Lin Zhihua ignored him, taking out the men's watch from the couple's set and putting it on his own wrist, then gently stroked it for a moment.
Just as quickly, Lin Zhihua lowered his hand and turned to Chen Yan.
"Is it fixed?"
"Yes, it's been repaired." Chen Yan respectfully handed over a slightly worn ladies' wristwatch.
Lin Zhihua took it and strode out. "Chen Yan, pay him."
After everyone had left, the chubby shop owner sat there in a daze, staring blankly at the check in his hand.
What on earth had just happened?
Had he really just sold both of his store's prized treasures in one go?!
He recalled how he had been sitting idly in the shop earlier when three men suddenly walked in. They immediately pulled out a slightly worn ladies' wristwatch and asked if it had been sold there—and whether it could be repaired.
The watch was indeed from his shop, so he agreed to fix it. At the time, he had marveled at how, despite the commanding presence of the man in charge, he was surprisingly frugal—who even bothered repairing a broken ladies' watch these days?
When he went to the back to fetch a replacement part, the man in his thirties suddenly followed him in, wordlessly covering his mouth and pinning him down.
For a moment, he thought he was being robbed—until he heard voices outside.
And then… he heard his prized treasures being sold for a mere thousand yuan!
He had been furious. The moment the man released him, he rushed out to demand an explanation.
But then… somehow, the deal was done?
The shop owner racked his brain but couldn’t make sense of it. Shaking his head, he lifted the check and planted a loud kiss on it.
"Ah, whatever! Who cares what weird habits rich people have? I made money today! Hahaha!"
——
The car glided smoothly toward the Lin residence. The assistant stole glances at Lin Zhihua through the rearview mirror, still shaken by the day’s events.
He was burning with curiosity, but he didn’t dare ask—or even speak.
Lin Zhihua clearly had no intention of engaging with him either. Only when the car passed through the gates of the Lin estate did he finally speak: "Go back."
Then he strode into the house without another word.
Tan Qi exhaled in relief, patting his chest. The boss’s aura was downright terrifying!
He turned to Chen Yan with an ingratiating smile. "Uh… Secretary Chen, do you know—"
"No."
"Aren’t you curious?!"
"No."
"……"
Tan Qi stared at Chen Yan’s icy expression—eerily similar to the boss’s—and suddenly understood why, after all these years, Chen Yan was the only secretary who had lasted by Lin Zhihua’s side, becoming his most trusted confidant.
The man was practically a machine!
As Tan Qi’s face cycled through a series of exaggerated expressions, Chen Yan finally looked at him and said, "Do you know why your predecessor was let go?"
"W-w-why?"
"Talked too much."
Tan Qi: "……"
Chen Yan turned and got into the car. Tan Qi shuddered and hurried after him.
——
The moment Lin Zhihua stepped inside, he knew there were visitors. Frowning slightly, he wasn’t surprised when his parents emerged from the kitchen.
Loosening his tie, he asked coldly, "Why are you here?"
"What, we can’t visit?" Father Lin’s expression darkened instantly.
Lin Zhihua ignored him, pouring himself a glass of water instead.
Mother Lin pinched Father Lin’s arm, then forced a smile. "Well… your hand hasn’t fully healed yet. Why are you already back at work? Your father and I were worried…"Lin Zhihua sat down, slightly raised his head, and glanced at them with a sidelong look: "The mess you left behind hasn't been cleaned up yet. How could I not go to work?"
"How dare you speak to us like that, you brat?!"
Mother Lin pulled Father Lin back and forced an awkward smile. Her gaze paused when it swept over his wrist: "You're wearing a watch?"
It was no wonder she was so surprised or that she noticed such a detail.
Lin Zhihua was a strange person—well, if she weren't his mother, she might have used the word "freak."
This man never wore watches because, ever since middle school, he had strictly adhered to schedules. He could estimate time accurately without needing a watch.
Thus, Mother Lin had never seen a watch on Lin Zhihua's wrist before. This was truly an unprecedented event.
Lin Zhihua merely nodded, offering no explanation.
Well, his matter-of-fact attitude left the Lin parents speechless.
"What exactly did you come here for today?"
Mother Lin smiled, pulling Father Lin to sit beside him: "We heard you changed assistants..."
"Hmm?"
"To a very young and handsome man?" Mother Lin's voice tightened.
Lin Zhihua: "..."
"And?"
Mother Lin's smile nearly faltered before she finally stammered, "As... as long as you're happy..."
Father Lin pushed her hand away and stood up, glaring at Lin Zhihua.
His eyes were furious, his expression stern, and his demeanor seemed intimidating, as if he was about to start scolding any second.
Lin Zhihua also stood up, causing Father Lin to instantly take two steps back, his imposing aura vanishing without a trace.
"I don't like men."
After saying this, he tossed his tie aside and walked into the bathroom.
Father and Mother Lin's expressions relaxed abruptly, and Father Lin even broke into a smile: "Good... good... I told you not to jump to conclusions!"
Mother Lin glared: "Now you're blaming me? Weren't you just as anxious when you first heard about it?"
She sighed suddenly, her face full of worry: "Our son doesn't interact with women, but he doesn't like men either... Sigh, is he really going to be alone for the rest of his life?"
"That's why I said he should try artificial insemination for a child!"
Mother Lin rolled her eyes: "Do you think he'd agree? If it weren't for you making a big deal about his... his impotence back then, he wouldn't have been ridiculed, gone abroad to study, and then stopped interacting with women!"
Father Lin also lowered his head slightly, a hint of guilt in his expression. This matter was his fault.
"Let's go. Our son doesn't like having other people in the house!"
"Am I 'other people' to my own son?"
The couple muttered as they left. In the bathroom, Lin Zhihua ran his hands from his chin upward, flipping his hair back. He blinked, staring blankly in one direction.
He truly didn't like women, nor did he like men.
For many years, he had believed this about himself.
But clearly, recent events had shattered his understanding, leaving him somewhat unsettled.
"Sir... don't be afraid... I'll save you... everything... everything... will be fine!"
"Sir... keep... going, we... we... need to go farther! Use... use some strength... hold on... I can't carry... you..."
"Xue Jiao, Gu Xue Jiao."
"Sir..."
"Xue Jiao..."
"Don't be afraid..."
"Sir..."
"Sir..."
...
The voice echoed incessantly in his mind.
——
"Why are you back at this time?" Li Sitong was holding a fruit platter and instinctively put on a stern face when she saw her.Her expression was fierce, yet also carried a hint of realization—as if she had expected this.
Great, she thought Xue Jiao had skipped school again.
Xue Jiao felt both helpless and exasperated. As she changed her shoes, she said, "This afternoon and evening are for dormitory cleaning. Day students can go home. Brother will be back later too."
"Oh..." Li Sitong responded blankly.
So... she hadn’t skipped class?
"Mom, I’m going upstairs to study now!"
"Huh?"
Before Li Sitong could process what she’d heard, Xue Jiao had already dashed upstairs with her arms full of newly purchased items.
——
Yesterday, she had tidied up her room, throwing out all the messy clothes and makeup. Now, the room looked much cleaner.
She placed the books she had bought one by one into the empty bookshelf—almost all of them were study guides, including two complete sets of the "Five-Three" series covering all subjects. Then, she tore down all the posters on the wall. Only after the wall was restored to its pristine white did she hang up the small blackboard she had bought.
It was positioned right across from her bed, so she could see it the moment she opened her eyes every morning.
She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board:
"646 days until the college entrance exam."
After placing the chalk back into the slot beneath the blackboard, she clapped her hands together and pulled open the curtains.
The Cheng family had treated Gu Xue Jiao fairly well—her room was well-structured. The desk Li Sitong had bought for her was placed by the window, where the fading sunlight cast a warm glow.
Xue Jiao took out the math and physics materials she had brought home.
In her previous life, these two subjects, along with English, had been her weakest points. This time, she was determined to focus on them.
She had always known she wasn’t a genius, but that was fine—she could rely on diligence to reach her dreams.
As Xue Jiao opened her books, Cheng Mingze and Cheng Shuo returned downstairs.
"Welcome back!" Li Sitong greeted them with a smile, taking Cheng Shuo’s bag and nodding at Cheng Mingze.
"Where’s Jiao Jiao? Mingze said she came back earlier."
"She’s upstairs. She went up as soon as she got home." Then, lowering her voice in confusion, she added, "I saw her bring back a lot of books. What’s going on...?"
Cheng Shuo chuckled. "Seems like her little rivalry with Mingjiao has had quite an impact."
But Cheng Mingze suddenly frowned. "Dad, Aunt Li, I found out something today that I think you should know."
"What is it?"
Cheng Mingze recounted everything he had witnessed that day. Li Sitong stood up angrily. "Jiao Jiao was such a well-behaved child when she was little! I thought she became like this because she couldn’t adjust to the new environment, but it turns out there was outside influence!"
Cheng Mingze nodded. "I confirmed it today—Gu Xue Jiao started hanging out with them the year she came to the Cheng family."
Li Sitong trembled, her breathing ragged.
Cheng Shuo patted her back soothingly. "It’s alright, it’s alright. Jiao Jiao wants to change now, and there’s still time. As for those people..."
"I already warned them today. Most of them are minors, and I was afraid pushing them too hard might backfire and hurt Gu Xue Jiao."
Cheng Shuo nodded and instructed him, "Keep an eye on things from now on. Bring your sister home with you every evening. If they try to contact her again, let me know immediately."
"Got it."
He still didn’t like Gu Xue Jiao, but for Li Sitong’s sake, he wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Cheng Shuo exhaled deeply. "Thankfully, Jiao Jiao’s little competition with Mingjiao has motivated her. Let’s hope she keeps it up this time—it’ll give us a chance to gradually correct her behavior. Sitong, if she does well, praise her. Your attitude means a lot to her."
"Alright!""Mingze, stop giving your sister such a stern look!"
"Got it..."
Only then did Cheng Shuo stand up. "Let's eat. Sitong, go call Jiao Jiao."
Li Sitong rose and headed upstairs.
When she opened Xue Jiao's door, she froze momentarily. The sky outside had already darkened slightly. The young girl, her hair tied in a neat bun, sat by the window holding a pen upright, taking notes while reading.
All unnecessary items in the room had disappeared, along with the messy posters that once covered the walls. Only a small blackboard with writing remained.
Li Sitong blinked, wondering if she'd opened the door wrong. She closed it and reopened it carefully.
Yet the scene remained unchanged...
The girl turned her head then, tilting it slightly in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Dinner's ready..." Li Sitong stammered.
"Okay." Xue Jiao tidied her desk, turned off the light, and followed her downstairs.
As they reached the stair landing, Li Sitong suddenly stiffened as if remembering something. "Jiao Jiao... you're doing great. Mom... Mom believes you can keep it up!"
Though her words expressed confidence, her eyes clearly screamed—Impossible! She won't last more than a few days!
Xue Jiao's lips twitched. Despite recognizing the disbelief, she pretended not to notice.
She even adopted Gu Xue Jiao's signature tsundere expression—touched and newly motivated, her fighting spirit reignited—as she declared:
"Of course! I'm going to defeat Cheng Mingjiao!"
That night.
Li Sitong tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
"Sitong... go to sleep already, stop fidgeting..."
She suddenly sat up and looked at Cheng Shuo—
"Old Cheng, you were absolutely right! I need to encourage her constantly and show I believe in her. That's the only way she'll persist!"
She was convinced Xue Jiao's sudden transformation stemmed from her rivalry with Cheng Mingjiao, though she still doubted it would last. But by continuously praising her and expressing faith, she could prolong Xue Jiao's determination!
Yes! That's it!
It had to be!
Author's Note:
Li Sitong: My daughter's improvement is all thanks to her rivalry with Mingjiao. Thank you, Mingjiao!
Cheng Mingjiao: ??? What the hell did I even do???
OpenNovel