seat next to her, her eyes falling on some traces left by Fu Yangxi.


    Countless emotions spiraled in her heart.


    Suddenly, she mustered up some courage and called Fu Yangxi with a rush of adrenaline.


    The beep sounded. Mingxi''s head buzzed.


    It¡¯s now¡ª


    She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 6:20am.


    Oops, he must have not woken up yet since she called so early.


    Mingxi panicked and was about to hang up subconsciously, but before she hung up, he had already picked up the phone.


    "Yes?" Fu Yangxi''s voice was a little hoarse. The low air pressure Mingxi was familiar with at the time of waking was still there.


    "It''s me." Mingxi could hear her heartbeat clearly.


    It was quiet for a few seconds. Then, as if he woke up in an instant, he suddenly got up from the bed. ¡°What''s the matter? Is something wrong? Where are you? I''ll come over right away.¡±


    At this moment, Mingxi''s eyes felt a little hot.


    "It''s okay," she said. ¡°It''s not a big deal."


    "Are you really all right?" Fu Yangxi on the other end of the phone asked suspiciously. He could sense that there was something amiss with Zhao Mingxi''s voice. He jumped out of the bed with his bed hair and hurriedly put on his clothes.


    Fu Yangxi''s movements were very urgent. The phone was getting a little hot as he pressed it tightly against his ears. ¡°There must be something bothering you. How come you¡¯re up so early¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Mingxi.


    ¡°Fu Yangxi, do you like me?¡±


    Such a sentence.


    Unpredictable.


    Zhao Mingxi''s voice came from the phone, mixed with the buzzing sound of a little electric current.


    The whole world went quiet.


    Fu Yangxi was silent for a moment.


    His whole body¡¯s movements came to a halt.


    His body was immediately stiff and tight, his heart beating wildly, and his hands and feet were cold.


    So there is indeed something bothering her. But it is not personal safety.


    Instead, she found out about this.


    Actually, it would only be strange if he was not discovered.


    With a closer look, anyone could see that his eyes were full of Little Mask.


    So what does this morning call mean¡ª


    Fu Yangxi didn''t dare to think about it. His heart fell to his stomach and the slender fingers holding the phone trembled somewhat imperceptibly. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, completely at a loss. He didn¡¯t know where to look. The heart in the chest was beating fast.


    She¡¯s calling to reject me?


    To repeat what she said to Ke Chengwen that day?


    Fu Yangxi went pale.


    ¡­


    "Yes." Fu Yangxi swallowed hard. He didn''t know how she felt when he said this.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    He said with a hoarse voice.


    At this point, he could no longer deny it.


    He seemed to have been seen through by Zhao Mingxi and forced to a helpless corner.


    On the other side, Zhao Mingxi took a shallow breath.


    Fu Yangxi''s blood rushed to his scalp all at once. He almost wanted to hang up the phone as he didn''t dare to listen to Zhao Mingxi''s next words.


    But he was as stiff as a stone slab. He was motionless, like a prisoner waiting to be executed.


    He stood there, dropping his gaze helplessly.


    "But you¡ª" Fu Yangxi wanted to say, but you don''t have to be burdened because of it¡ª


    However, before he finished speaking, he heard Zhao Mingxi''s voice.


    "What a coincidence. I like you too."


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s eyes widened.


    All the noise disappeared.


    The whole world was silent.


    Only these words and the sound of his heartbeat, accompanied by the sound of electric current, fell into his ears.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi didn''t react for 10 seconds. He breathed, holding the phone with a blank head, feeling like a rock.


    ¡­Wait, what did she just say?


    Suspecting that he was dreaming, Fu Yangxi moved his phone abruptly and pinched his face. The pain soon came. He swallowed hard and his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He pressed the phone to his ear again.


    The phone is hot, it can¡¯t be more real.


    This isn¡¯t a dream?


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    Zhao Mingxi simply repeated it again.


    Little Mask said she likes me.


    At this moment, everything seemed to be slowing down.


    His breathing slowed down; the noises around him slowed down; the speed at which snowflakes fell slowed down; even the air slowed down.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi''s breathing started to quicken bit by bit and his heart began to beat wildly. His numb limbs seemed to have finally regained consciousness and his eyelashes trembled.


    The whole world was snowing.


    Fu Yangxi stared out of the window. As he observed the snowflakes falling down, he moved his numb fingers.


    "Little Mask, are you sure? I thought¡ª"


    Mingxi''s voice over there was very clear. ¡°What did you think?¡±


    Fu Yangxi still felt like he was in a dream.


    He waited too long.


    The corner of his eyes went red.


    ¡°When Ke Chengwen called that day, you didn¡¯t remember my birthday. You also said in person that you can¡¯t possibly like me.¡±


    Fu Yangxi said this with great difficulty.


    At the end of his sentence, his tone had dropped a notch.


    With a click in Mingxi¡¯s mind, she finally knew why he was acting so abnormal at that time. It turned out that when Ke Chengwen called her at the time, he was nearby.


    ¡ªHe thought she liked Shen Liyao.


    ¡ªHe heard her say that she didn''t like him with his own ears.


    Mingxi suddenly felt very guilty.


    Mingxi panicked and hurriedly gave Fu Yangxi a heart booster, saying, ¡°What I said that day didn''t count. It was me who was half a beat too slow. I didn''t notice it at the time. But now when I say I like you, that¡ª"


    "That means you still think of me as your boss?" Fu Yangxi still asked.


    Mingxi was going crazy. She quickly explained, ¡°That means I like you! That means I¡¯m confessing! I don''t think of you as a friend or a boss, I want to fall in love with you; I want to have dinner with you; I want to watch movies and go on dates with you; I want to hold your hand, hug you and kiss you. I like you the most in the whole world. And out of everyone in the world, I only want to be good to you. That¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    By the time Mingxi was close to the end of her confession, the tips of her ears were already red.


    As soon as she finished, she could only hear that the other side had gone completely mute, leaving only rapid breathing.


    "I''m going to find you," Fu Yangxi said.


    Mingxi glanced at the heavy snow falling outside. She thought that it might be a little troublesome for him to come at this time, but she also wanted to see Fu Yangxi. She buried her flushed face in her arms. "Okay, I''m in class."


    He did not hang up the phone.


    She could hear the sound of Fu Yangxi rushing downstairs.


    Mingxi heard a lot of noises. When she wanted to persuade him to slow down, she suddenly heard a huge ¡®bang¡¯ from there.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    20 minutes later, Fu Yangxi, who was too excited and fell down the stairs, was sent to the hospital with an ambulance.

 CH 56.1

    It was still snowing outside.


    Mingxi leaned the umbrella against the wall and pushed open the door of the VIP ward.


    Fu Yangxi who was on the hospital bed was half leaning against the head of the bed. He was looking eagerly, waiting enthusiastically for her to come.


    But as soon as the door was pushed open and she walked in, his face turned red instantly and his whole body stiffened. He quickly moved his eyes away.


    Mingxi took off her coat, hung it by the door and walked over. Fu Yangxi''s expression became more and more bashful and indignant. In the end, he arrogantly pulled the quilt up and buried his head in it. ¡°Don''t come here, Zhao Mingxi, you entered the wrong ward!¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    "Young Master Fu, I''ll take my leave first." Xiao Li who was next to him swept his eyes over the two of them and was able to figure something out.


    He smiled and nodded to Mingxi. ¡°You guys can have a chat first. Call me if there¡¯s anything.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    As soon as Xiao Li went out, the ward became quieter.


    The windows were closed, the tidy ward was empty, Fu Yangxi¡¯s coat was left on the sofa and some untidy bandages were scattered around the bed. The air was filled with an embarrassing atmosphere that could make a person¡¯s face flush red.


    Mingxi leaned over to pick up the bandage, threw it into the trash can and then glanced at his hanging left ankle. Before she came in, she spoke to the doctor. The doctor said there was no major problem except for a minor fracture. At this age, a boy''s recovery ability was very strong, so he should be able to remove the plaster in less than 40 days. It''s just that¡ª maybe he was too careless.


    Mingxi''s eyes fell on the arched quilt again, knowing that she should not laugh at this time, otherwise it would be remembered by Fu Yangxi for a lifetime.


    She tried to retain her expression as she sat down on the chair beside the bed and asked, ¡°Where did you fall? Does it hurt? Are there any other places that are injured other than your broken left ankle?¡±


    Fu Yangxi buried himself in the quilt and did not speak. Only one long leg covered with a plaster and a little tip of his ears were exposed.


    The tips of his exposed ears were getting redder, like it was about to bleed.


    He wouldn''t come out even if he was suffocated by the quilt.


    How embarrassing!


    He has never been so embarrassed in his eight lifetimes!


    Why did this happen?!


    This was completely different to the cool tyrannical confession scene he imagined!


    And she was laughing at him! He broke his leg and yet she was laughing at him!


    She had just said she liked him, yet now she was laughing at him! Would she dislike him just because he did such a shameful thing?!


    Fu Yangxi''s face, which was buried in the quilt, had become a tomato. He suppressed the uneasy feeling in his heart, his whole person feeling a little unlovable.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Hmm? Why don''t you speak? Have they performed the x-rays?¡±


    "They have." Fu Yangxi tried to save his pride, trying to make his voice a little magnetically low. It sounded like the voice of a very mature handsome man. ¡°It''s not my fault. The slippers were too slippery. I don''t know who mopped the ground last night. Why couldn¡¯t they do it in the morning of the winter!¡±


    Mingxi said clearly, ¡°It must be so.¡±


    Fu Yangxi let out a sigh of relief.


    Mingxi smiled and stretched her tone. ¡°It must be because the ground was too slippery, not because you were too excited to hear me say ¡®I like you¡¯.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Were you that happy when you heard me say that I like you?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi sighed. ¡°Fortunately, I didn''t say too much, otherwise I''m really worried that you will fall harder.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi clenched the quilt tightly. His shame turned into anger and he shouted in the quilt, ¡°Which eye of yours saw that I was very happy? I''m not happy! Why should I be happy? Isn''t it just a confession? What¡¯s the big deal! Did you think that I have never received a confession since I was a child? I¡¯ve had a lot of experience, okay?¡±


    "Really?" Mingxi smiled. "Did you hurt your face? Open up and show yourself to me."


    Fu Yangxi flushed and grasped the quilt with both hands. Only the outline of his head could be seen from the quilt.


    Mingxi reached out her hands to pull the quilt away.


    Fu Yangxi was unrelenting.


    Of course, Mingxi''s strength could not be compared to his. She couldn''t pry the quilt out of his hands even after pulling it for a long time.


    She couldn¡¯t see his face from any angle. She could only see his bright red ears.


    "Then I''m leaving," Mingxi said deliberately. She stood up as she spoke.


    The chair was gently pushed up by her knees and there was a slight scratching sound on the floor.


    As soon as Mingxi turned around, a slender boy''s hand reached out from under the quilt. He hurriedly grabbed her wrist in a panic.


    Five fingers clenched tightly on her wrist.


    As if he was afraid that she¡¯d leave.


    The corners of Mingxi''s mouth couldn¡¯t help but move upwards. She looked back.


    Fu Yangxi opened up the quilt with the other hand, revealing messy hair and a handsome face with red eyes lying on the pillow.


    He was furious and frustrated. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, how can you be like this? Just after you¡¯ve confessed, you decide to leave? Isn''t this the trick of seduction then abandonment?¡±


    He was about to suspect that Zhao Mingxi''s confession was fake! Whatever the whole ¡®like him the most in the world, want to eat, date, watch a movie with him, and want to hold him by the hand¡¯ thing was, why didn¡¯t it happen after she saw him? What about her promise to hold his hands and give him hugs?!


    Before they could have a proper conversation, she wanted to leave!


    "I won''t leave, and I won''t seduce then abandon you." Mingxi sat down again and said, "I just want to see your face. No one asked you to be under the quilt all the time."


    Fu Yangxi blushed.


    ¡ªShe just wanted to see his face.


    What kind of inappropriate words were that?


    Why is the post-confession Little Mask so, so¡­


    "Did you not sleep last night?" Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi''s face carefully.


    There were no bruises on his face, neck or hands. She breathed a sigh of relief.


    He was wearing a black wide-shoulder casual sweater which made his face paler. His lips were colorless and the delicate mole on the end of his right eye looked a bit tired.


    Of course, it may be because of the pain when the splint was applied.


    But there was also some darkness under his eyes, and it didn''t look like he was getting enough sleep.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Xi ge, I¡¯ve wanted to ask this question since a long time ago. Do you often find it hard to fall asleep?¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s attention still stayed on the hand holding Mingxi''s wrist.


    After he grabbed it, he didn''t let go. Zhao Mingxi didn''t seem to pull her hand away either.


    Fu Yangxi felt the coldness and softness of her wrist in his palm.


    It¡¯s a girl¡¯s hand.


    He lowered his gaze, his heart feeling like it was overflowing with sweetness. He quietly thought with shame whether he could hold her hands now¡ª She was the one who said that she wanted to hold hands with him.


    ¡°Why would I often find it hard to fall asleep?" Fu Yangxi raised his hand and lightly flicked Mingxi''s forehead. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask about this?¡±


    Mingxi arranged her bangs that he had messed up and asked, ¡°You picked up as soon as I called. Don''t you turn on airplane mode when you sleep?¡±


    At 6am, no matter how you look at it, it is still the time to dream for a young master like Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi used to turn off his phone, but recently many things have happened one after another. The Zhao family found Zhang Yufen. Zhang Yufen was in detention awaiting trial. Fu Yangxi was always worried about what would happen to Zhao Mingxi before the dust settled, so he gradually decided to not turn off his phone.


    Fu Yangxi evasively said, ¡°No, I sleep well.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Didn¡¯t you sleep last night?¡± Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi.


    If Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t sleep well, it would be obvious as her dark hair would be more frizzy than usual.


    And although she worked hard, she wouldn¡¯t wake up the moment the rooster crowed.


    Every time she left the dormitory, it was almost 7am. So today when she called him at 6am, his first reaction was that something happened to her.


    Mingxi nodded. ¡°Yes, I didn''t fall asleep for the whole night last night.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was a little helpless. ¡°I told you to rest for a few days. There will be a while before the finals. What''s the rush?¡±


    Fu Yangxi raised his hand to ruffle Mingxi''s hair. ¡°Did you dream of doing Mathematical Olympiad problems again?¡±


    Mingxi shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand came to a stop. ¡°?¡±


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi and said calmly, ¡°I dreamt of you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi was caught off guard. The tips of his ears suddenly turned red.


    He tried his best to pretend to be nonchalant and tell himself that it was a trivial matter, but the corners of his mouth still couldn''t restrain itself from moving up.

 CH 56.2

    ¡°R-Really? What-What did you dream of?¡±


    "It''s just some messy thoughts," Mingxi said. ¡°I almost wanted to confess last night."


    But last night she was a little short of courage. It wasn''t until she saw something in the book this morning that her head got hot. As it turns out, it seems that some things were not as scary as it seems upon being revealed.


    Mingxi looked down at Fu Yangxi''s hand that was holding her wrist and moving towards her fingers. She couldn''t help but laugh.


    As soon as she noticed his actions, he dared not move his fingers anymore.


    He tried to calm himself, but the physical redness on his face was completely uncontrollable.


    He raised his ears and waited for Little Mask to say something nice.


    In the end, Zhao Mingxi felt too embarrassed, so she hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°Xi ge, do you feel stuffy? The indoor heating is quite adequate. Should I open the window for ventilation?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi stood up and planned to release her hand to open the window, but the moment she took a step towards the window, she found that she couldn¡¯t move. Fu Yangxi held her wrist and didn''t let it go.


    Mingxi took a glance at her own hand.


    ¡°What is it? Let me open up the windows.¡±


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head. He felt reluctant. He finally held her hand. If she goes to open the windows and comes back again, what excuse does he have to hold her hand?


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°It''s not stuffy. Don''t open them.¡±


    "Then I will peel an apple for you. Have you had breakfast?" Mingxi said. When she saw the fruit that Xiao Li bought and put there on the coffee table, she wanted to walk to the coffee table by the sofa. ¡°I ate before I came. Perhaps if you¡¯re hungry, you can ask your driver to buy some?¡±


    But she still couldn''t walk, her wrist was still tightly clenched.


    Fu Yangxi''s fingertips were warm and stubborn.


    It wasn¡¯t a strong grip, but she couldn¡¯t wrench herself free.


    Mingxi was a little dazed. She turned her head and looked over.


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head, not looking at her. He looked a little stiff all over, as if he had finally gotten the most precious thing and didn''t want it to leave his sight for a second. He held his breath. In the end, he couldn''t help blurting out, ¡°Little Mask, can you not go anywhere?¡±


    Fu Yangxi raised his head. ¡°Can you just sit down?¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi''s face suddenly became hot.


    She scratched her head and sat back on the chair again with her hands on the side of the bed.


    Fu Yangxi released his fingers which were grabbing her wrist.


    Just when Mingxi froze for a while, the young man''s hand quickly returned, his movements were light and intricate.


    They finally held hands, their fingers wrapped around each other.


    In winter, their skin was dry. The palms and fingertips of the two were touching and they could feel each other''s temperature, breath and blood.


    Fu Yangxi held her hand, his ears flushed.


    Mingxi glanced at him and saw that he was smiling with his lips lowered, his handsome eyebrows relaxed.


    The corners of Mingxi''s mouth also turned up slightly.


    Very oddly and tacitly, the ward fell silent for a while.


    The two of them didn¡¯t say anything.


    The air was filled with ambiguity and scorching heat.


    ¡­


    Fu Yangxi still found it hard to believe that this was real.


    On such a snowy morning covered in silver, when the sky was still bright and the whole world was asleep, he received a call from Zhao Mingxi without a clear mind.


    Electricity buzzed in his ears along with her voice.


    Even at this moment, it was still whirling in Fu Yangxi''s mind.


    When she asked the first question, he thought she was going to say something that would toss him into hell.


    But he never expected that she would say that she also liked him.


    It''s like being away from a hand for too long, until his confidence dropped to the bottom. When he was held once again, he couldn''t believe that his longing all this while came suddenly and pleasantly.


    Little Mask said¡ª


    She likes him.


    She likes him the most in this world.


    She finally likes him.


    The scorching flames that had disappeared for a long time seemed to be back again.


    And it was more enthusiastic and real than before.


    The things he feared were washed away just like this.


    Fu Yangxi was suddenly thankful that he had been waiting, and after waiting long enough, what he had hoped for finally fell into his arms.


    Now that Zhao Mingxi likes him, he is not afraid of anything anymore.


    "So now¡ª" Fu Yangxi said hoarsely.


    He still had a lot of uncertainty in his heart. He wanted to ask, so now she and him are in love? Will she not regret it in the future? Will she say things like she is only treating him as a boss again? She won¡¯t leave him, right?


    "Now I don''t remember what Shen Liyao looks like anymore." When Mingxi heard him speak, she knew what he was going to say. She quickly raised the hand he didn''t hold and swore with an aching heart, ¡°Now I only have you in my heart. Puppy love, I will only go through puppy love with you!¡±


    Wait, it shouldn''t be considered puppy love anymore since we are both at the age of 18.


    Fu Yangxi seemed to be comforted, and the corners of his mouth rose involuntarily in pride.


    But he stared at Zhao Mingxi and what he said was sour with a bit of resentment, ¡°You don''t remember what the guy with the surname Shen looks like, but you still clearly remember his name and the movies you watched with him¡­¡±


    "I forgot! Shen what? Shen Dongmei? What Dong? What Mei?" Mingxi said. ¡°Oh no, I have amnesia. Why have I forgotten all the movies too! I''ll watch them with you next time!¡±


    The tips of Fu Yangxi''s ears were all red. ¡°Then you disliked the fact that I was fat¡ª¡±


    Mingxi swore that she had never said that Fu Yangxi was fat!


    She felt more wronged than Dou E*!


    "Fu Yangxi, you can''t blame me for your own imagination!" Mingxi shouted. "Look at you, you¡¯re just right. You¡¯re 1.88 meters tall, you look thin when you dress, and you have flesh when you take off your clothes. You completely match my orientation for aesthetics! No more, no less!"


    The tail of the bird in Fu Yangxi''s heart was already up.


    He said, ¡°Are you sure that I completely fit your orientation for aesthetics? What about Shen Liyao? He didn¡¯t fit your aesthetics, yet you still pursued him? You still went to the broadcasting room to guard him every week, you still have so many pictures with him, you also¡ª¡±


    As Fu Yangxi talked, he was filled with righteous indignation. ¡°You also know what flavor he likes, was photographed enrolling new students with him, giving him milk tea, and you guys also went to a western restaurant to eat..."


    "..." Mingxi was stunned. She suspected that she would not be able to get through the matter of ''Shen Liyao'' in this life!


    Mingxi really wanted to go back in time to kill the version of herself who used to chase after Shen Liyao!


    She did not know how precious a first love was when she was young, and now one false step brings everlasting grief!


    "Wait, how do you know these things?" Mingxi thought and looked at Fu Yangxi. Suddenly, she couldn''t help but smile. ¡°Did you purposely look into this? Have you liked me since a long time ago?¡±


    Of course, Fu Yangxi would deny this till his dying breath. ¡°Zhao Mingxi, we¡¯re talking about you now. Don''t try to change the subject.¡±


    Seeing his flushed face, the more Mingxi thought about it, the more she realized it might be the truth. She couldn''t help asking, ¡°When did it start? When did you start to like me?¡±


    "Could it be¡ª the day you took me back to Tongcheng¡ª?¡±


    "No." Mingxi guessed with joy. "Maybe it started before then, otherwise why would you be so nice to me?"


    At that time, Mingxi only thought that Fu Yangxi treated all his followers so well. She had seen him treat the girls who confessed by flattening their thousand paper cranes directly. She had never thought about that possibility.


    "Was it the day you gave me the phone case?"


    "Wait." Mingxi suddenly realized. "What gang phone case, you wanted to get a matching couple phone case back then, but you were too shy to say it, right?!"


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s face became redder and he turned his head away.


    Mingxi was about to laugh to death. She couldn''t help kneeling on the bed with one knee and poking her finger at his handsome face which was as red as a tomato. ¡°What are you hiding for?¡±


    "What else? ¡®My driver bought a lot. I can''t finish it. You can help me finish the rest.¡¯¡± Mingxi vividly imitated Fu Yangxi''s tone.


    Now that she thought about it, these things were still very clear in her mind.


    She smiled in shock. ¡°So you purposely bought me breakfast that day, right?!¡±


    "Enough! Little Mask." Fu Yangxi was forced by her to have nowhere to escape. He leaned back and stuck himself on the wall beside the bed, his face flushed red.


    Seeing that Zhao Mingxi was still laughing, Fu Yangxi wanted to lift the quilt to cover his head again.

 CH 57

    Mingxi laughed enough and knew to stop, otherwise she was afraid that Fu Yangxi would be so embarrassed and angry that he would pull on his wound.


    His leg was still hanging. It wasn¡¯t something to be joked around with.


    Mingxi sat back on the chair, flattened the quilt that had been messed up by Fu Yangxi and tucked both sides of Fu Yangxi''s body solemnly.


    "Alright, let''s get something to eat. What do you want? I''ll go down and buy it."


    "It''s still snowing outside, what are you going to do? With your thin arms and legs, you might just spill everything by the time you get back. Shall we just order a takeaway?" Fu Yangxi was still reluctant to let go of Zhao Mingxi''s hand. "Otherwise, ask Xiao Li to go."


    He took her by the hand, extended his other hand to reach the phone on the bedside table and started to look for Xiao Li''s phone number.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    Mingxi gave him the names of several dishes.


    Fu Yangxi looked down and typed with one hand.


    He typed quickly, entering everything that Mingxi wanted to eat.


    Mingxi looked at him, feeling amused. She squeezed his hand. ¡°So it won''t snow if Xiao Li goes outside? The food won''t be spilled?¡±


    Fu Yangxi felt that she was asking despite knowing the answer and she was teasing him on purpose.


    After Fu Yangxi sent the text message, he put down the phone, bent a leg, looked at her and said, ¡°Xiao Li is getting paid, so what''s wrong with letting him run an errand?¡±


    Mingxi said, "You can also pay me a salary."


    Fu Yangxi said, ¡°You know¡ª¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What do I know?¡±


    ¡°You know¡ª You know that I treat you as a person I like! How can you be the same as Xiao Li?! Why would I pity Xiao Li?! I don''t think of Xiao Li as someone I like!¡±


    Fu Yangxi felt heat on his face and spoke the truth. Seeing Mingxi licking her lips and smiling with crooked eyes, he raised his hand angrily and squeezed Mingxi''s face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice that you can bully people so much before?¡±


    Mingxi quickly apologized, ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°But if you want to return me now¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi was stunned. He stared at Zhao Mingxi. Just as he was about to say, what goods did he have to return, how could he return the goods so casually? How could he return the goods when he would find it fortunate if she did not regret her decision!


    He heard Mingxi say, ¡°It''s too late.¡±


    Fu Yangxi flushed, his heart which jumped to his throat got swallowed back into his stomach.


    Mingxi smiled and joked with Fu Yangxi, ¡°Young Master Fu is both rich and handsome. I will be depending on you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to restrain the corners of his mouth from curling up, pretending to be helpless. ¡°Go ahead. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Seriously¡ª The Little Mask that had fallen in love with him was no different from what he imagined.


    Very clingy.


    She just confessed and yet she is already so clingy.


    What are we going to do in the future?


    The two held hands and talked. In fact, they didn''t say anything meaningful, but even though it was all nonsense, both of them were still smiling.


    Mingsi thought that if she had known that she would be with Fu Yangxi today, she would have confessed earlier so that she would not waste so much time. Fu Yangxi also thought that if he knew that Little Mask would like him in the end, on the first day he saw her, when he couldn''t hold back a feeling of numbness and electricity, he should force her to stay with him by his side.


    But regrets were regrets. Fortunately, it was not too late at all.


    ¡­


    Within a few minutes there was a knock on the door outside. The two thought it was Xiao Li who came back from buying food.


    "I ordered a dozen dishes. How is he back so quick?" Fu Yangxi couldn''t believe this speed.


    Mingxi said, "I''ll open the door."


    As soon as she was about to get up, before Fu Yangxi¡¯s hand which was squeezing hers could let go, the door of the ward was pushed open from the outside.


    The door was not locked and opened as soon as the door handle was twisted from the outside.


    "Why did you get admitted into the hospital so suddenly?"


    Those who came in were Jiang Xiuqiu, Ke Chengwen and He Yang. They heard that Fu Yangxi had broken his leg and came to visit.


    Mingxi saw He Yang who came in at the end and her entire complexion suddenly became hot.


    Oh no.


    She hadn''t told He Yang about the fact that she liked Fu Yangxi.


    As a girl, Mingxi was still a bit shy about holding hands in front of so many people. She hurriedly wanted to retract her hand subconsciously, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Fu Yangxi held her hand tighter.


    Mingxi raised her head to look at him, the look in her eyes conveying the meaning of: Are we going public now?


    Fu Yangxi didn''t understand the expression in Mingxi''s eyes, he looked back at her in dissatisfaction, the look in his eyes saying: Why did you suddenly let go?


    As the two of them were chatting with each other, Ke Chengwen and the other three were about to walk in.


    Ke Chengwen looked at Fu Yangxi''s left ankle which was in a plaster cast with a terrible expression. ¡°Xi ge, how did you end up like this? What are you going to do when you go to the toilet?¡±


    Mingxi faced them sideways, so they hadn''t seen their intertwined hands.


    Mingxi couldn''t get rid of Fu Yangxi''s hand. As she was nervous, she directly held Fu Yangxi''s hand, together with her own hand, and tucked it under his quilt.


    Fu Yangxi finally understood her meaning. He looked at her with a bitter expression on his face.


    However, Mingxi didn''t expect that this would make people fill up a hundred thousand words into the empty space left for imagination instantly.


    The three of them all saw Mingxi''s hand under Fu Yangxi''s quilt.


    Her hands were still moving and the blanket was bulged into a small ball.


    The three of them: ¡°...¡±


    Both Ke Chengwen and He Yang had brilliant expressions.


    ¡­


    The ward was exceptionally quiet for a while.


    Mingxi and Fu Yangxi didn''t realize anything yet.


    Fu Yangxi glanced impatiently at the three people who came in. He blamed them for destroying the atmosphere of being alone with Little Mask and asked, ¡°Why are you guys here? Where did you hear about this?¡±


    Mingxi turned her head and glanced at them. ¡°Sit down, there¡¯s a sofa over there.¡±


    How could these two let them sit so calmly?!!


    He Yang asked, ¡°Mingxi???¡±


    Ke Chengwen swallowed and said, "Zhao Mingxi, your hand- what is your hand doing in Xi ge''s blanket?¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu crossed his arms and said meaningfully, ¡°Your progress is really unexpected.¡±


    Mingxi looked down and saw¡ª


    Fu Yangxi grabbed her hand to prevent her from letting go, so a small lump protruded from the blanket.


    Mingxi suddenly realized what Ke Chengwen was talking about. She jumped up immediately, her cheeks hot.


    "Wha- what the hell are you talking about? I''m just- my hand is a little cold, so I moved it in to warm it up." Mingxi explained with a buzz in her head.


    Fu Yangxi also reacted with hindsight, and his ears were so red immediately that he picked up a pillow and threw it at the door of the ward, ¡°You two have such dirty minds, can you just shut up?!¡±


    Ke Chengwen and He Yang were in shock. They barely believed that Zhao Mingxi''s hand was just warming Fu Yangxi¡¯s hands under his blanket.


    It''s just that when the two looked at Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi again, they kept on feeling that the atmosphere between the two had changed.


    They couldn¡¯t put a finger on it, but it seemed to be a step further than the previous ambiguity.


    Jiang Xiuqiu and He Yang sat down on the sofa. Ke Chengwen picked up the pillows and made a few cups of tea.


    The three just came and sat there for a while. Without taking in a sip of the water, they were urged to leave quickly by Fu Yangxi whose leg was still hanging.


    Ke Chengwen was very sad. ¡°Xi ge, how could you be like this? I heard that you broke a bone and came here as soon as possible. You will definitely be able to use me if you want to go to the bathroom later.¡±


    Mingxi actually wanted them to leave as soon as possible, so she didn''t even think about it and said, "It''s okay, he won¡¯t need you. Fu Yangxi is fine with one leg, and I can also help.¡±


    Fu Yangxi glanced at Zhao Mingxi, blushing and smiling.


    See, Little Mask wants them to leave us alone too.


    His dissatisfaction with not going public about their relationship was so easily resolved.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°...¡±


    I think something must have happened between the two of them before and after Xi ge broke his leg!


    He already wasn¡¯t in a high ranking position before, but now his position was completely squeezed out by Zhao Mingxi!


    After a while, a nurse came over and gave Fu Yangxi an anti-inflammatory injection.


    Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu planned to go to the doctor''s office to watch the x-ray films and buy some snacks on the way, so they went out with He Yang.


    Mingxi stayed in the room.


    After the nurse hooked up the needle and went out, Mingxi got up and tucked the quilt for Fu Yangxi, and then stuffed a pillow behind him to make him lean more comfortably.


    Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi faintly while those few people were away. ¡°Why did you just let go?¡±


    What did Little Mask mean?


    Is she not going to take responsibility?!


    After the confession, she doesn¡¯t plan to make us public and wants me to be a secret boyfriend?


    When Mingxi heard him mention this, she knew what he wanted to ask. Before he showed his ¡®unloved¡¯ expression, Mingxi quickly explained: "I didn''t. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell them about us. I was just nervous back there and wasn¡¯t ready.¡±


    As Mingxi spoke, she held his hand.


    Fu Yangxi took her hand, but still looked at her distrustfully.


    After staring at her for a while, he lowered his dark eyelashes, looking sad. He sighed and said dejectedly, ¡°Little Mask, you don''t need to explain, I understand. You are just¡ª¡±


    Mingxi was afraid that his imagination would bring him farther away from the truth, so she quickly said, ¡°How about this? You decide when and where you want us to go public. I''m okay with anything.¡±


    "Really?" Fu Yangxi held back the corners of his mouth from raising. His eyes were still red and his face was still looking fragile and injured.


    Mingxi really wanted to shake his shoulders. ¡°Really!¡±


    How can I reassure him?!


    "Then help me get my scarf, my neck is cold," Fu Yangxi said suddenly.


    He had a needle connected to his right hand while his left hand was holding Mingxi''s hand.


    Mingxi took a glance. His scarf was placed on the bedside table to his right. Mingxi thought that it was enough to turn on the heater for a cold neck, but seeing Fu Yangxi''s faint gaze, she decided to go around and help him get it.


    However, she couldn''t walk before she even started.


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi. ¡°If you don''t let go, how can I go and get it for you?¡±


    ¡°Find a way.¡±


    Mingxi felt that she had made a mistake by panicking and trying to hide the fact that they were holding hands just now, so she consciously let him bully her.


    She knelt on the side of the bed with her right knee, stretched out her hand and went to Fu Yangxi''s right to get his scarf.


    However, the moment her fingers touched the woolen yarn of the scarf and before she could even grasp it, Fu Yangxi suddenly raised his right hand which was connected to a needle.


    Mingxi was about to tell him not to move around and be careful of blood reflux!


    When she felt Fu Yangxi''s raised hand pressed gently on the back of her neck.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi was caught off guard. Her balance was unstable to begin with, and now there was another mini electric shock on her neck.


    She couldn''t support herself any longer. Immediately, she leaned over and fell on Fu Yangxi.


    The tip of her nose brushed against his and her lips were directly on the corners of his mouth.


    The soft and dry touch went straight from the lips to the heart.


    Even her soul shuddered.


    We k-kissed?


    Just like this¡ª


    Mingxi opened her eyes blankly. As she stared closely at Fu Yangxi who was below her, her mind went blank.


    Suddenly, they heard a door opening behind them.


    The sound of footsteps coming in.


    Then there was the sound of the three people sucking in a breath.


    Fu Yangxi raised his gaze in time. With his red ears, he held back his shyness, and smiled boldly. ¡°You said we can go public. Why not just do it now? With this occasion?¡±

 CH 58.1

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think.¡±


    20 minutes later, Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows and said triumphantly.


    He arrogantly held Zhao Mingxi''s hand in front of the three of them and deliberately waved their entwined hands at them to let them see clearly.


    Had it not been for the broken leg, he would have been able to stretch the two clasped hands in front of the pupils of Jiang Xiuqiu and Ke Chengwen.


    As soon as Zhao Mingxi liked him, he became proud again. The little bird on his shoulders was so energetic that he completely forgot who was crying while washing his hair before.


    Although Ke Chengwen and He Yang were shocked, they felt that they should have known a long time ago.


    The two felt a mix of emotions for a while.


    He Yang thought that her best friend was already so in love, she might abandon her in the future, so she gave Zhao Mingxi a sad look.


    Mingxi felt heat on her cheeks.


    Ke Chengwen glanced at Zhao Mingxi distrustfully, still a little worried about her¡ª Is she sure she really likes Xi ge? Will she make Xi ge go through a second round of disappointment?


    However, on this occasion, it was not convenient for both Ke Chengwen and He Yang to say anything disappointing.


    He Yang murmured, ¡°I should have guessed it a long time ago. When Zhao Mingxi chats with me, Fu Yangxi would be mentioned with every three sentences¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Mingxi rushed over and covered her mouth.


    Mingxi also had a reputation to uphold, okay?!


    She gestured to He Yang frantically with her eyes: Is it appropriate to say this in front of so many people?!


    "Tsk, I knew it." Fu Yangxi''s ears were red and the corners of her mouth were upturned to the sky.


    He wanted He Yang to say a few more words.


    He didn''t know when Little Mask fell in love with him. Anyway, she definitely didn''t like him during the time she lived in his house. When she went to eat with Shen Liyao and the Dong family, she definitely didn''t like him.


    When did she fall in love with me??


    Was it just a random moment?


    Once Fu Yangxi knew what this moment was, he might repeat it thousands of times in front of Zhao Mingxi!


    He pretended not to care at all, but in fact he looked at Zhao Mingxi eagerly, expecting He Yang to reveal a few more words, but Zhao Mingxi stopped He Yang before she finished speaking.


    His heart felt as if there were a hundred claws scratching at it, but it was not easy to directly show that he wanted to hear more.


    Ke Chengwen, He Yang and Jiang Xiuqiu respectively gave them looks saying, ¡®Xi ge, you actually got Zhao Mingxi'', ''Zhao Mingxi, you actually got Fu Yangxi'', ''I was annoyed by how long you guys took¡¯, making Mingxi feel a little uncomfortable.


    She changed the subject with a hot face. ¡°Don''t just stand here and stare at us. You guys wanna eat some fruit? Are grapes okay? I''ll go wash some.¡±


    When Fu Yangxi saw her walking away, he was not very happy. He stared closely at her and held her hands tightly. ¡°Don''t wash it for them.¡±


    The three of them: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi was clearly upset as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s too cold to wash fruits with cold water in the winter.¡±


    Ke Chengwen couldn''t help saying, ¡°Xi ge, this is the VIP ward!¡±


    Please, how can there be no hot water in the toilet of the VIP ward?!


    Fu Yangxi glared at Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu. ¡°Why do you two boys want other girls to wash fruits for you? You don''t know how to wash it yourself?! Do you have broken bones like me?¡±


    Ke Chengwen cried speechlessly, ¡°Forget it, I''ll go and wash them. Zhao Mingxi, please stay here.¡±


    Ke Chengwen went to the bathroom with the bag of fruits. Fu Yangxi watched him go in, then turned to ask Zhao Mingxi, ¡°What else do you want to eat? Let him wash more.¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Ke Chengwen and the other two: ¡°...¡±


    Goodbye!


    Our eyes have been blinded!


    We don¡¯t want to stay for even another minute!


    Before Xiao Li bought the food, Ke Chengwen and the others were urged by Fu Yangxi to leave. The reason he gave was that he did not buy their lunch. If they didn¡¯t want to be hungry, they could only get food by themselves.


    The three of them were only planning to pay a brief visit. Except for Ke Chengwen, they didn''t plan to stay long, so they packed up the snack bags they had eaten and planned to leave.


    In the end, when they opened the door of the ward and left, they saw Xiao Li panting while carrying up a box of more than a dozen packing boxes.


    The three of them: ¡°...¡±


    This was what he f*cking meant when he said he didn¡¯t get us lunch?


    This is enough to feed 10 people!


    Goodbye!


    The three of them were sick of the couple¡¯s shenanigans and said their final goodbyes.


    After lunch, Mingxi opened her school bag, took out a set of problems and did her homework on the coffee table.


    After all, writing here was the same as writing in the library, and the heating here was more adequate.


    Fu Yangxi pretended to take a book, but his mind was completely off the story book. He wanted to be closer to Zhao Mingxi. Who arranged the layout of this ward? Why is the coffee table several meters away from the bed?!


    Despite the distance of four or five meters, Mingxi could feel that he was looking at her quietly, so she looked up abruptly.


    However, all she saw was Fu Yangxi immediately withdrawing his gaze, his face flushed red as he continued to stare at the story book.


    Mingxi couldn''t help laughing. ¡°Feel free to look all you want.¡±


    Besides, now you can look at me openly, so why are you still acting so sneaky?


    Fu Yangxi would rather die than admit it. His eyes were still on the storybook, seeming to be extremely focused.


    He snorted and didn''t lift up his flushed handsome face. ¡°Of course I can look as much as I want. You¡¯re already mine, so why should I take a peek? I wasn¡¯t peeking¡ª But rather you, Little Mask, don¡¯t bother me while I¡¯m reading.¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°Then what''s the book you¡¯re reading talking about?¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi was speechless. He frantically glanced at the content in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s talking about¡ª¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Mingxi moved the small bench to the bed, took her pencil case, exercise book, and calculator, and lifted a corner of the quilt on the side of Fu Yangxi¡¯s bed. ¡°I¡¯ll complete my homework here.¡±


    Fu Yangxi asked, ¡°Don''t you want to write on the coffee table?¡±


    Mingxi glanced at him, restraining the heat on her face. ¡°It''s too far.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s ears silently turned red.


    Classes were going to start the next day, so that evening, Mingxi had to be sent back to school by Xiao Li.


    Fortunately, Fu Yangxi''s fracture was not serious, and there was no obvious displacement. After being fixed with a plaster, he could be discharged from the hospital in three days. During the next 40 days of recovery, crutches or wheelchairs will do, and he could go to school as usual.


    Mingxi thought that Fu Yangxi was a really interesting person. When she left, he clearly wanted to say something, staring at her eagerly with his face full of ¡®When will you come to see me? Will you still like me when you come again?¡¯ when he obviously wanted her to visit him after school on the second and third day.


    But what he said was all kinds of, ¡°You don''t have to come, Little Mask. I will go to school in three days. You can only stay for a while after school anyways, and this will delay your studies.¡±


    Mingxi didn''t want to hear him continue nagging, so she said directly, ¡°Shut up, I want to come.¡±


    Fu Yangxi turned and smiled shamelessly, looking satisfied.


    ¡­


    To be honest, Mingxi still found it surreal that they were now officially dating. The adrenaline rush of that morning did not dissipate from her mind.


    Every minute and second she saw Fu Yangxi, her heart felt sore and itchy, with small desires breaking the ground.


    What she said was bold, for example words like "I want to kiss you".


    But in fact, Zhao Mingxi was hesitant to act in this regard.


    Because they were too shy, she only kissed the corners of his mouth.


    She was content with just that.


    Like a dragonfly landing on calm waters.


    She couldn¡¯t even fully feel what it was like and they had to separate after just a touch of electricity.


    Mingxi was a little upset.


    However, this gentle kiss was of great significance to her potted plants¡ª After all, it was the first kiss between her and Fu Yangxi.


    A tree grew immediately in the pot.


    It soared directly to 425 buds.


    Four months ago, she was still shakily freeloading on the luck from Fu Yangxi, fearing that the red-haired school tyrant would beat her. Mingxi absolutely never expected her progress to go so smoothly.


    In fact, before the end of this winter, she was about to get rid of her female side character¡¯s destiny completely.


    *


    The next day was Monday, and the whole building learned about Fu Yangxi''s fracture.


    The kids in the International Class discussed whether to buy some flowers for him. Meanwhile, the people in the other two classes were running wild with joy. He broke his bone just like that?


    Some people in the Evergreen class rushed to tell each other and even couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    It was well known that Fu Yangxi had been acting like a tyrant in school for a long time. When everyone saw him, they basically took a detour. They didn''t dare to touch even one strand of his hair. Even if it was a fight, someone else would be injured. He has never suffered any injuries! And now, he broke his own leg.


    The Evergreen Class immediately became arrogant.


    But since Fu Yangxi is not there, the followers in the International Class have no confidence to speak. Like frosted eggplants, they tried to avoid the people in the Evergreen Class.


    Pu Shuang also took advantage of Fu Yangxi''s absence and the fact that she didn''t need to be at the receiving end of his glare, and came to find Zhao Mingxi again.


    In just a few days, Pu Shuang''s complexion was obviously much worse than before and she seemed a bit silent.


    Although she and Zhao Mingxi made a bet which would end up with one of them dropping out, Zhao Mingxi didn''t really let her drop out, so the story came to an end just like that. However, because of Zhao Yuan''s involvement, she would inevitably encounter some discussion behind her back in the class.


    When these remarks fell into her ears, it felt as uncomfortable as a heartbreak. She was not as thick-faced as E Xiaoxia, so she cried several times in private.


    During the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, she saw Zhao Mingxi standing in the front row. Only then did she remember that she had bought Zhao Mingxi a new school bag that was exactly the same as hers. However, the last time she apologized, she was so emotional that she forgot to give it to Zhao Mingxi.


    So Pu Shuang came again.


    "Please take it back." Mingxi still didn''t accept the new schoolbag.


    It wasn''t because she wanted to embarrass her on purpose.


    It was just that after Mingxi washed the school bag that Pu Shuang threw into the trash can on the night of the training camp, there were no oil stains left and it was clean, just like a new one.


    In addition, there was still half a year left of high school, and Fu Yangxi was the one who gave her this school bag, so Mingxi felt that there was no need to change it.


    Mingxi said, ¡°I¡¯ve already cleaned mine, so there¡¯s no need to change it.¡±


    Pu Shuang''s face went pale. She had no choice but to take the school bag back again.


    After that, she never came to find Zhao Mingxi again.

 CH 58.2

    At the same time, Zhao Zhanhuai also got someone to find out who made the post.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to find out this matter, but since everyone in the Zhao family was shocked by Zhang Yufen''s affairs a while ago, they had no time to take care of it. Now that the mess has been cleaned up a bit, Zhao Zhanhuai finally had the energy to deal with it.


    After some investigation, it turned out to be E Xiaoxia of the E family!


    Both Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai''s faces were pale.


    In reality, the E family and the Zhao family could be considered family friends. They had a very close relationship. Otherwise, Zhao Yuan and E Xiaoxia would not have known each other since they were young, and when E Xiaoxia was a child, she could call Mr Zhao ¡®Uncle¡¯.


    The fact that this incident actually came from the hands of E Xiaoxia left the Zhao family shocked. But after thinking about it, they figured that it ought to have been something within their expectations.


    E Xiaoxia had played the role of Zhao Yuan¡¯s attendant for a long time. Rather than saying that she hated Mingxi the most, it was better to say that she had a certain jealousy towards Zhao Yuan from the beginning. It was the same with how she triggered Zhao Yuan''s allergies at the time. Also, this less obvious jealousy was directly transformed into hatred after Zhao Yuan had publicly disgraced her at school.


    ¡­


    Sometimes, the subtle hostility between girls was really terrifying.


    Upon learning this, Zhao Yuning sucked in a mouthful of cold air.


    However, the problem now was that Zhang Yufen was really Zhao Yuan¡¯s biological mother. E Xiaoxia¡¯s action of spreading this matter didn¡¯t even constitute a rumor¡ª


    What could the Zhao family do to a high school girl?


    Besides, the E family and the Zhao family still had business dealings, so they can¡¯t possibly bring them to court?! Besides, should they not blame Zhao Yuan herself for making friends with such a poisonous snake?


    After going through so many things, the Zhao family felt very tired. They still had to focus more on the loss of business.


    So although they found out that E Xiaoxia did it, the Zhao family didn''t pursue it any further, only taking it as if they had been accidentally bitten.


    Only when they met the E family at various banquet occasions, Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai''s gazes were mildly different, feeling like they wanted to stay away as much as possible.


    *


    On Wednesday evening, the weather got colder, but the snow finally stopped after a few days.


    Fu Yangxi was finally about to be discharged from the hospital.


    Mingxi wanted to pick him up, but Fu Yangxi''s family would definitely go for things like being discharged from the hospital. If she bumps into his family, wouldn''t they be caught for being in a premature relationship?


    Is this appropriate?


    Mingxi subconsciously wanted to ask Fu Yangxi, but she felt that with Fu Yangxi''s free personality, he would directly stop his family from going in order to let her pick him up and leave the hospital.


    Then¡ª before they could see each other, she¡¯d have already left a bad impression on Fu Yangxi''s family.


    Mingxi felt a little conflicted.


    So before class was over, she quietly buried her head under the table, and without asking Fu Yangxi, she sent a message to Xiao Li: ¡°Fu Yangxi is discharged from the hospital today, will his family be going? If his family is going, I will not go so as not to bump into them.¡±


    In the past two days, when she went to the hospital, Fu Yangxi asked Xiao Li to pick her up, so she decided to exchange phone numbers with Xiao Li.


    Fu Yangxi even grunted about this and once again emphasized to her that Xiao Li was married.


    After a while, Xiao Li replied: "The old man came to visit the young master yesterday. The old man has something to do in a foreign country today, so he probably won''t come over."


    Having known Fu Yangxi for so long, Mingxi had only heard of his grandfather from him.


    Mingxi asked: "Where are his other family members? Are they not coming?"


    "Yes." Xiao Li replied: "Are you going to pick up the young master? Then I will go to your school to pick you up first."


    Mingxi frowned slightly when she looked at Xiao Li''s message.


    After being discharged from the hospital, not even a single one of his family members decided to come?


    How can this be?


    For the past two years she was in the Zhao family, even if the Zhao family was biased, if she had a fracture, someone from the Zhao family will definitely come when she is admitted and discharged.


    After all, a fracture was also a serious injury. One could only imagine how painful it could be the moment the bone broke.


    Mingxi asked again: "Then who will do the discharge procedures?"


    Xiao Li said: "Young Master Fu has done it himself."


    ¡°He did it himself?¡±


    Xiao Li said: "Yes, the doctor said he can walk on crutches now, so he signed it himself."


    Mingxi could see from Xiao Li''s message that Xiao Li didn''t seem to find it strange¡ª that is, it was always the case.


    ¡­If she didn¡¯t go.


    Fu Yangxi would have been all alone when he was hospitalized and discharged?


    For some reason, Mingxi felt anxious.


    Mingxi didn''t know about Fu Yangxi''s family, and Fu Yangxi rarely took the initiative to mention them.


    Whenever Mingxi wanted to ask, he would change the subject.


    The only thing that Mingxi knew was the Fu Enterprise which she learned from Baidu, but that was only about the industries it was involved in. However, it could be inferred from the rich financial resources of the Fu family, how this kind of extraordinary family would not write their trivial genealogical history on Baidu.


    In short, it was very mysterious.


    There was hardly any news related to the Fu family, let alone Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi glanced at the time and said to Xiao Li: "Then you can pick me up at around 5:30. Let''s go to Fu Yangxi''s apartment first and get him some clothes."


    There was a huge temperature difference between day and night. There was heating everywhere in the hospital, so it was okay to wear less clothes. However, when the cold wind blows on him once he leaves, he will inevitably catch a cold.


    Xiao Li couldn''t help exclaiming that girls were just careful and hurriedly replied to her with a: "OK."


    Mingxi packed her school bag after school and Xiao Li drove her to Fu Yangxi''s apartment.


    Even Xiao Li didn¡¯t know the password, only she knew it.


    Seeing her enter the password with ease and the door opened directly, Xiao Li gave her a surprised look.


    "Aren''t you coming in?" Mingxi asked.


    Xiao Li said, ¡°You can go ahead and pack. Young Master Fu doesn''t like others entering his place."


    Mingxi had to go in alone. She walked into Fu Yangxi''s room, opened the closet and picked out a black down jacket.


    At this moment, she caught a glimpse of a few medicine bottles in the corner of the closet. They were exactly the vitamins that Fu Yangxi often ate in the classroom.


    There were French and German, but there was no English, so she couldn¡¯t understand them at all.


    Mingxi thought for a while. Then, she took a picture of the logo on the bottle one by one.


    She took five photos in total.


    She opened WeChat, sent the pictures to the doctor who helped her with her face before and asked what kind of medicine they were.


    Xiao Li opened the car door, waited for her to get in the car and drove her to the hospital.


    The car stopped at the entrance of the hospital. Mingxi saw that there was a roasted sweet potato seller just a short distance away, steaming with heat. She remembered that Fu Yangxi didn''t seem to have eaten this kind of street food, so she told Xiao Li that she was going to buy one first.


    Xiao Li took the jacket and entered the hospital.


    12 yuan for one sweet potato. Once it is separated in half, it is fragrant, sweet and soft inside, making people want to drool.


    Mingxi let out a breath of cold air and waited patiently for the stall owner to roast it.


    When scanning the QR code to pay, her phone vibrated.


    Someone sent her a WeChat message.


    It was sent by the doctor she knew.


    "Have you had insomnia lately? But that shouldn¡¯t be happening. The injury on your face is all healed up, right? You shouldn¡¯t be undergoing psychological pressure because of the injury on your face. Don''t take this medicine too much or you will find yourself dependent on it.¡±


    Mingxi''s eyelids twitched. She quickly opened WeChat to reply: "What do you mean? So all these bottles are used to treat insomnia? Isn''t there even one bottle of vitamins?"


    The doctor replied: ¡°Aren¡¯t they your medicine? They are almost all drugs related to sedation and insomnia. They may be prescribed by foreign doctors. They are rarely used in China, unless it¡¯s for a patient with severe insomnia. Unless they are very dependent on drugs, it¡¯s still recommended to deal with psychological factors first, as drugs alone do not have much effect."


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi¡¯s heart squeezed in pain.


    Last time when Dong Shen told her that the bottle of French medicine was for insomnia, she thought it was something like ordinary melatonin to aid sleep.


    But she didn''t expect there to be a lot more bottles of them.


    So Fu Yangxi¡ª how long hasn''t he had a good night''s sleep?


    Mingxi suddenly recalled the few times when she noticed the wounds on his neck and wrist which were cut by glass.


    What is happening?


    Could it be... related to his family?


    Mingxi saw that every time he stayed in his own apartment, he was fine. But once he went back to his old home, something would definitely happen.


    Of course, this was all speculation.


    Mingxi was full of suspicion. Her heart felt pinched and there was a lot of worry and discomfort.


    Mingxi felt that she had to figure it out.


    The savory roasted sweet potatoes were handed to her, but her interest in eating had dissipated greatly. She absently scanned the QR code to pay and walked toward the car.


    Fu Yangxi''s discharge procedures have been completed. When she walked over, Fu Yangxi happened to get into the car as well.


    Fu Yangxi was waiting for her eagerly.


    When Fu Yangxi saw her coming, he opened the car door, poked his head out of the car and urged her, "Little Mask, what¡¯s taking so long?"


    ¡°It didn''t take long at all. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m coming?¡± Mingxi got him to retract his head. Then, she closed the door and opened the door from the other side to get into the car.


    As soon as she got into the car, the heating washed away the frost on her eyelashes.


    Fu Yangxi had a plaster cast on his left foot which made movement very inconvenient, so he could only sit on the right side of the car. He dismantled the front passenger seat so that he could put his long legs on it.


    He took off his down jacket and held it in his arms, wearing only a black loose sweater.


    His gaze followed Zhao Mingxi all the time. He muttered a little triumphantly, ¡°It will just be cold for a while between me getting out of the hospital and getting into the car. But you even specifically asked Xiao Li to get my coat. Seriously¡ª¡±


    Mingxi should have glared at him and scolded him for being narcissistic, but at this moment Mingxi was totally in no mood to follow his words and tease him.


    Mingxi looked at him, her mind full of thoughts.


    He was discharged from the hospital alone.


    He couldn¡¯t sleep for many nights.


    He was often injured.


    The car started.


    Mingxi didn''t say a word as she passed the steaming sweet potato to Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi noticed that her mood was a little off, so he immediately became nervous. Suddenly, Fu Yangxi thought of something, causing his expression to change and he said angrily, ¡°What? Is it because I haven¡¯t been in school that your school bag has been¡ª¡±


    "No," Mingxi said dejectedly.


    Mingxi said to him, ¡°Raise up your hands.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi was puzzled, but while staring at Zhao Mingxi, hands still holding the sweet potato, he raised both his hands.


    In the next second, Mingxi moved a little towards him, leaned in gently and hugged him.


    ¡°...¡±


    When Mingxi hugged Fu Yangxi, he couldn¡¯t react in time.


    After a brief moment of brain lag, he lowered his gaze and realized that the top of the girl''s hair was scented, and the person in his arms was soft and warm.


    Mingxi hugged him tightly. She buried her head on his chest and tightly circled both arms around his back¡ª¡ª


    It was an unusually persistent approach.


    "Wh-What''s the matter?" Fu Yangxi was surprised, his heart beating fast.


    Mingxi closed her eyes and said slowly, ¡°It''s nothing. I just suddenly wanted to hug you. I didn''t see you for a day and missed you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s ears became red with ¡®swish¡¯.


    He slowly put down his hand, placed it on Mingxi''s back and patted it twice.


    He forgot to eat the sweet potato which was still in his hand.


    He saw Xiao Li¡¯s envious gaze from the rearview mirror.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows, appearing full of vigor. With a triumphant expression, he gestured with his eyes, "What are you looking at? There¡¯s nothing I can do when my girlfriend is so clingy".

 CH 59

    There was a low level of steps in the entrance hall where you could change your shoes.


    Fu Yangxi stood up with the help of the shoe cabinet. Then, Xiao Li carried the wheelchair in and Fu Yangxi jumped on it with one foot.


    He glanced at Zhao Mingxi, trying hard to be cool and handsome, but how could he be cool and handsome with one foot?


    Fu Yangxi felt a little embarrassed and mumbled in displeasure, ¡°Who designed such a step?¡±


    Mingxi was frightened while watching him. She subconsciously raised her hand to hold him, for fear that the tiled floor would be too slippery and cause a second fall.


    But Fu Yangxi didn''t know whether she was doing this intentionally or not, so he just didn''t let her help and completed a series of actions smoothly.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    After he jumped up, Xiao Li quickly pushed the wheelchair behind him.


    He leaned on the handle, sat down on the wheelchair again, raised a cast leg and strenuously straightened the cast foot. Then, he raised his handsome eyebrows and looked at Zhao Mingxi.


    Mingxi: ¡­


    What''s there to be so happy about?!


    After Fu Yangxi was discharged from the hospital, he faced a problem.


    If the fracture was his left hand, everything would still be okay as one hand was not a problem. However, the fracture happened to be on his ankle.


    It¡¯s okay for him to jump around with one foot, but it''s too difficult to get into the bathroom to take a bath.


    Mingxi raised this question.


    Xiao Li said, ¡°Don''t worry, the old man has already found a caregiver for Young Master Fu yesterday and they will be there later. I''m also on call 24 hours a day.¡±


    Fu Yangxi was accustomed to being outside alone, so he was obviously reluctant to let the nurse in. Just the thought of him as a tall, 1.88 meter man who needed to be lifted up by others and had to have physical contact sent goose bumps all over him.


    He frowned, turned his wheelchair and went towards the sofa. His face looked a bit stinky ¡°Nosy. I already said I can do it on crutches!¡±


    Xiao Li quickly said, ¡°This is also how the old man shows that he cares, young master. You must not say this in front of the old man, or the both of you will get into a fight later."


    Mingxi put her school bag on the bar and made suggestions on the side, ¡°Or¡ª¡±


    The two turned to look at her at the same time.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hire a nurse, I''ll do it."


    ¡°...¡±


    Xiao Li was surprised. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    Xiao Li thought that what Zhao Mingxi and Young Master Fu had was purely puppy love. If you fall in love with a wealthy young person, you can enjoy the money and other benefits brought by that person¡¯s wealth. Why is there a need to take care of others personally?


    Xiao Li had to admit that he was a little surprised.


    ¡°Why would I be unwilling to do it? It''s not difficult.¡± Mingxi didn''t know what Xiao Li was thinking, but thought that Xiao Li thought she wanted to take a share of the money as a caregiver.


    She hurriedly waved her hand and said, "A caregiver can also take care of him. But doesn''t Fu Yangxi dislike strangers coming in? It''s more convenient for me to come. It''s just that I don''t have enough strength. If anything happens, you have to come at any time.¡±


    Xiao Li looked at Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s handsome face was already red.


    Xiao Li silently accepted the sweetness that came from this couple.


    He thought, so now you don¡¯t dislike physical contact?


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi¡¯s plastered leg and added another sentence, ¡°The main reason is that I don¡¯t feel relieved. The place where he was fractured cannot be exposed to water. You must be very careful when you take a bath.¡±


    B-Bath?


    Little Mask sure has amazing imagination. She already thought of bathing me?!


    How can this be?


    Is this really okay?


    Fu Yangxi tried his best to keep his face calm, but the joy and pride on his face was too overwhelming.


    He turned his head and looked away. His ears were red and he pretended to compromise, ¡°Le-Let¡¯s do it then.¡±


    That was how Mingxi moved in. This time, the stay may be a bit long. When Xiao Li took her to pick up the clothes, she packed all her things at once. Fu Yangxi waited eagerly, and when he saw Xiao Li helping her carry the suitcase in, his mood was already flying to the sky.


    But Fu Yangxi never expected that he was thinking too much.


    When taking a bath at night, Zhao Mingxi was a pure gentleman.


    She filled the water in the bathtub, tested the water temperature and spread a layer of non-slip towels on the floor. Then, she said to Fu Yangxi, ¡°All done.¡±


    Fu Yangxi stood on one foot, holding his hands in front of the washbasin in the bathroom, his heart beating fast. He was nervous for a long time.


    He stared at his reflection in the mirror, preparing himself mentally. He also lifted his clothes and glanced at his abdominal muscles. He moistened his forehead bangs with water, creating the effect of short black hair dripping with water.


    ¡ªIn the end, he heard Zhao Mingxi¡¯s laughter from the living room as she watched a comedy drama on the tablet.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t help but shout, ¡°Zhao Mingxi, what are you doing?¡±


    "What''s the matter?" Mingxi took the tablet and didn''t forget to pause the drama. She walked to the entrance of the bathroom. ¡°Have you started to wash? Be careful not to fall. The bathrobe is next to the tub.¡±

 CH 60.1

    The next day, Lu Wangwei paid special attention and found that Zhao Mingxi was pushing Fu Yangxi''s wheelchair into the classroom again.


    A group of boys in the class were extremely envious. Fu Yangxi coolly stuffed his hands in his pockets and raised his chin coolly. He hung his noise-canceling headphones around his neck, looking arrogant and proud.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t wait to show off Zhao Mingxi to the world.


    Lu Wangwei was furious.


    After class, Lu Wangwei called Mingxi to the office with a grimace.


    "Did someone in class bully you recently?"


    ? Mingxi was taken aback. ¡°No.¡±


    Lu Wangwei said earnestly, ¡°Mingxi, you can tell me. As your teacher, I will support you.¡±


    Mingxi scanned through the information in her mind, she really couldn¡¯t think of anyone that was bullying her.


    In fact, as soon as she transferred to the International Class, she made one of the most important decisions which was to get closer to Fu Yangxi. This may be the so-called ¡®to capture the thief you must first capture the king¡¯. So no one in the class dared to do anything to her from the beginning. Until now, she had completely mingled with them.


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t any.¡±


    Lu Wangwei thought that Zhao Mingxi had succumbed to Fu Yangxi''s bullying, so she didn''t dare to speak. Thus, he simply summoned Fu Yangxi to the office.


    He immediately scolded Fu Yangxi, ¡°Zhao Mingxi is the only one in the class to make it to the finals. Don''t you know how precious her time is? I can forget about the fact that you always make trouble, but how could you still bully her when she is in the finals? About the matter of pushing your wheelchair, why can¡¯t you ask your friends to do it? Why must you bully Zhao Mingxi?!¡±


    ¡°Bully???¡±


    Fu Yangxi never expected it to be like this in the eyes of others.


    His expression darkened.


    Mingxi wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh or cry. She quickly held down Fu Yangxi''s violent temper and said to the homeroom teacher, ¡°Teacher, you have misunderstood the situation. Recently I moved out to live and my house is close to Fu Yangxi, so I just decided to push him to school every day. It''s not that he is bullying me.¡±


    "I don''t believe you," Lu Wangwei said angrily to Fu Yangxi. ¡°Since you¡¯ve hurt your leg, you can go and hire a caregiver or ask Ke Chengwen to help you. Why do you always have to call on Zhao Mingxi? Is Zhao Mingxi willingly helping you or is she afraid of offending you? It''s impossible that the both of you are dating, right?!¡±


    Fu Yangxi glared at Lu Wangwei, holding back his anger. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to delay the time for Little Mask either, so he woke up very early every day to match his time with Little Mask. Being able to go to school together was something that made his mood soar to the sky, but why did Lu Zhangwei say as if¡ª as if Little Mask was afraid of offending him, that¡¯s why she helped him? Was he that bad?!


    Before Fu Yangxi finished speaking, he heard Mingxi say, ¡°Yes, we are in a relationship. I don¡¯t think the school has any rules against dating at our age.¡±


    Lu Wangwei: ¡°...¡±


    The air was silent for two seconds.


    Lu Wangwei was so stunned that he slammed the teacup on the desk and jumped up in shock.


    ¡°What???¡±


    Fu Yangxi tilted his plastered leg and huffed through his nose. The bird shook its feathers triumphantly.


    But before he became proud, Lu Wangwei looked at Zhao Mingxi, as if he couldn''t wait to shake Mingxi''s shoulders. ¡°Mingxi, how did things become like this? You can talk to me if you are facing any difficulties!¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°¡ª¡±


    F*ck.


    The two came out of the office. In his shock, Lu Wangwei finally reluctantly accepted the fact that the two were dating. He held his forehead with a distressed look of ''Let me breathe'', as if the cabbage he was growing was eaten by a pig.


    Fu-cabbage-eating-Xi felt deeply discriminated against.


    In these people¡¯s dictionaries, the top student seemed to be unable to fall in love with the school bully. Falling in love meant that he was not doing his job properly. His job was to sleep, bully his classmates and donate a few buildings. And the fact that Zhao Mingxi was willing to fall in love with him was because it was he who intimidated Zhao Mingxi.


    Mingxi walked beside him and poked his handsome face. ¡°Unhappy?¡±


    Fu Yangxi was usually too tall for her to be able to poke him. But now that he was in a wheelchair, there was no pressure to even touch the top of his hair.


    Fu Yangxi said in a dominating voice, ¡°Woman, don''t you poke me as you wish.¡±


    Mingxi said, ¡°The homeroom teacher is not malicious. He was just worried about my studies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. He treats you well. I¡¯m not angry,¡± Fu Yangxi said.


    He was just a little bit sad. Was it because the impression he left on others was really too troublesome and mischievous? Several teachers who knew about them seemed to be very worried for Little Mask.


    So will the Dong family, who are regarded as relatives by Little Mask, accept me?


    Mingxi looked at him. ¡°Then give me a smile.¡±


    Fu Yangxi twitched the corner of his mouth, turned his wheelchair and pushed himself into the classroom.


    Before he could enter, he was slammed to the back door of the classroom by Mingxi.


    Mingxi placed both her hands on the wheelchair.


    Mingxi looked right at him.


    ¡°Mua~¡±


    Fu Yangxi instantly became dizzy due to her cuteness.


    Then Mingxi said, "Either way, I only want you."


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi tightened his grip on the armrest and turned away, his ears red. He forced himself to regain his composure.


    F*ck! Little Mask is so good at this!


    I¡¯m dead!


    Falling in love was really a wonderful thing.


    In the past, Fu Yangxi thought that Zhao Mingxi liked him, so he was often complacent, and because of her caring behaviors such as delivering desserts and running laps, she gave birth to secret joy in his heart.


    Fu Yangxi thought that time was the happiest and most satisfying time in recent years, but he didn''t expect that after being together, that happiness would increase thousands of times.


    The bitterness was removed from the ups and downs, leaving only sourness and sweetness.


    He no longer expected her to look back emptyly, no more uncertainties, tossing and turning, wondering back and forth. What he thought, what he said, what he talked about would be responded to. She missed him when he missed her, and when he looked at her across the crowd, she was always watching him. With one look, the two could know each other''s mood.


    It was a sense of steadiness of handing each other''s hands to each other¡ª knowing that no matter what the problem is, they can communicate, and no matter what happens, they will never separate.


    Several people ate in the cafeteria at noon.


    After Dong Shen transferred to the school, he often came to the cafeteria to find Zhao Mingxi.


    He either occupied the seat beside Mingxi or the seat opposite Mingxi.


    But Mingxi was kind to him and often accommodated him.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t like him. He sat next to Zhao Mingxi, staring coldly at him while picking food for Zhao Mingxi.


    Forget about the fact that he would pick out food for her.


    What he gave Zhao Mingxi were vegetables, and what he fished out was braised pork.


    Zhao Mingxi was originally thin and ate less, so all the meat that she had gotten from eating snacks were lost to Dong Shen just like this.


    Fu Yangxi''s fists were about to harden. He put his chopsticks aside and pulled a long face. ¡°You¡¯re already at an age where you can get a girlfriend. So why must you come to my girlfriend every day?¡±


    Dong Shen rolled his eyes at Fu Yangxi. ¡°Your girlfriend? You wish. Do you see Mingxi admitting it? So many people are pursuing her, so why must she hang herself on your tree? You have such a bad temper.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    When Ke Chengwen saw how Fu Yangxi¡¯s face went dark, he thought that this kid Dong Shen must be some sort of nouveau riche from somewhere. He was crazy enough to step on Xi ge''s bottom line accurately every time.


    He hurriedly stopped. ¡°Dong Shen, do you understand the concept of not talking when you¡¯re eating?¡±


    Dong Shen wanted to continue mocking, but Mingxi helplessly said to him, ¡°Eat quickly. Why do you have so many things to say every day? Next time, you should eat with your classmates. You don''t have to purposely come to our side of the building to see us.¡±


    Mingxi wrapped an arm around Fu Yangxi¡¯s elbow.


    Fu Yangxi was finally at ease. He picked up his chopsticks again, threw the meat from his plate into Mingxi''s plate and stared at Dong Shen triumphantly. ¡°You heard her, kiddo.¡±


    Dong Shen was extremely aggrieved and bit his chopsticks. ¡°I''m not. It¡¯s just that I just transferred, so I haven''t made new friends yet.¡±


    "That¡¯s easy." Fu Yangxi deliberately confronted him and glanced at him condescendingly. ¡°Call me ¡®brother-in-law¡¯ and I will make sure everyone in Year Two becomes your friend.¡±


    Dong Shen: ¡°...¡±


    Even if Dong Shen was beaten to death, he wouldn¡¯t call him that. Please, he also had dignity, okay?


    With such a call, what right does he have to compete with Fu Yangxi for Mingxi jie in the future?


    Dong Shen refused to call him that, but Zhao Yuning, who was sitting at the table behind them and immersed in his meal, said in his heart:


    F*ck.


    Zhao Mingxi and Prince Fu are together? When did this happen?


    Since when did Dong Shen have such a good relationship with them?


    Ever since Zhao Mingxi severed contact with her family, Zhao Yuning felt as if he had been isolated from her circle. Everything was heard from gossip.


    By the time he heard the news, he didn''t know how long ago it had already happened.


    Zhao Yuning had only one thought about Dong Shen, and that was jealousy.


    Zhao Yuning was so sad that he even felt that Dong Shen was being ungrateful. Zhao Mingxi treated him like a younger brother, made desserts for him and would also teach him. What was there for Dong Shen to be reluctant about? He didn''t even want to say ¡®brother-in-law¡¯.


    If it were him, he would be willing to call him ¡®brother-in-law¡¯.


    Seeing that Zhao Mingxi and her friends had finished eating, Zhao Yuning quickly picked up his plate and stood up, leaving his friends aside, chasing after her.


    "Brother-in-law." He directly shouted to Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi who was sitting on the wheelchair: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Ke Chengwen and Dong Shen: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Yuning was afraid that Zhao Mingxi would leave, so he quickly took the opportunity to talk to her.


    In fact, there were many things he wanted to talk about, including how Madam Zhao recently got sick, was hospitalized with appendicitis and had a minor operation. Madam Zhao¡¯s temper had softened greatly and he reconciled with her.


    Also, the family''s business was still affected by Zhao Yuan''s incident. The situation was not so good. Dad and their eldest brother were busy day and night.


    And, their eldest brother found out that the person who made the post at the time was E Xiaoxia, and he wanted Zhao Mingxi to be careful around E Xiaoxia...


    A lot of things were in Zhao Yuning''s heart. Zhao Yuning was under a lot of pressure, so naturally he wanted to find someone to talk to him.


    But he also knew that Zhao Mingxi might not be willing to hear these things now¡ª He would be pushed farther away from Zhao Mingxi if he talked about these things.


    So although the words came to his lips, Zhao Yuning set them aside and said, ¡°I got a cat named Xiao Mei.¡±


    He looked at Zhao Mingxi cautiously. ¡°If you have time, do you want to see it? I can take it out, it''s pretty obedient.¡±


    Mingxi felt a little conflicted.


    Zhao Yuning had changed a lot. The most obvious change was that he wasn¡¯t as rough with her as before and the way he called her was not by yelling, but in a very careful manner.


    Mingxi still didn''t want to have anything to do with the Zhao family, but when she was faced with Zhao Yuning, whose eyes were red and looking very sad and stressed, she couldn''t say anything ruthless.


    She said, ¡°Maybe another day.¡±


    Mingxi and her friends left.


    Behind them, Zhao Yuning''s tears were about to fall.


    I actually got to speak with her¡ª


    In any case, Zhao Mingxi didn¡¯t seem to hate him as much as before.


    *


    Although Mingxi and Fu Yangxi did not tell everyone that they were together, they inevitably showed some intimacy through their actions.


    So a week before the school celebration, almost the whole building was gossiping about the fact that Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi were dating.


    This matter also reached Shen Liyao''s ears.


    Although Shen Liyao had vaguely guessed that there would be such a day during the training camp that night, when the news, like chronic poison, bit by bit eroded the air around him, he still chose to cover his ears and not listen.


    Until one day, he saw the two coming in from the school gate and getting off the same car from a distance. Zhao Mingxi was wearing Fu Yangxi''s coat and the two of them were holding hands.


    There was a buzz in Shen Liyao''s mind. The string was completely broken.


    He stood in the hallway, trying to make himself expressionless, but his face still became very ugly in the cold wind.


    It was difficult for Shen Liyao to describe how he felt at this time.


    Zhao Mingxi, who should have appeared around him, completely disappeared from his own world and stepped into Fu Yangxi''s world instead. Zhao Mingxi, who was supposed to be walking the same way as himself, was now holding hands with Fu Yangxi and walking on another road that had nothing to do with him.


    His road suddenly became empty.


    Zhao Mingxi had many small habits. When she listened to people, she would look at them intently, her beautiful eyes appearing to be glistening with water. When she was embarrassed, her cheeks would occasionally get hot and she would tuck her hair behind her ears.


    But now, it was no longer him who made her show these expressions, but another person.


    Shen Liyao felt like he was holding a handful of sand in his hands.


    When he hadn''t realized the preciousness of holding the sand, the sand was in his hands.


    He didn''t care and even felt that the sand was not good enough.


    But just when he finally realized that he wanted her and wanted to hold on tightly.


    He couldn¡¯t hold it no matter how much he tried.


    He could only watch as the sand in the palm of his hands got lesser and lesser until it disappeared completely without a trace.


    Everything had been smooth sailing for Shen Liyao since he was a child.


    Only in this matter, it ended disastrously.


    Ye Bai and the others all watched Shen Liyao degenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Shen Liyao was originally indifferent and didn''t talk much with others. Although these friends around him made it look lively, they weren''t friends whom he could share his thoughts with.


    Because he never let everyone know what he was thinking.


    Everyone thought that he was proud, excellent, dazzling and shining. Everyone admired him, but they didn''t know what he wanted.


    Now he figured it out. He probably liked Zhao Mingxi, but he was too young. He didn''t know the fact that he couldn¡¯t stop looking at her meant he liked her, and he didn''t know the fact that taking another glance at her in the crowd also meant that he liked her¡ª he explained all the strange feelings as being ¡®annoyed¡¯ upon being pursued by Zhao Mingxi.


    He always drove Zhao Mingxi away coldly.


    So one day when Zhao Mingxi really left, his whole world felt wrong.

 CH 60.2

    On this day, Ke Chengwen was carrying the wheelchair while Fu Yangxi jumped upstairs with one foot. Mingxi followed with a bag of snacks and they all went upstairs while making a fuss.


    As soon as they went upstairs, they saw Shen Liyao standing at the back door of the International Class.


    Although he was in the next class, Shen Liyao often stayed in the laboratory and Mingxi would not take the initiative to look for him. It was not that easy to meet by chance, so the last time they met was the time when Shen Liyao and Fu Yangxi had a fight on the basketball court.


    After more than a month, Shen Liyao was evidently thinner.


    Compared with Fu Yangxi''s lively spirits, he put on a down jacket, and the blue and white school uniform inside was meticulously pulled to the highest point of the collar. The wounds on the corners of the mouth and cheekbones that were beaten by Fu Yangxi were all healed, only a shallow mark remained. His cold eyes looked very gloomy.


    "Can we talk?" Shen Liyao''s gaze fell straight on Mingxi.


    "Why?" Fu Yangxi glanced at him. He was very vigilant, a layer of frost forming on his face immediately. Did this guy with the surname Shen consider him dead? He was still here, yet he dared to come and ask such a question face to face?


    Mingxi guessed that Shen Liyao had heard that she and Fu Yangxi were together. This should be the last conversation.


    Everything had to have an end.


    Mingxi thought about it for a while. Then, she held Fu Yangxi''s hand and said, "I''ll just take 10 minutes."


    The jealousy and possessiveness in Fu Yangxi''s heart were almost gushing out. 10 minutes?!


    Ten minutes is 600,000 milliseconds. So many things can be said and done during that time!


    Also, Little Mask genuinely liked Shen Liyao. Shen Liyao was the one Fu Yangxi guarded against. He was most afraid of Shen Liyao!


    Of course he was worried!


    But Fu Yangxi felt that he was being a bit stingy. Men couldn''t be like this.


    After a long time, he would become a jealous man and jealous men are easily dumped.


    He held back his possessiveness, let out a cold breath, smiled at Mingxi and said, "Okay."


    Mingxi looked at him with a gaze full of uncertainty. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Why are you suddenly smiling so grimly?


    "It''s okay, I''m not that stingy." Fu Yangxi said in a dominant manner.


    Mingxi said, ¡°Then let go¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi still held Mingxi''s hand firmly.


    He let go, put his hands in his pocket coldly and planned to leave.


    After he turned around, he realized that he was still in a wheelchair¡ª he couldn''t get anywhere with his hands in his pockets.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°...¡±


    There was a crack in Fu Yangxi''s cold appearance. He took out his hand to turn the wheelchair and entered the classroom with a blank expression.


    Mingxi and Shen Liyao went downstairs.


    As soon as the two of them left, Fu Yangxi hurriedly turned the wheelchair out of the classroom. It''s too inconvenient to sit in a wheelchair. He said to Ke Chengwen with a black face, "Push me to the side of the corridor, hurry!"


    Ke Chengwen: F*ck, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not that stingy?


    As a single person, he couldn¡¯t understand the world of lovers!


    =========


    *


    Mingxi and Shen Liyao walked into the alley between the two academic buildings. The surroundings became quiet, only the sound coming from the basketball court in the distance was faintly heard.


    The cold winter wind blew from the alley to her face. Mingxi took off the scarf that was blown on her face.


    Her scarf was also given by Fu Yangxi. It made her neck very warm.


    This year¡¯s winter was about to pass.


    She had nothing to say to Shen Liyao, so she waited for Shen Liyao to speak.


    Shen Liyao fixed his eyes on Zhao Mingxi for a long time.


    It took so long that Mingxi couldn''t help taking out the phone from her down jacket and looking at the time. She raised her eyes and said to Shen Liyao, ¡°What do you want to say? Class is about to start.¡±


    There was a long silence.


    Shen Liyao opened his mouth and asked, "Do you really like him?"


    Mingxi answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shen Liyao didn''t expect that Zhao Mingxi would not even hesitate to answer. She made a decisive choice without even thinking about it.


    The fingers he put in his pocket were clenched and his heart seemed to have been cut by a knife.


    Mingxi didn''t know why everyone was asking this question. Ke Chengwen did not believe that she really liked Fu Yangxi and their homeroom teacher was also surprised at this. The question Shen Liyao asked was, "Do you really like him?"


    "Fu Yangxi is a person worthy of being liked," Mingxi couldn''t help but say.


    When she said this, there were even dense emotions along with pride in her heart. It also carried with it the joy of discovering a treasure, though it was more of the joy she felt whenever she thought of how that person looked when he expressed his emotions.


    She didn''t look at the expression on Shen Liyao''s face as she continued, ¡°To me, Fu Yangxi is like an onion. Upon peeling off each layer, there is something inside that I admire, love and cherish. You don''t know him, you only know his family background and his arrogant temper. So you don¡¯t even know that he is the best person I have ever met.¡±


    He was also the cleanest and most gentle person.


    He was the only person in the world who would carefully watch out for Zhao Mingxi''s fragility and would unconditionally favor her at any moment.


    What Mingxi had never gotten before was the word ¡®favor¡¯.


    She only got it from Fu Yangxi.


    He only favored her.


    So how could she not unjustly favor him?


    Mingxi told Shen Liyao very firmly, ¡°I''m very fortunate to like him, and I¡¯m also very fortunate to be able to walk alongside him for the days to come.¡±


    The wind in the alley was howling.


    What Zhao Mingxi said couldn''t be clearer.


    Shen Liyao was determined to look at her. His body was cold and his heart felt like it was on fire. He didn''t know what else he wanted to hear¡ª maybe it was a turning point.


    However, Zhao Mingxi didn''t give him any chance to change her mind. She didn''t even worry about his feelings and straightforwardly expressed her liking for Fu Yangxi in front of him.


    "But have you ever thought that you might just like the fact that he is nice to you?¡±


    Shen Liyao resisted the anger and jealousy in his heart and said to Zhao Mingxi word by word, ¡°He spent money to get a plane just to bring you back to your hometown, he helped you drive away the Zhao family and he even celebrated your birthday. All this is because he wants to date you! You only got together with him because he treats you well. Is that called liking?!¡±


    Mingxi looked at Shen Liyao. She shook her head. ¡°You really don''t understand anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually the other way round.¡±


    "He is good to me not because he wants to date me, but because I am important to him. That¡¯s why he is good to me."


    "Similarly, I like him. Even if he¡¯s not good to me and will not be able to treat me well in the future, I¡¯ll still like him."


    ¡°Because he is him.¡±


    Mingxi didn''t get angry because of Shen Liyao''s words, instead she just found it funny.


    Shen Liyao probably didn¡¯t understand what it meant to ¡®like¡¯ someone.


    In his world, he was always looking at others from his pedestal.


    But he was actually a bit pitiful.


    He was accustomed to the kindness of the people around him and he regarded this kindness as purposeful. So he didn¡¯t believe that Fu Yangxi was genuinely good to Mingxi and wouldn¡¯t ask for anything in return. When Mingxi didn¡¯t like him or even hurt him, he still didn¡¯t turn away from Mingxi and leave¡ª


    Shen Liyao was not such a person himself, so he couldn¡¯t understand this kind of emotion.


    "You¡¯re used to being aloof in your own world, so you don''t even know how to treat someone well."


    Shen Liyao''s face turned pale with Mingxi''s words.


    His vitality surged as he stared at Mingxi.


    Mingxi had nothing else to say to Shen Liyao. She turned around and planned to leave. Shen Liyao, who was behind her, suddenly muttered, ¡°I may not know how to, but you can teach me.¡±


    All his life, Shen Liyao had never said that he didn¡¯t know something. He never had such a humble moment.


    He stared at Zhao Mingxi¡¯s silhouette.


    However, Zhao Mingxi did not look back.


    Shen Liyao''s heart grew colder and colder.


    He heard Zhao Mingxi pause and said, "But no one has the obligation to wait for you. I don¡¯t have such an obligation as well."


    "When you meet someone you like, don''t do this anymore."


    Zhao Mingxi left.


    After a long time, Shen Liyao still stood on the spot, dark spots slightly covering his vision.


    At this moment, he clearly realized that he had completely lost something very important.


    He was never going to get her back.


    He lost to Fu Yangxi.


    *


    Fu Yangxi looked down from the hallway with a stinky face. When he saw that Zhao Mingxi had turned back and was entering the academic building, he hurriedly turned the wheelchair and moved into the classroom.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°...¡±


    When Mingxi stepped into the classroom, Fu Yangxi was wearing his noise-canceling headphones, looking like ¡®I am isolated from the world¡¯ as he stared blankly at the book in front of him. Only after Mingxi walked over, pulled out the chair and sat down did he raise his dark eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    After that, Fu Yangxi glanced at the wall clock and sneered. ¡°15 minutes and 300,000 milliseconds more than what was promised."


    Mingxi: "..."


    Mingxi glanced at him. When she saw that the anti-noise switch of his headphones hadn''t been turned on at all, she couldn''t help but smile. ¡°Aren''t you curious about my conversation with Shen Liyao?¡±


    "Not curious at all." Fu Yangxi was unusually cold.


    Mingxi took out her notebook and exercise book from her desk drawer. ¡°I see. Then I won''t talk about it.¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi was itching to know. The moment he thought about how Little Mask had a conversation with the guy with the surname Shen, he felt that he might have to toss and turn because of it for a long time.


    He waited for three full minutes. Seeing that Little Mask wasn¡¯t going to take the initiative to say it, he closed the book with a ¡®pop¡¯, looked at Zhao Mingxi and pretended to be casual about it. ¡°If you really want to say it, I can lend you an ear.¡±


    Mingxi looked at him.


    Fu Yangxi''s carelessness and coldness gradually collapsed. He filled himself with righteous indignation and said, ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Mingxi held up a book to cover their heads and leaned over to kiss his handsome face.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi touched the part on his face that Mingxi had kissed and said angrily, ¡°Don''t you think you can get away with just this¡ª¡±


    Before he finished his sentence, Mingxi leaned in and kissed him on his lips. ¡°What about this one?¡±


    The dry, soft touch; shocking upon contact; gentle as a dragonfly landing on still waters.


    But it was enough to stir up people''s hearts.


    The tips of Fu Yangxi''s ears suddenly turned into a burning cloud. He couldn''t help turning his head away and said vaguely, "I guess that¡¯ll do."


    Mingxi whispered to him, ¡°What else could we have talked about? I have nothing to say to Shen Liyao. I just rejected him for the last time and told him that I only like you.¡±


    Fu Yangxi coughed and said to Mingxi, ¡°We¡¯re still in the classroom, and you are the pride of our class. Be serious!¡±


    Nonetheless, he held his fist against the corner of his lips, and the corners of his mouth were almost up to his temples.


    Everyone in class: F*cking hell¡­


    ¡­My eyes have gone blind.


    ...The boss is really scary when he is in love.


    *


    Mingxi didn''t know whether her encounter with Shen Liyao was considered as the end of a chapter.


    But in short, Shen Liyao did not appear in Mingxi''s field of vision again.


    After all, Shen Liyao was not a stubborn person. Since they have already made things clear, it would be very out of character for him to come and disturb her again.


    In fact, Mingxi felt that he didn¡¯t like her very much, just that there may be some feelings of that sort.


    However, this kind of youthful love came hazy and unclear.


    If you can''t get it, you can''t do anything.


    As time passes, it¡¯ll be gradually buried.


    After a few heavy snowfalls and a lack of interaction, you¡¯ll forget about it.

 CH 61.1

    Zhao Yuan returned to school before the school celebration.


    She sneaked in from the back door of the classroom early in the morning. Upon entering, she buried her head and walked to her seat with a cold face.


    Everyone in the class was so stunned that their eyes almost fell off. They didn''t realize that it was her.


    Because they hadn''t seen each other for more than a month, she looked completely different!


    She became thinner, with mascara coating her long eyelashes. Her makeup had thickened and her style of dressing was completely different before.


    If she was a lady from a rich family before, now she looked like a member of a low-class girl group.


    "What''s going on? Did she participate in an audition to be part of a girl group?"


    "I heard from my uncle who works in an entertainment company that Zhao Yuan signed a contract with the agent who discovered her and is now preparing to debut."


    ¡°...¡±


    The world was really omnipresent. She was doing well in her studies, yet now she was preparing for her debut.


    Really respect.


    Their lives were more colorful and legendary than theirs.


    *


    Zhao Yuan stayed in a hotel for the past month. At first she was used to staying at Hilton, but she only stayed for a few days before she found that the Zhao family had canceled her card.


    Zhao Yuan was so disappointed. She hated the Zhao family''s ruthlessness.


    The cash she took out was only a few thousand yuan, so she couldn''t survive for long. Should she go to live in school? However, almost all the poor students who would apply to live in the school, Zhao Yuan could not allow herself to be grouped with them at all. So she gritted her teeth and moved to a budget hotel for around 200 yuan a night.


    But even so, the money could not last long enough to support her.


    Fortunately, when she packed her things, she brought out all her previous designer bags and clothes.


    During this period of time, she had sold off almost everything. Second-hand goods were worthless, so things that were worth hundreds of thousands could only be sold for about 100,000 yuan.


    Zhao Yuan had no idea how she would live in the future.


    She was almost on the verge of a nervous breakdown.


    She wanted to change schools, but whenever she called the Zhao family, no one answered her calls. The family seemed to be determined to try to turn the wrongs back to the right track.


    So she had to delay that plan.


    Until a scout approached her and thought her appearance was very suitable for entering the entertainment industry.


    He even gave her some money in advance.


    She signed the contract, got the money and things dragged on for more than half a month. Only after completely avoiding the limelight of the previous incident did Zhao Yuan come to school.


    There was only one semester left, so it was impossible for her not to finish it.


    When Zhao Yuan came, the people in this building were a bit surprised. However, everyone was still a student, not a boring person who just stared at others and gossiped every day, so no one focused on Zhao Yuan anymore. At most they would mention a sentence after their meal.


    Furthermore, because Zhao Yuan changed from being a little innocent princess to dressing up with tall boots and showing her thighs, some boys in the Normal Class looked at her differently and more people were now pursuing her.


    But Zhao Yuan was very sensitive.


    She just felt that everyone was looking at her with strange gazes.


    Pu Shuang became completely cold and ignored her while Lu Ye did not treat her as he always did. The look in his eyes was not as bright as before.


    Her friends all had new small groups and she was not allowed to squeeze in at all.


    And the opportunity to be the host, which was something she fought hard for and won, was handed over to Zeng Jiaojiao from the Gold Medal Class by the teacher of the Literature Department.


    The teacher of the Literature Department was kind to her on the surface, saying that because this year''s school celebration was about to begin, she hadn''t been to school for a while and she couldn''t find anyone to rehearse, so she asked Zeng Jiaojiao to replace her.


    But Zhao Yuan felt that the teacher was actually mocking her.


    Everyone was mocking her.


    Zhao Yuan gritted her teeth. She felt that no one could understand her feeling of falling from heaven to hell.


    Her life was turned upside down.


    And all this started because Zhao Mingxi was found two and a half years ago.


    *


    Zhao Yuan returned to school, but that did not bring any changes to Mingxi''s life. After all, the Evergreen Class and International Class were not on the same floor. Although from time to time she heard that E Xiaoxia got involved in another issue with Zhao Yuan, Mingxi didn''t want to know at all.


    She began to prepare for the finals taking place at the end of the year.


    At the same time, because the skin contact between her and Fu Yangxi increased (surface of the skin), the plants in her pots also increased quickly.


    Mingxi predicted that her plants could reach 500 after the finals.


    The final training camp was right after the school celebration. The days of the school celebration were the last days when Mingxi could relax.


    Each class must prepare a program.


    There were many talented people in the International Class, but this year, since the School Beauty was in their class, everyone wanted to show off and let Zhao Mingxi go on stage to see how beautiful she could be.


    So Lu Wangwei chose a script for a stage play.


    It was impossible for a group of high school students to perform professional stage plays. Of course, it would be better if the script was simple, corny and understandable.


    Therefore, the script chosen by Lu Wangwei was an adaptation of the story of the prince and princess. The princess was imprisoned in the castle by her abnormal gloomy brother and the prince with his horse cut through the obstacles to marry her.


    Finally, the prince killed the devil and embraced the beauty.


    With Fu Yangxi in this class, no one dared to play Zhao Mingxi''s prince.


    ¡ªDo you not want to live?


    But the problem was that now Fu Yangxi still had a plaster cast on his leg and the bandage was extremely hard. He would only be able to take it off after 10 days.


    He was sitting in a wheelchair. Was he going to play a wheelchair prince?


    Lu Wangwei gave the final word, ¡°I think you can only play the villainous brother. Coincidentally, this brother happens to be a mentally ill person in a wheelchair in the script.¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s face was green with anger, even his hair exploded. ¡°What do you mean, Lu Zhangwei? Are you trying to get revenge for a personal matter?!¡±


    The homeroom teacher and Fu Yangxi had always been at odds with each other, otherwise there would be no penalty to run laps when Mingxi first transferred to their class.


    "Otherwise? This prince has a lot of fights with assassins. Little Fu, you can''t even stand up."


    ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t stand???¡±


    ¡°Otherwise? Can you stand?¡±


    Fu Yangxi slapped his wheelchair furiously and shouted, "Then change the script!"


    "It''s too late, you can only rehearse twice before you have to go on stage." Mr Lu said to Mingxi with a headache, ¡°Please persuade him. I don¡¯t even know why young men nowadays are so short-tempered.¡±


    Mingxi didn¡¯t know if she should laugh or cry. She glanced at Fu Yangxi. When the two of them left the office, she said to Fu Yangxi, ¡°Who told you to be so silly and break your leg when you hear a confession?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said coldly, ¡°If I am silly, then what are you, the wife of a silly man?¡±


    Before Zhao Mingxi could say anything when Fu Yangxi received a free kiss, he turned around and clenched his fists, his ears flushed red.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi cursed inwardly. He wondered whether there was something wrong with his ears since they like to go red so often that it really affected his performance. Could he have an operation to make his face thicker?


    Is there such an operation in the world?


    Mingxi pushed him to the classroom and said, "But I am also to blame. If I knew that there would be an accident, I would have stopped thinking about confessing early that morning. Maybe I should have changed to a time when we could meet.¡±


    Fu Yangxi pulled a long face immediately and said, ¡°No, it won''t work even one minute or one second later. You can wait, but I can''t wait, understand?¡±


    Mingxi smiled.


    Fu Yangxi was extremely dissatisfied about the fact that he still had to watch Zhao Mingxi and others stage a prince and princess drama when it was their last high school school celebration. Wasn¡¯t this deliberately done to hurt him? But the plaster around his leg was not removed, so he really couldn''t play the role of the prince in the fight. As for the villain, it''s much easier. He just had to wear a black cloak and act as a vampire.


    And Little Mask had never participated in such a lively school celebration before. This time, she gave the Dong family invitation coupons for them to watch in the front row, as if she was looking forward to the school celebration which was like the last memory of youth¡ª¡ª


    So after Fu Yangxi got over his frustration, he compromised, albeit begrudgingly.


    But Fu Yangxi wanted to beat Jiang Xiuqiu. How could this guy be called the second-most handsome in the International Class with 49/51 votes to play the prince? The only two votes that did not vote for him were Little Mask and himself.


    Jiang Xiuqiu noticed Fu Yangxi''s chilly gaze, hence he has been avoiding Fu Yangxi these days.


    The two have been accustomed to each other since childhood, but last time Jiang Xiuqiu used ¡®flying chess¡¯ to smear Fu Yangxi¡¯s name and this time he and Zhao Mingxi played a ¡®couple¡¯ for the school celebration, so he must have definitely got on the list of Fu Yangxi¡¯s top targets for assassination.


    Fu Yangxi must find a chance to carry out his revenge.


    *


    On the day of the school celebration, the whole school was beautifully decorated to appear joyful and lively.


    The stage was set up. There was a show in front while there was a rush backstage.


    Because Fu Yangxi was involved in the performance, the instructor didn''t know if he threatened the school by donating a building or what, they allocated a dressing room for the group of people from their class.


    Fu Yangxi was unable to move, so he changed into his costume first. A group of people waited for their boss outside, not daring to urge him.


    Mingxi opened the door of the lounge and saw that he had already changed.


    In the chaotic dressing room, the tables on the ground were full of various Western fantasy props and there were crosses hanging on the walls.


    The light coming from the dusk in winter was like a yellow halo.


    The windows were left open and the howling wind came in, making Fu Yangxi''s black hair messy.


    He heard the movement and turned his head. The vampire''s black robe was blown up by the wind, his eyebrows were deep and the young man''s face was cut into a handsome silhouette.


    There seemed to be singing on the stage outside, ¡°The meteor flashed through your eyes last night. That is the joy of my youth.¡±


    "I want to see you today too."


    For a moment, her heart was pounding.


    Mingxi stared at him blankly, her heart beating wildly.


    "Is it weird?" Fu Yangxi was a little nervous. He pulled his robes uncomfortably.


    Seeing that Zhao Mingxi was not talking, he was very unconfident and said angrily, ¡°I said that this makeup artist wasn¡¯t good. They wiped stuff all over my face and neck and now the fake blood is everywhere. Am I playing a f*cking vampire or a serial killer with a chainsaw?¡±


    Mingxi tried to calm her pounding little heart, walked over and pulled a piece of tissue. ¡°Don''t move, I''ll wipe it for you.¡±


    The makeup artist was indeed inadequate and they may have gotten anxious due to being urged by Fu Yangxi. In addition to putting the fake blood on the corners of Fu Yangxi''s mouth, they also got the blood on his eyebrows.


    Mingxi wiped off the excess fake blood on his face, thought for a while, and lightly dotted the fake blood on the tear mole at the end of his right eye with her fingertips.


    Red lips and white teeth, black hair and handsome eyes.


    A living young vampire.


    Mingxi''s heart beat wildly again.


    She suddenly found that the reason why Fu Yangxi stood out among the crowd before was not because of his wild red hair, but it completely relied on his face and temperament.


    Otherwise, how come he was still so arrogant and dazzling despite having short black hair.


    Fu Yangxi pulled the shorter piece of his outfit vigorously.


    As soon as he raised his eyes, he saw Zhao Mingxi staring at him in a daze.


    The corners of Fu Yangxi''s lips curled up. He hugged her waist, his whole person appearing proud and happy. ¡°Don''t look anymore, or else your eyeballs will fall off.¡±


    Mingxi squeezed his chin and continued to wipe his face. ¡°You are allowed to look at me, yet I cannot do the same to you? Why are you so domineering, you sexy vampire?¡±


    Fu Yangxi pressed a finger on her forehead. ¡°Okay, you beautiful Little Mask, you¡¯re slandering me again. When have I looked at you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you have blood on your hands, don''t get it on my face." Mingxi smiled. "Then let me ask you, when the man and woman were engaged in a deep French kiss in the American drama that was on the TV last night, why were you giving me a meaningful gaze?¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s house had always been empty. Now that Zhao Mingxi has moved there (although they didn''t say that they want to live together, but the two just lived together in tacit understanding like this), there were a lot more things at home.


    There were cute pillows on the sofa, blue Doraemon cups on the cold bar and Mingxi stickers on the walls.


    Fu Yangxi let her do her thing. He even felt that the house was more lively now.


    Fu Yangxi also bought an oversized LCD screen TV.


    ¡ª¡ªBut the disadvantage that came with it was, how did the heroes and heroines in American dramas, British dramas and Korean dramas kiss and sleep all day long?! What were they doing except these things? Didn''t they go to work or study?


    Seeing such dramas made Fu Yangxi''s mouth go dry.


    Although he was not a little pervert, at any rate he was also a young and energetic 18-year-old adult.


    Because he and Little Mask were extremely shy, so far, the kisses have only been lightly placed on the corners of their lips a few times, just like a few stamps. They have never had the kind of deep kiss as they¡¯ve seen on the TV.


    Fu Yangxi swallowed hard. His ears were red, but he still refused to admit it. ¡°Since when did I stare at you¡ª I was tired from watching TV, so I moved my eyes around to relax them."


    Mingxi stared at Fu Yangxi''s lips and asked straightforwardly, ¡°Fu Yangxi, do you want to kiss me?¡±


    Fu Yangxi wanted to immediately refute that he did not want to do such a thing at all, but he stared at Zhao Mingxi''s watery lips, long eyelashes and eyes reflecting the light above, and for a moment, he felt that his soul was depraved¡ª He observed nervously. In the end, he couldn''t help but swallow shamefully.


    "Huh." Mingxi smiled.


    "..." Fu Yangxi suddenly felt that the image of a tall and innocent hero (not) in the heart of Little Mask collapsed.


    "Actually," Mingxi said with hot cheeks. "Actually, it''s not as if you can¡¯t do it."


    Mingxi had long wanted to have a deep kiss with eight different camera angles, just like what the system said. Wouldn¡¯t her 500 points of luck be quickly collected then?


    But Fu Yangxi was not aware of the prudent thing to do in social situations such as this and he couldn''t learn to be a little overbearing¡ª She was a girl, so she couldn''t force a kiss and use the tip of her tongue to open the other''s lips.


    Fu Yangxi''s face flushed immediately after hearing this.


    The atmosphere in the small fitting room was sweet and sour and the air was full of factors that made one blush in a heartbeat.


    ¡°Th-Then shall we try?¡±


    Fu Yangxi plucked up his courage and stood up on one foot, his tall figure standing in front of Mingxi.


    He jumped over and raised a hand to support the back of Mingxi''s head.


    Mingxi glanced at his feet in an untimely manner, ¡°Can you balance yourself on one foot?"


    "D-don''t be distracted," Fu Yangxi said angrily. "I can do it, I can."


    Mingxi held her breath and looked up at him.


    Their breaths gently intertwined.


    Both could hear each other''s heartbeat and feel each other''s temperature.


    Fu Yangxi continued to support the back of her head, pressing his other hand against the wall, supporting his body.


    He slowly, slowly lowered his head.


    ¡­


    Just as the lips of the two were about to touch each other, the door was suddenly pushed open with a "clang". ¡°Are you guys done? Hurry up!"


    Mingxi trembled and got out from under Fu Yangxi. Fu Yangxi couldn''t keep his balance so his lips pressed against the cold and merciless wall.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mr Lu didn''t see what the two of them were doing. He urged them to change and come out as if he was urging a child to come out of the womb. ¡°There are two more shows until we have to go on stage! You have to give time to other classmates to change clothes as well! Fu Yangxi, why are you taking so long?¡±


    Fu Yangxi punched the wall and turned his head to give Lu Wangwei a fierce look.

 CH 61.2

    It was chaotic on the day of the school celebration.


    But it could be called the most lively and shining day in Mingxi''s entire high school journey.


    11 people from the International Class came on stage wearing theater costumes. Mingxi wore a fuchsia pink princess dress with puffy sleeves. On top of her jet-black hair, she also wore an inferior crown that the homeroom teacher Lu Wangwei got from some random Taobao shop. Although it looked simple, it was set off by Mingxi''s face, making her look really like a princess on the run.


    Participating students could invite their families.


    Her grandmother wasn¡¯t around anymore, so Mingxi couldn¡¯t invite her. Instead, Mingxi invited Dong Hui and her husband.


    They were sitting in the first row. As soon as Mingxi came out, she saw Dong Hui and her husband holding up an LED sign.


    Dong Shen must have helped them get it.


    They looked like her fanclub.


    Mingxi was satisfied, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel sour as well.


    The performance immediately began. The princess was trapped in a tall building covered with gloomy vines and looked into the distance. Jiang Xiuqiu wore a white knight uniform and appeared with his attendant (Ke Chengwen). After slaying several fire-breathing monsters and cutting through thorns, the biggest boss, the princess''s mentally-ill brother appeared.


    As soon as Fu Yangxi appeared, the silhouette of a vampire in the dark shadow appeared. He smiled exaggeratedly and the whole school started to get excited.


    ¡°Young Master Fu is so handsome!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu almost fell. He glanced at the audience suspiciously and saw that there seemed to be some adults among the thousands of students¡ª Two of them were relatively familiar. He might have seen them when he went to the Fu Enterprise to play. They were the employees there.


    F*ck, I was careless.


    He was wondering why so many people were raising Fu Yangxi¡¯s banners in support.


    They were most likely hired.


    Fu Yangxi turned the wheelchair and came out gloomily from the darkness.


    Accompanied by the narration, ¡°In order to find the antidote to save his sister, the handsome Duke had always protected his sister in the cold castle. However, white horses jumped over the gap, the sun rose and fell, and 3,000 years have passed, yet there were still bold and shameless people who would dare come to kidnap the princess. Today, one of the most evil princes appeared.¡±


    The audience: ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu who suddenly became the villain: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Wait, this is wrong, who tampered with the script??!


    Lu Wangwei who was in the audience looked angrily at the guys with the glasses reading the script in the corner. However, the guy with the glasses succumbed to Fu Yangxi''s prestige and continued to read, ¡°Just like this, a deadly battle was about to begin¡ª¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu came up with a last minute plan. He stepped on the branches and props on the ground, grabbed Mingxi and turned to leave, ¡°Follow me, all the people here have been deceived by your evil brother. I am the honest prince who has come to save you."


    Now that the original script was completely abandoned. Mingxi wracked her brains frantically and felt that she could still rescue it. She tried to turn the plot back. ¡°But if you want to take me away, you have to fetch 12 Moon Grass Flowers from the swamp so that we can escape the magical control of my brother, the Duke.¡±


    Ke Chengwen felt dissatisfied about the fact that he was so handsome yet he only played a supporting role as a guard. Thus, he tried to steal the show. He took off his helmet and raised his sword. ¡°Prince, let''s split up and obtain them! I am willing to do anything for you.¡±


    When Fu Yangxi saw that Mingxi was intending to leave with Jiang Xiuqiu, he said angrily, ¡°Am I not good to you?¡±


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡ªWait, this sentence is not in the script!


    Fu Yangxi was sitting in a wheelchair as he slowly came out with a sickly face. ¡°My dear, you¡¯re not missing an arm or leg. For 3,000 years, you have been drinking morning dew from peaches and eating the best venison. I gave you everything and you are everything to me. Why must you leave me behind?¡±


    Mingxi looked at his reddened eyes and bloody mole. Although she knew that it was the effect of makeup, she was still touched by his words.


    The audience watched as the princess looked at the evil villain blankly. Then, the line she couldn''t help reciting was, ¡°Perhaps I won''t leave anymore.¡±


    The audience: ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu''s face was dark. He could only bite the bullet and answer, ¡°No, my princess, this person is too evil, you must not be soft-hearted¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Ke Chengwen, who wanted more scenes for himself, stabbed a sword through Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s back.


    ¡°...¡±


    Jiang Xiuqiu turned his head in disbelief.


    F*ck. Why?


    I knew Fu Yangxi would find a way to embarrass me, but I never expected it to come so soon.


    He watched as his guard held his sword and said solemnly, ¡°Sorry, prince, I betrayed you. Do you know that I am also your father''s son, with royal blood flowing through my veins? But I grew up under your shadow¡­ Blah blah blah (a few thousand words are omitted here.)¡±


    While Jiang Xiuqiu was stunned, Fu Yangxi went to Zhao Mingxi''s side, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him.


    The audience under the stage laughed.


    Sure enough, they knew that the International Class, which was filled with a silly group of people, could not perform any serious drama.


    The stage was extremely chaotic. The rhythm was deviated by Fu Yangxi from the very beginning. The monsters who were supposed to fight the prince were at a loss, so they had to bite the bullet, jump out and stab the prince to death.


    Lu Wangwei was so angry with Fu Yangxi. So many leaders in the school were watching! He jumped backstage from the back, urging the narrator to rush to the end.


    The narrator quickly said the last sentence that Fu Yangxi had told was the most important line: ¡°In the end, the princess was brought back to the castle by the duke."


    The red curtain was about to fall slowly.


    Fu Yangxi took Zhao Mingxi back, pinched her fingertips, kissed the back of her hand lightly and gave her a twisted smile. "You can''t escape anymore."


    The curtain fell completely at this moment.


    The music started.


    The aftershock was endless.


    The audience under the stage was stunned. They started screaming randomly.


    What the hell is this psychopathic forbidden captivity?! As expected of the International Class, they are so daring!


    *


    Mingxi was led away in chaos throughout the whole process, only knowing that their class performed in a mess. In the end, the never seen before class won the most votes from the audience. The Evergreen Class performed a song, which appeared so much weaker as compared to the International Class.


    A group of people from the International Class, except for Jiang Xiuqiu, who was stabbed in the back, all laughed backstage.


    Their homeroom teacher Lu Wangwei was so angry that his lungs could explode. He grabbed Fu Yangxi and cursed at him.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t care. He even wanted to yawn.


    Mingxi in the princess costume dazzled the audience, causing many juniors and seniors from high school year one and two to come backstage to take a peek. In the end, they were scared away by Fu Yangxi¡¯s vicious gaze again.


    Everyone smeared props and fake blood everywhere. There was even a follower who dared to wipe it on Fu Yangxi and Mingxi laughed so much that the corners of her mouth were twitching.


    In the audience.


    Madam Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai and others sat in the middle with mixed feelings in their hearts.


    They bought their own tickets to come in to see the performance. Zhao Mingxi did not invite them and gave the Dong family the seats reserved for relatives.


    Now Zhao Mingxi was shining, surrounded by people, laughing and cheering.


    They were no longer needed.


    There were other performances next, but Madam Zhao lost her mood and no longer wanted to watch them.


    She said in a low voice, ¡°I thought of a way last time to make the school refuse Mingxi''s accommodation, but I didn''t expect it to be useless. I heard that Mingxi moved out of the school recently, but she didn''t go home."


    Mr Zhao frowned immediately. ¡°Where is she living now?¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai said, ¡°I heard that she¡¯s living in Fu Yangxi''s house.¡±


    Mr Zhao immediately said angrily, "They have just turned adults yet they¡¯re already living together? They are still in school. How can this be?!¡±


    However, even after the anger dissipated, the other two still did not answer.


    They all looked a little sad.


    It was true that not once did Mr Zhao carry out the responsibility of being a father, so what qualifications did he have to discipline Zhao Mingxi now?


    After watching Mingxi''s performance, the Zhao family decided to leave before the show was over.


    As soon as they arrived at the school gate, they saw Zhao Yuan approaching from a distance.


    The expressions of the three members of the Zhao family suddenly became stiff. They naturally noticed that Zhao Yuan had changed a lot.


    But now it had nothing to do with them¡ª It was because they were too compassionate and didn''t want to send Zhao Yuan back to her rightful position which led to today''s consequences.


    They couldn¡¯t do it again.


    Zhao Zhanhuai got in the driver''s seat while Mr and Mrs Zhao also turned their heads to get in the car.


    But they didn''t expect that Zhao Yuan was here to tell them that the post was originally posted by Zhao Mingxi.


    "She just wants me and the Zhao family to be ruined," Zhao Yuan said with red-rimmed eyes.


    After hearing this, in addition to Mr Zhao and Zhao Zhanhuai, Madam Zhao was about to die of anger. Resisting the urge to slap Zhao Yuan, she said, "I really misjudged you. Why are you blaming Mingxi for everything now? It''s not her, it''s your so-called good friend E Xiaoxia!"


    The Zhao family drove away and the gas coming out of the exhaust fell on Zhao Yuan''s face.


    This was the last time Zhao Yuan met the Zhao family.


    Zhao Yuan watched helplessly as the whole world abandoned her, but she didn''t know why she fell to where she was today step by step. She grabbed the stones on the ground and threw them in the direction of the Zhao family''s car.


    *


    In the next few days, Zhao Mingxi would take a break from her busy schedule. While concentrating on preparing for the finals, she occasionally made jokes and amused Fu Yangxi.


    Two major events happened in the meantime: E Xiaoxia and Zhao Yuan had a physical fight in the toilet and were almost kicked out from school. Mingxi and Fu Yangxi went for a re-examination and the cast on his leg could be removed in five days.


    Time flew by. Mingxi was about to go to the finals training in the blink of an eye.


    The finals lasted for 25 days. It was winter vacation after the training.


    Because they were in their third year of high school, the winter vacation was very short. A total of 10 days of the Spring Festival holiday and the holiday will be over after the Spring Festival. Then, after returning from vacation, the next semester will be absolutely nerve-wracking as they would have to take the college entrance examination. Therefore, Fu Yangxi planned to take advantage of the last spare time to take Little Mask on a trip. However, he was still too embarrassed to tell Zhao Mingxi about this.


    This time, they had to leave the city to get to the training camp.


    Fu Yangxi checked that Mingxi''s training location was two hours away from the city via the expressway.


    It could be said that it was too far.


    25 days was too long.


    The two just started dating and they haven''t been apart for so long before.


    Fu Yangxi, who was leaning on a cane, jumped to the school gate on one foot to escort Mingxi to the bus.


    The two embraced in the cold wind.


    Fu Yangxi wrapped Mingxi in a large and warm down jacket. He hugged her tightly, as if he was trying to press her into his arms. He put his chin on Mingxi''s head with a sad expression and said solemnly, "Little Mask, maybe you should take me with you."


    Mingxi was glued to his waist so softly.


    "You¡¯re going to remove the plaster in five days. Don''t forget, let Xiao Li help you so you won¡¯t fall down again," Mingxi calmed down and reminded him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After some time, Fu Yangxi had to let go of her, albeit reluctantly.


    There were a lot of cases of puppy love in school as the school didn¡¯t care about it.


    It''s just that the bus was still parked here, and Shen Liyao and the others were still watching from the bus. Ye Bai stared at Shen Liyao. Then, he couldn''t help opening the window and coughing heavily, "Hurry up."


    Mingxi carried her luggage and got into the bus.


    The bus started moving. Fu Yangxi stood there, watching as she went away. It wasn¡¯t until he could no longer see the shadow of the bus did he jump into the school in despair.


    For the first time, he felt the melancholy of being separated from his lover. Mingxi was also very sad.


    Almost as soon as she got into the car, Mingxi put on the airpods that Fu Yangxi bought and called Fu Yangxi.


    After Mingxi entered the training camp, she quickly entered the state of preparation for the war and studied so hard to the point of dizziness.


    Fu Yangxi was alone in the empty room. He was evidently sad and solemn all day long, and the followers in the class were walking on eggshells around him. Ke Chengwen didn¡¯t even want to look at him.


    Once the plaster was ready to be removed, Fu Yangxi removed the plaster in the morning and took leave from school in the afternoon. He took the car out of the garage and drove onto the highway.


    Mingxi didn''t know that Fu Yangxi was going to come.


    Before this, she was writing questions when she was suddenly called out. It was a man in a suit. She had never met him before. He politely said to her, "Miss Zhao, right? Our old man wants to see you."


    Mingxi felt her heart drop to her stomach. It¡¯s here.


    Is he going to stage a plot like in the TV series where he would dump 90 million to make me leave his grandson?


    Then should I take it or not?


    Maybe it was because Mingxi had already made psychological preparations, that¡¯s why when this day really came, she was not anxious or flustered at all.


    She asked the man in the suit to wait for a while. Then, she went ahead and packed up her school bag, took a leave of absence from the teacher in charge of the training and followed him.


    The man in the suit took Mingxi to a private Japanese restaurant.


    It looked expensive based on the exterior appearance.


    A limousine was also parked there.


    Seeing her hesitance to go in, the man smiled politely. ¡°Don''t worry, Miss Zhao, there will be no kidnapping incident. If you¡¯re worried, you can take a picture here and send it to your friends."

 CH 62.1

    Mingxi walked in and saw an old man in a vest and jacket, sitting cross-legged as he blew on the cup of tea in front of him intently. He looked like the old man who taught the Turtle Style in a Japanese manga.


    Hearing footsteps, he raised his head and glanced at Mingxi.


    That look was quite unfathomable.


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi? Come, take a seat.¡±


    There was a sense of an old man''s majesty in his voice.


    Mingxi hurriedly cheered herself up, walked over to sit down and carefully approached him. "Hello, Grandfather."


    "Who¡¯s your grandfather?" The old man took a glance at her and sneered.


    The wrinkles and ravines on his face were filled with dissatisfaction.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    To be honest, it was really scary.


    The mental preparation that Mingxi did before coming here suddenly collapsed.


    Although this old man was dressed casually, he had the aura of a superior person which gave people a very strong sense of oppression. When he was staring at her, her shoulders felt as if 1000 kilos were stacked on them. A young girl such as Mingxi appeared really tender in front of him.


    Mingxi lowered her head and thought to herself, oh no, is he going to dump money next?


    How should I deal with it? Should I cry and say that I would rather die or take the money first, and then talk to Fu Yangxi when I get back?


    Then she heard the old man say, ¡°You can only call me Grandfather after you get married. Now you can only call me Grandpa Fu. You and Fu Yangxi are both ignorant of common etiquette!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi: ??? Wait a minute? Get married?


    ¡ªWho¡¯s getting married?


    Married to who?


    Isn¡¯t this progressing a little too fast?


    The old man said again, ¡°I haven''t seen you before, but I have always been curious about you. When you came back from Tongcheng, Fu Yangxi climbed up the fake boulder and said that he liked you. He also said that if I dared to touch you, he would immediately jump off a building."


    Mingxi couldn''t help raising the corners of her lips. Turns out that at that time Fu Yangxi had already...


    Before she had time to think about it, she heard the old man say a lot again, ¡°I thought there was a hole in his head at the time that he got into an unrequited love. He simply didn''t deserve to be part of the Fu family! I was so mad! Fortunately, he finally locked you down, otherwise where will my pride go?! Hey, I think I didn''t lose to him back then. If I tried to pursue someone, the whole city would fall for me¡ª"


    As the old man spoke, he looked at the window and began to reminisce on his style in the past with a bit of pride between his eyebrows.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Wait, is there something wrong with the brain circuits of people with the surname Fu?


    What about money? Is he not going to toss me a sum of cash?


    The 90 million I imagined went to waste?


    Half an hour later.


    Mingxi was still listening to the old man''s chatter with a blank face. She only hoped that Fu Yangxi would come to rescue her sooner.


    Finally, the old man was a little thirsty and asked someone to change his tea. Taking advantage of his break, Mingxi hurriedly said, "I thought you came to drive me away from Fu Yangxi."


    The old man took a sip of tea and thought it was too hot, so he hissed and looked at her with a confused expression. ¡°You young people have watched too many dramas. We Fus are involved in business, we¡¯re not a mafia. Did you think that I was going to give you a few million to leave my grandson? A few million is hard to earn, okay? Why should I give it to you for free, little girl?"


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    She thought too much. She thought there would be at least 90 million, but it turned out that the old man didn''t plan to even spend several million.


    He is indeed a prudent businessman.


    I¡¯m impressed.


    The old man''s mental abacus rattled. ¡°If I force you to break up with Fu Yangxi, the kid will definitely make a fuss again. If that happens, I don''t know how many millions will be lost, and I will still have to give you several millions. In the end, when I round them all up, I will lose a granddaughter-in-law and about a hundred million. It''s a loss-making business! Besides, he acts like there¡¯s a hole in his brain all day long, who would want him?"


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    "However, if you marry him, with your intelligence, you should be able to create more wealth for the Fu family. I¡¯ll be earning then!" The old man continued to ponder. ¡°I have seen your results. It was really bad at first, but since you are now the 35th in the province, it means that your brain is still good, at least better than that brat Fu Yangxi ¡ª How about this, if you can win the gold medal in the national competition after the final, I will send you overseas to study. I will pay for all the tuition and living expenses!"


    Mingxi: ¡°...Overseas?¡±


    Oh no, he¡¯s finally reaching the main point. Which developing country am I going to be sent off to?


    "Yes, you can go with Fu Yangxi. You can also study at a university in China. I think it''s better for you to study in China for two years and then study abroad for two years."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    You''re thinking too far ahead!


    After the old man finished his mental calculation, he stared at Mingxi''s face carefully.


    His stare sent shivers all over Mingxi. ¡°Wh-What''s wrong?"


    The old man said, "When you came in with your shoes on just now, you were 1.7 meters in height. That''s enough for a girl. Your facial features are also pretty good, and your genes are acceptable¡ª you haven''t had plastic surgery, have you?"


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi felt as if she didn''t come to see an elder today. Instead, she was the fish on a chopping board, evaluated in an all-round way by old man Fu''s X-ray-like businessman''s eyes.


    Mingxi couldn''t help but ask, "Won''t the Fu family need a marriage alliance or something?"


    Isn''t that what it''s all about on TV?


    At this point, it''s about time for a fianc¨¦e to pop out to adjust the plot.


    The old man sneered and said, "Do you think that with the Fu''s position today we would still need a marriage alliance?"


    The old man seemed to think that Mingxi looked down on their Fu family''s huge foundation, so he began to give Mingxi a general knowledge of the Fu family''s industries and the assets could not be finished spending in dozens of lifetimes.


    Mingxi was now a little suspicious that the old man didn¡¯t have someone to chat with him often, so he really went all out when he caught her.


    "It''s not impossible to arrange a marriage, but my grandson broke his leg after hearing your confession. If he breaks up with you, he will definitely jump off a building. If he jumps off the building, the stock price will collapse. I asked someone to calculate the property damage, and it was better not to have a marriage alliance. The value you can bring is actually not much less than an arranged marriage."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    I¡¯m done confirming. He really has a great sense of imagination.


    Mingxi was forced to stay by the old man and they talked for two hours.


    Japanese food was eaten and three or four pots of tea were drunk.


    Seeing that there was no sign of it ever ending, Mingxi was about to collapse in exhaustion.


    But she couldn''t show it in front of the old man. She changed her position from sitting to kneeling and quietly beat her calf with her fist, trying to relax.


    Fu Yangxi rushed in against the cold wind with a pale face, and this was what he saw.


    The old man looked aggressive. He didn''t know what he was talking about.


    And Little Mask knelt in front of him with a pale face.


    The special assistant said that Little Mask had been in there for two hours.


    The old man forced her to kneel for two hours??


    F*ck!


    What''s the difference between this and Wet-Nurse Rong''s* needle?!


    *Wet-Nurse Rong is a character in the famous TV series ¡®My Fair Princess¡¯ who is renowned for the scene where the she tortured the princess with a needle.


    Fu Yangxi''s face changed, his expression frosty. He immediately rushed over and carried Zhao Mingxi away. ¡°How are you? Are you okay?¡±


    The old man: ?


    Mingxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi made Zhao Mingxi stand still and touched her face. After confirming that there were no pinholes in her body, he pulled her behind him to protect her. He turned his head to stare at the old man and said angrily, ¡°Come at me if you dare. What''s the point of playing tricks behind my back? Didn¡¯t I say that if you dare to touch her, I will¡ª¡±


    "You will jump off the building?" Mingxi smiled behind him.


    "How did you know? Little Mask, don''t be afraid." Fu Yangxi continued to confront the old man and gritted his teeth. "This is the first and last time. I hope you don''t appear in front of Zhao Mingxi again in the future."


    The old man was so angry that his blood pressure skyrocketed. He slammed the table and stood up. "Are you threatening me? Huh? Do you want to see if I am threatened by you? I¡¯ll beat you to death today, little bastard!!"


    As he said that, the old man went everywhere to find guys who could beat him up.


    Mingxi was stunned. Is he really going to hit him?


    She quickly stopped him and said to Fu Yangxi, "I¡¯m really alright."


    Fu Yangxi''s eyes were flushed red with anger. ¡°He made you kneel for two hours and yet you say you¡¯re alright? Come with me.¡±


    As he said that, Fu Yangxi took Mingxi, turned around and left.


    The scene was chaotic.


    Behind them, the old man threw a cup.


    Mingxi was dizzy as she got pulled out of the Japanese restaurant by Fu Yangxi. She didn''t forget to explain, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Your grandfather did nothing to me. I just sat till my legs were sore and got up on my knees to rest for a while. You can check the surveillance cameras if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Fu Yangxi didn''t quite believe her. ¡°I know how my grandfather is. He¡¯s always either scolding or hitting me, so how can he not bully you? What else was he trying to do if not force you to break up with me?¡±


    Mingxi said with a strange expression, ¡°He asked me if I had plastic surgery. I think he was predicting the genes of our children."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    After a long round of convincing, Fu Yangxi finally believed that the old man did nothing to Mingxi. Under Mingxi''s advice, he went back to apologize to the old man with a sullen face, but the old man had already shivered with anger and went back in his car to drive to the highway.


    Mingxi has now seen what kind of person Fu Yangxi''s grandfather is.


    ...This is not someone who can be summed up in a few words at all.


    The two came out of the Japanese restaurant and walked down the street.


    Mingxi asked, "You said just now that the old man would always either scold you or hit you, why?"


    Only then did Fu Yangxi realize that he had accidentally revealed a secret. He looked visibly uncomfortable as he said, "It''s nothing, it¡¯s just how it is when you¡¯re a boy. I''m a little more mischievous, so I''ll inevitably receive a scolding from my grandpa."


    His mentality towards the old man was very complicated.


    He could say that the old man was good to him, but sometimes the way he looked at him was as if he was really gnashing his teeth. Also, when he saw that he did something wrong, he would beat him to death.


    But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he hated him. At the age of 13, the old man wanted to send him out of the country at first. To a certain extent, he was protected. In this case, he would not have to face the mess that remained.


    And he was also certain that the old man had never thought about Fu Zhiyi. He was always sure that he would be the heir.


    The only reason why he mentioned the old man to Little Mask was because after the age of 13, he grew up beside the old man, so he was only familiar with the old man.


    Mingxi asked again, "Your leg is completely healed?"


    "Yes, it''s completely healed. Isn''t it quick?" Fu Yangxi stretched out his arms, held Mingxi up and took two steps forward.


    All the passers-by turned to look at them. Mingxi''s cheeks were hot. She gave him a light punch.


    Only then did he put Mingxi down and said proudly, "What is this called again? Oh yes, a hero''s medal, showing proof of physical strength and courage."


    Mingxi: "...Thanks but these words really don¡¯t match you."


    With the face of a beautiful young man, all he thinks about is the rough man who marches and fights.


    Is this what it means to be a boy?


    It''s been a long time since they''ve seen each other, so the two of them couldn''t hide how much they missed each other.


    But after being separated for a while, they were a little shy.


    Fu Yangxi took Mingxi''s hand, brought her to the place where he parked his car and opened the trunk to show her what he brought her.


    "These are several pieces of clothes I brought from home. I also bought new wool socks and snow boots. These are two woolen hats. It''s been too cold recently. Take care of yourself and don''t catch a cold, my Little Mask."


    As Fu Yangxi spoke, he violently pulled the label, threw it into the trunk and put the wool cap on Zhao Mingxi''s head.


    He held her head with both hands and pulled down, wrapping her delicate ears.


    It feels right.


    He smiled. ¡°It seems that my estimation of your head circumference is accurate.¡±


    Mingxi felt a burst of warmth in her heart, but when she heard the word "head circumference", she couldn''t help but angrily say, ¡°What do you mean? Do you think my head is big?¡±


    Fu Yangxi rubbed the top of Zhao Mingxi''s head. With a "hmm", he said proudly, "It¡¯s not really small."


    Mingxi kicked him.


    Fu Yangxi pulled out more things from the car. "And there¡¯s warming patches, brown sugar¡ª"


    He couldn''t go on after that. The roots of his ears turned red with a "swoosh".


    Mingxi''s cheeks were hot. ¡°Fu Yangxi, you must be counting my menstruation cycle on the calendar, or else how would you know when my period is coming?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said angrily, "You think I want to know that? Didn''t you soil the sheets yourself, then sneak up to wash it the next morning?!"


    It made Fu Yangxi blush for a long time.


    Before he came, he warned himself a hundred times to be cool, cold and handsome,, but he still couldn''t control himself and said angrily, "I didn''t mean to spy on you!"


    Mingxi was about to laugh to death. ¡°I thought you were a cool boyfriend, yet why do you feel like a father now? I also remember that you gave me two big quilts and underwear not long after we knew each other. They fell into the library the moment I opened it. Those who didn''t know would have thought you liked to cross-¡±


    Before Mingxi could finish speaking, Fu Yangxi''s palm gently covered her mouth.


    Time suddenly stopped.


    Fu Yangxi abruptly pulled her into his arms.


    He lowered his head, resting his chin on her neck, and hugged her tightly.


    He put one hand on the back of her head, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones.


    His voice was a little hoarse in the cold wind.


    ¡°Little Mask, I really missed you.¡±


    As Fu Yangxi''s down jacket was open, Mingxi''s cheek was pressed against his black sweater. She could feel the itch of the sweater, and at the same time, the madly beating heart of this young man.


    A rush of warmth.


    The overwhelming joy.


    It was dusk and there was a lot of traffic. Mingxi''s face was buried in Fu Yangxi''s collarbone. She couldn''t see any of the twilight. The only thing she saw was his blood flowing down his veins toward his heart.


    "Me too. I missed you."


    ¡°Very, very much.¡±


    Mingxi closed her eyes and hugged him back.


    *


    After returning the things to the hotel, the two were hungry.


    Mingxi didn''t like to eat Japanese food, and the old man had too strong of a presence which put too much pressure on her, so she didn''t eat at all in the Japanese restaurant.


    It just so happened that Fu Yangxi had not eaten anything while driving all the way.


    The two searched on Dianping and found a noodle restaurant to have their meal.


    As soon as they sat down, a little boy came to force the two of them to give way. He wrapped himself around Mingxi''s legs and refused to let go.


    Fu Yangxi''s fist was hard. He didn¡¯t care about age or gender.


    His face suddenly fell and his dark eyebrows were raised in warning. ¡°What are you doing, little brat? There are so many places next to you yet you have to come and snatch our table?"


    "Your seats are by the window!" the child yelled. "I want to sit by the window!"


    Fu Yangxi''s face was indifferent. He continued to scare the kid with the look of a school bully. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. We¡¯re the ones who came first."


    A fat middle-aged man walked beside him and said angrily, "What''s the matter with you high school students? I have a child, so why can¡¯t you give way to us?"


    "Only your family has a child?" Fu Yangxi snorted coldly. He stood up and raised his chin at Zhao Mingxi who was opposite him. "Let me introduce you to my child."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    The middle-aged man: ¡°...¡±


    He is so shameless.


    The middle-aged man saw that Fu Yangxi had long legs and stood out from the crowd. When he saw that he could fight, his aura weakened a bit and he muttered a few words, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go to another seat."


    The little boy burst into tears and was carried away by the middle-aged man.


    Fu Yangxi continued to rinse the chopsticks when Mingxi suddenly thought of something. She and Fu Yangxi hadn''t taken a photo together. Thus, she turned around and said, "Look up."


    Fu Yangxi looked up blankly.


    Mingxi raised her phone, captured the moment, and photographed the two of them in the same frame.


    She originally thought that Fu Yangxi would mind being photographed so casually.


    Unexpectedly, Fu Yangxi''s ears could not be restrained from reddening. He was even a little smug. ¡°Don''t take pictures secretly, I allow you to take pictures publicly.¡±


    Mingxi: "..." I was taking the photo publicly, okay?!


    I refuse the imagination of an arrogant brain.


    ray''s note: author is smart to have this chapter be so light-hearted because i''m telling you, the next chapter... T.T

 CH 62.2

    Mingxi saw a name at the training camp a few days ago: Fu Zhiyi.


    If it wasn''t for the sudden appearance of this name, Mingxi would have almost forgotten about the person on the 3rd place of the ranking list.


    Mingxi asked the training teacher, and only then did he know that Fu Zhiyi was a contestant from a school in another city.


    He returned from abroad some time ago. It seems that he planned to transfer to A High at first, but he later transferred to another school for some unknown reason.


    When talking to Fu Yangxi, Mingxi mentioned this person.


    Fu Yangxi frowned immediately.


    Mingxi''s heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself, is this a secret from a wealthy family? She asked him, "Are you at odds with him?"


    "We¡¯re not exactly at odds with each other." Fu Yangxi took a piece of beef and put it in the Mingxi bowl. He continued, "In fact, we rarely ever saw each other. I think he''s¡ª disgusting and pitiful. In short, it''s something of an ugly family affair. Little Mask, you wouldn''t want to know."


    Fu Zhiyi was an illegitimate child with an indescribably strange personality. To Fu Yangxi, he was still a fake.


    But it seemed that he couldn¡¯t be blamed for this, so Fu Yangxi never sought trouble with him.


    Moreover, because Fu Zhiyi was always staying abroad, the number of encounters between the two was rare.


    Mingxi didn''t ask any more. She felt that she would find out slowly, and one day, Fu Yangxi might be willing to tell her.


    After the two finished eating, it was already 8pm.


    Mingxi had been out for a full four hours. There were still a lot of exam papers to do. She had to go back to self-study. There was no more time to accompany Fu Yangxi.


    Although Fu Yangxi looked arrogant and domineering, he always accommodated Mingxi in these matters.


    He sent Mingxi back.


    After being separated for a long time, they only got together for two hours and then they were separated again. Both of them felt endless loss in their hearts. After a hug and a kiss, Fu Yangxi watched Mingxi go upstairs.


    A long time after Mingxi went upstairs, Fu Yangxi still had his head raised. After some time, he turned around and disappeared into the night.


    Fu Yangxi felt that he had already started to miss her although they had just parted. It was said that men rarely felt any sense of longing¡ª What happened to him? He could feel that his eyes were red!


    This doesn¡¯t make sense!


    It must be a misperception!


    *


    The following days of training.


    Mingxi continued to be very busy.


    Occasionally, she would go on video calls with Fu Yangxi at night.


    At the beginning, Mingxi and Fu Yangxi would wash their hair on purpose when they were going to be on a video call, but then she got too tired after her studies and it was impossible to wash them every day. So they got used to it after being together for a long time.


    They just didn''t bother to wash it.


    Anyway, Fu Yangxi seemed to be very devoted to her and would not dislike her for not washing her hair.


    One day during the training camp, Mingxi was playing in the corridor when she suddenly saw Fu Zhiyi walking out of the next class. Fu Zhiyi didn¡¯t look like Fu Yangxi. He looked more restrained and more refined than Fu Yangxi.


    He went downstairs.


    Mingxi suddenly found that the beautiful woman with delicate makeup who was waiting for him in front of the car downstairs was a little familiar. More than that...


    Wait, isn''t that¡ª?


    Mingxi searched through her memories quickly.


    She was shocked.


    She found that she was right, that was Fu Yangxi''s mother.


    When Fu Zhiyi walked towards Yu Jiarong, Yu Jiarong immediately became happy and looked at Fu Zhiyi with great concern. She patted Fu Zhiyi on the head, handed him something to eat, put a coat on him and pulled him into the car.


    Mingxi suddenly felt a little weird. Fu Yangxi''s mother and Fu Zhiyi should not be too close, but she treated Fu Zhiyi like her own son.


    Mingxi was standing on the second floor. Fu Zhiyi, who was downstairs, seemed to have noticed her. He raised his head to look at her.


    *


    Mingxi was waiting to learn a little bit about the secrets of the rich and powerful from Fu Yangxi.


    Fu Yangxi must have a reason for not saying what he didn¡¯t want to say.


    But she was really curious.


    This matter was like a fishbone, choking Mingxi in the throat.


    Jiang Xiuqiu wasn¡¯t going to tell her anyway, so Mingxi planned to ask Fu Zhiyi.


    At first she thought that Fu Zhiyi was difficult to approach, but she did not expect Fu Zhiyi and Fu Yangxi to be complete opposites.


    Fu Zhiyi looked a little depressed, as if there were a lot of things hidden in his heart.


    Yu Jiarong came to pick him up three times in total, and he looked to be in a bad mood every time he came back.


    During the more than 20 days of training, Mingxi occasionally asked Fu Zhiyi a few things about Fu Yangxi''s past.


    At first, Fu Zhiyi didn''t pay much attention to her at all¡ª Maybe he thought she was Fu Yangxi''s girlfriend, and since he had a very basic relationship with Fu Yangxi, he had no obligation to answer her questions.


    But after Yu Jiarong sent him back for the third time, Fu Zhiyi''s mouth was finally pried open by Mingxi.


    Seeing that he bought a bunch of drinks and went back to the classroom to drink beer by himself, Mingxi asked strangely, ¡°Don''t you want to go out with Xi ge''s mother? If you don''t want to, can¡¯t you just refuse?"


    Fu Zhiyi rolled her eyes at her. "You think I want to?"


    Fu Zhiyi may have been too depressed tonight, so after drinking quite a lot, he shared some bitter stories.


    What Mingxi heard was the story from his perspective.


    It was absurd that he looked very similar to the dead Fu Zhihong when he was 18 years old. So for many years, Fu Yangxi''s mother had been living in a dream through him.


    Thus, Mingxi had a glimpse of the 13 year old little Fu Yangxi from Fu Zhiyi''s few sentences.


    She saw how the young Fu Yangxi struggled to get out of the pile of wild dogs, was hurriedly pushed around in the cordon, and was grabbed and asked about her brother and father. How he had to watch his mother take another person as the shadow of a deceased person and completely abandon him.


    She also saw this: amidst the heavy rain, Fu Yangxi, who had not yet broken free from the shadows, went to the police station to give his testimony, recalling his nightmares over and over again under the dazzling lights.


    ¡­


    Scenes of cold and depressing pictures passed by like a revolving lantern.


    Fu Zhiyi''s words were a simple narration without any direct vocabulary description.


    But Mingxi couldn''t sleep that night.


    The part of her chest where Fu Yangxi lived seemed to hum slightly.


    All the details she saw since she met Fu Yangxi flashed through Mingxi¡¯s mind from beginning to end. Every detail was vivid and bright, showing the boy laughing and cursing in the wind. She thought she knew enough about Fu Yangxi, but turns out there were still many things she didn''t know.


    But now that she thought about it, a lot of things became clear.


    Why he looked like a different person when he saw a dog and the way his eyes looked as if he fell into a nightmare in an instant.


    Why he always had trouble falling asleep.


    Why he was always hurt.


    Mingxi tossed and turned, recalling the wound on his neck that time. The glass left a scratch which was about several centimeters in length. Although it was subtle and not deep, it must have been painful the moment he got cut.


    The scar on his body had healed, but at this moment, it was uprooted in Mingxi''s heart.


    Mingxi''s heart ached.


    Mingxi had no way to ease his sadness.


    That night, Mingxi cried incessantly in the middle of the night.


    She didn''t answer Fu Yangxi¡¯s video call. She couldn''t answer it at all in her current state. She was afraid that she would cry a lot if she picked up and Fu Yangxi might come over within an hour.


    She only sent back a message with tears in her eyes, saying that she was asleep and that she would see him at school tomorrow.


    The saddest thing was that all these wounds have passed. Now, standing in front of her was Fu Yangxi, an 18-year-old who had recovered from his wounds with his self-healing ability.


    However, no one would ever be able to comfort the 13-year-old little Fu Yangxi who fled in fear that winter night.


    Zhao Mingxi couldn''t travel back to the past. She couldn''t hold Fu Yangxi''s hand at that time.


    Mingxi''s heart was in pain.


    She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. The sky outside was lit up little by little. She just wanted to see Fu Yangxi as soon as possible.


    *


    The next day was the weekend. Sure enough, Mingxi''s eyes were swollen into walnuts. She applied cold water for a long time but it was to no avail, so she could only take the bus back like this.


    Fu Yangxi was tall and slender. In the cold wind, she saw Fu Yangxi waiting for her at the school gate at a glance.


    As soon as Fu Yangxi saw her coming down, he carried her luggage and noticed that her expression was unusual.


    "You cried?" Fu Yangxi said sharply, subconsciously looking at Shen Liyao not far away.


    Carrying the luggage, Shen Liyao came down with a cold face and looked back at him.


    Fu Yangxi exploded, his eyebrows suddenly rose.


    Mingxi quickly pulled him aside and said, "I didn''t cry. I just ate some Mala yesterday and it was so hot that I shed tears. My spice tolerance is quite weak. That¡¯s why my eyes were swollen when I woke up this morning."


    Fu Yangxi was doubtful, but there were people he knew in the training camp, and he did not hear of anyone bullying Little Mask like the last training camp. Is it really the tears from eating spicy food?


    Mingxi said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll be going to your grandfather''s house for dinner today?"


    The two spoke about this when they were on a video call a few days ago. The last time Fu Yangxi''s grandfather came, he had a fight with Fu Yangxi and the meeting ended on bad terms. Only afterwards did Fu Yangxi know that the old man had no ill will towards Mingxi.


    Although Fu Yangxi was stubborn, he was brave enough to own up to his mistakes, so he apologized to the old man.


    The old man¡¯s anger had finally dissipated. He asked the two of them out for a meal.


    Thus, Mingxi followed Fu Yangxi there.


    Xiao Li drove the car.


    On the way, Fu Yangxi noticed that there was something off about Mingxi today. ¡°Today you¡¯re quite¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Fu Yangxi glanced at Little Mask. Her hands wanted to hug him all the time, her eyes fell on his face all the time and her whole body was stuck to him all the time. It made his handsome face turn a little red. "Quite clingy."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi didn''t want to say anything at this moment. She continued to bury her head in his arms, hugging him quietly.


    The Fu family''s house was very large. It was practically the kind of house Mingxi had only seen on TV. It was comparable to some old garden sites in Suzhou.


    Originally, Mingxi would be in a good mood to tour the place, but today she just wanted to go back with Fu Yangxi and curl up in a warm bed to sleep.


    It was too cold, and the breaths that came out had turned into ice.


    Mingxi was led by Fu Yangxi into the old man''s study. After sitting for a while, the cook prepared the meal and the three of them went to eat.


    It may be because Mingxi was there today, but Fu Yangxi had actually gotten along with the old man calmly for once and played a few games of chess.


    However, before they could take a few bites, an uninvited guest came.


    The beautiful woman Mingxi saw outside the training camp last time, that is, Fu Yangxi''s mother, Yu Jiarong came.


    As soon as Yu Jiarong came, the atmosphere visibly stiffened. The old man and Fu Yangxi were both easily triggered, so they had to rely on Mingxi to be the middleman. Now the atmosphere was even more dire.


    The old man didn''t seem to like Yu Jiarong very much. He muttered with a cold face, "Why are you here?"


    Yu Jiarong sneered and glanced at Mingxi. ¡°I came to see what Yang Yang''s girlfriend looks like. I remember that his brother didn''t even have a girlfriend before he died, but he sure is quick to get one."


    Fu Yangxi''s face darkened.


    "Do you have to come to disrupt the situation at this time?"


    "I''m here to visit you, yet you think I¡¯m being disruptive? Would you prefer it if I¡¯m dead?" Yu Jiarong said in disbelief. After she finished speaking, she looked at Zhao Mingxi who was next to her and asked in a weird tone, ¡°You. What''s your name?"


    Fu Yangxi stared at her, his whole body tense.


    Usually he could tolerate her blatant cynicism, but it was absolutely impossible for him to tolerate her dragging Zhao Mingxi into these muddy waters.


    He threw the bowl and chopsticks coldly on the table, his handsome face seemingly soaked in cold air.


    His face was mixed with a darkness and anger that was completely different from usual. He stared at Yu Jiarong. ¡°What do you want?"


    Mingxi glanced at Fu Yangxi subconsciously.


    Fu Yangxi stretched out his palm and held her hand tightly under the table.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t look at her, but what his actions meant was¡ª Little Mask, don''t be afraid.


    The two clasped their fingers together.


    Mingxi''s heart seemed to be pinched by something. It seemed to be held up carefully by something and it felt too sore.


    She suddenly understood why Fu Yangxi never talked about his family.


    Because it was like a swamp.


    He was afraid of being despised by her.


    In other words, he was afraid that after she found out, he would be blamed and discarded by her.


    "What could I possibly want? Didn''t I say that I came to see your girlfriend?" Yu Jiarong gritted her teeth in hatred for Fu Yangxi''s act of protecting the girl.


    She had been living in the past, but why could Fu Yangxi and the old man continue to move forward?


    How dare they?


    Without saying a word, Fu Yangxi took Mingxi''s hand and turned to leave. He said to the old man, "We¡¯re leaving."


    Yu Jiarong was immediately provoked. She suddenly became angry: "Stop right there¡ª"


    However, before Mingxi could hear the following words, Fu Yangxi suddenly pulled up the hat of her down jacket.


    Fu Yangxi pulled the hat onto her head and covered her ears with warm hands in the cold wind.


    He looked her in the eyes. He didn''t want her to hear anything at all.


    He was even more afraid that she would hear those malicious words.


    He covered Zhao Mingxi''s ears. After Yu Jiarong finished scolding, he pulled Zhao Mingxi away with a cold face and left quickly.


    Fu Yangxi pulled Mingxi towards the gate of the courtyard, but Mingxi suddenly stopped and pushed away his hand which was holding her.


    At this moment, Fu Yangxi''s breathing almost stopped. He looked at Zhao Mingxi in disbelief, as if he fell into an ice cellar in an instant.


    He almost thought that Mingxi was affected by Yu Jiarong''s words.


    However, in the next second, he saw Zhao Mingxi turn around.


    Mingxi fixed her eyes at Yu Jiarong. Yu Jiarong didn''t know what she was doing so she frowned.


    Zhao Mingxi said word by word, ¡°Auntie, you are manipulating his emotions."


    Yu Jiarong said angrily, "How dare you¡ª"


    "It''s because of too many emotional manipulations that Fu Yangxi has no sense of belonging in this world. You don''t love him anymore, but he hasn''t stopped loving you. So even if you¡¯re sick, he wouldn¡¯t force you to go to a sanitarium. Instead, he allowed you to take it out on him for the past five years."


    The old man, Yu Jiarong and Lawyer Zhang who were next to him looked at Zhao Mingxi in shock.


    "But have you forgotten something?" Mingxi''s eyes gradually turned red, and her tears fell one by one.


    She felt sad for Fu Yangxi. She really wanted to cry at this moment.


    But she was holding back, she must finish what she wanted to say.


    "Have you forgotten that even if he could bear it, he was just a child. When he felt so pressured, you couldn¡¯t see it, and when he couldn¡¯t sleep all night, did you ever notice it? You think he looks heartless and unaffected, so you want to force him to reminisce about the past with you and immerse yourself in grief, but how do you know that he¡¯s not sad?"


    "Fu Yangxi is such a person: even if you don''t love him anymore, he would never hate you. He just won¡¯t love himself."


    Dead silence.


    The cold air froze Mingxi''s tears.


    Perhaps it was because they were shocked by Mingxi''s tears, or perhaps because of her words, complex expressions appeared on the faces of Yu Jiarong and the old man.


    "If you don''t want him, I want him."


    Mingxi pulled Fu Yangxi by the hand and walked out.


    She rarely felt so sad. After her grandmother died, on the day she knelt in the mourning hall, she thought it was the last moment of sadness in her life. But she was completely heartbroken now. While she regretted not hugging and running towards Fu Yangxi in the crowd earlier, she was also thankful that it was not too late.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t react for a few minutes. He choked on his breath and stared blankly at the back of Zhao Mingxi as she pulled him away.


    His head was blank and his heart was beating wildly.


    He knew that Little Mask was crying now because she kept raising her hand to wipe her tears. He rarely saw Zhao Mingxi cry, only once when he was drunk and once now.


    Fu Yangxi''s throat was sore and his heart felt as if it was embraced by a warm current.


    Many times, this place, home, meant disordered darkness to Fu Yangxi.


    He didn¡¯t know what would be coming next or if he would be lucky enough to fall asleep the next night.


    He walked alone until he met Little Mask. Little Mask pulled him, rescued him, slapped him until he became fluffy and gave him sunshine.


    She was the only one who defended him.


    In fact, sometimes she didn¡¯t need to do anything, just standing by his side could already give him enough warmth.


    The two kept walking out of the house.


    Mingxi wiped her tears again. It wasn''t that she wanted to wipe them, but the tears were so turbulent that they ran into her neck and made her shiver.


    "So this was why you were crying." Fu Yangxi''s hoarse voice could be heard from behind her.


    "Come here." Fu Yangxi turned her body back. His eyes were red as he wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb.


    "Your eyes are red," Mingxi said.


    Fu Yangxi smiled. An expression which was both arrogant and deserving of a slap appeared on his face. As always, he refused to admit it. "It¡¯s because I got too cold. Let¡¯s quickly get in the car and go home."


    Mingxi forcefully pulled the corners of her mouth up and smiled, but in the next second she couldn''t help crying in his arms.

 CH 63.1

    Neither of them had enough to eat there, so when they got home, they cooked some noodles.


    "I''m actually a little angry." Mingxi stirred the noodles in the pot with long chopsticks, her voice still choked up.


    She didn''t look at Fu Yangxi. She lowered her eyes and stared at the boiling water and tumbling noodles in the pot. Her eyes were still red, ¡°Before, hic, I asked what happened with the wound on your neck, hic, you actually told me that the glass bowl which you used to cook your noodles with exploded! Are you heartless or something?¡±


    Mingxi couldn''t help but put down her chopsticks.


    She should have found out long ago. She had lived with him for so long, yet she had never seen Fu Yangxi eat instant noodles¡ª His refrigerator was completely empty, there were no instant noodles or glass bowls, so what kind of noodles could he have possibly made?!


    Fu Yangxi was always lying to her!


    Fu Yangxi was very distressed when he saw Mingxi crying all the way back in the cold wind, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts.


    He patted Mingxi''s back, trying to relieve her hiccups. He looked down at her and apologized in frustration, "It''s my fault."


    Mingxi raised her red and swollen eyes to look at him. ¡°Of course it¡¯s your fault¡ª"


    "Yes, yes, I was wrong." Fu Yangxi was no longer stubborn at this time. His usually arrogant, short, hedgehog-like hair seemed to have turned gentle.


    He circled around Zhao Mingxi, put his hand on the back of Mingxi''s neck, squeezed it lightly and tried to console her, ¡°Little crybaby, stop crying, okay?"


    "You still dare call me little crybaby?!" Mingxi said. "Except for, hic, this time, when else did I cry?!"


    Fu Yangxi replied, "That time you got drunk."


    Mingxi turned her red eyes to stare at him.


    Fu Yangxi was very eager to survive, so he immediately changed his words. ¡°No, I remembered it wrongly. You didn''t cry when you were drunk, I¡¯m the one who cried, okay?"


    Mingxi was still uncomfortable. This kind of discomfort was a kind of sadness that couldn¡¯t be consoled at all, because she couldn¡¯t travel back to the past and bring out the former Fu Yangxi.


    She sobbed as she pulled tomatoes out of the refrigerator.


    "Let me handle it." Fu Yangxi hurriedly took the tomatoes and knife from her hands. After taking them, he glanced at Mingxi.


    Because he didn''t know how to coax someone, his eyes looked helpless and pitiful.


    He paused and said again, ¡°I''m sorry, I won''t hide anything from you anymore."


    Mingxi felt distressed again. Why did she ask Fu Yangxi to apologize to her?


    "I, hic, I''m not angry anymore. I''m sorry, that wasn¡¯t what I meant," Mingxi said quickly.


    Fu Yangxi smiled and scratched the tip of her nose with his fingers. "I know."


    Little Mask was worried about him.


    This was enough to make Fu Yangxi happy.


    Mingxi took a step forward and hugged Fu Yangxi from behind. She wrapped her hands around his waist and pressed her cheeks to his back.


    Fu Yangxi was very tall. Mingxi''s cheeks were pressed square against his backbone. She could feel the bones of the boy under his clothes. Like pines and bamboo in the scorching sun, they grew by the joint.


    ¡°Fu Yangxi.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    "I just got an idea just now. I want you to become smaller," Mingxi said suddenly.


    Mingxi''s words came out of nowhere. Fu Yangxi clumsily cut the tomato, turned his head slightly and asked in confusion, "Become smaller? Then what are you going to do?"


    "Then I''ll get you a soft nest and make you live in it. After that, I''ll put you and the nest together and rub you into my arms."


    Mingxi¡¯s sudden utterance of such words made Fu Yangxi shy.


    Rub you into my arms.


    What kind of dangerous words are these¡ª?!


    He looked back at Mingxi with an expression saying, ''What the hell? How can I tolerate such an insult as a school tyrant who is 1.881 meters tall?! My Little Mask is so arrogant!¡¯ However, the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but rise wildly. ¡°Based on your description, you are trying to be my keeper.¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Mingxi asked.


    Fu Yangxi suddenly became serious. He took out a tissue, wiped his hands and turned around.


    Mingxi had no choice but to let go of the hands that were wrapped around his waist.


    Fu Yangxi leaned over slightly and held her shoulders.


    Under the kitchen light, Fu Yangxi''s dark eyes stared at her seriously.


    Mingxi saw her own shadow reflected in his eyes.


    Mingxi asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Fu Yangxi said to her, "I''m really fine, Little Mask, don''t think about it anymore, it''s all over."


    Mingxi still looked at him with a sad expression.


    Fu Yangxi said gently, ¡°Actually, the way Fu Zhiyi explained the story might have been scary, but it''s really not a big deal. Every family has their own problems. For example, you might not know Jiang Xiuqiu very well. Don''t just look at the way he hangs out with girls all day long, feigning an appearance of a blessed son, in fact, his parents have long since divorced and their scandals are all over the net. They have cheated on each other with more than 10 others and they are still caught up in multiple lawsuits. There¡¯s also a lot of illegitimate children, and 9 out of 10 of them want to fight for the family property. He¡¯s in a huge pickle, but doesn¡¯t he always look as if there¡¯s nothing in the world that could make him worried? Look at your family. I also had a heart attack that night at the police station. I almost beat up your second brother to the point where he would be disabled. I was kind enough to not cut off one of his arms or legs. However, when you came out, you were fine and you flew forward like a little butterfly, so much so that you were out of reach when they started to regret their actions. So how could I be affected? I have money, looks and a beautiful Little Mask. I am the winner in life, okay? I bet the others are so jealous of my life, yet you still feel sorry for me. Aren¡¯t you being silly? Your partner can beat up two people at once, so don¡¯t think of your partner as a weakling, okay?¡±


    Mingxi wanted to cry and laugh as she heard Fu Yangxi speak.


    "What kind of words are ¡®flying forward like a butterfly¡¯? Did you even pass your Mandarin exams?"


    Fu Yangxi also raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°So we have to live a good life, move on, eat, drink, fall in love, kiss when it''s time to kiss¡ª"


    After he finished speaking, he lowered his head, held Mingxi''s face, and gave an abrupt ¡°smooch¡± on Mingxi¡¯s cheek.


    Mingxi asked, "...What kind of sudden poem recitation is this?"


    Fu Yangxi was triumphant. He looked like a proud boy waiting for compliments. ¡°Creator, Fu Yangxi."


    Mingxi was so angry that she laughed, and the hiccups finally healed.


    "Hey, the noodles are about to come out." Mingxi exclaimed. She quickly pushed Fu Yangxi away and turned off the fire.


    *


    Mingxi finally stopped crying, so Fu Yangxi let out a sigh of relief.


    The TV was on. The two of them sat on the bar stool and began to eat the noodles.


    The steam was hot, warming their faces.


    After they finished eating, Fu Yangxi said solemnly, "I''ll wash the dishes."


    What he called dishwashing was actually putting the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher.


    Mingxi rolled her eyes at him. She took an orange from the refrigerator and started peeling it. After she was done peeling, she threw the peeled skin into the trash can, divided the orange into two, walked to Fu Yangxi and called him.


    Fu Yangxi turned his head.


    Mingxi raised her hand and gently inserted a slice of orange between his lips and teeth.


    ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Mingxi asked.


    Fu Yangxi was caught off guard. His lips became cold. At the same time he touched the orange slice, he also touched Zhao Mingxi''s fingertips.


    The girl''s fingers were slender and soft¡ª but Little Mask didn''t notice anything. After feeding him, she lowered her head ignorantly and stuffed an orange slice into her mouth.


    She opened her lips slightly and her fingertips touched her lips.


    When touched, her lips sank slightly and returned plump and moist.


    Fu Yangxi looked at her fingers and then at her lips. His blood sugar level spiked in an instant.


    "...Sweet." He finally swallowed the orange slice, his heart pounding.


    Mingxi didn''t know that she had unconsciously touched Fu Yangxi. She put the remaining oranges into Fu Yangxi''s mouth one by one.


    Before the last slice could be fed, Fu Yangxi couldn''t help pinching her waist, pressing her in front of the refrigerator and giving her a deep French kiss as seen on TV.


    ¡°Mmph¡ª¡±


    The specific feeling that Mingxi felt was completely indescribable, but in short, it was very wild.


    The blood in her whole body rushed to the top of her head and her soul seemed to be kissed out of her body.


    Fu Yangxi''s ears turned red while kissing her. His arm rested on the refrigerator, letting Mingxi''s head sink into his arms while his other hand lightly pinched Mingxi''s waist, kissing her earnestly and innocently.


    It was obviously the position where he pressed Mingxi against the refrigerator, but his shyness made it seem like Mingxi was pressing him in for a kiss, and he was the one who was sullied.


    Soft lips were connected, full of the sweet and sour taste of oranges.


    The surrounding air gradually warmed up.


    Mingxi was out of breath and her legs started to soften. She couldn''t help grabbing Fu Yangxi''s collar and pulling him towards her.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t press in. She thought he was too far away.


    However, once his body leaned closer and wrapped her in the familiar youthful scent of rosin, Mingxi felt her whole body beginning to heat up like shrimps about to be cooked.


    "I- I can''t do it anymore," Halfway through the kiss, Mingxi slid down softly and said in a daze.


    Her mind was empty.


    She felt like she was a soft little trash now.


    Fu Yangxi picked her up and kissed her for a while before letting her go.


    When their lips were separated, Fu Yangxi was a little reluctant to part, so he kissed her lips again and again with red ears like a chicken pecking at rice.


    Mingxi leaned her back on the refrigerator and smiled at him. ¡°Your ears are so red."


    Fu Yangxi refused to admit it, so he resisted the blush rising on his face. ¡°It''s too hot, okay? Little Mask, you must have turned up the heating too high."


    Mingxi was angry. ¡°What the hell? You¡¯re blaming me for being shy???"


    Fu Yangxi acted as if he heard some Arabian Nights sort of joke. "Shy? I don¡¯t even have this word in my dictionary!"


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    What should I do if my boyfriend is too arrogant?


    "Ah, ah, it''s so annoying, let''s break up, let''s break up."


    Mingxi smiled and scolded, wanting to run.


    Fu Yangxi pulled her back again.


    No. We won¡¯t ever break up.

 CH 63.2

    Mingxi took a bath first. After Fu Yangxi entered the bathroom, out of boredom, Mingxi walked around the apartment in furry pajamas.


    Falling in love was really a magical thing. In the past, apart from studying, she thought TV series were good and games were fun and beautiful. But after falling in love, even if he wasn''t by her side for a while, she would find everything boring.


    Nothing was as fun as Fu Yangxi.


    She wanted to do everything with him, whether it was watching dramas or eating.


    Looking at his eyes, she could experience the magnificent waves, drowning in the deep sea, a bite of the center of a summer watermelon and the sweetest part of the orange at any time.


    The huge apartment had gradually changed since Mingxi moved in.


    Mingxi was like an intruder, inserting color into the deserted and silent apartment.


    She was afraid of the cold, so Fu Yangxi always kept the heater on and the bone-chilling sensation she had before disappeared.


    She was afraid of the dark, so Fu Yangxi installed a few more floor lamps and the darkness disappeared.


    The last time Mingxi was here, she explored Fu Yangxi''s room, the audio-visual room and the workshop on the second floor. This time, however, it was a completely different experience.


    Fu Yangxi had a lot of books scattered on the carpet in one room¡ª all kinds. "Repairing Motorcycles", "Top of the Himalayas", "A Brief History of Time", including almost all the books that one could think of. They were scattered everywhere on the ground, but although there was no order, they were not messy. Vinyl and movies, they were all unpacked and they seem to have been used before. In another room, there were mechanical parts, basketballs, basketball clothes, dismantled lamps and dark green rusted screws.


    Mingxi seemed to be standing in the corridor of time. In the midst of light and shadow, she saw a lonely child who didn''t go home because he was hated. He lived here by himself for the past few years, doing everything he could.


    He watched countless movies and books, listened to songs and dismantled countless Gundams and furniture. He was alone shooting basketballs in the nearby open space and the basketball smashed on the rainy ground, making a lonely echo.


    Fu Yangxi reads so many books.


    So his grades can''t be bad.


    At this time, the questions in Mingxi''s heart were finally solved. How he could solve the problems so neatly, yet every time he took a test, he would only leave scrawls for answers.


    He may not have known that he was also a victim in that incident, but he still blamed himself. Because of this, he didn''t know where to go. He tossed and turned alone in the middle of the night, hesitant.


    He may not be unaware of the pressure placed on him. He could have chosen not to bear it.


    It''s just that he chose to face it.


    He will never go down the wrong path, be torn apart by the fangs of life or be dragged down by those things in the quagmire.


    When Mingxi saw him, he was already shining brightly.


    Mingxi suddenly understood why she was gradually attracted to him.


    She was attracted to Shen Liyao because Shen Liyao had excellent grades and stood out from the crowd.


    However, she fell for Fu Yangxi in the end, because Fu Yangxi was the scorching sun she saw when she looked up.


    *


    At night, Mingxi was lying on the bed with her eyes open. She was actually worried about whether Fu Yangxi could fall asleep in another room.


    She even wanted to sleep with Fu Yangxi¡ª


    But they''ve just turned adults, wouldn''t it be too early for them to sleep in the same bed? And what would happen when they are together in bed? After all, he was young and vigorous and his hormones were more turbulent than others... Wait, what was she thinking?


    ...The progress seems to be a little too fast. We should at least be a little shy about it.


    The itchy feeling in Mingxi''s heart was unbearable, but she didn''t want to show that she was anxious.


    She covered her head with a pillow and tossed around on the bed.


    Three minutes later, Mingxi began to search: ¡°Would it be bad for new lovers to sleep together?¡±


    The answers at the bottom made Mingxi''s face turn red. Most of them answered "no", saying that the vast majority of boys would definitely take advantage of the girl.


    Take advantage.


    Just seeing these words made Mingxi''s face hot.


    She tossed and turned in bed for a while.


    Finally, she got up, hugged her pillow and got out of bed while trembling.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t sleep either. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, hesitating whether to send a message to Mingxi. Therefore, as soon as the door on Mingxi''s side opened, Fu Yangxi heard it.


    He didn''t want Little Mask to see that he couldn''t sleep, so he quickly turned off the bedside light with a snap, lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.


    Mingxi pushed open his door and stuck her head in.


    "Xi ge, are you asleep?" Mingxi asked.


    Fu Yangxi pretended to be sound asleep, remaining motionless in his bed.


    "No way, you''re already asleep?" Mingxi couldn''t believe it¡ª What about your insomnia?! Is it because you took some medicine and the effect of the medicine is taking place?


    Since he fell asleep, Mingxi didn''t wake him up. Of course Mingxi wanted him to get a good night''s sleep.


    So Mingxi planned to quietly close the door.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t want her to feel that he was often plagued by insomnia, but he also didn''t want to see her turn around and walk away.


    He was internally conflicted for a while. Suddenly, he turned over, pretending to be waking up with superb acting skills (not). As soon as he opened his eyes, with his superb acting skills (not), he pretended to be shocked by her presence.


    He sat up and rubbed his forehead. ¡°You scared me to death. You woke me up just after I fell asleep. Little Mask, what are you doing sneaking around in my room?"


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi could tell at a glance that he was just pretending to be asleep.


    I¡¯m heartbroken.


    How could he do this?


    If he can''t sleep, he can''t sleep. But in order to reassure her, he pretended to sleep.


    "I just came to see if you fell asleep. I planned to sleep with you if you couldn''t."


    Sleep together???


    Can there be such a good thing???


    Fu Yangxi''s heart beat faster. With a head of messy black hair, he stared at Zhao Mingxi blankly.


    Mingxi glanced at him and said deliberately, "But since you can fall asleep without any sign of insomnia, I''ll leave then."


    Mingxi said this while hugging her pillow. Then, she turned around and planned to go back to her room.


    However, before she could take two steps, Fu Yangxi jumped off the bed behind her. Fu Yangxi took her into his arms from behind, wrapped his arms around her, put his head on her shoulders, buried his face in the crevice of her neck and said in an aggrieved tone, "Well, actually, I can''t sleep."


    ¡°Can you¡ª¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s ears turned red with embarrassment as he said in a low voice, "Stay."


    *


    After a while, the two were on the bed, lying flat on their respective sides.


    The air was dead and stiff, and only the heartbeat of the two people could be heard.


    Mingxi had never slept in the same bed with anyone before, and of course Fu Yangxi was no exception.


    The two people who were used to sleeping alone found that once they were on the same bed, they didn''t know how to lie down, where to put their hands, and what posture to put their legs in¡ª They just felt like two little zombies. They were stiff all over, leaving only their blood flowing uncontrollably.


    Moonlight filtered in through the gap in the window.


    After a few minutes, Fu Yangxi carefully turned over.


    Mingxi''s toes were tense.


    Mingxi continued to lie down while Fu Yangxi lay on his side, facing her.


    The two were close together.


    Fu Yangxi turned over by himself, but he felt like he was cornered, forced and defiled.


    In the dark he looked at Mingxi. "C-can I hug you?"


    Mingxi''s heartbeat was abnormal, her mind completely empty. The scent of pine on Fu Yangxi''s body filled her nostrils. Her head was in a mess, thinking about what kind of men''s perfume he was using or if it was the smell of luck? What if he wanted a French kiss again later? Did she brush her teeth tonight? It seems like she did. What did he just say...


    Mingxi made a noise of acknowledgment in a daze.


    Fu Yangxi tried to calm himself down a bit. After a while, he reached out and took Zhao Mingxi into his arms. Mingxi also turned sideways, and the distance between the two was very close suddenly.


    It wasn''t that they weren''t this close before¡ª but that was when they were standing on the ground.


    But now, they were in the same bed and under the same blanket. The skin outside their pajamas were in physical contact with each other and it felt dry and warm, filled with the fluffy scent of winter.


    As they got closer, nose tip to nose tip, their breathing intertwined and their hearts touched.


    Fu Yangxi hugged Mingxi tightly.


    His mind was empty. This was the girl he liked, lying in his arms.


    As if Fu Yangxi was holding something fragile and precious, he kissed the corner of Mingxi''s mouth repeatedly.


    Suddenly¡ª


    Fu Yangxi let go of Mingxi and moved to the side of the bed.


    When Mingxi realized something, her cheeks suddenly became hot and she pulled the quilt over her head.


    Fu Yangxi was ashamed and angry, He said, "I''m sorry."


    He was having a reaction.


    "Why do you react so easily?" Mingxi''s face was too hot. She covered her face with a quilt, still teasing him. ¡°Are you a little pervert?¡±


    "I¡¯m not!" Fu Yangxi said angrily. "It just happened for you. Which boy wouldn''t feel it when he hugs the girl he likes? Besides, I''m not a monk."


    Mingxi lifted the quilt a bit, exposing her eyes. She raised her head slightly and looked at him. ¡°How about doing something you love¡ª"


    Mingxi felt that she was very receptive. Also, she thought of the person in front of her as the only one for her.


    She felt that nothing was impossible.


    "No," Fu Yangxi firmly refused. "You just became an adult, so you¡¯re still off limits. We will talk about this when you are 20."


    She never expected that Fu Yangxi''s resolution would be so strong.


    Mingxi lay back with a blank look. ¡°I think you¡¯re a monk.¡±


    "It''s okay if it¡¯s kissing," Fu Yangxi said shyly.


    He leaned over and kissed Mingxi''s earlobe carefully.


    "No kisses, I''m sleepy." Mingxi pushed his head away.


    What''s the use of kissing me gently! It¡¯s not exciting at all.


    Mingxi still felt dissatisfied after thinking about it. She turned her head to look at Fu Yangxi. ¡°You, the guy with the surname Fu, am I not attractive to you at all?"


    Fu Yangxi took her into his arms and said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me. This step has a different meaning. Little Mask, you mean a lot to me. I cherish you more than anyone else, so if there is even any possibility that what I¡¯m doing may hurt you, I will not want to do it."


    "I don''t want to spend only one winter with you. I want to keep walking down this path with you. When the day comes, I don''t want you to recall it and feel that our first day was plain and boring."


    "I want you to be happy, I want everything in your life to be according to your wishes and I want you to feel fulfilled, more fulfilled than anyone else with no regrets whatsoever. When I come to you with the ring in my hand, if you say you are ready, I will run towards you without any hesitation."


    Mingxi was only joking. She never thought that Fu Yangxi, who has never been serious, would actually explain so many things so seriously.


    Her eyes were warm. She felt like she was about to cry.


    An 18-year-old¡¯s love came hot and turbulent.


    But she was already in Fu Yangxi''s future.


    She sucked in a breath.


    Mingxi buried her head in Fu Yangxi''s chest and said, "I know, I was joking just now. Don''t be nervous."


    "Let''s sleep, Xi ge. Hold me to sleep and see if you can fall asleep like this."


    Fu Yangxi hugged Zhao Mingxi tightly in his arms. She won''t be taken away by anyone anymore, she''s his.


    Tonight, Fu Yangxi had Zhao Mingxi in his arms. His heart was beating very fast, gushing with the love of his youth. He was now holding his most beloved girl.


    Fu Yangxi thought it would be a sleepless night, but strangely, he slowly fell asleep like this.


    The cracks in the dream began to slowly heal.


    He seemed to be holding a piece of floating ice, but the floating ice was very warm. It smiled at him and drifted across the ocean.


    In Mingxi''s quiet, shallow breathing.


    Fu Yangxi seemed to be pulled to the shore. On the soft sand, the waves hit and soothed his body.


    He fell asleep slowly.

 CH 64.1

    The snow fell two more times.


    Everyone in the International Class discovered that after Zhao Mingxi returned from the final, the atmosphere between Zhao Mingxi and their boss seemed to have changed vaguely.


    Before the final, they were practically stuck to each other. At first glance, they looked like a couple in love.


    They didn¡¯t know what happened after the final. They wondered if it was their misperception, but they always felt that Zhao Mingxi had become more attentive to the boss, like an eagle protecting a chick.


    For example, the homeroom teacher Lu Wangwei.


    Because of Fu Yangxi, Lu Wangwei has not received a performance bonus for three years. So it was normal for him to feel some form of resentment towards Fu Yangxi.


    After Zhao Mingxi finally changed classes this semester, the frequency of Fu Yangxi causing trouble plummeted. Lu Wangwei thought he could breathe a sigh of relief, but the last school celebration performance was temporarily changed by Fu Yangxi to that thing!


    The school leaders were furious. Fine, this month''s performance is gone again!


    Lu Wangwei was so angry with Fu Yangxi that he punished Fu Yangxi with running laps for trivial matters such as ''the blackboard was not wiped clean''.


    Originally, running laps was a common occurrence for the boys in the International Class, so it didn''t matter.


    Fu Yangxi took off his headphones, stood up lazily and planned to leave the classroom.


    However, Zhao Mingxi stood up and fought with Lu Wangwei!


    She stated 100 hazards and consequences of corporal punishment in winter. If something happened to Fu Yangxi while running laps¡ª from rising blood pressure to stepping on a screw, Lu Wangwei would be entirely to blame!


    As Lu Wangwei was suddenly refuted by the student he was most proud of from east to south and then from west to north, he was stunned for a moment.


    In the end, when he came out of the classroom with the supplementary book, he felt dizzy and had completely forgotten why he entered the classroom in the first place.


    Fu Yangxi put his hands in his pockets, the corners of his mouth raised to the sky.


    He looked at Zhao Mingxi beside him and sat down triumphantly. "Sigh."


    There seemed to be a few large characters written on his face ¡ª ''Pampered man''.


    The followers in the International Class were all stunned.


    ¡°...¡±


    Their boss, a ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex that breathes fire at every turn, was described by Zhao Mingxi as a delicate flower swaying in the wind.


    How blinded by love is Zhao Mingxi?!


    Even the way she sees him is far too warped?!


    And why does this scene seem so familiar??


    Back to the original starting point.


    The followers in the International Class did not mind eating more than a few bites of dog food every day between classes. It was rather strange yet interesting to watch Fu Yangxi appear like a different person after falling in love.


    However, Ke Chengwen complained incessantly. He was at school for 10 hours a day, and for nine out of those 10 hours, he filled to the brim with such dog food.


    *


    The three of them were eating fried chicken together at an off-campus KFC store that day when they bumped into Fu Zhiyi.


    Fu Zhiyi was wearing a beige coat and came here with a friend to do some errands. He didn''t expect to bump into them. He turned around with a plate in hand, and happened to see Fu Yangxi who was sitting by the window.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t do anything. His face and temperament alone were enough to make him stand out from the crowd, not to mention Zhao Mingxi, the School Beauty who was sitting beside him. It was hard not to be noticed. Fu Yangxi leaned against the back of the chair holding a Coke, and looked up casually.


    The two looked at each other.


    Fu Zhiyi was stunned for a moment. His mood instantly fell. As if he felt a chill down his back, he quickly turned around and slipped away. He didn''t even want the french fries and burger he just bought, he threw it on the table, dragged his friend and left.


    The friend beside him who got dragged away cursed, and the ice Coke was spilled on the ground.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡± ???


    Mingxi was also at a loss. Although she was not familiar with Fu Zhiyi during the training camp, she was still acquainted, and she never heard Fu Zhiyi say that he was afraid of Fu Yangxi. Could it be that this is a genetic thing passed down for generations, whereby they won¡¯t say they¡¯re afraid even though they are afraid?


    Mingxi asked, "Have you bullied him before?"


    "No." Fu Yangxi was baffled. He looked out of the store through the floor-to-ceiling windows, put the Coke on the table and said, "I think he has a hole in his brain. Every time he sees me, he turns around and runs away like a ghost. Am I scary?"


    "Not scary," Mingxi replied.


    Fu Yangxi turned his head to look at Mingxi. Mingxi looked at his frowning eyebrows, dipped the french fries in ketchup, stuffed it into his mouth and added, "Not scary at all."


    Fu Yangxi snorted softly as if his fur was being smoothed out.


    He chewed the french fries a few times, took apart the hamburger and handed it to Mingxi. "Don''t just eat french fries, you''ll be hungry by the time it¡¯s three or four in the afternoon."


    Ke Chengwen who was sitting aside: "..."


    The scene before Ke Chengwen''s eyes was exactly that of a breeder saying to the lion that was stalking her, ''You are not the king of beasts at all. Others run away when they see you, not because you are too fierce, but because you are too cute.¡¯


    Breeder, did you think of your conscience when you said this?!


    "What?" Fu Yangxi glanced at Ke Chengwen and raised his dark eyebrows. "You got something to say?"


    Mingxi looked at Ke Chengwen as well.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°¡ª¡±


    What opinion can a single dog have?


    A single dog doesn''t even have human rights and yet it dares to have an opinion?!


    Previously, to Fu Yangxi, Fu Zhiyi was just an illegitimate son of the Fu family whom he did not meet often, ran away when he saw him, and often followed Yu Jiarong around. But because of Zhao Mingxi as a bridge in the middle, Fu Yangxi finally understood Fu Zhiyi a little bit more.


    This kid probably didn''t volunteer to become a so-called ''fake''. The past incident also was also traumatizing for him.


    Ever since they bumped into Fu Zhiyi, Fu Yangxi had been thinking.


    He was thinking about how this matter should be resolved in the end.


    Going on like this day after day doesn''t solve any problems. Time doesn''t seem to be the best medicine for healing. There''s no way to heal the grief of losing a loved one. But even so, everyone shouldn¡¯t stop here, everyone should continue to move forward, including his mother.


    Originally, when Fu Yangxi heard Zhao Mingxi say that she met Fu Zhiyi during the training camp, he felt a little sour. However, seeing that Zhao Mingxi had no idea about Fu Zhiyi at all, his sourness was quickly resolved by his own efforts.


    Again, men should not be too jealous.


    Moreover, the old man may have been afraid that he and Fu Zhiyi would not get along, so after Fu Zhiyi returned to China, he specially transferred Fu Zhiyi to study in a neighboring city.


    Fu Zhiyi''s family was in this city, but he had to go to a boarding school in a neighboring city and only come back once a month, which was actually quite pitiful.


    After Fu Yangxi turned 13, there were no real relatives around him. He didn¡¯t even know how to get closer to his relatives.


    So, although he had some changes in his mind about this illegitimate cousin, he didn''t bother to find him to play basketball or anything to get closer to him.


    In short, everything was business as usual with each person living their own life.


    ray''s note: really sorry for the late update everyone. i''m actually in the midst my own translating and transcribing business soon! very very excited. will let y''all know the details once i''ve gotten the ground work done. do let me know your thoughts on this, if any! always welcoming of any opinions anyone might have.

 CH 64.2

    The three people came out of KFC. The cold wind was too strong. Fu Yangxi had Mingxi''s hand in his pocket.


    Ke Chengwen, with sharp eyes, suddenly called out to Zhao Mingxi. He pointed in one direction with the milk tea in his hand and said, ¡°Am I seeing things? Isn''t that Zhao Yuan? She has a boyfriend already?¡±


    Mingxi also heard about Zhao Yuan''s contract with the agency.


    In the past month, Mingxi hardly met Zhao Yuan at school. The one person who could be seen on the road every few days before seemed to have completely disappeared from her field of vision.


    The main reason was that although the turmoil of real and fake daughters had passed, Zhao Yuan would still receive some attention. If it weren''t because she still needed to graduate, Zhao Yuan would not want to come to school at all, and she would have spent most of her time in society.


    So Mingxi found it strange to suddenly see Zhao Yuan at the school gate.


    She looked in the direction Ke Chengwen pointed.


    There was a long boulevard outside of A High, turning to different commercial streets and food streets. Diagonally opposite A High is an art school. Most of the students studying were performing students, art students and dance students preparing for art exams.


    At this moment, Zhao Yuan was at the entrance of an Internet cafe, wearing long boots and a black coat, with thick black eyelashes and flirtatious fishnet socks, hugging a boy with a tattoo on his neck.


    The boy¡¯s side profile was facing them and there was a skateboard under his feet.


    There were also a few people who looked like gangsters behind him.


    Before Mingxi could figure out who it was, a girl passing by saw them as well.


    Someone commented, ¡°Is that the handsomest guy from the opposite art school?¡±


    ¡°How can Zhao Yuan hang out with the people from the opposite school? They are a group of gangsters who like to fight. Last month, I heard that a teacher got beaten so badly that he or she was admitted to the hospital.¡±


    "It¡¯s that bad? But I must say, that guy is rather handsome ¡ª doesn''t he know about the scandal that happened to Zhao Yuan before?"


    "It became such a huge thing, he must know about it. But when guys hear about these scandals, they might think that Zhao Yuan is a poor little white flower who needs their protection."


    Mingxi was a little stunned.


    ???


    Now that things have developed to this point, it is obviously completely different from the original plot.


    The budding love between Zhao Yuan and Zhao Zhanhuai was completely extinguished.


    Zhao Yuan even got together with a random passerby.


    After a while, the guy from the opposite school pinched Zhao Yuan''s face and left with a few people with colorfully dyed hair.


    Mingxi wanted to see who the guy was, so she kept staring at him to take a closer look.


    Then she realized that there was no such person in her mind at all.


    Moreover, the name discussed by the passers-by next to her did not seem to have appeared in the original text. It seems that this guy would definitely be a passerby without a name.


    Fu Yangxi thought she was looking at Zhao Yuan at first, but after staring at her for a while, he found that she was looking at the face of the tattooed boy opposite them.


    ¡ªAnd she was even on her tiptoes, staring intently at him.


    Fu Yangxi: ?


    "You think it''s cool too?" Fu Yangxi stared at Zhao Mingxi and asked solemnly.


    "He¡¯s an art student after all. How can he survive without relying on his visuals?"


    Mingxi''s mind didn¡¯t register what he meant just yet. She muttered, "And he really does look good."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Yangxi''s face darkened.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi felt her heart drop. She felt that this situation could still be rescued, so she quickly said, "I mean, he looks so-so. The fact that these people around us are calling him the most handsome guy in the opposite school is probably because of his dancing skills.¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s main point was successfully deviated. He said sourly, ¡°Do you think a man can get extra points for his dancing skills? Then how many points did you give him?"


    Mingxi was very eager to survive. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give him any points. Why should I give him any points? I only give you points."


    Fu Yangxi''s face was full of disbelief.


    He found it so difficult to be him right now!


    He had just warned himself not to be too jealous, but if their genders were swapped, it would seem like the boyfriend was praising another dancing beauty in front of his girlfriend. Which girlfriend could endure this???


    "Little Mask, you are a scumbag!" Fu Yangxi said with a sad expression.


    Mingxi: ???


    Mingxi''s face screamed ¡®It''s not me, I didn¡¯t do it¡¯. She opened her mouth and said, "In my heart, you are the most handsome."


    Fu Yangxi: "Look, you are saying what scumbags often say. Things like, ¡®In my heart, you are the most beautiful¡ª¡¯¡±


    Seeing that Fu Yangxi was still chattering, Mingxi felt like she had grown another head. She simply pulled Fu Yangxi by the collar, stood on her tiptoes, and smooched heavily on his chin.


    If this trick doesn¡¯t work, nothing will.


    "..." Fu Yangxi''s voice stopped abruptly. Oh, he really stopped.


    He touched his chin and looked around. Several people looked over.


    Fu Yangxi''s ears turned red silently. He put on his hat, scooped up Mingxi''s hat that was behind Mingxi with one hand and covered Mingxi''s head with it. Then, he pulled Mingxi and the two people with a great height difference walked quickly to the classroom.


    Ke Chengwen who was right behind them: ???


    Wait, did the two of them forget that there was another person who came out to eat with them?


    *


    Mingxi only spared that one glance while they were at the school gate. She didn''t intend to pay attention to Zhao Yuan''s personal affairs.


    She felt that the entertainment company that Zhao Yuan signed with sounded unreliable, and the direction of Zhao Yuan¡¯s image was completely in the direction of revealing her flesh. Further, she felt that there was something wrong with Zhao Yuan''s new boyfriend.


    But this didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with her. She and Zhao Yuan have nothing to do with each other now.


    In the blink of an eye, this semester was over.


    The list of finalists will be announced online during the winter vacation. So long as the results weren¡¯t out, Mingxi would be anxious. However, it was useless to care about it, because either way the test had been completed. So now all she could do was to wait for her results in anxiety.


    She originally planned to get extra points so that she could stop participating in the competition and concentrate on preparing for the college entrance examination.


    But Fu Yangxi''s grandfather said that if she won the gold medal in the national competition, he would send her and Fu Yangxi to study abroad together - who wouldn''t be moved by this?


    There is no need to worry about tuition and living expenses!


    So Mingxi went back to Mr. Lu Wangwei and asked for the registration form for the next semester''s national competition.


    After these days of close contact, the amount of plants in her pot had risen to 488, and it was missing just a few more shoots.


    The winter vacation was only 10 days, so there was no need to pack anything.


    But no matter what, it was the longest holiday in the tense senior year. Some of the students from the International Class had already started tearing their books to celebrate, scattering shredded paper everywhere.


    Jiang Xiuqiu slept on the table and was caught off guard by the shredded paper: "..."


    Fu Yangxi felt that he had a girlfriend now and so he must be mature and stable. Thus, he sat on the chair with his hands in his pockets and did not participate in the whole process.


    Mingxi smiled and stuffed her books into her schoolbag.


    She and Fu Yangxi planned to stay at home for three days, and then go to Hainan to play for the remaining days.


    Mingxi rarely traveled far, so she was already looking forward to it, so much so that her heart almost exploded in anticipation.


    Mingxi packed up and planned to go back with Fu Yangxi, but was stopped by Lu Wangwei before leaving the school.


    Lu Wangwei intended to take this opportunity to give her some extra classes for her to learn more about the main points of the national competition in previous years.


    Mingxi had no choice but to stay.


    It just so happened that Fu Yangxi had to go back to the old house too ¡ª since Mingxi pulled him out last time, he hasn''t gone back for half a month.


    In the corridor.


    "Must you go back?" Mingxi frowned with worry. "Will your mother go to your grandfather¡¯s place this time?"


    Fu Yangxi ruffled her hair and said, "Lawyer Zhang called me. It wasn''t clear on the phone, but he revealed that my grandfather seems to have made up his mind to send my mother to get some treatment."


    Mingxi looked up in astonishment.


    The cold wind made a little mess out of Fu Yangxi''s short hair, and Fu Yangxi looked a little more mature.


    "She used to go to a treatment center every once in a while, but she would run out every time after staying for a few days, and I couldn''t force her to go in."


    The expression on Fu Yangxi''s face was a little gloomy.


    He paused. When he seemed to have made up his mind, he said, "But I''ve made up my mind, this time I''ll make sure that she stays there until she¡¯s fully cured. Maybe this is the best choice for her, and¡ª"


    Fu Yangxi smiled softly and pinched Zhao Mingxi''s face. "If it wasn¡¯t because of what you did that day, Little Mask, by suddenly blowing up, leaving my mother and grandfather stunned, my mother, she..."


    Yu Jiarong had sent a lot of text messages to Fu Yangxi recently. She was always in a bad state of mind, and she even texted him to scold him before.


    But the text messages sent recently have gradually become more calm, recalling the past, and even reminding Fu Yangxi to be wary of the rain.


    Fu Yangxi felt uncertain when he saw these recent text messages.


    He didn''t know if this was a good change.


    But with Zhao Mingxi by his side, he felt like he was standing under the sun, with an inexplicable confidence that everything would be fine.


    "Let''s just take it one step at a time. I only need you anyways."


    Mingxi hugged him hard and said sullenly, "Then come back early. I''ll be waiting for you at home."


    *


    Although Mingxi said that he should come home early, but Mr. Lu Wangwei nagged too much like a Tang monk. In the end, she came home later than Fu Yangxi.


    As soon as she pressed the password, opened the door and entered, she heard the sound of dancing music.


    Mingxi''s heartbeat suddenly quickened, she almost thought a robber had entered.


    She probed nervously and looked into the living room, only to see that Fu Yangxi was dancing with all his strength.


    When other people dance, they are dancing. But for him, he looked like he had stepped on an electric switch and was being electrocuted. He had a good pair of long legs, but he moved like a robot.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "Fu Yangxi, are you still thinking about this???"


    She simply mentioned that a man who can dance can get extra points!


    The music was so loud that Fu Yangxi didn''t hear Mingxi open the door at all. He didn''t turn his head until he heard her roar.


    Him: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi quickly turned off the music and ran into the room with a flushed face.


    ray''s note: thank you for your kind words everyone! as excited as i am to start my new journey, i''m sad that this story is nearing its end. we''ve got about less than 10 chapters to go and i don''t think i''m ready to say goodbye just yet ;__;

 CH 65.1

    The day they left for Sanya.


    There were only two hours left before they had to leave for the airport. Mingxi was still changing clothes in a hurry.


    "Quick, Xi ge, do you think this one looks good?"


    Fu Yangxi was holding a cup of coffee while squatting in front of the TV, fiddling with the switch with the crooked handle. Hearing the sound of the bedroom door opening and closing, he raised his head subconsciously.


    The moment he raised his head, his hand shook, and all the coffee spilled out.


    "You- Are you sure you want to wear this?!"


    Fu Yangxi''s ears were so red that it looked like blood was dripping out of them.


    Mingxi was extremely excited. "Is there something wrong with this? I checked the temperature over there. It¡¯s now over 30 degrees, so it must be as hot as summer!"


    She was wearing a sleeveless short dress with daisy patterns. Her collarbone could fit coins and her two pale legs were slender and long.


    Seeing that Fu Yangxi was looking over, she pulled at the door frame, shifting her long black hair over her shoulder. She excitedly did a few poses that could be used as for car models.


    Fu Yangxi felt very anxious, so anxious that there were ants crawling in his heart.


    He didn''t even bother to wipe the coffee on the floor. "Wait, aren¡¯t these pants too short? Will you accidentally expose yourself? And why is there no fabric on the shoulders? Won¡¯t the top fall off? What if it falls?"


    "It''s a dress, not pants!" Mingxi said helplessly. "I wore safety shorts, so why would I expose myself? Do you guys not know what safety shorts are?"


    After she finished speaking, she came over, lifted a corner of her skirt, and showed Fu Yangxi the white shorts.


    There was also a small Pikachu at the corner of the shorts.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    ???


    I''m dying. Little Mask is doing this intentionally, right??!


    Mingxi added, "And this is a tube top dress. This style of dressing is very common. You should have seen a lot of it at banquets."


    Fu Yangxi never paid attention to whether the girls were wearing tube tops or tube bottoms. It was only today that he realized that girls can wear so little in summer.


    No, it''s too little, isn''t it?


    "No," Fu Yangxi said. "I don''t think it looks good."


    Mingxi felt that he was acting very oddly. "What¡¯s not good?"


    Fu Yangxi stood up, stared at the dress on her body with a sad expression of ''it''s not good anywhere''. He pointed to the flower on her stomach. "This flower, the print is crooked, it looks like a small belly. Also, this one is as yellow as an oil painting, and the color is too unattractive - it''s not your problem, Little Mask, it''s the dress that doesn''t match you."


    Mingxi is dying of anger. Small belly? How can I have a small belly?


    She tugged at the dress on her body and looked at him suspiciously. "You can¡¯t be the kind of silly straight guy who doesn''t feel happy when his girlfriend wears too little, right?"


    "...No way?!" Fu Yangxi''s pale neck was red with guilt. "I''m just giving you advice. I don¡¯t have any selfish thoughts at all!"


    Mingxi looked down at her dress, wondering if it was because this 200 to 300 yuan dress that she got on Taobao was too cheap and had no sense of design?


    "Then I''ll change into another one!"


    Mingxi previously had the terminal illness sticking to her mind and she only focused on improving her luck and competition. However, everything is getting better now. Since she is going to play at the beach, of course she has to dress better.


    She excitedly went back and continued to change into several pieces.


    In the end¡ª


    ¡°So-so.¡±


    "The design is not good."


    "The hem of the skirt seems to be too small. I''m afraid that if you take too big of a step, you will trip on your feet and fall."


    ¡­


    All kinds of flaws were picked out by Fu Yangxi in a righteous manner.


    If the major manufacturers were here, perhaps they would have united and beat Fu Yangxi up.


    Mingxi was exhausted trying on clothes, so she couldn''t help dragging Fu Yangxi to her wardrobe, and said angrily, "Then which piece do you think is not a disaster to your eyes?"


    Fu Yangxi glanced at her summer dresses. When he saw that one skirt was shorter than the other, his brows twitched.


    He looked around. Finally, he took out her school uniform.


    Mingxi: ?


    Fu Yangxi looked down at her, raised his eyebrows solemnly and said. "Little Mask, why don''t you wear your school uniform? Pure and beautiful, it is definitely the most beautiful scenery by the sea. The people staring at you will line up from the beach to the opposite of the ocean."


    Mingxi said, ¡°...Leave.¡±


    Fu Yangxi suddenly felt that something was not right. He asked coldly, "Wait, Little Mask, why do you want to dress up so well?"


    Mingxi also replied quickly, "Hehe, to see if there are any handsome guys."


    ??? Fu Yangxi''s eyes suddenly went wide. He threw the school uniform and clothes hanger on the bed, his handsome face full of exasperation. He reached out and pinched Mingxi''s face. "Come here, Zhao Mingxi."


    "Hahahaha." Mingxi quickly slipped away.


    In the end, Fu Yangxi compromised and asked Mingxi to pack a few long dresses with straps into the suitcase.


    Seeing Mingxi happily packing up straw hats, sunscreen and other things, Fu Yangxi''s little bird was crying. He comforted himself, straps are fine, at least she¡¯ll be covering her legs.


    However, the two were still wearing down jackets when they set off. After all, it was still snowing in A City.


    Mingxi and Fu Yangxi stood in the cold wind, their breaths filled with freezing air, waiting for Xiao Li to dump the car out of the garage.


    Fu Yangxi pushed two suitcases.


    Meanwhile, Mingxi was empty-handed, carrying only a small bag on her back.


    Her face was full of excitement. She pulled down the zipper again to check whether her ID and other items had been brought with her. "Shall we have a big seafood dinner? Do you have any allergies? I don''t have any, I can eat anything. I can¡¯t dive. What should I do? Hey, I heard that there will be a bonfire party by the sea at night. By the way, what hotel did you book?"


    It was the first time that Fu Yangxi saw such excitement from Little Mask. It was rare to see her babble so much, so the corners of his lips couldn''t help but curl up. ¡°It''s the one from the show you watched¡ª¡±


    Mingxi looked at Fu Yangxi in shock. "?"


    Fu Yangxi felt triumphant as he took out his mobile phone with one hand and showed Zhao Mingxi the information of the hotel he had booked.

 CH 65.2

    Zhao Mingxi watched a drama some time ago. The hero and heroine lived in a beautiful sea-view hotel. It had the best underwater hotel service. When you sleep at night, you can see dolphins swimming around.


    At that time, Fu Yangxi took a glance at it when he passed by after taking a shower. He saw Zhao Mingxi staring at the actor in the TV series intently, and said that the actor was really good. His mood was: "..."


    At this moment.


    Mingxi leaned over and scrolled through his phone quickly with her fingers. Her eyes almost fell out of the sockets. "Poseidon Underwater Suite, 108,888 per night? Am I reading this right? One, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand??? Fu Yangxi, are you crazy?!!¡±


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Why is it good when the male protagonist in the TV series does it, but when he does it, he¡¯s crazy??


    Little Mask, you can''t practice such extreme double-standards as a person.


    Mingxi hurriedly said, "You should quickly ask for a refund. I don''t think it¡¯s necessary to book such a good one, it''s too wasteful."


    "Is it too expensive?" Fu Yangxi said. "This is the first time I''ve taken you out to play. How many times can I have such firsts in my life? For booking the best hotel, getting the best service and experience, and being in the most wonderful mood, I think it''s actually very cheap."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi suspected that he was showing off his wealth.


    "So." Fu Yangxi pointed at his cheek with a grim expression.


    "Hahahaha." Mingxi laughed hard. Then, she leaned over, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a firm kiss. "Xi ge, you are so handsome."


    Fu Yangxi''s ears turned red and his tail was about to shoot to the sky.


    *


    The plane arrived at around 5pm, and the two arrived at the hotel by the sea with their luggage.


    Mingxi went crazy with joy as soon as she entered the room. She threw herself on the bed and rolled around. Then, she lied down beside the floor-to-ceiling glass panel and observed the colorful fish that were swimming around.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows with a smile. He dragged her to the bathroom and told her to quickly take off her sweater and change into summer clothes, otherwise she might suffer from a heat stroke later.


    It was typhoon season in Sanya recently, but the majority of typhoons have passed and the sky was clear.


    Mingxi was wearing a long dress with straps. She pulled Fu Yangxi, who had changed into a flowery shirt, to go out. It was sunset, and the orange-red to purple fiery clouds were pressing on the sea. The blue sea hit the shore as many people ran barefoot on the beach.


    Mingxi stood under the setting sun, her long hair and dress blown by the wind.


    Fu Yangxi took a photo of her with the DSLR he brought and sent it to the group.


    Fu Yangxi: "My wife is so pretty. :D"


    Ke Chengwen, who was bored playing games at home: "..." F*ck.


    After a while, Fu Yangxi was removed from the group chat by Jiang Xiuqiu.


    ¡­


    The two went to the beach after having a huge seafood dinner. The sky darkened, and after playing with mud and sand, they were like two happy little lunatics. They originally planned to go back to the hotel to rest early, but they were dragged into the bonfire party by the people on the beach.


    Mingxi was not good at drinking. In addition, she played like crazy again tonight. She was persuaded to drink several cans of beer by a couple she met next to her.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t stop her despite his best efforts.


    So on this night, Fu Yangxi once again realized how terrifying a drunk Zhao Mingxi was.


    He picked up the drunk Zhao Mingxi and walked to the hotel room.


    Zhao Mingxi''s cheeks were flushed. She felt dizzy and her bright eyes were watery.


    Under the street light, she wiggled wildly in his arms and asked fiercely, "What are you planning to do? Are you going to sell me for money?"


    Fu Yangxi could die of happiness, because he had one hand supporting her neck while the other was holding her under her knees. Both his hands were occupied. He lowered his head, touched the tip of her nose with his own and said affectionately, "Yes, I''ll sell you to the most handsome guy in your class."


    Mingxi panicked. "??? You want to sell me to Jiang Xiuqiu? No, no, I refuse."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    ??? Fu Yangxi said angrily, "What the hell? Do you think Jiang Xiuqiu is the most handsome guy in your class?"


    Wow, Little Mask. Yet you always say that I am the most handsome one.


    Are you telling the truth after drinking now?


    "No, I don''t want to be sold to Jiang Xiuqiu. He¡¯s too much of a playboy." Mingxi was still struggling, grabbing Fu Yangxi''s collar with both hands, and almost tore the short sleeves of the 232 yuan floral shirt she bought for him from Taobao.


    Fu Yangxi was about to go mad with anger. He stopped, leaned over and put Mingxi on the swing by the roadside. "You have offended your partner now, you should reflect on it¡ª"


    Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Mingxi wrapped her cool arms around his neck again and begged in a low voice beside his ear, "Good person, sell me to Fu Yangxi."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi stopped for a moment. Like red ink dripping into the water, his face turned red little by little.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He tried his best to hold back the numbness of his scalp from being stimulated by Zhao Mingxi''s breath in his ears. Then, he twisted his neck and said coldly, "Who is Fu Yangxi? Why should I sell you to him?"


    Mingxi continued to hug his neck. She looked at him with hazy eyes and said, "He is the treasure in my heart."


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi: F*ck.


    Seriously, f*ck.


    Zhao Mingxi''s soft words made his heart tremble.

 CH 66.1

    Fu Yangxi spent a lot of effort before he finally managed to get Zhao Mingxi to lie on his back. Then, he walked back along the beach with one foot dragging the other.


    Was there anyone who was more miserable than him? He even had to beg and coax Zhao Mingxi to calm down and hook her around his neck to prevent her from falling.


    He walked for ten minutes before they reached the hotel.


    Sweat was already oozing from Fu Yangxi''s forehead, but Zhao Mingxi was still completely cool and refreshed.


    He took out their room card and entered the room. The floor lamp turned on in response.


    Schools of colorful fish swim around behind the floor-to-ceiling glass.


    Fu Yangxi wiped his forehead, turned his back to the sofa and gently placed Zhao Mingxi on the sofa.


    "Are you going to abandon me here?" Zhao Mingxi asked pitifully.


    She was still holding his neck with both her arms. Her face was flushed and she was staring at the back of his head.


    Fu Yangxi tilted his head slightly and coaxed softly, "No, I¡¯m just letting you go for a while."


    "No," Mingxi flatly refused. "A man''s mouth is deceiving. How long is ¡®temporarily¡¯? Three seconds? Five seconds?"


    ¡°Three, two, one.¡±


    She let go of both hands from Fu Yangxi''s neck for three seconds and hugged him again in a hurry, her legs clamped around his waist. "Three seconds are up."


    God, why is Little Mask so clingy when she is drunk??


    Fu Yangxi found her so cute that his heart trembled.


    He licked his lips, complacent and happy, and said, "Little Mask, you really can''t leave me, huh?"


    "Yes." Zhao Mingxi wouldn''t let go even if she was to be beaten to death. She almost strangled Fu Yangxi to death.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t help but chuckle. "Then you can change your name to Little Sticky Rice Cake."


    "Hmm." Mingxi still didn''t let go.


    Fu Yangxi had no choice but to turn around and face her. He supported himself with both hands on the back of the sofa, and she was trapped in it, her long hair disheveled as she looked at him with twinkling eyes.


    Fu Yangxi couldn''t restrain himself anymore. He lowered his head and lightly pecked the corner of her lips.


    Mingxi was very comfortable being kissed by him. She obediently let him kiss her. She even voluntarily wrapped her hands around his neck and got him to lower down a little.


    Between the lips and teeth was the scorching sweet smell of beer.


    But Fu Yangxi''s damned "honest man" thought came up again. He felt that she was extremely drunk, so even though he only kissed her, he was taking advantage of her.


    No, I still have to hold back and stop kissing her.


    So Fu Yangxi raised his head and said to Mingxi with a straight face, "Hurry up and let go of me. Go take a shower before going to sleep."


    Mingxi stared at him blankly before she suddenly cried with a wail. Of course, she was just howling with no tears. She complained, full of acting skills, "You scolded me."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    He felt more wronged than Dou E!


    "If you don''t let me go, I''ll wash you," Fu Yangxi threatened.


    Mingxi''s cheeks were hot. She leaned over to breathe next to his ear, "It¡¯s not, it''s not as if it¡¯s not allowed."


    "..." Fu Yangxi looked at Zhao Mingxi who was below him in disbelief.


    He was about to lose control. What kind of annoying little fairy is Little Mask when she is drunk?! She must never be allowed to drink with others outside in the future!


    Fu Yangxi suddenly doubted whether Zhao Mingxi recognized him as Fu Yangxi now.


    ¡ªHer coquettish behavior can¡¯t be an indiscriminate attack on everyone, right?


    Fu Yangxi raised his head and pulled Zhao Mingxi''s hand off his neck. He made Zhao Mingxi look directly at him and asked seriously, "Zhao Mingxi, stop moving around. Let me ask you a question, do you know who I am?"


    Zhao Mingxi giggled, broke away from Fu Yangxi''s hands and continued to touch Fu Yangxi''s chest restlessly.


    His shirt was about to be torn by her.


    She looked at Fu Yangxi frivolously and continued to blow into his ear. "You are my heart."


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi: I¡¯m dead.


    He held back the redness on his face and deliberately turned his face cold. He put on an expressionless look and said to Zhao Mingxi, "Look carefully, I am Shen Liyao."


    "..." Although Mingxi was quite drunk to the point where looking at the moon was like looking at a mooncake and she felt as if Fu Yangxi had grown a layer of fur.


    But she would never mistake Fu Yangxi as Shen Liyao.


    Drunk Mingxi''s inner thoughts: What kind of idiot is this person in front of me?


    Actually pretending to be Shen Liyao and lying to me?


    Nonetheless, Mingxi pushed Fu Yangxi away very cooperatively and said fiercely, "Shen Liyao, don''t touch me."


    Fu Yangxi wanted to laugh.


    How can Little Mask be so obedient?!


    Fu Yangxi stared at Zhao Mingxi under him, wiped his face, changed his expression again. He said solemnly, "Then, you should take another look. I am Fu Yangxi now."


    The drunk Mingxi was unable to complain.


    She went along with his act.


    She opened her eyes wide, showing a surprised expression. "Fu Yangxi? You''re here? Uwu, I want a hug."


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi¡¯s heart was about to melt.


    He couldn''t help but lightly pinch the face of Zhao Mingxi who threw herself on top of him.


    Little Mask is so cute.


    She is too f*cking cute! Is there anyone cuter than Zhao Mingxi in the world?


    This night was a mess. Mingxi still had a little consciousness in her head, but her whole body was already like a puddle of mud. She couldn''t lift herself up, let alone take a bath by herself.


    She had been pestering Fu Yangxi, wanting him to wash her.


    Fu Yangxi had no choice but to fill the bathtub with water and test the water temperature. Then, he closed his eyes, helped her take off the dress on her body and put her in the bathtub.


    The moment Fu Yangxi carried her in, his brain almost exploded. The sensation on his hands was soft and delicate. His heart almost jumped out.


    Zhao Mingxi flopped around in the bathtub, thinking she was a fish. After a long time of fuss, Fu Yangxi fished her up again, wrapped her in a bath towel, put on her underwear and threw her on the bed.


    After all this was done, Fu Yangxi was so exhausted that he collapsed.


    Although Little Mask looked thin, she really weighed quite a bit when she was carried, not to mention that she had been making a fuss.


    The schools of fish swimming around spit bubbles, as if accusing the two of being too clingy.


    After Mingxi¡¯s drunk night, the next afternoon, when she woke up, she was in a bad mood, as if she had fallen apart.


    She almost thought that Fu Yangxi had done something to her.


    Fu Yangxi''s face turned red. He almost jumped three feet high. "What could I have done? I changed your clothes with my eyes closed. Do you know how difficult that is? You will not be allowed to drink in the future."


    As a result, Mingxi used a kind of ''Didn''t do anything? Are you still a man'' eyes to look at him in disappointment.


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Good times always fly by so fast.


    In the next few days, seafood feasts, diving, swinging, sailing on a yacht, and New Year''s Eve arrived in the blink of an eye.


    The two spent New Year¡¯s here.


    Although the modern New Year didn¡¯t feel like a new year was here, after watching the fireworks show, the two returned to the hotel, turned on the TV, watched this year''s Spring Festival Gala, and kept watch until 12 o''clock.


    In the middle of it all, Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi both received some phone calls and SMS blessings. Ke Chengwen called Fu Yangxi the video in a lonely and cold manner. Fu Yangxi went to take a bath, so the person who picked up his mobile phone and answered was Mingxi, or specifically, Mingxi who was lying on the bed while eating snacks ¡ª As soon as the video was turned on, Ke Chengwen howled in despair and said "oh, my eyes" before he quickly hung up the video call.


    "Happy New Ye¡ª" Before Mingxi finished speaking, the video went black. She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    She called several teachers, the Dong family and He Yang''s family to send New Year greetings. She also asked about He Yang''s family situation on the phone.


    Now, the potted plants were short of the last five.


    As she gradually got rid of the villain''s misfortune, He Yang was no longer defined as the number one villain''s friend. The misfortune of He Yang''s family gradually disappeared completely and the fate like that in the original text should not appear anymore.


    This was of great significance to Mingxi.


    ¡­


    She hopes that not only her own destiny will become better, but also for the people she wants to protect, so that their fate will not repeat the mistakes of the previous life.


    Fu Yangxi made a phone call on the way. When he came back, he said with a complicated expression that he was sure, after the New Year¡¯s, his mother would be sent to a nursing home abroad for long-term treatment.


    But this time, it was Yu Jiarong''s own decision.


    It''s not that Mingxi''s last outburst woke her up, or in other words, Mingxi only played a small part of the fuse.


    Yu Jiarong herself had been struggling between reality and the past, making herself inhuman and ghostless, exhausted. And when she realized that she had indeed caused harm to Fu Yangxi, her rational part finally defeated her crazy part.


    She realized that perhaps she was really sick because she couldn''t control herself. And if left untreated, she will cause even greater irreparable scars to her only remaining child in the future.


    So, what else can be done?


    Yu Jiarong never admitted that her husband and son were dead.


    But at least, she couldn''t let her younger son disappear from this world.


    The old man made an appointment for Yu Jiarong on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, just before Fu Yangxi went back.


    As Yu Jiarong said, she didn¡¯t want to see Fu Yangxi again until she was cured.


    And Fu Yangxi respected her decision.


    Mingxi didn''t know if everything was going in a good direction.


    But all in all, it didn¡¯t seem to be getting any worse.


    ¡­


    She had already gone through the worst times with Fu Yangxi.


    On the Zhao family''s side, this New Year was deserted.


    Zhao Mo didn''t come home this year,so there were only four people in the whole family: Mr. Zhao, Madam Zhao, Zhao Zhanhuai and Zhao Yuning. There were three empty seats at the dining table for seven people¡ª Of course, Zhao Yuan¡¯s dining chair and room had been removed and would never be placed again.


    Zhao Mo called home, and after saying a few words of blessing, he hung up. His career had been affected and he was still busy, so he couldn¡¯t come back in the New Year.


    The whole family was sitting in the living room. The TV was on and there were various fruits and snacks on the coffee table, but no one moved. They were all looking at their phones absently. In fact, from the bottom of their hearts, they were still expecting Mingxi to call.


    However, on this day, they did not receive a call from Zhao Mingxi even until after midnight.


    Mingxi didn''t know how the Zhao family was doing now. She didn''t leave any room for them in her heart.


    When 12 o''clock struck for the final time this year, she and Fu Yangxi went to the beach.


    There were lively bonfires and crowds.


    Mingxi looked at the waves lapping on the shore and heard the cheers of the crowd. Tears even welled up in her eyes.


    She has achieved a completely different life from her previous life.


    Under the moonlight, she and Fu Yangxi hugged among the lively crowd until the arrival of the new year.


    *


    On the day of the return trip, the morning sun rose and Mingxi and Fu Yangxi finished their buffet before Fu Yangxi went to a fruit shop not far away to buy some oranges. He was planning to give them to Mingxi to be brought on the plane.


    Mingxi was wearing a floral dress, waiting on the spot with her luggage, the corners of her skirt and her long hair were all messed up by the wind.


    She was in a hurry to put on the straw hat when a photographer not far away suddenly took a picture of her.


    Before Mingxi had time to react, Fu Yangxi, who was digging out money to buy fruit diagonally across the street, had already strode towards the photographer, negotiating with an ugly face as he asked the other party to delete the photo.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    It was at this moment that Mingxi received a call from Mr. Lu.


    Mr. Lu chattered a lot excitedly on the phone, but Mingxi couldn''t hear anything except a few words. When she hung up the phone, her mind was blank and blood was rushing to her head.


    ¡­


    Everything was like a dream.


    The negative luck disappeared little by little.


    ¡­


    She could finally test her true grades with her own true strength.


    She was no longer the supporting actress Zhao Mingxi. She was finally just herself.


    "Fu Yangxi." The first thing Mingxi did when she hung up the phone was to turn to Fu Yangxi.


    She wanted to share all the ecstatic things with him.


    She didn¡¯t know when this person was carved into her life.


    Fu Yangxi was returning to the fruit shop to pick up the oranges and bought a bunch of daisies along the way. When he heard her calling him excitedly, he still hadn''t reacted.


    He turned his head subconsciously, only to see Mingxi running toward him.


    The edge of Mingxi''s dress was flying in the air.


    She left all her luggage on the spot, rushed into his arms like a happy little bomb and said to him out of breath, "Just now, I just¡ª"


    Fu Yangxi took the flowers, patted her on the back and said, "Talk slowly, don''t rush."


    In fact, Fu Yangxi had already guessed it, and the corners of his mouth twitched for her.


    Mingxi took a deep breath and then said excitedly, "In the finals, I am number one in the province."


    "..." Fu Yangxi gasped slightly. Although he knew that the fact that she showed this expression means that she must have done very well in the exam, he never expected her to be number one in the province.


    As soon as Mingxi finished speaking, Fu Yangxi stuffed the bouquet of daisies into her hands, picked her up and twirled her wildly several times. "That''s great, wife! You are my pride!!"


    Mingxi was dizzy from being turned around. She was both shy and excited when she heard how he addressed her. She held a pink and yellow daisy bouquet and covered her face on top of Fu Yangxi''s head.


    At this moment, she clearly saw that the potted plant she had raised for so long slowly grew the last one¡ª


    In the end, it became a neat ten trees.


    Mingxi: ???


    !!!

 CH 66.2

    Mingxi wanted to grab the system out and shake its shoulders crazily. "What does this mean? I''ve accumulated 500 trees?"


    The system exclaimed sincerely, "Yes. Congratulations, Happy New Year."


    Mingxi: ¡°Happy New Year, sob.¡±


    The system encouraged, "You can continue to freeload. After 500 points of luck, you will have the halo of the heroine. With the halo of the heroine, your future life will be completely smooth."


    Mingxi suddenly said to Fu Yangxi, "I love you."


    Fu Yangxi: ? Wh-Why so suddenly¡ª


    Fu Yangxi''s ears turned red. He tried his best to appear like a dominating boss and say some famous words, but at this moment his mind was blank. In the end, he could only reply dumbly, "Me too."


    Fu Yangxi may not know that he gave Mingxi the most unique and important New Year''s gift over the years.


    He saved Zhao Mingxi¡¯s life.


    He gave Zhao Mingxi a new life.


    Mingxi was so happy that she was going crazy.


    The photographer who had been taught a lesson by Fu Yangxi couldn''t help but take a picture when he saw this scene.


    ¡­


    Excited tall and handsome young man, weeping with joy, a long-haired girl with slightly red eyes, the corners of her floral dress twirling and daisies flying high. A few white birds flew by the seaside and the yacht made white waves on the sea.


    The flower shop next to it had a sign saying "A New Day Has Come".


    Under the sun, it was so beautiful.


    The moment the shutter was pressed, time seemed to be frozen at the moment when they were 18.


    *


    Maybe it was because they had such a good time at the seaside that when they came back, both Mingxi and Fu Yangxi felt a little lost. But as soon as they came back, it was the eighth day of the New Year. Winter vacation was over and the atmosphere of the start of school instantly diluted the atmosphere of the New Year.


    Xiao Li drove the two of them to school.


    When the two stepped into the class, everyone in the International Class stared at the test papers on the table and wailed.


    It''s the last semester of high school. Even those from good families in the International Class, most of whom are planning to go abroad, could feel that the pressure had doubled.


    Zhao Mingxi was wrapped in a scarf. She shrank her neck from the cold. As soon as she stepped into the class, Fu Yangxi winked at Ke Chengwen.


    Immediately, a group led by Ke Chengwen aimed at the door of the classroom with colorful cannons, and a spray of colorful stripes shot at Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi.


    A group of followers began to cheer, "Wow, the number one in the province is here!"


    "Genius, when are you going to Oxford?!"


    "Hahahaha." Some people mixed in and shouted deliberately, "We wish you a hundred years of harmonious union, boss."


    The class was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Mingxi was almost ashamed of all the praise.


    And the current hot topic in the school was of course that Zhao Mingxi surpassed Shen Liyao in the final and became number one in the province.


    The last time Zhao Mingxi ranked 35th in the province in the preliminary competition, it was only the people in this building that paid attention to her.


    But this time, it obviously became the concern of the whole school.


    After all, Shen Liyao was very well-known in A High and even in the whole city. Even the first and second graders in senior high school knew that he had been winning gold medals year after year without fail. But this time, Shen Liyao made fatal mistakes in the finals and only got third place in the province. He was three thirds away from Zhao Mingxi and became the second place in the school!


    Everyone knew that this was probably the first defeat in Shen Liyao''s smooth life.


    It was also strange.


    Why did this happen?


    Discussions appeared in every corner of the school.


    "Zhao Mingxi is so awesome! We can be regarded as witnesses to how she stumbled and grew all the way, from the middle of the Normal Class to the first in the province. She has become very outstanding."


    "Indeed, it''s the first time in three years that someone has ranked ahead of Shen Liyao. It''s shocking! But is it because the School Beauty has improved quickly or is it just that Shen Liyao didn''t do well in the exam this time?"


    "Haven''t you heard that Shen Liyao seems to be in a bad state recently, and the specific reason is¡ª I don''t know."


    ¡°He fell out of love?¡±


    "Impossible, impossible. He never liked Zhao Mingxi, so what kind of love did he fall out of? Maybe he caught a cold during the exam?"


    However, only Shen Liyao, Ye Bai and the others knew that Shen Liyao didn''t catch a cold or got sick during the final.


    Zhao Mingxi surpassed him. She actually surpassed him with her own abilities.


    Because of this, Ye Bai and the others were so horrified that they looked at each other in blank dismay all day, their minds buzzing.


    But it''s true that Shen Liyao''s condition was not good.


    He didn''t show up for the whole winter vacation, and when he appeared again, he was thinner. Wearing a black coat while carrying a robot with a broken leg, his face was pale, and he looked cold and silent.


    During the winter vacation, Shen Liyao might have figured something out.


    In short, when Ye Bai and the others saw him again, his gaze was no longer the same as before. He wasn¡¯t looking at Zhao Mingxi from the International Class anymore.


    When he met Zhao Mingxi again at school, he also had a blank expression on his face, as if he didn''t know her, and passed her by.


    Sometimes when he heard some gossip about Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi, his pen tip would of course draw an ugly, sharp and heavy mark on the book uncontrollably.


    But he seemed to be trying to restrain his emotions.


    When Ye Bai looked over, his emotions had already disappeared into the sea like drops of water, without leaving a trace.


    Shen Liyao has always been a person who can plan his life meticulously.


    Ye Bai and the others felt that it should be of no exception this time.


    Although he couldn''t let go, he was trying to force himself to let go.


    Then, it''s all just a matter of time.


    Besides, probably because of the change in Shen Liyao, Kong Jiaze from the school next door came to pester Shen Liyao more often.


    She was practically jumping over the courtyard wall twice a day.


    Ye Bai and the rest: ¡°...¡±


    Now they dare not speak about Kong Jiaze anymore, for fear that if they chase Kong Jiaze away, she will be the next Zhao Mingxi.


    *


    Two weeks after the final, Mingxi went to receive an award. At the same time, she briefly appeared on the provincial TV.


    In the past, Shen Liyao was interviewed by TV reporters every time. This time, the interviewee turned into a beautiful little girl, and they were also very surprised. They asked her to pick up the provincial gold medal in front of the camera, and talk about her feelings and methods to improve her studies.


    It was the first time for Mingxi to enter the interview studio, so she was actually a little nervous. Although she knew that Teacher Lu, Fu Yangxi and Ke Chengwen were waiting for her outside. He Yang also slipped in, holding a makeup bag in the lounge to help her with her makeup. She touched up her makeup, but she couldn''t help but feel tense all over.


    "If I have to say something about my feelings, there is a sentence that impressed me deeply: it doesn¡¯t matter who comes first, what matters is who lasts till the end," Mingxi held back her nervousness and continued, "Many things are difficult."


    For example, the day she left the Zhao family was a major turning point in her life. In her previous life, it was completely impossible for her to make a difficult decision.


    Before she was admitted to that building from the Normal Class, she had worked hard for an unknown amount of time, and had been contending with her negative luck. She endured the diarrhea of ??every exam, sudden hypoglycemia and unconsciousness.


    In order to break free from her own fate, she ran 30 laps on the sports field. After running, she could not lift her legs and arms and all the cells in her body seemed to have lost their senses.


    But wasn¡¯t it difficult for Fu Yangxi too? Tossing and turning every night for five years, haunted by nightmares.


    But he didn''t give up on himself, and Mingxi didn''t give up on herself either.


    "But no matter how difficult it is, someone will definitely do it."


    "So why can''t we be the ones who can?"


    "Maybe one day, two days, three days of hard work won''t change anything, but you can''t be discouraged, and you can''t give up. As long as you are working hard and running in the direction you want, one day, something will change quietly and bring you a new life!"


    Mingxi finished speaking vigorously. She had no such on-the-spot experience at all, and felt that what she said was simply too crude.


    So crude that bubbles were appearing.


    But the interviewing reporters were applauding.


    Teacher Lu Wangwei who was not far away also looked at her with eyes full of emotion. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.


    Mingxi: ???


    Are you guys for real?


    Don''t you think what I said was too fake?


    Mingxi didn''t know this, but compared to Shen Liyao''s indifferent sentence of "It''s nothing, IQ is superior", what she said was enough for reporters to collect all kinds of materials in all directions.


    So the reporters¡¯ excitement could be explained.


    The photographer in front of the camera looked at Zhao Mingxi. Then, he stood up and said excitedly, "Please show us a few more poses so that we can take some more pictures for the education web page."


    Mingxi internally thought: Sob, everyone is really being too polite.


    ¡­


    The news that Mingxi ranked first in the province in the finals spread widely.


    The Zhao family was watching the interview broadcast on the TV right now.


    Madam Zhao and Mr. Zhao were in a mixed mood, as if being pinched by a big hand, the pain was unbearable.


    Under the camera, Zhao Mingxi had black hair and pale skin. She was so beautiful and outstanding that no one could take their eyes off her.


    Why did they used to think that Mingxi was inferior to Zhao Yuan in every way? She was obviously a dusty pearl. As long as someone carefully brushes off the dust on her body, she will be able to bloom in admirable light.


    However, they failed to fulfill their responsibilities¡ª


    They even almost stepped her into the mud.


    It was she who struggled to wipe off the dust on her body bit by bit. Now she is shining brightly, but no one knew about the blood and tears she had swallowed.


    At this point, Madam Zhao finally knew what she had missed. She felt sorry for Zhao Mingxi, but she also felt remorse. Her stomach was full of guilt, and tears flowed down her cheeks.


    After all, being number one in the province was a big deal.


    Zhao Mingxi this year received the same treatment as Shen Liyao did in previous years. Her name was written on a banner and hung at the school gate.


    Anyone who entered or exited the school could see it.


    E Xiaoxia, Pu Shuang and other members of the Evergreen Class saw it and felt conflicted.


    But this time, everyone in the Evergreen Class was convinced. No one was making snarky remarks anymore.


    Zhao Mingxi had proved her own abilities through hard work.


    Zhao Yuan made a boyfriend and was still staying at the company to participate in the closed girl group training, preparing for a talent show in August this summer.


    So after the start of this semester, she had not come to school for more than a month.


    Everyone in the Evergreen Class speculated whether she didn''t plan to take the College Entrance Examination¡ª maybe she wanted to switch to the Art Examination?


    With Zhao Yuan''s grades, even if she didn¡¯t come to school for half a year, it was more than enough to pass a simple exam in the College Entrance Examination.


    So no one was bothered to worry about that for her.


    Therefore, Zhao Yuan didn''t see the banner at the school gate until the beginning of spring in March, when she went back to school and asked the dean to sign some documents.


    Bright red were the words "Zhao Mingxi" and "No. 1 in the province". Those words ran proudly across the banner. It instantly hurt Zhao Yuan''s eyes.


    She held back a student. "In last year''s final, was Zhao Mingxi ranked first?"


    "That''s right, you still don''t know about this?" The student gave her a strange look and said, "It was a sensation when school just started last month. It was all on TV."


    ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Yuan tightly grasped the leave request report in her hand, trembling slightly all over.


    She looked down at her knee which had been injured from dance training and was still not healed.


    She glanced at the tiny cuts on her fingers from having to wash and cook.


    She then raised her head again to look at the banner.


    At that moment, hatred gushed out madly like a black colored spring.


    Her own fingers became rougher and rougher, and yet Zhao Mingxi embarked on another road full of flowers.


    Her biological mother had already gone to prison and her reputation had been ruined. Even if she becomes famous in the future, she still has to worry about her past being unearthed all the time. The company also prepared miserable measures in advance.


    But Zhao Mingxi lived under the sun and became the real daughter who was ''bullied''. Everyone in the Zhao family was eagerly waiting for her to go back, but she dismissed them.


    ¡ªHow unfair is this?


    ¡­


    The art school boyfriend who accompanied her back to school urged impatiently, "Hurry up. Quickly get your dean to sign the papers, and then we¡¯ll go play some games."


    Oh yes.


    Also¡­


    The person beside her, Fu Yangxi, was the chosen one.


    Meanwhile, the person next to her was an idiot who only wanted to play games and make out with her.


    Zhao Yuan pinched her fingertips into her palm, feeling so full of hatred that she almost bled from the pinching.


    "What are you doing, standing there in a daze?" the art school boyfriend urged.


    Then, Zhao Yuan turned her head and glanced at him.


    There was a gloomy look in those eyes that he didn''t recognize.


    It almost startled him.

 CH 67.1

    Zhao Yuan returned to the company''s dormitory that day, all the while in a daze.


    The dormitory was a room containing six girls. Zhao Yuan was lying on the upper bunk, very close to the chandelier on the yellowed ceiling.


    She could see tiny flying insects coming in through the window and flying around the lampshade that hadn''t been scrubbed in a long time.


    Zhao Yuan remembered when she used to live in the Zhao family''s villa. She had never seen any flying insects indoors. There would be some in the garden, but the gardener hired by Zhao Zhanhuai was very professional and would spray special insect repellent drugs, so in spring, even bees couldn¡¯t be seen.


    She endured the buzzing of flying insects, closed her eyes, and bent her legs.


    But she turned over and kicked a pile of clothes again.


    Zhao Yuan suddenly felt overwhelming resentment.


    Her previous room was larger than the three dormitories combined and her walk-in closet was more than 10 square meters in size. The designer clothes and jewelry in it were all matched by herself.


    At that time, she never knew what the word "struggle" meant, because as long as she wanted it, the Zhao family would buy it for her unless it was as expensive as an airplane.


    But here, the wardrobe in the dormitory was less than half a meter wide, which was not enough at all. So, she had to pile most of her clothes on the bed.


    The whole single bed was extremely messy. Some clothes became crumpled, and they had lost the previous temperament they had when she wore them outdoors.


    Now she couldn¡¯t even sleep with her legs straight.


    Soon, some girls came back from the dance practice room. When they entered the dormitory, they closed the door with a clanging sound.


    One of them had dyed their hair pink. They were already wearing sexy denim shorts and a tank top in the spring of March. Another girl had dyed her hair an indigo blue. She was dressed in neutral clothes and she had a cigarette in her mouth. She held a basin of clothes that had not been washed for a long time and were about to stink in the water.


    Zhao Yuan closed her eyes tightly, facing the wall.


    However, the smell of sweat in the air, fermented clothes crowded together in a dormitory by several people, nail polish, and a dozen yuan of takeaway all mixed together, formed a smell that made people want to dry heave, penetrated her nose.


    Zhao Yuan tightly clenched the bed sheet as her stomach churned.


    Everything was different from what she imagined.


    It was only after leaving the Zhao family''s house did Zhao Yuan realize how difficult it was outside.


    After she signed a contract with her agent, she thought she would be able to directly enter the entertainment industry and become a hit. But what she didn''t expect was that there were many girls like her under the manager''s purview, and there were even girls who were prettier and better at dancing than her.


    Moreover, these trainees were unequal in age, and some of them had even only reached elementary school. For example, the pink haired girl liked to use the curse words "pig" and "b*tch" over and over again. The indigo-haired one was not talkative, but she was extremely unwilling to clean. She would soak her underwear for around 10 days before they were washed.


    There were only three washing machines outside the dormitories, but more than a dozen trainees live in these crowded places.


    After seeing someone throw 10 days old underwear into the washing machine at one time, Zhao Yuan could only start washing her underwear by hand.


    She watched helplessly as her life fell in dire straits while Zhao Mingxi¡¯s life was smooth sailing.


    The unwillingness and resentment in her heart gradually accumulated, making the hatred in her heart more and more intense.


    In April, Zhao Yuan went to Zhao Zhanhuai''s company to find Zhao Zhanhuai.


    Among all the members of the Zhao family, Zhao Zhanhuai was of extraordinary significance to Zhao Yuan.


    This was the brother she admired, adored and loved the most since she was a child.


    When she was living in the cramped trainee dormitory, she even dreamed that Zhao Zhanhuai would drive over and take her home. She hoped that Zhao Zhanhuai could think of their old relationship and provide her with some help, even if it was some money, a greeting to her entertainment company, or a word of comfort.


    But unexpectedly, for the 8 out of more than 10 times in a row that she went to find Zhao Zhanhuai, she was directly turned away by the company guards. As for the 3 times she almost caught up with Zhao Zhanhuai''s car, she didn¡¯t know if Zhao Zhanhuai saw her, but his car that was directly in front of her drove away.


    This continued until the last time Zhao Yuan met Zhao Zhanhuai in the underground garage.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was almost annoyed by Zhao Yuan''s harassment. He didn''t understand why Zhao Yuan was looking for him now. If she had even an ounce of self-awareness, she would stay far away from his family.


    After hearing that Zhao Yuan wanted money, Zhao Zhanhuai laughed angrily. "Zhang Yuan, please understand this: our family doesn''t owe you anything."


    "It was your mother who swapped the children. Your mother was the culprit who hurt our family and broke our whole family to pieces. The cost our family spent on you in the past 10 years was not tens of millions, but there were always millions, right? Also, our family cares about our old relationship, so we didn¡¯t even ask you to pay back the debt! Under such circumstances, I don¡¯t understand what mentality you have in coming to me to ask for money.¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai''s face was ugly. "A man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. If you keep pestering and squatting at the company''s gate, I will call for security!"


    Zhao Yuan burst into tears. She stopped in front of Zhao Zhanhuai''s car and said to Zhao Zhanhuai, "Brother, my mother was the culprit who changed the children, but what wrong did I commit?"


    "Do you think we don''t know who sent the text message that made Zhang Yufen escape??"


    Zhao Yuan turned pale.


    Zhao Zhan was full of anger. He yelled, "Miss Zhang, please respect yourself. At least you have been educated in our family for more than 10 years. Don''t end up living like your biological mother!"


    After he finished speaking, Zhao Zhanhuai stepped on the accelerator and said to Zhao Yuan, "Get out of the way!"


    Zhao Yuan couldn''t believe that Zhao Zhanhuai would treat her like this. She didn''t move at first, but Zhao Zhanhuai''s car drove straight over. The blood all over her body rushed to the top of her head, and then she ran away in a panic.


    So Zhao Zhanhuai turned a corner, and the car sped away.


    Zhao Yuan stood there in a daze. In the early May weather, her whole body became colder and colder.


    She saw the disgust in Zhao Zhanhuai''s eyes just now.


    When Zhao Yuan returned to the trainee dormitory in a daze, someone in the dormitory heard that she went to speak to Zhao Zhanhuai. Someone taunted her in a strange tone, "Since you have a rich brother, why do you still come to fight and compete for the spot with us?"


    Zhao Yuan dug her nails into her palm, resisting the urge to tear that girl apart.


    After a while, the assistant agent under centralized management came to make rounds and scolded them, telling them not to make trouble, and not to use too many high-power electrical appliances, because it was easy to catch fire in this season.


    If you want to dry your hair and the power of the hair dryer is too high, try to go downstairs to blow it.


    It was said that an office building in this city burned up a few days ago. Although the fire was successfully extinguished in the end, the loss was worth millions. They still haven''t figured out how it caught fire.


    "Fire?" Zhao Yuan asked in a daze.


    She raised her head and looked at the tiny flying insects on the ceiling. She didn''t know what to think, and kept staring at them.


    Seeing her act strangely, the people in the dormitory thought she had been triggered by something. They all felt goosebumps all over, so they simply walked around her.


    *


    Time flew by so fast in the second semester of high school. Once the winter, which could freeze every breath, was over, the spring was particularly short. Mingxi ushered in May directly amidst the busyness.


    Several classes had very tight schedules. Although most of the International Class students will go abroad, they could also feel the urgency of the last semester from the pace of the Normal Class in the school cafeteria.


    Starting from this semester, Fu Yangxi slept in class much less often. The pillow Mingxi gave him was useless. He washed it and threw it on the sofa at home.


    While Mingxi was doing her homework every day, he would prop his head lazily, put on his silver noise-canceling headphones, flip through the book, or just stare at Mingxi stupidly, as if her face was blooming.


    Although he was not studying seriously now, it was much better than last semester when he would sleep in class and cause trouble after class every day.


    Last month, Fu Yangxi didn''t make trouble for a whole month, so Lu Wangwei got his first performance bonus in three years. He almost cried with joy.


    The followers in the class were devastated.


    Although Fu Yangxi was fierce and had a bad temper, he was the cohesive force of the whole class.


    But now, it''s like a child king was gradually maturing, gradually no longer willing to be the boss who would lead them to misbehave, but gradually becoming a mature man who would buy ice cream for his girl in summer and ginger syrup in winter.


    It would inevitably make them sad.


    They were graduating soon. Zhao Mingxi might be able to be with Fu Yangxi forever.


    But these people have to go their separate ways.


    After school that day, someone even recited an impromptu poem to Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi on the spot. "Ah! Youth!"


    "..." Mingxi was startled. She turned to look at the follower.


    The follower continued to yell heart-piercingly, "¡ªis it always going to end?!"


    Someone answered, "Just like the black gold skull chain on the boss''s neck, has it completely disappeared?"


    "What the hell? Get lost!" Fu Yangxi looked disgusted. He grabbed a book and threw it at them. That boy quickly dodged, and the book hit the blackboard with a crisp "snap" sound. The whole class burst into laughter, and there was a joyful atmosphere in the air.


    Mingxi laughed, and suddenly felt that this scene looked familiar.


    She thought about it, wasn''t this the lively atmosphere when she returned to the class after she proposed to Lu Wangwei to sit at the same table with Fu Yangxi not long after the start of last semester?


    It¡¯s practically the same.


    Memory really is a reincarnation.


    For a moment, she thought it happened yesterday, but when she looked at the calendar again, half a year had passed.


    Seeing Mingxi looking over, Fu Yangxi suddenly blushed a little. He quickly saved his image. "Don''t listen to his nonsense. What black and gold chains, is my aesthetic so bad?! It was mainly because for those two days, Ke Chengwen and the people not from our school made a bet on motorcycles. So if we didn¡¯t dress more pompously, we won¡¯t be able to crush each other in terms of momentum.¡±


    Ke Chengwen came out from behind them like a turtle from a hole and poked his head over. "Wait, it was my bet? Why did I remember that it was you, Xi ge, who¡ª"


    Fu Yangxi glanced over coldly.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡­Fine.


    Ke Chengwen said, "I remember now. It was me."


    Mingxi was about to laugh to death. She said, "Actually, it''s not bad. It matches you very well."


    ¡°It matches me very well¡±? What does that mean? Does she mean that I¡¯m the kind of person to sport cringy fashion?


    Fu Yangxi became angry from embarrassment, and was about to speak when¡­


    Mingxi said, "At that time, you were lying on the table, holding a sports coat. You raised your head impatiently, twisted your eyebrows, and for the first time you glanced at me, I thought you were cool and handsome. Do you understand this kind of feeling?"


    Mingxi drew a small heart on the notebook, and drew an arrow through it.


    Fu Yangxi pretended to glance casually, but almost choked himself. He coughed, and flicked through a few pages of the book in his hand, trying to make himself look serious, but he still couldn''t control the redness at the base of his ears.


    Mingxi loved to tease Fu Yangxi too much. Seeing him like this, she laughed.


    Ke Chengwen who was on the side: "¡ª"


    A woman''s mouth is as deceitful as a ghost¡¯s.


    He dared to bet that when Zhao Mingxi first saw Fu Yangxi, it was definitely not love at first sight.


    Having said that, Ke Chengwen had a question in mind, so he had to ask.


    He asked Zhao Mingxi, "Then when you switched classes, why were you always sticking your nose so close to Xi ge?"


    Fu Yangxi also thought of this, and quickly raised his ears.


    Mingxi took a look at the potted plants that had slowly grown to more than 600 small tender seedlings. Of course, she also wondered if she should tell the truth to Fu Yangxi, that she was actually approaching him for luck in the first place. But Mingxi thought about it later and realized that it didn¡¯t really matter whether she told him or not.


    Saying it out loud would only cause Fu Yangxi heartache.

 CH 67.2

    She knew that Fu Yangxi would not lose his temper with her because of such a small matter. Even if he lost his temper, she could just coax him. He was always easy to coax.


    But if he is sad, she will feel bad too.


    Anyway, the important thing is that in the future, she will no longer be close to him because of luck.


    She already liked him with all her heart.


    So, Mingxi told a little white lie, and said, "Actually, during that time, it was because the shower gel on Xi ge smelled so good, so I couldn''t help but take a few more sniffs."


    Case solved. That''s what it turned out to be.


    Ke Chengwen was amazed. "Xi ge, you should thank the shower gel you used those few days, otherwise Zhao Mingxi might not have liked you."


    ¡°...???¡±


    "Are you looking for death?" Fu Yangxi''s face turned foul all of a sudden. Is this what a person should say?


    He jumped into a rage, picked up the book in his hand and threw it at him.


    Thanks to Ke Chengwen, Mingxi had to hurry to coax him this afternoon and tell him that she didn''t like him because of the smell of shower gel.


    #A murder caused by a bottle of shower gel#


    But a few days later, Mingxi saw that Fu Yangxi bought back several boxes of the shower gel that he used at that time. After taking a shower at night, he was still pretending to be nonchalantly dangling beside Mingxi, with a face full of hesitation that said "why don''t you come here and sniff me?".


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Oh no, maybe he¡¯ll use this shower gel for the next few years.


    After the Labor Day holiday, Mingxi had accumulated 612 potted plants.


    The more the numbers go up, the slower it accumulates. Many useful things at the beginning, such as sending text messages and sending desserts, are not useful to increase luck anymore.


    She wondered if she had to marry Fu Yangxi to reach the last 999th tree.


    But Mingxi was not in a hurry.


    From the very beginning, her goal was just to fill her negative luck. She only wanted to become an ordinary person who would not be dragged down by negative luck.


    She never thought that she had to have the aura of a heroine.


    But as the tender seedlings gradually increased, Mingxi still felt that her luck now had changed drastically from the worst time before.


    For example, when she was walking on the playground, a basketball was thrown straight at her - in the past, it would definitely cause swelling on her face once she is hit, but now, for no reason, she would be blocked by a physical education teacher running over.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi now knew what the heroine''s luck was.


    Isn''t this smooth sailing? Even the basketball that was about to hit her couldn''t fall on her, she was so lucky.


    *


    May 13th was a Sunday, less than a month before the college entrance examination.


    In late spring and early summer, it was slightly hot and vegetation grew wildly.


    It has become a tradition for Mingxi to go to Professor Gao¡¯s place every Sunday, but this time may be the last time before the college entrance examination.


    After all, she had to concentrate on preparing for the exam.


    "Professor Gao didn¡¯t want the health care product I bought last time. Now it seems to have expired." Mingxi squatted on the ground, searched out the present from the cabinet that Professor Gao threw out last time, and sighed. "What a waste."


    "That old man is really harder to take care of than me." Fu Yangxi took a sip of water, walked over and said, "Last year, I told him that weeds grew wildly in the yard, and that the haystack was too dry and easy to catch fire. For that, he even scolded us and kicked us out. Later, I hired someone to remove all the grass in the yard while he was away, and when he came back he beat me out with a broom."


    However, this old man had helped Mingxi a lot in almost a year¡¯s time.


    Fu Yangxi said, "Why don''t we give him alcohol this time?"


    Mingxi had an idea. She raised her head and said, "Also, let''s not say that we brought it for him. We¡¯ll carry it when we go, and then pretend to forget to take it when we leave. He doesn''t know our address, so he won''t send it back to us.¡±


    "Oh, and buy some summer shirts for his grandson. Summer is coming."


    "Little clever girl," Fu Yangxi couldn''t help laughing and rumpled Mingxi''s hair. "Well, I¡¯ll send you there first, and then I''ll go buy the shirts and wine."


    Mingxi replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Otherwise, if Mingxi is late, Professor Gao will be upset again.


    Professor Gao''s house was remote and dilapidated. It was situated deep in an alley, surrounded by old men and women. But Professor Gao had a weird personality and didn¡¯t get along well with his neighbors, so most of them stayed behind closed doors.


    It was a hot day. When Mingxi passed by, he was playing chess with himself, while his grandson sat watching the ants in the hole in the wall.


    Mingxi put down her things, and asked with difficulty what his little grandson wanted to eat. Then, she planned to go shopping for groceries.


    Professor Gao glanced at her. Although his face was still as cold as before, he was actually a little bit reluctant.


    For more than half a year, it was only when Zhao Mingxi came over every weekend, there would be a little life in this dilapidated house.


    As soon as she left, the house returned to its desolate and dead silence.


    Soon Zhao Mingxi will take the college entrance examination. After the college entrance examination, she will definitely not stay in the local area. There is a high probability that she will go abroad to study. Then, the days to come will return to where he and his grandson can only depend on each other.


    "I''ll go shopping with you." Professor Gao patted the ashes on his trousers and stood up.


    Mingxi hurriedly said, "I''ll just go on my own."


    Professor Gao said impatiently, "The rice is gone, and you, a little girl, can''t carry it. You can go and buy vegetables, while I go and buy rice. Our journey to and fro will only take 20 minutes. My grandson is autistic, not a fool."


    Mingxi had no choice but to shut up.


    Before leaving, Professor Gao asked his grandson to play in the room, and then locked both doors of the room. The front door was locked from the inside, and the back door was a small door opened from the kitchen.


    He and Zhao Mingxi walked through the vegetable field behind the small gate together, and went to the vegetable market from the back mountain path.


    In the quiet afternoon, the hot sun was like a heat wave.


    Zhao Yuan watched Zhao Mingxi enter the dilapidated house, but did not see Zhao Mingxi come out. The room is dead silent, are they taking a nap?


    Zhao Yuan stood in the alley, looked up at the narrow sky, and then looked around - she had been here several times, and confirmed that there were no surveillance cameras around.


    Zhao Yuan''s hands and feet trembled.


    If you set a fire, the crazy flames will burn along all the fabrics in the house. This kind of old house will be completely helpless under the crackling fire.


    It''s not a house with an elevator either, so there wouldn¡¯t be fire hydrants in it like schools would.


    She didn''t know whether the fire was burning fast enough or whether it could last until the fire truck arrived, trapping Zhao Mingxi inside and burning her to death. But in this place, deep in the alley, it would be very difficult for fire trucks to drive in.


    She read a lot of news recently and knew that a fire may not burn that fast. Something needs to be added¡ª¡ªZhao Yuan glanced at the oil tank she got.


    But what if the people inside break through the window?


    Do the windows and doors still need to be locked from the outside?


    In that case, Zhao Mingxi will disappear.


    If she doesn''t disappear, burns are fine too. If her face is ruined, will anyone still like her?


    Fu Yangxi will definitely not stay by her side anymore.


    Zhao Yuan''s heart was beating fast as blood rushed to her throat.


    She remembered that when she was 15 years old, before Zhao Mingxi came to this city, everything in her life was obviously fine.


    She was sitting on a swing in the garden. Madam Zhao was sitting while reading a book with a smile on her face, and the nanny brought two cups of English black tea for them.


    There were countless beautiful skirts in the closet for her to choose, and she was studying in the best school, surrounded by friends.


    Zhao Zhanhuai was gentle and considerate. He would come to pick her up on the weekends, which made all the girls envious of her.


    ¡­


    Those were clearly such beautiful days.


    Then after Zhao Mingxi came, these moments turned into Zhao Zhanhuai''s disgusted eyes, and the bug flying on the lampshade in the crowded dormitory.


    Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.


    That bug kept Zhao Yuan from getting a good night''s sleep for several months.


    She was going to have a nervous breakdown.


    How could she live like a bug all her life?


    If she couldn¡¯t get up again, then at least she would drag the person she hated the most down with her.


    At least, let her experience hell with herself.


    The more Zhao Yuan thought about it, the crazier she became. Her hands and feet were cold, but her face was distorted and flushed.


    She walked softly into the yard.


    *


    Mingxi came back first with the vegetables. Professor Gao might be a little slow carrying the rice.


    Before she reached the entrance of the alley, she heard screams, and many old ladies and old men ran out in fear. Then, she saw a fire coming out from one direction, reflecting red on the bungalows next to her.


    Something is burning somewhere.


    Looking again, it was the direction of Professor Gao''s house. The flames were very large, and the whole house was like a huge furnace, steaming and roasting the people inside. Thick smoke billowed and circled upwards.


    Mingxi was startled, the vegetables in her hand rolled all over the floor. She quickly ran over there. "Did someone call 119?"


    "Y-Yes, the fire truck is on its way, but, but¡ª" The fat old lady who ran out sat limply on the ground.


    Professor Gao''s grandson was still inside.


    A normal person would cover his mouth and nose, break the glass, and escape from the window, but that child must have been at a loss.


    Moreover, Professor Gao locked the door before leaving.


    By the time the ambulance arrives, it will be too late.


    Mingxi''s heart was pounding. She vaguely felt that something was wrong with this matter. It was impossible for a fire to ignite without reason. It was more like it was caused by herself.


    But at this moment, how could she care so much? She snatched a soaked sheet from an old man who had just rushed out, covered her mouth and nose, and rushed in.


    10 meters.


    She just had to rush in and bring him out.

 CH 68.1

    Everything in the kitchen and living room was already on fire, and the crackling flames engulfed everything. The thick smoke made people''s throats and lungs feel like they were about to explode.


    The burning, tingling sensation spread upwards and outwards; the sense of fear swept people''s hearts. The high temperature blurred people''s eyes.


    The child looked frightened as he hid beside the toilet.


    Mingxi wrapped the quilt around him. When she rushed out with him in her arms, suddenly a beam broke and fell down.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mingxi, wake up.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mingxi, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Mingxi was dripping with sweat, as if her head was being held down and soaked in sweat. There was no strength in any place from her eyelids to her fingertips.


    She was terrified, and tried her best to open her eyes.


    Then, she found out that she was already in the hospital.


    The clean, white ceiling greeted the eye.


    The pungent smell of disinfectant finally overwhelmed the billowing smoke¡ª


    Her heart was beating wildly. Turning her head, she saw that Dong Hui''s eyes were red. She was holding a wet towel to wipe the dirt on her face and neck, and He Yang was not far away.


    "She¡¯s awake, she¡¯s awake!" He Yang rushed out and said to the doctor.


    Mingxi heard the doctor outside say, "Then she¡¯ll be fine. It''s just that she inhaled some thick smoke and her throat was damaged. Ask her to try not to talk for a few days and drink plenty of water. It will be fine after a slow recovery."


    Dong Hui and He Yang were relieved when they heard this.


    I¡¯m out of the house?


    The burnt feeling seemed to remain on the surface of the skin.


    Mingxi felt that everything was a little surreal.


    Wait¡ª


    "Where''s Fu Yangxi?" As soon as Mingxi opened her mouth, she found that she was almost forced to speak with her breath.


    Her voice sounded as if she was 70 or 80 years old.


    She struggled to sit up, but only her mind could move. Her body was like a heavy shot put, and she couldn''t lift a single finger.


    Especially the arms, so tired that every cell was sore and limp.


    She remembered the moment when the crazy flames rushed up, the child almost fell out of her hold, and she fell into a cold embrace in the distorted heat.


    The sheets on her body were already scorched by the high temperature and were about to burn.


    At that moment, the new soaked sheets wrapped her body again in time, and someone rushed out with her. The power that hugged her seemed to lead her to a new life.


    "He''s in the next ward," Dong Hui said.


    It really wasn''t an illusion.


    Mingxi''s internal organs were seized up in fear for a moment. "What''s wrong with him?!"


    "Okay, okay, stop talking, your voice will break if you open your mouth again!" Dong Hui quickly pushed back Mingxi who was barely supporting herself, and said to her, "He''s fine, but he hasn''t woken up yet. Everyone is all right, Mingxi, you saved the child''s life. But the professor''s house may have burned down, and the firefighters only managed to save half of it¡ª"


    Before she finished speaking, Dong Hui saw Mingxi desperately propping herself up with her elbows, trying to get off the bed.


    But because she had no strength, she fell off the bed directly with a "bang".


    "Hey, I said he''s fine. You really are a child." Dong Hui and He Yang rushed to help. They looked left and right, but they didn''t see any support, so they had to help Mingxi to sit down on the bed.


    Dong Hui knelt down to help put on Mingxi¡¯s shoes, and said, "Your Uncle Dong has gone to communicate with the police. Dong Shen, we haven''t told him about it yet. It''s not good to disturb your rest if there are too many people. I¡¯ll ask him to come tomorrow to bring you some soup. He Yang, go downstairs and rent a wheelchair."


    Mingxi''s limbs were still weak and limp. She felt like she had run a marathon for the rest of her life. She obviously only spent a few minutes rushing in, but at this time her blood sugar was so low that her vision was turning black.


    As she didn''t see Fu Yangxi, she was still holding a breath of fear.


    Her heart was still beating wildly, not daring to relax.


    He Yang went downstairs to rent a wheelchair.


    It was very difficult for Mingxi to speak. Her throat seemed to be on fire, so she had to wait with her lips pursed.


    Seeing that she had been changed into a blue and white striped hospital gown, she subconsciously lowered her head and touched her neck.


    Then, she found that the piece of jade that she had been wearing around her neck was gone.


    Was Grandma''s gift to me lost in the fire?


    "Here it is." Dong Hui could tell what she was looking for at a glance. She quickly took out a piece of jade from under her pillow, and handed it to her.


    Mingxi''s fingers trembled a little. She took them, and tried to wipe them with her trembling thumbs.


    Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with her grandmother¡¯s gift, except that it was stained with black ash.


    After wiping it clean, it was back to its original look.


    It''s just that the red rope that had been hanging around her neck had been burned.


    Seeing Mingxi''s watery eyes looking over, Dong Hui explained, "The firefighter probably found it for you. When the ambulance brought you over, it was stuffed in your pocket."


    Mingxi nodded slowly, her beating heart finally slowed down, and she gradually woke up from the surrealism and fear of the fire.


    He Yang pushed the wheelchair up. Mingxi also recovered a little bit of strength, so she could walk a few steps with just Dong Hui¡¯s support.


    As soon as they went out, they saw a few bodyguards in black suits, who should be workers of the Fu family.


    Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu were both in the next ward. Seeing Mingxi being helped over, they asked He Yang a few words about Mingxi''s situation, and they were relieved when they got the answer that nothing was wrong.


    It was luck among misfortunes. The fire was not so big that it could not be contained, and Mingxi rushed out with the child fast enough. Before she was about to lose her strength, Fu Yangxi who rushed in caught her again.


    No one was hurt.


    Except for¡ª


    Mingxi pushed them away, and finally saw Fu Yangxi clearly on the hospital bed.


    His eyes were tightly closed. His face seemed to be fine, only his lips were a little pale. His handsome face was dirty, and his short hair on his forehead was burnt.


    Mingxi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, she suddenly vaguely saw bloodstains on the pillow under his quilt.


    Mingxi''s eyelids twitched. She gasped, stepped forward and pulled the quilt lightly. She saw that his upper body was covered by the loose hospital gown, only half worn, his right shoulder had already been bandaged, and the snow-white bandage was covered with medicine.


    Even so, there was still bright red blood oozing from his shoulders.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi was so distressed that she could hardly speak. Her throat was sore, and hot tears fell down instantly.


    You call this ¡°alright¡±?


    Ke Chengwen came over to explain, ¡°Xi ge was given anesthesia. He may wake up later than you, but the doctor has examined him and said that there is nothing seriously wrong with him, and he will be fine when he wakes up tomorrow."


    Mingxi glanced at Ke Chengwen, and pointed anxiously at Fu Yangxi''s shoulder.


    Ke Chengwen comforted her and said, "It''s okay, don''t worry. It''s just a small piece on the shoulder. The doctor has already treated it, and it will recover."


    Mingxi was angry and anxious. She wanted to make gestures but she couldn''t express herself clearly.


    There was a commotion in the elevator. Several bodyguards walked over and stopped them.


    Mingxi''s thoughts were all on Fu Yangxi. She didn''t care about what happened to the commotion. When Dong Hui came over and said that the Zhao family wanted to see her, she was in no mood to deal with it. She walked past the last few bodyguards, and the commotion ceased.


    She went to see Professor Gao''s grandson. His little grandson was also safe and sound. Professor Gao had already wiped his cheeks and hands. At this time, Professor Gao was lying on the bedside and had fallen asleep in exhaustion.


    Mingxi gently closed the door of the ward, and returned to Fu Yangxi''s ward.


    People from the Fu family also came. Lawyer Zhang went to cooperate with the police in investigating the cause of the fire.


    It was said that at first, the neighbors in the surrounding neighborhood thought it was Professor Gao¡¯s grandson who was playing with electrical appliances at home and accidentally caught fire, but after an investigation by the police, they found that some flammable chemicals remained in the yard.


    The fire seemed to be purposely ignited by a person.


    This sentence gave Ke Chengwen, He Yang and the others goosebumps.


    In any case, these matters were handed over to the police and the Fu family for investigation.


    Mingxi stayed and waited quietly for Fu Yangxi to wake up.


    In the evening, Dong Hui made soup, but she didn''t drink a lot from it.


    Around 10 o''clock, Xiao Li came to change Fu Yangxi''s bandages.


    Under the bright incandescent light.


    Mingxi watched as the nurse and Xiao Li untied the bandage wrapped around Fu Yangxi''s right shoulder.


    The young man''s chest was strong enough and was originally perfect, but at this time, there was a hideous burn on his white and broad shoulders that spread from his collarbone to his right shoulder. It was bloody and raw. After putting on a new bandage, the blood stains quickly soaked through it.


    Fu Yangxi was still unconscious. His eyes were closed tightly, and his brows were furrowed.


    Mingxi figured out why the broken beam didn''t cause any harm to her before she lost consciousness.


    She looked at the wound on Fu Yangxi''s shoulder, and her tears gradually blurred her vision.


    The impact of the fire was great. It was even up on the social page.


    Because people from the Fu family were involved, the police handled the case faster.


    Almost that night, Zhao Yuan, her art school boyfriend, and those gangsters were investigated.


    Ke Chengwen and Jiang Xiuqiu stayed in the hospital until they learned of some leads about this matter. Then, they left the hospital.


    Before they left, they didn''t talk to Mingxi who had just woken up, for fear of irritating her.


    But Mingxi heard the startled chatter of some bodyguards outside the ward, and guessed some things.


    So, this incident was caused by someone.


    The target was probably aimed at her at the beginning, but no one thought that in the end she was fine, and the disaster was all passed on to Professor Gao''s family and Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi''s eyes fell on Fu Yangxi who was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed.


    She stretched out a trembling hand, and gently stroked his ridiculously scorched lock of hair. Her heart felt as if it was pinched hard by a hand.


    She was angry and blamed herself.


    At night, Dong Hui advised Mingxi to go back to her ward to sleep. Besides, the nurse did not allow Mingxi to stay in other wards.


    Mingxi had no choice but to go back.


    She felt tired all over, her body feeling heavy and sluggish. She couldn''t open her eyelids anymore, and so she finally fell into a drowsy sleep on the hospital bed.

 CH 68.2

    When Mingxi opened her eyes the next day, she saw a familiar sleeping face beside the bed.


    Fu Yangxi was lying on the edge of her bed. Because his right shoulder was wrapped with a bandage, his head rested on his left arm, curled up in sleep. His long legs were crossed, and he looked extremely uncomfortable.


    The morning sunlight came in through the half-drawn curtains, and fell on the right side of his face, outlining half of his features.


    It also fell on his hospital gown, and a little blood oozed from his right shoulder.


    His face was still dirty. No one had wiped his face yet.


    It made him look mature yet childish, gentle yet messy.


    Why didn¡¯t they wipe his face???


    Didn''t anyone remember to wipe his face?!


    Mingxi found it both funny and sad. The emotions in her heart were overwhelming.


    Resisting the sour tears, she raised her fingers, wanting to touch his face. However, she was afraid of waking him up, so her fingers trembled in the end, covering him from the sunlight.


    At this moment, Fu Yangxi moved his eyelashes and woke up.


    After sleeping in this position for several hours, his neck was sore and stiff. He subconsciously wanted to twist it, but it suddenly triggered the wound on his right shoulder, and he immediately hissed.


    "Don''t touch it! Or else the wound will become inflamed later!" Mingxi was so frightened that she sat up quickly, and took his hand that wanted to rub his right shoulder.


    "Who wrapped it up? It''s so thick that I can''t even move my neck." Fu Yangxi''s voice was also hoarse. He glanced at the thick bandage wrapped around his shoulder to collarbone in disgust.


    Mingxi looked at him, and the corners of her eyes suddenly turned red.


    ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi''s heart tightened. "What''s wrong? Why are you crying again?"


    Mingxi said, "It¡¯s none of your business."


    Fu Yangxi stretched out his hand to wipe away the tears on Mingxi''s face. "Little Mask, did you wrap them? Good, it''s wrapped very carefully, not rough at all."


    Mingxi wanted to beat him up. She said angrily, "If you have the ability to save people, don''t get hurt! Look at the bloody flesh on your shoulders, it looks like it hurts like hell - Also, why are you not obediently lying down in your ward? What are you doing in my ward? Can you go back and wait for your medicine to be changed?"


    Fu Yangxi said, "It''s okay, isn''t it just a little injury¡ª"


    Mingxi was afraid that he would say some nonsense like ''a man''s medal'' again, and said, "...You should sober up. Such deep burns will leave scars!"


    "So what if it leaves a scar?" Fu Yangxi said triumphantly, "Isn''t it handsome if you have a scar? There are so many people with scars in the world, at least I am the most handsome one with scars."


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    Thank you, suddenly I can''t feel sad anymore.


    What Fu Yangxi didn''t say was that when he just woke up, he couldn''t see anything in front of him, as if he was plunged into darkness. His eyes burned badly.


    For a moment, Fu Yangxi thought he was blind.


    Fu Yangxi''s first thought was that Little Mask must be very sad.


    Immediately, he remembered the TV dramas that Zhao Mingxi had watched - what should a blind hero do?


    He will definitely hide his illness, even pretend that he is not blind, push the heroine away, talk about breaking up, and then have a sadomasochistic relationship.


    But Fu Yangxi thought about it and felt that he couldn''t do it at all.


    Even if he might be blind in the future, he would do his best to protect Zhao Mingxi and protect her from being bullied.


    Why would he so easily let go of Zhao Mingxi who he possessed by using only his own abilities?


    Would it be more reliable to leave her to others than him who was blind?


    After thinking about such a mess, Fu Yangxi felt a burst of sadness in his heart.


    He groped around, wanting to turn over and get out of bed to find Zhao Mingxi.


    Then, when he opened the door, he found that everything outside the corridor could be seen clearly.


    It turned out that he thought he was blind just now, because the lights in the ward were not turned on in the middle of the night.


    ¡°...¡±


    In the next few days, Mingxi and Fu Yangxi stayed in the hospital to recuperate.


    The teachers and classmates in their school came to see them one by one, and the ward was crowded.


    In the afternoon, both Shen Liyao and Li Haiyang came.


    Although they couldn¡¯t be lovers, there was a past friendship. Shen Liyao bought a flower basket and fruits. He placed them beside Mingxi''s bed, telling her to have a good rest, and to contact him if she needed any tutoring.


    Fu Yangxi''s face was all stinky. When he was having dinner, he asked Xiao Li to buy a flower basket that was twice the size. He insisted on replacing Shen Liyao''s one, and placed it beside Zhao Mingxi''s bedside.


    However, Professor Gao and his grandson suffered a completely unwarranted disaster this time.


    When Professor Gao came to thank Zhao Mingxi, Mingxi felt guilty. She didn''t think that her act of saving his grandson was anything worth appreciating.


    Professor Gao''s house was burned down, so Fu Yangxi offered to buy him a new one. However, this was firmly refused by Professor Gao.


    He had been honest and stubborn all his life. He never received help from others. Even if he was in such a catastrophic situation at this time, it was no exception.


    So, Fu Yangxi had no choice but to ask Lawyer Zhang to help. He asked Professor Gao''s insurance company to pay him an extra sum of money.


    The money was called ¡°insurance¡± by name, but in fact it was paid from Fu Yangxi''s personal account, so that Professor Gao could accept it with peace of mind.


    With the money, Professor Gao could live in a new community.


    As for those neighbors who were also implicated, the Fu Company also sent some kind compensation money to them.


    After Grandfather Fu came to see Fu Yangxi, he didn''t say anything about it. After all, the money was just a drop in the bucket for Grandfather Fu, so he allowed Fu Yangxi to squander it at will.


    The Zhao family came several times in batches in three days, but they were all turned away by the bodyguards.


    Only Zhao Yuning sneaked in while no one was paying attention. But when he slipped in, Mingxi went to the rooftop to get some air, so he didn''t see Mingxi either. In the end, he left in disappointment, leaving Madam Zhao''s stewed chicken soup behind.


    And this chicken soup was later drunk by Ke Chengwen who was extremely thirsty.


    ¡­


    After three days in the hospital, Mingxi''s voice finally recovered.


    Fu Yangxi''s shoulder was still the same.


    It wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore, but it burned and became itchy at night.


    Mingxi knew that such a large wound on his shoulder would definitely hurt, but she had never seen him frown even when he was awake.


    After Mingxi fully recovered, she began to take charge of changing Fu Yangxi''s dressing.


    Every time the gauze was removed, Mingxi felt very uncomfortable, as if it was her who was burned to a bloody mess.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t want her to see the hideous wound, and wanted Xiao Li to change it, but Mingxi was extremely stubborn. She felt that Xiao Li was clumsy and wrapped the gauze worse than her.


    The police and legal team were still searching for evidence. They heard that Zhao Yuan had been detained.


    As for whether the art school boyfriend she knew and those gangsters had anything to do with this incident, it was still under investigation.


    The anger in Mingxi''s heart had always been suppressed.


    When she was changing Fu Yangxi''s dressing every day, she gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to send Zhao Yuan to prison with her own hands.


    Some of the students who came were discussing this matter, talking in private about why Zhao Yuan did such a thing.


    Did she get bullied by someone outside? Then, under the madness, she came to this conclusion.


    However, Mingxi didn¡¯t want to know Zhao Yuan''s motive for committing a crime.


    If you commit a crime, you commit a crime. You almost killed someone, why investigate the motive of the criminal?


    Perhaps, if only Mingxi herself was injured in this matter, Mingxi would still care about these things. But now that Fu Yangxi and Professor Gao''s grandson were both affected by this, all she had left was anger.


    *


    That evening, Fu Yangxi went to the recovery room to rehabilitate the strained shoulder muscles.


    Mingxi stood in the corridor, looking at the patients playing football downstairs in the hospital. As the sun set, a slightly hot wind blew in mid-May, blowing her long hair and her hospital gown to one side, wrapping her slender figure.


    She changed the red string, and tied the jade around her neck again.


    Mingxi calmly made a decision.


    She asked the system: "The first 500 points can be exchanged for me not to be terminally ill, so can the last 499 points be exchanged for another thing?"


    It took a while for the system to respond, a little surprised: "What do you want to change it for? But after you save up to 499 points, you will have the halo of the heroine, and with the halo of the heroine, you will have everything. What needs to be replaced?"


    Mingxi said: "I want to change the bloody part of Fu Yangxi''s right shoulder back to its original state."


    The system: ?


    The system: ??


    The system: ???


    ¡°What?¡±


    Mingxi replied, ¡°You heard that right.¡±


    The system was shocked and said: "Are you crazy?? Don''t you know what the halo of the heroine means? It means that your future life will be smooth sailing! Think about it, everyone will love you and everyone will become your stepping stone. Don''t you yearn for this kind of life?"


    The strange thing was that Mingxi didn¡¯t yearn for this "Zhao Yuan''s life" as the system said.


    When she goes up, someone must be her stepping stone.


    Mingxi did not hope that one day, Fu Yangxi would become an existence implicated by her heroine halo.


    "Exchange it for me, okay?" Mingxi asked.


    Although the system couldn''t understand it, it still agreed to her request.


    "If you insist on going your own way, then after 500 points, the luck you accumulate will fall on him, and his wound will miraculously heal quickly, just like the wound on your face before¡ª To be honest, it¡¯s okay for men to have some scars, you really don¡¯t need to¡ª¡±


    Mingxi shook her head. "I''ve already decided."


    She didn¡¯t want her life to go smoothly. She just wanted Fu Yangxi to be with her, safe and sound.


    She hoped that what Fu Yangxi longed for, what he sincerely pursued, what he dreamed of, and what he loved most could also fall into his hands.


    When Mingxi turned around, Fu Yang just came out of the recovery room.


    Seeing Mingxi standing here, he quickly walked towards Mingxi.


    His short hair was disheveled by the wind, and his blue and white hospital gown was also blown up by the wind. His tall, striding figure was outlined by the light and shadow of the setting sun into a handsome silhouette.


    Mingxi waved at him. "This way."


    Because of her black hair, pale skin, and excessive beauty, many patients in the corridor looked at her.


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows triumphantly, and glanced at Xiao Li who was next to her with an expression saying, "my wife is so beautiful". However, he saw Xiao Li who couldn''t help staring at Little Mask. He: "¡­"


    Fu Yangxi''s face changed as soon as he said it, and the storm was about to come in an instant. He looked at Xiao Li with a chilling stare. "What are you looking at? Go down and buy dinner."


    Xiao Li: ¡°...¡±


    Xiao Li quickly turned around and slipped away, while Fu Yangxi glared fiercely at the people around him again.


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    "Go back to the ward, don''t stand outside. You¡¯ll catch a cold later."


    "It''s already May, it''s almost too hot. How can I catch a cold?"


    The two walked towards the ward.


    All the way Fu Yangxi glared at the men, causing them to run.


    Fu Yangxi didn''t know that Mingxi gave up 500 points of luck, and would rather lose the halo of the heroine to let him be as healthy as before.


    Just like Mingxi didn''t know, before she fell into a coma, when the beam fell, Fu Yangxi had actually protected her and the child.


    The injury on Fu Yangxi''s shoulder was caused by rushing back into the fire after taking her out.


    He went to pick up her most precious jade.


    They don''t tell each other these things.


    They''ll just hold each other''s hands and walk through everything together until they see the stars shining brightly.


    ray''s note: "She hoped that what Fu Yangxi longed for, what he sincerely pursued, what he dreamed of, and what he loved most could also fall into his hands."


    i''m not sobbing you are (?©n?)

 CH 69.1

    Two days later, Mingxi and Fu Yangxi were discharged from the hospital together.


    The wound on Fu Yangxi''s shoulder healed so fast that the doctors were shocked. Originally, such an injury was prone to repeated infection. It might take three weeks to remove the gauze, but Fu Yangxi could remove it in less than four days.


    But everyone only thought that Fu Yangxi was young and had a strong recovery ability.


    On the day they were discharged from the hospital, Zhao Yuan had already been detained.


    Because no major harm was done to anyone''s life, only property damage was caused, in the end the sentence was only three years.


    This was a fair and just judgment of the court.


    The Fu family did not intervene, otherwise she would only be given a heavier sentence.


    And another art school gangster friend who helped her unconsciously was also sentenced to seven months in prison.


    Zhao Yuan was 18 years old when she was imprisoned. She will be 21 years old when she is released from prison. She is still young, and she can start all over again.


    But the question was whether she herself wanted to start all over again.


    This irreversible result of the matter was undoubtedly something that no one in the Zhao family wanted to see.


    The Zhao family was not only angry that Zhao Yuan almost killed Zhao Mingxi, but also distressed about why it ended so badly.


    Zhao Zhanhuai naturally thought that maybe he had spurned Zhao Yuan by ignoring Zhao Yuan more than a dozen times.


    The last time he was disgusted and indifferent to her in the garage, it directly became the fuse of her arson.


    However, Zhao Zhanhuai asked himself, did his family feel sorry for Zhao Yuan?


    He didn¡¯t think so.


    Not to mention the care they gave her for more than 10 years.


    Even after finding Zhao Mingxi and discovering that Zhao Yuan was not his parent¡¯s biological daughter, the family still treated Zhao Yuan as before.


    It was not until they discovered that Zhao Yuan''s biological mother, Zhang Yufen, was the criminal who exchanged the two children, that their family had a psychological breakdown and drove Zhao Yuan out of the Zhao family.


    Not only because they could no longer face Zhao Yuan who was the child of the criminal, but also because, under such circumstances, they still kept Zhao Yuan at home. So, how sorry should they be for Zhao Mingxi who had been living away from home for many years and suffered so much?


    In fact, because of the last sliver of old love, she was not asked to compensate them, nor was she reported to the police about her instigating Zhang Yufen to escape.


    However, things have still come to this point today.


    Perhaps it was their family''s education that fundamentally failed.


    What Mr. Zhao and Madam Zhao taught their children when they were very young was that you have to do everything you can to get what you want.


    When their lives were good and their status was superior, this kind of education would undoubtedly make them more motivated.


    However, Mr. Zhao and Madam Zhao forgot how to educate them and teach them what to do when they encounter setbacks. So, when Zhao Yuan returned from the sea to her original living environment of river mud, what she thought of was to do everything she could to get what she wanted, and finally, she went astray.


    To a certain extent, the grandmother who adopted Zhao Mingxi may have been more successful in educating Zhao Mingxi than Mr. Zhao and Madam Zhao. At least, Zhao Mingxi learned from her how to be strong and grow in adversity.


    This incident caused the Zhao family to reflect a lot on themselves.


    It''s just that the matter had come to this point, and everything was irreparable.


    *


    After the Zhao family found out when Mingxi would be discharged from the hospital, they drove to the hospital in advance and waited for several hours.


    When Mingxi was still in the ward, there were people from the Fu family near the elevator and they couldn''t get close. Now that Mingxi came out of the hospital, before getting into the car, they could finally catch a glimpse of Mingxi.


    It was just a short while before Mingxi got into the car.


    She was wearing a gray sportswear suit. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, her slender neck was fair, and she looked very energetic. She was talking to Professor Gao who was also picking up his grandson from the hospital.


    Only upon seeing with their own eyes that Zhao Mingxi was fine, her whole body was intact, and she just lost weight after staying in the hospital for a few days, the Zhao family finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    They stayed in the car and watched the Fu family''s car drive away, followed by the Dong family''s car, as if they were going to pick up Zhao Mingxi, Fu Yangxi, Professor Gao and his grandson for a meal. Both cars left in the same direction.


    This time, they didn''t follow.


    Because the current Mingxi looked really satisfied.


    She had a lover, friends, relatives, and she lacked nothing.


    To her, they may be just a trace in her memory which did not need to be repaired.


    If they follow them, it would make them seem like uninvited guests and disturb everything.


    Zhao Yuning spoke first, "Mingxi won''t marry Fu Yangxi in the future, right?"


    Zhao Zhanhuai thought of Fu Yangxi''s vicious punch on Zhao Mo''s temple. He actually still had the mood to laugh, and said, "Then, Zhao Mo is probably going to die of anger."


    Mr. Zhao stared at the car driving away and frowned in displeasure. He said, "She¡¯s only 18 years old, why would she be talking about marriage? And I don''t like that kid from the Fu family very much. That kid has no sense of etiquette at all. They¡¯ve been together for so long, but he never thought of coming to see his father-in-law. He is so rich but he doesn¡¯t seem to show his affection for her, so I think it''s better to find someone else who can marry into our home."


    Zhao Yuning said, "Dad, what''s the use of your disapproval? It¡¯s not like she¡¯ll invite us when she gets married."


    Mr. Zhao: ¡°...¡±


    Zhao Zhanhuai: ¡°...¡±


    Madam Zhao: ¡°...¡±


    The Zhao family sitting in the car suddenly fell into a death-like silence.


    It was they who took Zhao Mingxi''s sincerity for granted before.


    Just like a shattered glass, when something is broken, it is broken, and it can never go back to how it was in the beginning.


    They thought they could make up for it before, but if Mingxi didn''t get enough warmth from them in the first place, then what''s the point of mending it now.


    They were afraid that on the day she gets married, their family really won''t appear on the invitation list.


    "Let¡¯s go home," Mr. Zhao said solemnly.


    Zhao Zhanhuai looked at the red-eyed and silent Madam Zhao from the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly. He turned the car around and drove home.


    Zhao Yuning became aware that he made a slip of the tongue, causing the atmosphere in the car to turn lifeless suddenly. So, he quickly said, "But a lifetime is so long, who can say for sure? Who knows what will happen? Maybe one day in the future Mingxi will reconcile with us?"


    After all, humans always carry hope in their hearts.


    Hearing his words, the other three people felt somewhat comforted.


    Zhao Zhanhuai took a look at Zhao Yuning and thought, Zhao Yuning has made a lot of progress visible to the naked eye.


    He is not as ignorant as before.


    This was probably the only comforting thing among a lot of bad things in the past six months.


    *


    Mingxi and Fu Yangxi returned to school after dealing with the problem of Professor Gao''s relocation.


    As soon as they returned to school, they were greeted by the followers in the class with tears in their eyes.


    It''s almost the college entrance examination, and yet this kind of thing happened. It was really worrying.


    Two followers even lit a brazier in the corridor and asked them to step over it.


    Mingxi thought it was silly, but couldn''t reject the enthusiasm of the group of people, so she bravely jumped over it.


    Fu Yangxi saw her bouncing posture and thought she was so cute. He caught her on the opposite side.


    Ke Chengwen and the followers were still making noise. Even though the dean was late, he arrived and hurried over with a pointer. He shouted, "It''s still a few days before the college entrance examination, and your class is still making noise! Where''s Lu Wangwei?!"


    Teacher Lu Wangwei who was sitting in the office sneezed.


    Great, my performance bonus for May is gone again.


    The fact that Zhao Yuan committed arson and was directly arrested caused heated discussions in the school.


    The teachers and students in the school were so shocked that they felt as if they had watched a TV series.


    It was even the kind that destroyed one¡¯s moral views.


    Because before this, Zhao Yuan hadn''t been to school much this semester, and when she did go to school, she was still dressed in the kind of boots that showed her thighs. Thus, the people in the Evergreen Class were no longer familiar with her.


    So when they heard about this incident, no one in the Evergreen Class thought it was weird¡ª In fact, some of them felt that Zhao Yuan''s mental state was a little bit off.


    But no matter what, everyone''s mood was quite complicated. After all, they were classmates for almost three years, and she actually committed such a twisted crime.


    Among them, Pu Shuang and E Xiaoxia had the most complicated feelings. One was Zhao Yuan''s friend and the other was Zhao Yuan''s enemy. The two looked at each other amidst the discussions in the classroom, and then looked away.


    Late May.


    It rained several times.


    People in the Gold Medal Class discovered a very rare thing.


    Recently, after school, Shen Liyao didn''t go home directly, or go to the laboratory assigned to him by the school. Instead, he stayed behind to tutor his classmates who were about to take the college entrance examination and were still a little short of the score of their chosen college, helping them to rush during the final hours. He helped them cross the threshold of the college entrance examination and get them admitted to their ideal college.


    Ye Bai and the others felt it was unbelievable. They felt that Shen Liyao was not Shen Liyao at all.


    Others in the class also wondered if Shen Liyao¡¯s soul had been replaced.


    "What are you looking at? I¡¯m definitely passing, so I might as well do something to pass time," Shen Liyao said coldly as he wrote a topic analysis on a piece of white paper for the few people who gathered around, still not lifting his eyelids.


    Judging by the indifferent tone of this speech, it was definitely Shen Liyao.


    Ye Bai and the others looked at each other, hesitating whether to stay and wait for Shen Liyao.


    The former Shen Liyao really wouldn¡¯t do these things. No matter who came to ask him questions, ask for help, or even if the homeroom teacher Mr. Jiang came to him with irrelevant questions, to him it was all worth three words: ¡®waste of time¡¯.


    The reason God Yao was called God Yao was not only because of the gold medals in major competitions that he was sure to win every year, but also because of his almost ruthless indifference.


    To be honest, some boys thought he was deserving of a beating, but girls liked his pretentiousness.


    But maybe it was because of the loss to Zhao Mingxi in that final that Ye Bai and others felt that some changes had taken place in him. They couldn''t tell exactly what changed. In short, this feeling was like he got dragged off the altar of pride.


    Shen Liyao lowered his eyes, pursed his lips and calculated on the piece of paper.

 CH 69.2

    Although Shen Liyao resisted with all his heart what Zhao Mingxi said that day, he understood some things later.


    He has stood at the finish line since he was born, thinking that he was outstanding, that he had the right to look down on everything, and that it was only natural for everyone to look up at him.


    But then all he could get was adoration.


    If he meets the person he likes again, if he remains the same as before, then the other person''s neck will be sore, and the other person will leave him sooner or later.


    Perhaps only when he also learns how to like others and how to treat others well, can he be entitled to a deeper liking that has nothing to do with family background, appearance, or grades.


    Shen Liyao never thought that one day Zhao Mingxi would be able to teach him something.


    ¡ªAfter he fell in love with her, and she never looked back.


    Of course, Shen Liyao would never admit that he also saw a dazzling quality from Fu Yangxi that he had never seen before.


    He felt that this kid deliberately rolled up his sleeves when he saw him on the basketball court, exposing Zhao Mingxi''s little hairband, which was really annoying.


    Next, there would be a lot of fuss, including three major events.


    After Fu Yangxi recovered from his injury, no one knew what kind of conflict happened with Shen Liyao on the basketball court¡ª They didn''t fight, but there was definitely some tension between them for a while.


    After returning home, he didn''t eat dinner for three days.


    After losing two kilograms in weight, he was finally lighter than Shen Liyao.


    His face finally turned from cloudy to sunny.


    Mingxi¡¯s response: "..."


    Then, there was the national competition and the college entrance examination.


    There was no training camp for the national competition, so Fu Yangxi sent Mingxi there to finish the exam, and that was it. This time, it was the result after achieving 500 seedlings, that is to say, it was Mingxi''s own real result. No matter what she got in the exam, Mingxi was satisfied.


    It was very hot during the two days of the college entrance examination. Everyone felt so hot that they could wring out water caused by sweat all over their bodies.


    While they were about to suffer from heat stroke, everyone finished the exam in one go, and finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    After the exam, the people in the International Class tore up the papers, and chased and slapped each other. Everyone seemed crazy.


    White test papers were flying all over the sky, radiant under the scorching sun.


    In a crazy and scorching atmosphere.


    While packing up her things, Mingxi asked, "Aren''t most of the people from our class going abroad? We''re already going abroad at the end of September. Why are you still so excited after the college entrance examination?"


    Fu Yangxi was wearing a black short-sleeve. Mingxi had no idea where he found that thin black gold skull chain from nowhere to hang around his neck again. Ever since Mingxi said last time that he looked handsome while wearing this one, causing her heart to beat wildly since their first meeting, he has been smug and never took it off.


    He leaned against the wall, tearing up his book seriously. He raised his eyebrows at Mingxi. "Little Mask, this is known as a sense of ceremony, understand?"


    Mingxi: ¡°...¡±


    What ¡®sense of ceremony¡¯? I think you just want to tear up the books, right?!


    "Why is there a Chinese dictionary in my desk drawer?" Fu Yangxi suddenly found a thick dictionary while he was throwing away the things in his desk drawer.


    Mingxi said, "It''s mine. How did it get into your drawer?"


    Fu Yangxi handed it to her. "Do you still need it? Take it back with you."


    Mingxi said, "Forget it, it''s so heavy. Throw it here first, later on there will be those Year 2s who want to borrow books, so I¡¯ll just give them directly to my juniors."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°...¡±


    Fu Yangxi said angrily, "How can you do this, Little Mask? Do you still like to study? Such a thick dictionary costs 56 yuan!"


    "..." Mingxi leaned over and touched his forehead. "Do you have a fever?"


    Fu Yangxi''s face turned red suddenly. He put the dictionary back into the desk drawer.


    Mingxi felt that he was acting weird. Before he stuffed it in, she suddenly pulled out the dictionary from his hand.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Before Fu Yangxi could speak, Mingxi had already opened the thick dictionary.


    Sunlight refracted in from the window, shining on a dark blue exquisite brocade box sandwiched between the hollowed out dictionary.


    When Mingxi opened the dictionary suddenly, the brocade box was also opened.


    Standing amongst them were two silver rings.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mingxi''s heart skipped a beat.


    Fu Yangxi stood up, his face was red like it was bleeding.


    He originally planned to let Zhao Mingxi take the dictionary home with her own hands, and when she saw the starry sky he arranged, he would hint to the Little Mask to open the dictionary. However, he could not outdo what was fated. The decorative lights this time were the same as last time, and they had no effect at all. No matter what trick Jiang Xiuqiu made, it didn''t work every time.


    The little bird in Fu Yangxi''s heart was crying. Is the love of an 18 year old destined to be in a hurry?


    That being the case, he couldn''t wait for one more minute, one more second.


    "Little Mask, give me your hand." Fu Yangxi looked down at Zhao Mingxi.


    Mingxi took a breath and raised her head.


    Although this kind of routine was very basic and vulgar, but ahhh¡ª why was she so damn tempted?!


    The yellow and warm orange sunset came in from the window behind him, casting the tall figure of the young man on her.


    Fu Yangxi lowered his head slightly to look at her. He raised his eyebrows, still as high-spirited as when he first saw her, as fierce as the rising sun.


    Mingxi held the dictionary in her arms. When she met his eyes, her heart was still beating very fast.


    It''s Fu Yangxi.


    Mingxi was sure that he was the chosen one for her.


    Amidst the noise of the group of people in the class, shreds of snow-white paper were scattered one after another.


    Mingxi''s cheeks were hot. She raised her hand to touch Fu Yangxi''s.


    Fu Yangxi looked shy but serious. With a ring, he slowly locked her close to him.

 CH 70

    After the college entrance examination, Mingxi actually saw Madam Zhao once.


    She came out of the exam room after finishing the last subject. When other students were running towards their parents, she saw Madam Zhao holding a sun umbrella under the shade of a tree outside the teaching building.


    Mingxi''s heart skipped a beat, thinking that Madam Zhao was going to come to cry in front of her again. However, she didn''t expect that Madam Zhao wouldn''t come forward this time, she just looked at her from a distance.


    Madam Zhao had been standing under the shade of the tree that day, watching Mingxi and He Yang''s group drift away. She finally fulfilled her responsibility as a mother and accompanied her child through the last journey of high school.


    In July, the weather was hot.


    A few things: Help Professor Gao settle down in a new place and rebuild the old house.


    Fu Yangxi went to the nursing home. Mingxi went with him to have a meal with his grandfather.


    After returning, everyone in the International Class had a meal together. The followers burst into tears. They would never fight with the Evergreen Class again. They rushed over to hug Fu Yangxi and Zhao Mingxi, but were dragged away by Fu Yangxi in disgust.


    Mingxi and Fu Yangxi, who had finished everything, planned to go on a trip and wait for the results of the college entrance examination and national competition.


    As soon as Ke Chengwen was on summer vacation, he had nothing to do. So, he was crying and howling on the phone, begging the two to take him with them.


    Ke Chengwen wailed, "Take me with you, Xi ge. I''m really bored. I''ve already cleared Zelda twice! The game is not fun, the TV shows are not good, the weather is so hot, and I don''t want to play basketball!"


    Fu Yangxi squatted on the ground and stuffed the shoes into his suitcase. He said coolly, "You¡¯re out of your mind. Wouldn¡¯t we be indicating that the sun isn¡¯t bright enough by bringing you, a light bulb, along when we go out to play? You are already 18 years old, can you walk independently??¡±


    Ke Chengwen replied, "I don''t need to be a big light bulb! I can barbecue, read maps and carry luggage. I will definitely not lose money if I carry it."


    "You act like normal people don¡¯t know how to barbecue. How is this worth mentioning?" Fu Yangxi sneered, "I barbecued all the meat that Zhao Mingxi ate at the barbecue restaurant last time. Why would we need you?"


    Ke Chengwen said. "Xi ge, aren¡¯t you ashamed? Did Zhao Mingxi eat the few pieces you barbecued? Weren¡¯t they all dumped later?"


    Fu Yangxi said sadly, "You''re bold now, aren''t you? Are you the only one with a good memory?"


    Ke Chengwen saw that begging Fu Yangxi was fruitless, so he begged Mingxi who was watching TV dramas at the side, "Please, Zhao Mingxi, for the sake of us being classmates for a year¡ªbeep, beep, beep."


    Fu Yangxi ruthlessly ended the call before he finished speaking.


    Ke Chengwen who was on the phone: "..."


    Mingxi smiled and said, "Actually, it''s quite lively if there are more people. Why don''t we take him along?"


    Fu Yangxi snorted and said, "Usually when we whisper something in class, we¡¯ll be surrounded by crowds. Now we can finally go out and play without distractions. What a rare opportunity! Little Mask, why don''t you look forward to it at all?"


    "I am looking forward to it," Zhao Mingxi said. "But didn¡¯t the two of us go out to play on our own last time? It''s okay if there are more people so it¡¯s more lively this time."


    Fu Yangxi: ¡°?¡±


    Fu Yangxi muttered, ¡°Do you not love me anymore?¡±


    Mingxi said, "Stop thinking such nonsense! Put your shoes away, stop procrastinating. Also, we''ll be going for half a month at most. Why are you bringing 30 pairs of shoes?"


    Fu Yangxi replied, "You really don''t love me anymore. I''m not even allowed to bring extra shoes."


    Mingxi was about to laugh to death. "Hey, hey, by the way, did you not exercise yesterday? Beauty is a fragile good, youth passes too easily. There¡¯s really no way out of this¡ª"


    ??? Fu Yangxi was so angry that he kicked open the suitcase and came over to pinch Zhao Mingxi''s face. "You are such a scumbag, Little Mask!"


    Zhao Mingxi laughed until she was almost out of breath. She spilled snacks all over the floor. "How can you still blush now when we¡¯ve already lied on the same bed? Are you alright?"


    Fu Yangxi looked sad. "I''ll let you see if I can do it right now!"


    Before their departure, Mingxi''s tender seedlings had already reached 698, and Fu Yangxi''s injuries had fully recovered.


    The system thought that Mingxi would regret it to some extent, but Mingxi felt that there was nothing to regret.


    The halo of the heroine may not be a good thing.


    If the halo of the heroine was at the expense of stepping on others to climb up, implicating and sacrificing the people she cared about, it was better to be an ordinary person and live this life well by her own efforts.


    Originally, they planned to go abroad for fun, but before the two of them were about to go abroad, Mingxi''s visa had some problems, so the time to go out for fun had to be postponed.


    Ke Chengwen was overjoyed about this. He said on the phone, "You know what''s this called? Sometimes, plans go astray! Xi ge, why don''t we go out to play first, and then you guys can travel on your own when you come back."


    Fu Yangxi complained, "Why are you constantly cawing about disaster?"


    Mingxi had no objection at all. She felt that having a crowd would make it so lively, so she quickly raised her hand. "I agree!"


    Fu Yangxi glanced at her with a look saying "you just don''t love me anymore". She had to lean over to give him a sticky kiss on the face before he reluctantly agreed to Ke Chengwen''s proposal for a group trip.


    After finally getting his permission, Ke Chengwen was so excited that he jumped three feet high. He quickly hugged his travel bag, borrowed three motorcycles, and excitedly brought Jiang Xiuqiu to find Fu Yangxi and Mingxi.


    Downstairs, three motorcycles were lined up, forming a majestic appearance.


    Fu Yangxi picked up the helmet and put it on Mingxi. He lowered his eyes to carefully fasten the strap around Mingxi''s chin.


    Jiang Xiuqiu was an indiscriminate flirt, so he also put it on for He Yang.


    Ke Chengwen, who was left alone: "..."


    What¡¯s wrong with this picture???


    Fu Yangxi leaned over and picked up Mingxi''s knee before putting her down on the motorcycle.


    Mingxi put the mineral water in the small backpack, and said to him, "I''ll take care of the things. Tell me when you get tired later."


    Fu Yangxi raised his eyebrows. "What else?"


    Mingxi hooked his neck down and pecked at the corner of his lips.


    Fu Yangxi blushed, turned his head triumphantly, and glanced at Ke Chengwen.


    Ke Chengwen: ¡°............¡±


    Goddamn it.


    I really want to fall in love! Is it summer yet? Why do I feel so dissatisfied?!


    The motorcycles drove out of the city, passing high-rise buildings, rolling rivers, plantations, forests and lakes all the way.


    The summer air was fresh and crisp. At dusk, they came to a vast field in the outskirts, and the clouds scattered like flowers across the sky.


    Mingxi hugged Fu Yangxi''s waist. Her long hair was blown by the wind. She felt the wind blowing from her temples and the corners of her eyes and eyebrows. She took a deep breath of the beautiful air in the countryside.


    Fu Yangxi glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. He had a handsome face, young and reckless.


    His eyes were smug and self-evident. You are sucking from me again.


    Mingxi couldn''t help laughing. She put her chin on Fu Yangxi''s shoulder. "Yes, yes, I''m sucking from you again."


    He Yang was on Jiang Xiuqiu¡¯s motorcycle. He looked back, pointed at Ke Chengwen and almost died laughing. "What''s wrong with your hairline???"


    Ke Chengwen immediately put out a hand to cover his forehead. "Don''t look at it! Is it even possible for a person¡¯s hairline not to be blown up when the wind is so strong?"


    Mingxi also laughed out loud.


    Fu Yangxi and Jiang Xiuqiu glanced at Ke Chengwen and raised the corners of their lips.


    In the midst of laughter, they sailed towards the green and surging wheat waves, towards a pure and bright future.


    When Mingxi turned 18, the best thing that happened to her was meeting her only true love. He brought her his friends and his followers, brought her laughter, and brought her all the things and courage that she had never imagined.


    She and Fu Yangxi would not only spend their 18 years old together. She and him still had 28 years old, and 38 years old.


    There will be a long, long time to come, until their hair turns gray and they are too old to walk.


    They will hug each other in the morning, kiss in the evening, and step on each other''s shadow under every street lamp.


    Of course, the future could not be predicted. It was impossible for everything to go smoothly. But in the future, no matter what happens, they will join hands to overcome everything that comes and become each other''s support.


    Love at the age of 18 was not limited, it was eternal for a lifetime!


    *


    All the boys in the International Class knew that no matter how powerful the teacher was, they would not be able to get Fu Yangxi to write a letter of self-review.


    On this day, it was New Year''s Eve again, with heavy snow falling and the wind blowing into Zhao Mingxi and Fu Yangxi''s apartment.


    The French windows on the balcony were left open.


    The wind went all the way, blowing the post-it notes on the wall.


    There were many lines of words on the sticky note.


    Review on August 12: I shouldn''t have slandered the front desk for being ugly when I saw my wife talking to the handsome guy at the front desk.


    September 24th, I shouldn''t have brought up the past at the class reunion, and said sourly that the Shen guy''s hairline looked a little like it was receding.


    October 30th, I shouldn''t have forced a kiss on my wife because I saw my wife staring at a Korean actor on TV.


    Letter of Guarantee: I, Fu Yangxi, firmly refuse to be a jealous husband! Stick to being generous! If I do it again, I''m a dog!!!


    *


    December 26: Bark, bark, bark.


    ¡ªFu Yangxi.