Chapter 213

Words : 1383 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Ji Nian, unaware of the Young Imperial Grandson's impending arrival, went to Shen Qingtang's place to do homework together. The two girls finished their assignments with remarkable efficiency. Shen Qingtang's room remained unchanged—though she mostly stayed with her grandparents, she often returned, leaving traces of her presence. "This actually got a sequel?" "Da Dan loved the first one when we watched it. Wait a sec, I’ll go call him over." Ji Nian stood up to fetch the dog. "Da Dan! Da Dan!" As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she spotted him on the balcony sofa, just as expected. The big dog was curled up on the couch, his head resting on a pillow, paws tucked in as he napped. He only stirred at the third call, slowly opening his eyes. Recognizing his little owner, he stuck out his tongue and wagged his tail lazily. Ji Nian crouched down, hugging his furry head and nuzzling his cheek. "Hey, Da Dan, wanna watch cartoons with us?" Da Dan was an old dog now. He’d watched Ji Nian grow from a tiny speck into the spirited girl she was today. She ran faster and faster, but he could no longer keep up with her pace. "Woof~" Da Dan let out a bark, then clumsily hopped off the sofa, lifting a paw to pat Ji Nian. "Let’s go." She ruffled his head, and the two walked side by side as they always had. The only difference was that now, it was Ji Nian who slowed her steps to match his. The two girls and the dog snacked while watching TV. At one point, Zhiliao dropped by to remind them to sleep early. Since Shen Qingtang hadn’t visited in half a month, Zhiliao excused Ji Nian from training that day. Ji Nian hugged Zhiliao—unchanged except for her longer hair (she’d stopped cutting it after Ji Nian once complimented how pretty it looked)—and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. "Got it, Zhiliao-jie." "I’ll make up for the training tomorrow." Zhiliao patted her head, then glanced past her at Shen Qingtang, who was crouched nearby feeding Da Dan treats. Her gaze flickered. Something felt off about her this time. Back then, Shen Rushan had been the same—bullied by older kids at school but acting like nothing was wrong, only sharing the good news. Over time, Zhiliao had learned to tell whether his smiles were genuine. Who would’ve thought that skill, long rendered useless, would now apply to his daughter? Zhiliao suddenly recalled Ji Tingzhou muttering recently about how Shen Qingtang was growing more like Shen Rushan, especially that squinty-eyed smile. After a moment’s thought, she leaned in and whispered something into Ji Nian’s ear. Ji Nian blinked, then returned to Shen Qingtang’s side as if nothing had happened. On-screen, an intense fight scene played out, but Ji Nian’s mind was elsewhere, replaying everything that had happened at school. As class president, what—or who—could’ve upset Shen Qingtang? A teacher? A classmate? Or maybe some troublemaker from another school? They were at that age now, after all. If the original story’s plot held true, this was prime time for attracting petty antagonists. She mulled it over silently with her system. --- The next day at school, Ji Nian waited after morning exercises but saw no sign of Shen Qingtang. Eventually, a familiar classmate found her and explained that Shen Qingtang had been called to a meeting, so Ji Nian shouldn’t wait. Left with no choice, Ji Nian headed to the school store alone. Remembering Shen Qingtang mentioning her red pen had run out of ink, she grabbed a replacement of her usual brand, then popped a lollipop into her mouth and ambled back to class with the crowd. Post-exercise, the classroom was buzzing with demands to lower the AC. The blast of cool air as Ji Nian stepped inside was refreshing. She made her way toward Shen Qingtang’s seat—only to see Li Yuan bending over, smirking as he pulled something from her desk. Li Yuan had transferred in recently, a troublemaker who slacked off and bullied others. The homeroom teacher had seated him beside Shen Qingtang, hoping she’d keep him in line. Ji Nian frowned and quickened her pace just as Li Yuan held up a small, square object, taunting the girl behind him with exaggerated gagging noises. "Ew—look what I found." "Shen Qingtang’s so gross, keeping this here." "Already messed up at this age? Disgusting." "No wonder she’s class president—bet she’s ‘close’ with the teacher too." It was a sanitary pad. The flowery wrapper was familiar—Ji Nian had bought it last month when Shen Qingtang got her first period during a mall trip. "Li Yuan." Her ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍voice cut through the chatter, neither too loud nor too soft. The classroom fell silent for a beat, all eyes turning toward her, curious why she’d call his name. Hearing his name, Li Yuan turned to look. Ji Nian stood in Shen Qingtang's spot, looking down at him with an expressionless face that was almost too delicate. Her curly hair was tied into a ponytail draped over her shoulder, revealing a slender, fair neck. At this age, the awareness of romantic feelings toward the opposite sex was already budding. Ji Nian wasn’t particularly sociable. Aside from being close with Shen Qingtang, He Xiang, and the student council president from the ninth grade, she rarely got along with anyone else. The boy, now under the gaze of the most beautiful girl in class, instinctively puffed out his chest and deliberately raised his voice. "What are you looking at?" Noticing what he was holding, he slouched back in his chair with a smirk and said provocatively, "What, you on your period too?" He let out a snicker, as if menstruation were something too taboo to mention openly. A few girls in the class who had already experienced their first periods glared at him in anger. "You’re so scared of it—is it because you almost got beaten into a bloody pulp by your mom?" "Still pushing period shame in this day and age? Disgusting." Li Yuan kicked his desk and stood up abruptly, turning to glare viciously at the girl who had spoken. "Fcking bitch, say that again if you dare!" He had transferred into the class midway through the year, and his family’s business was massive. In a school where social hierarchies were already forming, most people didn’t dare provoke him. Until Ji Nian spoke. "Sanitary pads aren’t disgusting. If anything, you’re the piece of sht here—everything looks foul to you." "And one more thing." "Shen Qingtang became class president because she’s in the top ten academically, has represented the school in twenty-six competitions, is responsible, and everyone likes her." Ji Nian flexed her wrist. Before Li Yuan could react, and before anyone else could process what was happening, Ji Nian suddenly grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the classroom. Caught off guard and yanked to the ground, Li Yuan flailed wildly, kicking over several desks and chairs in the process. The rest of the class was stunned, scrambling out of the way as they watched the boy, red-faced and choking, being hauled out like a slaughtered pig. "Holy sht, Ji Nian’s that strong?" Some were busy watching the spectacle, others rushed to get a teacher, and a few even took advantage of the chaos to shout, "Stop! You two, quit fighting~" Ji Nian politely pressed his head against the wall. Zhiliao had trained her to the standard of being able to kick eighty grown men across a room. Handling a brat like this was child’s play for her. "Who said you could touch Shen Qingtang’s things?" Humiliated, the boy screamed in fury, "So what if I did?! What the hell are you gonna do about it??" Ji Nian smirked and punched him square in the face. Her slender wrist and delicate-looking fist belied the sheer force behind the blow, drawing a howl of pain from him. "AHH!!! You fcking dare hit me!!!!" Ji Nian kicked him, straightening him up after he staggered, her emerald-green eyes cold and indifferent. "So what if I hit you? What the hell are you gonna do about it?" Li Yuan’s lips trembled—partly from rage, partly from pain.

Chapter 213

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