The next day, Shen Ying finished breakfast and took the bus to school. Having woken up a bit late, she barely made it to the classroom on ti.
Though her steps were hurried, she looked clean and refreshed, radiating energy.
The mont she entered, Shen Zuola and her group noticed sothing was off—
"Where did you co from?"
Shen Ying was puzzled. "From ho, of course."
Shen Zuola clicked her tongue. "You got lucky."
Probably so busybody interfered and let the pauper out.
They had gone through the trouble of locking her up yesterday, even mobilizing the whole class for a thorough cleaning.
Shen Ying knew the young mistress's intentions weren't aligned with those two male classmates.
They just wanted to keep her locked up overnight, while the boys, upon learning of Class C's plan, had other ideas.
The group still had no idea what had happened the night before, solely fixated on their disappointnt that Shen Ying had escaped.
Hearing their words, Shen Ying nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty good. They forgot about after taking out the trash. I was stuck in the equipnt room for over half an hour, almost thought I'd spend the night there."
"Luckily, Xiao Yun happened to pass by and let out."
Shen Zuola and the others imdiately flew into a rage. "What? Xiao Yun let you out?"
"You're lying! Why would he let you out? How could he possibly let you out?"
Shen Ying feigned surprise. "What's so strange about helping a classmate in trouble?"
"Or do you think Xiao Yun is so cold-hearted jerk in your eyes?"
Shen Zuola: "..."
"Of course not! Out of the four, Xiao Yun is the gentlest."
"Do you even know why you ended up like this? How could Xiao Yun go against Zhong Chen's wishes to help you?"
Shen Ying: "True. Torn between conscience and loyalty to his childhood friend, Xiao Yun was clearly in a dilemma."
"So he apologized for everything I've been through lately and gave five million as compensation for emotional distress."
The class froze, then burst into laughter.
Shen Zuola and her group laughed the hardest. "Have you finally lost it from poverty?"
"See, I told you the school environnt is too much for these paupers. They should cancel the special admissions program, but the school wouldn’t listen. Now look what happened!"
"Even in your wildest delusions, can’t you aim higher? Five million isn’t enough—make it five billion!"
Shen Ying casually pulled out her phone, opened the SMS notification for the received transfer, and turned the screen toward them.
The mont Shen Zuola and the others saw the ssage, their laughter died on their faces.
She snatched Shen Ying’s phone, scrolling up to confirm it wasn’t a screenshot or edited. The balance before the transfer had been in the single digits, and the transaction history showed it was indeed her own account.
The latest ssage was for breakfast expenses, along with several other purchases totaling tens of thousands. The remaining balance? Still over four million and change.
A real, freely usable sum of money.
Shen Zuola’s vision swam, and she nearly fainted. Five million wasn’t a fortune, but for Xiao Yun to give it away without hesitation—to a pauper, no less!
Who knew how smug this girl must be, suddenly coming into so much money.
Sure enough, Shen Ying retrieved her phone with a grateful smile. "Honestly, I was still angry when I got out."
"I lashed out at Xiao Yun without thinking, but who knew he’d be so understanding? He apologized right away and even gave such generous compensation."
"I admit I raised my voice at him at first, but on second thought, it wasn’t his idea, was it?"
"Whoever ca up with last night’s plan—bless them. We need more of that."
The class’s eyes turned to Shen Zuola. As the unofficial leader of Class C, she felt the collective disdain for the first ti.
Her mind reeled as she collapsed into her seat, dazed for the entire morning.
anwhile, Shen Ying peacefully played mahjong on her phone until lunchti, when the app was uninstalled again amid curses.
As most of the class left, Xia ng approached. "So you paid back the money so quickly because of Xiao Yun?"
"But from what I know, he’s not the type to just hand out money. Out of the four, he’s the least likely to solve problems with cash."
"What really happened yesterday? Are you okay? Don’t push yourself."
Shen Ying reassured her. "I’m fine. The only ‘loss’ was so eye strain, really."
Xia ng studied her—no physical or emotional distress in sight—and finally relaxed.
Just as she was about to leave, Shen Ying suddenly said, "But you’ve only been here a month, right?"
"I rember explaining the school’s survival rules to you, including those four’s backgrounds. How’d you learn so much about their personal habits in just a few days?"
Xia ng turned back to see Shen Ying’s smiling face. "Even Class A doesn’t know how they act in private."
A flicker of panic crossed Xia ng’s eyes. "I—I guessed. Guess I was wrong."
She hurried off, as if afraid to linger near Shen Ying any longer.
Shen Ying shrugged, unbothered.
She stepped out of the classroom—and ran straight into the four boys passing by.
As soon as Zhong Chen saw her, he was reminded of the joke Xing Jiale had cracked the night before and imdiately bristled: "What kind of revenge are you plotting now? If you so much as lay a finger on today, I won’t go by Zhong anymore."
Shen Ying, however, replied nonchalantly, "Don’t worry, I’m not holding last night against you."
"Your friend has already paid the price on your behalf."
She flashed Xiao Yun a smile, expressing her satisfaction with their deal once more, and Xiao Yun gave her a faint nod in return.
With that, Shen Ying turned and walked away.
Zhong Chen was left bewildered. "What price? How did Ah Yun pay for ? Hey, explain yourself!"
But Shen Ying ignored him, already out of earshot.
Frustrated, Zhong Chen shot a resentful look at Xiao Yun. "What happened? Did she hit you? Insult you?"
Then, recalling Xing Jiale’s joke, he gasped. "Don’t tell she did sothing to you?"
Xiao Yun sighed—this guy was hopelessly dense. Without another word, he strode off, leaving Zhong Chen behind.
With a few extra million in her pocket, Shen Ying’s dining options expanded considerably.
She sampled the actual quality of the school cafeteria and had to admit, objectively speaking, it surpassed many high-end restaurants.
What was even more impressive was that there were no weak spots—every cuisine was excellent, and the desserts were exceptional.
Shen Ying thoroughly enjoyed herself, paying no mind to Shen Zuola and her clique at the next table, who were loudly mocking her "new money" behavior.
Perhaps Xiao Yun’s "compensation" had dealt a blow to the students’ confidence, leaving them unsure of how to react to the current situation.
The afternoon passed without incident, and as soon as school ended, Shen Ying headed straight for the mall.
Riding the bus every day was a hassle—there was a considerable distance from her ho to the bus stop, and another stretch from the stop to school. Walking took up too much ti, and taxis weren’t always convenient.
Since she wasn’t yet 18 and didn’t have a driver’s license, Shen Ying settled on buying a bicycle.
She also picked up a few things she hadn’t had ti to purchase the day before. By the ti she left the mall, it was already evening.
Having arranged for ho delivery, she leisurely pushed her new bicycle along, riding it ho with ease.
Along the way, she mulled over how to explain the money to her parents in a way that wouldn’t stress them out. They deserved to take breaks on rainy days and weekends without worrying.
Lost in thought, she suddenly spotted Xiao Yun sitting by the roadside.
At this hour, the street was quiet, with few cars passing by. Xiao Yun was staring absently at an advertisent featuring a strikingly elegant woman—a rising supermodel who had gained fa over the past two years.
Shen Ying hadn’t planned to disturb him, but just then, Xiao Yun seed to snap out of his daze. His gaze drifted lazily until it landed on her.
Shen Ying grinned and gave him a nod, not slowing her pace as she pedaled past.
But Xiao Yun took two quick steps forward, reached out, and grabbed her handlebars, bringing her to an abrupt stop.
Shen Ying feigned innocence. "Want to test out the bike you sponsored? Don’t worry, I’ve ridden a few miles already—it handles great."
Xiao Yun scoffed. "So you’ve been telling everyone I gave you five million as an apology?"
Shen Ying countered, "Better than spreading that you paid five million for a gigabyte of my photos, right?"
Xiao Yun: "…Every move you make is unexpected. I thought you’d keep the money under wraps."
Shen Ying shrugged. "What’s the point of money if you can’t enjoy it openly? I’m not hiding my spending—better to be transparent."
Xiao Yun nodded slightly, conceding the point, then added, "But now Ah Chen is furious with . He thinks I secretly helped you behind his back."
"It’s giving a headache."
Shen Ying smirked. "So you two had a fight, and now you’re out here staring at a beautiful woman for comfort?"
Xiao Yun stiffened, following her gaze to the advertisent. "You probably know her too—she’s an alum of our school."
Shen Ying nodded. "Of course. She was listed among this year’s notable alumni."
"You seem to like her a lot."
Xiao Yun didn’t deny it. "We grew up together. But she’s abroad now—"
Before he could finish, Shen Ying’s expression twisted into one of disbelief.
Xiao Yun frowned. "What?"
Shen Ying deadpanned, "I was just thinking—she’s a famous model. There are TV shows, fashion runways, social dia posts—plenty of dynamic, high-quality content. And you two are childhood friends? You could call or video chat anyti."
"Yet here you are, standing in the middle of the night, staring at a billboard. What’s the appeal? Its size?"
Xiao Yun’s lancholic mood instantly shattered, replaced by irritation. Now he understood why Zhong Chen found her so infuriating—she had a knack for getting under people’s skin.
As she tried to pedal away, Xiao Yun planted a foot on her front tire, stopping her.
Shen Ying raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
Xiao Yun smirked. "Thanks to you, I’ve got nothing better to do. Thought I’d test out the bike I sponsored."
Shen Ying glanced around. "Here? Really?"
Xiao Yun shrugged. "Why not?"
The two began wrestling over the bicycle, oblivious to the sleek black luxury car nearby.
Inside, Zhong Chen watched through the window, his expression darkening, before coldly ordering the driver, "Let’s go."
The next morning, Shen Ying woke up to find Mother Shen packing an extravagant lunchbox for her.
She pointed at the seashell-carved lunchbox that cost at least a thousand yuan and asked, “What’s this about?”
Mother Shen smiled. “Didn’t you keep saying you wanted to bring homade als? I thought about it, and it’s fine to bring food from ho once in a while.”
“Besides, didn’t your school hand out a bunch of study supplies yesterday? That saved us so money, so we just bought you a new lunchbox. Use this if you want to bring food from now on.”
“Don’t dig out the old one—it’s embarrassing!”
Shen Ying didn’t comnt on her frugal mother’s simple vanity. She opened the lunchbox to find a prepared al inside.
Shen Ying: “Wow, one al here could cover how many days’ worth of groceries at ho?”
Mother Shen chuckled. “What would your classmates think if you brought sothing shabby?”
Shen Ying gave a dry laugh. “Oh, by the way, there’s a school competition in a few days. The first-place prize is 500,000. I’ve already signed up.”
Mother Shen’s smile widened. “Your school is so generous.”
Not that she expected her daughter to win. Shen Ying had never placed high in past competitions, let alone ones with cash prizes.
Her grades were decent in class, but not outstanding in the grade overall.
When Shen Ying arrived at school with her lunchbox, she noticed the entire floor was unusually tense.
Even Shen Zuola and her friends, who usually chattered about fashion trends between classes, were unusually quiet.
Shen Ying texted Xia ng to ask what was going on. The reply: Zhong Chen had been in a terrible mood since morning, looking downright scary, so everyone was tiptoeing around him.
Shen Ying: [Oh, so the Husky’s baring its teeth? No big deal then.]
Xia ng: […]
At lunch, Shen Ying took her lunchbox to the cafeteria—where, unsurprisingly, trouble found her.
Sure enough, as she was enjoying the lavish al her thrifty mother had prepared, Zhong Chen shoved past others and lood over her.
He planted his hands on the table, staring down at her with a dark, brooding intensity.
The entire cafeteria fell silent. Everyone—those eating, those walking by—stopped and turned to watch.
Even the trio on the second floor, seeing Zhong Chen clearly picking a fight, made their way down.
Zhong Chen glared at Shen Ying, his mind replaying her words from yesterday and the playful intimacy she’d shared with Xiao Yun in front of the billboard.
The fact that soone who’d once been fixated on him had suddenly connected with Xiao Yun—and was now ignoring him—had fueled his rage since last night.
“You—” Zhong Chen started, only for Shen Ying to swiftly clutch her lunchbox to her chest, shielding it like soone might steal her food.
Zhong Chen scoffed in disbelief. “Who the hell wants your stupid lunch?”
“How dare you strut around in my sight like this? Did Xiao Yun give you the wrong idea? Make you think this was over?”
He was about to go on when Shen Ying suddenly looked up and asked, “Do you have a crush on or sothing?”
The question stunned Zhong Chen into silence, his mind blanking on what to say next.
Gasps and murmurs erupted around them. Even the trio on the stairs paused, now more interested in watching the drama unfold.
Zhong Chen’s face flushed scarlet, as if scalded. He shot up, yelling, “What the hell are you talking about? Who’d like a broke nobody like you?”
Shen Ying: “Then why are you here?”
“After what happened that night, I’m sure Xiao Yun tried hard to convince you to ignore .”
Because he thought she was dangerous.
“You were clearly hesitant the next morning too. And since then, I haven’t sought you out. Logically, you should’ve moved on by now. There’s no reason for you to lose it just seeing .”
“If neither Xiao Yun’s advice nor my avoidance makes you forget I exist, what else could it be besides you liking ?”
Zhong Chen’s expression grew even more flustered, but his first instinct wasn’t denial. Instead, he snapped, “Why do you keep saying ‘Xiao Yun’ like that? Are you two that close?”
Shen Ying: “Oh, so you like Xiao Yun? Is that why you’re jealous he helped ?”
Zhong Chen’s face twisted. “Say that again.”
Shen Ying: “Using to test the waters for you? Dream on.”
Zhong Chen: “I don’t like Xiao Yun at all.”
Shen Ying: “And here I thought childhood friends ant sothing. He’s spent ti and money cleaning up your sses, only to hear you don’t even like him as a friend. How cold.”
Zhong Chen grabbed her by the head. “You’re ssing with , aren’t you?”
The trio quickly stepped in, pulling him away. “Co on, she’s just eating. She didn’t provoke you.”
Though they played peacemakers, Gong Zhaoxi and Xing Jiale were grinning ear to ear.
Seeing their expressions, Zhong Chen felt like he’d never been this humiliated in his life.
He glared at Shen Ying, then at the lunchbox in her hands.
If he didn’t smash it, he’d lose face.
Shen Ying protectively backed away, clutching the box. “Whatever you do to my lunchbox, I’ll do to your head.”
Zhong Chen sneered. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
The trio dragged him back upstairs. “Enough. You’re really picking a fight with a lunchbox now? How tough.”
“I’ve never seen soone look so badass while threatening a container.”
Zhong Chen was fuming, too angry to speak to them for the rest of the afternoon. After school, he left early alone.
The trio just shrugged off his childishness and headed ho together.
As Shen Ying finished packing up to leave, Xia ng called out to her.
She still wore that cautious expression as she began, "Why did you say that at noon? You scared ."
"I was so afraid Zhong Chen would lay a hand on you."
Shen Ying replied, "Weren’t those three guys stopping him? It’s fine."
Xia ng pressed, "But what if they hadn’t held him back, or suddenly decided not to?"
Shen Ying shrugged. "Then things would’ve gotten ssy. If no one stopped him, Zhong Chen would’ve at least cracked his head open, not to ntion causing a cafeteria accident involving a dozen students."
Xia ng noticed her deflecting and gave an awkward smile. "So you said all that on purpose to distract him?"
Shen Ying shook her head. "Nope. That idiot really does have a thing for ."
"What? No way!" Xia ng blurted out loudly, then quickly lowered her voice, realizing her outburst. "Soone like him, who never cares about others’ feelings—how could he possibly fall for anyone?"
Shen Ying just shrugged, not bothering to argue. She patted Xia ng’s shoulder. "Let’s go ho. Don’t keep your driver waiting."
Xia ng, clearly unsatisfied with how the conversation ended, hurriedly offered, "How about I give you a ride today?"
Shen Ying chuckled. "Aren’t you afraid of being seen with ?"
Xia ng looked down. "There’s hardly anyone left at school now."
But Shen Ying declined. "Another ti. I’ve got a big deal waiting for ."
With a hesitant expression, Xia ng watched as Shen Ying cheerfully dashed out of the classroom, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Riding her bicycle ho, Shen Ying maintained a steady, traffic-conscious pace.
Then, on a quiet stretch of road with few cars or pedestrians, a black sedan suddenly pulled in front of her, blocking her path.
Two n in black suits stepped out, comparing a photo in their hands to Shen Ying’s face.
Without a word, they grabbed her—along with her bicycle—and shoved her into the car.
Reviews
All reviews (0)