Yin Fang was openly poaching students right in front of everyone!
Gu Shiyun across from her smiled gently, "Thank you for your appreciation, Teacher Yin. I've been in Class Two for so long now, I'm quite comfortable here."
"Hey hey! Teacher Yin, how can you poach students right to their faces?!" The Class Two homeroom teacher exploded. "Then I'll go steal someone from your class too!"
Yin Fang curled her lip, "Take whoever you want, as long as you exchange them for Gu Shiyun!"
As if suddenly remembering something, she laughed, "How about we trade for that other Gu—Gu Xue Jiao?"
"In your dreams!" The Class Two teacher rolled her eyes at her.
Gu Shiyun smiled again, "Teacher, I'll take these assignments back to the classroom first."
"Go ahead."
As Gu Shiyun walked away, Yin Fang watched her gentle retreating figure, then thought of Xue Jiao's stubbornness and poor grades that gave her headaches. She sighed again—
"They're both named Gu, how can they be so different?"
——
Cheng Mingjiao only came to school the next day, her face stiff and expression extremely unpleasant.
Xue Jiao didn't know what the Cheng family had said to her, but for several days afterward, Mingjiao didn't speak a single word to her in class.
Xue Jiao was perfectly happy with this arrangement.
The Cheng family was the same—Li Sitong went out of her way to please her, while no one else mentioned Mingjiao at all.
She fell into a frenzy of studying, maintaining a strict routine between just two locations.
"Everyone do the practice problems during break—I'll check them next period!" the math teacher announced.
On Wednesday mornings they had two consecutive math periods. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, many students buried their heads in their work.
Yi Tianyu had been dozing off and only vaguely heard something about homework when his eyes suddenly flew open.
Instinctively, he looked over at Xue Jiao, who was seriously flipping through her textbook to preview the next lesson.
She still sat with her back perfectly straight, posture like an elementary school student's. Her delicate profile looked small enough to fit in one's palm—her pearly earlobes adorable, her petite nose pert and upturned, her lips faintly pink...
Yi Tianyu became completely absorbed in looking at her until the class bell rang.
"Alright! Time to check your work." The math teacher walked in and started inspecting from the first row back.
Yi Tianyu froze, then looked at the page Xue Jiao had open before flipping to it in his own book.
Just then, the math teacher reached him.
"Yi Tianyu! You haven't written a single word?! What kind of attitude is this!" The math teacher flew into a rage.
Yi Tianyu was stunned—there really had been homework?
"Stand up! You'll stand for this entire period!"
As Yi Tianyu stood up dumbly, the math teacher moved on to check others' work.
He quickly bent down and whispered, "Hey, there was homework?? Why weren't you doing it just now?"
Xue Jiao glanced at the teacher, then raised an eyebrow with a hint of a smile, "I finished it a long time ago..."
She tapped her book, and Yi Tianyu followed her finger to see the page densely covered in writing.
Then he looked back at his own blank practice problems...
Yi Tianyu: "..."
Damn, did she have to be so diligent?!
When he'd first opened his eyes and seen her not doing homework, he'd thought there wasn't any—that he'd misheard in his sleepy daze. Who knew there really had been, only his deskmate had been efficient enough to finish it early!
Seeing his speechless expression, Xue Jiao couldn't help giggling.
For some reason, when she laughed, Yi Tianyu found himself grinning too.
Just then, a piece of chalk came flying at them.
"Yi Tianyu! How dare you laugh while standing as punishment! What's so funny?! Go stand in the back!!"
Yi Tianyu: "..."
That evening, Yi Tianyu ran home.
"Son! Why are you so worked up?""I ran back!" Yi Tianyu said casually, then opened the refrigerator and carefully placed the lollipops from his pocket inside.
As he carefully arranged them, he teased, "Gu Xue Jiao, look at this lousy candy you gave me. It melted just from being in my pocket for a few days..."
He glanced at it, satisfied with the placement, then turned and headed upstairs.
His mother shook her head, brought him a glass of water, then came back down and opened the fridge to grab a face mask.
"Huh? Why is there a lollipop here?" Yi's Mother looked puzzled.
"Ugh, it's all melted. Might as well throw it away..."
Her hand reached out but then withdrew. "It's been years since I've had one. The last time was when Tianyu was little!"
Yi's Mother had followed Yi Tianyu's father early on. Though they were wealthy now, back then, they were so poor that candy was a luxury!
Lost in thought, she unwrapped it and took a taste.
"Strawberry flavor? Hmm... not bad..."
The next morning.
"Ahhh! Where's my lollipop?!" Yi Tianyu roared.
——
Yi Tianyu was in a foul mood, and Lin Zhihua wasn't feeling much better either.
"What did you say?" He glared coldly at the Lin couple standing before him.
Mother Lin smiled awkwardly. "Well, Zhihua, just meet her once! Your Auntie Xu and I were classmates, and you've met Miss Xu before. You two even went to kindergarten together!"
"Kindergarten?"
Mother Lin's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! That girl has been sensible since she was little. You've known each other since kindergarten—childhood sweethearts!"
Lin Zhihua sneered. "First, I don't know this 'Miss Xu' you're talking about. Second, if I recall correctly, I only attended kindergarten for three days before skipping to first grade because everyone else was too stupid. So childhood sweethearts? Sorry, no such thing."
Mother Lin's smile stiffened, her mouth opening and closing. "Well... well... Zhihua, it's rare to find someone so compatible. Miss Xu has been studying abroad since middle school. She's always believed in platonic love. I’ve talked to her—she really likes you! And she’s willing to provide eggs and carry the child herself. That’s much better care than finding a surrogate!"
Lin Zhihua stared at her deeply. "If you're that bored, I’ll send you and Dad abroad."
Mother Lin’s eyes widened.
This was a threat!
An outright warning that if she meddled in his affairs again, he’d ship them both off to "retire" overseas!
"You—you—you—!"
Lin Zhihua stood, grabbed his coat, and walked out. At the door, he suddenly paused.
"Don’t worry about my business. I know what I’m doing."
With that, he strode away, leaving Mother Lin fuming.
"What do you mean, you know?!"
She clutched her chest. "Oh, my poor fate! Will I ever live to see my daughter-in-law and grandchild?"
——
Lin Zhihua stood downstairs as Chen Yan drove the car over.
"Go back. I’m driving myself today."
"Boss..." Chen Yan froze. Since the last car accident, the boss had barely driven at all!
"Go." Lin Zhihua got in, started the engine, and sped off.
He drove straight to a villa, where a young, handsome man stood outside the gate.
The moment he saw Lin Zhihua, the man smiled—warm and refined, like a noble gentleman detached from the mundane world.
But the moment he opened his mouth, the illusion shattered..."Mr. Lin, the big boss, today I turned down three important clients just for you. You owe me compensation!"
Lin Zhihua shot him a glare before walking inside. "To the studio."
The man froze for a moment before chasing after him in surprise. "Hey, hey, hey, my dear Boss Lin! You’re finally willing to get treated?!"
Despite his youthful appearance, this man, Liu Xu, was an internationally renowned psychologist.
Lin Zhihua entered the room and sat on the sofa. Liu Xu poured water while eyeing him suspiciously.
"Every time I suggested treatment before, you refused. What changed? Had a sudden epiphany? I knew from the start it was just a psychological issue, but you stubbornly refused!"
Lin Zhihua remained silent, accepting the glass of water handed to him.
The room was where many "patients" came for therapy. The decor was warm and inviting, with sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside stretched an endless expanse of green grass, relaxing the mind and making one unconsciously willing to open up.
As a highly professional psychologist, Liu Xu slipped into his role the moment he sat across from him. "Zhihua, your issue is minor. The first step is to face it yourself. I’ve told you many times before—"
"I can feel something now," Lin Zhihua interrupted.
"Cough—" Liu Xu nearly choked on his water.
"What did you say?!" He didn’t even care about the coughing, staring at Lin Zhihua in shock.
When he had first returned to the country, the Lin family had hired him. That was when he learned about Lin Zhihua’s condition.
It was indeed caused by psychological issues, but truthfully, his problem was severe. Liu Xu had no confidence in treating it, though he always downplayed it to avoid adding pressure.
Not that the mighty Boss Lin felt any pressure—he didn’t even care about his own issues and had been resistant to treatment.
"How did you recover?! That shouldn’t be possible..." Liu Xu had already forgotten his professional demeanor, consumed by curiosity for his friend.
Lin Zhihua set down his cup, leaning back on the sofa as he gazed outside. "I can feel something now, but only toward one person. I still detest contact with everyone else."
"One person?!" Liu Xu was dumbfounded.
Lin Zhihua nodded.
"She saved me once. From that day on, I started feeling different. So afterward, I made contact with her multiple times, including through messages and in person."
He frowned. "The more time I spend with her, the more I realize I’m not normal."
"How so?"
"I want to see her every day. When she cries, I feel agitated. Hearing her talk about others... makes me uncomfortable." Lin Zhihua’s brows furrowed tightly.
After helping Xue Jiao resolve her family issues, they had barely been in contact. This left him extremely unsettled. Several times, he had driven to her school at night, even parking outside Qizhong High just last evening.
Feeling that something was wrong with him, Lin Zhihua had come to Liu Xu.
"Boss Lin, your mortal heart is stirring! Hahaha!"
Liu Xu slapped his thigh. "This is great news! Marry her as soon as possible!"
He was genuinely happy. As one of the few close friends of Boss Lin, he knew the immense pressure the man faced.
Lin Zhihua’s aversion to women had given his uncle hope—he wanted to wrest control of the company from him.
The Lin family patriarch, fearing the company might fall into outsiders' hands, was fully supporting Lin Zhihua’s uncle in seizing power.
As for his parents, they did nothing but watch him closely, endlessly hoping for a test-tube heir.The outsiders in the company were the same—if not for his iron-fisted approach, he would have long been stripped of his power.
For a major corporation like Lin Enterprises, the absence of an heir had significant implications.
There would always be those who thought they could take advantage.
So Liu Xu was happy, though he was also extremely curious about that person!
No matter who they were, they were the only one Lin Zhihua, the big boss of Lin Enterprises, could ever marry!
And if they could even conceive a child, raise them well, and have them take over Lin Enterprises in the future...
"When are you going to marry them? I absolutely must meet them when the time comes! Can the wedding be held this year?" Liu Xu sat up straight, already imagining the expressions of those in their circle who were convinced Lin Zhihua would remain a lone wolf for life when they received the invitations!
"Not possible."
"Why? Their identity?" Liu Xu's wandering thoughts were abruptly cut short.
"Yeah... I shouldn’t have feelings for her..." Lin Zhihua tapped his fingers against the cup. Clearly, this was the main reason he had come today—and the thing that troubled him the most.
"Why not?" Liu Xu looked utterly confused.
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, his eyes widened in shock. "She’s a divorced woman?!"
Lin Zhihua shook his head.
"A married woman?!" His voice was horrified.
Another shake of the head.
"Holy shit! A man?!"
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