Chapter 229

Words : 1385 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

When Ji Nian said she recognized him, He Xiang let out an "Oh," his fingers pausing as they adjusted his collar before moving away. He then handed over a notebook tucked under his arm—the most ordinary kind sold at the school store, with a black cover and a sturdy thickness. It was He Xiang's collection of corrected mistakes. "Thanks." Ji Nian reached out to take it, having completely forgotten she'd casually asked to borrow it earlier. He Xiang gave a slight shake of his head before leaving. Noticing her water bottle was empty, he took it with him without a second thought. Just then, Ji Nian's deskmate returned from the restroom and, seeing this, remarked offhandedly, "Hey, could you grab some water for me too?" His hand had barely stretched toward his own bottle when He Xiang, called by name, brushed past him without so much as a glance—as if he hadn't heard a thing. The boy's hand hung awkwardly in midair. Ji Nian casually pulled a yogurt from her desk compartment and tossed it to him. "Class is about to start. Make do with this." Her current deskmate wasn’t the elementary-school-era "spicy-stick-scented" kid anymore but a bespectacled boy. The moment could have lingered in awkwardness, but Ji Nian’s quick intervention—and the yogurt—dissipated the tension. The bespectacled guy snapped out of it. He’d spoken without thinking. He Xiang was famously the class’s top student, aloof and uninterested in anything unrelated to academics or teacher-assigned tasks. He mock-bowed to Ji Nian in exaggerated gratitude. "Thank you, goddess, for bestowing this yogurt upon me." Without her giving him an out, he might have held a grudge against He Xiang. Ji Nian waved it off. "Rise, my loyal subject." The exchange drew laughter from those nearby. Ji Nian was well-known in their grade—mixed heritage, strikingly pretty, and sharp-witted. Though her aura sometimes made others hesitate to approach, those who interacted with her quickly realized she was easygoing. Plus, the class’s biggest troublemaker, Li Yuan, had left—and it was tied to her. "Hahaha, look! Ji Nian gave me yogurt!" The boy instantly forgot the earlier incident, gleefully showing off his prize. The student in front of him gritted his teeth. "Congratulations, then." Seizing the lighthearted mood, a few classmates who’d been holding back all class couldn’t resist asking, "Ji Nian, do you know Lu Jinghuai?" "Yeah, we saw him smile at you from the podium." Ji Nian answered plainly, "He’s the son of one of my dad’s friends." The truth was disappointingly mundane. They’d been hoping for tales of childhood sweethearts, destined romance, or even an arranged marriage. While the atmosphere remained cheerful on her side, Lu Jinghuai—having finally shaken off the crowd around him—turned his gaze toward Ji Nian, who was leaning on her hand, watching the playful chaos around her. He started to stand, but the warning bell rang, forcing him back into his seat. He Xiang strode in just as the bell sounded, still carrying Ji Nian’s water bottle. As he passed her desk, he set it down without breaking stride, so smoothly that Ji Nian barely registered it. His seat wasn’t in her row, so after delivering the bottle, he had to loop around to his own spot. From his vantage point, Lu Jinghuai watched his tall, lanky classmate return, hands in pockets. At just fourteen, He Xiang was already pushing six feet. Where Lu Jinghuai was almost too refined, He Xiang radiated youthful energy—though the dark circles under his eyes and his intense gaze lent him a slightly intimidating air. Sensing Lu Jinghuai’s stare, He Xiang glanced back. Their eyes met briefly before both looked away. When class ended, they simultaneously snapped their pens shut and, with uncanny synchronization, turned their attention toward Ji Nian. Noticing each other’s gaze, Lu Jinghuai and He Xiang locked eyes again. This time, something unspoken shifted between them—subtle, but unmistakable. Ji Nian had meant to ask Lu Jinghuai how his first day was, but a glance at her phone showed a message from Zuo Yi. It was about Ma Xiaofei. Zuo Yi had learned that Shen Qingtang’s aunt was considering transferring her to a school in S City. In S City, the best institution—by reputation and resources—was the one Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang attended. Remembering the system’s mention that Ma Xiaofei and Shen Qingtang were classmates in the original story, Ji Nian understood. The butterfly effect had accelerated things. She’d just replied "Got it" when someone called her name from the doorway. Amid the classroom chatter, Gu Xiuyuan stood at the entrance, waving her over. Shen Qingtang, who’d been explaining a math problem to the student in front of her, looked up at Gu Xiuyuan. Catching her gaze, he shook his head slightly—nothing urgent. Reassured, Shen Qingtang lowered her head again. "So ∠DBC and ∠EBC are part of △ABC..." Seeing Gu Xiuyuan, Ji Nian put away her phone and casually took down her already full trash bag from the hook, intending to throw it away. Lu Jinghuai sat quietly in his seat, his eyes following Ji Nian as she yawned and walked toward the boy waiting for her outside. The two seemed very familiar with each other, and the usual smile on his face faded slightly. "That’s the student council president. They’ve known each other since childhood." He Xiang, who hadn’t spoken a word since sitting next to him, suddenly spoke up. Hearing this, Lu Jinghuai glanced at him and replied softly, "Is that so?" He Xiang didn’t say anything more, lowering his head to look at the test papers for the next class. "What’s wrong?" Following Gu Xiuyuan to the railing, Ji Nian wiped her hands with a wet wipe and looked at the student council president, whose expression was unusually serious. "A student got into a fight with someone from another school and was caught by the student council." "When we asked him the reason, he refused to say anything." Ji Nian blinked, then understood what he meant. "Do I know this student?" Gu Xiuyuan nodded, taking the used wet wipe from her and signaling for a student council member nearby to throw it away. "Yang Xinyu from Class 10, Grade 8." She did know him. Back in elementary school, Yang Xinyu had inexplicably become her "little brother." After ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍entering middle school, because Class 1 and Class 10 were on different floors—and on top of that, something seemed to have happened in Yang Xinyu’s family—their interactions gradually dwindled. Ji Nian hadn’t heard his name in a long time. "We haven’t spoken in ages. I can’t guarantee my presence will make a difference." "Is the reason for the fight really that important?" Gu Xiuyuan nodded firmly. "Yes." "It determines whether I need to report it." Ji Nian tilted her head, looking slightly puzzled. After all, this didn’t sound like Gu Xiuyuan’s usual approach. Glancing around, he pulled her further away until there was no one nearby, then explained, "Shortly after Yang Xinyu started middle school, his mother passed away. Less than a month later, his father brought home his illegitimate son, who’s only a year younger than him." Ji Nian froze. As the heir of the Gu Family, Gu Xiuyuan had well-connected sources. He knew the details of the Yang family’s affairs all too well. "If this gets reported and his father is called in, he’ll probably be sent abroad." With his first wife gone, Yang Xinyu’s father didn’t even bother pretending anymore. He doted on the illegitimate son and couldn’t stand the sight of Yang Xinyu, just waiting for an opportunity to send him away. Strictly speaking, none of this was Gu Xiuyuan’s concern. Empathy had never been part of his upbringing. Yet, he still intervened. Because he thought of Ji Nian—the last time she got into a fight, he hadn’t worried much because Ji Tingzhou would always protect her. But what if Ji Nian were in Yang Xinyu’s situation? He also thought of He Xiang, who was similarly vulnerable, and of He Xiang’s grandmother—how last New Year, with her swollen hands, she had peeled an orange for him, her cloudy yet gentle eyes pleading with him to look after He Xiang. Gu Xiuyuan’s capacity for sympathy was thin. But little by little, he was learning to empathize.

Chapter 229

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