Xue Jiao took a bite of the steamed fish Lin Zhihua had just placed in her bowl, then scooped up some white rice, her face full of gloom.
She could only tell that Zhan Yichen's words were somewhat odd and unpleasant, but she hadn't picked up on the deeper implications—Cheng Shuo's intentions, or how Cheng Mingze was demonstrating his ability to handle problems.
Was the gap between her intelligence and that of Lin Zhihua and Cheng Mingze really this vast?
Lin Zhihua watched her expression and shook his head in amusement. This girl...
If she could truly calculate and understand all these things so clearly, she wouldn't be able to interact with people like him and Cheng Mingze so effortlessly.
With a smile, he patiently broke everything down for her. Lin Zhihua wouldn't force growth upon her, nor would he deliberately point out every bit of scheming.
He would only explain things carefully when she encountered situations she couldn't comprehend. As for how to handle or perceive them—that was entirely up to Xue Jiao herself.
It was like if there was a wall ahead, Lin Zhihua wouldn't forcibly stop her from running into it.
He would simply make it clear, then extend his hand to cushion her head so it wouldn't hurt or get injured upon impact.
Rather than desperately telling her not to do this or that, he shouldn't cram all his extra ten years of experience into her at once.
He would explain and protect, but not obstruct.
Having lived ten years longer than her didn't mean she should skip those ten years, as if missing a decade of life—every stage was precious.
The naivety and recklessness of youth would gradually fade with time, becoming cherished memories.
He would only offer guidance and protect her in all aspects, while the path she took and the direction she chose remained her own decisions.
Love was about protection, not indoctrination.
"First, your father came to the capital. Naturally, he couldn't comb through the entire university for problems—the scope would be too broad and the targets unclear. So he suggested treating your brother's roommates to a meal, narrowing the range while still revealing plenty of issues. Your brother is sharp—he immediately grasped your father's intention."
Noticing her rapt attention, Lin Zhihua tapped his chopsticks against the bowl. Xue Jiao hurriedly took another bite, her eyes still fixed on him.
"Zhan Yichen repeatedly emphasized that your family has influence, implying he suspects your brother got his opportunities through connections. If even his roommate thinks this way, it's likely other classmates share the suspicion."
"How could they?" Xue Jiao frowned deeply. Regardless of whether Cheng Shuo had that kind of influence (he absolutely wouldn't interfere even if he did), everything Cheng Mingze had achieved was through his own ability.
"Though your brother's roommate isn't particularly clever either—he's both envious and trying to curry favor." Lin Zhihua's smile turned sardonic as he flipped the fish and served Xue Jiao the best portion.
"Thank you," Xue Jiao said.
"Your brother handled it well—his measured responses left the other speechless. Clearly, he can deal with such people, but the project is more urgent now, leaving him no time to spare. Your father was naturally reassured." Lin Zhihua chuckled.
Having explained everything plainly, Xue Jiao—no fool herself—understood completely.
Yet she felt somewhat deflated, her brows drooping. "So university life isn't so peaceful after all?"
"Peaceful or not, people only envy you if you're outstanding. Should you give up excellence just to avoid envy?" Lin Zhihua countered.Xue Jiao shook her head vigorously.
"Right, and when you're too outstanding or excellence becomes a habit, you can remain calm too." Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow. "Like when you first ranked first, people would envy you and try to surpass you. But when you consistently top the charts year after year, few will envy you anymore. They get used to it and accept it as normal. Your brother just made a big splash when he first arrived. By the time you come next year, people might only speak of him with admiration."
Xue Jiao nodded in agreement. When she first ranked first, there had been so much skepticism. After several times, except for Chu Sheng, everyone else's question became whether Gu Xue Jiao or Chu Sheng would take first place this time.
Clearly, Lin Zhihua was absolutely right.
Lin Zhihua smiled and ladled half a bowl of soup for her. "Want some more soup?"
Xue Jiao glanced at the soup, touched her stomach, and shook her head vigorously.
She had been so engrossed in listening earlier that she kept eating continuously and ended up overeating.
"Overate?" Lin Zhihua frowned the moment he saw her gesture.
Xue Jiao nodded awkwardly.
Perhaps because Lin Zhihua was too intelligent, she felt she hardly used her brain when with him—and appeared somewhat foolish.
"You're not foolish." Lin Zhihua ruffled her hair again, making it even messier.
"You guessed what I was thinking again?"
"Silly, it's written all over your face. Let's go, walk to the library to aid digestion. It's fine if you overate at lunch." Lin Zhihua smiled as he picked up the backpack.
Xue Jiao reached out. "Let me carry it!"
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow. "It's fine, I'll carry it. It's not heavy."
Xue Jiao looked at the hand holding the backpack, recalling how heavy it felt on her back, and thought the difference in strength between boys and girls was really significant.
"The college entrance exam is getting closer. For teachers and others, it's just a large-scale annual test. But for students themselves, it's the culmination of years of hard work, a stepping stone to the future. So Jiao Jiao, you must work hard this coming year. Don't let trivial matters in family or friendships affect your studies." On the way back to the library, Lin Zhihua kept advising her.
"Mm!" Xue Jiao nodded emphatically.
"Also, and most importantly—" Lin Zhihua glanced at her briefly but kept his gaze ahead.
"What?"
Lin Zhihua feigned nonchalance. "The pressure in senior year is intense. Many students can't handle it and develop other distractions. You're good-looking, so there will definitely be boys confessing to you or similar situations. Don't get distracted. Try to maintain some distance from boys for now and focus on studying. Nothing is more important than the college entrance exam right now."
Xue Jiao nodded vigorously again, her expression showing full agreement.
Lin Zhihua breathed a sigh of relief.
Returning to the library, they resumed their morning work. After finishing math, they moved on to science comprehensive questions in the afternoon. These had a larger volume, with more problems marked for Xue Jiao, so progress was slightly slower.
By six in the evening, two sets of science questions remained. Lin Zhihua didn't help with Chinese, and English hadn't been started yet.
"Chinese requires your own writing. English benefits greatly from more practice. The remaining science set won't take long—you can finish it when you return to the city. Tomorrow, spend time with your family."
He had originally set aside two days to spend with her, but since they were returning the day after, family time was more important.He wasn't in a hurry for just one or two days—there was a long life ahead.
"Alright," Xue Jiao thought for a moment and agreed.
Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong had indeed never traveled alone with her before. Now that they had a day together, she should spend it well with them.
The coming year would be tough for her, and for them too.
Xue Jiao turned her head to look at Lin Zhihua. "Thank you."
"I happened to be free and had nothing else to do. No need for thanks," Lin Zhihua smiled.
Xue Jiao stared at his handsome face, momentarily lost in thought.
She was truly grateful that she had gone out that day and saved such a wonderful man.
Someone as good as him deserved to live a long, fulfilling life.
Lin Zhihua reached out, waving his slender fingers in front of her face.
"What are you thinking about?"
Xue Jiao snapped back to reality and shook her head with a smile. "Nothing."
Lin Zhihua glanced at his watch and stood up. "Your parents should be here to pick you up soon. I'll take my leave. Have fun tomorrow."
"Goodbye," Xue Jiao waved.
Lin Zhihua reached out and ruffled her hair one last time that day. "See you," he said before turning to leave.
Just as he reached the door, Lin Zhihua looked back—Xue Jiao was still watching him go.
Seeing him turn, she grinned and waved enthusiastically.
The smile that had faded from Lin Zhihua's face due to reluctance instantly returned.
After being alone for so long, just one smile from her filled him with joy again.
How wonderful.
Lin Zhihua also raised his hand in a wave before turning away, appearing carefree as he left.
Once outside the library, he walked to his car.
"Old Cheng, what are you looking at?" Li Sitong tugged at Cheng Shuo's sleeve.
Cheng Shuo stood on tiptoe, scanning the area. "I think I just saw Lin Zhihua."
"Who?" Li Sitong wondered if she had misheard.
The figure was already out of sight, but Cheng Shuo insisted, "It was definitely Lin Zhihua. His presence is unmistakable—I'm sure it was him!"
After picking up Xue Jiao, the three of them sat in the car on the way back to the hotel.
Cheng Shuo turned to Xue Jiao. "Jiao Jiao, how was studying today?"
"It was alright," Xue Jiao replied, a little guilty.
"Oh, good," Cheng Shuo nodded.
Xue Jiao asked, "How was your day?"
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions radiating affection.
Xue Jiao: "..."
Cheng Shuo broke eye contact with Li Sitong and turned back to Xue Jiao seriously. "Jiao Jiao, learning is a lifelong journey. The more outstanding a person is, the more they strive to improve."
Xue Jiao nodded, ready for his lecture.
But then Cheng Shuo suddenly switched topics excitedly. "I saw Lin Zhihua at the library today!"
"Cough, cough—" Xue Jiao choked.
Li Sitong quickly patted her back in concern. "Why are you coughing all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing—I was just surprised!" Xue Jiao felt even more guilty.
But Cheng Shuo was too excited to notice.
"Really! Who would have thought that someone managing the vast Lin Corporation, pushing forward new projects, would still make time to study at the library? I must not be working hard enough. Jiao Jiao, see how he sets an example? Doesn’t that prove how beneficial learning is?" Cheng Shuo's voice was still animated, though now tinged with a hint of persuasion.
Xue Jiao: "Right."
She thought she might never tell Cheng Shuo that Lin Zhihua had actually come to help her with homework.Cheng Shuo and Li Sitong went to the Badaling Great Wall, which Xue Jiao had already visited before.
So the next day, the three of them went to the Forbidden City together.
Along the way, Li Sitong acted as their tour guide.
"See that? That’s the wedding chamber for the emperor and empress. Back then, everything from the floor coverings to the bed hangings was the finest work of the most skilled embroiderers. The fabric was—" Li Sitong pointed inside, earnestly explaining.
Cheng Shuo listened attentively, while Xue Jiao looked up at Li Sitong.
She was actually quite an impressive person. Her father had raised her according to the standards of a refined lady from a prestigious family.
But later, after encountering a scumbag and suffering a drastic change in her family circumstances, Li Sitong gradually became the person she was now.
Recalling the original story, Li Sitong’s life was just as tragic as Gu Xue Jiao’s.
This mother-daughter pair only appeared in the early part of the story. Li Sitong had her heart broken by a scumbag and finally met a good man, only to end up quarreling with her daughter every day, turning their home into a battleground.
Later, she even lost her life while searching for her daughter.
In her entire life, apart from the relatively carefree days when her father was still alive, she never knew a single day of peace afterward.
Out of the corner of her eye, Xue Jiao noticed Cheng Shuo smiling at Li Sitong, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Well, at least this woman ended up living quite well.
At least in the latter half of her life, she had Cheng Shuo, who loved and protected her.
The Forbidden City was extremely crowded during National Day. Between the Forbidden City and the museum, it took them a full day to visit both.
They returned to the hotel to rest that night and headed back home the next day without delay.
Cheng Shuo went back to work, and Xue Jiao resumed her homework and revision.
On the evening of October 6th, Li Sitong received a text message.
"Jiao Jiao!" Her voice rose sharply, almost shrill.
Xue Jiao set down her pen and hurried downstairs, while even Cheng Shuo, who had just returned home, was startled.
"What’s wrong? What happened?"
Li Sitong held her phone, her face suddenly breaking into a huge smile.
"Jiao Jiao ranked first in the city in her first mock exam!" Her expression was practically glowing with pride.
The daughter who had once infuriated her to the point of not wanting to mention her had now become her pride.
"You scared me." Xue Jiao exhaled in relief, patting her chest.
Li Sitong read aloud excitedly, "Congratulations to Gu Xue Jiao of Class 1, Senior Year, for achieving an outstanding score of 721 in the city’s first mock examination, ranking first in the city. We warmly congratulate Gu Xue Jiao for this remarkable achievement."
Cheng Shuo also laughed. "That’s wonderful! Jiao Jiao, what would you like to eat tonight? Let’s celebrate! Hahaha, our Jiao Jiao is amazing!"
"Yes, yes! Jiao Jiao, what would you like? Mom will cook it for you herself." Li Sitong couldn’t take her eyes off the text message, her voice brimming with joy.
Xue Jiao: "..."
To be honest, she wasn’t particularly eager to eat Li Sitong’s cooking.
Xue Jiao glanced at Cheng Shuo— This was your idea. What now?
Cheng Shuo made a pained face in response— You’re the star today. You reject her!
Xue Jiao: "..."
She forced a smile. "Mom, how about noodles? I’d like some noodles."
"I agree!"
Li Sitong looked slightly surprised. "No stir-fried dishes?"
Xue Jiao and Cheng Shuo answered in unison, "No need!"
After all, the only thing you can make decently is noodles. The rest...
This text message didn’t have much impact on Xue Jiao. She had already been first before—this was just a city-wide ranking.
Until the college entrance exam, no achievement could truly be called glorious.
But for many families, it stirred up quite a storm.
October 8th marked the official start of the new semester.Xue Jiao got out of the car at the school gate, drawing many complex looks from those around her.
She felt a bit puzzled but quickly composed herself and walked calmly through the school entrance.
When she reached the senior high school building, Xue Jiao was stunned.
At the entrance of the building, the electronic screen that usually displayed motivational messages now boldly read:
Congratulations to our students Gu Xue Jiao and Chu Sheng for achieving outstanding scores of 721 and 719 respectively in the first mock exam!
Xue Jiao: “...”
A hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to see Yi Tianyu.
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Bookworm, impressive! First place again?”
Xue Jiao: “...”
“What? Too happy to speak?”
She lifted two fingers, pushing his hand away, and raised an eyebrow at him. “Depression, it’s not my first time ranking first. Why would I be ‘too happy’?”
Yi Tianyu: “Alright then.”
After a pause, he sighed. “You did great, but you’ve really screwed the rest of us over.”
Xue Jiao frowned, confused. “What did I do?”
Yi Tianyu asked, “What did your score report text say?”
“Just my scores—total first, followed by each subject’s.” She was even more perplexed.
Yi Tianyu gave a bitter smile. “Ours was the same, but at the end, it added: Furthermore, we warmly congratulate Gu Xue Jiao from Class 1, Grade 12, for ranking first in the city with a total score of 721. We encourage all students to learn from Gu Xue Jiao’s example. ”
Xue Jiao: “...”
“My dad thought my grades were decent and improving, but after seeing yours, he wanted to beat me!”
Xue Jiao: “...”
“He spent the whole night lecturing me. Look, I’ve even memorized that text now.” Yi Tianyu pouted.
Xue Jiao blinked, silent for a moment, then said, “No wonder...”
“Huh?” Yi Tianyu was puzzled again.
“No wonder everyone’s looking at me so strangely.”
Yi Tianyu patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t hit you.”
Xue Jiao glared at him, then glanced back at the electronic screen.
“This must be Teacher Yin’s doing!”
Yi Tianyu looked unsurprised. “You know how the Nun is. That message is totally her style. Because of your terrifying scores, who knows how many students are getting double-teamed at home right now.”
Xue Jiao: “...”
Feeling a bit frustrated, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed to the classroom.
“Hey, bookworm, wait up! Lend me your homework this time—I’m running late, still have a bunch of papers left. There’s too much, I can’t finish!” Yi Tianyu chased after her.
In the end, Xue Jiao did lend him her homework. She had gotten help from others too, and since many hadn’t finished the heavy workload, she figured if he didn’t copy hers, he’d copy someone else’s. Just this once.
Xue Jiao took her seat and pulled out her vocabulary book to start memorizing.
Yi Tianyu sat behind her, scribbling furiously without looking up.
Just before class, Liu Jiaxue rushed into the room, her face flushed red, backpack in tow.
Xue Jiao paused, hesitantly asking, “What’s wrong?”
Her face… did it look like she’d been hit?
“I don’t want to study anymore!” Liu Jiaxue sat down, tears streaming uncontrollably.
“Huh?” Xue Jiao gasped in surprise.
Liu Jiaxue turned to her, eyes filled with despair.
“Jiao Jiao… I ranked 110th in the grade this time!”
Xue Jiao froze, shocked.
When she first arrived, Liu Jiaxue had been in the top five. Later, her grades slipped, but she had still been around 30th. How had she fallen beyond 100th now?"Jiaxue, what's wrong? Can you tell me about it?" Xue Jiao reached out and gently patted her.
Liu Jiaxue couldn't stop her tears. "I can't study anymore. When I look at my books, my mind wanders elsewhere. Seeing homework makes me irritable. My mom scolds me, hits me, and I hate books even more."
She cried uncontrollably, her face filled with despair.
Xue Jiao frowned and continued to pat her gently.
"Jiaxue, you can't think like that. We've worked so hard all these years—how can we give up at the final hurdle?"
"But I really can't go on. I don't want to study anymore. I can't score high marks anymore. My mom... my mom hits me..." Liu Jiaxue sobbed, gasping for breath.
She didn't know how to express her feelings. She was too agitated, overwhelmed by a sense of collapse and suffocation.
No one understood the pressure she was under. She knew her grades were slipping, which made her panic, and the more she panicked, the worse she performed.
After several exams, she began to fear them.
Today, she was even afraid to come to school.
"I know, Jiaxue, I know." Xue Jiao reached out and gently patted her back, murmuring soothingly.
"I understand how you feel. I said it during the pledge rally—senior year is tough, so tough that just thinking about it feels like the greatest trial of our lives. Anxiety, pain, the urge to give up when you try so hard but still can't do well... We're so young, yet we're already exhausted to the point of sleeplessness, stressed to the point of losing hair."
Liu Jiaxue didn't respond, only crying silently.
"But is giving up really the right choice? Can you bear to abandon all the effort you've put in over the years? Many people want to quit, but they can't. This is a trial everyone must endure. As long as it's not over, we have to keep fighting." Her gaze was firm, and Liu Jiaxue stared at her blankly.
Xue Jiao handed her a few tissues. "Here, wipe your tears. Now that you're at school, forget all the troubles. Study hard, pick up your pen, and find your old self again."
Her encouraging gaze made Liu Jiaxue slowly reach out, take the tissues, and wipe her tears.
Then, between sniffles, she said, "Okay."
She stiffly turned around and began taking out her books one by one.
Her movements were slow, and Xue Jiao could only sigh softly.
Behind her, Yi Tianyu reached out and tapped her shoulder.
"What?" Xue Jiao turned her head.
"I never thought you'd care so much about your classmates," Yi Tianyu said, raising an eyebrow.
Xue Jiao rolled her eyes at him.
"Bookworm, I suddenly think you're really great," he said, half-joking but with a serious look in his eyes.
Xue Jiao ignored him and simply said, "Don't want to copy homework anymore?"
Yi Tianyu replied, "I do."
That day, almost every teacher discussed the results and questions from the first mock exam. Xue Jiao barely listened—she hadn't made many mistakes and wanted to focus on improving further, as the first mock exam had been relatively easy.
The next day, some teachers began reviewing the holiday homework.
"The homework completion in our class this time is extremely poor!" the math teacher shouted hoarsely from the podium.
"Copying homework is rampant! Do you think I can't tell? Do you think I'm blind?" The teacher glared fiercely.
The students below all lowered their heads like quails, not daring to speak.
Xue Jiao flipped through her mistake notebook, not wasting a single second."Some people copy homework, but they do it so poorly, which really disappoints me." His gaze swept over the crowd below, then suddenly he shouted, "Yi Tianyu, stand up right now!"
Yi Tianyu was stunned and stood up in confusion.
What's going on?
"You copying homework is one thing, but when Gu Xue Jiao made a mistake—83 plus 29, she wrote 111, and you just copied it as 111 too. If you love copying homework so much, then copy that math assignment again."
"Ah?" Yi Tianyu panicked.
"Twice."
Yi Tianyu responded dejectedly, "Fine..."
Xue Jiao was equally baffled. A miscalculation?
Unlikely. Based on her understanding of Lin Zhihua, he was a very meticulous person.
Whenever Xue Jiao made minor mistakes in her exercises, he would immediately point them out—never careless or negligent.
Xue Jiao found it strange.
That night, she asked Lin Zhihua:
"Did you write 83 plus 29 wrong on purpose, or was it a mistake?"
An instant reply came:
"Hmm, probably a mistake. Why? Did someone copy your homework and get punished?"
Lin Zhihua silently thought to himself: I did it on purpose. That guy who copies your homework needs to learn that copying isn’t so simple—especially when it’s my work.
The corners of his lips twitched slightly as his fingers tapped the desk, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Xue Jiao: "Ohhh, my deskmate—well, former deskmate—copied my homework and got caught. He was scolded and had to rewrite it twice."
Lin Zhihua’s smile deepened, and he even wiggled his feet happily.
Serves him right.
His fingers tapped calmly as he replied with feigned sympathy:
"Oh, really? How unfortunate for him."
His lips curled into a smirk, though his words carried a tone of pity—as if he truly felt sorry.
The truth behind the miscalculation remained unknown to Xue Jiao. As fallen leaves swirled outside, the trees beyond the window gradually became bare.
Winter arrived.
Their area had already seen several light snowfalls that winter, but in the past two days, heavy snow had begun to fall.
The arrival of winter meant the new year was drawing closer—and with it, the year of their college entrance exams.
This year’s gaokao belonged to them.
After the first and second-year students went on break, their schedule shifted to six and a half days of classes per week, with only half a day of rest.
On top of monthly exams, weekly exams were now added.
The phrase "numb from exams" was no exaggeration.
"Everyone, stay strong! I know you're exhausted, but the teachers are too! We all want to celebrate the New Year—just hold on until next year when you’re free in college!" Yin Fang clapped her hands, trying to boost morale.
Her complexion was far less vibrant than at the start of the semester, and even her scoldings lacked their usual vigor.
To give the third-year students motivation, nearly every school painted college as a carefree, relaxed paradise.
But Xue Jiao, having seen Cheng Mingze’s college life, didn’t believe a word of it.
Cheng Mingze had returned home yesterday—the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month.
"Tomorrow is the final exam for third-year students—also known as the second mock exam. If you want a good New Year, do well on this test!"
"Ah—" The class groaned in unison.
"What are you groaning about?" Yin Fang glared fiercely.
"The teachers have it worse! You’ll be done by the 28th and go home, but we have to grade all your papers before the evening of the 29th!"
"Teacher!" Yi Tianyu raised his hand. "You don’t have to grade them. We’re not in a hurry—you can do it after the New Year when we’re back in school."
"HAHAHA!" The class burst into laughter."Seriously!" Yin Fang slammed the table in anger. "Anyway, this round's grades will be sent to parents before New Year. Don't think you're so great just because you all passed the first-tier university cutoff last time—that was because the questions were easy. This time, I want everyone to give it their all. If you don't make the cutoff, we'll have a serious talk."
"Ugh..." Another collective groan filled the room.
It wasn't until the second mock exam actually began that everyone understood why Yin Fang had said that.
The questions for this mock exam were unprecedentedly difficult.
"Damn it, how heartless is the school? Making the questions this hard and then sending out the results before New Year—they're deliberately trying to ruin our holiday!"
"No kidding, this is the worst."
"By the way, I heard Chinese and Math have already been graded, and English is being graded now."
"Oh god, can we go ask about the results?"
"No way, I don't dare!"
This time, the teachers didn't assign much homework. Both students and teachers had been exhausted recently, and since it was almost New Year, they decided not to overload everyone with assignments.
"Quiet! Everyone, leave the school in an orderly manner later. Remember to stay safe, and send me a message when you get home," Yin Fang announced loudly from the podium.
"Got it!" came the unanimous reply. Holidays always brought joy to students.
"A lot of the grades are already out, and some of you did very poorly... Ah, never mind, let's not talk about that now. Everyone, hurry home. Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year!"
With that, Yin Fang began ushering the students out.
Xue Jiao slung her backpack over her shoulder and was about to leave when she noticed water droplets on the desk next to hers.
She looked up and saw Liu Jiaxue sitting quietly, tears streaming down her face.
Xue Jiao's heart clenched.
She understood the pressure Liu Jiaxue was under. At just sixteen, a year younger than the current Gu Xue Jiao, she bore an immense burden.
Liu Jiaxue had been working extremely hard these past few months, but her grades never improved. Instead, they had slipped slightly.
Yin Fang used to talk to her often, but since Liu Jiaxue would only cry during those conversations, Yin Fang had stopped reaching out.
She was under tremendous pressure, flailing like a headless fly, yet never finding a way out.
"Jiaxue..." Xue Jiao called softly.
Liu Jiaxue didn't respond.
"Jiaxue, what's wrong?" Xue Jiao tentatively reached out.
Suddenly, Liu Jiaxue wiped her eyes and blurted, "Jiao Jiao, Happy New Year... Be happy forever!"
With that, she dashed out of the classroom.
For some reason, Xue Jiao's heart tightened, and she immediately chased after her.
"Hey, bookworm!"
Yi Tianyu saw Xue Jiao running out and quickly followed with his backpack.
Liu Jiaxue seemed to summon some inexplicable burst of strength, sprinting ahead at an alarming speed.
Once outside the school gates, she turned right.
Xue Jiao knew Liu Jiaxue's home was to the left, where she would normally take the bus.
Suddenly realizing what lay to the right, Xue Jiao's face paled. Her legs gave way, causing her to stumble and fall.
"Jiao Jiao!" Yi Tianyu hurried to help her up.
Trembling, Xue Jiao pointed ahead.
"Quick, Yi Tianyu! Stop her—hurry!"
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