《The Master's Mask Unveiled Again》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue ¡°` Hearing that Mr. Qimo¡¯s wife was an uneducated little tyrant, people from all walks of life snickered behind closed doors. An academic disaster? Lu Mian threw out her top science score from the college entrance exam. Lacking in talents? Lu Mian yed the piano with one hand and painted with the other, performing two tasks simultaneously to the live audience. Only knows how to squander? Sheted a modest goal in just two days for your information. Boxing, Go, antique appraisal, racing¡­e on, let¡¯s have a challenge. The refined Xiao Qimo, holding his sses, said with pride, ¡°Does anyone have anything else to say?¡± An underling cautiously raised his hand, ¡°Mr. Qimo, we¡¯ve found out! The person who single-handedly destroyed the illegalboratory seems to be your wife¡­¡± ¡°` Chapter 2: The Victim Most Unlike A Victim Chapter 2: The Victim Most Unlike A Victim Editor: As Studios Wu City, September. In an independent building at the end of the alley, there was an out of the ordinary psychological treatment taking ce. Lu Miany on the couch, toying with her hair with her index finger. She took a sip of water and picked up the pen on the table as she set the cup down. The ordinary ball pen seemed toe to life, spinning round and round her slender fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± she said nonchntly. The young man sitting across from herughed. It felt as if their roles had been reversed. He was the doctor, but the patient was taking the lead. He then looked down at the patient file in his hands. Lu Mian, female, 19 year old. Thest victim in the sentational A or B kidnapping case, rescued safely half a month ago. He knew all the information by heart. But¡­ It was hard to imagine that the calm, nonchnt girl before him was the victim herself. ¡°Lu Mian, can we talk as friends? Your family is really worried about you, and they hope to get to know you better through me.¡± Lu Mian was impassive. As her right hand kept spinning the pen, her left hand reached towards her phone to pass time. As she multitasked, she did not forget to wink at the person sitting across from her. Complete with the half-concealed red mole near the auricle of her left ear, she looked cold, beautiful and flirty at the same time. But there was no warmth in the depths of her calm and smiling eyes, only distance and indignance. Ye Jin, the psychologist, frowned slightly. This was definitely the second hardest to get to know person that he had run into. The first was, of course¡­ He was digressing. Ye Jinwen patiently tried to break through in several ways. ¡°Can you tell me what happened in the two years that you were kidnapped?¡± ¡°I forgot.¡± ¡°Then do you remember the mystery person who rescued you? Do you know them?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you think of your parents and your younger sister?¡± ¡°They¡¯re nice.¡± Ye Jinwen felt that he had reached a bottleneck in his career as a psychologist. The patient was at ease, but he was so frustrated that he could barely remain seated. This was already the fourth session! And the answers were always the same! No matter how hard he tired, she was always unmoved. He could not even catch traces of a life on her face. But his gut told him that Lu Mian was hiding something, even if she did not have PTSD! He could not help but think of what Lu Mian¡¯s mother had told him: Lu Mian had been a pathological liar since she was young, and her words could not be trusted! Could it be that he had to use more forceful means to make her tell the truth¡­ Time passed really quickly. Lu Mian stood up from the sofa after the twentieth round of her game. Her good-looking eyes nced at the surveince cameras, and she returned the pen to Ye Jinwen. It was as if she hadpleted a mission. Now that the time for therapy was over, it was time for her to leave. ¡°Lu Mian!¡± Ye Jinwen caught up with her anxiously. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ill will, I just want to help you!¡± He blurted out as he looked at her slender and cold back. Lu Mian turned and chuckled. ¡°Huh, Dr Ye, aren¡¯t you tired of pretending to care about your patients?¡± That was a little too much! Ye Jinwen returned to his office next door in defeat. His mood instantly improved when he opened the door and saw the endearing image on the custom sofa. A man was seated on the sofa. One of his arms was resting on his knees as he bent over to look at the surveince camera footage on the coffee table. Because he was bent over, the cor of his gray shirt was slightly open, revealing his fair skin. Looking upwards was a seemingly gentlemanly and dashing but cold face that no one¡¯s eyes dared to gaze at. The icy-cold eyes behind the gold-rimmed sses were glued to the surveince footage. The footage was zoomed in on Lu Mian. CREATORS¡¯ THOUGHTS AsStudios From 15 Feb 2020, Coins spent on books that aren¡¯t selected will be refunded within 30 days. However, Fast Passes will not be refunded. The selected book will have a mark on the corner of the book cover in 30 days to indicate continuation. Thank you for your understanding. Chapter 3: Xiao Qimo The Civil Scum Chapter 3: Xiao Qimo The Civil Scum Editor: As Studios Ye Jinwen tossed the folder on the coffee table with a sigh. ¡°See? I can¡¯t get any information out of her. I doubt it¡¯ll be easy for you to get information on the whereabouts of the mystery person through Lu Mian.¡± He knew that the man had seen the entire process of his therapy with Lu Mian. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The manughed deeply, his voice like the cello. He leaned back, stretching his arm out of the backing of the sofa. Every single movement was elegant. Every single image was so perfect they could be used as screensavers. Civil scum! Ye Jinwen thought to himself. The man¡¯s harmless face had fooled countless men and women, but he had never paid any attention to them. This person was at the top of the hard to get to know list, Xiao Qimo. The only heir to the Beijing Xiao family. His family had a strong political background, and he was unpredictable. No one had seen him strike, but no one dared to overlook him. ¡°Seventh Brother, don¡¯t worry. Even if we can¡¯t get anything out of Lu Mian, we can go to the four other victims. They were all rescued by the mysterious person, I¡¯m sure we can get something out of them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use.¡± His slender fingers propped up his sses. ¡°This mysterious person codenamed Thirteen had erased all the data on the four other people, leaving their status as deceased. We can¡¯t find anything on their new identities.¡± ¡°He¡¯s that good? What about Lu Mian?¡± ¡°I think my people found her before Thirteen could wipe out the data.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t your trip to Wu City wasted?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Xiao Qimo looked at the disy and raised his chin. ¡°There¡¯s still her.¡± Ye Jinwen understood. It seemed like Lu Mian was their only lead to finding Thirteen the mystery person. But he was out of ideas. He wondered if Xiao Qimo, the microexpression reader that police all over the world fought to hire, had found anything. ¡°Seventh Brother, have you found anything after staring at the footage for so long?¡± Xiao Qimo tilted his head and thought for a moment before he curled his lips. ¡°Pretty.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jinwen cried out loud as he watched the man bend over and continue to watch the footage. That was all he got out of all that? What was weirder was that¡­ The thousand year bachelor who had never dated in all twenty two years of his life, Big boss Mo, was praising a woman? Ye Jinwen shuddered and shook the unimaginable image from his head. ¡°Actually, I can understand Lu Mian. A person¡¯s nonchntness is proportional to their inner hurt. They may seem like they don¡¯t care about anything, but they are very guarded. She was thest to be rescued, meaning that she was controlled by those people for two years. No one knows what she has gone through¡­¡± At this thought, Ye Jinwen¡¯s handsome baby face was tinted with disgust. Two years ago on 26 July, the kidnappers kidnapped people all over the country. They kidnapped two family members at the same time. The ransom was five million for one and fifteen million for two. The families of the victims were all well to do, so they had the ability to pay or borrow the ransom. No one gave up instantly, and some families rapidly gathered fifteen million and reunited with their family. The remaining were families who had only managed to raise five million. They could only choose between A and B. It was either they go bankrupt trying to raise the ransom or they cold-heartedly give one up. There was no other way. This was the first time such a twisted kidnapping case had happened. At the end of it all, the kidnappers disappeared with five victims. No one was able to find them. Underground forces were dispatched too, but there was no result¡­ And Master Mo of the Imperial Country began his journey on the fringes of danger and darkness in his bid to find the truth. Chapter 4: The Taboo of the Lu Family Chapter 4: The Taboo of the Lu Family Editor: As Studios Of course, only a handful of people knew all the details of the kidnapping. The truth had been sealed away much earlier. As far as the public was concerned, only five people were kidnapped and rescued a yearter. The other four could not be treated. Lu Mian was the only one left. Ye Jinwen¡¯s eyes filled with resolve at this thought. No matter what, he had to help Lu Mian walk out of this. He wanted to save her! ¡°Seventh brother, how do you think Lu Mian will face her parents, who gave her up, and her sister, with whom she was kidnapped? But there was nothing that could be done. If they could, her parents would have saved her back then¡­¡± When he said that, Xiao Qimo got up, brushed away the imaginary dust on himself and left without looking back. It was the exact same set of movements as Lu Mian! Ye Jinwen¡¯s eyes followed Xiao Qimo to the door, only to hear him chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± Ye Jinwen felt like there were multiple meanings in that statement. He then heard Xiao Qimo¡¯s voice drift over. ¡°Just a reminder.¡± The man curled his lips into an elegant smile. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t watch her spin the pen.¡± Pen spinning? Ayer of cold sweat formed down Ye Jinwen¡¯s back at the same instant. If he had thought that Lu Mian was just bored, then looking back at it, it was clear that the other party was doing this consciously! No wonder he felt restless and ditzy during the conversation. Lu Mian had hypnotized him before he could do it to her! He was probably the first psychologist to be controlled by his patient! He felt deted. How was he to face Lu Mian in the future! ¡­ Lu Mian took another look at the signboard as she left the clinic. Her beautiful face had a dubious smile on it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯lle here ever again. Even if Dr Ye didn¡¯t notice, the person behind the surveince should have caught it. But I wonder who that was. As if freed from a load, she left lightheartedly¡­ The family mansion of the Lu Family. Lu Mian walked around the impressive main building, walking a long distance to get to the annex. On her way, all servants of the main building greeted her respectfully before they ran aside to gossip. ¡°Look, it¡¯s Big Missy Lu! Stay away from her, I feel like she has a serious psychological problem¡­¡± ¡°Big Madam is scared of her, and specially found a psychologist to treat her!¡± ¡°What a waste of her face¡­ It¡¯s good-looking, but she¡¯s evil in nature. I like the gentle, adorable and talented Second Missy!¡± ¡°I think Big Missy Lu is quite pitiful. If Big Madam had been willing to borrow more money, she would not have been taken. To put it inly, they were just afraid of racking up more debt, so they were unwilling to save her. Look at her family, they¡¯re still staying in the annex now. If our Master didn¡¯t take them in, they wouldn¡¯t even have a ce to live in¡­¡± ¡°Shh! These things are taboo in the Lu Family, don¡¯t let Big Missy Lu hear you! Hurry up and leave¡­¡± The northwestern annex of the Lu Family mansion. There were no servants here. Lu Mian headed straight to her room when she saw that there was no one in the living room. Her mother, Fu Man, only came out of the kitchen quietly when she heard the room door close. Her expression was ugly as she nced upstairs and knitted her brows together. The annex was suspiciously quiet, left only with her disgruntled sigh. The ambiance only turned for the better when a young girl appeared in the living room. Chapter 5: Always Busy with Who-Knows-What Chapter 5: Always Busy with Who-Knows-What Editor: As Studios Fu Man¡¯s expression warmed up as she looked at Lu Xinnuan, her younger daughter. With a gentle smile, she took thetter¡¯s heavy school bag from her. ¡°My precious daughter is back.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled sweetly. ¡°Are you hungry? We can eat in a bit! I made the dishes that you love!¡± Fu Man¡¯s face was brimming with smiles. She gave birth to a pair of twins, the elder daughter Lu Mian and the younger daughter Lu Xinnuan. But not only did the two children look different, their personalities were worlds apart too. Lu Mian had always been an unorthodox child. She was disobedient, acted strangely, and lied all the time. Nuannuan was better. She was sweet, obedient, hardworking and understanding. She was every parent¡¯s dream. Sometimes she wondered how her pair of twins could be so different. Fu Man sighed, taking her mind off the unhappy things, and her gazended on Lu Xinnuan¡¯s hands. ¡°Nuannuan, what do you have?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled shyly. She looked like your girl next door, and her eyes turned into crescent moons when she smiled. ¡°I took part in the drawingpetitionst semester. They sent the certificate today.¡± ¡°Certificate? Let mommy have a look.¡± Fu Man opened the envelope expectantly. The red first ce certificate of thepetition was eye-catching. Lu Xinnuan knew the result beforehand, so she was not surprised to see the certificate. ¡°Nuannuan is such a good girl! Other people are focused on studying in their final year of high school, but you¡¯re not just a top student, you got the first prize too! You make me so proud! But don¡¯t overlook your school work either!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom, I know! But the drawing teacher intends to send my work to apany to be turned into game characters, so I might have to spend some time making some changes¡­¡± ¡°Really? That famous, internationally-acimed, award-winning gamingpany? Nuannuan this could be your chance! Mommy believes that you will be chosen. Our family¡¯s counting on you!¡± Fu Man scrutinized the certificate, feeling very happy. Their family was unlike her brother-inw¡¯s. Even though they were family, their lives were worlds apart. Her brother-inw¡¯s family stayed in the main building, surrounded by servants and in control of the Lu Family finances. Their family was in the annex, isted and in debt. The only thing she had left to boast about was her daughter, Lu Xinnuan. ¡°Mom, where¡¯s my sis? Is she back yet?¡± ¡°Upstairs.¡± Fu Man motioned with her mouth. ¡°How is she today?¡± ¡°Still the same. She doesn¡¯t go to school, nor does she work. I have no idea what she¡¯s busy with.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go upstairs and talk to her.¡± Lu Xinnuan took a few steps forward, before walking backwards. ¡°Mom, I think we better keep the certificate from sister. I don¡¯t want her to recall unhappy memories. I still remember that she ruined my color pencils when we were young. I have not seen her draw since then.¡± Fu Man paused, recalling the incident and nodded hurriedly. Lu Mian had never been nice to get along with. She bullied her sister as a child, willfully breaking her water color pencils. She even refused to admit it. Fu Man felt chills run down her spine when she thought of young Lu Mian¡¯s cold eyes. That child could not be counted on¡­ Chapter 6: Plenty of People are Looking into Me Chapter 6: Plenty of People are Looking into Me Editor: As Studios When Lu Xinnuan knocked, Lu Mian was texting on her phone. The ck digital charts on her phone gave off a dim light while her arm flipped through the books. Lu Xinnuan nced at the book. It was titled ¡°Female Stock Trade Goddess¡±. She thought it was quite funny. Lu Mian paid no attention, continuing to text instead. Zero: Brother Mian you¡¯re amazing. Did you see the trends of the market these few days? You¡¯ve made a fortune! Mian: It¡¯s normal. Zero: You¡¯re the boss. Bought in at two dors and sold at hundred and twelve dors. You earned a billion dors in the span of two days. You have my respect! Mian: Anything else? Zero: Brother Mian, I¡¯m curious¡­ The money in your ount is enough for you to be the wealthiest, right? I really want to know what expression people will have when they realize that the richest person in the country is you, not the Xiao family of Jinjing. Tsk tsk¡­ Zero was her close aide, and they were chatty. ¡°Boring,¡± Lu Mian replied before she put her phone away. When she was done, Lu Xinnuan walked through the door. Lu Mian narrowed her eyes at her sister, her gaze nonchnt. ¡°Sister, I knocked just now¡­ I entered since I saw that the door was unlocked.¡± Her careful demeanor was like a pitiful small rabbit. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I brought a cup of milk up for you. We¡¯ll be eating soon, so this is just to keep you sated.¡± ¡°Is there anything else? En?¡± She raised herst words and asked calmly. She did not expect an answer, but she paid no attention. Lu Xinnuan stood there, biting her lip awkwardly, indignance on her face. She had a twin sister, and to others, it was something to be envious of. But only Lu Xinnuan knew what a terrible experience it was. Since young, she had never known what it was like to be unique. They would always bepared. Their parents would subconsciously put them in the same clothes, give them the same look, buy them the same toys. Thankfully there were fraternal twins, so they did not look alike. But¡­ She looked at Lu Mian¡¯s beautiful face in the warm light of the tablemp, and she felt inferior. She always remembered what rtives and friends said when they were young. ¡°Mianmian¡¯s so pretty! And Nuannuan¡¯s so adorable¡­¡± She knew exactly what they meant by that. Lu Xinnuan pursed her lips and let it go. Thankfully, things were different now. ¡°Sister¡­ things have been tough for mom during the past two years. Because of the kidnapping, we¡¯re in debt, and dad¡¯s the way he is¡­ It¡¯s been hard on mom.¡± She said gently. Lu Mian remained silent, looking at her phone. Zero: Brother Mian, someone¡¯s investigating you, you should keep a low profile. Mian: There are plenty of people who are investigating me. Zero: That¡¯s true, who do they think they are! Lu Mian was impassive. Seeing that her sister could not be bothered with her, Lu Xinnuan¡¯s eyes turned red. She walked forward, wanting to hold her sister¡¯s hand, but she was fazed by thetter¡¯s cold smile. She looked around frantically. Her gazended on the study table, where books simr to the one in Lu Mian¡¯s hand were scattered around. Lu Mian¡¯s table was not what a good high school student should have. She knew that her sister had never been interested in studying since young, and she did not have any interest in her sister¡¯s nonsense. ¡°Sister, do you hate me¡­¡± Chapter 7: We’re All Family Chapter 7: We¡¯re All Family Editor: As Studios Lu Xinnuan went off by herself, as if venting her emotions. ¡°But I¡¯m innocent too¡­ We couldn¡¯t help it¡­¡± ¡°Mom has always med herself. She only recovered after we travelled to unwind for two months. Even now, she¡¯s forced to work in uncle¡¯spany to pay back the debt, at such low wages too¡­¡± Even though the Lu Family started off with factories, climbed their way to the top ten richest families and could be considered an elite in Wu City, the riches belonged to their uncle. Her family was worse off thanmoners. They borrowed money, so they were in debt. The only thing they got out of their situation was their status as a member of the Lu Family. ¡°We¡¯re all family at the end of the day, right?¡± Lu Mian looked up confusedly when she heard crying. What did she do to make Lu Xinnuan cry this time? Lu Mian was confused and impatient. She then broke into a wry smile. She was smiling, but it was cold. It was like a winter day¡¯s sun; it seemed warm, but it was cold to the bone. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Lu Mian looked at her, as if mockingly, while she thumbed through the pages of the book. ¡°If mom saw, I¡¯ll be the one in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan did not expect her to say that. She bit her lips as her face turned crimson. Everything she said seemed to be a farce that Lu Mian had seen right through and put to an end on the spot. ¡°Time for dinner!¡± Fu Man¡¯s voice from downstairs rescued Lu Xinnuan from her awkwardness. ¡°Anyway, you should take mom into consideration. Come down for dinner!¡± She said quickly as she wiped her tears. There were three dishes and soup on the dining table. On a te in the middle of the table were two burgers, that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was considered sumptuous for three people. Father Lu, Lu Zhizhai, was not returning home for dinner. Lu Xinnuan and Lu Mian each took their seats. The ambiance¡­ was cold and eerie. The te of burgers was pushed in front of Lu Mian. ¡°This is your favourite. I tried making two, have a taste. It¡¯s cleaner and more nutritious than outside.¡± Lu Mian picked the burger up and ate it slowly. Eating a burger was nothing morous, but it looked good when Lu Mian was doing it. She ate the burgers silently, not intending to speak at all. Fu Man¡¯s mouth was half opened. Her heart was heavy withplex emotions. She looked towards the empty master seat, eye hers filled with indignance and unhappiness. Her eldest daughter was a handful, and her husband was estranged. Lu Zhizhai was managing the struggling factory out of town, and only returned home twice a month. Of course, he was not willing to return either. Lu Zhizhai and Fu Man¡¯s rtionship had been facing problems. Poor couples have a hundred problems, and the couple had threatened to divorce countless times. But Fu Man felt that a divorce was disgraceful and refused, so they never went through with it. Lu Zhizhai returned home less frequently from then on, and their rtionship turned cold. He did not even show up when Lu Mian returned safely. Fu Man was just amon woman with conservative thoughts. She could do nothing but swallow all her sorrows in marriage. Thankfully she could still count on Xinnuan. After Xinnuan graduated from high school, got into a good university and married into a good family, no one would look down on them. As for her eldest daughter¡­ Fu Man recalled the two troubling phone calls that she had received earlier in the day. Chapter 8: She did not know instruments, chess, the classics or painting. Lu Mian. Chapter 8: She did not know instruments, chess, the ssics or painting. Lu Mian. Editor: As Studios ¡°Mianmian, your homeroom teacher called me today,¡± she tried to say calmly, ¡°Your school¡¯s really unhappy that you did not turn up today.¡± ¡°I had things to do,¡± Lu Mian replied inly as she took a bite of her burger. Fu Man felt her blood boil when she saw her daughter¡¯s nonchnt manner. ¡°What things could you possibly have to do? Do you know how much effort I put in to get you into Kun Peng High School? I had to ask your uncle to use his connections, going as far as the Education Ministry for them to admit you as a first year because you were a victim. This is Wu City¡¯s best high school! Don¡¯t you know to cherish it!¡± ¡°And Doctor Ye Jinwen. He¡¯s a famous psychologist. I had to queue for so long to get you an appointment, and yet you¡­¡± At this thought, Fu Man felt that the dishes before her were hard to swallow. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be mad. Sister just returned, she¡¯s still adjusting. Give her a little more time. Yell at me if you¡¯d like, don¡¯t scold sister¡­¡± ¡°You silly child, why would I scold you? She¡¯s not even setting a good example as a sister, and she¡¯s pushing you out as her scapegoat!¡± Her two daughters were worlds apart. As Lu Xinnuanforted her mother, she changed the topic of conversation. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be mad. Think happy thoughts. Did you forget? Tomorrow¡¯s Saturday. Su Jue invited me over to his ce for dinner. He said that Grandpa Su is back!¡± Fu Man¡¯s expression changed for the better at the mention of this matter. Like the Lu Family, the Su family was a well known family in Wu City. Old Mr. Su, in particr, had ties in Capital Jin, so everyone in the city wanted to befriend him. Xinnuan was ssmates with Old Mr. Su¡¯s grandchild, Su Jue. They were quite close, and it was quite obvious what an invitation to dine with the Su family meant. ¡°Nuannuan, I¡¯ll bring you out to get a new dress after dinner. We¡¯ll get you all dressed up! When you head over tomorrow, bring your award-winning art piece, and get Grandpa Su to give you some pointers. He likes elegant things like these, and he¡¯ll definitely like you!¡± ¡°Thank you mom! I know what to do!¡± Lu Xinnuan said sweetly. ¡°Sister, you won¡¯t be upset, right?¡± She said in feigned nonchnce after she nced at her sister. Lu Mian shifted her gaze from the burger to her sister confusedly. ¡°I remember you gave Su Jue a love letter when you were sixteen¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan exined. ¡°Love letter?¡± Lu Mian¡¯s hand paused a little as she looked down to think. ¡°That was an invite from Old Man Su. I was just returning it because I didn¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled as she ate a mouthful of rice. Fu Man was upset by her words, and raised her voice again. ¡°Lu Mian, do you ever speak the truth? How important do you think you are to have Old Mr. Su give you an invite? You¡¯ve loved to lie since young. Why are you still the same after you returned? Outsiders are going tough at you when they hear this!¡± She had been lying since young. She would say that she did not need to take the test, since she had memorized the entire textbooks, that she could put a dismantled television back together; she even unabashedly said that she had saved someone. She had been full of lies since she was a child! Lu Mian took it in emotionlessly. She used to try to prove herself right, but she was numb and used to it now. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get mad, maybe sister just wants to go to the Su family¡­¡± She consoled her mother after she put her chopsticks down. ¡°Go where? She doesn¡¯t y instruments, chess, nor does she know the ssics or arts. She¡¯ll just be a disgrace if she goes!¡± Fu Man turned her face away in disappointment. She was no longer in the mood to eat. ¡°Lu Mian, don¡¯t talk nonsense like this in the future!¡± Load failed, please RETRY Chapter 9: You Don’t Have to Buy Me Anything Chapter 9: You Don¡¯t Have to Buy Me Anything Editor: As Studios Lu Mian paused with her lips pursed. The burger in her hand no longer smelled good. She dropped a small portion of the leftover burger on her te. She held a napkin between her fingers, stood up and smiled that dandy smile of hers. ¡°Okay!¡± Her cell phone vibrated as she was stepping out of the living room. She had received an expected email. An invitation from the Su family? Should I go¡­ While she stopped to consider, Fu Man had already caught up to her from behind. She felt guilty by Lu Mian¡¯s sudden departure. She suppressed her frustration and asked cautiously, ¡°Mianmian, where are you going now?¡± ¡°Central Street.¡± ¡°Good. I am taking Xinnuan to the mall to buy her gown; we can buy yours if youe too.¡± She eyed Lu Mian¡¯s old and somewhat short jeans, and admitted that she had failed as a mother. Without waiting for Lu Mian to reply, Lu Xinnuan came running out too. ¡°Mom, Sister, I finished eating. Let¡¯s go now!¡± At the central shopping street of Wu City. The three women, two in front and one behind, entered a middle-end shopping mall. Fu Man and Lu Xinnuan had their mother-daughter unique shopping habits. Lu Mian wasn¡¯t used to it so she did not intend to participate and simply followed them slowly and leisurely. She wasn¡¯t apanying them; she just suddenly remembered that she wanted to buy something. In front of the jewelry counter on the first floor, she stopped. A hair essory had caught her attention. A simple willow-leaf hair clip, with three blue diamonds in the center, surrounded by fine and exquisite crushed diamonds. There was a price tag underneath the hair clip, 3 followed by 5 zeros. 300,000. Thedy at the counter smiled professionally. ¡°Miss, please¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know when Lu Xinnuan and Fu Man had backtracked to her. They didn¡¯t let her finish talking. After saying ¡®sorry¡¯ several times, all three of them retreated from the counter for more than 10 meters. Fu Man sounded helpless as she pulled Lu Mian with her. ¡°Mianmian, we came to buy clothes today. Let¡¯s not look at anything else.¡± Lu Xinnuan lowered her gaze. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t have to buy any clothes if Sister likes it. You can buy her more things.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡­¡± Lu Mian had her hands on a card in her pocket, and she was about to take it out. However, what Fu Man said next changed her mind. ¡°Absolutely not! You have to go to the Su family tomorrow. We don¡¯t have to buy for your sister, but you definitely need to.¡± Lu Mian was so shocked that she took a huge step back. She shoved the card back into her pocket. With a frivolous smile on her face, she said jokingly, ¡°I¡¯m not buying, just taking a look.¡± With that, she turned and walked back to the counter. She waved at them with her back facing them. ¡°You guys go ahead. You don¡¯t have to buy me anything.¡± Her back looked aloof and distant. All Fu Man did was stare at her back. She said nothing and walked away with heavy steps with Lu Xinnuan. Once they were far away, Lu Mian regained herposure. She looked directly at thedy at the counter and blinked. ¡°Please wrap this up for me.¡± Stunned, thedy replied unprofessionally, ¡°What?¡± She was instantly mesmerized by Lu Mian¡¯s pure and beautiful smile as she nodded, blushing. ¡°Sure, Miss. Just a moment. This hair clip is perfect for you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wearing it. It¡¯s a gift.¡± She smiled. ¡°Please wrap it more delicately.¡± ¡°¡­ Sure.¡± A matte ck card was handed out and thedy at the counter epted with two shaking hands. She really didn¡¯t understand why a beautiful girl with a high-end ck card would appear in that scene just now. She had seen many kinds of customers working as a salesperson behind the counter. Customers who were rich had spent at their store with ease and generosity whereas those with an average spending would usually wear an uncertain look in their eyes. As for those two women earlier, they definitely didn¡¯t have the means to step into their store. This beautiful girl before her naturally had more spending power than those in the first category. She guessed that when those two women had headed upstairs to the general store to do their shopping, they never expected this girl to spend 300,000 just like that. However, she also saw that this girl was clearly going to show them her ck card¡­ Load failed, please RETRY Chapter 10: You Should Learn to be More Like Your Sister Chapter 10: You Should Learn to be More Like Your Sister Editor: As Studios Once the hair clip was wrapped, Lu Mian took it and casually shoved the ck card into her pants pocket. She wandered out of the mall with a sloppy air. Xinhua Bookstore was opposite the mall. She paused, crossed the road slowly, and walked in. Lu Mian liked to read all kinds of books for leisure. Every time she passed by a bookstore, she would always go in and take a look regardless if it was a big bookstore or a small magazine house. However, she was also very picky when it came to books. She would search one by one and it would be hard to find a novel that she liked. She left empty-handed again. Fu Man and Lu Xinnuan left the mall at the same time, carrying a few shopping bags in their hands as they stood next to the car. Fu Man felt apologetic when she saw that Lu Mian had returned. ¡°Mianmian, I¡¯ll bring you out again next time. It¡¯s more urgent for your sister because she has to go to the Su family tomorrow¡­¡± Lu Mian smiled. ¡°No need.¡± She got into the back seat automatically and sat frivolously, covering the hair clip box with her body. It blocked Lu Xinnuan¡¯s prying eyes from the box. ¡­ Since it was a weekend the next day, Lu Xinnuan changed into a small dress early. By noon, she had applied light makeup. ¡°Nuannuan, get ready quickly. Your uncle and aunt will be here soon¡­¡± The second family was taking Lu Xinnuan to the Su family¡¯s private banquet today. It was also a reception party for Old Mr. Su. As they were talking, they could hear the footsteps of Lu Xingtang and Fei Jining from the living room. Lu Xingtang was well-maintained and handsome at the age of forty-eight. Although he had been immersed in the business industry for years, he still maintained a good physique and appearance. Fei Jin came from a famous family too. She carried herself with elegance and dignity. One could tell with one nce that she was a noble mistress of a great family. Fu Man was slightly reserved. On the other hand, Lu Xinnuan was rxed. She ran down the stairs, calling sweetly, ¡°Uncle, Aunt!¡± She lifted her brand-new white, chiffon dress shyly. ¡°How do I look? I won¡¯t embarrass our family!¡± ¡°Silly girl! What are you talking about? You¡¯re already in the top ten ranking at your age. You¡¯ve given our family name a big boost! Apart from your brother, who else in the four great families of Su, Ye, Fei, and Bai canpare to you?¡± Fei Jin also truly loved Lu Xinnuan. She only had one son so she treated her niece like her daughter. On top of that, Lu Xinnuan knew when and how to speak, and behaved obediently. They were more than willing to treat her like a daughter from a wealthy family and felt optimistic about her future. ¡°Xinnuan¡¯s work just won first prize!¡± Fu Man said as she proudly showed them her daughter¡¯s painting. Lu Xinnuan smiled as she took it. ¡°Xinnuan is really excellent!¡± The few of them exchanged pleasantries. Fei Jin smiled, turned around, and suddenly saw someone sitting at the corner of the sofa. The girl¡¯s posture was casual. She wore a loose, pure white t-shirt and light blue loose jeans. She was focused on ying with her cell phone. The smile on her face seemed to be mocking them as they spoke, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t seem to be interested in the slightest. The cell phone screen quickly switched between colored images. Every time the game started, a page with a well-designed ¡®SF¡¯ logo would appear. Fei Jin eyed her with reproach. The girl had appeared so quietly that she scared her. Fei Jin maintained her gentle disposition because of her upbringing and said, ¡°Mianmian, stay at home and rest well!¡± Her attitude was neutral, butpared to how she had been treating Lu Xinnuan, it was a vast difference. Lu Xingtang also noticed her. Acting like an elder, he also expressed his concerns. ¡°Since you¡¯re back, you should be good and learn to be more like your sister. The family will support you if you wish to study. Otherwise, I will arrange a position for you to work in thepany.¡± He sighed. ¡°Anyway, Mianmian, what happened is in the past. We¡¯re a family. Let¡¯s not bring it up anymore!¡± Chapter 11: The Future Daughter-in-law of the Su Family Chapter 11: The Future Daughter-inw of the Su Family Editor: As Studios His words struck a chord in Fu Man¡¯s heart. They were a family. She really wanted to let those things remain in the past and never bring it up again. Lu Mian shrugged her shoulders with indifference and continued to focus on ying the game on her cell phone. Her tone was filled with a slight absurdity. ¡°You take care. Ha.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Xingtang was deted. He shook his head, gloomily threw his hands and left. Lu Xinnuan secretly med Lu Mian before she hurriedly chased after them. Fu Man rushed over after they were far away. She snatched her phone away sternly. ¡°Lu Mian, how can you speak to your elders like that? Have you forgotten all the lessons on mannerism that I taught you when you were young? You hold the cell phone all day long. Is it going to get you into the top ten ranking of your grade? Will your cell phone get you first ce in a drawingpetition? Can it help you get ahead in life?¡± Her voice was hoarse at the end. ¡°Can¡¯t you learn to be more like Nuannuan¡­¡± Lu Mian¡¯s hands were empty, but she maintained her original posture. After Fu Man was done with her scolding, Lu Mian finally raised her eyelidszily. Her clear and exquisiterge eyes were filled with an evil and cold smile, the carelessness that came after numbness. ¡°In your eyes, I naturally can¡¯tpare to her in every way. I thought you guys would be different when I came back. The truth is, you never expected me to return.¡± Her faint smile and cynical tone pierced Fu Man¡¯s heart like a knife. ¡°Mianmian, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± While Fu Man was in a state of shock, Lu Mian had already taken her cell phone and went out. The middle-aged woman watched her back as she left, grasping her heart as if something precious was getting further away from her¡­ ¡­ Su family mansion. As the representative of Wu City¡¯s big families, today¡¯s small and private banquet was a reception for Old Mr. Su. Old Mr. Su, Su Qinghe, had an important status in Wu City. This time, he had returned from recuperating abroad. Those who wished to suck up to the Su family naturally thought this was an important event and came to pay their respects. However, this old man always lived a simple and reclusive life. Even those close to the Su family found it hard to see him. If it wasn¡¯t for everyone¡¯s strong request, there wouldn¡¯t be this banquet. When they didn¡¯t meet the main host, everyone began to turn their focus on the 19 years old, Su Jue. It was also a legendary story to say the least. The young Su Jue had a keen business sense. Two days ago, he bought a stock at 2 yuan and sold it for 112 yuan in the stock market, earning back 11 million yuan with just 200,000 yuan. This insight was more sophisticated than many top financial analysts, and evenparable to the legendary Mr. Ye Qiao in the stock industry. Everyone in the business industry was instantly shocked and praised him. They even said he would be someone great in the future. The current master of the Su family was Su Sheng who was also Su Jue¡¯s father. He seized the opportunity and introduced his son among friends to umte connections. Soon, Lu Xingtang appeared with his wife and Lu Xinnuan. Su Sheng weed them warmly. Their families had been friends for a long time. They would usually get together every now and then to keep in touch in a much more casual atmosphere and praised their own children during their conversations. Lu Xinnuan would smile in apaniment, but her eyes secretly sized up the banquet hall, looking for Old Mr. Su and Su Jue. There were also a lot of astonished eyes checking her out as they secretly guessed that this Ms. Lu had an 80% chance as the predetermined candidate to be Su family¡¯s daughter-inw. Lu Xinnuan was reserved, smiling and quiet. Until Su Sheng opened his mouth. ¡°Nuannuan, Su Jue is in the back garden looking for his grandfather. You¡¯re holding a painting with you. Quickly, go to the back garden then!¡± Lu Xinnuan looked at her uncle and aunt. Both adults nodded with approval; only then did Lu Xinnuan leave. ¡°Nuannuan is a good child. She has grown up and is carrying herself so well now. Brother Lu, we¡¯ll be able to be a family once my old man gives his approval!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. It would be great if Old Mr. Su approves. However, she is my only niece by blood. There¡¯s no rush. Ha ha ha¡­¡± Lu Xingtang spoke diplomatically and left Lu Mian out of the picture totally. At this point, Su Sheng suddenly thought of something. He spoke softly, ¡°Brother Lu, I heard that your eldest niece has returned?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s back.¡± Lu Xingtang and Fei Jin didn¡¯t borate further, a huge change in their attitude. ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s back. Our Old Master has been asking about her. Why didn¡¯t you bring her along today?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well.¡± Chapter 12: Was She Invited? Chapter 12: Was She Invited? Editor: As Studios At this time, Lu Mian, who was ¡®not feeling well¡¯, was strolling leisurely in the Su family¡¯s back garden. Her attire was still casual with a pair of flip-flops as she walked leisurely on the gstone path. The Su family¡¯s security system was just for decoration. She coulde and go even without an invitation. Su Jue quickly noticed the strange girl. His eyebrows knitted into a frown. ¡°Who are you?¡± The guests were usually in the front garden. Those who were in the back were naturally one of their own or close friends. However, he had no impression of such a tall and skinny girl. Lu Mian stopped in her tracks with a look of confusion on her aloof face. It was a surprising contrast. She asked him instead, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shocked, Su Jue quickly introduced himself. ¡°I am Su Jue, the young master of the Su family!¡± It dawned on Lu Mian. Oh, this was Elder Su¡¯s grandson. It had been years since theyst met and she almost forgot about this person. She nodded and continued to move forward wearing her flip-flop. Her behavior was even more haughty than Su Jue, the owner. Su Jue felt provoked. He chased after her and shouted, ¡°Stop! That is my grandfather¡¯s residence. You can¡¯t go over there!¡± Soon, his voice drew Lu Xinnuan. Lu Xinnuan was more than ten meters away, looking at the imposing Su Jue and then at Lu Mian. She broke into a cold sweat. She hesitated for a moment before turning around and left the back garden. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, I just saw Mianmian in the back garden¡­ She seems to be fighting with Su Jue¡­¡± Lu Xingtang was having a pleasant conversation. He spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Why is she here? Didn¡¯t she stay at home as she was asked?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You should go and take a look¡­¡± When she said that, arge group of people had alreadye into the back garden. They arrived in time to see Lu Mian grab Su Jue¡¯s right hand and hold him down. Su Jue¡¯s face turned scarlet. The crowd was stunned and startled. At any rate, Su Jue was a hot-blooded, 1.8 meters tall boy. How was he restrained by a young girl? ¡°Stop!¡± Lu Xingtang couldn¡¯t care less about the finger-pointing of the bystanders and rushed over to rescue Su Jue. ¡°Mianmian, what are you doing here? You even hit someone?¡± He whispered in a tone that was less using, but not that nice either. ¡°Is there some misunderstanding?¡± Lu Xinnuan asked cautiously. Fei Jin shook her head. She sounded displeased. ¡°How is that possible? Is she invited? Should she even be here or hurt someone?¡± It was bad enough that she came uninvited, but she also stirred trouble. After the triple strike, the couple quickly apologized to the Su family. ¡°Elder Su, this is my eldest niece. She just came back and she¡¯s ignorant.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The group of people sized Lu Mian up with a strange look. This was the girl from the Lu Family who had been kidnapped for two years and had just returned. Why was she here? Geez. She must be mentally ill with that weird and evil look on her face. The crowd unconsciously took a few steps away from her. Su Jue paused too. So, she¡­ was the one who had refused his grandfather¡¯s invitation! Lu Mian ignored everything as she dusted the non-existent dust on her body and continued to walk deeper into the garden. ¡°Lu Mian, apologize to Su Jue and leave the Su family now!¡± ¡°Mianmian, why don¡¯t you go back first¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan whispered her advice. In reality, she didn¡¯t want to mention this sister of hers in front of so many people. It was humiliating. However, when she saw the embarrassed look on Lu Mian, her mood improved. It was Grandpa Su¡¯s reception today. Everyone was happy and respectful, but Lu Mian made such a mess and stalled the banquet. This time, she would be punished badly¡­ Just as everyone¡¯s condemning and inquiring eyes fell on Lu Mian, a voice came out from the direction of the small building. ¡°She is a guest I invited. Who dares to chase her away?¡± Chapter 13: Old Mr. Su’s VIP Chapter 13: Old Mr. Su¡¯s VIP Editor: As Studios When everyone heard the voice, they turned and saw an old man with white hair walking shakily with the assistance of a maid. Everyone recognized that this was the highly respected but rarely seen Old Master Su. Actually, he wasn¡¯t that old. He aged so quickly and looked so feeble because he had experienced so much. Everyone automatically and respectfully made way for him. Su Jue hurried over and assisted him personally. Lu Xinnuan was also very discerning and apanied him at his side. Old Master Su, however, shrugged off these two. He headed straight for Lu Mian with a benevolent smile and announced, ¡°I have personally invited this young girl, Mian. How dare you say such nonsense about her?¡± The guests were extremely surprised as they exchanged looks among each other. Old Master Su had huge influence in Wu City and he was openly protecting this girl who had beaten his grandson. Lu Xingtang and Lu Xinnuan were puzzled and looked embarrassed. Elder Su¡¯s words were more like a p that hadnded crisply on their faces. Elder Su had personally invited Lu Mian to the banquet? None of them had this kind of treatment. Sometimes, it was even difficult for them to see him. What did Lu Mian do to deserve this? ¡°Mianmian, walk with me.¡± Old Master Su made his way through the crowd and led Lu Mian to the gazebo. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t go. Everyone is waiting for you!¡± ¡°I have things to do. You can eat first!¡± Old Master Su¡¯s refusal was sharp. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Su Jue also shouted. He was depressed from the humiliation. Seeing his own grandfather ignoring his guests for Lu Mian upset him even more. Lu Xinnuan tugged his arm gently. ¡°Su Jue, don¡¯t be upset with Lu Mian. She didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Su Jue didn¡¯t agree and he got angrier. He only went forward to stop her, but she backhanded him and pinned him to the ground! How was that not on purpose? ¡°Alright everyone, let¡¯s go back to the front garden.¡± Su Sheng eyed his son to stop him and to usher the guests back to the front. The main host was no longer involved, so the guests, who came in their best to suck up for his favor, were also embarrassed. Lu Xinnuan grimly watched the back of the old man and the young girl. She held onto her painting, aggrieved. She was filled with anticipation to see Old Master Su and to gain his approval. The makeup on her face, the dress she wore, and the painting in her hand had been carefully prepared for the asion. However, she didn¡¯t even have the chance to speak to Grandpa Su. Instead, the sloppy Lu Mian became his VIP. Why did it be like this? She should have been the one to stay with Grandpa Su¡­ In the gazebo, the autumn breeze gently brushed by, mixed with the light fragrance of osmanthus flowers. There was an unfinished game of Go on the stone table with ck and white seeds. Lu Mian took a quick nce and sat down. Old Master Su, Su Qinghe, wasn¡¯t upset with her because his grandson had been bullied earlier. Instead, he apologized to her, ¡°Su Jue has an impulsive temper. I¡¯ll teach him a lesson tonight!¡± ¡°Your eldest grandson is pretty funny.¡± The girl¡¯s voice had a hint of evil arrogance. She was the only one who dared to talk like this to the esteemed Su Qinghe! Su Qinghe smiled. Then, he looked carefully at Lu Mian for a long time before asking, ¡°How is your health?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good too.¡± She added offhandedly, ¡°Eating well, too!¡± Their conversation was hollow andcking. Elder Su shook his head helplessly. A few moments of silenceter, he had a distant look as he muttered, ¡°Mianmian, I didn¡¯t know about the kidnapping untilter. If I had known earlier, perhaps¡­¡± ¡°I know you did your best.¡± Lu Mian looked up, crushing a cinnamon petal that was floating on the stone table in her hand. She smiled with understanding. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to ¡®perhaps¡¯. Just take it as a way of gaining life experience.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± Su Qinghe didn¡¯t know what he should be feeling sad about. He swallowed his words and took out a USB sh drive from his pocket. ¡°This contains all the information that I¡¯ve collected over the past two years about your kidnapping case. I know you¡¯re here today for this. Take it.¡± Lu Mian dropped the cinnamon petal and took the sh drive. ¡°The kidnappers¡¯st disappearing point was inside Kun Peng Middle School. Let me know if you find anything new and maybe we can follow the trail to their realir!¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Lu Mian got up and ced a palm-sized circr talisman on the table. ¡°I came today to return this to you too.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Old Master Su¡¯s eyes stayed on the object. ¡°Take this quickly. It will save your life if you meet someone from Capital Jin in the future!¡± Chapter 14: Turns Out it was You Chapter 14: Turns Out it was You Editor: As Studios ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± She smiled nonchntly. ¡°Do take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Mian¡­¡± Old Master Su held onto the card tightly, and helplessness filled his eyes as he watched the girl leave. People outside were giving him presents and blessings, but this girl actually returned him the present he gave out. Old Master sighed and was even more upset when he coincidentally heard the crowd in the yard bustling with respectful greetings. Superficial! What is there to boast about? I only coincidentally bought potential shares and earned a small sum of money. Su Jue¡¯s ability could not even bepared to a tenth of Mr. Ye Qiao¡¯s. Mr. Ye Qiao was a legendary character in the business and stocks world that everyone knew about. He entered the stock industry with 2 million dors a year ago, and earned tens of billion in a short week. Ever since that incident, he became the God of the stock industry. However, he was very mysterious as no one had seen him before and nobody knew who he was. How could Su Juepare to this character? ¡­ Su family¡¯s back alley Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen walked to this location after following the scent of blood and saw the messy remnants of an intense battle. Everyone present had more than just a blood stain and the blood had not dried up yet, while the footprints left on the floor were messy and ovepped with one another. A fierce and gruesome one-sided murder must have happened ten minutes before. The two men looked at each other sternly. Who did it? They came over immediately after they got the news from the headquarters, but they did not expect someone else to be faster than them. Ye Jinwen took a whiff and sighed. ¡°These people probably came here to cause trouble for the Su family, right? It seems like it¡¯s right for us to look for Old Master Su.¡± The man opposite him was inspecting the scene with much focus. The ice-cold eyes hidden beneath the golden spectacles showed determination and understanding as he casually replied with a ¡°Mm¡±. Ye Jinwen looked at him in confusion. ¡°But who was nice enough to handle them? Su family¡¯s secret guards or someone else? Did they purposely hijack our targets?¡± When he was talking, Xiao Qimo already retracted his gaze and slowly pulled both his sleeves up to his forearm. He was still calm and graceful in this type of situation. He said, ¡°ording to the battle marks, this ¡®kind soul¡¯ is around 170 cm, weighs around 42 kg and is really fast. The person often uses his right leg to attack, and he was wearing slippers¡­¡± Ye Jinwen was very impressed. It was normal for Big Boss Mo to infer this much information. However, how did such a skinny person wearing slippers offensively attack someone? He heard Xiao Qimo¡¯s excited maic voice once again. ¡°Gender: female.¡± ¡°Huh? It was done by a girl?¡± Ye Jinwen gulped down a mouthful of saliva when he heard it. ¡°Who could be so brutal¡­?¡± While Ye Jinwen was in deep thought, he saw a thin shadowing out of the Su family¡¯s back door. He rubbed his eyes and was in a daze. ¡°Lu Mian? She¡¯s here?¡± Xiao Qimo lifted his spectacles and looked over. The dark and deep eyes were quietly observing Lu Mian from head to toe, before they finally rested on her intricate face. Lu Mian also sized him up within the few seconds of their eyes meeting each other. Both of them walked towards each other. Ye Jinwen smiled warmly and greeted her, ¡°What a coincidence, Lu Mian!¡± When he spoke, he quickly became more alert as he suddenly remembered being reverse hypnotized by her the day before. Seeing his expression, Lu Mian knew that Doctor Ye had found out about it. ¡°Do we know each other?¡± She said nonchntly, her lips curved up in a smile. ¡°Um¡­¡± Ye Jinwen was stumped and could only smile. She was even colder than Xiao Qimo. ¡°Oh, right! This is my friend, Qimo.¡± He inched closer towards her after finishing his sentence and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s from Capital Jin.¡± Xiao Qimo was speechless as he raised his brows and something shed across his eyes. Lu Mian replied with an ¡°oh¡±, as her gazended on Xiao Qimo in a seemingly smiling manner. After some thinking, her eyes became guarded as she was prepared to protect and distance herself. She said, ¡°So it was you.¡± Chapter 15: Fight Between the Gods Chapter 15: Fight Between the Gods Editor: As Studios Ye Jinwen looked left and right strangely. ¡°Have you two met before?¡± Logically speaking, they should not have met before. Qimo rarely came to Wu City. Strictly speaking, he only came here two times before, and this trip was his third. No matter how he thought about it, both of them should not have met before. Lu Mian smiled lightly, as she looked at Ye Jinwen with her cold eyes. Unruly and fearless. ¡°Doctor Ye, wasn¡¯t he the one behind the surveince cameras yesterday? Why? Is there something he did not tell you?¡± Ye Jinwen immediately felt guilty. However, Xiao Qimo¡¯s interest was piqued as his eyes beneath his golden spectacles turned warmer to express his good mod. ¡°How did you guess that?¡± Xiao Qimo thought that she was very interesting. It seemed like she knew that he was behind the surveince cameras a long time ago. Lu Mian stared straight at the graceful man and raised her beautiful white fingers. ¡°Firstly, Doctor Ye looked at the surveince cameras thrice during the consultation yesterday, which meant that there was someone behind the cameras.¡± ¡°Secondly, it¡±s the first time you¡¯ve met me today, but your eyes don¡¯t look unfamiliar, which means that you¡¯ve seen me before.¡± ¡°Thirdly, Doctor Ye brought you around personally, and together with the Su family¡¯s promotion of this banquet, it shows that you¡¯re important. So, Mr. Xiao Qimo, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Fourthly, which is also the most important point¡­¡± Lu Mian retracted her fingers and bent one of her legs slightly as her toes tapped on the marble floor casually. She continued in a pompous tone. ¡°I just randomly tried my luck previously, and both of your expressions had betrayed yourselves.¡± Ye Jinwen was shocked. If it was not for his wrong stance, he wanted to support and cheer thisdy on. In front of a legendary character like Xiao Qimo, most people would trip over their words and would not even be able to stand straight. Her calm andposed attitude was already very impressive, yet she could even analyze the situation so logically and clearly. Legend! Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes were brimming with interest as he slowly took out a white handkerchief and passed it to her. He had previously observed that her fingers were stained yellow, and she had a light osmanthus fragrance. It must be because she crushed the petals. ¡°Do you want to wipe your hands?¡± Lu Mian did not act coy and took the handkerchief. Xiao Qimo looked at her wiping her fingers one by one, seriously and meticulously. For some reason, he felt happy. ¡°Then, let me guess¡­ You were the one who participated in the fight here previously.¡± His tone was warm, but he was very confident of what he said. Ye Jinwen was stunned. He immediately recalled the information Xiao Qimo previously inferred ¨C 170cm, 42kg, female, slippers¡­ He sized Lu Mian up in detail. All the details matched! Suddenly, he felt like a sour side dish in front of these two big bosses. He was sour, weird and extra. This was literally a duel between the gods. Two strong people were going against each other. ¡°It was me,¡± admitted Lu Mian decisively, which surprised Ye Jinwen and Xiao Qimo. ¡°I wanted to climb over the wall, but they were blocking me.¡± Ye Jinwen¡¯s lips on his doll-like face twitched, and he immediately imagined the scene. A stubborn and unruly young girl wanted to climb over the wall and enter the Su family house, but she discovered that a few assassins were at the bottom of the wall and blocked her. With the sleight of hand¡­ no ¨C foot, she defeated that bunch of people. To think he still thought that someone stole their limelight, or the Su family secretly sent highly-skilled guards to protect the family. He did not expect the truth to be so unbelievable. Upon deeper thinking, it did fit Lu Mian¡¯s way of doing things. She was indeed quite different whenpared to the rest. She was a mysteriously cool girl. However, Little Mianmian, did you know that you unintentionally saved the entire banquet? Chapter 16: Too Boring, You Guys Go Ahead Chapter 16: Too Boring, You Guys Go Ahead Editor: As Studios Lu Mian was not at all interested in knowing how Xiao Qimo deduced that information. She clipped the handkerchief between her fingers and waved it. ¡°I think you have a lot of these kinds of handkerchiefs. There¡¯s no difference if you have this or not. Thank you, Mr. Xiao.¡± Xiao Qimo looked at how she casually stuffed the handkerchief into her pocket and left with her hands in her pockets. Xiao Qimo asked in a friendly manner, ¡°Are you not going for the banquet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very boring. You two go ahead.¡± The tone used was arrogant, cool and unruly. Together with her movements, she was totally a cynical and rebellious young girl. Ye Jinwen watched her as she left, before heaving a sigh of relief. They found the answer to the battle. However, Qimo¡¯s attitude was a little strange¡­ Su family¡¯s banquet hall¡­ The guests that were ignored by Elder Su did not know that they had just dodged a bullet as they gathered in groups andmented about Lu Mian. They looked at Lu Xinnuan from time to time and lowered their heads to whisper. ¡°Was the person in the backyard really the Big Missy Lu ¨C Lu Mian? The one that just came back after being kidnapped for two years?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her! Lu Famly Master had already admitted it. That Lu Mian is really weird and is super cold. One look and you¡¯ll know that she has some mental issues.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was just worrying if she would suddenly hold a knife against us. People like her would take revenge against society any day if they¡¯re put in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it anymore! My hair is already standing on end. It¡¯s all the Lu Family¡¯s fault. They should lock this type of person at home, why did they let her out? Old Mr. Su is too kind and was obviously relieving the awkward situation for Lu Mian, causing us to make a futile trip.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The guests¡¯ voices had mostly travelled to Lu Xingtang trio¡¯s ears. Lu Xingtang¡¯s face turned increasingly dark. Lu Mian¡¯s appearance in the backyard previously had already tarnished their reputation and made them aughingstock. She had even let the others know of her presence. Honestly, he really did not want to have this niece of his. This was because she was an embarrassment. She was never likeable since young and would always cause trouble. Not mentioning the kidnapping, they also wanted to live with her harmoniously after she came back. However, they did not expect her personality to be even more of a loner, and she had repeatedly disrespected the elders, putting them in a difficult position. Fei Jin was also upset as she shook her head andmented sadly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? None of the guests today could receive Old Master Su¡¯s personal invitation. How on earth did Lu Mian get Old Master Su to greet her personally and leave the rest of us hanging?¡± Lu Xinnuan lowered her head and only raised it after she sent a text. She counseled them obediently. ¡°Perhaps Grandpa Su did that because he felt that Sister was very pitiful.¡± Her tone suddenly changed and her eyes started to turn red. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll apologize to you on behalf of Sister¡­¡± ¡°Xinnuan, this has nothing to do with you!¡± Fei Jin patted the back of Lu Xinnuan¡¯s hand. When Lu Xingtang heard her words, he kind of agreed with her and his face looked better. Old Master was the greatest phnthropist in Wu City. He was soft-hearted and kind, and had helped quite a number of people all these years. After the 726 kidnapping incident was exposed two years ago, he had put in a lot of money and effort to find the kidnappers. Even though there were not many results, he really did his best. Now that Lu Mian was back, Elder Su probably took pity on her. The people in the banquet hall participated in heated discussions, but they did not know that Xiao Qimo had overheard all of these. He ced one hand in his pants pocket and pulled back his long leg that was heading for the banquet hall. ¡°Qimo, aren¡¯t you going in?¡± It was rare for Master Mo to personally meet the crowd and participate in such an event. ¡°It¡¯s very boring. You guys go ahead.¡± He lost his interest immediately and walked towards the outside of the yard. Ye Jinwen danced to his tune and followed him, helpless and speechless. Master Mo, you¡¯re not the original creator of this sentence, right? He could not tell if he really left the banquet because it was boring, or because the people inside were talking bad about Lu Mian. The point was: was he not going to ask Elder Su about the kidnapping incident? Chapter 17: Sorry, My Hand Slipped Chapter 17: Sorry, My Hand Slipped Editor: As Studios Xiao Qimo walked a few steps outside and stopped when he saw that Ye Jinwen was following him. ¡°Go and tell Old Master Su about what happened in the alley,¡± said the man calmly. Ye Jinwen could neither see nor guess what was hiding in the depths of his silent eyes. However, he still nodded instinctively. ¡°Okay, leave this up to me.¡± Ye Jinwen rubbed his fists and wiped his palms. He knew Elder Su and loved to stand up for injustice. It was clearly not Lu Mian¡¯s fault this time, but these people were addicted to gossipping. Not only did Lu Mian not take revenge against society, she had even saved them. Ye Jinwen directly went to find Elder Su without hesitation. The Su family guards did not stop him as he hade here a few times. He briefly summarized the incident to Elder Su. Elder Su took it to heart and directly called off the ridiculous banquet. The guests felt quiteplicated, but could only leave forlorn. However, Lu Xingtang trio were asked to stay behind on their own, which made people curious. They wondered if there would be good news between the two families. Lu Xinnuan was ted. Lu Xingtang was very well-mannered and apologized to Elder Su first. ¡°Elder Su, Lu Mian had caused trouble for you. I¡¯ll immediately reprimand her when I reach home.¡± ¡°No need!¡± Su Qinghe held him up and his eyes were brimming with sincerity as Su Qinghe shook hands with him. ¡°Mr. Lu, please help me thank Mianmian when you reach home. If it wasn¡¯t for her, our Su family would be doomed today.¡± Lu Xinnuan, Lu Xingtang and Fei Jin were all taken aback and dazed. ¡­ When the trio from the Lu Family left, only Elder Su, Su Sheng and Su Jue were left in the yard. Su Sheng was confused. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve always treated others with kindness. Why would you attract an assassin? I think this incident happened because you purposely took Lu Mian¡¯s side¡­¡± Old Master Su shook his head and his experienced eyes were suddenly filled with sharpness. There was no need for him to say anything as the truthy in the alley. Not having the mood to exin further, he nced at his son before looking at his grandson ¨C Su Jue. He instructed him wisely, ¡°Mianmian has gone to Kun Peng Middle School to study, and she¡¯s in the tenth grade. You should take care of her.¡± Su Jue was upset, but before he could say anything, Su Sheng interrupted helplessly. ¡°Dad, why? Are you thinking of matchmaking Su Jue and Lu Mian? That girl isn¡¯t worthy of our Jue¡¯er. Her younger sister ¨C Lu Xinnuan is not bad though¡­¡± Su Qinghe rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Our family isn¡¯t worthy of Lu Mian.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Su Sheng was even more confused. However, the old man had already walked back to his room with his walking stick. Su Jue muttered to himself softly and did not care about what he had just said. ¡­ Lu Mian walked back home leisurely in her slippers. The Su family home was in the vi area where there was no public transport, and fewer taxis. She followed the flowers by the road and walked forward rather casually. Xiao Qimo saw this when he caught up with her in his car. A slim young girl with one hand in her pocket and the other casually ying with the leaves and petals. Her soft short hair flowed up as the wind blew, and the scene looked very pleasing to one¡¯s eyes. Xiao Qimo whistled lightly, and when he decreased his speed and drove by Lu Mian, he asked in a gentlemanly manner, ¡°Ms. Lu, do you need a ride?¡± Lu Mian looked up nonchntly and continued walking forward. Hoho, this girl was prideful. Xiao Qimo drove a few metres forward and stopped around two metres in front of Lu Mian. He turned his steering wheel and suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. One of his hands was on the steering wheel, while the other opened the door to the passenger seat beside the driver¡¯s. His handsome five features formed a warm smile, as he said slowly, ¡°Sorry, my hand slipped.¡± Chapter 18: What Did You Go Through? Chapter 18: What Did You Go Through? Editor: As Studios Lu Mian did not even believe a single bit of this childish act. Since the other party was so persistent, there was no reason for her to act coy as she bent her slim body slightly and sat in the passenger seat. She was very thin and light, and the car did not shift when she sat down. Even though she sat in the car, her good-looking eyes were filled with cold mockery as sheughed brazenly and evilly. ¡°Is it safe to sit in your car?¡± She had always spoken in such an offensive manner with her brazen tone and yful expression. However, Lu Mian was not scared and did not care. Fear no longer existed in her dictionary since a long time ago. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I drive very securely.¡± Xiao Qimo was clearly mocked, but he surprisingly let out augh. He was in a pretty good mood. Not only did he not get upset, he even exined to the other party, which did not happen often. ¡°Heh¡­¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Both of themughed lightly at the same time in the car. He started the car and drove forward. The safety belt at the passenger seat was automatically adjusted and put on when Lu Mian sat in the car. Lu Mian looked normal as usual. Her body curved slightly as shezily started ying on her phone. She was totally treating the man beside her as her chauffeur. It was the first time Chauffeur Xiao was ignored, and after looking at the girl from the corner of his eye, he turned on the music in the car. It was a light and soothing piano song. Lu Mian heard the tune and nced at the name of the song. ¡°Illusionary Daytime¡± It was a piano song that would make sad people want to cry. Lu Mian¡¯s lips curved up slyly and yfully, and sheughed lightly. Her longshes drooped down as she continued to focus on her phone game. She was used to ying on her phone with one hand, and her idle hand was casually ced on herp. The music yed on smoothly and her long white fingers started to tap to the beat casually, as if it was a subconscious reaction. However, Xiao Qimo was surprised. What an interesting girl¡­ Perhaps she did not even realize that her fingers had yed the keys to the piano song. It seemed like she was very good at multitasking as she could y her game and the keys to the song. Xiao Qimo was even more interested. After ncing at her, he asked casually, ¡°The assassins at the alley weren¡¯t so useless. How did you handle them?¡± After all, those people were professionals, and one could just imagine how powerful Lu Mian¡¯s kungfu was if she could kill them brutally. He was not doubting her, he was just curious. Lu Mian smiled, her eyes were covered with thick distance and defence, without a tinge of warmth. ¡°I learned some self-defence skills. Is there a problem?¡± Of course there wasn¡¯t. Xiao Qimo was very understanding. She was only 17 and a young child when she was kidnapped back then. It was hard for others to imagine how difficult it must have been to live two years under the ruthless criminals. Not only did she have to learn self-defence skills, she also had to have a calmposure and impressive intelligence. ¡°Lu Mian.¡± Xiao Qimo stared at the front and his lips pressed against each other tightly. After keeping quiet for half a minute, he asked lightly, ¡°What did you go through?¡± However, no one replied to him this time. He turned around in shock and saw the little girl sleeping with the phone in her hands. The sleeping her was less distant and hostile, but much warmer with the young girl aura that girls her age should have. Her baby hairnded by her mouth, a huge contrast with her white face. It seemed like she was sleeping quite soundly. Was the music not nice? Or was he too boring? Xiao Qimo was angered and tickled at the same time as his hands subconsciously lowered the music and increased the temperature. The ck car reached the entrance to Lu Mansion very soon. The man turned to his side and was considering if he should wake her up or carry her back. Such a defensive person had actually fallen asleep in his car. It seemed like he could not let this trust down. The man pressed his lips against each other tightly and lifted his bony fingers. Suddenly, he was hit by a force before he could even touch the corner of the girl¡¯s clothes. He was slightly taken aback. Chapter 19: The Harasser was Finally Harassed Chapter 19: The Harasser was Finally Harassed Editor: As Studios The man¡¯s hands hung in mid-air and he saw the girl, who was originally sleeping soundly with her body bent, had opened her eyes wide. The clear eyes were scanning him from head to toe coldly. She did not look like she had just woken up. Hah, he was cheated. Cheater! Xiao Qimo was not embarrassed at all as his pitch ck eyes were glued to her face. His body suddenly moved forward. He inched in closer towards Lu Mian and he smiled gracefully and in a gentlemanly manner. He slowly went to her ear and stopped at somewhere that was not too far or near. He looked at the girl¡¯s slightly trembling eyshes as his Adam¡¯s apple trembled. He lowered his voice and breathed out slowly. ¡°Be gentle, it hurts.¡± His maic voice was like a wavelength of its own as every syble entered the girl¡¯s ears with a hint of teasing and flirty intentions. Not a single woman could handle such a man and such actions. Lu Mian froze. Her heart started beating faster in one moment as she automatically retaliated to the man¡¯s charismatic attack. She did not stop at just that. She maintained herzy position and loose strands of hair fell down lightly, which she conveniently put behind her ears. She exposed a small red mole on her ear cartge, which looked even more mesmerizing and sexier on her white skin. ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo froze right at that moment. The harasser was finally harassed. He had a strange desire to conquer that red mole¡­ When he was in a daze, he heard her calm voice. ¡°Your self-discipline is too weak.¡± She said it with a victorious tone. After she finished her sentence, she undid her seat belt and got off the car nonchntly under Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Let¡¯s never see each other again.¡± Hah, weak self-discipline? Xiao Qimo gently caressed his face and when his fingers touched the frame of his spectacles, he sat up straight while smiling. He slowly drove the car away. They would meet again eventually. Soon after getting off the car, Lu Mian was dragged into the house by an unreasonablyrge force. She knitted her brows tightly and only kept her fists when she realized that the other party was her mother. Fu Man looked pretty angry and dragged Lu Mian¡¯s wrist up the staircase, without caring if the helpers were staring at them. She scolded while walking, ¡°Don¡¯t go out with random people next time.¡± She saw that Lu Mian got off a ck car, but she did not know the brand or the model. Fu Man thought that she was someone who had seen the world, so the cars that she did not recognize were either trashy ones or new ones without much reputation. She loved her face all along. Even if she was not close to Lu Mian, she did not want Lu Mian to hang out with people beneath her status. She dragged Lu Mian all the way to the side room. Before they entered the room, Fu Man¡¯s hidden temper exploded. ¡°What did you do today? Did you cause trouble at the Su family? Do you not want your sister to do well?¡± She was angered when she recalled the text Xinnuan had sent her, saying that Lu Mian also went to the Su family. ¡°Your speed is really fast,¡±ughed Lu Mian mockingly like a ruffian. ¡°Who are you mocking?¡± Fu Man was very upset and immediately took out her phone to show Lu Mian the text. ¡°Nuannuan told me this. Look at what your sister said. Is there a need to insult her like this?¡± Lu Mian took a look at it. ¡°Mom, did you tell Sister toe to the Su family? She started a conflict with Su Jue, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± Lu Mian admitted to herself that she was no match for Lu Xinnuan in terms ofining since young. She pushed away the screen before her and nned to head upstairs. ¡°Lu Mian, just look at yourself and then look at Xinnuan. Don¡¯t say that I¡¯m biased towards her. Which of the things you did are better than her? It¡¯s a guarantee that I¡¯m biased towards her. What¡¯s there to feel wronged about?¡± When she said thetter part, she was almost begging her. ¡°Lu Mian, I don¡¯t expect you to be filial to me. I just don¡¯t want you to burden your sister. She has the most potential in our family. Can¡¯t you just be more mature and go to school obediently?¡± Chapter 20: How Legendary is the ‘God’? Chapter 20: How Legendary is the ¡®God¡¯? Editor: As Studios Lu Mian pressed her lips against each other tightly and nodded as she left the living room in a hurry. She leaned against the door, took out her phone and sent a message out. ¡°I understand you now.¡± ¡°Right? Noting back is better than doing so. Right, are you going to school on Monday? I miss you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Lu Mian locked herself in the room and busied herself from afternoon to night. She did not know when Lu Xinnuan returned home, nor was she clear about what Lu Xinnuan told Fu Man. She only knew that Fu Man had paced back and forth in front of her room a few times, but did not knock on her door in the end. She ignored her and continued to use herputer. It seemed like she could only get rid of those unwanted feelings if she busied herself. When she looked up, the sky was already dark and her room was pitch ck. The color palette of Lu Mian¡¯s room was very dark. She had a dark brown curtain, which did not allow light to pass through, gray beddings, and even her furniture was of a dark walnut color. She was toozy to leave her chair and turn on the lights, so the light from herputer screen became the only thing bright in her dark room. She supported her chin with one hand and focussed on the screen. She watched on interestedly as the stocks on the screen went up and down messily. Her right hand seemed to be a little bored, as she started to twirl the pen rapidly. The faster her brain worked, the faster the pen would twirl. After a series of brainstorms, she wrote down a bunch of stock codes on a white paper. She looked extremely rxed andfortable, and was even enjoying the process. Lu Mian sent a text to Zero. Mian: ¡°Buy this stock today.¡± Zero: ¡°Still two million dors?¡± Mian: ¡°Mm.¡± Zero immediately carried out her orders and after he settled it, he sent a message into their chat group as per usual. Zero: ¡°Sending on behalf of God, he bought this stock today.¡± There was a screenshot attached. The group almost exploded once the text was sent. ¡°God is here! Hohoho, I¡¯m going to follow immediately.¡± ¡°Ever since I entered this group, I found a way to wealth. God, please ept my bow.¡± ¡°One doesn¡¯t need to worry about jumping off a building when he follows God in buying stocks.¡± ¡°Friends, it¡¯s a good thing that God is guiding us, but he always emphasized that we must be logical followers. Everyone, don¡¯t bank all your money in!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. God never overbought stocks himself.¡± All kinds of praises andpliments flew in from everywhere. Every member in the group that had seen the notification followed the trend and bought the stock. Those who had money would buy more, and those with less money would buy what they could afford. Actually, Zero was quite upset all along. He had followed Brother Mian for quite some time, but he never understood her intentions. Intelligent, wise and logical. She could urately predict a good stock every time, and she would only buy two million dors each time, nothing more, nothing less. Every single time, she would spread this precious information into the group. Zero felt that Brother Mian was worried people would catch onto her if she was too aggressive, so she was low-key instead. In the stocks group¡­ A member named ¡®Yu Jue¡¯ immediately logged onto the securities trading software and bought five hundred thousand worth of stocks after hearing this information. He crossed his arms in front of theputer and smiled strangely after buying his stocks. The helper passed him a cup of iced coke and asked curiously, ¡°Young Master Jue, why are you so happy?¡± Su Jue waved his hands. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in two days.¡± He entered this group unintentionally and initially thought that it was just a bunch ofizens talking to waste their time, but he did not expect to find true treasure here. Previously, he was testing the waters and bought two hundred thousand dors worth of stocks that the ¡®God¡¯ bought. Two hundred thousand was only worth two months of pocket money to him, so he would not feel an ache if he made ducks and drakes of it. The shocking thing was that he had actually earned eleven million dors after two days, and all his elders praised him for having a good eye. It was pretty legendary. He wondered if this so-called ¡®God¡¯ could be so god-like each time. Chapter 21: It’s Fake, Don’t Believe It Chapter 21: It¡¯s Fake, Don¡¯t Believe It Editor: As Studios Lu Mian locked herself in the room for two days. When she was hungry or thirsty, she would head to the refrigerator in the kitchen and look for food, making it past the weekend. Monday morning¡­ She wore Kun Peng Middle School¡¯s uniform and appeared in the living room punctually. The sky blue and white loose sports attire made her skin look even whiter and colder, but she looked good in it. Fu Man walked out wearing an apron and forced out a smile. She asked, ¡°Mianmian, I made breakfast. Do you want some?¡± Other mothers would always directly tell their children toe and eat and not ask them if they wanted to. However, it was a polite question for Fu Man. Perhaps she was seeking Lu Mian¡¯s opinion, but she had already treated Lu Family as an outsider subconsciously. Lu Mian frowned and her gaze swept past Lu Xinnuan, who was drinking her milk obediently. She joked nonchntly, ¡°Will you two have the appetite to eat if I eat with you?¡± She carried her bag and walked towards the door. ¡°Mianmian, wait a minute!¡± Fu Man hurriedly yelled after her and wiped her hands against her apron. ¡°Your Uncle told me about the Su family¡¯s banquet. Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that Elder Su invited you to go over¡­?¡± She was too angry back then and said some hurtful words. She wanted to exin to her a few times, but she was always stopped by that icy door. She still could not face this daughter calmly. Lu Xinnuan walked out from the dining room. ¡°Yeah, Sister. You should¡¯ve told us earlier, so Mom wouldn¡¯t have misunderstood you. Also, Grandpa Su rified that you¡¯ve driven the bad guys away. Sis, did you really save us?¡± Lu Mian did not know about this. She squinted her eyes to think for a while and understood what happened. Xiao Qimo and the rest were probably the ones who told Elder Su. Was there a point in saying it? None at all. They never believed her when she told the truth, but when she told a lie¡­ Lu Mian hooked her bag frivolously and spun it around her finger. A light and coldughter escaped from her lips. She tilted her head and was extremely cynical. ¡°It¡¯s fake, don¡¯t believe it.¡± Lu Xinnuan heaved a sigh of relief as she knew that it was fake a long time ago. Even though she had exposed Lu Mian¡¯s little tricks, she was still pretty disturbed. After all, Grandpa Su was very protective of her and had even ruined the banquet that day¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll just wait for another chance to strengthen my rtionship with Grandpa Su. She walked forward and hugged Lu Mian sincerely. Lu Mian was pretty irritated and avoided her. ¡°Sis¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan touched her nose awkwardly. ¡°I have no other intentions¡­ I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll get injured after encountering bad guys. Even though you¡¯ve been pretty good at fighting since young, we¡¯re still different from those people after all¡­¡± This sentence made Fu Man¡¯s heart jump in fear. She did not know the details, but she understood the main point of the sentence. She hurriedly reminded Lu Mian, ¡°Mianmian, you¡¯re not allowed to fight in the future!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lu Mian nodded readily. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Um¡­ do you still me me?¡± asked Fu Man softly, after mustering up her courage. Lu Xinnuan had a strange expression at the side. Lu Mian smiled and her good-looking eyes curved up wildly. Her five intricate features were wless. She was really pretty, and looked good no matter what expression she made. She looked relieved towards this woman¡¯s ambiguous questioning, as she picked up her bag, waved her hands and walked out casually. Fu Man was stumped. ¡°What does she mean?¡± Lu Xinnuan pressed her lips against each other tightly and was silent. Her Sister¡¯s return only gave the family deep-seated guilt and w, instead of pride and happiness. Chapter 22: How Cool and Arrogant – What a Character! Chapter 22: How Cool and Arrogant ¨C What a Character! Editor: As Studios It seemed like the entire family was indebted to her and they all became viins. She knew that the entire family would never forget the 726 kidnapping incident for as long as Lu Mian was in the Lu Family. This was not the life she wanted. Lu Xinnuan gripped her hands andforted Fu Man after. ¡°I think Sister really didn¡¯t take this incident to heart, based on how she behaves. Mom, don¡¯t be so worried all the time. Sister doesn¡¯t even care about it, so you shouldn¡¯t me yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Fu Man was reallyforted and nodded readily. She turned around and asked concernedly, ¡°Nuannuan, are you leaving now? Are you full?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore¡­ Mom, I¡¯m leaving too!¡± ¡­ Tenth Grade, ss 25 Lu Mian came back on the 24th of August and coincidentally enrolled into the tenth grade with the junior school graduates. Her situation was kind of special, so she did not follow the military training and had missed the chance to bond with her new ssmates. She only came for lessons when school officially started. She normally blew hot and cold during lessons and only came for a few times. Many ssmates did not even know that such a person existed in ss. So her presence in school today not only surprised the ssmates, but the form teacher also found it weird. The first lesson was coincidentally the form teacher¡¯s physics ss. The young male teacher, Ding Cai, who was wearing thick sses, taught ¡®Time and Discement¡¯ passionately and would raise examples that tickled the students from time to time. Ding Cai felt that his lecture was very interesting, but he noticed a young girl at a corner of the ssroom was in a daze from the corner of his eye. He squinted his eyes and kept quiet. He stared straight at Lu Mian, who was sitting at the corner of the ssroom next to the windows. She did not have a table partner, as she came toote. Twirling her pen with one hand and holding her chin with the other, she was reading the flowery book standing on the table with much focus. He could not see clearly what book it was, but it was definitely not rted to physics. This Lu Mian! Ding Cai broke a chalk in his hands and weighed the top of the chalk in his hands. Throwing the chalk tip was a must-learn for all teachers, and Ding Cai was not an exception. He urately threw it forward and it drew a perfect angle in the air. Everyone in ss turned their heads towards Lu Mian in unison. Just when everybody thought the chalk tip would hit Lu Mian¡¯s head, they saw¡­ With a nonchnt wave of her hand that was holding her chin, something appeared between her fingers, while the pen in her right hand was still twirling normally. S-she¡­ caught it? Immediately, the students in ss thought that she had character, and the action of catching the chalk tip was very cool. Some even cheered her on loudly. Ding Cai was infuriated. This Lu Mian was clearly challenging him in public. If he did not prove his authority as the form teacher, the ss would revolt. He put down the physics textbook and dashed to Lu Mian¡¯s table rapidly, directly taking away the flowery book and the chalk in between her fingers. Lu Mian looked up slightly and her gaze was rather confused and innocent. Suddenly, half of Ding Cai¡¯s temper was lost. He knew about this child¡¯s misfortune. In the year she was kidnapped, she entered Kun Peng Middle School after graduating from junior school, with average results that scraped past the cut-off points. When she came back, the Education Ministry arranged for her to continue with the tenth grade, but many teachers did not think well of her. They all rejected her as they felt that she would not be able to catch up with the curriculum, and she needed some adjustments. However, this was a strictmand from the Education Ministry. Sigh, anyway, something possessed him and he epted her. Ding Cai shifted his gaze to the book in his hands. ¡®Stocks God Business Woman¡¯? He was slightly confused. ¡°You like this type of light reading?¡± Chapter 23: I’m Pretty Busy and Don’t Have Time Chapter 23: I¡¯m Pretty Busy and Don¡¯t Have Time Editor: As Studios The students in ss were also curious. Lu Mian was always a loner and was very cool. She had the coldness and rational thinking which did not suit people her age. They did not expect that she would read such romance novels for girls and immediately felt that this contrast was quite cute. Lu Mian, who was caught red-handed, did not feel embarrassed as she leaned against her chair and pouted her lips yfully. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty good read.¡± Her pitch-ck eyes had a tinge of unknowingplication. ¡°Since it¡¯s so nice to read, lend it to me.¡± Ding Cai had a look of ¡®this book is mine and don¡¯t ever think of getting it back¡¯ on his face, as he flipped the book in his hands for a while. He then helped Lu Mian dig out her physics textbook and flipped it to the page he was lecturing on. ¡°Listen to ss attentively!¡± said Ding Cai with a slightly threatening voice, even though he did not pose as a threat. ¡°Come to my office after school.¡± Lu Mian sighed lightly. She hoped that he was not going to call her parents¡­ ¡­ After school, Lu Mian knocked on Ding Cai¡¯s office door obediently. Ding Cai was already sitting there waiting for her, while holding the ¡®Stocks God Business Woman¡¯ book. Ding Cai immediately smiled warmly when he saw her enter the room. Since he epted this student, he must take care of her mentality. She was different from other students, and he did not really dare to talk to her sternly. ¡°Student Lu Mian, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Mr. Ding.¡± The other teachers from the physics department had not left yet, and they could not help but shake their head when they looked over. Perhaps they were not used to Ding Cai¡¯s non-threatening attitude, or they were not used to Lu Mian. Ding Cai found a chair for Lu Mian to sit on. ¡°Student Lu Mian, you¡¯ve not been attending sses regrly these few days and you¡¯re behind on your work. I understand that it¡¯s hard for you to catch up in such a short amount of time, as you haven¡¯t been studying for two years as well¡­¡± He paused and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you find me at the office after school, and I¡¯ll tutor you one-on-one. I can teach you mathematics and sciences, but as for the humanities side¡­ You need to look for your respective teachers and memorise the important points for each subject. However, I believe that your grades will definitely improve if we work hard together. You¡¯re only in the tenth grade now, and you still have three years before your final examination.¡± Looking at her form teacher¡¯s face filled with sincerity, Lu Mian¡¯s gaze shifted to the other teachers shaking their heads and she shook her head herself. In high school, there were much more studying responsibilities, and a teacher could not even handle the tens of students, let alone have the energy to tutor a student one-on-one. Besides, the student was someone like her. She felt that she was not worth her form teacher¡¯s efforts. Instead of wasting his efforts to save her, the logical way was for him to follow her parents and give up on her in the early stage. She was very liberal about this and smiled, before she rejected calmly, ¡°Mr. Ding, I¡¯m pretty busy and I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Pft, what can a student be busy with? Busy reading romance novels?¡± Ding Cai¡¯s tone became stern and he said in a way that he expected better from her, ¡°You¡¯re a smart child. As long as you work hard, you can definitely catch up on your work. I understand if you hate studying, but every bit of learning counts. You might just like it in the end, right?¡± After he finished his sentence, he mmed the book in front of Lu Mian. ¡°You like reading this type of novel, but they can¡¯t teach you how to be good at stocks, right?¡± That might not be true¡­ Lu Mian silently cursed to herself and tilted her head. She spoke in a helpless tone, seemingly like she was advising Ding Cai instead, ¡°Mr. Ding, if you have the time, you should tutor students with potential.¡± After she finished her sentence, a cold mockery was heard from the office. ¡°Look, Mr. Ding became Lu?Dongbin1.¡± Chapter 24: Crush Them with Aura and Presence Chapter 24: Crush Them with Aura and Presence Editor: As Studios This was said by a female teacher in her forties dressed with much experience. It seemed like she disliked Lu Mian. Lu Mian was not angry, but Ding Cai was. ¡°Ms. Sun, please don¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m talking to my student.¡± Who was she scolding? He could teach his own students however he liked; it was not up to others to intervene. The female teacher Sun Jiaying¡¯s face froze. She was the physics department head and had brought up quite a few students with ster results. She had seen a lot of stubborn rascals like Lu Mian, and they could not be saved. She reminded Ding Cai kindly, but she was insulted in return. ¡°Mr. Ding, I¡¯m only reminding you because you¡¯re a young teacher. It¡¯s not good if you¡¯re so nice to certain students, and they would even think that you¡¯re annoying. If you have so much time and effort, why don¡¯t you think about the uing National Physics Competition.¡± The smell of explosives permeated the office. The other teachers could not say much and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Speaking about thepetition, I haven¡¯t thought of who to send topete.¡± ¡°Me too. My students are only good at certain subjects, and very few of them are good at physics. If they were to go, they¡¯ll onlye inst.¡± Sun Jiaying smiled confidently. ¡°I thought of this a long time ago and I decided on five students. All of them have hopes of going into the finals.¡± ¡°Ms. Sun, it seems like we can¡¯tpete against you this year. Your students are really capable!¡± ¡°My students are pretty capable.¡± Sun Jiaying nced at Ding Cai and Lu Mian from the corner of her eye. ¡°However, we¡¯re a grade-twelve group and we¡¯re not too simr to you. Your emphasis is on participation, but we only fight to be champions. First ce in the National Physics Competition can ensure that they directly enrol into university. They can choose whichever famous schools they like, like Kyoto University, Shanghai University and Qing University.¡± It was every twelfth grader¡¯s dream to enrol into university directly. One did not need to mention how impressive it would be if they were guaranteed a spot in university. Thesepetitions for the twelfth graders had be a very important thing for the school because of this. Just as she was talking, someone knocked on the door. Sun Jiaying smiled slightly and her tone was pleased and proud. ¡°My students are here!¡± As the door creaked open, the teachers in the office looked towards the entrance curiously. All of them wanted to know who Ms. Sun¡¯s five capable students were. Lu Mian casually looked up and saw the outstanding Lu Xinnuan in thebination of four boys and one girl. As the only girl among the five people, she was like the bright star in the night sky, as she walked in quietly in the centre position. Her youthful ponytail behind her head swayed ording to her movement. One look at the long-haired Lu Xinnuan and the short-haired Lu Mian, they did not look too familiar. The main difference was that their aura was different, and no one would believe that they were twins. Among those people, there was a boy with protruding height whom Lu Mian had met before ¨C Su Jue. Lu Xinnuan had the attitude of not acknowledging her family members outside, so she directly walked past her. Anyway, no one in school knew about their rtionship except for Su Jue. As for Su Jue, when he walked past Lu Mian, he coincidentally saw the book on the table and chuckled. He felt that his grandfather thought too highly of Lu Mian. How could he say that the Su family could not match up to a girl who read such rubbish novels? Did Grandpa forget that he was the one who used two hundred thousand to earn eleven million? Besides, he might earn even more in the next few days. This Lu Mian was nothing. Ding Cai coughed lightly to attract Lu Mian¡¯s attention. He consoled her in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t care about them. I¡¯ll teach you and you¡¯ll be even better than them.¡± Lu Mian chuckled softly. Even though she looked very pretty, she was cold as well. Aristocratic children like her did not care about anything. She was rebellious and cynical. She said in a flippant tone, ¡°Mr. Ding, you¡¯re pretty confident.¡± Ding Cai was stumped. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have this skill, we should still crush them with our presence and aura, right?¡± ¡°Hm, makes sense.¡± Lu Mian touched her chin and nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you consider my suggestion¡­?¡± Chapter 25: Don’t Need Another Her Chapter 25: Don¡¯t Need Another Her Editor: As Studios Lu Xinnuan and the rest quickly left the office. Sun Jiaying did not have much for them, and only gave them a supplementary form each, as she intended to set their wheels in motion. The few of them left happily. Lu Xinnuan held the timetable for the supplementary lessons and looked back at the physics office. She shook her head and told Su Jue, who was beside her, ¡°She must have been scolded again¡­¡± Su Jue naturally understood who the ¡®she¡¯ meant. ¡°You two are really different. One of you was rewarded, while the other was punished in the same office,¡± said Su Jue. The memory of Lu Mian defeating him with one move replied in his head, and he was quite regretful. When I earn big bucks in the future, I¡¯ll crush you with my money. ¡°I can¡¯t let my mom know about this. If not, she¡¯ll worry about her again.¡± Lu Xinnuan seemed to mutter to herself, ¡°Perhaps Sister is really not suited for school. She never liked studying and always scraped past her examinations¡­¡± It would be great if Lu Mian could quit school and go out to work. The Lu Family only needed an elegant daughter like Lu Xinnuan, and not a sinister Lu Mian. She would be the Lu Family¡¯s only pride when she came in first for the physicspetition and be guaranteed a spot in university. Su Jue did not doubt her. Both of them went back to twelfth grade ss one. All the students had left after school, except for one. Lu Xinnuan and Su Jue went back to their own seats and packed their bags. That student walked up to Lu Xinnuan rather fearfully, as if she was very hesitant. After pausing for quite some time, she asked, ¡°What did the physics teacher talk to you about?¡± Si! Lu Xinnuan was focussed on packing her items and was scared to death when she heard her voice. Su Jue walked over quickly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing, I was just frightened by Sui Yuan.¡± Lu Xinnuan waved her hands and smiled at him innocently and cutely. Sui Yuan was a little embarrassed and lowered her head shyly. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± said Lu Xinnuan magnanimously, as she somewhat intentionally ced the supplementary form on the table while continuing to pack her bag. Sui Yuan took a look at it and her face turned white. ¡°The physics teacher wants to give you supplementary lessons?¡± Her voice was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s, and she did everything quietly without much presence in ss. The only time people felt her presence was during results release after every examination. Sui Yuan was always among the top five in the level, and her grades were even better than Lu Xinnuan¡¯s. ¡°Hm?¡± Lu Xinnuan was confused. ¡°Sui Yuan, didn¡¯t Teacher give you one?¡± Sui Yuan shook her head with much difficulty. Lu Xinnuan hurriedly kept her timetable and exined quickly, ¡°I thought the teacher told you about it a long time ago¡­¡± Her seemingly unintentional sentence made Sui Yuan¡¯s face turn even paler. ¡°You both have it?¡± Sui Yuan looked at Lu Xinnuan. and Su Jue. One of them was top ten in the level, and the other was ranked a hundred or more. However, she, who had consistently ranked top five in the cohort, could not receive the teacher¡¯s recognition. She was even directly disregarded for such apetition. It seemed like this was a joke. However, it was the truth. Sui Yuan did not have much presence, and she did not like to talk. She did everything fearfully and could not even answer questions properly in ss, only unleashing her potential during examinations. Besides, it was very strange for a girl like her to have a t haircut like a boy. As a result of her cowardly personality, she did not have many friends in ss and would always get bullied. In the end, even the teachers disliked her as they felt that she was too childish and only knew how to take examinations, without having any form of social interaction. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Sui Yuan was stunned, and she felt her soul leaving her body. ¡°Sui Yuan, are you okay¡­?¡± Lu Xinnuan was kind of scared and leaned towards Su Jue. Su Jue avoided her without detection. ¡°Ignore her. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan followed Su Jue and left, but she kept looking back worriedly when she was walking down the stairs. ¡°Sui Yuan won¡¯t overthink, right?¡± ¡°This is Ms. Sun¡¯s decision. No one can change it.¡± Lu Xinnuan heard the answer she wanted to know and nodded her head, as she left with her mind in peace. Chapter 26: She was Upset! Chapter 26: She was Upset! Editor: As Studios In the physics office, Ding Cai was still advising Lu Mian patiently. He said that if Lu Mian did not agree to the supplementary lessons, he would send her to decorate the orientation ck board. In other words, he would definitely find something for her to do so that she would not while her life away. Lu Mian was pretty afraid of that, so she made a difficult decision. ¡°Mr. Ding.¡± She searched around in her bag and took out a thick book under Ding Cai¡¯s confused gaze. ¡°This book ¡®Young Female Mathematician Genius¡¯ is pretty interesting too.¡± Since Ding Cai liked to read such books, she gave him another one. It would not hurt her to give it away, as she had another copy of the book. Anyway, getting her to do work was not the right way, but busying the teacher was the way to solve the problem from its roots. Ding Cai stared at the simr kind of flowery novel, before looking at Lu Mian, who seemed like a profligate child. What kind of move was this? I¡¯m telling you, Lu Mian, I¡¯m getting angry. Half an hourter, Ding Cai was holding the novel: ¡®Emma smells good¡¯. ¡­ Lu Mian left the office sessfully and did not go to the canteen nor back to the Lu Mansion. She walked across the road outside the school entrance and headed towards a luxurious residential area. Not long after she entered the area, she met two familiar people. ¡°Hello, Little Mianmian!¡± Ye Jinwen was very enthusiastic and greeted her happily. His doll-like face was very obvious and vastly different from his identity as a psychologist. Sometimes his profession and age would make people suspect that he was a fraud or a chicken soup promoter. Xiao Qimo beside him squinted his eyes and looked at Ye Jinwen coldly. Ye Jinwen did not notice it and only cared about talking to Lu Mian. ¡°Why are you here? Were you stalking us?¡± He joked lightly. Master Mo was originally not a lively person, and this Ms. Lu Mian was also very arrogant, so only Ye Jinwen could y the part of a peacemaker. Lu Mian nced at him coldly and did not say anything. She carried her bag and walked around them. When she passed by them, she snickered softly. ¡°In your dreams.¡± Ye Jinwen was embarrassed to no end and kept asking Xiao Qimo for help. However, Xiao Qimo was even colder. Not only did he not help Ye Jinwen, he reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t casually call someone by their nickname. She¡¯s upset.¡± Ye Jinwen reacted in the next second and was depressed.?Master Mo, how would you know if she was happy or not? Wasn¡¯t Lu Mian¡¯s temper like this all along? This encounter was originally just a short story. However, the trio surprisingly met at the bottom of a building again. Ye Jinwen learned his lesson and did not greet her, but he bent down and talked to Xiao Qimo, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s really stalking us?¡± Xiao Qimo stood there quietly and looked as strong as a tree. The spectacles on his high nose made his original handsome face look even more graceful andposed. Just as Ye Jinwen was admiring his handsome features, he heard Xiao Qimo¡¯s gentlemanly voice. ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re worth stalking?¡± Ye Jinwen was baffled. Why is it ¡®you¡¯ and not ¡®us¡¯? He realized that he had turned dumb, after hanging around the two big bosses for too long. The trio entered the elevator one after another, and Ye Jinwen found it peculiar. After pressing the number eight, he asked yfully, ¡°Ms. Lu, are you going to the eighth storey too?¡± What a coincidence, Lu Mian was really heading there. She did not say anything and waited quietly for the elevator to reach the floor. Even though it was less than half a minute, the presence of the two big bosses made the air stiff and bitter inside thepressed space. They reached the eighth floor. Xiao Qimo stepped out of the elevator first and he pressed the ¡®open¡¯ button quietly, while he tilted his head to look at Lu Mian. ¡°Do you want toe in and sit?¡± Chapter 27: Lu Mian was Clearly a Small Devil Chapter 27: Lu Mian was Clearly a Small Devil Editor: As Studios Pft, Master Mo actually took the initiative to invite a girl into his house. Since the owner had spoken up, Ye Jinwen also broke into a weing smile. Under the duo¡¯s gazes, Lu Mian really stepped out of the elevator. Ye Jinwen was thinking that this girl was too stubborn vocally. Perhaps she had already seen them from a distance away. It was not good for a child to be so arrogant; she should just speak up if she wanted to join in for a meal. He lowered his head and looked at the ¡®MM Stall¡¯ delicacy in his hands. The food from this shop was one of the best in Wu City, and one might not even be able to buy it even if they queued up. Was this not the perfect attraction? However, just when the duo were about to follow her, Lu Mian walked in the opposite direction. ¡°Ms. Lu, it¡¯s here!¡± Ye Jinwen yelled after her, but before he finished his sentence, he heard the gate unlock. The door opened. Lu Mian turned around and looked at them with a ¡®don¡¯t overthink¡¯ expression, as her lips curved up into a sinister smile. She said in a loud voice, ¡°Yo, neighbour!¡± Her tone was too infuriating. Ye Jinwen wondered how he thought of her as a pitiful young girl at the bottom of the well, and he even wanted to save her. Lu Mian was clearly a small devil. She did not say much, but every time she did, she could drive one to their grave. Xiao Qimo felt the same way. This girl was indeed very interesting and mesmerizing. Thinking of the red mole on her ear, his eyes widened and his throat moved slightly. He reached his pretty hands in and opened the door. Ye Jinwen hurriedly followed him. ¡°Seventh Brother, do you think that t belongs to the Lu Family? The price of the ts here aren¡¯t cheap. Besides, it¡¯s on the highest floor with a balcony.¡± With this money, they would not have resorted to giving up on Lu Mian during the 726 kidnapping incident. Ye Jinwen knew this very clearly as he helped Xiao Qimo buy this t. It was near the mountains, so the air was very fresh. Xiao Qimo naturally stayed here on his visit to Wu City. Even though he did not live here frequently, the house was filled with all sorts of necessities. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be much more convenient when I want to have a counselling session with Lu Mian in the future.¡± As he was talking, Xiao Qimo already walked to the living room. His handsome face hid his feelings, but his tone was very cold. ¡°Do you have nothing to do? Did you find any clues about that mysterious person?¡± Ye Jinwen muttered softly. ¡­ On the other end, Lu Mian entered the t and her eyes were filled with confusion. What a coincidence, she became neighbours with those two people. She was not too conflicted and walked in after changing her slippers. Her movements were very smooth, as if she was long used to this. An intricate lunchbox was ced on her dining table with the simple and obvious logo ¡®MM Stall¡¯. She told someone to deliver it over earlier, so she could eat it after school. However, she could not find a pair of chopsticks after searching the entire lunchbox. In this rather empty house without much furniture, she could not even find a single chopstick. She was not an indecisive person. She walked out and directly pressed on the doorbell of the neighbouring door. Even if she had mocked them previously, she was still standing here calmly as if nothing could enter her heart. Ye Jinwen was currently setting the table. Xiao Qimo heard the doorbell right after he came out of the shower. He wanted to ignore it originally, but he suddenly remembered that there could be no one else at the door. He wrapped the bathrobe around himself and walked over to open the door. As expected, he saw the arrogant, short-haired girl. He stuck one hand into his bathrobe pocket, as his pitch-ck eyes beneath his golden spectacles were silently asking her what the matter was. Lu Mian slowly raised her eyes and the only view that entered her eyes was his white chest, and the water droplets dripping down his neck from the semi-wet hair. Chapter 28: Was She Hinting Something to You? Chapter 28: Was She Hinting Something to You? Editor: As Studios This type of view would cause a girl¡¯s heart to beat faster and her face to turn red, especially in front of such a gentlemanly and perfectly handsome man. Lu Mian was still impassive. She just felt that she came at the wrong time, but she did not feel any difort. Her clear eyes stared straight into Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes as her lips curved upwards, and she asked calmly, ¡°Mr. Xiao, can you lend me a pair of chopsticks?¡± Lend a pair of chopsticks? Xiao Qimo chuckled lightly and shifted in his bathrobe. It seemed like she really had no intentions toward him, as her facial expression did not even change. He deduced that his male charisma in front of this girl was a grand total of zero. He was pretty curious about what food she made in the neighboring t, but he was confused as well. If she was living there normally, why would she not have a pair of chopsticks? ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He turned around and walked into the t calmly. After taking two steps, he turned around and said in a gentlemanly manner, ¡°Come in and take a seat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lu Mian stood at the door and generally scanned the house¡¯s interior. It was decked in white, ck and gray color palette from head to toe, which was something that she preferred as it calmed her heart. Chatters could be heard from the dining room, but Lu Mian could not make out what they were saying and she was not curious about it either. Very quickly, Xiao Qimo walked out holding a pair of ck wooden chopsticks. She thanked him sincerely. Xiao Qimo watched her turn around and return to her own t. Just as she was about to enter her house, he asked, ¡°Lu Mian, do you know where the mysterious person is?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lu Mian turned back with her clear eyes which seemed to be in a daze. ¡°The mysterious person who saved you. Nicknamed Thirteen.¡± Lu Mian looked down slightly andughed yfully. Her lips curved up as she slowly opened her mouth. ¡°What has you finding the mysterious person got to do with me?¡± She entered her t immediately after she finished her sentence. How ungrateful! Xiao Qimo cursed silently and ungracefully, but he could not see any problems from her facial expressions. Did she really not know where the mysterious man was? Would the mysterious man contact her again? Ye Jinwen dashed out of the dining room and looked left and right at the entrance. When he realized that there was no one there, he said upsettingly, ¡°Seventh Brother, we only had two pairs of chopsticks. Since you gave one to Lu Mian, how are we going to eat?¡± This was a simple problem. Xiao Qimo took a look at him and calmly sat at the living room, while picking up the only pair of chopsticks left. Ye Jinwen cursed at him. Bastard! Most horrible person in the world! However, he was very cowardly and did not dare to say it aloud. He could only wait until Xiao Qimo finished his food, before rinsing the chopsticks and using them to eat. He secretly nced at the man that was eating his food gracefully. He was eating a fish, and he picked it up into his bowl slowly, as he observed it and patiently picked its bones. His action of picking bones was very meticulous and forbearing, as if he was doing a high-end surgery. He was focussed and calm. He ced the bones he picked out neatly at the side, maintaining the cleanliness of the bowl. Obsessivepulsive disorder and cleanliness freak! A seemingly graceful and calm gentleman actually had an enormous power and identity that could cause one to shiver in fear. Gentlemanliness was his appearance, being outwardly kind and inwardly evil was his nature. Just like previously when he wore his bathrobe to open the door for Lu Mian when he clearly could have told Ye Jinwen to do it. Ye Jinwen rested his head on his hands as he looked straight. ¡°Oh, right, Seventh Brother, how are we going to deal with Lu Mian¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought of why she would borrow a pair of chopsticks from me?¡± asked Xiao Qimo slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of it before. The meaning of chopsticks is¡­ Being a pair forever and ever? Was she hinting something?¡± This exnation was pretty interesting, which made Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes raise in tion. Chapter 29: A beautiful young girl from the comics Chapter 29: A beautiful young girl from theics Editor: As Studios But he soon heard Ye Jinwen deny it. ¡°That¡¯s not right. Lu Mian is staying in the apartment next door, but she¡¯s borrowing a pair of chopsticks. That means that the apartment is not often inhabited, so it should not be the Lu Family¡¯s assets. So there¡¯s a high chance it¡¯s¡­¡± Xiao Qimo listened to him continue silently. ¡°Maybe Lu Mian is in a rtionship! This apartment is the love nest that her boyfriend has bought! Wow, what kind of man can conquer a cool girl like Lu Mian?¡± ¡°But she only borrowed a pair of chopsticks, are they feeding each other?¡± As Ye Jinwen¡¯s imagination ran wild, Xiao Qimo¡¯s face turned darker. ¡°I think you¡¯re begging to be dragged back to Capital Jin!¡± Xiao Qimo said somberly in his deep voice as he set the chopsticks down on his te. The crisp sound of the chopstick made Ye Jinwen jump. The table of MM Stall food before them no longer seemed appetizing. That was the one thing Ye Jinwen was most afraid of hearing. He had escaped to Wu City and was unwilling to return to Capital Jin, so he began begging for mercy. But he thought about it and decided to keep quiet. ¡­ After a few bites of rice, in thest corner of her lunchbox was a tiny hamburger. She picked it up contentedly. Everyone had their likes and obsessions. For Lu Mian, it was burgers. They seemed unhealthy, but she liked it. Besides, she was skinny, so she did not have to worry about getting fat. As for her obsession, it was earning money. Even during her lunch time, she took her phone out to check on the stock market and to look for other ways to earn money. A bunch of notifications appeared on her phone. She looked through each one before deleting them. A callbelled as ¡°Lu Family¡± appeared on the screen suddenly. It was from her mother, Fu Man. She set her phone on silent and continued eating, not intending to take the call. When she was done eating and had cleaned up, she took another look at her phone. There were three missed calls and a text message. She took a look at the message. ¡°Your dad is returning home tonight. Come back home earlier after school.¡± She put her phone away impassively and left for school with her schoolbag. Time passed quickly in the afternoon. Just as she was about to leave the ssroom after ss was dismissed, she got another phone call. After she hung up, she grabbed her bag and headed towards the twelfth grade section. Since it was during dismissal, there were a lot of students around. There was amotion everywhere she walked by, and there were many curious gazes. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s so pretty! What year and ss is she from?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t we know that there was such a beauty in our school before! It¡¯s like she¡¯s aic character. She¡¯s like Ling Boli, the super pretty, cool and formidable girl!¡± Lu Mian was the kind of person that would catch everyone¡¯s eye in the crowd. She was tall, fair and pretty. She also had an outstanding aura, so it was normal for her to cause such amotion. But Lu Mian¡¯s cold vibes kept everyone at bay. It was cold, unorthodox and untamed. Everyone could only watch and discuss from afar. ¡°Say, the logo on her uniform is the tenth grade logo. The new students seem great this year. I think we have a new school belle!¡± ¡°Tenth grade? I¡¯m really looking forward to the new students¡¯ orientation ceremony now. Will the pretty junior give a speech?¡± ¡°Forget about it. Tomorrow is the twelfth-graders¡¯ pep rally, you won¡¯t have the chance to go look at the new students. You might as well look forward to Lu Xinnuan¡¯s speech¡­¡± Lu Mian passed by many twelfth grade ssrooms before she arrived at the door of twelfth grade ss one. ¡°Wow, a pretty girl!¡± Someone in the ss eximed. Lu Xinnuan followed the exmation and looked outside. Her hands froze and her heart skipped a beat. Lu Mian¡¯s not here for me, right¡­ Chapter 30: Who are you looking for? Chapter 30: Who are you looking for? Editor: As Studios Lu Xinnuan¡¯s expression was rather stiff, she was annoyed that Lu Mian came looking for her. She did not want the people to know that she had such a disgraceful sister, nor did she want Lu Mian¡¯s halo to overshadow hers. The two of them had tacitly agreed to pretend to not know each other, but what else could Lu Mian be doing other than looking for her at their ss? She was rather down as she stuffed her books into her bag quietly. Her frustration grew as she heard her ssmates¡¯ warm reaction to her sister. ¡°Who are you looking for? We¡¯ll go get them.¡± ¡°Junior, do you want to borrow my notes? My grades are not bad¡­¡± More annoyingly, ss was already dismissed, but the students were not leaving. She glumly zipped her bag up and picked it up and headed straight for thest row of the ssroom. Everyone¡¯s gazended on her and started amotion. ¡°Oh, our goddess is here for our Young Master Su!¡± ¡°When are the wedding bells ringing?¡± Su Jue knitted his brows together. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡± Lu Xinnuan nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m here for other things.¡± As she spoke, she deliberately looked towards the ckboard at the back of the ssroom and patted the shoulders of a few ssmates. ¡°You will have to decorate the ckboard today. Parents areing tomorrow, and it¡¯s not nice to leave the ckboard empty.¡± She gave the instructions patiently. The few students nodded. After all, this was the goddess star student of their ss, and her name carried some weight. Among these students, a timid girl with short hair bit down on her pale lips and nodded gently. Lu Xinnuan then called Su Jue to leave the ssroom together. Lu Mian was waiting outside the whole time. She was leaning against the corridor walls, and she rested one arm on the railings while the other arm gamed. Her slender, long legs were curled casually, and she made the baggy uniform look like high fashion. She looked upzily from time to time, her gaze on the ssroom scattered and distant. She only put her phone awayzily and headed towards Lu Xinnuan and Su Jue when they exited the ssroom. The corners of Lu Xinnuan¡¯s lips twitched. Lu Mian really was here for her. But to save herself from the embarrassment, Lu Xinnuan decided to speak first. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Lu Mian could not be bothered with her sister¡¯s pretentiousness. She curled her lips into a wry smile, disregarding Lu Xinnuan. She raised her head and said inly as she pointed at Su Jue, ¡°I¡¯m looking for him, not you.¡± The words were as sarcastic as it could be. Lu Xinnuan felt embarrassed, and she did not know what to do. Thankfully everyone did not know their rtionship, so they did not know the hidden meaning behind the words. But Su Jue paused confusedly. ¡°Your grandpa couldn¡¯t get in touch with you. He said he¡¯s bringing you to the opening banquet of somepany, and he¡¯ll pick you up at the usual spot,¡± she said expressionlessly. After that, she walked right past the two of them and left in the opposite direction. As she walked by the window of ss one again, she nced at the ss nonchntly, her eyes filled with a warmth and gentleness that was hard to detect. Lu Xinnuan watched Lu Mian walk away. She looked up at Su Jue, who was still in a daze, and tugged on the corner of his shirt gently. ¡°Su Jue?¡± She asked in feigned calmness, since she could not disgrace herself in front of him, ¡°Whatpany banquet are you attending?¡± ¡°I heard grandpa mention it once. I think it¡¯s some techpany that works with AI.¡± ¡°Grandpa Su is so nice to you¡­ I wonder when I¡¯ll have the chance to see Grandpa Su again¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Su Jue replied dismissively before he walked away briskly. Chapter 31: Since Young, Every Single Time Chapter 31: Since Young, Every Single Time Editor: As Studios Lu Mian only returned home after she ate a burger outside. When she returned, the sky was already dark. When she arrived at the annex, there was a rather old car parked at the door. In a rare disy, many of the lights in the annex were turned on, and the house looked more lively than it did before. Lu Mian moved her mouth sarcastically as she recalled the text she received from Fu Man at noon. Lu Xinnuan was already home. When she did not have remedial sses, she always returned home on time, she was the apple of her parents¡¯ eye. She was the ¡°other families¡¯ child¡± that all parents spoke of. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve had a long journey, have some tea,¡± Lu Xinnuan gently said as she passed the tea cup to Lu Zhizhai. Lu Zhizhai was forty-eight, just two years older than his brother, but he looked much older because nothing was going right in his life. He carried a sense of perpetual gloominess between his brows. His ill-fitting suit was ragged. He was rather cold when it came to familial rtionship since his rtionship with Fu Man was failing. But he was rather nice with Lu Xinnuan and praised her for being understanding. At this time, the family of three gathered in the living room gave off a semnce of harmony. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m happy that both of you can attend my pep rally. But I heard that the tenth grade weing ceremony is tomorrow as well¡­¡± Fu Man and Lu Zhizhai paused confusedly. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you heading over to Sister¡¯s side?¡± Lu Xinnuan exined patiently. It was quite rare for a pair of parents to attend both events, but the school was probably trying to increase efficiency. Fu Man paused and said unwillingly, ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t tell us about this¡­¡± Nuannuan was in twelfth grade, and it was a crucial time for her. As for Lu Mian, she was only in tenth grade, biding her time. It was clear which was more important. Lu Zhizhai did not make his stance clear. He did not say much, unwilling to add on to her words. But his silence made his decision clear. Lu Xinnuan smiled helplessly and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s just a parent-teacher conference. It doesn¡¯t matter which side you go! Besides, I saw Sister in the office today, her homeroom teacher thinks quite highly of her.¡± Her words made Fu Man¡¯s expression stiffen. What else could Lu Mian be doing in the office but being reprimanded! ¡°You¡¯re a star student who¡¯s giving a speech as the student representative, your sister¡­ I¡¯ll be grateful if she doesn¡¯t get called upon the stage to be lectured publicly!¡± Fu Man shook her head. After being the parent of a star student for years, how could she have the face to attend the parent teacher conference of a struggling student? She would rather hide in a ditch! Lu Mian walked in at this point. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, and her hands were in her pockets. She smiled as her cold eyes nced towards the trio in the living room. She was fine, but the trio was ufortable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t need you there.¡± She rejected them cleanly. She had understood since young that her parents always agreed when there were conflicts between her and her sister. Since young, every single time. She walked through the living room as she spoke without even stopping. She did not even look at them. ¡°Mianmian¡­¡± Fu Man felt bad and she got up to chase after Lu Mian. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, I was just saying that your sister is in twelfth grade, so hers is more urgent, she will be¡­¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Lu Mian cut her mother off as she nced nonchntly at Lu Xinnuan and Lu Zhizhai, breaking into a wry smile before she headed upstairs. ¡°Mianmian¡­¡± Chapter 32: My Bed is Comfortable Chapter 32: My Bed is Comfortable Editor: As Studios The trio in the living room only retracted their gaze when they heard Lu Mian close her room door. Fu Man sat back down on the sofa frustratedly and indignantly. ¡°She definitely got the wrong idea again¡­¡± As she spoke, she looked towards Lu Zhizhai begrudgingly. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Lu Zhizhai nced over. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier? When Lu Mian was just rescued, it¡¯s fine if you said you were busy. Now that you¡¯re back, you don¡¯t want to attend her weing ceremony, and she heard you. What do you expect her to think?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start. She already said that she doesn¡¯t need us to attend.¡± Fu Man was angered by what he said, but there were too many things, so she had to pick and choose. ¡°You make it sound so easy! You¡¯re hardly home, and you hardly make any money. From the big and small decisions, to keeping in touch with rtives, to raising the children, which one have you contributed to?¡± ¡°Now that Lu Mian¡¯s back, do you know how much pressure I am under? And now that you¡¯re back, you don¡¯t say anything, and you¡¯re so eager to attend Nuannuan¡¯s pep rally. Did you raise her? Why are you taking the credit for it?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t want to argue with you.¡± This was why Lu Zhizhai was unwilling to return. Fu Man would argue with him over every little detail. And it was always the same old things, he was sick and tired of it. He had brought up getting divorced much earlier, but Fu Man was the one who refused. Lu Xinnuan looked at the room upstairs gloomily. Because of Lu Xinnuan, their parents¡¯ conflict was growing. She could not let this go on¡­ ¡­ When Lu Mian returned to her room, a text from Zero came in. Zero: Brother Mian, is now a good time to call? ¡°I¡¯m at the Lu Mansion,¡± she replied quickly as she tossed her bag aside. Zero: Sigh, why haven¡¯t you moved out yet? Lu Mian paused as she looked around her dark colour schemed room and pondered. Mian: My bed¡¯s quitefortable. Zero paused. He knew what she meant by that. She was probably waiting for something. That worked, since Brother Mian was under surveince now. It was good to keep a low profile, at least until the other party left. Zero: Your custom-made bed should arrive soon. Mian: Thanks. Zero: Oh right, the stock from thest round has been growing in thest two days. When are we selling? A lot of people are asking in the group. The stock market wasplex, but it all boiled down to one thing: earning the differential. Buying when the prices were slowing, and selling when the prices had increased to an amount. The difference in price was the profits. For example, if one bought stocks at a dor and it grew to two dors the next day, one would earn a dor when they sold it. If it grew to four dors, then one would earn three dors. Therefore, choosing to buy in at the lowest price and selling at the peak was the ideal. ¡°Just wait,¡± Lu Mian replied casually. ¡­ Twelfth grade ss one. Su Jue was seated in his seat and staring at his phone early in the morning. His tablemate peeked his head over. ¡°Young Master Su, you¡¯re still analyzing the stock market?¡± Chapter 33: Everyone had the duty to protect our goddess! Chapter 33: Everyone had the duty to protect our goddess! Editor: As Studios ¡°En.¡± Su Jue replied as he put his phone away silently, his expression a little cold. He was born in a good family and he was capable. Even though his grades were not tiptop, he was in the top hundred. On top of that, he was tall and handsome, so he was a popr figure in school. For someone like this to be a little arrogant was seen as understandable and even taken for granted. Xie Huiyang was undeterred as he asked curiously, ¡°How much will you make this time?¡± Su Jue was practically a legend because of how much he made in thest round. No matter how capable, the students were removed from society and the financial circle. It was a big deal getting good grades, not to mention making big money. Su Jue thought of the news he just received from the group and looked down. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Xie Huiyang elbowed him. ¡°Young Master Su, you have both a career and a love life!¡± Seeing the confusion on Su Jue¡¯s face, Xie Huiyang made a face at him. ¡°Yesterday after school. Everyone saw! You have Lu Xinnuan by your side, and there was that beautiful young junior. I¡¯m envious!¡± Su Jue seemed to immediately have gotten the drift as he said coldly, ¡°Shut up.¡± When he looked up, he noticed someone standing by his side. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He smiled at Lu Xinnuan. Xie Huiyang immediately gave up his seat. ¡°The seat now belongs to the couple!¡± He said as he put his hands behind his back and walked out. Thankfully ss had not started. He could take the chance to smoke a cigarette in the toilet before returning. ¡°They¡¯re always making things up.¡± Lu Xinnuan bit her lip shyly. ¡°I¡¯ll teach them a lesson the next time.¡± Su Jue¡¯s vicious eyes made Lu Xinnuan pause a little, but she did not say anything. ¡°There¡¯s a pep rally this afternoon. Is Grandpa Suing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not free¡­¡± Su Jue replied, ¡°He¡¯s not free during this period of time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Grandpa Su?¡± ¡°He met a Go expert at the banquet yesterday and they¡¯re sparring.¡± Lu Xinnuan thought about it and broke into an elegant smile. ¡°Oh right, have you memorized the script forter?¡± Su Jue was a student representative for the pep rally, and he would be giving a speech. He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go through it between sses!¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡­ Lu Mian came to ss again. She nced at the timetable on the ckboard and ced a thick novel on the table. She leaned her body slightly against the wall, turning the book pages with one hand and twirling a pen with the other. It was a mesmerizing sight. The morning light that streamed in added a warm filter to her cold aura. All the students were mesmerized. They looked at their tanned skin and faces and thought that Lu Mian was a scenery for admiration. If only she came to school everyday. All the boys thought excitedly. When they turned and saw the other boys gather at the door of the ssroom, they chased them away. ¡°What are you looking at! Aren¡¯t you going to sses!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to study, don¡¯t get in our way!¡± Everyone had a duty to protect their goddess! How dare they eye their goddess! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with taking a look! It¡¯s none of your business!¡± The people outside did not back down. Amotion started at the door of the ssroom and an argument nearly broke out. Lu Mian thought the noise was affecting her reading speed. She rubbed her templeszily. ¡°Quiet!¡± She said evenly, but with authority. Chapter 34: Was She Convoluting? Chapter 34: Was She Convoluting? Editor: As Studios A cold spring-like voice sounded at the back of the ssroom. It was filled with one-third coldness, one-third distance and one-quarterziness. The voice sent chills down many people¡¯s spines in the hot September. The students inside and outside the ss were stunned. Some people were just like that ¨C they either did not talk, but once they did, no one could ignore them. Xiao Qimo was like that and so was Lu Mian. The ss monitor could not even maintain the discipline, but Lu Mian, who had not gone for many lessons, calmed the ss down with one sentence. The boys in ss felt that they had a reputation to uphold, so they signalled to the students outside and threatened them to leave, after they recovered from their senses. The students outside could only leave sadly and reluctantly. After Lu Mian said those two words, she did not even bat her eye, as she continued to read her thick romance novel seriously. The boys were very excited and the girls broke into hushed discussions. ¡°I heard Lu Mian went to find the twelfth grade Su Jue yesterday after school!¡± ¡°Ah? She¡¯s so brave. Young Master Su is so capable, he wouldn¡¯t like her, right? He¡¯s only close to Lu Xinnuan, the school belle who was good in her studies.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Among them, a pretty girl red at Lu Mian fiercely, before turning her head away. Lu Mian did not know any of this, nor did she care. She looked up and saw the student sitting in front of her looking at her and smiling at her. The chubby boy hurriedly introduced himself, ¡°Hello, Lu Mian, I¡¯m sitting in front of you. My name is Guo Zihao, you can call me Fatty Hao.¡± While Lu Mian was slightly dazed, another skinny boy smiled at her, revealing his teeth. ¡°Hello, Lu Mian, I sit diagonally in front of you. I¡¯m Yuan Hao. You can call me Skinny Hao.¡± Fatty Hao, Skinny Hao¡­ Um¡­ ¡°Lu Mian, you can ask me for help if you have anything that you don¡¯t understand in the future.¡± ¡°Yeah! I can lend you my homework and exin the problems to you.¡± Lu Mian¡¯s white fingers flipped through the pages, as she smiled childishly and sinisterly. ¡°Okay.¡± The pretty girl nearby heard it and mmed the table unhappily. ¡°Stop talking. ss is starting.¡± She was the ss monitor, Bai Fangfei, and it was normal for her to maintain the discipline in ss. However, everyone heard the anger from her voice. What happened? Guo Zihao hurriedly took out the textbook from Lu Mian¡¯s table and ced it in front of her novel. As for Yuan Hao, he tried his best to stack the books higher on her table. The duo did a hand gesture, as if they said that she would not be easily discovered by the teachers in this way. Lu Mian nodded. The two people in front really had a good n. Even though some teachers were quite upset with Lu Mian, she managed to make it through the lessons without much harm. During the mass lecture¡­ Lu Mian was about to go to the washroom, but she was stopped by Ding Cai. Inside the physics office¡­ It was not too quiet here, as Lu Xinnuan and Su Jue were reciting their script, while their form teacher, Sun Jiaying, watched on with a satisfied look, nodding her head from time to time. ¡°Xinnuan, don¡¯t say this sentence ¡®there¡¯s only better and no best. If I can do it, you can do it and we all can do it¡¯ so shyly. You need to be more passionate.¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled obediently and tried to imitate her tone. ¡°There¡¯s only better and no best. If I can do it, you can¡­¡± While she was halfway through the sentence, the office door was pushed open. She paused slightly. A skinny, bespectacled man walked in with a frivolous Lu Mian wearing a loose uniform following behind him. Lu Xinnuanughed in a pretty good mood, as she raised her voice. ¡°In the past two years of high school, I¡¯ve received many awards, but I¡¯ve never stopped improving. I believe that there¡¯s only better and no best. If I can do it, you can do it, and we all can do it!¡± Her loud voice, as if she was reciting a poem, made Lu Mian look at her instinctively. She was very confused. Was Lu Xinnuan convoluting? Chapter 35: She Knew Lu Mian’s Capabilities the Best Chapter 35: She Knew Lu Mian¡¯s Capabilities the Best Editor: As Studios Lu Mian quickly retracted her gazezily. Her eyes had coldness, distance and brightness unlike Lu Xinnuan¡¯s. Ding Cai pulled a chair over for Lu Mian. ¡°Lu Mian, how did you do in your examinations?¡± Lu Mian¡¯s almond-like eyes became dazed. ¡°It¡¯s either you let me tutor you, or you draw on our ssroom¡¯s ckboard this afternoon.¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled seemingly. Let Lu Mian draw? She had not touched drawing materials in more than ten years. When Sun Jiaying heard this, she seemed to remember something and asked, ¡°Is our ssroom¡¯s ckboard finished?¡± She was busy preparing the speech for the pep rally and did not have time to care about such misceneous items. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s all done.¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m confident in your work.¡± Su Jue looked up from his script with a strange expression, but he did not say anything. On the other side, Ding Cai¡¯s body turned to back face Sun Jiaying and the rest. mes burned faintly in his eyes as he awaited Lu Mian¡¯s reply. Lu Mian was pretty helpless. ¡°I have a third option for you.¡± Ding Cai said after seeing her difficult expression, ¡°If you can pass your physics examination this month, I¡¯ll let you study on your own.¡± After he finished his sentence, Lu Mian immediately gestured an ¡®ok¡¯ with her hands without even thinking. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s smile became even wider. If it was not for the teacher in front of her, she would haveughed. She knew Lu Mian¡¯s capabilities the best. She scraped past the cut-off point for high school, but her grades were still pretty trash. It was impossible for her to score 60 in the physics examination. However, an interestingparison would probably happen then¡­ ¡­ After the second period in the afternoon ended, it was the tenth-graders¡¯ orientation and the twelfth-graders¡¯ pep rally. The two cohorts had their events respectively in the two halls and did not affect each other. After the pep rally ended, the parents from each ss returned to the ssrooms to talk to the teachers in detail. Lu Xinnuan happily directed her parents to their designated position. Fu Man felt that she was given face as her position was way ahead of the other parents. She purposely wore a red dress. One could tell that she was a beauty when she was young. From time to time, she conversed with the parents beside her with much pride. ¡°My daughter is going to give a speechter.¡± The parents around her were envious. The parents gradually found their seats in the hall, but the backstage was a mess. When Sun Jiaying heard the ss monitor¡¯s report, she raised her voice. ¡°Sui Yuan is missing? Where can she be?¡± ¡°Teacher, we¡¯ve checked the ssroom, toilets and lounge, but there¡¯s nobody there¡­ I only realized that she was missing when I was arranging their seats.¡± The ss monitor added weakly, ¡°Her table partner thought that she was sick¡­¡± The main reason was that Sui Yuan¡¯s presence was too weak, even the teachers did not notice her absence. Sun Jiaying¡¯s head throbbed a few times, and she could not care about preparing for the speech, as she took out her phone to call Sui Yuan¡¯s family members. However, she suddenly remembered that Sui Yuan was an orphan and had no family. At this stage, she did not dare to hide the incident and hurriedly reported to the cohort department. The level head¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Perhaps the phnthropist that sponsored her would know about this.¡± ¡­ Many people saw Elder Su rushing to school. When Lu Xinnuan heard it, she happily joked with Su Jue, ¡°Grandpa Su really loves you. Isn¡¯t he here now?¡± She thought that his impression of her would definitely improve if Old Master Su saw her giving the speech. Su Jue was very confused. However, the news about Elder Su not going to the hall but to the level head¡¯s office instead had quickly spread. Chapter 36: Someone Can Do It Chapter 36: Someone Can Do It Editor: As Studios Su Jue was pretty upset and ran outside after putting down the script. Lu Xinnuan yelled after him, but she could not catch up with him even at the hall entrance. She clenched her teeth and went to the office. Level head¡¯s office¡­ The few teachers surrounded Su Qinghe in the center and looked very grave. Elder Su was Sui Yuan¡¯s sponsor. ¡°I found out about it this afternoon. Her table partner said she had note for lessons in a day,¡± said Sun Jiaying carefully. Elder Su was a phnthropist in Wu City and was respected by the public. He had sponsored quite a few children in poverty and gave them living allowances. He paid special attention to Sui Yuan, who had a pitiful background but was outstanding in her studies. Su Qinghe held onto his walking stick in shock. ¡°A day? None of the teachers realized she was gone?¡± The teachers looked at each other awkwardly. ¡°Then, did she behave weirdly yesterday? What did she say and do?¡± The teachers were put in a very difficult position. Sui Yuan¡¯s presence was so weak that nobody noticed her. During the silence, the office door was pushed open. When they realized it was Su Jue and Lu Xinnuan, they heaved a sigh of relief. These two people could be considered their saviors in this situation. After briefly exining the situation, Su Jue quickly said that Sui Yuan was upset the day before as she did not get chosen to participate in the physicspetition. Sun Jiaying hurriedly exined that it was because Sui Yuan could not handle stress well. Su Jue did not say anything but nced at Lu Xinnuan. However, he did not mention the ckboard. He remembered that it was Lu Xinnuan¡¯s team¡¯s turn to draw on the board, but for some reason, Sui Yuan reced her. He did not say it and Lu Xinnuan would definitely not either. She onlyforted the crowd gently and obediently, ¡°Grandpa Su, Teachers, don¡¯t be too worried. Perhaps Sui Yuan is just in a bad mood.¡± Lu Xinnuan knew how to act in such situations and knew how tofort them, which made the few teachers feel much better. Elder Su sighed deeply. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. The most important thing now is to find her.¡± It was already very stressful being in the twelfth grade and in addition to Sui Yuan¡¯s bad mood, who could predict what would happen? Su Jue was pretty rational and brought a group of people to the surveince room. After checking the surveince footage of the night before and this morning, they found out that Sui Yuan had left the school, but they could not check the cameras outside the school. The level head immediately contacted some people and reported the incident to the higher-ups. However, it might be toote by the time the police took action, as the reports had to be passed up level by level. Furthermore, they would not care about it if they reported the incident now. After keeping quiet for a while, Elder Su made a decision. ¡°Someone can do it¡­¡± The crowd was confused. Did Elder Su want to get the higher-ups over to settle this incident? That would be great! Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Continue checking the surveince cameras, I¡¯ll find a person.¡± Elder Su left the office trembling after he finished his sentence. The rest did not dare to follow him, except for Su Jue and Lu Xinnuan. The duo thought that Old Master was going to find some higher-ups, and Lu Xinnuan was still thinking that it would not be futile if she could meet some higher-ups while following Elder Su. However, Old Master did not go anywhere else after the twists and turns, but he headed to the orientation event instead. Lu Xinnuan was dazed. The pep rally venue was next door, but she followed Elder Su to the orientation. When she thought that Lu Mian was also present, she was extremely irritated. Who could Grandpa Su find here? No matter how irritated she was, she still followed the elder into the hall. The first person she saw was the frivolous and arrogant Lu Mian sitting in thest row. She neither sat properly nor raised her head. One look and Lu Xinnuan knew that she was using her phone. Lu Xinnuan was pretty frustrated, but she saw Elder Su walk even faster towards Lu Mian. Chapter 37: Mysterious Thirteen Chapter 37: Mysterious Thirteen Editor: As Studios Lu Xinnuan watched on as Elder Su walked over to find Lu Mian. Was Grandpa Su referring to Lu Mian? The teachers were delivering a passionate speech on stage. However, her brain was empty and nothing went in. Elder Su walked towards Lu Mian¡¯s seat quietly. Lu Mian, with her cor nted, tilted her head slightly andzily removed her earphones. Her cold eyes were asking him a question. Elder Su said, ¡°Mianmian, follow me out for a while.¡± Lu Mian nodded and followed him out. Her seat was in thest row and she was sitting alone, so her movements would not affect anyone. However, a few students and parents saw it, which piqued their curiosity. The few of them went to the corridor outside the hall. Elder Su quickly summarized the situation to Lu Mian and said, ¡°Mianmian, I know you¡¯re good withputers. Could you help me find Sui Yuan¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Su Jue was so angry that heughed. He was also very surprised that the person Grandpa Su was looking for was Lu Mian. Besides¡­ ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t mess around. There are a lot of people good withputers. What¡¯s the use of finding her? A person¡¯s life is at stake, but you¡¯re telling her¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Mian¡¯s icy-cold gaze cornered him. It was a harsh and brutal gaze that was cold to the bones. A few loose strands slipped down, but they could not hide the gleam in her eyes. Su Jue was stunned. He had met her a few times and was used to her coldness and distance, but her murderous gaze made him press his lips against each other tightly topose himself. Lu Xinnuan wanted to say something, but she could only force out a smile after opening her mouth and watched on quietly. Lu Mian¡¯s face was cold and she did not say a word. She immediately unlocked her phone and her fingers rapidly darted across the keyboard to send out a text, without caring about her ck earphones that dropped out when she took out her phone. Su Jue bent down to pick it up for her, but he was still worried. ¡°Are you using a phone to find someone? Hackers still need aputer, right¡­?¡± Su Qinghe red at him and hit him with his walking stick, until he went a few metres away. ¡°Shut up if you can¡¯t help.¡± He scolded him while hitting him. Lu Xinnuan hurriedly went over to stop the fight. Lu Mian ignored them and sat down on the floor after sending the message. She removed her watch cover and took out its back to pick out two very thin parts to connect them with the phone. Her thin fingers moved around swiftly. The originally t phone became a miniputer in no time. Out of the two parts, one of them was projected onto the wall as a screen, while the other projected to the ground as a keyboard. She bent down and her fingers darted rapidly as she stared at the screen without blinking. Her movements required a lot of effort, but it did not impact her speed at all. When the four words ¡®Sui Yuan is missing¡¯ ran through her brain, the speed she used to hack into the surveince cameras in the entire country increased, as she keyed in a series of numbers which would look for Sui Yuan automatically. The trio were still in a mess and they did not have the time to look at her. Elder Su was teaching his grandchild a lesson. Su Jue could only pretend to be filial and let his grandfather hit and scold him. ¡­ Ye Jinwen¡¯s psychology clinic¡­ He was drinking his wolfberry tea when his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly woke up Xiao Qimo, who was napping on the couch. ¡°Seventh Brother! Thirteen!¡± Xiao Qimo opened his eyeszily and shifted his spectacles as he touched his nose. ¡°Talk.¡± Ye Jinwen pointed at theputer. ¡°I found that mysterious person Thirteen¡¯s signal. It¡¯s very weak, but it did blink.¡± The mysterious person, Thirteen, had his own unique set of data. Xiao Qimo¡¯s system would detect the data once it appeared. However, Xiao Qimo only decoded a part of it. If he managed to decode the entire data, he could find out the other party¡¯s location urately. He squinted his eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡± Chapter 38: Speedy Blue and White Uniform Chapter 38: Speedy Blue and White Uniform Editor: As Studios ¡°At¡­¡± Ye Jinwen¡¯s expression was pretty weird as he recalled the location of the blinking signal. ¡°The estate near your house.¡± Xiao Qimo was in deep thought, as he stood up from the couch and conveniently picked up his suit jacket. He gracefully shifted his spectacles. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ Lu Mian only spent three minutes to find Sui Yuan¡¯s whereabouts, which was a thousand times more effective than the whole group of people checking the school surveince cameras previously. She gave her answer directly. ¡°She¡¯s at Yun Xing Bar, two kilometres away from school.¡± Lu Xinnuan and Su Jue, who were getting scolded, were shocked. When they turned around, Lu Mian had already kept all her equipment and was standing there coldly with a phone in her hands. The short three minutes was only enough for them to speak a few sentences. ¡°You found her?¡± Su Jue was beyond shocked. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s mouth was also agape, as she looked at the time in disbelief and felt that this was too unreal. ¡°How did you find her? Are you sure Sui Yuan is there?¡± Lu Xinnuan doubted. Lu Mian was not in the mood to talk nonsense with them, as she waved at Elder Su and walked towards the school¡¯s entrance. ¡°Mianmian is so capable. She found the person in no time.¡± Elder Su was too old and could not catch up with her, so he could only patiently remind her from behind, ¡°Mianmian, be careful. Su Jue, you little brat, hurry up and follow her.¡± Lu Xinnuan was very unhappy, but she suppressed her emotions and sweetly called ¡°Grandpa Su¡± to try and stop him. Elder Su did not have the time to care about her as he answered superficially. ¡°Grandpa Su, why did you ask Su Jue to follow Mianmian? He still needs to give a speechter¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of going through that formality?¡± Elder Su strongly disagreed and did not forget to rush Su Jue. Lu Xinnuan was beyond embarrassed as she opened her mouth towards Su Jue to say something, but he was already way ahead and did not even look at her. She looked at the far away Su Jue, before turning to look at the crowded pep rally and orientation hall, and swallowed her saliva. How ironic! She had her parents¡¯ love, the honor of going up on stage to give a speech and countless halos. She thought she was the main character today, but Lu Mian ruined everything. Lu Mian did not go to the main entrance, as there were guards who would check her leave form, student identification card and even teacher¡¯s verification. She directly jumped over the wall behind. Not far away from the wall, there was a motorcycle that was the same ck as her handphone. It was a cool exterior exuding a cold aura. She turned on her handphone and tapped on something, which made the motorcycle blink and unlock. The motorcycle sped forward, and one could only see a blurred figure of a blue and white uniform. Su Jue, who chased after her, did not even see the corner of her clothes. ¡­ The blue and white figure sped rapidly, attracting passers-by¡¯s attention and screams. How handsome! So cool! Lu Mian found Sui Yuan in the dark alley of the bar. The moment she got off her motorcycle and took off her helmet, she squinted her eyes. Her soft short hair casually flowed to the wind¡¯s direction. She stood there quietly but had a murderous aura around her. A few pesky hooligans were in the alley with ill intentions. They turned around and saw Lu Mian. The bunch of them was suddenly energized. ¡°F*ck, this girl is hot.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still a high school student.¡± ¡°Two high school students today¡­ We¡¯re on a roll.¡± The screeching voiceughed unpleasantly, too loudly and in a very disgusting manner. With a wave of her hand, the helmetnded on the rear mirror of the motorcycle stably. She walked towards Sui Yuan, step by step. At that moment, the stunned Sui Yuan¡¯s mind waspletely nk. She copsed on the floor and was neither able to move nor talk. Her eyes only had Lu Mian¡¯s thin figure that came with the wind. Just like a heavenly savior. Chapter 39: The Devil From Purgatory Chapter 39: The Devil From Purgatory Editor: As Studios Ye Jinwen drove Xiao Qimo back to his residence. The location information wasn¡¯t very precise, but one thing he could be sure of was that Thirteen had been around there! While Ye Jinwen was driving steadily, a ck motorcycle grazed past his car and sped away unexpectedly. He sucked in a breath of cold air. They were 5 cm short of rubbing against each other! Many men dreamed of owning a motorcycle; he was no exception. His gaze shifted to the direction of that motorcycle, but he realized¡­ ¡°Seventh Brother, it¡¯s Little Mianmian. She¡­ she¡¯s so awesome!¡± His voice was filled with wonder and envy. ¡°She seems to be stopping by the bar!¡± Ye Jinwen mmed on the brakes, but he reacted again. ¡°No, we have to find Thirteen.¡± If they missed this chance, he wondered when they would be able to find this person again. Xiao Qimo sat in the back seat, shifted his long and slender legs. He looked out the window just in time to see Lu Mian get out of her motorcycle and was confronting a few hooligans at the dark alley next to a bar. Lu Mian might be tall, but the hooligans were also tall and they outnumbered her. She looked thin and weak. The group of men sandwiched her. He knew her strength, but¡­ He propped up his sses and spoke decisively, ¡°Get off.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jinwen was startled. They were not looking for the mystery man? ¡°What? Do you need an invitation to get off?¡± Xiao Qimo sounded irritated. Ye Jinwen killed the engine. Lu Mian moved in the dark alley just as both of them were getting out of the car. The short-haired girl, dressed in blue and white school uniform, walked up slowly to a teenager who wasying on the ground. He had a crew-cut. She was silent, not speaking as she took a step back before squatting down too. She pulled her earphones out of her pocket and put them in his ears. Her movement was unhurried, careful and gentle. Once that was done, she helped the teenager up, put her hands on his shoulders, and turned him 180¡ã around. Only then did Lu Mian speak her first words, ¡°Yuanyuan, I¡¯m here.¡± Tears began to fall freely from Sui Yuan¡¯s eyes. She bit down on her lip hard, willing herself not to say a word. Her whole body was shaking so badly. A weird thought suddenly urred to Ye Jinwen. ¡°Seventh Brother, that boy can¡¯t be Lu Mian¡¯s boyfriend¡­¡± Xiao Qimo gave him a killer re. Ye Jinwen winced. There was something strange between Lu Mian and that teenager. It was Ye Jinwen¡¯s first time seeing Lu Mian care so much about a person. That girl had always despised worldly conventions and never cared for anything. She didn¡¯t seem like the type who would meddle with someone else¡¯s business. The hooligans on the other side hadn¡¯t sensed the danger, but instead became even more arrogant. ¡°What? A little girl like you wants to fight us?¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll give you some concessions. By all means,e!¡± The viins talked too much. They were too noisy. Lu Mian moved before they could finish. With her hands in her pockets, she moved fast, whipping up a gust of wind as she sped past the people surrounding her. A kick to the head, a kick to the groin, and another one in the stomach. Every move was meant to inflict pain. Her kicks were sharp, urate, and vicious. The hooligans¡¯ screams reverberated throughout the alley. One by one, they all covered their heads, mped their legs together, and rolled around like coiled millipedes with blood spitting out of their mouths. It only took Lu Mian a mere ten seconds to finish them all. Her hands never left her pockets. She stood at the messy scene. People were falling around her and there were even fresh blood stains on the ground. She walked out like the devil from purgatory, ruthless to the core. However, there wasn¡¯t even a speck of dust on her and no blood stains on her clothes. She was perfectly clean as before. It was just that the zipper of her school uniform had slipped a bit. She neither said anything nor nced at the hooligans. She swept the folds of her skirt on her right leg with her slender fingers and conveniently pulled her uniform off with one hand to take it off her. Lu Mian walked over to Sui Yuan, removed the earphones, took off her own school uniform and casually draped it over Sui Yuan. She said in an unhurried and gentle tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 40: Master Mo’s Eyes Lit Up Chapter 40: Master Mo¡¯s Eyes Lit Up Editor: As Studios Lu Mian helped Sui Yuan out of the dark alley. She found Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen watching her from the alleyway. Ye Jinwen eyed her strangely and his legs seemed to be trembling. She grinned, looking as peaceful as ever. Ye Jinwen¡¯s legs shook even more.?Big Sister, you went on full massacre mode earlier with those novices. Don¡¯t look as though you had nothing to do with it, okay? He knew how ruthless she could be after witnessing it first-hand. That¡¯s why after the reverse hypnosis experience from Lu Mian, he felt like he had been hit by a hammer. Xiao Qimo watched Lu Mian approach. His almond-shaped eyes beneath the sses were filled withfort as he smiled. Aspared to the fight he had witnessed at the back alley of the Su residence, he guessed that she had only used 10% of her strength in this fight. She was quite aplished; her moves were agile and her limbs were flexible. Lu Mian walked past him after a simple greeting. Xiao Qimo spoke gently, ¡°Your friend is hurt. I have trauma medicine at my ce. You can treat your friend there.¡± He was cultured, refined, gentlemanly and meticulous, with just the right amount of care for people. However, Ye Jinwen knew that one should be more guarded against Xiao Qimo when he behaved like this because he was definitely nning something. He became incredibly curious in an instant. If the gently yet two-faced Master Mo and the tyrannical but intelligent Lu Mian got together, what kind of chemistry would erupt between them? The more he thought of it, the more excited he became¡­ Xiao Qimo¡¯s suggestion was fair and Lu Mian epted it. After all, she had to send Sui Yuan to rest at home. She reassured Sui Yuan with a few words before letting her go into Xiao Qimo¡¯s car. After all, Sui Yuan was hurt so she shouldn¡¯t stay in the cold. She straddled her motorcycle again and followed the car all the way back to the neighborhood. Xiao Qimo was staying at Jincheng One which also meant a bright future. It was adjacent to Kun Peng Middle School in a highly sought-after luxurious school district. There weren¡¯t many varieties to the houses, but the price was very high. Therge ts were especially hard toe by. The group arrived on the eighth floor. Sui Yuan was a bit surprised, but she followed quietly into the neighbor¡¯s house. Lu Mian didn¡¯t enter. She remained outside and made some calls first. ¡°Ehm, I¡¯ve found Sui Yuan.¡± She replied coldly to something that the other party said, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll do a thorough investigation.¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s house was quite big. He arranged for Sui Yuan to rest in one of the guest rooms. Ye Jinwen gave her a quick look-over. The flesh wounds on her arms should be fine after disinfecting and bandaging, but he couldn¡¯t tell if there were any other injuries on her. Ye Jinwen stared at Xiao Qimo who was standing beside him deep in his own thoughts. Suddenly, he leaned over and said mysteriously, ¡°Seventh Brother, you¡¯re the one to pick him up so you shoulde and tend to the little brother!¡± His voice was ttering. Xiao Qimo sneered before turning his head and walking away. ¡°You do it.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how. You can give him a counseling session at the same time.¡± Ye Jinwen thought,?I stopped being a surgeon many years ago! Forget it. It wasn¡¯t a surgery. How could he bother Master Mo. He was just trying his luck by asking. He did his best with Sui Yuan¡¯s bandaging. However, Sui Yuan was timid and prone to shock. Ye Jinwen had to reassure her repeatedly and remind her that they were Lu Mian¡¯s friends before she finally started to rx. However, during the process of bandaging, he discovered something remarkable. He remained calm and finished Sui Yuan¡¯s bandages. He then asked patiently, ¡°Do you have other injuries on your body?¡± Sui Yuan shook her head. Ye Jinwen quickly poured her a ss of warm water, closed the door and walked out. He skipped excitedly to Xiao Qimo and whispered, ¡°Seventh Brother. Seventh Brother, she is a girl!¡± He told Xiao Qimo what he found out. When he looked up, Seventh Brother¡¯s eyes seemed to light up. He rubbed his eyes; he wasn¡¯t mistaken. Xiao Qimo smiled gently and elegantly. ¡°Go and take care of that female student. I¡¯ll go check on Lu Mian.¡± With that, he walked out the door. Lu Mian just happened to hang up the phone. Chapter 41: We Should Thank This God Chapter 41: We Should Thank This God Editor: As Studios They exchanged a look. Lu Mian said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± There was a hint of frustration in her voice. Xiao Qimo gave her a quick once-over, saw the annoyed look, and her hands were in her pockets. He smiled slightly and handed her an unopened pack of cigarette and lighter. ¡°Looking for these?¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s observation skills were really impressive. ¡°I haven¡¯t smoked in a long time. I carried them just in case,¡± he exined ineffably. Lu Mian was startled. She regained her wits and took the lighter but not the packet of cigarette. ¡°I promised someone not to smoke.¡± Xiao Qimo watched her leanzily against the wall before he had the chance to recover from her words. Her white, slender fingers rubbed against the wheel of the lighter producing a small cluster of me. She was smelling the lighter gas. From time to time, she even flicked the me with her fingertips with a cynical diffidence and detachment. She wasn¡¯t just provoking the me. Xiao Qimo¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled a little, but he still reminded her kindly, ¡°Lighter gas contains butane which is bad for your health.¡± ¡°It is bad.¡± Lu Mian smiled. ¡°But it can numb the nerves and calm people down.¡± Xiao Qimo sensed someplexity from her voice. ¡°You know that girl?¡± Actually, he was very keen to ask about their story. It was also his first time trying to actively understand a girl¡¯s mind. He had even missed the chance to search for Thirteen because of this selfishness. Lu Mian gave him an absentminded smile. Her fingertips closed the lighter cover, making a crisp ¡®click¡¯ sound. She tossed it at Xiao Qimo. The high-grade metal drew a graceful arc in the air, and then steadily fell into the man¡¯s palm. ¡°I¡¯m going in to see Sui Yuan.¡± Xiao Qimo clutched the slightly heated lighter. His lips curled up as darkness filled his profound eyes beneath the gold-framed sses. Lu Mian entered the room and saw Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan¡¯s face was pale. Her head hung low and she didn¡¯t speak, like a child who had made a mistake. Lu Mian casually touched her small, t head. It felt prickly. She neither asked why nor reprimanded Sui Yuan. Instead, she asked bluntly, ¡°You wish to join the physicspetition?¡± Sui Yuan nodded, again depressed. ¡°But the registration form is with the teacher¡­¡± ¡°Heh, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Lu Mianughed easily. ¡°There are your fingerprints in the room next door. Go in there and rest after you pack up. I¡¯ll go back to school first.¡± Seeing that she was leaving, Sui Yuan grabbed a corner of her blouse with concern. ¡°Mianmian, don¡¯t fight¡­ you will get hurt.¡± Lu Mian knew she was worried about her. She simply waved her hand in an understatement. ¡°They will. I won¡¯t.¡± Her words were wild and arrogant, but without pretense. ¡°But¡­¡± In Lu Mian¡¯s opinion, Sui Yuan looked weak, and yet she was trying so hard to care about others. Lu Mian couldn¡¯t stop herself from reaching out her fist and gave the little girl a hard knock on her head. ¡°Mianmian¡­¡± Before Sui Yuan became more shy, Lu Mian retracted her fist and turned to leave. She turned back and winked at Sui Yuan, looking cool but amorous. Sui Yuan froze. Her pale face blushed at a rate which was visible to the naked eye. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen stood side by side. They felt something was wrong with the scene they had just witnessed. When he heard the sound of the door closing from outside, Ye Jinwen hurried over to Sui Yuan¡¯s side with a gossipy face. ¡°Little girl, what is going on with you and Lu Mian?¡± ¡°We, ah¡­¡± Sui Yuan smiled timidly. ¡°¡­ are past friends.¡± ¡­ In the school, Elder Su received the news that Sui Yuan was safe and he notified the school as well. Some of the teachers were d that there was no trouble! It was also fortunate that Elder Su had enlisted the help of the God. That helped to find Sui Yuan quickly. Otherwise, the consequences were truly unthinkable. ¡°Elder Su, we should thank this God!¡± Elder Su nodded approvingly. His weather-beaten eyes carried aplexity that others couldn¡¯t understand. His voice was distant. ¡°It¡¯s time to thank her properly¡­¡± Chapter 42: It’s Called Being Busy Chapter 42: It¡¯s Called Being Busy Editor: As Studios New students orientation ceremony. Ding Cai was taking the attendance for the ss when he realized that Lu Mian was missing. After asking around, he found out that she had already left. Worried about his student, he went outside searching for her. When he left the auditorium, he saw an old man on crutches standing at the door. He was looking around for something. Ding Cai went over and asked, ¡°May I know whose parent are you? Or who are you looking for?¡± Elder Su didn¡¯t know Ding Cai. He pointed towards the auditorium. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the parents of Lu Mian. Lu Mian is in tenth grade section 25.¡± ¡°Lu Mian?¡± Ding Cai looked back inside with a strange expression. ¡°Her parents didn¡¯te today. They said they were busy and couldn¡¯t get away.¡± ¡°None of them came?¡± Elder Su seemed to understand something. His expression became cold. He had heard about some things. ¡°Sir, may I know why you are looking for Lu Mian¡¯s parents? Did she do something? I¡¯m her form teacher, Ding Cai. You can tell me if there¡¯s anything, or I can call Lu Mian¡¯s mother for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Elder Su nodded. Seeing that Ding Cai was a bit nervous and worried, he even exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Ding. Lu Mian did a good deed and saved someone. I¡¯m here to thank her and at the same time, I want to talk to her parents.¡± He was Sui Yuan¡¯s sponsor. It was alright for him to say so. Besides, he thought Lu Mian was lonely and not talkative. She wasn¡¯t the kind of kid to seek merit from her parents. If he was the one to tell them, he might be able to get her parents to care more about her. Ding Cai immediately contacted Fu Man, Lu Mian¡¯s mother, with a sense of pride and honor on his face. His student had done something good. Naturally, he was happy as her form teacher. However, the phone rang several times without anyone answering. When he finally got through, he could vaguely hear ¡®this way for students and parents from twelfth grade¡¯. Confused, he uttered uncertainly, ¡°Hello?¡± Fu Man sounded impatient and she didn¡¯t take the initiative to speak after taking the call. Ding Cai broke the silence. He said helplessly, ¡°Lu Mian¡¯s mother, I am her form teacher, Ding Cai. There¡¯s something I wish to talk to you about¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Ding!¡± Fu Man interrupted before Ding Cai could finish. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy here. Regarding Lu Mian¡¯s problem, I will discipline her properly when I¡¯m home.¡± After saying that, she hung up without even a greeting. Ding Cai and Elder Su looked at each other. While they were in a daze, the parents and students from twelfth grade¡¯s mobilization meeting next door came out one after another. Among the crowd, Ding Cai saw Fu Man wearing a dark red dress at one nce. However, when he was about to call her, he saw her walking with a delicate girl and a middle-aged man. The girl had one hand around Fu Man¡¯s arm and another on the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, Dad, this way,¡± she instructed them sweetly. At that moment, realization dawned on Ding Cai. This was what she said about being busy and couldn¡¯t get away. Elder Su understood too. ¡°How interesting!¡± Elder Su grunted. He was so upset that he threw his hands and walked away on his crutches. Ding Cai held the phone in his hand. He felt the coldness in his feet in this September weather. All he wanted to do was to tell Fu Man that Lu Mian had done something good¡­ ¡­ Lu Xinnuan apanied Fu Man and Lu Zhizhai out of the auditorium. The pep rally didn¡¯t go perfectly. The outstanding student representative, Su Jue, and the excellent teacher, Sun Jiaying, were supposed to speak on stage. They had to postpone because of an emergency. Lu Xinnuan did go on stage, but she couldn¡¯t get back the feeling ofcency she used to have. She did manage to smirk when she saw Fu Man hang up on Lu Mian¡¯s form teacher. ¡°Mom, was that Sister¡¯s form teacher just now?¡± Fu Man¡¯s voice was impassive. ¡°Hey, I guess Lu Mian must have done something wrong again, so I just hung up with an excuse.¡± ¡°So, Sister really didn¡¯t apply for any leave¡­¡± Chapter 43: Another Chance Encounter Chapter 43: Another Chance Encounter Editor: As Studios After Lu Xinnuan finished talking, Fu Man was confused. She asked, ¡°What leave of absence?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan said afterwards, feigning self-loathing, ¡°I saw Sister leaving school. She said she was going to look for a student in my ss.¡± ¡°Out of school? To look for someone from your ss?¡± Fu Man¡¯s voice raised a notch. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with her? She¡¯s a student! What power did she have to go looking for someone?¡± Lu Xinnuan shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but Sister meant well.¡± ¡°Meant well? I think she¡¯s doing it on purpose! She¡¯s more eager with this sort of thing instead of attending school. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t go to her parent-teacher conference. Otherwise, I would be so embarrassed!¡± ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t know the details. Perhaps, Sister really did find someone¡­¡± Fu Mann shook her head in disapproval. The more she said, the angrier she became. ¡°Her form teacher has already called me. What else could be good about her? I must speak to her properly when shees home today!¡± After she said that, she looked at Lu Zhizhai and reminded him, ¡°You¡¯re on my side tonight. We must teach Lu Mian a lesson. It¡¯s fine if she chose not to study well, but she shouldn¡¯t cause a dy to Nuannuan. Her teacher said twelfth grade is a crucial year. As parents, we must provide her with the best learning environment and pave the way for her entrance exam!¡± On hearing this, Lu Zhizhai acknowledged with a simple ¡®Mmm¡¯. Lu Xinnuan beamed with satisfaction. This time, she hoped that she couldpletely drive Lu Mian away. ¡­ When school was about to end, Lu Mian found her form teacher, Ding Cai. She managed to ask for a registration form for the physicspetition without saying much. Forms like this were of a standardized format. She could ask any teacher for one. Ding Cai was shocked. He was bbergasted when he thought of her results. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t want to hurt her positive attitude, so he gritted his teeth and gave her one. He suddenly realized that he could put the matter of Lu Mian¡¯s tuition on the agenda. However, Lu Mian gave the registration form to Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan didn¡¯t know how she managed to obtain one. She folded it carefully and put it in her bag like a treasure. ¡°Mianmian, are you participating?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lu Mian wrapped a data cable around her fingertips and waved her hands loosely. With azy and casual voice, she replied, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Nonsense! You obviously¡­¡± ¡°Well?¡± Lu Mian retorted. Sui Yuan winced and changed the subject. ¡°Mianmian, I wasn¡¯t going to do anything stupid. I just wanted to go for a walk¡­¡± She exined weakly as she sat on the bed. At the moment, she was in Lu Mian¡¯s house. She was more rxed because there were no outsiders. ¡°I also wasn¡¯t nning to go to the bar. They intercepted me and pulled me over¡­¡± She hid the bitterness in her heart. Lu Mian said nothing. She hooked her long legs over a stool and casually sat on it. With the back of the chair facing front, she put her arm on it and held her chin while staring at Sui Yuan. Sheughed with such arrogance. ¡°Little Baldy, rx! Next time, I¡¯ll take you to a bar!¡± Sui Yuan muttered, ¡°I¡¯m obviously older than you¡­ you¡¯re the youngest among us¡­¡± Lu Mian wanted to tease her more. She reached out and ruffled Sui Yuan¡¯s small, t head. ¡°I¡¯m not little; I¡¯m big.¡± Sui Yuan agreed with her, shifting her gaze down from Lu Mian¡¯s beautiful face. Hmm¡­ Envy¡­ Lu Mian watched Sui Yuan fall asleep before leaving. After pressing the elevator in the corridor, she lowered her head and looked at her phone while waiting. There was a cold sound of the door opening behind her. Xiao Qimo happened toe out from his house, carrying a ck stic bag with garbage in his hand. He greeted Lu Mian with a smile when he saw her. They bumped into each other again. ¡°Leaving?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, going back.¡± Xiao Qimo knew where she was going back to. He raised his index finger to his watch, indicating to Lu Mian to check the time. Lu Mianzily lifted her eyes, ¡°The watch is quite expensive, and the wrist is also quite nice.¡± He knew she had a way with her words. The more Xiao Qimo listened, the more he got used to her. He shook his head helplessly and said gentlemanly, ¡°It¡¯s ten o¡¯clock. I¡¯ll drop you.¡± Chapter 44: What do You Think of Me? Chapter 44: What do You Think of Me? Editor: As Studios Lu Mian looked up and her ck, clear eyes reflected Xiao Qimo¡¯s graceful figure. She kept her phone and walked forward, keeping a 30 centimetre distance from the man. She suddenly smiled brightly. Xiao Qimo paused for a while as he did not understand the reason for her smile. ¡°Mr. Xiao, are you throwing rubbish yourself too?¡± She suddenly leaned forward and pointed at that ck rubbish bag that was empty. The teasing look in her eyes was self-evident. Helplessness shed across Xiao Qimo¡¯s face when he was caught red-handed. Coincidentally, the elevator arrived and when the door opened, Xiao Qimo slowly lifted up his pants and walked in to avoid the awkward situation. Lu Mian hugged her arms and giggled, as she followed him into the lift. Ye Jinwen, who was secretly watching them through the surveince cameras, could not help but mutter to himself, ¡°I said this rubbish excuse is trash¡­¡± In the end, Lu Mian still sat in Xiao Qimo¡¯s car. Even though it would be pretty fast for her to ride her motorcycle back to the Lu Family house, it would be very troublesome. The air-conditioning in the car was veryfortable. Lu Mian leaned against the seatzily. This time, she did not y on her phone but was in a daze as she looked at the view outside the car window. Xiao Qimo broke the silence in the car and casually asked, ¡°How¡¯s school?¡± He knew her information and understood part of her situation. ¡°That bunch of kids are quite cute.¡± Lu Mian changed her positionzily. The man nced at her from the corner of his eyes and saw her mboyant arrogance and wildness written all over her face. She was clearly just a neen-year-old girl, but she was very mature. A bunch of problems in front of her could not even faze her. Even if people put her in a difficult spot and mocked her, they were only worthy of two words in her eyes ¨C ¡®quite cute¡¯. She stood in the world independently and remained aloof to them, as she looked down at the crowd coldly and rationally at a distance. ¡°Your friend is called Sui Yuan, right? Ye Jinwen said her condition isn¡¯t too stable and her mental health is quite weak. It seems like Kun Peng School has quite some things to work on.¡± He said a lot of things in one breath. Lu Mian chuckled. ¡°I think so too.¡± Especially Sui Yuan¡¯s form teacher needed to be adjusted. The two of them talked intermittently and very quickly arrived at the Lu Mansion entrance. Lu Mian got off the car but did not close the door, as her white arm rested on it. She looked inside warmly. Xiao Qimo also turned to look at her and wondered if the little girl had figured things out. Then, before he could imagine further, he heard her sincere questioning. ¡°Mr. Xiao, how much is the transportation fee?¡± Xiao Qimo was speechless. The gentle face had some other expressions. Xiao Qimo rubbed his throbbing temple. ¡°Go back, go back¡­¡± His tone was as helpless as it could get. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Mian closed the car door coolly. After watching her go in, Xiao Qimo called Ye Jinwen. ¡°I think Kun Peng Schoolcks a responsible form teacher. What do you think of me?¡± Ye Jinwen thought to himself, ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡­ Lu Mian returned home and the side floor should be pretty quiet at this time. Looking at the bright lights from afar, it seemed like they had not rested. Lu Mian shifted her backstrap, stepped on the non-existent stones on the floor and walked in leisurely. Her look was definitely a frivolous, childish brat that had nothing to her name. In the living room¡­ Fu Man, Lu Zhizhai and Lu Xinnuan were all seated on the couch, drinking cup after cup of water, as if they were waiting for something. When they saw Lu Mianing home leisurely, their suppressed feelings finally exploded. ¡°Lu Mian, I have something to tell you!¡± Fu Man was the first to speak up strongly. Chapter 45: Earn Three or Four Thousand Monthly Chapter 45: Earn Three or Four Thousand Monthly Editor: As Studios Lu Mian stopped in her tracks with one hand on her bag strap and the other in her pants pocket. She lent her school uniform to Sui Yuan and was only wearing a basic white T-shirt. The cor of the shirt was loose and crinkly with some loose strands, which made it look cheap. However, there was another type of fashion sense when it was worn on her. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Fu Man coldly. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± The voice was chilling to the bone. Fu Man could not help but shiver, and her eyes wavered, weakening her presence. It was that gaze again! That gaze that made her fear from the bottom of her heart. The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. The atmosphere in the living room was quiet, dead and suffocating. In the silence, Lu Xinnuan slowly stood up and reminded, ¡°Sis, Mom said your form teacher called her today.¡± Fu Man immediately recovered to her senses and resumed her previous energy. ¡°Lu Mian, tell me, what exactly do you want? I¡¯ve told you that your Second Uncle had spent so much effort to plead to the people in the Education Ministry to give you this chance to enter Kun Peng Middle School. Why do you always skip lessons and make people worry?¡± Lu Mian cracked her neck, threw her bag onto the floor and crossed her arms. ¡°So?¡± Fu Man clenched her teeth silently. ¡°You¡­ If you don¡¯t go to school properly, I¡¯ll just not waste my money on your school fees!¡± It would be more valuable to spend all the money on Nuannuan. ¡°Mom, Sister is only 19¡­ What can she do if she doesn¡¯t go to school?¡± ¡°Is 19 considered young? Other people go to university at 19. Look at her, she¡¯s only in the tenth grade. If it wasn¡¯t because of the trouble she caused and brought you down with her, you would have been in your favorite university now.¡± Lu Xinnuan looked down, shook her head and said faintly, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. I don¡¯t me Sister.¡± Except for those withter birthdays, all the 19 year-olds would normally be in university already. She and Lu Mian were both 19, but the reason they were a yearter than the rest was because of an ident that happened when they were six, which caused both of them to retain a year. Lu Mian stood there and her good-looking lips looked harsh and cold. She looked at Fu Man. ¡°I¡¯ll exin one more time. I didn¡¯t cause Lu Xinnuan to fall down and fracture her elbow when we were six.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying that now?¡± Fu Man retorted and did not want to argue about it. She directly skipped past it. ¡°There are many people working outside at the age of 19.¡± In the end, she made up her mind and said harshly, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Lu Mian, quit school.¡± ¡°You want Sister to work?¡± Lu Xinnuan gasped out an exnation, ¡°Mom, she just came back¡­¡± ¡°Do you think she cares about this family? She doesn¡¯t even say where she goes in the day and how can ady like here home sote?¡± ¡°Actually, Uncle did say that he could arrange a position for Sister in his office. Mom, let¡¯s ask Uncle for help. Perhaps he could arrange for her to do something light, and she could even earn three or four thousand a month,¡± suggested Lu Xinnuan. Lu Mian understood what they meant, but she was not angry and even found it interesting. She leaned against the wall and seriously listened to what they said, as if she was watching a y. However, Fu Man hurriedly shook her head when Lu Xiannuan brought up the second family. ¡°No. We can¡¯t trouble your Second Uncle anymore. I can¡¯t do it. Back then, we borrowed close to 5 million from them and we haven¡¯t paid back 4.5 million. The other time, we also asked him to use his connections and find a school for your sister. How can I ask him to give her a job again?¡± ¡°Then what should we do¡­?¡± The mother and daughter were stuck in a difficult position, while Lu Zhizhai just continued reading his documents on the couch. He was very cold and distant, as if he was an outsider. Lu Mian shook her head and slowly walked to the mother-daughter duo. She ced one hand on Fu Man¡¯s shoulder and the other on Lu Xinnuan¡¯s in a frivolous and mboyant attitude. She chuckled lightly and slowly said, ¡°Stop acting. It¡¯s pretty tiring.¡± Chapter 46: Get On, I’ll Bring You Home Chapter 46: Get On, I¡¯ll Bring You Home Editor: As Studios The young girl looked at the mother-daughter duo with clear eyes that had a look of understanding and seeing through the entire world. Before the mother-daughter duo could react, the hands on their shoulders had already retracted. Lu Mian picked up her bag again and walked upstairs. Sheughed while walking. ¡°Your acting skills are pretty good, but the script is horrible.¡± Lu Xinnuan and Fu Man were both embarrassed. Lu Mian had always spoken in this manner, like a sword of average weight stabbing into one¡¯s heart, which could not be removed or pressed down; every second and minute, it was torturing the person. The dignified and mighty cover was taken down by her effortlessly, leaving pure schemes and calctions behind. Lu Mian ignored them and directly went upstairs. She opened her bag and scanned across the dark room, before putting her hairpin, gift boxes and a few books into her bag. She took another look at the room and it seemed like there was nothing else she could take away. She went down the stairs slowly. Fu Man, Lu Xinnuan and Lu Zhizhai were still in the living room, talking silently and awkwardly. When Fu Man saw hering down again, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lu Mian walked past her and said nonchntly, ¡°Just take it as if I¡¯ve nevere back.¡± At the very end, she still did not receive their weing words back home, so it was just better to have a clean break. Anyway, the people staring at her would not find a fault with this. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± asked Fu Man anxiously, but Lu Mian was already out of the door and her back view was hopeless and cold. She ran a few steps behind her. ¡°Mianmian¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Lu Xinnuan hurriedly called after her and grabbed her arm. ¡°Be careful of where you¡¯re going!¡± At this moment, Lu Mian had already walked quite a distance and her figure had disappeared. ¡°This child has no conscience. She¡¯s driving me to my grave.¡± Fu Man was frustrated and upset. Lu Xinnuan shook her head helplessly. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Perhaps Sister will be back in two days¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan said that on the surface, but she heaved a sigh of relief, looking at the direction Lu Mian walked towards. Her Lu Family would no longer have a w. ¡­ Lu Mian walked out of the Lu Family with a calm face, and when she looked up, she saw the ck car parked outside. It was the one that sent her home. She walked forward and knocked on the window. The car window rolled down slowly, revealing the graceful and handsome face. The dark eyes beneath the golden spectacles looked at Lu Mian with a smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet?¡± ¡°I was guessing you mighte out,¡± said Xiao Qimo in a gentlemanly manner as he got out of the driver¡¯s seat and took Lu Mian¡¯s bag naturally, while opening the door to the passenger¡¯s seat for her.¡± ¡°Get on, I¡¯ll take you home,¡± said Xiao Qimo. Lu Mian was slightly taken aback as she touched the car door and did not move. She repeated the word ¡®home¡¯ in her heart and was slightly dazed. Does she still have a home? Xiao Qimo looked at her silent and thin figure in the night, standing up independently, which made his heart ache. He suddenly remembered what Ye Jinwen once said. ¡°The weirder the person is, the more hurt she is on the inside.¡± After all, Lu Mian was only a 19-year-old girl. Many of the 19-year-olds were still precious princes or princesses in their parents¡¯ hearts, and they were sheltered and protected with love. However, she was living independently and blooming on her own, with her strong will to live. She also understood why the other four victims of the 726 kidnapping incident ended up in a dead state. That was because they were once given up on by their family members, and they would not be loved, even if they came back. It was better to just erase their memories and start anew with another identity. Xiao Qimo collected his thoughts and extended his hand in the night wind to ruffle her soft hair. His actions were warm and gentlemanly and was totally out of his control. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He hurriedly retracted his hand. Lu Mian looked at him coldly from the corner of her eyes, but she did not say anything in the end. She only replied with a ¡°Mm¡± and got in the car. The car returned on the same route. Xiao Qimo slowly turned the steering wheel and said, ¡°Mysterious Thirteen¡­ is actually a decent person.¡± Chapter 47: Mrs. Xiao? Chapter 47: Mrs. Xiao? Editor: As Studios This sentence seemed to be said casually. However, Lu Mian knew that a person like Xiao Qimo would not do things without a reason. Just like how he got close to her to track the mysterious person¡¯s whereabouts, she could not casually listen to his nonchnt words. She could be superfluous towards other people, but not to this man. Her expression did not change, and she just looked at Xiao Qimo lightly, hinting him to continue. The man paused for a while and did not notice anything strange in her facial expression. ¡°He saved you guys and gave the other four new identities. He knows the human heart better than anyone else.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± answered Lu Mian superficially. ¡°Honestly, I do admire the mysterious person. He is formidable and very kind.¡± Lu Mian¡¯s eyes were prettyplicated. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live with a new identity?¡± Xiao Qimo said slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t need the mysterious person¡¯s help. I can give you a new identity too.¡± There were no traps in his words, and it was genuine from the bottom of his heart. He thought he might be able to give her a different life. When Lu Mian heard his words, she first looked at him and smiled gently when she realized that he was not kidding. She looked really pretty when she smiled with her slightly bent brows, almond-like eyes and her lips that curved up exquisitely. She bent her body slightly and ced her index finger on her lips. She asked in a teasing and flippant manner, ¡°What¡¯s my new identity? Hm?¡± Her slightly high tone and clear voice was flirtatious. ¡°Is it Mrs. Xiao? Hahaha¡­¡± She answered her own question andughed gently. Xiao Qimo¡¯s hands on the wheel tightened as he turned around to look at her. The young girl was leaning towards him, but because of this, her seat belt tightened. He squinted his eyes slightly and hurriedly retracted his gaze to look at the front. After a while, his deep voice said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Lu Mianughed even more flirtatiously as she sat upright and hurriedly waved her hand. She said, ¡°Mr. Xiao, I don¡¯t like long distance rtionships.¡± The gap between a high school student and someone in the society was too wide. Xiao Qimo did notugh and said with a low voice, ¡°I can change.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± When Lu Mian looked at him dazedly, Xiao Qimo had already stopped talking and was focussed on driving the car. ¡­ The next day, twelfth grade ss one¡­ As per normal, Su Jue went to school and first took out his handphone to see thetest news from the group. When he heard that God was selling her stocks, he was extremely excited. The stocks in his hands had already earned quite a few times its original price, and many traders were staring at it. If he could sell them today, he would definitely earn a lot of money. He wanted to sell it a few times in the middle as he felt that the price had reached its maximum every time. However, he would always receive news about the stocks increasing price the next day. Hence, he could only force himself to calm down and continue to wait. Today, he finally waited for God¡¯s news and he immediately sold the five hundred thousand worth of stocks in his hands. He waited expectantly and tedly. How much could he earn this time? However, before he could see the results, an important news came from his ss. ¡°Hey, did you hear? We¡¯re changing our form teacher!¡± ¡°We¡¯re already in the twelfth grade, why are we suddenly changing our form teacher? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they allow Ms. Sun Jiaying to continue being our form teacher? She didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­¡± Someone who had insider information said directly, ¡°Ms. Sun isn¡¯t in Kun Peng Middle School anymore. She was transferred to Second Middle School.¡± Second Middle School was an infamous school for its terrible learning attitude and teaching materials. Whenpared to Kun Peng Middle School, it was literally aparison between heaven and earth. ¡°So, why was Ms. Sun transferred away?¡± Chapter 48: Do You Understand Your Sister? Chapter 48: Do You Understand Your Sister? Editor: As Studios The students in twelfth grade ss one were all confused and came up to ask Su Jue. ¡°Young Master Su, what¡¯s going on?¡± Su Jue was from a good family background and his family was very respected. The bunch of high school students also treated him as the center of their universe. There were many times where Su Jue knew insider information that they did not know. However, Su Jue was truly confused this time. Due to Sui Yuan¡¯s incident yesterday, his grandfather was indeed very angry, but he was always kind-hearted, so he would not transfer a capable teacher to Second Middle School. Besides, the school did not need to do this just for Sui Yuan. He shook his head and looked at Sui Yuan¡¯s direction. In the past, he had never noticed this t-headed girl. He only had the concept of being ssmates with her for the first time yesterday when she went missing. What rtionship did she have with Lu Mian? He stood up, pushed away the bunch of guys next to him and walked towards Sui Yuan. Once he moved, half the ss moved with him. Lu Xinnuan was currently lowering her head and reading a book, but she could not help but look over. She was smiling happily and seemed much more ted. After all, she had sessfully chased Lu Mian out of the Lu Family and was very happy in her heart. Sui Yuan did not rest today and insisted on going to school. As she had missed a day of learning, she was trying her best to catch up with it. She looked up and saw Su Jue, with a cold face, standing in front of her. She asked fearfully, ¡°W-what¡¯s the matter?¡± Su Jue paused for a while and asked, ¡°Was Lu Mian the one who found you yesterday?¡± Sui Yuan nodded. ¡°Do you know her?¡± Sui Yuan shook her head. She could tell that his tone was off and she could not cause trouble for Mianmian. Su Jue was slightly regretful. After Sui Yuan went missing yesterday, he was scolded pretty badly by his grandfather when he went home. His grandfather said that he did not care about his ssmates, that he was not as capable as Lu Mian, and that being able to find Sui Yuan safely was all because of Lu Mian, and he was totally useless. He was pretty frustrated. Ever since Lu Mian returned, his grandfather kept talking about her and did not even care about his own grandson. He really wanted to find Lu Mian and ask her clearly what went on the day before. When Su Jue thought of this, he directly walked out of the ssroom. Lu Xinnuan was silently watching him and when she saw that he dashed out, she hurriedly put down her pen and went after him. The ss immediately erupted into cheers. Lu Xinnuan stopped Su Jue and asked gently and magnanimously, ¡°Su Jue, where are you going? ss is about to start.¡± Su Jue turned around to look at her and asked a weird question in a nonchnt voice, ¡°Lu Xinnuan, do you understand your sister?¡± Lu Xinnuan looked up dazedly. Su Jue was not the type to take the initiative and interact with girls. Other than talking to her a little more, she had never seen him take the initiative to talk to another girl. She always thought that this was a special treatment and she was different to Su Jue. However, hearing him being concerned about another girl, who was even her sister, drove away the happiness she derived from chasing Lu Mian away, and she was immediately depressed. ¡°Su Jue, what¡¯s wrong? Lu Mian has always been weird since young and she¡¯s not close to us. Very few people understand her.¡± After which, Lu Xinnuan shook her head helplessly. ¡°Besides, she cut off all ties with us¡­¡± Su Jue knitted his brows tightly. ¡°My parents scolded her because she came home quitete yesterday, and she just packed her things and left. She even told us to treat it as if she had nevere back.¡± ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°Who would know? Perhaps she met a few friends outside. If not, why would shee back sote¡­?¡± Even Su Jue detected a tinge of womanly temperament in her words. Su Jue looked at her with a deep gaze and pressed his lips against each other tightly. Without mentioning this topic, he asked lightly, ¡°Why do you target Sui Yuan?¡± Chapter 49: Brother Mian told You to Get Lost Chapter 49: Brother Mian told You to Get Lost Editor: As Studios ¡°What?¡± Lu Xinnuan froze after hearing his words. Su Jue continued. ¡°In the afternoon two days ago, you clearly knew that Sui Yuan was in a bad mood because she couldn¡¯t participate in thepetition. Why did you ask her to take over you and draw on the ckboard?¡± Su Jue was even colder in front of Lu Xinnuan¡¯s shocked and dazed eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve asked a few ssmates in charge of the board, and all of them said that they were busy studying, so they pushed the job to Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan drew until the wee hours of the night.¡± The thing that crushed a donkey might not be something heavy, but just a light feather. It was precisely because of these ostracizing scenarios that made Sui Yuan leave school. Besides, he heard that when Lu Mian found Sui Yuan the day before, she was surrounded by a bunch of hooligans. The consequences would be unthinkable if she was anyter. Lu Xinnuan was very wronged and her eyes immediately reddened. ¡°Su Jue, I didn¡¯t know any of this. How can you say that about me?¡± Su Jue was silent and coldness reced his warmth. ¡°I hope so.¡± He said these three words, before going towards the tenth grade block. Looking at his back view, Lu Xinnuan clutched her uniform tightly and her eyes shed with hatred and indignance. When Su Jue arrived at tenth grade ss twenty-five, he was shocked by the noisy tenth-graders¡¯ learning atmosphere. However, it was understandable when he realized it was ss twenty-five. Even though the school imed that they did not split sses ording to the students¡¯ grades on the surface, they did do it secretly. ss twenty-five was the worst performing ss. He casually looked in and saw a short-haired girl who was seated in the corner of the ssroom, nearest to the window. She was holding a book and reading it quietly and leisurely, without any arrogance or coldness. The two boys in front of her were helping her clean her desk and arrange her books with a hardworking expression on their face. ¡°Brother Mian, do you think this is okay?¡± After a few days of hanging out with her, Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao were already following Lu Mian¡¯s lead. They thought that Lu Mian was too cool, and they wanted to call her ¡®Brother¡¯ from the bottom of their hearts. They definitely did not have any mocking intentions, and they were filled with respect and fear towards her. Lu Mian nonchntly looked at the table. ¡°Pretty good.¡± The duo burst with joy. ¡°Brother Mian, I bought this pen from a small shop. The pen feels very smooth, the weight is even and the thickness is just right. It¡¯s definitely the best spinning pen!¡± Skinny Hao respectfully presented a pen and clipped it in between Lu Mian¡¯s two fingers. Fatty Hao was not weak either, as he took out a stack of romance novels from under the desk. ¡°Brother Mian, do you like any of these novels?¡± Lu Mian thought that they were pretty cute as she spun the pen Skinny Hao gave her and casually flipped through the stack of books from Fatty Hao, suppressing someplicated feeling that others would not understand in her eyes. ¡°Put it down, I¡¯ll read it slowly,¡± said Lu Mian. ¡°Yay!¡± The duo were overjoyed. When they turned around, they saw someone staring at their Brother Mian from outside. Skinny Hao immediately ran out. ¡°ssmate, who are you looking for?¡± Su Jue was slightly taken aback. He did not expect someone to be willing to be Lu Mian¡¯sckey when she was such a cold person. He put on his senior¡¯s stance. ¡°Call Lu Mian. I have something to talk to her about.¡± He really came for Brother Mian. Skinny Hao blocked the entrance. ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for Brother Mian?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Su Jue.¡± Everyone in Kun Peng Middle School knew the name ¡®Su Jue¡¯. Even if they were tenth-graders that just entered the school, they all remembered this name, thanks to the bunch of bedazzled girls. The fact that a legendary character came to find Lu Mian quickly attracted the students¡¯ attention. Many girls looked outside with shining eyes and were secretly jealous that Su Jue was not looking for them. Skinny Hao grunted and said, ¡°Hold on.¡± Then, he walked into the ssroom. ¡°Brother Mian, Su Jue is looking for you.¡± Upon hearing his words, Lu Mian looked towards the entrance and met with Su Jue¡¯s cold and impatient gaze. She smiled sinisterly and said calmly, ¡°Tell him to get lost.¡± Chapter 50: The forbidden places were most enticing Chapter 50: The forbidden ces were most enticing Editor: As Studios Skinny Hao was stunned. He raised his thumb and quickly passed the message to Su Jue. ¡°Brother Mian told you to g-o.¡± G-O? It took Su Jue a second to put two and two together before he looked at Lu Mian in disbelief. Rejected, just like that! He felt awkward and embarrassed. He came all the way to the tenth grade section personally to talk to her, and this was her attitude? Look at the other girls. How many of them dreamt having something to do with him. Lu Mian was a little too arrogant¡­ In fact, several girls in the ss had gathered around and were feeling indignant for Su Jue. ¡°How can Lu Mian treat Young Master Su like this? Where does she get the nerve to say that to him?¡± ¡°Lu Mian is too much!¡± Especially Bai Fangfei, the ss monitor. Her unhappiness with Lu Mian only grew. She looked towards Su Jue, who was standing at the door of the ss, with admiration in her eyes. Su Jue¡¯s intention of rifying what happened yesterday was stunted. He was a rather prideful person. Having faced the rejection, he left without looking back. Fatty Hao and Skinny Hao gathered around Lu Mian worriedly. ¡°Brother Mian, Young Master Su won¡¯t make your life difficult, right¡­¡± They were worried, but Lu Mian, as the person in question, was unbothered. Her slender fingers turned the page. ¡°So, what about it?¡± She asked evenly, her voice full of arrogance. Fatty Hao and Skinny Hao¡¯s admiration for her grew.?To Brother Mian, the famous Young Master Su was just a nobody! ¡°Oh right.¡± Lu Mian¡¯s beautiful eyes lit up. ¡°Do you know where the library is?¡± ¡°I do. I do! Brother Mian, we¡¯ll show you the way during assembly!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ During assembly after second period. A beautiful young girl sandwiched between a fatty and skinny headed for the library. The two boysughed and joked, and the girl in the middle nodded with a smile asionally. The scene made countless boys jealous. Why not me! ¡°Brother Mian, that¡¯s the art building, over there is the admin building, and behind there is the back mountain.¡± Fatty Hao exined and pointed as they walked. Lu Mian paid attention to every detail, having not toured the campus before. ¡°What¡¯s in the back mountain?¡± She asked, pointing at the back mountain. ¡°This¡­¡± Skinny Hao lowered his voice. ¡°Brother Mian, there¡¯s a forbiddennd in the back mountain, we¡¯re not allowed there at all costs!¡± He said cautiously. ¡°Oh?¡± That caught Lu Mian¡¯s interest, and the words ¡°I wanna go¡± were stered all over her face. ¡°There¡¯s a pavilion in the back mountain. It¡¯s really eerie. You will shake uncontrobly after you enter. Your heartbeat will increase, it will be hard to breathe, as if a pair of hands were strangling you! The school doesn¡¯t allow students near. They even installed an electric fence! I heard there¡¯s spirits residing beneath the pavilion, so¡­¡± Every school had its share of ghost stories, and Kun Peng Middle School was no exception. Lu Mian¡¯s eyes got even brighter. Fatty Hao and Skinny Hao were both worried, so they started pleading with her. ¡°Brother Mian, a stubborn student went in before. The instant they stepped in, they couldn¡¯t handle it. If they weren¡¯t rescued in time, they would¡¯ve¡­ From then on, the school installed the electric fence. Brother Mian, don¡¯t take the risk!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± answered Lu Mian straightforwardly. She was different from others, that was not called taking a risk. Fatty Hao and Skinny Hao eyed each other.?Why does it feel like the more we say, the more Brother Mian wants to go¡­ As the two were worrying, they looked up and saw an elegant, expensive car. They were immediately drawn to it. ¡°D*mn, there are limited edition cars like this in a ce like Wu City?¡± Lu Mian was uninterested, so she only nced briefly, but she narrowed her eyes in the next second. Xiao Qimo? Chapter 51: Lu Mian, I’m Here Chapter 51: Lu Mian, I¡¯m Here Editor: As Studios Principal Zhang sent Xiao Qimo all the way to the door. His attitude was as respectful as it could possibly be. ¡°Mr. Xiao, have you really made your decision?¡± Xiao Qimo stood elegantly before the admin building. His left sleeve was cuffed, and he put his hand in his pocket with elegant and poise. He shook Principal Zhang¡¯s hand cordially. ¡°Principal Zhang, please call me Headmaster Qi.¡± Headmaster Qi¡­ Principal Zhang felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead. ¡°Mr. Xiao, why don¡¯t you reconsider¡­¡± Such a big shot wasing to their school to be a headmaster. He was not going to teach or lecture, nor was he going to be paid. He just wanted to be a headmaster in charge of discipline. Were all the big shots from Capital Jin so free? ¡°Principal Zhang, don¡¯t you want to solve the issue with the gazebo?¡± Xiao Qimo retracted his hand and propped his sses up. Principal Zhang gave in immediately. ¡°Headmaster Qi, when is a good time for you to start?¡± Xiao Qimo was going to say within the next couple of days, but his eyesnded on a certain girl in the distance. The girl was tall, slender and pretty. Even if she were in a crowd, he could spot her in an instance. Lu Mian, we meet again. But what was up with the two boys around her? If he were not on campus personally, he would never know that Lu Mian had such an endearing side. His eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of gold sses, were filled with an unknown emotion. ¡°I can start now.¡± He said evenly. Principal Zhang was perplexed. He followed Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze and saw a girl afar, who happened to be looking at them as well. Even though Principal Zhang was afraid of Xiao Qimo, he still said, ¡°Headmaster Qi, that girl¡¯s rather special. If she does something wrong in the future, we adopt a gentle and educational approach¡­¡± His words piqued Xiao Qimo¡¯s interest. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s fine if I tell you. She¡¯s a victim from the 726 incident. We received special instructions from the Education Ministry to let her grow freely. Perhaps her family has connections there, so they¡¯re taking extra care.¡± Xiao Qimo curled his lips, as if in mockery. Lu Mian¡¯s family could not wait for her to leave, how could they possibly be behind that? If not the Lu Family, then it had to be someone else. The mysteries on this girl were growing¡­ ¡­ After Lu Mian saw Xiao Qimo from the distance, she instantly walked away. The two boys who were still entranced by the limited edition car, caught up with her after they returned to their senses. ¡°Brother Mian! Brother Mian! You¡¯re in the wrong direction, the library¡¯s that way.¡± ¡°You guys go; I¡¯m heading to the back mountain.¡± She¡¯s really going! ¡°Brother Mian, you shouldn¡¯t! Even if you do, we¡¯lle with you.¡± Lu Mian, who did not have such intentions, waved them goodbye from afar. Both Fatty and Skinny were stunned as they stared at Lu Mian from afar. ¡°Oh no¡­ We¡¯re in trouble!¡± After Lu Mian got to the back mountain, she found the famed gazebo effortlessly. It was indeed surrounded by an electric fence. For some reason,the gazebo could not be demolished, so they could only use the electric fence to cordon it. The gazebo was truly a mystery. ording to information from Elder Su, thest known location of the kidnappers before they disappeared was Kun Peng Middle School, though the exact location was unknown. Their motive foring here was unknown. She needed to survey the entire school and leave no stone unturned. Perhaps that was the only way she could find the trueir of those people. As she inched closer, she closed her eyes to get a feel of the surroundings. But before she could feel anything, she heard footsteps from behind. It was coupled with a smooth, man¡¯s voice. ¡°Lu Mian, I¡¯m here.¡± Chapter 52: See you at the door after school! Chapter 52: See you at the door after school! Editor: As Studios Lu Mian opened her eyes slowly when she heard the voice. Her expression was that of annoyance, with ¡°what does your presence have to do with me¡± written all over her face as she looked at the man. What a difficultss. Xiao Qimo took two steps forward quietly. ¡°You want to go in?¡± He asked as he looked at the gazebo. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Lu Mian knew that her investigation had to be put on pause, so she headed back towards the tenth grade building. But she had a query, and thus she tilted her head. ¡°What is Mr. Xiao doing at our school?¡± asked Lu Mian. Xiao Qimo smiled elegantly as he cuffed his sleeves. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I¡¯m your education headmaster, Qi Mo.¡± ¡°Education headmaster?¡± Lu Mian did not know what he meant by that, but she greeted him obediently anyway, ¡°Greetings, Teacher Qi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a teacher.¡± ¡°Greetings, Headmaster Qi.¡± Xiao Qimo smiled contentedly. ¡°In the future, I¡¯m in charge of your discipline, you¡¯ve gotta be obedient.¡± Lu Mian was even more confused by his words. She eyed the man and paused when she saw hisplex smile. Crazy. Lu Mian shook her head, not intending to fixate on the issue. ¡°Headmaster Qi, I¡¯m heading back to ss.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Xiao Qimo praised her as he walked closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Wu City, rmend me a ce for lunch,¡± he asked humbly. ¡°Baidu it, Baidu¡¯s more useful than I am.¡± It was her usual, aggravating style. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think you want what happened with Sui Yuan to happen again. I wonder if your education headmaster can have the honour of you weing him?¡± Lu Mian¡¯s expression softened when she heard Sui Yuan¡¯s name.?It¡¯s just a meal; I¡¯ll do it! ¡°See you at the door after school!¡± With that, she left casually as she kicked the pebbles on the road around. Xiao Qimo eyed the slender silhouette as he took another look at the gazebo. His eyes darkened. Returning to the ssroom, Fatty and Skinny rushed over to check on her. ¡°Brother Mian, are you okay! You didn¡¯t break into the gazebo, right?¡± ¡°Cough, of course Brother Mian didn¡¯t go in. Otherwise, she won¡¯t be here!¡± Lu Mian waved dismissively, unwilling to talk more. It was at this point that Ding Cai, their homeroom teacher, walked in and made an emergency announcement. The rowdy ssroom quietened down. ¡°Our school has employed a new education headmaster that will focus on your discpline. I¡¯ve turned a blind eye to your disorderliness so far, but he¡¯s employed by the school. He will not be lenient on ount of anyone. If he catches you, no one can save you,¡± Ding Cai said solemnly. The students moaned in agony. They had a feeling that the strictest headmaster was about to appear. All the talkative and spacey students looked towards the backdoor of the ssroom, and the couples looked at their partners silently. Before the new education headmaster had shown himself, the students already disliked him. After Ding Cai had made his announcement, he turned the time back to the students. As he walked away from the podium, his expression turned excited and gentle when he came to Lu Mian¡¯s table. ¡°Lu Mian, all the best!¡± He was referring to the physicspetition. Lu Mian smiled innocently at her teacher. He would probably be really sad if he knew that she had no intentions of showing up at all¡­ Over at twelfth grade ss one, they too were talking about the new education headmaster. In the midst of the discussion, a boy shouted, ¡°Young Master Su, you¡¯ve made fifteen million dors this time?!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 53: How big was the difference? Chapter 53: How big was the difference? Editor: As Studios Xie Huiyang looked at Su Jue with admiration as he cried out. ¡°You made 11 million thest time, and 15 million this time. Young Master Su, you¡¯re a genius, the future god of the financial circle!¡± The news hit the students like a bomb, and the ss broke into amotion. Everyone turned to look at Su Jue, their eyes filled with delight. Su Jue was really happy, but he remained expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± What was nothing to him was something that many of the students could never attain in their lives. ¡°Young Master Su, how about I host a lunch to celebrate this?!¡± Xie Huiyang asked excitedly. Su Jue was happy to have made money, so he waved. ¡°I should be the one treating everyone. Anyone who¡¯s free shoulde!¡± ¡°Young Master Su has spoken, we¡¯re having lunch together! Anyone who¡¯sing, pleasee register with me!¡± Xie Huiyang was quite close to Su Jue, so he took up the duty naturally. Su Jue paid no attention as he stared at therge sum that had juste into his bank ount in a daze. With these two transactions, Grandpa should look at me differently. At the thought of his grandpa, he thought of Lu Mian. The girl¡¯s cold refusal to see him depressed him; he had received such treatment! ¡°Xinnuan goddess, you should be free at noon right!¡± Xie Huiyang scampered over to Lu Xinnuan¡¯s seat and prepared to take her name down with the notebook in his hand with an amorous look. All the girls in the ss were jealous. Everyone in the ss knew that Lu Xinnuan was close to Su Jue, that they were from the same circle. Especially the girls. They all wanted to go, but they dared not register. Su Jue did not like dealing with girls; the only person whom he treated differently was Lu Xinnuan. Lu Xinnuan felt good, but she pursed her lips at the thought of what Su Jue had said to her earlier that day. She looked at Su Jue shyly, secretly waiting for him to go over and invite her. But Su Jue did not move at all. After a while, she could only shake her head. ¡°You boys go ahead and have fun¡­¡± Her words were carefully chosen. It was not a clear rejection, so it made her look good. Besides, her words made clear that it was a boys only gathering. That crushed the hopes of any of the girls who wanted to attend. Many of the girls gave up hopes of going. What right did they have to go if Lu Xinnuan was not going? ¡°Xinnuan, why aren¡¯t you going?¡± Lu Xinnuan¡¯s tablemate, Zeng Na, shook her arm excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going, where¡¯s the fun in that!¡± Xie Huiyang put his arms up. Zeng Na nodded in agreement. She was counting on tagging along to the gathering on ount of Lu Xinnuan. This persisted until Su Jue got up from his seat and walked over to Lu Xinnuan¡¯s table under the eyes of all their ssmates. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s heartbeat increased as she repressed her excitement. ¡°Come along for lunch.¡± Su Jue said inly, but before Lu Xinnuan could rejoice, he added on. ¡°Ask Lu Mian along.¡± Lu Xinnuan¡¯s beautiful face froze instantly. ¡°She¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan clenched her fists tightly and nodded as she tried to keep everything in. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡± No one else understood their conversation, but they were a little curious. Who was Lu Mian? Why did it feel like Lu Xinnuan was just invited by extension? Lu Xinnuan agreed to it seemingly nonchntly, but she resented Lu Mian for it. She had already chased her out, but why was she still hanging around?! Her presence was even enhanced. If that was the case¡­ Fine, Lu Mian shoulde! She was going to let Lu Mian know once and for all how big the difference between the two of them was! Chapter 54: When Master Mo meets a straight girl… Chapter 54: When Master Mo meets a straight girl¡­ Editor: As Studios They quickly confirmed the number of people attending. Lu Xinnuan feigned magnanimity and specially invited a few of her close friends. They excitedly called her ¡°Mrs. Su¡±, which made Lu Xinnuanugh. Sui Yuan was invited too, but she turned it down firmly. Su Jue did not pressure her. He then asked his family to make a reservation for a private room in MM Stall. The students threw their textbooks up excitedly. Everyone knew MM Stall. It had only been open for a year, but because of the amazing cooks, it had be the toughest restaurant to get a reservation in Wu City. The Su family had only managed to get a booking with a mere phone call because of their wealth and status. Everyone was looking forward to it. Lu Xinnuan hurried to the toilet and texted Fu Man furtively. ¡°Mom, Su Jue earned 15 million in stocks this time. He¡¯s treating me to lunch, so I won¡¯t be going back. But¡­ Su Jue seems to have a grudge against Sister. Could you get her toe and apologise to him this time?¡± Fu Man quickly replied, ¡°Nuannuan, don¡¯t worry. I will call your sister now.¡± Her daughter had a bright future ahead of her if she were on good terms with Su Jue. She refused to let Lu Mian ruin her daughter¡¯s future! It was just an apology. She would agree even if it were sending Lu Mian to the Su family to pray for forgiveness! Lu Xinnuan felt more at ease when she received the reply. She dialed Lu Mian¡¯s number and hung up after one dial tone. That way, it would be recorded in the call log, and it could prove that she had indeed gotten in touch with Lu Mian. ¡°The education headmaster is here!¡± Someone cried out. Lu Xinnuan, who was secretly using her phone in the toilet, was stunned. She immediately hid her phone and ran out of the toilet furtively. But the education headmaster was not there. Realizing that Xie Huiyang was ying a prank on her! She chastised him. But a new thought formed in her head.?I wonder what¡¯s the background of this new education headmaster. It will be good to be on good terms with him. She did not have the protection of Sun Jiaying, her former homeroom teacher, now. The new homeroom teacher was rather impartial, so she could onlye up with other ways. As Fu Man thought of how capable Su Jue was, she dialed Lu Mian¡¯s number. She did not care if Lu Mian was in the middle of ss, or if it were a good time for her to take the call. Of course, regardless of her convenience, Lu Mian was unwilling to take the call. She immediately rejected it. She looked outside the window as she bit her pen.?Where should I bring Xiao Qimo for a meal? Since I have made some money, let¡¯s go to an okay ce. At this thought, she took out her phone and sent a text. ¡­ After school, Lu Mian headed for the school door. She lookedzily across the street and saw the elegant and expensive car. She had specially chosen a time where there were little people. Checking to make sure that no one else was around, she begrudgingly got into Xiao Qimo¡¯s car. Ye Jinwen was in charge of driving. Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo were seated in the back. The car was dead silent after she gave him the address. Xiao Qimo set the economic magazine down and tried to make conversation. ¡°You booked a private room?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Lu Mian nodded. ¡°Was it easy to book?¡± ¡°It was.¡± Well the awkwardness of this conversation just hit the gxies! The scene of the high and mighty Master Mo dealing with a straight girl, this image made Ye Jinwen want tough out loud¡­ The car arrived at the door of MM Stall. Xiao Qimo walked in ahead as he took a call. Ye Jinwen went to park the car, and Lu Mian headed into the restaurant casually with her backpack in tow. Before she reached the steps, a familiar voice rang out behind her. ¡°Lu Mian.¡± Su Jue walked over from behind and called out to her with narrowed eyes. He was surprised that she coulde. Lu Xinnuan too thought that Lu Mian was there for them. She smugly banded around Su Jue with her friends. It was like she was the mistress of the house. Chapter 55: Six Words Appeared in the Sky Chapter 55: Six Words Appeared in the Sky Editor: As Studios The few younger sisters asked who Lu Mian was, but Lu Xinnuan did not exin it in detail. She only exined with a low voice that Lu Mian had offended Su Jue, and she came here to apologize. The crowd understood the situation better and was colder towards Lu Mian. Su Jue¡¯s mood after being rejected previously had been much better. He felt that she was a girl after all and was perhaps shocked by his capabilities in trading. This was a good thing, as he had recovered his reputation as the Su family¡¯s young master. Su Jue gestured towards them. ¡°Come in together. I¡¯ve booked a private room.¡± Lu Mian was pretty dazed. The saying ¡®enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road¡¯ was not always urate. Looking at the students staring at her with all sorts of ill intentions, she was starting to get a headache as she rubbed her temple irritatedly. She moved her lips arrogantly. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Who do you think you are? The six words that appeared in the sky stunned the bunch of students. Why did she not look like she was going to apologize? Lu Xinnuan went up and acted gentle and magnanimous. ¡°Lu Mian, Su Jue is treating you to food out of goodwill. Since you¡¯re here, you shouldn¡¯t be so cocky¡­¡± Zeng Na hugged her arm in a bootlicking manner and added, ¡°Our Young Master Su had earned more than 10 million dors. He asked you toe over to give you a chance. Don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so nobly? If you were truly noble, you wouldn¡¯te here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Not everyone cane to a ce like this¡­¡± Lu Mian instantly understood what was going on when she remembered Fu Man¡¯s phone call. Her lips curved up suddenly and she smiled sinisterly. The crowd was a bit shocked looking at her appearance. She was too pretty. It was no wonder the students in school kept saying that the school belle should be changed. If it were not for Lu Xinnuan¡¯s good appearance, family background, grades and morals, the position of the school belle would long be Lu Mian¡¯s. Lu Mian tilted her head and looked at the bunch of people with the same irritated look. She said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m in Number One Private Room. What about you?¡± Number One Private Room? The students who had nevere to MM Stall all used their gazes to ask Su Jue and Lu Xinnuan what she meant. Lu Xinnuan looked down and exined lightly, ¡°Number One Private Room is the most valuable private room here, and it¡¯s only reserved for special VIPs.¡± After she finished her sentence, she looked up at Su Jue and smiled sweetly. ¡°Su Jue, we¡¯re all students. You didn¡¯t have to book Number One Private Room.¡± She naturally believed in the Su family¡¯s capabilities. However¡­ Su Jue¡¯s face turned increasingly contorted. After hesitating for some time, he clenched his teeth and opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re in the normal private room.¡± The difference between the Number One Private Room and a normal room was akin to that between a bicycle and the train. However, his abilities only allowed him to book the normal private room. The crowd looked at each other awkwardly. So, Lu Mian came here to see someone else and not Young Master Su? Disbelief filled Lu Xinnuan¡¯s face. Originally, she came here to embarrass Lu Mian, but she did not expect to humiliate herself instead. However, how was that possible? Why would Lu Mian have the right to go to such a high-end room? What kind of VIP would invite her to that room? ¡°Lu Mian, you don¡¯t have to make up such a lie. There¡¯s no point.¡± Lu Xinnuan shook her head. The crowd could roughly guess among themselves, and Su Jue was doubtful. Then, when the crowd was about to attack her with the next wave of words, a handsome and gentle young man walked to Lu Mian. His simple suit made him look clean and cool. Even though his doll-like face looked pretty young, his pristine nature shone from within. One look and everyone could tell that he was a flippant young man from a good family background. Su Jue was taken aback and stood rooted to the ground. ¡°Little Mianmian? What are you doing here? Hurry up and go in.¡± Ye Jinwen walked over from behind and called Lu Mian in a very close manner. Seeing that this bunch of people were seemingly putting Lu Mian in a difficult position, he went over and justly protected Lu Mian. He said slightly coldly, ¡°Young Master Su, why are you looking for our Little Mianmian?¡± Under his cold stare, Su Jue finally recovered his senses and said with much difficulty but utmost respect, ¡°M-Mr. Ye¡­¡± Chapter 56: Some People are Really Not as Simple as You Think Chapter 56: Some People are Really Not as Simple as You Think Editor: As Studios Su Jue fell short in his imposing aura. The Su family was considered a respectable family in Wu City and had some influence in Capital Jin. However, when they werepared to the real wealthy family from Capital Jin, their authority was worth nothing. ¡°Mr. Ye, please.¡± He knew his worth and took the initiative to make a path for them. When the others saw this situation, they did not dare say anything but were pretty indignant. They only let Lu Mian off to give face to Mr. Ye. However, when they saw that even the Mr. Ye whom Young Master Su was afraid of had actually made way and let Lu Mian walk first in a bootlicking manner. This Lu Mian did not even care about him. The crowd felt that this was too unreal. Su Jue watched on in shock as the duo left, and when he recovered his senses, his back was already drenched in sweat. However, he did not embarrass himself in public as he was still a child of a wealthy family that had received good education after all. He knew Ye Jinwen. Everytime he went to the Su family, Grandpa would attend to him personally, and he and his father had no rights to barge into their conversation. He did not expect Lu Mian to know such a person, and to even be so close to him. Suppressing the dissatisfaction in her heart, Lu Xinnuan went up and asked softly, ¡°Su Jue, who was that?¡± ¡°Doctor Ye Jinwen.¡± ¡°Doctor Ye?¡± A glint shed past Lu Xinnuan¡¯s eyes as he thought of something. When Lu Mian was a distance away, she said slowly, ¡°So he¡¯s Lu Mian¡¯s psychologist¡­¡± ¡°Psychologist?¡± The surrounding students¡¯ interests were piqued. They were originally upset with Lu Mian, so they were willing to hear her gossip. Looking at the circle of curious eyes, Lu Xinnuan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I coincidentally found out that Lu Mian¡­ Anyway, Doctor Ye is her psychologist.¡± ¡°She had gone for treatment for some time already,¡± added Lu Xinnuan. Su Jue stood on the stairs and knitted his brows towards Lu Xinnuan, while his eyes were pretty cold. Lu Xinnuan felt even more terrible. However, she had already said those words and she did not even lie, so why was he looking at her in that manner? She tried her best to straighten her back. ¡°It turns out, Lu Mian has a mental illness¡­¡± The bunch of nosy students broke into quiet discussions. ¡°Is it depression or mania or some other mental illness? I long felt that this Lu Mian was not normal.¡± ¡°Young Master Su, let¡¯s stay away from Lu Mian in the future. That girl is too evil.¡± Xie Huiyang said the same. He had also felt that Su Jue was slightly different towards Lu Mian. Then, he even pouted and advised Su Jue, ¡°They both have thest name ¡®Lu¡¯, but our favorite goddess, Xinnuan, is much better than Lu Mian.¡± ¡°Really?¡± retorted Su Jue lightly, and the gaze he looked at Lu Xinnuan with became colder. Even if he was humiliated and disliked by Lu Mian, he was not despicable enough to use such a thing against a girl. Besides, Lu Mian only came back two years after being kidnapped. She was a victim herself. Su Jue squinted his eyes towards a group of ssmates andmanded, ¡°Don¡¯t spread anything about Doctor Ye and Lu Mian.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± The crowd could not defy him and naturally kept their mouths shut. When the crowd had gradually walked towards the restaurant, Su Jue stayed back and warned Lu Xinnuan, ¡°Some people aren¡¯t as simple as you think. You better watch out for yourself.¡± ¡°I¡­ Su Jue!¡± Lu Xinnuan ran after him, but when she saw Su Jue¡¯s cold back view, she felt that the thing she wanted to grab onto tightly had drifted further and further away¡­ Why did Lu Mian have toe back? If she did not, things would not have ended up in this way¡­ Chapter 57: Invite MM Stall’s Boss Over Chapter 57: Invite MM Stall¡¯s Boss Over Editor: As Studios Xiao Qimo was already sitting inside Number One Private Room. When he saw Lu Mian and Ye Jinwen walk in one after another, he shifted his spectacles curiously. ¡°You booked this ce?¡± Lu Mian paused seriously. ¡°Does this not fit Headmaster Qi¡¯s status?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Ye Jinwen was screaming in his heart.This had nothing to do with fitting one¡¯s status. The point was that how did a student like you book such a private room and even act so nonchntly? ¡°I found a VIP voucher on an application.¡± Lu Mian exined kindly this time, as she took out her phone and waved it in front of Ye Jinwen. Before Ye Jinwen could even see the contents of the webpage, she kept it. He was very upset. Why did he not get such a voucher? Besides, would MM Stall give out such exquisite private room vouchers? However, no one answered for him. Lu Mian was already sitting there with a flippant posture and arrogant expression, as she concentrated on ying her game. Xiao Qimo was staring at Lu Mian secretly. Nice. These two people are too imposing.Ye Jinwen needed to go to the toilet and relieve himself first. He really did not understand what Xiao Qimo thought. He was eating with Lu Mian, but why did he have to drag him along? Ye Jinwen left the room. The room originally had its own toilet, but he wanted to go out and take a breather. After some relief, he went to the basin to wash his hands and coincidentally heard the discussion from the neighboring female washroom. ¡°Xinnuan, Xinnuan, what¡¯s up with that Lu Mian?¡± ¡°Right, Xinnuan, tell us secretly.¡± Zeng Na and a few other girls followed Lu Xinnuan to the toilet and could not help but bring Lu Mian up. There would be gossip where there were people. This bunch of students were no exception. Lu Xinnuan shook her head in a much difficult position. ¡°I¡¯m not clear about the rest. After all, I don¡¯t know her.¡± Zeng Na and the few others nodded their heads in understanding. ¡°However, this Lu Mian is really crazy. How dare she talk to Young Master Su like that? With a wave of Young Master Su¡¯s finger, she would be crushed by money.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She thinks she¡¯s the boss just because of her illness. Young Master Su¡¯s only letting her have her way because of that.¡± Lu Xinnuan¡¯s face turned dark. She was rather sensitive to the words ¡®letting her have her way¡¯. The other girls immediately mediated the situation. ¡°Of course, Young Master Su¡¯s true love is still Xinnuan. You¡¯re the perfect pair no matter in terms of your family background, looks and studies. Young Master Su had even specifically booked MM Stall¡¯s private room because of you.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re so envious! We haven¡¯t been to this type of ce before. Xinnuan, we¡¯re really benefiting from your glory.¡± ¡°Anyway, Lu Mian can¡¯t evenpare to a single toe of Lu Xinnuan¡¯s.¡± ¡°They both have the samest name, but why is the difference so big? Hahaha¡­¡± The girls talked as they walked out. Ye Jinwen, who walked out afterwards, had a dark aura and his doll-like face became cold. When he returned to Number One Private Room, Xiao Qimo was the first person to notice his irregrity. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The man was as graceful as usual. Ye Jinwen secretly nced at Lu Mian, who was immersed in ying her game, when he walked to Xiao Qimo and whispered something to him. Lu Mian was not interested in their secrets and did not even lift her eyes. Xiao Qimo¡¯s graceful and cold voice quickly sounded in her ears. ¡°Get MM Stall¡¯s boss over.¡± Lu Mian looked up slightly with aplicated and dazed look. ¡°Nice one!¡± responded Ye Jinwen happily, as he dashed out to carry out Xiao Qimo¡¯s instructions. That bunch of ill-mannered girls were talking behind the back of an innocent girl. They must stand up for Little Mianmian no matter what. Not long after Ye Jinwen had gone out¡­ A notification suddenly popped up on Lu Mian¡¯s phone, which made her temple throb. Chapter 58: Why Let Him Close? Chapter 58: Why Let Him Close? Editor: As Studios Lu Mian looked at the text, before ncing at Xiao Qimo. She was impressed. ¡°Someone wants to see you. He¡¯s pretty influential.¡± She lost her game in the moment she was stunned. She quickly typed on her keyboard and replied to the text. ¡°Stop messing around. Handle it yourself.¡± After sending that message, she felt as if something was wrong with her entire self, so she decisivelyy down on the couch and closed her eyes to rest. Xiao Qimo noticed her slight change in emotions and sat up straight while smiling. ¡°Why? Do you not dare to y your phone in front of your headmaster?¡± If it was not for his reminder, Lu Mian would have really forgotten about this identity of his. Part of the job scope of an education headmaster was to confiscate phones and record the students¡¯ names down. Lu Mian chuckled and did not even open her eyes. ¡°Headmaster Qi, we¡¯re not in school.¡± After she finished her sentence, she felt something hovering above her head, so she opened her eyeszily. Xiao Qimo was holding the back of the couch with his hands, and his body was slightly bent, adequately hovering around Lu Mian¡¯s body on the couch. He looked down at the flippant young girl in quite an intrusive manner. Lu Mian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This person¡­ was quite handsome. Her vision only blurred for a few seconds, before she quickly regained herposure. She raised her hands to hold her chin, as she seriously thought about his intentions. Xiao Qimo quickly gave her the answer. ¡°If I caught you in school, I need to search your body and confiscate your phone.¡± His gentle voice emphasized the three words ¡®search your body¡¯. He was clearly a gentle and very serious man, but his actions at this point were akin to a gray wolf bullying a small rabbit. Lu Mian was slightly taken aback. She was not wondering about what the ¡®search your body¡¯ meant, but she was curious as to why she had let Xiao Qimo invade into her personal space. Perhaps her instincts told her that this man would not hurt her, so she silently allowed him toe near to her repeatedly. Two sets of footstep sounds could be heard outside the room. Xiao Qimo and Lu Mian stood up at the same time, but as their speed was different, Lu Mian¡¯s forehead had identally hit Xiao Qimo¡¯s chin. That momentary touch might be cold, but it had lit up some fire which caused both big bosses to squint their eyes at each other. None of them could tell what the other party was thinking. At this point, the door was pushed open. Ye Jinwen brought MM Stall¡¯s boss over. Once he turned around, he saw the duo rooted to the ground and their actions were very stiff, as if they were receiving a punishment, which was pretty ridiculous. Anyone could tell that the duo had a problem. However, he did not have much time to think about it, as he guided the serious and polite young man to Xiao Qimo. The other party was only around 25 years old, but he had the aura of a mature person in society. ¡°Seventh Brother, this is Yu Ren ¨C Boss Yu,¡± introduced Ye Jinwen. Xiao Qimo nonchntly retracted his gaze from Lu Mian and sat down at the dining table in a calm and graceful manner. He said harmoniously, ¡°Nice to meet you, Boss Yu.¡± Yu Ren first bowed towards Lu Mian and treated it as a greeting, before turning to Xiao Qimo in a polite manner. ¡°Mr. Qi, what instructions do you have for me?¡± People who could dine in MM Stall¡¯s Number One Private Room all came from formidable backgrounds. Even if the other party did not introduce themselves, he would still treat them politely and kindly. Xiao Qimoughed warmly. ¡°Boss Yu, cancel the private room that the Su family had reserved. I¡¯ll pay you back ten times the losses made.¡± Ye Jinwen nodded readily.Hmph, didn¡¯t that bunch of people just want toe to MM Stall and eat? Master Mo would cause you to only be able to look and not eat it, while you¡¯re chased out of MM Stall. This request surprised Yu Ren. Lu Mian was also pretty shocked. Chapter 59 - Arranged Very Clearly Chapter 59: Arranged Very Clearly Editor: As Studios If she did not guess wrongly, this decision was rted to her. Did Ye Jinwen hear some rumors or did Lu Xinnuan and the rest talk nonsense in the room? No matter what the reason was, she was not objecting to this decision. Hershes batted slightly, as she casually pulled a chair over to sit down without saying a word. After pausing for some time, Yu Ren nodded. ¡°Okay, Mr. Qi.¡± He did not even ask for any reason. ¡°May I know if you have any other requests?¡± Xiao Qimo moved his head lightly and Lu Mian shook her head. Yu Ren then walked out and politely closed the door. Ye Jinwen stuck his head out to take a look, and after Yu Ren was a distance away, he asked curiously, ¡°He had agreed too readily, right? He didn¡¯t even ask for any reason. Was he not afraid of offending the Su family?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± answered Xiao Qimo casually. They ate their meal infort and had ordered every MM Stall¡¯s signature dish. MM Stall even gave them two free exquisite hamburgers which entered Lu Mian¡¯s stomach in the end. After eating their fill, Ye Jinwen felt that something was weird. This was clearly a Chinese restaurant, but why did they have food like hamburgers? This restaurant was clearly different from the rest. While they were enjoying their delicacies, Lu Xinnuan was chased out of the private room by the security officers. More than ten of them were standing at MM Stall¡¯s entrance awkwardly, as they looked at each other dazedly in confusion. ¡°Su Jue, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Xinnuan was worried. Not being able to eat was a small thing, but being chased out was too mortifying and humiliating. The ssmates who wanted to benefit from her light and enjoy MM Stall¡¯s delicacies looked at each other awkwardly and did not know what to say. ¡°Could it be Lu Mian?¡± Lu Xinnuan purposely misled the rest. Su Jue retracted his gaze from MM Stall¡¯s sign board and looked at Lu Xinnuan. At this point, he was toozy to remind her of anything. He just felt that they really did offend someone this time round. The happiness of trading stocks vanished into thin air. ¡­ In the afternoon, Xiao Qimo sent Lu Mian back to school and watched her walk into ss, before leaving with Ye Jinwen. Ye Jinwen followed beside him and asked, ¡°Seventh Brother, why did you call me over?¡± This Seventh Brother of his was not someone that would do useless things. Xiao Qimo indeed had his own ns. He pointed towards the office with a nonchnt expression. ¡°I have a new task for you.¡± ¡°A new task? Hurry up and say it.¡± ¡°Help me be this education headmaster.¡± His serious tone almost made Ye Jinwen faint. ¡°Seventh Brother, don¡¯t be too overboard. You¡¯re the one who wanted to be an education headmaster, why are you dragging me into this mess? I don¡¯t even have time to care about my own clinic.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Xiao Qimo turned around and took a look at him with his clear eyes. He asked calmly, ¡°Why would someone that was reverse hypnotized by a patient be shameless enough to continue being a psychologist?¡± Ye Jinwen was speechless. He cursed profanities in his heart. Both of them had their own offices in a quiet environment. One look and one would know that the school had arranged this meticulously. The two office tables were facing each other. Ye Jinwen¡¯s position was made as clear as day. He just had to supervise the students and do some formalities. At this time, Ye Jinwen was bored beyond words, so he clicked on the school forum and browsed it casually. A very popr post was pinned to the top of the page and it attracted his attention. ¡°Be careful of people who have mental illnesses around you.¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± Ye Jinwen still cursed out loud in the end and clicked on the post. Even though the name was not stated explicitly, thements were all leading the post to Lu Mian, and they had even posted her name and ss. He was a psychologist and knew how much posts like these would hurt patients. The patients themselves were already in immense pain, but they still had to be condemned in public. When discussions became the method, every word that every pair of hands typed all became someone¡¯s murder weapon. Just as he was about to stand up for Lu Mian and reply to the post, he suddenly discovered something. Hm? The page can¡¯t be opened! Chapter 60 - They’re Jealous of Your Beauty Chapter 60: They¡¯re Jealous of Your Beauty Editor: As Studios Ye Jinwen looked up dazedly and tilted his body to look at the person opposite him. At the opposite desk, Xiao Qimo slowly retracted his hands from theputer and leaned back. The pair of dark eyes under the spectacles gleamed mysteriously. Ye Jinwen could feel that his aura was different. ¡°Seventh Brother, did you delete it?¡± Big Boss did not say a word and was considered to have admitted to it silently. Ye Jinwen leaned forward and stared at Xiao Qimo with a nosy expression. ¡°Seventh Brother, you seem to be a little different to Lu Mian. Is it because she¡¯s our only clue to finding the mysterious person? You stood up for her, sent her home and even silently deleted the post. This isn¡¯t your style¡­¡± He understood Xiao Qimo very well. On the surface, he was a gentlemanly, graceful and polite person who did not seem to be affected by emotions, but in reality, he was a very cold and distant person. He could kill someone decisively and was harsh and cold-blooded. Have you ever seen a person elegantly sip on tea made from high-end tea leaves whilemanding someone to throw the person into a crocodile river? He had seen one before. While he was talking, Xiao Qimo already stood up and wore his suit jacket with a swoosh of his long fingers. ¡°I¡¯m the education headmaster. This is my job,¡± said Xiao Qimo as he walked out of the office. Ye Jinwen was speechless. Why did you not say that when you made me abandon my clinic and trick me intoing to Kun Peng School? Lu Mian¡¯s post on the school forum was like throwing a stone into theke ¨C after slight rippling on theke surface, everything went back to normal. Before more people saw the post, Xiao Qimo quickly and urately deleted the post. However, he could guard the inte but not people¡¯s mouths. Very quickly, all the levels started to spread the rumor about Lu Mian¡¯s mental illness. Quite a few parents had even contacted the school and told them to chase these potentially dangerous students away. If not, the lives of their children would be at risk. In tenth grade ss twenty-five¡­ Skinny Hao looked at Lu Mian worriedly as she flipped through the pages of her novel nonchntly and spinned her pen, as if everything that happened outside had nothing to do with her. ¡°Brother Mian, don¡¯t take it to heart. The things on the forum are all rubbish!¡± He said that on the surface, but he thought of the repeatedments that demanded to kick Lu Mian out of Kun Peng Middle School. Who could handle this verbal abuse? ¡°Brother Mian, they¡¯re just jealous of your beauty!¡± This sentence made Lu Mianugh lightly. The pen stopped in her fingers as she lightly poked her cheeks with the back of the pen. She nodded seriously. ¡°It¡¯s pretty enviable.¡± Skinny Hao¡¯s face flushed red. Too pretty¡­ way too pretty¡­ ¡°¡­ But that post has already been deleted. Not many people have seen it.¡± He tried his best to find his voice back. ¡°Deleted?¡± Lu Mian wanted to use the ID and hunt the person down, but she did not expect someone to be faster than her. It should not be the forum¡¯s management board, right? If they wanted to delete it, they would not have let such posts pass their checks. She found it weird as she stood up and headed for the toilet. She secretly sent a message to Zero to ask him about it, but he said that he did not know about this incident at all. If it was not her people, who would it be? A few girls were in the toilet. When they saw Lu Mian, they huddled together tightly and distanced themselves away from her, as if she was the gue that could infect them at any moment. One of the girls seemed to be displeased with Lu Mian from the start as she stepped up bravely. ¡°Lu Mian, don¡¯t scare them. You¡¯re sick, you shouldn¡¯te out and scare others.¡± When Lu Mian kept her phone frustratedly, she tilted her head and saw a girl baring her teeth and saying harsh words to her. She looked kind of familiar, but Lu Mian did not know who she was. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 61: Definitely a Formidable Person Chapter 61: Definitely a Formidable Person Editor:As Studios The other party¡¯s words made her recall some things, which made her face darken. Hershes batted and she arrived in front of the girls in two steps. The other party was quite fearful, but she still braced herself and stood up strongly. The girls behind her kept pulling on her clothes, telling her to be careful. ¡°I-Is your illness rpsing? Don¡¯t do it. The school won¡¯t let you off.¡± Watching this bunch of girls, who were clearly very weak but merciless in their words, Lu Mian suddenly smiled sinisterly, coldly and harshly. She inched closer towards them. The few girls were petrified and they immediately screamed without control. ¡°Ah!!!¡± ¡°Ah!!! Save us!!!¡± The voices trembled. Lu Mian was pretty innocent. If she really did make a move, this bunch of people would not even be able to make a sound. ¡°Stop yelling.¡± She rubbed her temple in frustration The pair of clear and cold eyesnded on the girls, causing them to be too frightened to utter a sound. They were incredibly regretful in their hearts.Why must they go to the toilet at the same time as Lu Mian? They were just asking for death. Lu Mian did not even care about these people, neither did she care about the rumors. However, not caring did not mean that she would indulge them. If the silly and cowardly baldie heard about this, he would definitely let his imagination run wild. She warned them slowly, ¡°Do you know why God let people have a pair of ears, two eyes, but only one mouth when he was creating humans?¡± The girls were all confused. See more, hear more and talk less? ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± She slowed down her tempo and squinted her eyes sinisterly. ¡°Formidable people could do whatever they wanted.¡± The girls were suddenly stunned by her imposing aura. Formidable people¡­ At this very moment, Lu Mian was a formidable person in front of them. She looked down at them and everything else. Very quickly, they heard Lu Mian¡¯s cold and deep voice as per usual. ¡°Get lost, weak people.¡± The girls quickly left the washroom as if they were running for their lives. The crowd surrounding the toilet outside also hid themselves far away, frightened that they would be seen. The shrills previously really made people anxious and terrified. People who did not know the truth would think that Lu Mian was murdering people in the toilet. The toilet was empty. Lu Mianfortably relieved herself and came out to wash her hands slowly. Lessons were about to start, so not many people were in the corridors. When she came out, she coincidentally saw a pristine man standing near the corner. He was leaning against the staircase handrails lightly, and his eyes were very distant. He crossed his arms and was looking at her leisurely. As if he had already predicted that she woulde out, his eyes did not look surprised at all. Education headmaster¡­ Lu Mian paused for a while, before going over to exin calmly and innocently, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Another aspect of the education headmaster¡¯s job was to maintain discipline and stop fights within the school. Xiao Qimo paused for a while and said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He brushed past the topic. Was that sentence for this incident or for hitting someone? ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell others the truth?¡± asked Xiao Qimo quietly. She was a victim of 726, an innocent person that was given up on. She came back with much difficulty, but she still had to suffer evil guesses and insults from the people around her. Lu Mian pressed her lips against each other tightly as she thought of the possibility in the question. After thinking for half a minute, she forced out a smile. She waved her hands towards Xiao Qimo. ¡°Headmaster Qi, lessons are about to start. You won¡¯t get in the way of a student going for ss, right?¡± Xiao Qimo nodded reluctantly, before saying quickly, ¡°The post ID was from someone with the handphone number 12107622658. The owner of the phone is Lu Xinnuan.¡± Lu Mian stopped in her tracks, turned around and her eyes were filled with understanding. ¡°It was her¡­¡± Chapter 62 - 61: The Director of Teaching Chapter 62: Chapter 61: The Director of Teaching Xiao Qimo watched Lu Mian return to the ssroom, then shook his head helplessly, passing by rows of ssroom doors as if nothing was out of the ordinary. asionally, students looking out the windows would catch a glimpse of his handsome, unparalleled face, eliciting a wave of exmations. But soon, the students discovered that he would stand by the back door of the ssroom, looking in through the windows. The fear of being dominated by the back door window immediately made the distracted students listen attentively to the lesson. Everyone was curiously wondering, who was this handsome man? ¡ª¡ª Senior High ss (1). After learning that the post had been deleted, Lu Xinnuan felt somewhat anxious, and during the time the teacher went to fetch the papers during the lesson, she purposefully wrote a note and had it passed to Su Jue. That gossip-filled note made many ssmates nce at them with a teasing smile. Harboring secrets in his heart, Su Jue impatiently tore open the note from Lu Xinnuan. [Su Jue, I only said Dr. Ye is Lu Mian¡¯s psychologist, I never said she was sick¡­] After reading it, the boy couldn¡¯t quite identify his emotions, but his face looked rather cold. He casually nned to throw the note into the trash can behind him, but as he turned his body, he caught sight of a pair of deep eyes at the back door of the ssroom. His heart contracted unexpectedly, and he took a closer look. It was a strange young man wearing very stylish gold-rimmed sses, with a calm demeanor on his handsome face, but his cold eyes held no warmth. Su Jue had never seen such a person in Wucheng, nor had he ever seen such a teacher in the school, and he forgot all about throwing away the note for a moment. ¡°Bang!¡± Xiao Qimo kicked open the back door. The ssmates were startled and looked tensely towards the back door, holding their breath. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t exude any aura, yet his presence still made the whole ss feel an oppressive silence, as if the air had frozen. The ssroom was as quiet as could be, with everyone ring intently at this figure. Lu Xinnuan couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit guilty, anxiously looking at the note in Su Jue¡¯s hand. She wouldn¡¯t get caught, would she¡­ At this moment, the biology teacher who had gone out to collect the papers returned. Upon seeing Xiao Qimo, her heart skipped a beat, worried that a student in her ss had done something wrong and had just been caught by the new Head of Discipline. ¡°Director Qimo, what¡¯s going on?¡± At her words, the other students looked at each other and understood. So this was the new Head of Discipline! Such a handsome face, what a pity¡­ Xiao Qimo paid no notice to the teacher, instead walking up to Su Jue and gesturing for him to hand over the note. Su Jue paused, realizing that Director Qimo had already seen their little movement. He wasn¡¯t worried about getting rebuked, but recalling the content of the note, he decided that others shouldn¡¯t know more¡ª So he went all in and tore the note into shreds. The ssmates were quite surprised. Although Su Jue was a rich young master, he was also a good student, and this was the first time he had openly defied a teacher. When they looked back at Lu Xinnuan, they seemed to understand his intention. ¡°True man!¡± someone murmured approvingly. Xiao Qimo narrowed his eyes, his voice steady, ¡°Who passed this?¡± The charm of a mature man lies in the fact that his emotions are not so overtly expressed, and even though he appeared calm, he was still too imposing to be ignored. Su Jue turned away, unwilling to speak. The biology teacher also understood that a student in her ss had been caught passing notes. ¡°Director Qimo, Su Jue is usually an excellent student; I¡¯ll have him write a reflectionter¡­¡± Xiao Qimo said nothing, his gaze carelessly sweeping over the entire ssroom. Chapter 63 - 62: The Guidance Director Exclusive to Lu Mian Chapter 63: Chapter 62: The Guidance Director Exclusive to Lu Mian Those eyes were too piercing, making Lu Xinnuan¡¯s heart rise to her throat. She stared at Su Jue, silently praying that he wouldn¡¯t rat her out. She always abided by the rules, a model student in the teachers¡¯ eyes, and the obedient daughter her parents spoke of. If she were caught, it would be too embarrassing, and it would also leave a bad impression on the new head of discipline. Her hands twisted her clothing hem, and she couldn¡¯t help but inwardly me Lu Mian. Anything to do with Lu Mian always ended badly for her! In the end, Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t hold his stance, as punishing students wasn¡¯t his goal, after all. He simply looked around the ssroom indifferently and distantly, then retracted his gaze and left ss One with his hands behind his back. Everyone in the ssroom, including the biology teacher, let out a collective sigh of relief. Lu Xinnuan, too, having narrowly escaped, patted her chest and gave Su Jue an appreciative look. After all, Su Jue was still on her side. After ss, Lu Xinnuan quickly found Su Jue. ¡°Su Jue, thank you for not mentioning my name today. I¡¯ll remember your kindness,¡± she said. Su Jue didn¡¯t quite understand. What he did had nothing to do with Lu Xinnuan. He was annoyed and didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. Just then, someone outside called for Lu Xinnuan, inviting her to the radio room. With a bashful ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time,¡± Lu Xinnuan rushed away. The school radio room. Lu Xinnuan arrived at the familiar ce, prepared her script, turned on theputer and audio equipment, and began all the necessary preparations. She was the leader of the Kunpeng School radio team and broadcasted once a week. This was a rxing time during the afternoon break, and many boys looked forward to it eagerly. Their goddess, Lu Xinnuan, was going to tell them a story again. She was beautiful, did well in school, and had a gentle personality, making her the object of many boys¡¯ admiration. The content Lu Xinnuan was reading was ¡°Bouncing Back,¡± a very positive book that was a must-read highlighted by the teachers. This book had sold its audiobook rights. The voice actor named ¡®Cang Xue¡¯ had brought out the soul of the book with her voice. ¡®Cang Xue¡¯ was Lu Xinnuan¡¯s idol and the one she had always tried to emte. Although there had been some unpleasantness recently, thinking of how Su Jue had stood up for her today lightened her mood, and she treated her fellow radio juniors much better. After a junior handed her some warm water, sheplimented with admiration, ¡°Senior Lu, your voice is so nice to listen to, everyone says it would be great if you coulde to the radio room every day!¡± Lu Xinnuan smiled slightly and flipped to chapter nine of ¡°Bouncing Back.¡± ¡°Hello everyone, this is the campus radio room, and I am your friend, Lu Xinnuan¡­¡± ¡ª- Xiao Qimo returned to his office, where Ye Jinwen was waiting for him with a face full of gossip. ¡°How did it go? Did you go to visit Lu Mian again?¡± Heughed, thinking that the mighty Seventh Brother seemed to be exclusively the head of discipline just for Lu Mian. Yes, that¡¯s how it appeared! At that moment, the voice of Lu Xinnuan came through the radio, and Xiao Qimo spoke indifferently. ¡°Go execute a task.¡± ¡°Another task?¡± However, when Ye Jinwen heard the task¡¯s details, his baby face fell. He only wanted to ask one question: Can I refuse? The look in Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes gave him the answer. Ye Jinwen had no choice but to scurry off to the school radio room. Inside the radio room. The junior girl was startled to see Ye Jinwen knocking on the door, Wow, he¡¯s so handsome! Ye Jinwen whispered a few words to her, and the junior girl walked away cheerfully. Unaware of what was going on, Lu Xinnuan was focused on her reading until she caught Ye Jinwen out of the corner of her eye and, for a moment, looked bewildered, stumbling over her words. She quickly turned off the sound system, puzzled, and looked at Ye Jinwen. Ye Jinwen leaned on the table, his baby face smiling, ¡°Miss Lu, I heard you¡¯ve been spreading rumors about my doctor-patient rtionship with Lu Mian?¡± Chapter 64 - 63: The Insider Story of Case 726 Chapter 64: Chapter 63: The Insider Story of Case 726 Ye Jinwen said it with a smile. But the expression on his face was quite frightening. Lu Xinnuan had never seen such a demeanor, and she knew he was a famous psychologist; for a moment, she was stunned there. When she came to her senses, her eyes immediately reddened. ¡°Doctor Ye, you¡¯ve misunderstood me,¡± she said, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice. Ye Jinwen clicked his tongue; the girl was young, but her acting was pretty good¡ªit really was a pity she wasn¡¯t in show business. ¡°Miss Lu, I have a friend who is an actor, would you like him to introduce you to the industry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Such sarcasm made Lu Xinnuan¡¯s face burn with shame, and tears welled up in her eyes. She originally had the appearance of a demure and obedient beauty; now she appeared even more pitiable. Ye Jinwen rolled his eyes inelegantly and sat down at the table, ¡°Tell me, why do you want to hurt Lu Mian like this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan wasn¡¯t foolish; she had been keeping an eye on the switch of the sound system all this time. Her conversation with Doctor Ye could not be exposed no matter what. Otherwise, she, Lu Xinnuan, would be theughingstock of Kunpeng High School. Ye Jinwen¡¯s face was cold, ¡°You, Lu Xinnuan, and Lu Mian are twin sisters, do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What, you¡¯ve never told anyone about your rtionship with Lu Mian outside? How much do you despise her?¡± ¡°Yes, Lu Mian and I really are twin sisters!¡± Lu Xinnuan said through clenched teeth, as if it was hard for her to admit. ¡°Doctor Ye, since you already know, you should also understand that Lu Mian really isn¡¯t normal, and she indeed has received psychological treatment from you. If you¡¯re ming me for letting this news out, then you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m not lying!¡± ¡°Oh, even I, as a psychologist, haven¡¯t given her a diagnosis, and yet you¡¯re amazing, branding her as having a psychological disorder directly,¡± said Ye Jinwen. ¡°Look at her, does she seem like a normal person to you?¡± Lu Xinnuan became more and more self-assured as she spoke. She couldn¡¯t always coddle and indulge Lu Mian just because she was a victim, could she? She didn¡¯t owe Lu Mian anything! ¡°Then let me tell you as a professional psychologist that Lu Mian is very normal,¡± Ye Jinwen said with conviction. Lu Mian¡¯s abnormalityy in her thinking and behavior being different from others, not that there was a problem with her psyche. If there had to be a problem, it was that she was too intelligent and didn¡¯t fit in with others. ¡°It¡¯s you, however, who is actually her own sister, yet you nder her behind her back and hang her up on the campus forum for everyone to discuss!¡± After being rebuked, Lu Xinnuan bit her lip and her mind whirled. Her guilty expression had already said it all. Luckily, no one was in the broadcasting room at the moment, nor listening to her conversation with Ye Jinwen; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have said so much. ¡°Doctor Ye, I didn¡¯t cken her name. It¡¯s her own fault for being tainted. Neither my dad nor my mom likes her, and everyone in the family despises her, do you still think she¡¯s normal?¡± Ye Jinwen let out a light ¡°hmm.¡± ¡°Then I really want to ask, does your Lu Family even speak of kinship? The inner details of the 726 kidnapping case two years ago, others may not know, but how could you, Lu Xinnuan, and your Lu Family not know?¡± All of a sudden, Lu Xinnuan froze, her gaze fixed on Ye Jinwen; his eyes, cold as ice, made her heart tremble violently. The inner details of the kidnapping case¡­ This was the taboo that the Lu Family had sworn to never speak of! Chapter 65 - 64 The Feeling of Being Cared About Chapter 65: Chapter 64 The Feeling of Being Cared About Meanwhile, at Kunpeng High School, the campus was buzzing. This was the time when everyone rested and yed around, leisurely listening to Lu Xinnuan¡¯s broadcast. But no one expected that the broadcast, which had been running smoothly, suddenly stopped. Just as everyone was guessing if the speakers were broken, Lu Xinnuan¡¯s voice reappeared! And with it came a psychologist, Dr. Ye! Their conversation was broadcasted in its entirety, leaving the students in shock, as if they¡¯d stumbled upon some major secret. Many were confused and didn¡¯t know who Dr. Ye and Lu Mian were. But they could grasp the gist of the situation¡ªit was Lu Xinnuan who had posted on the school forum demanding Lu Mian to get out of Kunpeng High School. Moreover! They were twin sisters! My god, even TV dramas wouldn¡¯t dare to script this! The most shocked were the students in Senior Year (1) ss, especially those who were close friends with Lu Xinnuan, each of them staring wide-eyed. Originally, Lu Xinnuan had insisted she didn¡¯t know Lu Mian, but it turned out not only did they know each other, they had shared the same womb! Thinking about it, it was clear how deceptive Lu Xinnuan¡¯s initial words were! In an instant, Lu Xinnuan¡¯s image as the sweet goddess shattered to the ground. Meanwhile, in Junior Year (25) ss, Fatty Hao and Shouhao excitedly pointed at the ssroom¡¯s loudspeakers, shocked as they approached Lu Mian. ¡°Mian bro, you¡¯re actually twins with the school¡¯s beauty¡­ But you two look nothing alike!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Mian said nonchntly twirling his pen, ¡°Fraternal, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Why did she set you up though? She looks so pure¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, Mian bro, what¡¯s the meaning of the 726 kidnapping case?¡± ¡°Was it that nationwide incident from two years ago? Is there some inside story?¡± There were discussions all around, and the attitudes towards Lu Mian began to shift. ¡°Quiet, quiet, listen to what Lu Xinnuan is going to say next!¡± The ssroom fell silent as a chicken coop, everyone all ears for the gossip. While everyone was talking about the sisters¡¯ affair, Lu Mian, the person in question, felt like an outsider, only aware of the noise around him. He was wondering what the hell was going on again? Deleting the post, trapping Lu Xinnuan into revealing the truth¡ªit must be that man¡¯s doing. Tsch. His lips curled slightly, and he looked out the window with a detached gaze, somewhat absent-minded. Being cared for in this way¡­ seemed, well, not bad. In the dean of students¡¯ office. Xiao Qimo had been busy in front of theputer for a while, then he leaned back on the sofa, satisfied, and closed his eyes to rest. He looked the picture of peaceful, cultured, and gentle refinement, as if he hadn¡¯t just broken into the school¡¯s broadcast system, covertly controlling the loudspeakers. And Lu Xinnuan, who was utterly unaware of this, only confessed because she thought no one heard her. She seemed to be more resentful and agitated as she spoke. ¡°It seems you know quite a bit, Dr. Ye,¡± she said quietly, ¡°Yes, the 726 kidnapping case was not so simple. At that time, the kidnappers took both me and Lu Mian, asking our parents to raise money for our ransom. Five million for one person, ten million for two, without the money, there would be no rescue.¡± Lu Xinnuan finished speaking with a sinister tone, seemingly with a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°My family could only gather five million, and my parents had to choose between the two children. Heh¡­ Lu Mian has never been likable, nobody could control her, so what right did she have to make my parents choose her? The child my parents loved was me, and of course, I was the one they would save first!¡± ¡°I heard, your uncle¡¯s family is quite wealthy¡­¡± This was what Ye Jinwen couldn¡¯t understand, borrowing money shouldn¡¯t have been difficult for them. ¡°Dr. Ye, you¡¯re too naive! My uncle¡¯s family is wealthy, but that¡¯s their money. My parents had already borrowed nearly five million from them, how could they possibly ask for ten million more?! Even if Lu Mian was saved, could she ever earn five million to repay the debt in her lifetime? What about my father, my mother, and me? Are we not supposed to live?¡± Chapter 66 - 65: The School Beauty is a White Lotus Chapter 66: Chapter 65: The School Beauty is a White Lotus Ye Jinwen found this reason quite convincing. Because they were worried that Lu Mian wouldn¡¯t be able to pay the debt back and afraid that the debt would crush their whole family, they decided to give up one of their children. That was a life! He couldn¡¯t imagine how desperate Lu Mian must have felt when she heard her birth parents say ¡°save your sister¡±. They clearly could borrow the money if they just put aside their so-called pride, and they had the capability to save her but chose not to, which is fundamentally different from ¡°not having the ability to save¡±. For Lu Mian to still be this emotionally stable, she¡¯s already very kind, okay? ¡°Have you ever thought that she also wanted to live very much?¡± Ye Jinwen¡¯s voice was somewhat hoarse. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want to live? What did I do wrong?¡± Lu Xinnuan said with a helpless smile, ¡°Look, she¡¯s living well now, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ye Jinwen opened his mouth but waspletely speechless. He didn¡¯t want to say anything more to Lu Xinnuan and left the broadcast room with a flick of his sleeve. Lu Xinnuan steadied her emotions as if she had fought a tough battle, and eventually, she smiled a victorious smile. She took a deep breath and nned to continue the broadcast. However, a young girl from junior year walked in, looking at Lu Xinnuan with a strange expression. Lu Xinnuan, somewhat annoyed, asked, ¡°What¡¯s with the hesitation, is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Senior Lu¡­¡± the junior struggled to speak, ¡°What you just said¡­ it all went out on the broadcast¡­¡± ¡ª- Lu Mian was the victim of the 726 kidnapping case, a child abandoned by her parents, and this news quickly spread around the campus. It was a secret buried deep, yet now it had been exposed by someone who knew the details. Everyone was shocked. Lu Mian, whom they saw as a unique and aloof girl, had actually had such an experience. They had spoken against her on the forums, they had isted her in private, yet they had never tried to understand her. ¡°Why?¡± Fat Hao cried with watery eyes, ¡°Mian, you finally came back, why are they still so cold toward you? Can¡¯t they just sincerely care about you?¡± Shouhao was also wiping tears, ¡°Didn¡¯t Lu Xinnuan say it? Mian¡¯s parents didn¡¯t like her to begin with, maybe, they never thought Mian coulde back alive¡­ Damn, are these even biological parents? They¡¯re too biased!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a question of favoritism, I think the problem is with the parents themselves!¡± ¡°Mian¡¯s sister is also awful, pretending to be a white lotus. I used to think she was a goddess, hell! I was just blind!¡± ¡°They never think they¡¯ve done anything wrong, in fact, they¡¯ve never cared about Mian¡­¡± The ssroom was abuzz with discussions, very noisy. Several people wanted toe andfort Lu Mian, but were frightened off by the somber aura surrounding her. Lu Mian dropped her pen, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit.¡± Under the eager gaze of everyone, she left the ssroom rather impatiently. She arrived at the quiet hill behind the school and closed her eyes. She had never thought of garnering sympathy with her own experiences, never showing weakness to gain tears. The kidnapping case brought her the deepest darkness, but at the same time, it endowed her with the ability to no longer fear the dark. Actually, there was nothing pitiable about her. She didn¡¯t need that kind of fickle care. ¡°Lu, Lu Mian¡­¡± Lu Mian was closing her eyes when suddenly a male voice sounded in her ears. She slowly opened her eyes to see a crew-cut boy. ¡°They say when you¡¯re in a bad mood, eating chocte can help you rx. This is from my dad, he brought it back from overseas, for¡­ for you!¡± Chapter 67 - 66 Am I Not Innocent? Chapter 67: Chapter 66 Am I Not Innocent? Not far away, Xiao Qimo was hidden behind a building, silently watching in Lu Mian¡¯s direction. When he saw a boy approaching Lu Mian, his eyes narrowed involuntarily. The boy stood a meter away, holding a brand-new and exquisite box of choctes, and handed it over. Lu Mian¡¯s eyebrows knotted slightly. ¡°You eat it, it¡¯s really good!¡± The boy, probably very shy, ced the chocte on the stone bench beside her and ran away like the wind after turning his head. Lu Mian: ¡°¡­¡± In the meantime, Ye Jinwen sidled up to Xiao Qimo and egged on, ¡°Qimo, aren¡¯t you, the head of discipline, going to intervene?¡± Someone was already giving choctes to Little Mianmian, could their Qimo remain unmoved? ¡°She needs a little space to herself,¡± Xiao Qimo said indifferently. Just as Ye Jinwen was praising him for his magnanimity and sudden change of heart, he heard Xiao Qimo¡¯s voice again, full of interest, ¡°As for the matter of puppy love among middle school students, it seems that it¡¯s time to manage it¡­¡± Ye Jinwen: Yep, that¡¯s more like him! Lu Xinnuan returned to the ssroom with heavy steps. She dared not raise her head, let alone speak. The mere thought of her earlier words being heard by everyone made her wish she could vanish into thin air. Zeng Na, her deskmate, came over carefully and asked, ¡°Xinnuan, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a guilty conscience, Lu Xinnuan raised her head, ¡°Nana, what¡¯s up? I¡¯m fine¡­¡± No sooner had she finished speaking than someone in the ssroom began to mock. ¡°Lu Goddess¡¯s heart is really big; she sets up her own sister and still acts like nothing has happened, tsk!¡± ¡°Exactly, if I hadn¡¯t heard it with my own ears, who would believe it! She used to say all the time that Lu Mian had a psychological disorder and wanted to kick her out of school, saying she didn¡¯t recognize Lu Mian at all. Where¡¯s her face now?!¡± ¡°If I were Lu Mian, the first thing I¡¯d do aftering back alive would be to take revenge on the Lu family!¡± Lu Xinnuan listened to these voices, tears streaming down her face. She had never suffered such humiliation, never lost face like this, beholding the ssmates who usually ttered and held her up, her heart was filled with bitterness and rage. She defended herself feebly: ¡°How can you talk about me like that¡­ I was kidnapped too, am I not innocent?¡± ¡°If you really feel innocent, then you should be nicer to Lu Mian!¡± ¡°It was she who didn¡¯t want to acknowledge our rtionship, she who severed ties with the family. It was never me!¡± ¡°Sigh~~¡± The ss erupted into jeers, none believing her. Su Jue was also in the ssroom, annoyed by the discussion. He rose from his seat and walked towards Lu Xinnuan. Lu Xinnuan looked up at him with a pitiful expression, hoping for his support. However, not even sparing her a nce, Su Jue walked past her and away. Only his cold voice lingered in the air. ¡°I warned you, it was you who didn¡¯t listen.¡± Lu Xinnuan bit her lip hard, tears of humiliation and pain streaming down. ¡ª Lu Mian didn¡¯t return to ss; her teachers were informed she was resting quietly on the back mountain, so they wisely didn¡¯t disturb her. It wasn¡¯t until dusk began to fall that Lu Mian kicked at small stones and leisurely left the school grounds. By then, school had already let out, and there weren¡¯t many students left at the school gates. When she looked up to cross the road, she saw under the opposite Firmiana tree, a refined and noble-looking man standing. He had one hand in his pocket and his head tilted slightly. The setting sun cast a glow upon him, casting a halo around him that formed a pleasing picture, which made Lu Mian¡¯s right hand itch to draw it. Soon, the man across the street saw her. Across the road, he extended his right hand towards her, his voice clear and prating to the marrow. ¡°Lu Mian, let¡¯s go home!¡± Chapter 68 - 67 Home Care Chapter 68: Chapter 67 Home Care Home. This was the second time Lu Mian had heard this word from Xiao Qimo¡¯s mouth. It was also the second time she had be lost in thought because of it. Her expression was dazed as she looked at the man across from her, as if she had returned to her kindergarten days. Back then, her parents didn¡¯t dislike her yet, their rtionship was still passable, and the family of four was harmonious. Her father was very principled at the time, clearly stating that he would not take over the Lu Family¡¯s business. He bought a small house of over eighty square meters inside the third ring of Wucheng, and the family led a simple life there. The kindergarten was inside their residentialmunity, and every Monday to Friday, her father would stand under an old locust tree at the school gate, waving at her and Lu Xinnuan, ¡°Mianmian, Nuannuan,e home for dinner!¡± Just like Xiao Qimo at this moment, bathed in the setting sun, overflowing with brilliance. Lu Mian unconsciously hugged herself and walked over. But suddenly, a figure drifted into view. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the neer. ¡°Lu Mian, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time! This bouquet of roses is for you!¡± The youthful boy thrust therge bunch of roses into Lu Mian¡¯s arms, his eyes filled with anticipation and shyness. He wanted to say more, but he scratched his head and couldn¡¯t utter a word, then turned and ran away. Another one¡­ Xiao Qimo silently took note in his heart. He eyed the girl opposite him, walking towards him with the bouquet in her arms, and felt this wasn¡¯t the scene he had imagined. He wanted to say something, but seeing the extremely pale shade of her palm-sized face, the words that came out were instead filled with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Your face looks a bit pale.¡± Lu Mian lowered her gaze for a moment, herplexion stark against the bright roses. ¡°I¡¯ve been on the back hill, got blown by the wind,¡± she said halfheartedly. When she looked up again, her eyes had regained their calm. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°To pick you up after school.¡± ¡°Pick me up? Director Qimo really cares a lot about the students!¡± she replied, her demeanor still yful and nonchnt, as if amused with the world. In fact, Xiao Qimo was more concerned about her health, but he didn¡¯t want to be presumptuous. ¡°It¡¯s on the way.¡± Xiao Qimo kept it brief. Since they were neighbors, the route couldn¡¯t have been more convenient. This made him often feel that Ye Jinwen wasn¡¯t entirely useless; his choice of location had been spot on. Lu Mian carried an air of rebellion and mboyance, shrugging nomittally as she walked alongside him into the residential area. Passersby who asionally walked past couldn¡¯t help but turn and gaze in awe, after all, such a pair of good-looking individuals would be the center of attention wherever they went. However, Xiao Qimo¡¯s focus was on the flowers in her hands. Isn¡¯t it tiring holding them? Is there any use in taking them home? Where do high schoolers get the money to buy such big bouquets of roses? They must be using their parents¡¯ hard-earned cash! At such a young age, they¡¯re already trying to win girls¡¯ hearts with flowers¡ªan obvious sign of a seasoned yer in love. As an educational director, he was not just for show! ¡°Achoo!¡± As he was thinking this, the man abruptly sneezed. He pulled out a white handkerchief, appearing somewhat bewildered as he rubbed his nose. Lu Mian frowned at him. ¡°Achoo! Achoo!¡± Two more sneezes followed. Even while sneezing, the man¡¯s innate perfect features allowed him to carry out the action gracefully and unhurriedly. Xiao Qimo covered his mouth and nose with the schrly white handkerchief, his eyes behind the gold-framed sses expressing some apology, ¡°I think I¡¯m allergic to pollen¡­¡± Lu Mian paused for a moment. Without hesitation, she tossed the roses into a nearby garbage bin. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said sincerely. The gentlemanly man smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± as he meticulously returned his handkerchief to his pocket. Lu Mian¡¯s brows arched lightly, a hint of tease glowing in her eyes. Chapter 69 - 68: A Major Embarrassing Scene Chapter 69: Chapter 68: A Major Embarrassing Scene The two of them just happened to walk into the elevator area. Lu Mian gathered her backpack straps and walked slowly toward Xiao Qimo, her pale little face contrasting with the dazzling brilliance of her apricot-shaped eyes, which shone like stars. She shed an especially roguish smile, like a good-for-nothing loitering on the street, and in the moment she lifted her arm, she directly pinned Xiao Qimo between her and the wall. Xiao Qimo was taken aback. ??? In all my life, have I been cornered by a girl? As elegant andposed as Xiao Qimo was, he couldn¡¯t help but tense up, his heartbeat skipping. His movements froze, letting her slowly draw near, as he took in her fan-like curlyshes, her porcin-like wless skin loomingrger andrger. His feelings were incredibly mixed. But soon, he saw the teasing in the depths of her clear eyes, and he slightly narrowed his own. What is she trying to say? In just a few seconds, Xiao Qimo¡¯s emotions went through a whirlwind. But his self-control was always strong, and his face betrayed nothing, not even Lu Mian could tell there was anything amiss. Only his tensed muscr body reminded the girl¡­ he was nervous¡­ Hmmm¡­ Lu Mian gave a softugh, reining in her flippant mood, and in a voice as clear and serious as that of a little Demon, she spoke distinctly. She said, ¡°Excuse me, I need to press the elevator button.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s first reaction was to look behind him. When he saw the elevator buttons blocked by his body, his face nearly lost itsposure and he forced a smooth smile, quickly stretching out his hand to press the elevator. The elevator door opened with a ¡°ding¡±. He went in first, and just when he thought he¡¯d avoided a major awkward scene, he heard anguid, dandy voice drifting from behind. ¡°Director Qimo, I forgot to remind you that the roses earlier were all buds, no pollen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So foolish he was, to imagine talking about cornering and romance with a straight girl! Xiao Qimo¡¯s face, ever the picture of elegance, couldn¡¯t help but change color. The little rascal! Muttering a curse to himself, he extended his arm and pulled Lu Mian into the elevator. Perhaps caught off guard, or perhaps it was simply unexpected, Lu Mian, who had excellent reflexes and strength, froze and, without any warning, stumbled straight into his embrace, bumping into Xiao Qimo. The man took advantage of the moment, turning around to trap her in the corner of the elevator. To his surprise, Lu Mian behaved very meekly, merely bending her knees slightly, yet still standing awkwardly. Xiao Qimo sighed, looking at her pallid little face and feeling helpless, admitting defeat. ¡°I just wanted to say that the incident at the school today, it was me. As someone with the important position of head of guidance, I have to be responsible for the students. Lu Xinnuan anonymously posted leading messages and passed notes during ss, it was a warning for her, and also a way to clear your name.¡± Lu Mian looked up at him, her face skeptical. She probably didn¡¯t believe the first part of his exnation, as for thetter part¡­ She pursed her lips and ultimately said nothing. ¡°Ding.¡± The elevator reached the eighth floor in the blink of an eye. Lu Mian calmly stepped out, pushing away Xiao Qimo¡¯s arm without a sideways nce, and headed to her apartment¡¯s door. Xiao Qimo followed, tilting his head as he invited, ¡°Would you like toe to my ce?¡± ¡°No thanks. My bed isfier than your sofa.¡± Zero had already arranged her custom bed for her. Xiao Qimo: ¡­ Lu Mian was somewhat puzzled by Xiao Qimo¡¯splex emotions, looking like he wanted to say more, but she didn¡¯t have the energy to think further, she just wanted to lie down, she urgently needed to lie down. She entered the room with a fingerprint scan. The body that had been forcefully sustaining itself finally found a ce to rest, and she copsed into thefortable bed. Pain, her whole body was in pain. She raised her hand to check the records on her electronic watch and sighed. Indeed, it was that time again. Chapter 70 - 69: Would You Like Some Hot Water? Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Would You Like Some Hot Water? Lu Mian curled up on the bed with the nket in her arms. Soon, a text from Zero also arrived. Zero: ¡°Mian bro, how are you feeling today? That¡­time of the month hase, right?¡± Attached was a picture titled ¡°dysmenorrhea mushroom.jpg.¡± Mian: ¡°Yes, today.¡± Zero: ¡°Damn, your monthly cmity! Should Ie to find you?¡± Mian: ¡°I¡¯m living next to people from the Jinjing Xiao Family, you guys shouldn¡¯t show your faces.¡± It seemed to take a long time for Zero to respond, but finally, he sent a message: ¡°The elders at home say that it won¡¯t hurt after having kids. Do you want to find someone and have one?¡± Mian: ¡°Get lost.¡± Zero: ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Mian: ¡°Hail a cab and get lost!¡± Her fingertips trembled slightly as she sent that message, then casually tossed the phone into the nket. Her periods were painful, the kind that made her feel like dying. This wasn¡¯t a condition she was born with, but a seque from that kidnapping. Once a month, her body would inevitably suffer as if being torn apart and then put back together, torn apart again, and reassembled. She had picked up her life from death¡¯s door, but she also had to pay a corresponding price. Perhaps for her whole life, she would have to endure this torture. Lu Mian pursed her lips, herplexion pale as paper, and even as the pain made her tremble, she still didn¡¯t make a sound. She insisted on walking from the bed to the bathroom. Then from the bathroom, shey back on the bed. Along the way, she swallowed five painkillers, to no avail, but she still took them. The doorbell rang at this time. She frowned, fiddled with her wristwatch, and a small face appeared on the dial. It was Xiao Qimo. She tapped ¡°agree,¡± and the security door automatically opened. And by the time Xiao Qimo walked in, Lu Mian had already taken a deep breath and stood in front of him, as if nothing was amiss. As if the person who had just been in excruciating pain wasn¡¯t her. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± she asked, arms crossed in front of her, quietly leaning against the shoe cab. Her neckline was slightly bowed, and there was a somewhat weary and world-weary expression on her face. Mocking himself for being disliked for once, Xiao Qimo then brought up the takeaway bag from MM Ji Restaurant, ¡°The Xiao¡¯s food hase looking for its rightful cutlery.¡± While speaking with an air of grace andposure, he made himself at home and entered the room. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian, silent all the way, followed behind him, feeling the phrase ¡°a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing¡± was incredibly apt in describing Xiao Qimo. On the surface, he appeared to be a modest gentleman with impable manners; in reality, he was cunning and shameless. She watched the man ce the health meal meticulously on the table and even presumptuously went to the kitchen to take out the chopsticks she had borrowed, cing them properly at both sides of the table setting. Lu Mian just watched his back, not stopping him. But she quickly heard his slow and solemn voice, the light words drifting to her from behind. ¡°Lu Mian, if it hurts so much, don¡¯t pretend anymore.¡± The girl¡¯s heart was inexplicably struck by something. The next second, the elegant man was already at her side, courteously supporting her shoulders and leading her towards the bedroom. Her pale face had long proven she wasn¡¯t feeling well. An excuse to deliver food, but he also just wanted to see how she really was. She really wasn¡¯t feeling well, but still trying to maintain a facade of normalcy, trying to fool him. What a little liar! Withplicated feelings, Lu Mian let him lead her back to thefortable big bed, and clutching the nket, she said in a muffled tone, ¡°Don¡¯t think you know me so well.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how about a sip of hot water?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian paused for a moment, her voice even more muffled: ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Qimo handed Lu Mian a cup of warm water, bringing it to her lips for her to drink. From beginning to end, his care was gentlemanly, neither too distant nor too close, just right. Perhaps it was because of this subtle care that she felt the pain wasn¡¯t so bad anymore. Was it an illusion? She felt somewhat dazed. ¡°Buzz¡­¡± The vibration of the phone brought her back to her senses. Lu Mian, dragging her body, attempted to reach for her phone by the bed, only to find a man had already picked it up first. She immediately narrowed her eyes, with a shimmer of both clear and murky light flickering in them. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 71 - 70: Official Denial Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Official Denial Her expression only shifted subtly. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t notice, he just shook the phone in front of her and said, ¡°Lu Family, it must be a call from your family.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lu Mian¡¯s arms, which had been propping her up, lost their strength, the dark glint at the bottom of her eyes retreated, and she said impatiently, ¡°Just hang up¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was stunned to see Xiao Qimo on the other side had picked up the call? ¡°¡­¡± The almost roaring voice of Fu Man from the other end of the phone could be felt through the receiver as if embodying an emotionally shattering force. ¡°Lu Mian, what have you done to your sister?! Are you trying to ruin her? Are you purposely making it impossible for her to stay at school? I knew it¡­ I knew you still hated us, I knew you would never let us go!¡± Fu Man¡¯s voice wasced with strong usations, as if having suffered a significant blow, all the words she had been holding back in her heart poured out in a torrent. ¡°Lu Mian, the kidnapping case is over, it¡¯s been two years, why do you still bring it up? Why do you use other people¡¯s sympathy to nder your sister? What does that have to do with her, she¡¯s so outstanding, so kind, what has she done wrong?!¡± After a bout of ranting, Fu Man realized that it was unusually quiet on the other end, so she shouted again. ¡°Lu Mian, you speak!¡± At this point, Lu Mian didn¡¯t just want to not speak, she wanted to smash the phone too. What¡¯s it to her how Lu Xinnuan was doing. The irritation on her face was all too clear to Xiao Qimo, he held the phone to his ear, his breath crisp and icy, ¡°Hello, I am the Dean of Students at Kunpeng High School, Qimo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The person on the line was silent for a full half minute before she realized, as if confirming the number, and after she did, Fu Man¡¯s somewhat uncertain voice came through, ¡°May I ask, teacher, why is Lu Mian¡¯s phone with you?¡± Fu Man was a little embarrassed at the time, after all, she could say those words in front of Lu Mian, but in front of the lead teacher, it was a bit inappropriate. And if it were to further affect the teacher¡¯s opinion of Nuannuan, that would be adding insult to injury. She quickly corrected her attitude, ¡°Sorry, teacher, I didn¡¯t realize it was you. Did Lu Mian get her phone confiscated by you for ying with it during ss?¡± Xiao Qimo hummed nomittally, facing Lu Mian¡¯s puzzled look, he casually pocketed his hands and walked toward the living room. Lu Mian: ??? The man strolled to the sofa with an unhurried air, supporting himself with one hand on the back of the chair, he coldly replied into the phone, ¡°No, Lu Mian has been behaving very well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Fu Man dered categorically. Xiao Qimo had no intention of continuing to argue about this matter, with his legs crossed and a cunning look in his eyes bing increasingly apparent. ¡°Speaking of Lu Xinnuan, I actually would like to talk to you for a moment,¡± he said. ¡°Please speak, go ahead,¡± said Fu Man. ¡°Lu Xinnuan was caught by me passing notes in ss.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lu Xinnuan spread a post in the school forum saying ¡®Lu Mian has a psychological disorder, she should be kicked out of school,¡¯ and her phone ID was traced by me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Furthermore, the entire school¡¯s teachers and students can testify that it was Lu Xinnuan herself who revealed the kidnapping case, which had nothing to do with Lu Mian.¡± Hearing this emotionless voice, Fu Man¡¯s heart thudded nonstop; this was not the Nuannuan she knew. Nuannuan was always a good student, passing notes, posting on forums, that was impossible! But then she thought, this is the school¡¯s Dean of Students; he has no reason to lie. Her heart trembling, the confrontational anger she had at the beginning had dissipated, and she humbly spoke up, ¡°Teacher, could there be some misunderstanding here? How about this, let¡¯s find an opportunity, and I¡¯ll treat you to a meal, is that okay?¡± Chapter 72 - 71: Hope you can still be this nonchalant then. Chapter 72: Chapter 71: Hope you can still be this nonchnt then. Fu Man¡¯s attitude was extremely respectful, almost ingratiating. The man on the sofa nced toward the bedroom direction and coldly replied with a ¡°no need,¡± then decisively hung up the phone. He returned to the bedroom to give Lu Mian her phone back. Lu Mian took it and casually spun it in her hand. Xiao Qimo couldn¡¯t help but smile; whatever he gave her, she would always spin it in her hand. ¡°The Lu Family probably won¡¯t bother you for a while, so rest up,¡± he said. If Lu Mian hadn¡¯t heard wrong, there seemed to be a hint of seeking praise in his tone¡­ She must have heard it wrong. She demurely lowered hershes; her lips, usually full of nonchnt mischief, moved sincerely. ¡°Director Qimo, thank you.¡± The man felt a surge of satisfaction. Just as he was about to sit down, he heard her even-tempered voice again. ¡°Take care on your way out, no need to see you off.¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s movement paused mid-air, just for a moment, then he brushed off nonexistent wrinkles from his trousers and stood up naturally. ¡°You rest up.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Do you need me to ask for leave for you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo stepped away from Lu Mian¡¯s ce. When passing the dining area, the sight of two pairs of chopsticks on the table made him smile wryly; both were from his home. That¡¯s fine. When the room finally returned toplete silence, Lu Mian also finally let down her guard and, like a cat, curled up and fell into a deep sleep, hugging her belly. Lu Mian didn¡¯t ask for leave and went to school as usual the next day. It was as if yesterday¡¯s events had never happened. She continued as she always did, still distant and aloof to her ssmates, and no different with acquaintances, wearing that same nonchnt air. ¡°Mian, need help copying homework? It¡¯s due today.¡± The enthusiast Shouhao in the front row passed over his densely filled test paper, quite confident as he spread it in front of her. Lu Mian nced over it indifferently and smirked with a mischievous smile, ¡°No need.¡± ¡°But this is the homeroom teacher¡¯s physics paper! Mian, let me copy it for you too?¡± Shouhao, amidst his busy schedule, turned his head and took Shouhao¡¯s paper to copy, even offering to help Lu Mian with it. Lu Mian tapped the back of each of their heads with her pen. ¡°Shouhao, are you sure you want to turn in this paper with only 12 points?¡± ¡°Shouhao, are you sure you want to copy this 12-point paper?¡± Both of them froze at the same time and asked in a soul-searching tone, ¡°Mian, how do you know this paper will get 12 points?¡± Could it be¡­ Mian has the answers? Lu Mian, twirling her pen, said nonchntly, ¡°I guessed.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Shouhao nodded in relief and continued copying the physics paper. Since Lu Mian¡¯s paper wasn¡¯t given to him, he couldn¡¯t help her. When the ss representative came to collect the homework, the duo did mention that they lost Mian¡¯s paper. The ss representative, considering the incident from the day before, felt sympathy for Lu Mian and didn¡¯t press the matter. During the mid-morning break, Lu Mian asked the duo to take her to the library. She felt a lot better today; though still in pain, it wasn¡¯t much for Lu Mian. She was there to look for some books, and since she was searching slowly, she told the duo to head back first. They pretended to pick a couple of books and left. Lu Mian continued her search, her fingertips gliding along the spines, book by book, with utmost care. As she turned past a row of bookshelves, she suddenly came face-to-face with Lu Xinnuan. She passed by expressionlessly. Lu Xinnuan stood frozen, clutching the book she had borrowed, seething with resentment. ¡°Lu Mian,¡± she called out, turning her head, her voice not loud butden with bitterness, ¡°The monthly exams areing up soon, and I have to participate in the physicspetition. I hope by then, you can still be so nonchnt!¡± Chapter 73 - 72 Just Take It as For My Sake Chapter 73: Chapter 72 Just Take It as For My Sake Lu Mian turned to nce at Lu Xinnuan, rather perplexed. What did her monthly exam have to do with her physicspetition? But she couldn¡¯t be bothered to entangle with Lu Xinnuan and just said ¡°As you wish¡± before leaving leisurely with a few select books in her arms. Lu Xinnuan was fuming inside, it took a great deal of self-control to maintain herposure. She made a secret vow in her heart. This time in thepetition, she had to ce first. She wanted to show everyone with her academic performance that she was far superior to Lu Mian! That she was more deserving of being saved than Lu Mian! ¡ª¡ª When Lu Mian returned to the ssroom with her books, she just happened to catch Ding Cai¡¯s ss. Ding Cai had already instructed the ss representative to distribute test papers and, seeing a student arrivete, put on a stern face. However, upon realizing it was Lu Mian, his expression quickly softened into a smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lu Mian. Been to the library, right? Go back to your seat!¡± Ding Cai was already quite lenient with Lu Mian, and after learning the truth about the kidnapping case the day before, he felt even more sympathy for the student and naturally offered additional care. Seeing her take the initiative to borrow books from the library, he even thought she was showing a determination to improve. He murmured to himself as he walked down from the podium. ¡°Lu Mian is showing a lot of initiativetely, you all should take notice and strive for good grades in this monthly exam! This is your first test since entering high school, and it¡¯s extremely important¡­¡± As he spoke, he reached Lu Mian¡¯s desk. He intended to offer a few words of advice about the monthly exam, but his face froze upon seeing the stack of books she had borrowed. ¡°The cker¡¯s Counterattack¡± ¡°The vor of Physics¡± ¡­ Ding Cai choked up, why these pointless books again? Doesn¡¯t the school library have someone to manage this? Why are such chaotic books even there? What good are these books! Ding Cai forced a smile and whispered to Lu Mian at her desk, ¡°Lu Mian, your teacher understands your feelings, but reading these books is pointless. Why note to me for some tutoring? I guarantee I can help you score 60 in physics and you can counterattack in minutes!¡± He was still thinking about offering extra lessons to Lu Mian. As for the fact she had asked for apetition registration form, it never really registered with him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it after the monthly exam,¡± Lu Mian said while nonchntly covering the books with a test paper. Ding Cai noticed and realized, oh snap, that was the homework assignment test paper he had assigned the day before! His irritation never quite surfaced. As he turned and walked back towards the podium, passing by Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao, he finally found a vent for his frustration. ¡°Guo Zihao, Yuan Hao, just look at the two of you, identical scores of 12! Do you take me for a fool, unable to see that you¡¯ve copied? If I catch you cheating on tests again, you can forget about attending my physics ss!¡± Guo Zihao: ¡­ Yuan Hao: ¡­ Both focused on the bright red 12 on their papers, plunging into bewilderment. So, how on earth did Mianmian guess that? ¡ª¡ª After ss, Lu Mian sent a message to Sui Yuan that said ¡°Hang in there,¡± sinct and to the point. Sui Yuan replied with a smiley face emoji, followed by a sentence. [Mianmian, I¡¯ve decided not to participate in thepetition. You were the one who wanted the registration form, so you should be the one to go.] Lu Mian thought she was overthinking again and asked patiently. [Is the new ss teacher treating you poorly? Or does he not acknowledge the registration form?] [No, no, no, he¡¯s been very caring, much better than before. It¡¯s just that, Mianmian, I don¡¯t want to go this time. You go, consider it for my sake.] Actually, Sui Yuan wasn¡¯t overthinking this time. She had made her decision after considering what was happening between Lu Mian and Lu Xinnuan. Their Mianmian was superior to anyone else! Their Mianmian deserved to shine brightly! Chapter 74 - 73 I have a question, pretty urgent Chapter 74: Chapter 73 I have a question, pretty urgent Lu Mian was unaware of Sui Yuan¡¯s intentions, as her fingers flew across the keyboard in response. [Yuanyuan, stop messing around. The exam and seating arrangements are all set, we can¡¯t change them.] [Others might not be able to change it, but you can!] Lu Mian couldn¡¯t help but smile, staring at the text as if she could see Sui Yuan shaking his Little Baldy head, grinning slyly at her. [How many points do you want?] she replied. [As long as I do better than Lu Xinnuan!] Lu Mian: ¡­ How the heck did Lu Xinnuan get dragged into this again?! Before she could say anything else, Ding Cai, who had left the ssroom and now returned, stood at the back door waving at her. ¡°Lu Mian,e to my office for a moment.¡± ¡°Here I go¡­¡± Lu Mian rubbed her temples, thinking, does Teacher Ding have nothing better to do than to keep an eye on her every day? She leisurely put her phone in her pocket and, with an I-don¡¯t-care attitude, shoved her hands into her pockets and followed him to the office. Without Sun Jiaying, the physics group office had a more harmonious atmosphere. Ding Cai pulled out a chair for her and said in a low, mysterious voice, ¡°The monthly test is tomorrow. How about I give you some key points to focus on¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian felt somewhat conflicted. She carelessly drew circles with her toes on the ground and said calmly andzily, ¡°Teacher Ding, I don¡¯t need it.¡± Ding Cai: ¡°¡­¡± His enthusiasm was caught in his throat as several teachers walked into the office, forcing him to swallow it back down. ¡°Have the admission tickets for your ss¡¯spetition been printed yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a printer at Teacher Ding¡¯s, upload it to him and get them printed out together.¡± As they spoke, they looked back at Ding Cai, ¡°Teacher Ding, sorry to trouble you, just print your ss¡¯s tickets as well.¡± ¡°Our ss¡­¡± Ding Cai knew very well that, apart from Lu Mian, no one in his ss had taken the initiative to sign up for thepetition. Freshmen didn¡¯t have a sufficient grasp of the material; participation in such apetition meant either being a top student or cannon fodder. But since Lu Mian didn¡¯t turn in her registration form on her initiative, and he hadn¡¯t asked again. After all, with Lu Mian¡¯s historical performance, participating or not didn¡¯t make much difference. The teachers on the other side kept sighing. ¡°Our ss has no hope for thispetition. The top students from ss 1, Senior 3, are not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just there to make up the numbers. You can¡¯t have nobody sign up, that would be a real embarrassment!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! Teacher Ding, what about your ss?¡± A teacher turned their gaze to Ding Cai but then remembered something and quickly added, ¡°I forgot, you are ss 25.¡± The other person spoke frankly, with no malicious intent. But the veiled implication of ss 25 was understood by all the teachers present. The young and recently appointed Ding Cai looked quite embarrassed, scratching his head and smiling, at a loss for words. Lu Mian, with her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, suddenly interrupted him, her voice faint, ¡°Teacher Ding, may I use yourputer for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­ Wait, I¡¯ll print out the admission tickets for these teachers first.¡± ¡°Teacher, I have a question, and it¡¯s quite urgent.¡± Lu Mian insisted. ¡°What question?¡± Ding Cai leaned over while working on theputer. ¡°It¡¯s about this physics problem.¡± Lu Mian quickly scribbled a line of text on a piece of paper and pushed it over. [ce a rigid Earth with a mass of m in free space¡­] (PS: The question is sourced from the inte since the author is not proficient in physics¡­) Ding Cai was initially just giving it a side-nce, but his eyes lit up when he saw the problem. As a physics teacher, he naturally had an interest in physics problems. ¡°You can use theputer; let me look at this problem first.¡± Ding Cai willingly stepped away from theputer. Lu Mian took a seat, gently adjusted the screen angle, and started typing rapidly on the keyboard. Chapter 75 - 74 Are You Sure You’re Not Looking for Abuse? Chapter 75: Chapter 74 Are You Sure You¡¯re Not Looking for Abuse? The result after this problem appeared was¡ª¡ª A room full of physics teachers congregated around Ding Cai, with pen-wielders wielding pens and others crunching numbers, but for a while, five or six teachers couldn¡¯te up with an answer. ¡°This problem is quite interesting¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Ding, where did you get this question? It¡¯s really challenging!¡± Ding Cai silently nced at Lu Mian, his gaze quite intriguing. At this moment, Lu Mian also stopped. Yawningnguidly, her slender fingers restored theputer to its original state and casually wiped the visit history before getting up. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m done using it.¡± She spoke as if breezing through the clouds, as though nothing had happened. ¡°Oh. You can go back first, I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s anything,¡± Ding Cai didn¡¯t have the time to bother with her. Lu Mian walked over, her attitude earnest, ¡°Teacher, could you print out my admission ticket for me? I might as well take it with me.¡± ¡°No need! There¡¯s no admission ticket for the monthly test, just remember to bring your student ID!¡± Ding Cai replied perfunctorily, and then quickly realized, ¡°What admission ticket?¡± ¡°The National High School Physics Competition admission ticket.¡± Lu Mian smiled. Ding Cai: ¡°¡­¡± The other teachers nearby also looked at the teacher-student duo with indescribable expressions. It seemed that ss 25 really had no one else; they actually let a barely passing student enter thepetition. ¡ª¡ª The director of teaching¡¯s office. Ye Jinwen got excited again, ¡°Big Brother Seven, Big Brother Seven, the signal from the 13th has appeared again! He¡¯s shown up again!¡± ¡°Focus on the main point.¡± The elegant big shot seemed somewhat annoyed by his shouting. ¡°The main point! The main point is¡ª¡ª¡± Ye Jinwen took a deep breath, ¡°He¡¯s at Kunpeng High School! His signal just appeared at Kunpeng High School!¡± Xiao Qimo turned his head and looked over, pausing momentarily in the act of rolling up his sleeves. Ye Jinwen continued in amazement, ¡°For some reason this time, the signal is quite prominent, covering the entire Kunpeng High School.¡± Even though they couldn¡¯t pin it down to a specific person, at least the location was certain. Xiao Qimo¡¯s facial features were calm, inscrutable. He methodically finished adjusting his cuffs, and a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Heh, quite brash.¡± ¡°Definitely brash!¡± Ye Jinwen nodded repeatedly, ¡°Big Brother Seven, it suddenly urs to me that thest time we detected the signal of this mysterious person, it was near your residential area, and just opposite your ce is Kunpeng High School!¡± Xiao Qimo gave him a ¡°so what?¡± look. ¡°So, could this mysterious person be a student or teacher from the school? There are thousands of people in the school, how are we going to scrutinize? How about we gather everyone together now and question them one by one?¡± His words triggered a thought in Xiao Qimo, his thin lips slightly curving up, ¡°No rush, there will be an opportunity.¡± ¡ª¡ª It was the day of the preliminary round of the National Physics Competition. Kunpeng High School was a key school in Wucheng, and it had long been decided that thepetition venue would be in its own lecture theater. At the same time, it was also the monthly exam for the first-year students. The first-year students who had registered for thepetition had already asked for leave in advance from their teachers. Lu Mian found it troublesome and didn¡¯t ask for leave. With empty hands, she just took her documents and a pen and timed her arrival to the lecture theater. At the entrance, Lu Xinnuan came back from the restroom just in time to bump into her. Lu Xinnuan pointed to the ssroom door te and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong ce. Your first-year exam room isn¡¯t this way.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lu Mian replied casually, brushing past her, finding her seat, and sitting down steadily. Lu Xinnuanughed out loud in derision. Lu Mian? Competing in a physicspetition? Is she sure she¡¯s not asking for a beating? Chapter 76 - 75 Are You Short of Money? I’ll Lend You Some Chapter 76: Chapter 75 Are You Short of Money? I¡¯ll Lend You Some The exam formally began. Lu Xinnuan returned to her seat, holding her pen as she nced in Lu Mian¡¯s direction, finding the whole situation rather amusing. Once she began working on the test paper, her mood lightened considerably. The kidnapping incident had turned her into the target of everyone¡¯s criticism. Simply because she had been saved and Lu Mian hadn¡¯t, their ssmates attacked and mocked her. Deep down, she refused to ept this. But she could only forcefully swallow her frustration. This time, if Lu Mian wasing intentionally into her way, then he couldn¡¯t me her for the awkward scene that would ensue when the results came out. With that thought, she lowered her head and began to rack her brain, working on the problems. Behind and to the side of Lu Mian, Su Jue had also spotted her, his surprise prompting him to give her an extra couple of nces. Ever since she appeared, his mind had been in disarray. He couldn¡¯t make sense of this girl at all. The more he knew, the more confused he became. For instance, why was she suddenly appearing in apetition exam venue? His grandfather had said that their Su family wasn¡¯t worthy of her, but what did that actually mean? The more he thought about it, the less he felt like continuing with the exam. The exam time flew by. The lecture hall was silent, save for the scratching of pens furiously scribbling on paper. It wasn¡¯t until the invigtor announced ¡°One hour of the exam time has passed¡± that many realized they had onlypleted a quarter of the paper. The main issue was that the questions were too difficult, and nobody was working particrly fast. While busy, they couldn¡¯t help but look around at each other. After seeing the vast empty spaces on other people¡¯s test papers, everyone felt a little reassured. After all, all the students assembled here were top of their sses; if one person didn¡¯t know the answers, surely the others wouldn¡¯t either. However, as everyone continued to hunch over their work, the seats in the tiered ssroom made a slight creaking sound. Before anyone could raise their heads, a slim, tall figure had walked up to the podium. ¡°Handing in your paper?¡± the invigtor asked, uncertain. Looking down to check the time, there were still two hours left until the exam would be over. Lu Mian nodded, calmly spread her paper out on the podium, and without waiting for the invigtor¡¯s attempt to convince her to stay, she walked out with one hand in her school uniform pocket and the other spinning her pen, nonchntly. All the students: ??? Handing in the paper after just one hour? It¡¯s confirmed, this one¡¯s just here to make up the numbers! After a few seconds of stunned silence, they hurriedly lowered their heads again. The teacher had said to persevere until the end, even if they didn¡¯t know the answers, and to not let others disrupt their rhythm. Stay steady! Before long, another person left their seat in the auditorium and handed in their paper early. The invigtor was rather puzzled, watching a tall male student leave. He picked up the two papers that were just handed in, one onlypleted a little while the other was filled out morepletely, and he could only shake his head in resignation. Students: One or two is fine, but can you at least let others concentrate on their exams? And Lu Xinnuan, after witnessing Lu Mian hand in her paper and seeing Su Jue hastily leave the ssroom, almost crumpled the draft paper in her hand. It was to be expected that Lu Mian wouldn¡¯t know the answers and turn in her paper early. But Su Jue following suit and leaving gave her a feeling of betrayal. When she picked up her pen to continue, she just couldn¡¯t solve the problems on the test paper anymore¡­ ¡ª¡ª Su Jue chased after Lu Mian for several steps before finally catching up with her. Lu Mian looked at the digital watch on her wrist and frowned. ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t need toe today. Even if you had skipped the exam, no one would have said anything,¡± Su Jue whispered. Lu Mian ignored him, her impatient expression sending a clear message: don¡¯t bother me. Su Jue felt quite awkward but still followed her. ¡°Lu Mian!¡± he called after her, saying, ¡°I heard you moved out from your home. You¡¯re still in school and have no ie. Are you short on money? I¡¯ve got some here¡ªyou can take it and use it for now¡­¡± Lu Mian gave him a sidelong nce, seemingly bemused. But Su Jue mistook it for a misunderstanding and quickly exined, ¡°This is money I made from stock trading, it¡¯s got nothing to do with my family. Just use it without worries!¡± ¡°Stock trading?¡± Lu Mian stopped and finally spoke her first words to him. Chapter 77 - 76 Director Qi Guarantees for Her Chapter 77: Chapter 76 Director Qi Guarantees for Her Lu Mian wasn¡¯t into gossip and didn¡¯t know about Su Jue¡¯s storied experiences at school. Yet Su Jue thought he¡¯d piqued her interest and, unable to maintain his pretense of indifference, he couldn¡¯t help adding, ¡°Right, being around it at home, I tried buying some stocks. It seems the returns aren¡¯t bad, made 15 millionst time, and over 10 million the time before that.¡± Such sums of money were substantial in anyone¡¯s eyes. Especially for someone from an ordinary family like Lu Mian¡¯s, this was an unimaginable fortune. Just thinking back two years ago, the Lu Family was ready to give up on Lu Mian for five million, one could realize how important money was to them. Every time Lu Xinnuan found out about it, she would look at him with eyes filled with admiration and longing. Perhaps in his heart, Su Jue was also hoping for a response from Lu Mian. However, he still didn¡¯t understand Lu Mian enough. When she heard the huge sums he mentioned, her expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest, she merely sidestepped him and walked away emotionlessly. ¡°Lu Mian!¡± Su Jue instinctively reached out to grab her, but as soon as his hand stretched out, he met Lu Mian¡¯s icy, prating gaze, her crimson lips curved in a smile that was both wicked and fierce. ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± she said calmly. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Where else do you need to be? Can¡¯t you just listen to me for once?¡± He had given up on thepetition himself toe out with her, yet he couldn¡¯t even get a single word or nce from her, which frustrated him greatly. His grandfather had even told him to take care of her, but she didn¡¯t appreciate it at all. Far from appreciating it, Lu Mian was actually annoyed and snapped, ¡°None of your damn business,¡± before striding towards the freshman teaching building. Su Jue, still not giving up, followed behind her, calling her name as he chased after her. Until¡ª A graceful and handsome man blocked the intersection, his cool, deep eyes hidden behind gold-framed sses, his emotions well concealed. His gaze fixed on Su Jue, an extraordinary aura effortlessly overwhelming him. ¡°Good day, Director Qimo,¡± Su Jue greeted in a low voice, feeling a strange sense of awe towards this dean of discipline. It was as though he knew he wouldn¡¯t really do anything to him, yet subconsciously he told himself that he must not offend this man. But his peripheral vision was eagerly chasing after Lu Mian¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Some are taking exams, others attending sses; is it appropriate for you to be causing such a disturbance?¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s words, a standard spiel for a director of discipline, felt perfectly natural to him. His voice, from beginning to end, was calm, and even thest syble sounded casual. Combined with his schrly and gentlemanly demeanor, he exuded maturity and stability. Su Jue hung his head, ¡°Director Qimo, I know I was wrong.¡± ¡°Go back to your ssroom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Jue was reluctant; it had been so hard to find the chance to speak alone with Lu Mian. ¡°What, you want me to escort you back?¡± In the end, Su Jue reluctantly headed back to his own ssroom, but not before stealing a longing look in the direction Lu Mian had left. ¡ª¡ª Lu Mian, twirling a pen in her hand, arrived leisurely at the freshman teaching building. She still remembered the exam room allocation for her ss, and as she found the ssroom, it was already filled with students. The proctor stepped out and nced at his watch, ¡°You¡¯re an hourte.¡± ¡°Stomachache,¡± exined Lu Mian. The proctor wasn¡¯t quite convinced and tried to stop her. When he looked up, he was met with a tall, slender figure. He spoke withposure, ¡°I can vouch for her, she had a stomachache.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The proctor only hesitated for a few seconds before hurrying to step aside, ¡°With Director Qimo vouching for you, hurry in, there¡¯s not much time left.¡± ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡± Lu Mian nodded her head and nced back at Xiao Qimo, a world of unspoken understanding passing between them. The exam room was slightly disturbed by Lu Mian¡¯s arrival, which was rtively unproblematic since it was only a monthly test and proctoring wasn¡¯t very strict. After sitting down, the chubby boy in the row in front turned back, leaning on his chair with excitement and slightly raising his exam paper. ¡°Brother Mian, Brother Mian, guess how many marks I¡¯m going to get this time?¡± Chapter 78 - 77: Why is he everywhere? Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Why is he everywhere? Lu Mian tidied up the test papers for a moment before ncing up at him. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a bit,¡± she said indifferently. Pang Hao was overjoyed, covering his mouth to keep his voice down as he offered up his suggestion like a prized treasure, ¡°Brother Mian, you can copy from me, I¡¯ll just leave my test paper like this.¡± As he spoke, he pulled his test paper to the edge of the desk, perfectly positioned so that Lu Mian seated behind could easily see and copy from it. Lu Mian, supporting her forehead with her left hand, spoke in a light and somewhat helpless tone, ¡°You should probably check this 1.2-point physics paper of yours again¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pang Hao¡¯s expression resembled the end of the world, ¡°I wrote so much.¡± ¡°Yeah, so the 0.2 points are for effort.¡± Pang Hao looked at his mostly filled test paper¡ªin disbelief,st time he got 12 points, and now just 1.2? With tearful eyes, he sought help, ¡°Brother Mian, what do you think the answer to the first question is?¡± ¡°Choose B.¡± While the two were exchanging words, the invigtor returned with a bashful demeanor, and the ssroom instantly fell back into silence. The examination room was filled with harmony. ¡ª¡ª After leaving the exam room, Pang Hao, carrying his backpack, followed Lu Mian. ¡°Brother Mian, where did you go before the exam?¡± ¡°I went to the next exam room.¡± ¡°Next door? The physicspetition one?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pang Hao heard groundbreaking news, briskly taking a few steps before turning back to look at Lu Mian, his mind whirring non-stop: Could it be that he had encountered the legendary low-profile whiz, the one who seamlessly took two exams back-to-back¡­? Whether he was a whiz or not didn¡¯t matter; what mattered was his admirable Brother Mian. ¡°By the way, Brother Mian, there was a jewelry robbery in Wucheng yesterday. You must be careful on your way home from school. My dad said those people could harm hostages. If you see any suspicious characters, run away immediately!¡± Pang Hao advised earnestly. Although Guo Zihao was just giving a friendly reminder, Lu Mian took it to heart. ¡°How many people were they? What did they look like? Which jewelry store did they rob? Where was theirst seen location?¡± Pang Hao was seeing Lu Mian take such an interest in a matter for the first time and scratched his head, ¡°This case is being handled by my dad, and there are some details he can¡¯t share. I only know there were three of them, and they were all in disguise. My dad and his team couldn¡¯t catch them; they¡¯re really cunning! They robbed the store in the north of the city, but I don¡¯t know where they disappeared tost.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± As Lu Mian spoke, she quickened her pace. ¡ª¡ª Inside a bar in the north of the city. Lu Mian had changed out of her school uniform, wearing ck trousers and a short-sleeve shirt, and showed up at the bar. Her striking and delicate appearance caught numerous eyes the moment she appeared. Eager, intense, suggestive. She settled herself at the bar withposure, ordering just a ss of ice water. Absent-mindedly fiddling with her ss, she asionally yed a few games to pass the time. When Xiao Qimo came down from the second-floor private room, her presence at the bar caught his eye immediately. The surroundings were noisy and lively, but she created a world of her own, blocking everything else out. The refined man adjusted his sses, the dim light of the bar casting a subtle glow on the lenses. He walked down the stairs slowly, with a brooding gaze seemingly carelessly scanning the bar¡¯s main hall. It was too unsafe for a girl to be in such a ce. Especially a girl who attracted so much attention. Especially when she wasn¡¯t here for that, drinking ice water of all things! His slender fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, his temper ring up as he strode toward Lu Mian. In the meantime, Ye Jinwen sent him a message. ¡°Qimo, they¡¯re in the second-floor card room, looking for people to y cards with!¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Qimo replied coldly. After a few strides, he reached Lu Mian and leaned against the counter with his distinguished and cold demeanor, reaching out to take the ss from her hand. Lu Mian looked up in astonishment, and upon recognizing Xiao Qimo, her expression was beyond words. Why was he everywhere? Chapter 79 - 78: The Ten Clever Student Sisters Chapter 79: Chapter 78: The Ten Clever Student Sisters Xiao Qimo seemed to have understood the look in Lu Mian¡¯s eyes, his refined and handsome face coloring with a hint of darkness. There weren¡¯t many people in this world who dared to disdain him, and Lu Mian was one of them. This ungrateful little rascal, he had just added such precious nourishing medicine to warm water for her a couple of days ago, and here she was, turning around to drink ice water in a bar. ¡°Your stomach doesn¡¯t hurt anymore?¡± his voice could hardly be called gentle. Lu Mian paused for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Why are you at a bar?¡± ¡°To relieve boredom,¡± she answered without changing her expression. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t do what he was thinking. Instead, he tipped his chin up, indicating the direction of the second floor, ¡°There¡¯s a card room upstairs, it¡¯s quieter than here. I¡¯ll take you up to relieve your boredom.¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t refuse either, nodding her head and following Xiao Qimo¡¯s footsteps. Xiao Qimo was always observing her, seeing her pass through various ill-intentioned gazes withposure, he couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless. Had she already be ustomed to disguising herself? Other girls her age would probably have been ufortable with such stares long ago. Once they reached the second floor, it was much quieter, and the lighting was very bright. Xiao Qimo pushed open the door at the end of the corridor very gentlemanly and invited Lu Mian to go in first. Ye Jinwen was making a racket with a few people. Upon seeing Lu Mian entering, he clicked his tongue and sidled up to Xiao Qimo with winks and gestures. ¡°Qimo, didn¡¯t you go to take care of physiological needs? Howe you¡¯ve brought someone back?¡± ¡°Chance encounter.¡± Ye Jinwen took up a ¡°watch the fun¡± posture, his burning gossip soul couldn¡¯t be more obvious. Xiao Qimo ignored him, signaling for the waiter toe over and ordered a cup of hot milk. Children should drink children¡¯s beverages. Lu Mian was quite helpless and licked her lips. Soon, a cup of hot milk was handed to her, and she had no choice but to hold it in her palms. She didn¡¯t know how to y cards, so she just sat behind Xiao Qimo, dangling her legs casually, sipping milk little by little, a perfectly well-behaved schoolgirl. Xiao Qimo was very satisfied with this and felt quite good about her just sitting there. It was just a simple game of cards, all for fun. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen were a team, while the other two were a team. Each card was yed in turn, both sides winning and losing, asionally making small talk, but soon it became rather dull. One of the strangers with a stubbled chin suddenly looked at Lu Mian and clicked his tongue. ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s have the little sister shuffle for us?¡± Lu Mian, who was pointed out suddenly, was taken aback and earnestly exined, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to shuffle cards.¡± The stubbled man was even more satisfied. That was what he wanted, someone who didn¡¯t know how to shuffle cards could also add a bit of fun. If the game turned out to be enjoyable, who knows¡­ Xiao Qimo¡¯s beautiful, slender fingers dealt out a card, pressing the tip firmly against the table. ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t know how,¡± his voice calm with a deep undertone that carried a sense of pressure. The other party wasn¡¯t quite willing to give up and evenughed outright. ¡°How about this, if you guys win this round, you can make a request of me. If we win, then I get to make a request of you, how does that sound?¡± Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen¡¯s eyes met in midair. They had been keeping an eye on this stubbled chin for a while, they indeed needed to get some information out of him. But when it involved Lu Mian, the thought was quickly dismissed. The stubbled man was still waiting for an answer. Lu Mian put down her cute pink milk cup on the side and stood up, with a faint smile touched by a hint of mischief, she said, ¡°Alright.¡± The stubbled man nodded in satisfaction. Xiao Qimo¡¯s brows were furrowed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just shuffle them casually.¡± Looking at the stubbled man, her lips curled up with a smile, growing more wicked. Chapter 80 - 79: Invincible King Bomb Hand? Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Invincible King Bomb Hand? ¡°` He opened a brand-new deck of ying cards. Lu Mian took them, holding them in the palm of her hand and flicking them open one by one. Her movements didn¡¯t seem that adept, yet they created a scene one couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of. Her fingers were slender and graceful, her clean, natural pale pink nails neither too long nor too short, exuding a healthy, translucent beauty. The cards, seemingly carelessly shuffled in her hands, made it seem like watching her shuffle was a pleasure in itself. The light in the bearded man¡¯s eyes became brighter and more restless. ¡°Little sister, you can¡¯t shuffle cards like that,¡± he said, stroking his chin, smiling like a sly fox, ¡°Put them on the table, and I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Lu Mian nced at him, a fleeting sneer shing in the depths of her clear, cold ink-ck eyes. She didn¡¯t listen to the bearded man. After a few ¡°snap snap¡± flips of the cards in her hand, she neatly ced them in the center of the table. ¡°They¡¯re shuffled.¡± It was truly just a casual shuffle, something rarely seen on the poker table. They all suspected that the cards had probably not been properly shuffled. However, with Xiao Qimo present, the bearded man wouldn¡¯t say or do anything at this moment, and called out to the four yers, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s continue. With the cards little sister shuffled for us, I¡¯m sure my luck will increase substantially!¡± ¡°Boss Huang, your luck is good today, you¡¯ll definitely win!¡± The bearded man¡¯s henchman across the table ttered him. ¡°Brother Qi¡­¡± Ye Jinwen also called out. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t pay attention; instead, he turned his gaze to Lu Mian, who had quietly and obediently taken a seat behind him, with a slight curve forming on the corner of his lips. This time, it was the bearded man¡¯s turn to draw cards first. His fingers, trembling with excitement, brushed away the first ying card and he clicked his tongue, ¡°Let¡¯s see what good card I¡¯ve got¡­¡± In his hand was: the Four of Hearts. His face clearly showed disdain. When it was Xiao Qimo¡¯s turn, his fingers held the ¡°Big Joker¡±¡ªthe biggest card in the deck¡ªsomewhat surprisingly. Tonight was the first time he¡¯d drawn such a high card. He leaned back slightly and said in a low mocking tone, ¡°Nicely shuffled.¡± Lu Mian, who was nonchntly ying a game with her legs crossed, amidst her busyness onlyzily responded, ¡°I just shuffled them randomly.¡± Xiao Qimo nodded and continued. After all the cards on the table had been drawn and everyone had organized their hand, the man stared at the unbeatable ¡°royal flush¡± in his hand and fell silent. The hand was so good that he felt the urge to y it openly. Jinwen across from him was the same, rxed and confident, nearly unable to sit still in his chair. On the other hand, the bearded man and his group looked as dark as the bottom of a pot, only wanting to throw down their cards and leave. Lu Mian, uninterested in their game rules, finished her two-minute game and looked up to see Xiao Qimoy down all his cards, dering with cultivated elegance, ¡°We¡¯ve won.¡± With such a hand, they could win even with their eyes closed. The bearded man and hispanion¡¯s faces turned ashen. Was this some kind of hex? Such terrible cards in one hand! ¡°Little sister,e on, help us shuffle one more time!¡± The bearded man was not quite willing to give in. Lu Mianzily raised her eyes, ¡°Fulfill your promise first.¡± Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen also looked at him quietly. ¡°For little sister¡¯s sake¡­¡± The bearded man gestured grandly, yet was rather straightforward, ¡°Make your demands, as long as they¡¯re within my capabilities.¡± Ye Jinwen, having received a signal from Xiao Qimo, winked at Lu Mian before asking, ¡°Boss Huang, we don¡¯t really have any demands. We¡¯re just curious, where did you buy the shiny gold chain around your neck? It looks pretty nice.¡± To such a simple question, a normal person would be relieved. But the bearded man¡¯s face turned wary. The gold chain had always been tucked under his cor; not many people could see it. Now that it was suddenly mentioned, his guilt was showing¡­ ¡°Eh, this¡­¡± The bearded man¡¯s eyes shifted evasively. With a trace of a mocking smile, Lu Mian spoke up, ¡°Is this too difficult? Could it be that the gold chain isn¡¯t yours?¡± Chapter 81 - 80: The Falling Flowers Intention, The Heartless Flowing Water Chapter 81: Chapter 80: The Falling Flowers Intention, The Heartless Flowing Water Being provoked by such a beautiful young girl, the bearded man was unwilling to back down on the spot. ¡°Little sister, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m a legitimate businessman! I don¡¯t even know where this gold chain was bought, I found it in the corridor of my hotel! Nobody imed it, so I took it¡­¡± The bearded man added, ¡°If someonees looking for it, I¡¯ll return it! I never nned to keep it!¡± Lu Mian ¡°huh¡±ed, uninterested. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen exchanged aplicated look. It seems that the jewelry robbery in Wucheng yesterday has nothing to do with this bearded Mr. Huang. Yes, the gold chain around Mr. Huang¡¯s neck was indeed the one registered as stolen from the jewelry store. Mr. Huang appeared unaware and had worn it out, thus catching their attention, leading them to this bar to y cards. ording to Mr. Huang, the stolen item appearing in his hotel implies that the three suspects had been there, and they might still be in the hotel at this moment! With this in mind, Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen naturally lost the mood to continue ying cards, subtly indicating their intention to leave. But Mr. Huang was unaware of these details, and having lost miserably in the previous round, he naturally wanted to win it back and insisted on not letting them go. ¡°You two can¡¯t just win and run! Little sister, deal for us one more time, I promise it¡¯s thest hand!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ye Jinwen wanted to refuse. Xiao Qimo threw a reassuring look, hinting it was alright to y one more round, a matter of a minute or two. ¡°Alright¡­¡± So, true to the form of someone who cannot shuffle cards, Lu Mian reluctantly shuffled for them again, still half-heartedly and carelessly. The stack of cards was ced back on the table. This time, Lu Mian did not sit back down but rested one hand on the back of Xiao Qimo¡¯s chair, her tone indifferent, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± ¡°Hmm. Go out the door and walk straight to the end on your left-hand side,¡± he instructed considerately. ¡°Okay.¡± After Lu Mian left, the bearded Mr. Huang¡¯s eyes remained glued to the door. ¡°Mr. Huang, it¡¯s your turn to draw cards,¡± Xiao Qimo reminded in a cool voice. Mr. Huang snickered, reaching for the cards whileughing, ¡°Mr. Qimo, it¡¯s a case of unrequited love. That girl obviously has no interest in you!¡± His words couldn¡¯t have been more tant; although the beautiful girl was brought by this gentleman, it was obvious they were not a couple, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be harboring any thoughts. ¡°Draw. Your. Card!¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s voice grew even heavier. The current hand was not as good as thest; both parties were equally matched. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen had nned to finish the game in two minutes, but unexpectedly, even ten minutester, they couldn¡¯t end it. With Mr. Huang now ying more carefully out of determination, the oue was hard to predict for a while. Twenty minutester. Lu Mian returned leisurely, wiping the water droplets off her fingers with a tissue. She nced at the card table and said in a teasing tone, ¡°Still not finished?¡± Xiao Qimo grunted nonchntly and handed out the final card, asking, ¡°Took a long time? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Mian spread her hands casually, ¡°Girl stuff, you know, a bit more troublesome.¡± Xiao Qimo got it right away, but for some reason, he felt that something was a bit off. The card game ended with thest card put on the table, and the winners were decided. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen narrowly won. The two naturally had no intention to continue and, after saying goodbye to Mr. Huang, led Lu Mian downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Xiao Qimo had already opened the passenger side door, and while turning around, he gave a suggestive look to Ye Jinwen. Ye Jinwen took the hint, ¡°Little Mianmian, I have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll be off first!¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t protest. The two of them didn¡¯t speak much on the way back, quickly returning to Jin City Number One. When Xiao Qimo got the call from Ye Jinwen again, he was informed¡ª ¡°Brother Qi! We¡¯ve found the suspect! But¡­¡± He paused, sounding frustrated, ¡°Damn it, someone stole our thunder and tied the suspect up and dumped them at the police station before we could!¡± Chapter 82 - 81: The Results Are Out Chapter 82: Chapter 81: The Results Are Out Xiao Qimo held his phone, closed the security door, and walked straight to the balcony. The night sky was dotted with stars, and through his dark and icy eyes behind the gold-rimmed sses, a hint of confusion andplexity that didn¡¯t belong to his style shown. ¡°Have you checked the surveince?¡± ¡°Boss Huang¡¯s ce is just a small hotel; there are too many blind spots in the surveince. As for how it was thrown at the police station¡¯s doorstep, the roadside cameras only reveal that it was a licensed vehicle, but all other information is untraceable.¡± Ye Jinwen paused before speaking hesitantly, ¡°This style of operation, it looks a bit like¡­¡± Before he could finish, Xiao Qimo interrupted him, ¡°Since the suspect has been found, there¡¯s no need for us to intervene. Let¡¯s stop here.¡± He appeared to be quite indifferent, but Ye Jinwen was somewhat discontented. ¡°Qimo, our lead has been stolen! This case was entrusted to us first, and just when we were about to clear things up, in the end¡­ Ugh!¡± Ye Jinwen clenched his fists on the other end, ¡°If I find this person, I will definitely fight with him for three hundred rounds!¡± After speaking, he felt strange himself; their actions had always been very secretive, and they were already moving quickly, yet someone else had beaten them to the punch. Where exactly did the problem lie? Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t say anything, his expression growing even moreplex. However, what he was pondering over wasn¡¯t the jewelry case, but how to imbue ¡°flowing water with intention,¡± wasn¡¯t it? ¡ª¡ª Lu Mian had spent a solid weekend at home, and her previously sore and heavy body had mostly recovered, with herplexion looking much better. Today was the day the monthly exam results were distributed. After arriving in the ssroom, everyone¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t very high, someparing answers, others estimating their scores, gathering in groups, sighing andmenting. The first monthly exam for the new first-year high school students indeed had some impact on their future. As soon as Lu Mian swung her school bag and stepped into the ssroom, Fat Hao and Shouhao stopped talking and approached her. ¡°Mian, how much did you estimate for this exam?¡± Lu Mian put down her school bag, hooked a stool with the tip of her shoe, and sat down nonchntly. ¡°Should be enough,¡± she said. ¡°Enough¡­ what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Mian smiled slyly, ¡°nothing much.¡± ¡ª¡ª In the office. Ding Cai printed out the score report, and when a teacher walked in, he frantically covered it up, like the guiltiest person trying to hide his silver. A few teachers smiled silently. Ding Cai sighed, holding the score report and rushed to the head teacher¡¯s office. The homeroom teachers were meeting, and the topic was this month¡¯s exam. Each homeroom teacher held their ss¡¯s score report as if attending a grand execution scene. The grade director, Qiang Hua, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his footsteps restless¡ªespecially when he passed by Ding Cai, his mood exploded even more. ¡°Some sses really surprised me this time. They took the first, second, and third ces¡­ only,¡± Qiang Hua sneered coldly, ¡°they are at the bottom!¡± ¡°This is my first time seeing such a situation where not a single one of the entire grade¡¯s top fifty was from our ss, but we managed to get a grand m with the bottom three. Mr. Ding, can you exin why?¡± Ding Cai was a young teacher, having only started teaching not long ago, and took on ss 25 because no other teacher wanted it. He suspected their ss would perform poorly, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. Especially Lu Mian¡¯s score, which made him want to cry. ¡°Director, they are new students and not yet ustomed to high school. After this monthly exam, I will definitely have the students reflect more!¡± The other teachers with sses at the bottom of the rankings wiped sweat from their brows in relief. The teachers of the top-ranked sses were naturallycent and proud. ¡°You go back and manage your own ss properly!¡± Qiang Hua sighed with frustration, as the discussion about the monthly exam concluded, he then turned the topic to the physicspetition. ¡°I heard that the preliminary results of the physicspetition are out?¡± Chapter 83 - 82 The Top Student in the School Chapter 83: Chapter 82 The Top Student in the School When the topic was brought up, Qiang Hua¡¯s tone softened considerably. The change in attitude was nearly a 180-degree turn, and with a tinge of pride, he asked, ¡°I heard that in our first-year group, there¡¯s a student who scored even better than the top students in the third year?¡± ¡ª¡ª ss 3 (1). Lu Xinnuan finally got to the physics ss she had been looking forward to for a long time. The physics ss had a new teacher who also served as their stern and impartial homeroom teacher. She used to be well-liked by Sun Jiaying, but since the new homeroom teacher arrived, many things slowly started to change. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what had changed, just that as a top student, she felt that many of her privileges were inexplicably diminishing¡­ Fortunately, there was the uing physicspetition, in which her results should attract the teacher¡¯s renewed respect, she hoped. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the recent physicspetition. Five students from our ss participated. Besides Su Jue, the other students performed reasonably well,¡± the strict teacher Wan Lin said with a neutral tone. Lu Xinnuan clenched her textbook slightly, expectantly waiting for something. Her deskmate Zeng Na leaned in and whispered covering her mouth, ¡°Xinnuan, your moment of glory hase!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, I don¡¯t even know my score yet¡­¡± she demurely said, but her trembling voice betrayed her. This was her most prideful academic achievement, and she was just waiting to turn the tide of public opinion this time. Wan Lin, holding the score sheet, squinted his eyes as he scanned the ssroom and began reading aloud, ¡°Zhou Kai: 62 points. Li Huiling: 68 points¡­¡± ¡°Su Jue, 31 points.¡± Su Jue epted his score calmly. Xie Huiyang consoled him, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Su. These arepetition-level questions, and we weren¡¯t even qualified to sit for the exam!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Su Jue nodded. Initially, he had difficulty epting such a poor score. If he hadpleted the paper seriously, although he might not have gotten the highest score, he should have scored over sixty points. However, as long as he considered that he flopped deliberately to support Lu Mian, he didn¡¯t mind it as much. ¡°Lu Xinnuan,¡± Wan Lin looked down from the lectern, ¡°83 points, the highest score in the senior year.¡± ¡°Whoa¡ª¡± The ssmates all involuntarily turned to look at Lu Xinnuan,paring her score to the ones in the thirties and sixties, the gap was stark. Despite the incident a few days ago, no one could fault Lu Xinnuan in terms of academics. For a physicspetition, achieving such a score was indeed excellent. Sitting to the side, Sui Yuan nced at her, feeling a small pang of worry for Lu Mian. Lu Xinnuan basked in the attention from all sides, straightening her back even more, brimming with newfound confidence and a sense of vindication. ¡°Teacher, what ce is 83 points in the whole school?¡± someone curiously asked. This was also what Lu Xinnuan wanted to know¡ªwhy did the teacher say she had the highest score in the senior year, not the whole school? ¡°It must also be first ce! The second- and first-year students can¡¯t beat that!¡± ¡°In this kind ofpetition, students from the second and first year have always been just making up the numbers. Besides, our ss is the top senior ss; who could surpass us?¡± Everyone chattered for a moment,vishing praise on their own ss. Wan Lin knocked on the desk with a stern face, signaling everyone to quiet down. ¡°Ever heard the saying ¡®There¡¯s always someone better¡¯? You really think you¡¯re unbeatable?¡± Wan Lin, not known for a good temper, spoke sharply, his chalk striking against the desk as he emphatically announced, ¡°The top school-wide score this time belongs to a first-year student!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A dead silence fell over the ss. All looked up, unable to ept the truth, as Wan Lin continued. Wan Lin snorted lightly, ¡°That student got a perfect score.¡± Out of the blue, the ss erupted into an uproar. ¡°A perfect score?! Holy shit, who is this person?!¡± Chapter 84 - 83 Her Name is... Chapter 84: Chapter 83 Her Name is¡­ Scored full marks¡­ Lu Xinnuan¡¯s original smile froze on her face, and something inside her eyes shattered. She knew all too well what full marks represented. Even her own score of 83, which came from her utmost effort and was quite impressive, paled inparison to the perfect 100. It indicated that the other party¡¯s abilities went far beyond this. And this was apetition question, at least ten times harder than a regr test. Such a score was something she never imagined, nor dared to dream of. Moreover, the other person was a first-year student, easily outssing all these top students. The feeling of triumph deted substantially as Lu Xinnuan clutched her textbook, barely managing to stabilize her emotions by reassuring herself that she was still the top of her grade. Perhaps there truly was a genius among the new students. ¡°Teacher, who exactly is this master? Give us a hint!¡± ¡°Let us worship to our heart¡¯s content!¡± Even though they didn¡¯t know the person, they were innately curious. Wan Lin cleared his throat and with traces of admiration on his usually expressionless face, revealed slowly, ¡°Her name is Lu Mian.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s the great Lu Mian.¡± ¡°Awesome, awesome!¡± Someone let out a quick exmation, then¡ª The ss fell silent! Dead silent! Lu Mian¡¯s name was not unfamiliar to their Senior Year (1) ss. Almost instinctively, everyone turned to nce at Lu Xinnuan, with the question evident in their eyes. Is it your sister Lu Mian? Lu Xinnuan also especially wanted to know, it must be someone with the same name, it must be¡­ ¡°First Year (25) ss, Lu Mian,¡± Wan Lin added, ¡°This just proves to us, never underestimate anyone from any ss¡­¡± First Year (25) ss, Lu Mian! Sounds poured in from around, but Lu Xinnuan heard none of it. Despite her wish to remain calm, the news pierced through her reason and shattered her self-esteem. She felt breathless, as if suffocating, with the name ¡°Lu Mian¡± echoing relentlessly in her ears. Lu Mian had scored the first ce. Lu Mian had scored full marks. Lu Mian¡­ Lu Mian finished in just an hour and handed in the paper! How could this be possible! What¡¯s so impossible about it¡­ Sui Yuan murmured quietly, a touch of splendor on her timid face. She clenched her fists excitedly and silently cheered ¡°Yay¡± inside. She knew it, their Mianmian could definitely do it! From the first time she met her, she knew she was different. She was calm andposed, cool and distant, with a rationality beyond her years. In moments of crisis and life-and-death situations, she shouldered the sky for all five of them with her frail, slender frame. If it hadn¡¯t been for that incidentter on¡­ Sui Yuan shook her head to dismiss the thought and when she returned to her senses, fear had already caused her hands to sweat, too afraid to continue thinking. Aside from anything else, there was no doubt about Mianmian¡¯s capabilities; the girl simply didn¡¯t care about these things. She had the ability to score full marks anytime, but shecked the desire and drive to show off. The girl probably only came to study at Kunpeng to keep herpany, and perhaps a small part for investigating the kidnapping case. She thought more than once that Mianmian had done enough for them; wasn¡¯t it time they helped Mianmian find a reason to live again? Their Mianmian was meant to shine brightly¡­ Upon hearing the news, Su Jue¡¯s expression was also ugly. He had thought that Lu Mian handed in her paper early because she wouldn¡¯t know how to answer. In fact, she had finished everything with confidence to spare. How could he have been so ignorant to consider sinking to the bottom with Lu Mian, to apany her¡ªhowughable. Yet, if her physics grade was that impressive, how could she have ended up in such a predicament? And how could she be disdained to such an extent by the Lu Family? Chapter 85 - 84 Lu Mian: Not Asking for Much, Just Enough to Get By Chapter 85: Chapter 84 Lu Mian: Not Asking for Much, Just Enough to Get By On Ding Cai¡¯s end, due to the monthly exam, he was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to look at the physicspetition scores. Of course, he also had no expectations in his heart. It wasn¡¯t until the grade director mentioned it that he learned from other teachers¡ª Lu Mian scored a hundred percent in thepetition. Physicspetition! A hundred percent! Not only was it the first in the school, but she was also the top scorer in the national physicspetition¡¯s preliminary round. The only one. Like a pair of worn-out socks being scolded by the grade director, he immediately straightened his back amidst the envious and shocked gazes of other teachers andughed heartily without stopping. The grade director shook hands with him, and the homeroom teachers from each ss wanted to poach him. He walked out of the office with his chin held high, proud and noble. However, when he reached the ssroom door, he suddenly remembered¡ªthe monthly exam results! Lu Mian¡¯s monthly exam results! With a heart experiencing both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, Ding Cai stood darkly at the back door of the ssroom for a long time, his emotions going on a roller coaster. Only when a student cried out, ¡°Old Ding is at the back,¡± did the ss eerily quiet down. He had no choice but to walk in with the report cards, his demeanor cold and somber. ss 25¡¯s monthly exam results were poor, and without teachers saying it, everyone knew it well; they were silent and dared not speak. While Ding Cai had the ss representative distribute the exam papers, he announced the results. Every student was anxious until they heard the total scores of Fat Hao, Shouhao, and Lu Mian; each breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn¡¯t them at the bottom. ss president Bai Fangfei stood up with her hand raised and looked at Lu Mian in the corner with disdain. ¡°Teacher, our ss is at the bottom because some people are dragging us down. Some only scored a total of 60 points. Such people, what right do they have to continue to stay in our school!¡± The ss buzzed with whispers. Turning his head from the front row, Fat Hao said, ¡°Mian bro, she¡¯s talking about you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lu Mian looked up from her novel, blinking her clear eyes. She remembered Bai Fangfei, the kid who inexplicably harbored hostility toward her. Last time in the restroom, it seemed to be her leading the charge telling her not toe out and scare people. Hmm, forgotten, not worth caring about. The ballpoint pen spun a flourish on the back of her hand as she smiled indulgently, ¡°Let her say what she wishes¡ªshe can¡¯t make the decisions. Heh¡­¡± Fat Hao: That expression is damn powerful! So confrontational! ¡°But Mian bro, didn¡¯t you say your scores were good enough? 60 points is too low¡­¡± His total score was over 200 points, although in physics, only with the help of Mian bro had he avoided getting just 1.2 points¡­ At the podium, Ding Cai pped his hands to quiet everyone down but didn¡¯t respond to Bai Fangfei¡¯s words. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, ¡°Although student Lu Mian did not perform well in the monthly exam, she scored full marks in the physicspetition, taking first ce. She has brought honor to ss 25!¡± The ss buzzed again. They may not understand the concept of a physicspetition, but they knew to praise it as awesome. Bai Fangfei, who didn¡¯t participate in thepetition, was indifferent and stood up again to voice her doubt: ¡°Teacher, are you sure Lu Mian didn¡¯t cheat? Such a score is just too unreasonable!¡± Yes, it was quite unreasonable. A person who scores 60 in the monthly exam and 100 in apetition, what kind of maneuver was that? Ding Cai was also troubled. Full marks in the physicspetition, but 60 in the monthly physics exam, and zero in other subjects¡­ If he remembered correctly, the physicspetition and the monthly physics exam were held at the same time; did Lu Mian seamlessly transition between the two exams? Even more crucially, she scored only 60 on the monthly exam; could it be just to fulfill their agreement¡­ However, as Lu Mian¡¯s homeroom teacher, he still needed to rify this issue seriously. ¡°Cheating is impossible! Because¡­¡± Chapter 86 - 85 Standard Answer Chapter 86: Chapter 85 Standard Answer Ding Cai stroked his chin in feigned mystery, and under the eager gazes of the curious students, henguidly began to speak. ¡°Lu Mian was the first to turn in her test, and the only one whopleted all the questions. Others would be lucky not to copy from her, so who could she possibly copy from?¡± ¡°What if she got the answers beforehand?¡± Bai Fangfei continued her dissatisfied questioning. Her question was utterly insubstantial, even treating the physicspetition as child¡¯s y, showing just how lowly Lu Mian was regarded in her heart. ¡°That¡¯s even less likely,¡± Ding Cai decisively waved his hand, ¡°Thest big question on the test was controversial, with thepetitionmittee divided into two factions, each with a different answer. They thought no one could get it right, but Lu Mian¡¯s test opened their eyes and unified the answer.¡± In other words, Lu Mian¡¯s test was the standard answer. This was what shocked Ding Cai the most. When he learned this news in the head teacher¡¯s office, he too was questioned. With such an urrence, it was natural for others to have their doubts. Not only ssmates but other teachers too, leading to a discussion about the possibility of cheating in the office, which was then resolved. And that¡¯s what led to the incident where all the homeroom teachers were vying for her afterwards. Ding Cai¡¯s words were logical, watertight,pletely silencing Bai Fangfei¡¯s doubts. Bai Fangfei, embarrassed and annoyed, red at Lu Mian and then sat down with a plop. In contrast, Lu Mian, the person in question, twirled her pen if she felt like it, read her novel if that suited her fancy. With thebels of being first in the physicspetition andst in the monthly year grade exams attached to her, she waspletely indifferent, neither sad nor happy. After physics ss was over. Shouhao and the other Shouhao leaned back in their seats, chattering non-stop. They were used to this. Even if they knew Brother Mian wasn¡¯t interested in their topics, they still instinctively made her the center of their conversations. Especially after this exam, they respected her even more. Lu Mian didn¡¯t find them bothersome, asionally respondingnguidly, the epitome of a carefree young master. ¡°Right, Brother Mian, about that jewel theft case I told you about the other day, you can rest easy now. The three suspects were caught the next day, no longer a threat to us ordinary folks. Tsk, my dad got credited for a meritorious deed!¡± Shouhao held his hands together in a salute, ¡°Thanks to your esteemed father for ridding Wucheng of a menace!¡± ¡°Ridiculous! It wasn¡¯t my dad at all; he simply reaped the benefits!¡± said Shouhao, sounding quite disdainful of his own father as he counted off on his fingers, ¡°My dad was clueless, and then the three suspects were tied up and dumped right outside their station!¡± ¡°Damn, it couldn¡¯t have been a superhero doing good deeds anonymously¡­¡± ¡°Stop kidding, I¡¯m serious here. Anyway, my dad refuses to take the credit, but since the station can¡¯t find who did the good deed, my dad has to take the fall¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fall many would wish to take but can¡¯t!¡± ¡°I really want to know who this Good Samaritan is!¡± Shouhao said with a face full of curiosity. Lu Mian, with eyes downcast, leisurely flipped through the pages of her book, waiting for them to finish before casually asking without even looking up. ¡°Shouhao, are there any other cases at your father¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°Oh man, there¡¯s a whole bunch! Brother Mian, if you¡¯re not annoyed, I can tell you all about them!¡± Lu Mian smiled nonchntly, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡ª- At the Lu Family home. Lu Xinnuan returned home with heavy steps, and Fu Man instantly noticed her troubled heart, quickly asking several questions. ¡°Nuannuan, why aren¡¯t you happy?¡± The child who cries gets the candy, Lu Xinnuan had understood this principle from a young age, but she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to outright tattle. She just forced a small smile through her reddened eyes and shook her head in restrained endurance, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m okay. I just¡­ might have to disappoint you¡­¡± Chapter 87 - 86: Check All Personnel Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Check All Personnel Fu Man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Xinnuan had been obedient and studious since childhood, always steady and reliable in academics as well as the arts, never letting anyone down. For her to say something like this today, she must have suffered a setback. But this child had always been sensible; she¡¯d keep everything bottled up inside, only ever speaking kind words tofort others, which made people all the more anxious. Fu Man pulled Lu Xinnuan onto the sofa and after much pressing, finally learned that it was about the physicspetition. Yet Xinnuan imed that Lu Mian had scored full marks. After her initial shock, Fu Man felt it was unrealistic, no matter how she thought about it. However, Fu Man wasn¡¯t in the mood to concern herself with Lu Mian¡¯s affairs,forting Lu Xinnuan instead, ¡°Nuannuan, you¡¯re putting too much pressure on yourself. This is just the preliminary round, there¡¯s still the semi-finals and the finals. Lu Mian might just have gotten lucky this time with a perfect score. Luck isn¡¯t evesting. You¡¯re different; you have a solid foundation and real strength. Mom believes in your abilities.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan looked up slightly, her voice quavering, ¡°Can you ask sister toe back? I¡¯m really worried about her being out there alone.¡± Fu Man was just as worried. No matter how much she scolded or lectured her, that was still her child. But ultimately, remembering Lu Mian¡¯s cold and ruthless demeanor, she shook her head, ¡°Forget it. Her return would just irritate me and distract you from your studies.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan seemed to have sensed something and contentedly snuggled into Fu Man¡¯s embrace. ¡°By the way, Mom, can I learn stock trading with Su Jue?¡± ¡°Stock trading?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s really good at it, always earning tens of millions each time. I want to pay off our family¡¯s debts as soon as possible so you won¡¯t have to work so hard anymore¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan said this with unwavering faith in Su Jue¡¯s abilities. Fu Man didn¡¯t understand stock trading, but she had heard about the risks involved, including countless news stories about people jumping off buildings after failures in the market. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry to repay the money. As long as Nuannuan made good, the debt would be a trifling matter in the future. ¡°Nuannuan, your task right now is to study. Let Mom handle making money!¡± ¡°Mom, actually, I just wanted to find an opportunity to spend more time with Su Jue¡­¡± Fu Man had noticed his indifferencetely. Perhaps she would have yed hard to get in the past, but after witnessing Su Jue¡¯s abilities, she felt the need to hold onto him tightly. At the very least, she couldn¡¯t let Lu Mian take advantage. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me too much money. Just a few thousand will do; we can start small!¡± Lu Xinnuan was brimming with enthusiasm, and Fu Man, reluctant to dampen her daughter¡¯s spirits, clenched her teeth and transferred half of her recently received paycheck to Lu Xinnuan. Three thousand yuan. She smiled sweetly and clicked ¡®Receive.¡¯ ¡ª¡ª Late at night. Lu Mian returned to Jin City Number One, her ck outfit exuding an aura of deadly seriousness. She shed her clothes, changing intofortable pajamas, the faint scent of blood dissipating with them. Shezily settled in front of herputer. In the empty room, with only dim light, theputer screen glowed resolutely bright. Her delicate, small face looked rather pale in this lighting. Encouraged by a bunch of eager stock enthusiasts, Lu Mian meticulously analyzed another promising stock and sent the information to Zero. The rest was handled by Zero. But this time was different from before; Lu Mian added an extrament. Mian: [Screen the group members.] Zero: [Got a traitor? Should we stop distributing this information?] Mian: [No need, just check for now!] Chapter 88 - 87: Do you not want to participate in the rematch anymore? Chapter 88: Chapter 87: Do you not want to participate in the rematch anymore? Zero was bewildered. But he carried out his duties conscientiously. The stock group they established wasn¡¯t something just anyone could join. In Z Country, there were many rich people, and a vast number of poor ones as well. The poor, because of theirck of money, might not be able to afford medical treatment, might fail to fulfill their dreams, might not be able to attend college, might¡­ Therefore, one of the criteria for joining this group was poverty. Other criteria included not engaging in bad habits, having a clean record, and having good credit, among other details. Over time, they gradually rallied such a group of people, leading them to invest in stocks to earn money, and repeatedly advising them to only invest what they could afford. At the same time, they wouldn¡¯t let them stay in the group forever, they had to leave once they reached a certain level of financial strength. Lu Mian said she wasn¡¯t running a charity. But everyone in the group knew she was indeed doing charity work, saving ordinary people struggling in the abyss of poverty one by one with her method. No one could do what she did, and from the bottom of their hearts, they treated her as a deity. If Lu Mian instructed to check on the members today, she must have sensed something. Could it be that someone had falsified information to sneak in? Lu Mian didn¡¯t concern herself with the aftermath. The next day at school, the physics department¡¯s office had a meeting for the students participating inpetitions. It was rare for Lu Xinnuan, Su Jue, and Lu Mian to be gathered together in a small ssroom again. There were not many seats in the small ssroom, and by the time Lu Mian arrived, they were all fully upied. Her arrival, like that of an outsider, brought sudden silence to the previously somewhat noisy ssroom, as everyone turned their gazes towards her. Others might not know, but who among those who had participated in physicspetitions didn¡¯t know Lu Mian! The genius who finished exams in an hour and scored full marks¡­ After a moment¡¯s silence, Lu Xinnuan seemed to realize something and quickly stood up. ¡°Mianmian, there¡¯s no more room, take my seat!¡± Her attitude was sincere and gentle, a picture of sisterly affection, making the others pause. Su Jue, who was sitting with Lu Xinnuan, didn¡¯t hesitate either, and pulled out a chair to make room. ¡°Lu Mian, sit with your sister.¡± Lu Mian walked straight into the ssroom, not responding to their enthusiasm. Not deviating her gaze, she walked to the back of the ssroom, ced one hand on the windowsill, and with a graceful leap, sat on it. Everyone: So cool! All Lu Xinnuan, who was being pretentious, could do was to sit back down awkwardly, and so did Su Jue. The surrounding ssmates pitied these two, yet for some reason, couldn¡¯t bring themselves to dislike Lu Mian. When the responsible teacher came in, he saw the stunningly beautiful short-haired girl, nonchntly sitting on the windowsill, her hair fluttering in the breeze, looking like she stepped out of aic book. Not having a seat should have been an embarrassing situation, yet she never showed the slightest unease. How strong must her inner self be? The responsible teacher quickly averted his gaze. This meeting was mainly about announcing the list of students who qualified for the next round and the date, location, and other details of the uingpetition. Lu Mian had no wish to participate, but unexpectedly received a text from Sui Yuan. ¡°[Mianmian, you¡¯re in a meeting, right? You don¡¯t want to participate in the next round, do you? But I hope you can continue on. If you can get a direct admission¡­ I¡¯ll grant you a wish!]¡± Lu Mian wondered if Sui Yuan had installed a surveince device on her, to be able to guess her thoughts so urately and without error. Her gaze rested on thest line of the text. ¡°[Grant you a wish.]¡± Her eyes softened, and with a slight smile, she replied, ¡°[Little Baldy, wait for it.]¡± Chapter 89 - 88: Behave and Submit! Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Behave and Submit! After the meeting, Lu Mian, with swift and sharp movements, jumped off the windowsill and was the first to leave the ssroom. Su Jue lifted his leg to follow her, and Lu Xinnuan was chasing after them from behind. Chasing into the depths of the corridor, Lu Xinnuan suddenly let out a cry of ¡°Ah¡± and crouched down weakly, as if leaning on a gentle breeze. She softly called out, ¡°Sis, slow down, I¡¯ve twisted my ankle¡­¡± Su Jue, faster than her, stopped one step away and looked back with a cold demeanor. Although he was a bit annoyed by her failing at a critical moment, as a boy, he couldn¡¯t just ignore a ssmate who was injured. He stretched out his arm to help Lu Xinnuan stand against the wall, ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go catch her. What do you want to say to her?¡± If it weren¡¯t for Lu Xinnuan following them, he would have caught up with Lu Mian long ago. ¡°Su Jue, forget it¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan shook her head, ¡°She won¡¯t listen.¡± Su Jue was irritated by her way of speaking, always holding back three parts out of ten and carrying four parts of innuendo. ¡°What exactly do you want to say to her?¡± ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to care about where she is living now, how she is doing, nothing else¡­¡± Su Jue nodded, speaking rapidly, ¡°I¡¯ll pass on your words, and when Ie back, I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan watched Su Jue¡¯s impatient steps, the temperature in her eyes growing colder and colder. With increased speed, Su Jue finally caught up with Lu Mian as she was stepping off thest stair. ¡°Lu Mian, can you show some respect for others!¡± He yelled out in his hurry to catch up with her. Lu Mian, walking carefreely to the ssroom, turned around upon hearing Su Jue¡¯sint. This guy must be kidding. ¡°Your sister was chasing you, and she twisted her ankle.¡± Su Jue said as he approached her, ¡°She gave up her seat for you, and you didn¡¯t even acknowledge her, that¡¯s not exactly polite.¡± Lu Mian figured he was there to settle scores with her. Because she hadn¡¯t epted their insincere offer to give up their seats, they were mad. Her brows and eyes revealed a heavy coldness, with a terribly malicious smile, the gloomy aura around her pushed Su Jue back two steps. She said with mockery, ¡°Su Jue, are you really stupid or just pretending? Can¡¯t you see I really hate you guys?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Jue was left embarrassed by the retort and stood his ground to keep up his momentum, ¡°Even if you hate me, you should at least have a reason!¡± ¡°Ipatibility of our horoscopes,¡± she replied dismissively. ¡°You¡¯re a high school student, how can you believe in such feudal superstitions!¡± Lu Mian was amused by his reaction, her gaze sweeping past with a fleeting flicker of dark light. Sheughed, ¡°I also know you¡¯re going to suffer a blood disaster today!¡± ¡°Lu Mian, you¡¯re being more and more ridiculous¡ª¡± Heh. Lu Mian didn¡¯t bother to waste words, grabbing the cor of his shirt, lifting her right knee, and harshly striking his abdomen. Before Su Jue could even cry out in pain, she let go of his cor and threw him to the side. The muffled sound of hisrge body falling onto the floor tiles was cringe-worthy. Lu Mian then kicked him again. Already tall, she looked down upon the boy on the ground as if she were a queen descending into the mortal world. Her stunningly exquisite features were tinged with a hostility that warned others to keep their distance. ¡°If I don¡¯t deal with you, you better cower in submission. If you anger me, not even Old Man Su¡¯s face will be given!¡± Lu Mian left. Wiping her fingers with a tissue, she leisurely walked away. Su Jue finally came to his senses amidst the intense pain, realizing he had been beaten up by Lu Mian again, and quite severely at that. The moment she attacked, he didn¡¯t have a split second to fight back. Lying on the ground, hugging his stomach, he was in unbearable pain. At his elbow, due to friction with the ground, blood was gushing out. A blood disaster. Quite ironic. And when he struggled to sit up, he saw a cold and imposing figure not far away scanning over him as if nothing had happened, then turning away. That was¡­ Chapter 90 - 89: He Couldn’t Possibly Like You, Could He? Chapter 90: Chapter 89: He Couldn¡¯t Possibly Like You, Could He? Su Jue strenuously reached out her hand, but as the disciplinary teacher turned away indifferently, that heart, yearning for help, instantly vanished into thin air. ¡°Director Qimo???¡± Then, the pain in her body, in her abdomen, intensified. Xiao Qimo left with his hands behind his back, while Ye Jinwen followed with a cheeky giggle, fearlessly joking, ¡°Brother Qimo, you as the disciplinary teacher, don¡¯t intervene when students fight, don¡¯t care when students get hurt, tsk¡­¡± The gentle-looking man tilted his head, pushing his gold-rimmed sses, ¡°Any objections?¡± Uh¡­ He wouldn¡¯t dare to object! But really, Brother Qimo, can you drop the satisfied look for once? ¡°Brother Qimo, Little Mianmian!¡± After Ye Jinwen¡¯s silent critique, he sharply spotted something and pointed towards the school¡¯s flower bed, his baby-faced eyes suddenly widening, ¡°Cough, Brother Qimo, better not look.¡± He mustered the courage and positioned himself in front of Xiao Qimo. However, Xiao Qimo was taller and had already seen the scene by the flower bed. The cool and aloof girl was chatting with a girl with a crew cut. They knew her; she was Sui Yuan, who had a life-saving friendship with Lu Mian. He saw them chatting and Lu Mian asionally patting the crew-cut girl¡¯s head, like a cat that had stolen a taste of fish. Perhaps because they were chatting about something delightful, a rare tender smile appeared on her face. A smile he had never seen before. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother Qimo, they are having girl talk!¡± Xiao Qimo, expressionless, stood unmoved. ¡°Brother Qimo, let¡¯s go!¡± Seeing him looking like he might charge over to enforce discipline, Ye Jinwen exerted a lot of effort to finally persuade Xiao Qimo to leave. Xiao Qimo, holding himself to a diligent and responsible attitude, didn¡¯t forget to catch a couple of students secretly dating, and with a stern face told them to go to the office. Ye Jinwen: Moment of silence for the innocent lovers taking the me. Meanwhile, Sui Yuan nced in the direction where Xiao Qimo had disappeared and said softly, ¡°Mianmian, why has he be a disciplinary teacher at school?¡± She remembered Xiao Qimo, Mianmian¡¯s neighbor. Lu Mian, disinterested, replied, ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°I feel like he was always watching you, like an attention without malice. He couldn¡¯t possibly like you, could he¡­¡± Sui Yuan¡¯s voice slowly faded, sneaking peeks at Lu Mian¡¯s reaction. Seeing that her expression was normal, she cautiously added, ¡°He¡¯s quite handsome, my ssmates are all looking forward to his patrols.¡± Lu Mian reached out again to stealthily stroke Little Baldy¡¯s head, her eyes squinting with evident glee, ¡°I think, he¡¯s just trying to find the Mystery Person through me. So Little Baldy, don¡¯t get enamored with romance, and don¡¯t overestimate a man¡¯s feelings!¡± ¡°You talk as if you understand it so well¡­¡± Sui Yuan clung to her hand to prevent further fidgeting, ¡°What do you n to do then?¡± ¡°Just let things take their course. If he can find the Mystery Person, that¡¯s his skill!¡± ¡ª Disciplinary Teacher¡¯s Office. Xiao Qimo sat on the sofa, expressionless, crossing his legs, his aura calm. The invisible pressure he emanated left the caught young couple tremendously nervous. ¡°Teacher, we were just discussing homework, nothing else,¡± stammered the girl, not daring to meet his gaze, yet she couldn¡¯t help but admire inwardly how handsome the disciplinary teacher was, especially from up close. The boy joined in with an exnation, waving his hands, ¡°That¡¯s right, teacher, we were just studying!¡± After all, they were high school students, and being summoned to the office by a very strict disciplinary teacher always caused panic, and they regretted not being more careful earlier. Anxious and fearful, they were even more worried about the consequences of being caught. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t speak, just swept a light nce over them, instantly knowing what they were thinking. Ye Jinwen intended toe over and offer a few words offort, but before he could say anything, he heard Xiao Qimo shift his position and turn to the boy, askingnguidly. ¡°You, how did you pursue this girl?¡± Chapter 91 - 90: Teacher, You Won Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Teacher, You Won This was asked, and the three people in the office were all confused. The boy and the girl looked at Ye Jinwen together, their faces pleading for a trantion, for an exnation. Ye Jinwen thought to himself, could Qimo have be obsessively fixated and gone to the students for advice on chasing girls? Crazy! Was it really because that evening, Boss Huang said ¡°The flowers have intentions but the flowing water is heartless¡±? Was it really necessary! ¡°Director Qimo, don¡¯t scare the students,¡± he said. Xiao Qimo ignored them, his left arm draped over the back of the sofa, holding his phone in his right hand with the notepad app open, his distinct fingers ready to take notes at any moment. The office was pretty quiet. The young couple was also quite panicked, especially the boy. He was almost ready to kneel down to Xiao Qimo, ¡°Teacher, we really aren¡¯t dating, I¡¯m not chasing her!¡± ¡°Send flowers? Choctes? Love letters?¡± The man¡¯s voice was slow and methodical. ¡°No, no, no, not at all!¡± ¡°What is that on your wrist?¡± Xiao Qimo had a sharp eye, naturally he wouldn¡¯t miss this detail. It wasn¡¯t a watch or a bracelet, but a ck circle that was too tight for the wrist, leaving a red mark. The boy panicked and quickly hid his hand behind his back, ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just for warding off evil.¡± Before Xiao Qimo could ponder what ¡°warding off evil¡± meant, the girl took a closer look and suddenly it was as if the sky had fallen. ¡°Li Minghao, isn¡¯t this my hair tie! Whose is this?!¡± The boy named Li Minghao became even more panicked, ¡°Xiangxiang, listen to me exin¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! You said you would only wear the hair tie I gave you! It¡¯s a proof of love!¡± The girl named Xiangxiang was so emotional that she forcefully pushed the boy, ¡°Let¡¯s break up! You jerk!¡± The girl ran out of the office in tears. Li Minghao¡¯s face was full of heartache as he said, ¡°Teacher, you win,¡± and then followed her out. Ye Jinwen had a splitting headache. This damn plot twist after plot twist,pletely unexpected! Could it be that their Seventh Brother was using this method¡­ to clean up campus romances? As he turned his head, he saw the schrly boss on the sofa seriously typing a line: Proof of love¡ªhair tie. Ye Jinwen was speechless, ¡°I have something to say¡­¡± ¡°Think carefully before you speak,¡± the schrly man said in an even tone. ¡°I have a truth to speak¡ªSeventh Brother, Little Mianmian has short hair, short! She doesn¡¯t need a hair tie!¡± Xiao Qimo realized btedly, reopened his phone, and began deleting, letter by letter. He got up gracefully, straightened the creases on his clothing, and stepped out with long strides. ¡°It seems, I still have to ask others,¡± he said. ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jinwen followed him out, speaking in a very low voice, ¡°Seventh Brother, let¡¯s set aside Little Mianmian¡¯s issue for a moment. Could you please take care of your performance! You¡¯ve had your credit stolen again!¡± ¡ª- After Su Jue got beaten up, he never went back to look for Lu Xinnuan. Lu Xinnuan was worried and came looking slowly, and discovering Su Jue struggling on the ground, she quickly called for people to take him to the infirmary. The school doctor simply bandaged his external wounds, then let Su Jue lie down on the bed to rest. ¡°Even if you won¡¯t say it, I know it was my sister who did it!¡± Lu Xinnuan clenched her fist sitting by the sickbed, full of vexation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her, I bumped into it myself.¡± ¡°Su Jue, you really don¡¯t have to protect my sister for the sake of the Lu Family. If it¡¯s her fault, she should be held responsible. What if your injuries are severe? Isn¡¯t she¡­¡± ¡°I said it wasn¡¯t her,¡± Su Jue suppressed his pain, unwilling to discuss it further. Thinking about some things, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Lu Xinnuan, why do your mom and dad dislike Lu Mian?¡± Chapter 92 - 91 If Only Mianmian Were Here Chapter 92: Chapter 91 If Only Mianmian Were Here By the hospital bed. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s fingers resting on her knees suddenly contracted. Why did mom and dad hate Lu Mian? There really were too many reasons. It wasn¡¯t so obvious before she was three, but after that, Lu Mian¡¯s bad nature slowly revealed itself. ¡°My sister¡­ she loves to lie,¡± Lu Xinnuan said in a low, disheartened voice. ¡°She was different from us ever since she was young¡­ I remember when she was four, one day she brought home a snuff bottle. My mom saw that it was quite valuable and asked her where she got it from, and she said she won it from an old man while ying Go.¡± At this point, Lu Xinnuanughed softly, her tone tinged with faint scorn. ¡°Su Jue, isn¡¯t it ridiculous? How could a four-year-old child beat an old person? Moreover, to win a valuable snuff bottle? We all thought she stole it and took her to return it. However, we never found that old man again.¡± Su Jue was speechless, as he truly hadn¡¯t encountered such a prodigy in his understanding. Even the Go princess of their Su Family did not show her talent until she was seven. ¡°It¡¯s not just these, either.¡± Lu Xinnuan shook her head. ¡°She is solitary and doesn¡¯t like others touching her things. She also loves to dismantle things; when our TV needed repair, she took it apart into pieces, iming she could fix it. Same with the air conditioner,puter, and so on. There were too many of these incidents, and over time, mom and dad lost their patience with her.¡± Su Jue pondered, ¡°Have you ever considered that what she said was true?¡± ¡°How could that be, she was just a kid¡­¡± She said helplessly, ¡°Besides, our family¡¯s financial condition isn¡¯t good; we couldn¡¯t afford her causing so much trouble.¡± Su Juepsed into silence. As the conversation continued to this point, Lu Xinnuan¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, and she spoke with much sorrow, ¡°If only our family had a better economic situation, maybe mom and dad wouldn¡¯t feel so guilty, and perhaps they would have the patience to discover my sister¡¯s strengths¡­¡± Su Jue had never suffered from ack of money and couldn¡¯t understand this feeling. ¡°Su Jue, can I study stock investment with you?¡± Lu Xinnuan finally asked. ¡°I¡¯ll just invest a few thousand yuan. If I make money, I¡¯ll treat it as earning some living expenses for the family. If I lose, I¡¯ll never invest again and consider it a lesson.¡± Su Jue turned to look at her, her eyes misty and filled with boundless admiration, and thought of Lu Mian¡¯s circumstances, he nodded as if possessed. After all, he now had that group of gods, and he didn¡¯t need to worry about losing. Suppose he considers it, doing something good! While in the infirmary, he instructed Lu Xinnuan to take time to handle the necessary procedures. Lu Xinnuan smiled warmly and took note of everything. Su Jue, feeling unwell, returned to the Su Family to recuperate. He harbored some grievances, but he didn¡¯t dare tell the truth to his family. After all, his own grandfather was kinder to Lu Mian than to him. He found the old man ying chess alone in the pavilion in the backyard and made his way over with a limp. ¡°Grandpa, still ying chess?¡± Su Qinghe didn¡¯t look up, ¡°I¡¯ve scheduled a Go tournament this week, and I¡¯m the organizer.¡± Since his own grandfather liked these elegant pursuits, he had nothing to say. He sat down and nced at theplex chessboard. Su Qinghe was getting annoyed ying against himself, and with a sweep, he scattered the chess pieces back into the box, ¡°Ah, if only Mianmian were here, that would be great.¡± ¡°Lu Mian?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mentioning Lu Mian, the old man¡¯s somewhat aged face brightened up with enthusiasm, animatedly saying, ¡°I¡¯ve seen her y against someone once, shepletely decimated her opponent! Hahaha, she was only about four years old at the time, only about this tall!¡± The old man gestured the height with his hand, his eyes lively. But Su Jue¡¯s face stiffened even more. Chapter 93 - 92 Wucheng Guardian God? Chapter 93: Chapter 92 Wucheng Guardian God? Su Jue¡¯s reaction was excessive, and ignoring the pain in his body, he grabbed Su Qinghe¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandpa, did she also win a snuff bottle?¡± The old Master Su was puzzled, withdrawing his hand with disdain. ¡°That, I do not know. I had urgent business at the time, and after watching her finish the game, I hurried away and am unaware of what followed.¡± Su Jue stared at his grandpa speechlessly. Having urgent business yet still watching someone y Go? Probably not so urgent! ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, boy!¡± Su Qinghe kicked Su Jue, ¡°Who told you toe down with a high fever at that time? You nearly killed me! So, you know about this?¡± Su Jue: ??? He felt it was all very mystifying and didn¡¯t know what to say, the only thought in his mind was that Lu Mian hadn¡¯t lied! It was the Lu Family who had misunderstood her! He didn¡¯t answer his grandfather¡¯s question, but went on to ask further. ¡°Grandpa, between Lu Mian and Su Luo, who do you think is more skilled?¡± Su Luo, the Go princess of the Su Family, had beenpeting out of towntely. At the tender age of 17, she had brought home quite a few big awards. Su Qinghe stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over the Go board, ¡°Hard to say.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if Mianmian continued to study Go afterward, but since Su Luo showed her talent at the age of seven, the family has been intentionally nurturing her. It¡¯s difficult to judge their skills now.¡± ¡°Grandpa, why don¡¯t you¡­ put in some effort and let Lu Mian join the Gopetition?¡± If the Lu Family saw Lu Mian¡¯s performance in the Gopetition, perhaps the misunderstanding of the past could be cleared up. Perhaps, Lu Mian would hate him less then. ¡°You think your grandpa has such a big face, huh! I would like to, but if she¡¯s unwilling, no one can force her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Jue was embarrassed. He hadn¡¯t expected his grandpa, so respected in Wucheng, to say something like that. ¡°Grandpa, please try. It¡¯s very important for Lu Mian!¡± With his grandson persistently cajoling and pestering, Old Master Su couldn¡¯t resist. He too was actually looking forward to it and called Lu Mian after school. Lu Mian was browsing books in a bookstore. She looked through book after book, not finding what she wanted, when her phone vibrated first. She didn¡¯t n to answer the call in the bookstore, and without any pressure, she hung up no matter who it was on the other line. Old Master Su could only slowly type out, sending her a message. [Mianmian, there¡¯s a Go tournament this weekend that grandpa has organized, do you want toe and participate?] It took him a full two minutes to type those words. After sending them, he waited less than two seconds for a reply. [Not going.] Su Qinghe held the phone, squinting his eyes in resignation. Right, that girl was generally not interested in these matters, trying was just a waste. Lu Mian closed her phone and casually picked out a novel, heading to the cashier. At the entrance, an LCD television hung on the wall broadcasting Wucheng news. A middle-aged man with a slightly swollen stomach, wearing a neat and stern uniform, was gesturing at the camera, [It wasn¡¯t me, I didn¡¯t do it, stop the nonsense. I¡¯m really not the Guardian God of Wucheng!] Lu Mian gave it a casual nce. The man on TV bore a resemnce to her ssmate, Chubby Hao. She curved the corners of her mouth, ¡°Boss, I¡¯d like to check out.¡± The owner was scanning barcodes whilementing, ¡°Our Wucheng, huh, has produced a Guardian God! Gosh, such anonymity in doing good deeds nowadays, it¡¯s weird. Miss, that¡¯ll be 18 yuan.¡± Lu Mian handed over her mobile payment code with a smile, ¡°Maybe, just bored.¡± ¡°What?¡± By the time the proprietor snapped out of it, Lu Mian had already left the store. The ss door¡¯s wind chimes tinkled twice, making a clear and pleasant collision sound. ¡°She¡¯s an odd girl, isn¡¯t she.¡± ¡ª- Meanwhile, inside the psychological clinic, the atmosphere was tense. Ye Jinwen mmed off the television, fuming madly. ¡°Qi Ge, you saw it, didn¡¯t you? That person has be the Guardian God of Wucheng, and you are still calm as Mount Tai here!¡± Chapter 94 - 93: Invite her to be my companion Chapter 94: Chapter 93: Invite her to be mypanion Xiao Qimo sat quietly on the sofa, ignoring Ye Jinwen, who was fuming overhead. He calmly looked at his phone, savoring the information gleaned from another young couple caught in puppy love. [The romance of student days: sharing a desk is marriage, changing a desk is divorce, different sses mean a long-distance rtionship, different grades equate to international love.] Ye Jinwen craned his neck to see, snatched the phone away angrily. ¡°Qimo, what¡¯s there to ponder about this? Isn¡¯t it just saying that spending day and night together helps to foster affection?¡± After speaking, he spat dismissively, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, can you maybe focus a bit on work? Have you forgotten why you came to Wucheng?¡± The genteel man was not annoyed, his profound gaze slowlynding on Ye Jinwen¡¯s face, calmly waiting for him to continue. ¡°Qimo, it must be him! He knows you¡¯re in Wucheng, intentionally aiming for your head. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that the cases we¡¯re eyeing always seem to be snapped up before us? Guardian God of Wucheng, pfft, I think he just wants to cross you!¡± Xiao Qimo elegantly lifted his beautiful finger, waving it dismissively, ¡°If onecks the ability, one can¡¯t me others.¡± ¡­ Fine then! Ye Jinwen had nothing else to say, only feeling indignant that someone had been poaching on the turf they had taken over. So Qimo isn¡¯t bothered about losing face, huh? ¡°Qimo, are you attending La Yang Corporation¡¯s evening party today? The one involving thepany suspected of withholding workers¡¯ wages but somehow always avoiding getting caught?¡± ¡°The evening party¡­¡± Xiao Qimo seemed to recall something,posed himself, and straightened his cor, nodding, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Right about what? ¡°I¡¯ll call Lu Mian, invite her to attend the party as my femalepanion,¡± said the suave and elegant man, getting to his feet. Ye Jinwen rolled his eyes, ¡°Do you even know her number¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ultimately, under the caring and formidable gaze of Xiao Qimo, Ye Jinwen dutifully surrendered Lu Mian¡¯s phone number. He had it from when she hade for psychological counseling. Lu Mian was free that evening. However, she wasn¡¯t interested in ying the role of Xiao Qimo¡¯s femalepanion. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be the female CEO bringing two assistants to the banquet?¡± she asked. Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen were somewhat at a loss for words. Anyway, no matter what, Lu Mian agreed to attend together. Ye Jinwen drove the car downstairs with Xiao Qimo sitting in the backseat. The girl, dressed in a simple ck shirt and form-fitting ck trousers, arrived punctually downstairs. Her sleeves rolled up, revealing a stretch of cool, delicate wrists. Those long legs, wrapped in the form of the pants, were incredibly long. Xiao Qimo, the gentleman, invited her into the car, adding, ¡°Sorry for thest-minute invitation.¡± ¡°I beat up Su Jue this morning, and you didn¡¯t arrest me¡ªit¡¯s my way of saying thanks,¡± she chuckled as she bent down and slid into the car. Ye Jinwen let out a ¡°wow,¡± although her attire didn¡¯t fit the evening¡¯s setting, she looked honestly cool! It was his first time seeing the ck color worn so strikingly by a girl. He nced sideways at his own boss¡¯s outfit, a simrly ck suit. Oh, the two big shots had matched couple outfits. Looking down at his own white suit, he secretly gloated. Why did he feel like he was the real CEO, and the two dressed in ck behind him looked more like bodyguards? Hahaha¡­ ¡°Drive,¡± came the deep, elegant voice from behind. Pleased with himself, Ye Jinwen stepped on the gas, ¡°You got it!¡± The party venue was at the La Yang Corporation¡¯s owner¡¯s house. They drove all the way there. After parking the car, Ye Jinwen sneaked up to Xiao Qimo¡¯s side and muttered, ¡°Qimo, just watch, I¡¯ve arranged for someone tonight, we¡¯ll definitely catch that Guardian God of Wucheng!¡± Chapter 95 - 94: The Mystery of Her Chapter 95: Chapter 94: The Mystery of Her Xiao Qimo inexplicably gave him a nce. ¡°Oh right, can¡¯t scare Little Mianmian!¡± Ye Jinwen instantly pressed his lips tightly together and gestured an ¡°OK¡± with his hands. Anyway, this time he had made arrangements in advance to not have his credit stolen. Just wait for the Guardian God to appear, hmm hmm¡­ ¡°Little Mianmian, don¡¯t mind us! We¡¯re just ying around!¡± he earnestly exined. Anyway, Lu Mian couldn¡¯t understand; the main thing was to not frighten her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lu Mian also shed an innocent and harmless smile, stepping in alongside Xiao Qimo. Ye Jinwen, the assistant, had aplished his task and quietly went off to attend to other matters. The private party wasn¡¯trge, nor were there many formalities. When Lu Mian and Xiao Qimo made their entrance together, their looks and attire drew the attention of everyone there. Their presence, as a pair, intimidated those who wished to approach for a conversation. With that cool and beautiful girl there, which woman would dare approach Xiao Qimo to talk? And with that cold and handsome man there, who wouldn¡¯t be afraid to flirt with the pretty youngdy! The reason Lu Mian wasn¡¯t mistaken for a boy was mainly due to her figure. Xiao Qimo also took several nces, something indiscernible flickering in the depths of his eyes hidden behind his sses. Every time he saw Lu Mian, it seemed he would discover a different side of her. There were too many mysteries about her, like a book with its cover freshly opened, tempting him to continue exploring. He apanied Lu Mian as they circted the banquet hall, exchanging light greetings, and without needing to discuss it, they both paused by the window ledge of the living room. The lighting here was dimmer, with fewer people around, and both of them preferred it this way. ¡°Actually, I usually don¡¯t like attending these sorts of events,¡± Xiao Qimo said, holding a crystal goblet without drinking, just gently swirling the liquid, and making half-hearted conversation. ¡°What about tonight?¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t talk much either, asionally chiming in. ¡°Today is special. Ye Jinwen and I learned that the Family Head of this household is the CEO of La Yangpany, who maliciously dys paying wages. It¡¯s a rare chance to be in his home so we came looking for evidence,¡± he did not hide his intentions and even tried to gauge her emotional reaction through his words. Under the dim light, Lu Mian¡¯s cool and defined features softened significantly. In her clear, calm eyes was an undisturbed smile. He averted his eyes with effort. Forget it, he hadn¡¯t discerned anything, yet he was the one left feeling agitated and unsettled. Just then, La Yang, the host of the party, came to offer a toast, and the servant respectfully presented a tray, bending over to hand over two sses of red wine. Xiao Qimo and Lu Mian each took one. ¡°Mr. Qimo, thank you for honoring us with your presence. This ss, I toast to both of you!¡± Xiao Qimo, ever graceful, sipped the red wine with a faint smile. When he was about to take over the drink for the youngdy by his side, he found she had alreadypliantly taken a sip herself. She was still a student; drinking wasn¡¯t good for her. He took the wine ss from her hand and ced it back on the tray. ¡°Mr. La, please go ahead with your duties.¡± ¡°Certainly, certainly, please forgive any shorings in hospitality!¡± ¡°Please.¡± After La Yang left, the refined man looked at Lu Mian with a furrowed brow. Lu Mian stood with her hands in her pockets, asionally tapping her toes on the floor. One was cultured and polite; the other was wild and unruly. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± she suddenlyughed, her eyes curving, radiant with youthful beauty, ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s quite interesting that a dean would bring a student to a party and drink.¡± She hit Xiao Qimo right where it hurt again. The man dared not say anything more, simply advising her not to drink anymore, albeit in a neither gentle nor firm manner. However, he caught a glimpse of Lu Mian¡¯s cheeks from the corner of his eye, noticing an abnormal flush had appeared. Could this girl possibly be¡­ Chapter 96 - 95: Every Frown and Smile is Alluring Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Every Frown and Smile is Alluring Xiao Qimo¡¯s thoughts flickered briefly, and he asked softly with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± the girl answered crisply. Yet, she lightly shook her head, and when she looked up again, her eyes were misty and hazy. In contrast, her little face remained serious, not moving an inch. Still iming nothing¡¯s wrong when she¡¯s clearly drunk! She shouldn¡¯t drink alcohol but ended up drinking red wine, he didn¡¯t know what to say about her. ¡°Do you feel ufortable at all?¡± The girl tilted her head slightly and said, ¡°Increased heart rate with transient dizziness, a twenty percent decrease in reaction speed, a drop in body surface temperature of 0.5 degrees, preliminarily judged as¡­¡± She paused, ¡°acute alcohol intoxication.¡± So, not just drunk after all! Xiao Qimo stepped forward, a gentleman¡¯s hand guiding her to sit on the couch, he summoned a servant to pour a cup of warm water, and slowly helped her drink it down. She drank it cleanly. Useless. The little rascal¡¯s face was still red. ¡°Lu Mian, can you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Xiao Qimo was also somewhat flustered, as he had never taken the initiative to care for someone, let alone a drunk person. At first nce, the girl in front of him seemed normal to others, except for a flushed face, but Xiao Qimo could not miss the subtle differences. Her when drunk was quite different from her usual self. Less harshness, more¡­ cuteness,pelling one to coddle her. ¡°Lu Mian, are you okay?¡± Lu Mian felt she was alright, nodding her head, her emotions were normal, not noisy or troublesome. The way she sat on the couch was unprecedentedly proper, excessively well-behaved. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t know how to handle the situation. It was at this moment that Ye Jinwen¡¯s phone call came through, sounding quite depressed. ¡°Brother Qi, we¡¯ve been cut off again!¡± He was nearly in tears, ¡°I clearly set up a guard in this vi, yet that bastard got ahead of us, cracked the safe, and took the evidence. And I didn¡¯t even catch him¡­¡± Xiao Qimo lifted a hand, tiredly pinching his high bridge nose, his gaze casually swept over Lu Mian, elegant and refined. He issued an order, ¡°Retreat.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t retreat! I must catch up to that bastard tonight!¡± ¡°I said, retreat.¡± The man¡¯s tone was a bit heavy, making Ye Jinwen sense something unusual, and he caved, ¡°Brother Qi, is something wrong on your end?¡± ¡°Go start the car.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Xiao Qimo helped Lu Mian get into the car, Ye Jinwen finally understood why his own Brother Qi had that dark tone. ¡°How much did Little Mianmian drink?¡± ¡°One sip.¡± ¡°Just one sip and she¡¯s this drunk?¡± That was truly astonishing, but medically, there are indeed constitutions that cannot tolerate a drop of alcohol, bing drunk upon contact. Without a doubt, Lu Mian had that kind of constitution. Xiao Qimo adjusted Lu Mian¡¯s position, ensuring she was asfortable as possible. He casually picked up a nket and draped it over her. Lu Mian waspliant, remaining in whatever position he ced her, not speaking, just staring with big eyes, her expression an adorable form of seriousness. It seemed like she would obediently ept whatever was done to her at that moment. asionally, she would throw them a harmless smile. Who can withstand this! That little face was already exceptionally beautiful and charming, and with her submissiveness, every smile and pout was enchanting! Ye Jinwen hurriedly turned back and started the car. ¡°Little Mianmian is quite obedient when she¡¯s drunk. Had I known this, Brother Qi, you should have invited her to drink earlier!¡± He continued to mutter under his breath. He even took a daring nce back and suddenly had a wicked idea. She was sopliant; he wondered if she would answer some questions truthfully if asked¡­ As mischief took root in his courage, Ye Jinwenpletely forgot how aloof Lu Mian usually was, and teased recklessly, ¡°ssmate Lu Mian, do you mind telling me where the mysterious savior number thirteen is?¡± ¡°Number thirteen¡­¡± Chapter 97 - 96: Come to My House Tonight Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Come to My House Tonight The atmosphere in the car suddenly contracted, as if the pause button had been hit. Under this soft response, Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen¡¯splexions changed at the same time, tension rising. This was the information they had been pursuing for so long, to no avail until now. Was Lu Mian finally willing to tell the truth? Was Lu Mian about to speak? Ha, if they had known it would be this simple, they really should have invited Lu Mian for a drink earlier. Ye Jinwen wept tears of bitterness, recalling how much effort he had expended trying to pry even half a word from her, almost getting himself in trouble too. Now, the truth was right before their eyes. The girl, tipsy from alcohol, was much easier to handle! Ye Jinwen, through the rearview mirror, was looking at Lu Mian, his eyes shining. Lu Mian, oblivious to their thoughts, sat straight up in her seat, fiddling with the fluff on the nket and turned her head to smile. She spoke earnestly, ¡°Our Z Country has onlyunched the Shenzhou spacecraft up to number eleven thus far; number thirteen is still under research, projected that it will officiallyunch the Shenzhou thirteen in the next three to five years.¡± Ye Jinwen: ??? Is this it? I was asking about Mysterious Person number thirteen, why did it turn into Shenzhou spacecraft number thirteen?! Xiao Qimo remained silent beside him, his lips tinted with a smile. Adorable little scamp. ¡°Little Mianmian, what happened during the two years you were kidnapped?¡± Ye Jinwen persisted stubbornly. But though Lu Mian was drunk, she wasn¡¯t foolish. With her eyshes lowered, she raised her gaze again, her face set in a schrly expression as she stated principledly, ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to ask you.¡± Ye Jinwen: ??? What kind of move is this? You are drunk, and you still care about these? ¡°What are the two dark clouds over the world of physics?¡± Caught off guard, Ye Jinwen¡¯s face visibly stiffened at lightning speed. He takes back everything he said before! Lu Mian, even when drunk, was equally difficult to deal with! Ye Jinwen didn¡¯t say anything, but a cultured and elegant male voice came from the back seat. ¡°This was proposed by the famous physicist Kelvin at the beginning of thest century. The first dark cloud mainly refers to the contradiction of the Michelson¨CMorley experiment results with the ether drift theory; the second dark cloud mainly refers to the discrepancies between the theoretical exnations of the equi-partition theorem in thermodynamics with the specific heat of gases and the theoretical interpretation of the energy spectrum of thermal radiation inparison to experimental results.¡± The hands of Ye Jinwen holding the steering wheel trembled slightly. Lu Mian, finding amon topic, sat up slightly, her cheeks still flushed, and the intense and enormous desire for discovery burning in her eyes. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about the theory of rtivity and quantum mechanics!¡± Xiao Qimo nodded genteelly, ¡°All right.¡± Ye Jinwen: ¡°¡­¡± It was time to bring out the pickled fish expression pack again. They drove back to Jin City No. 1. It didn¡¯t take long before the two big shots in the backseat went from quantum mechanics to talking about wormhole theory. He knew Lu Mian was good at physics, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be this extraordinarily skilled. Their topics were such that he couldn¡¯t interject even a single word. Even if he asionally did, he would get shut down by Lu Mian so badly he might as well have been an old, holey sock. It was exhausting. At this moment, Lu Mian wasn¡¯t just someone they could question; she was a relentless academic fiend! Ye Jinwen, feeling blocked, rubbed his temples and faked a smile as he reminded the backseat, ¡°Qimo, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Lu Mian, moving a bit slowly, got out of the car. A moment of dizziness made her pause, and when she came to, an arm was already by her side. The cultured man smiled with genuine restraint, ¡°If it¡¯s too much, you can lean on me.¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t respond, stepping away first, but not forgetting to remind Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen behind her. ¡°You twoe to my ce, we¡¯ll continue there.¡± Her tone wasn¡¯t that of a high school student, but more like¡­ a professor with profound knowledge! And they were her students. ¡°Qimo, you go ahead. I¡¯m really tearing up here.¡± Xiao Qimo would have liked that, but crucially, Lu Mian disagreed, turning around to sternly re at them, emphasizing, ¡°Not one less.¡± Ye Jinwen: !!! Help, a drunken expert is forcing a physics lesson on me, how do I refuse?! Chapter 98 - 97: Either Learn or Beat Me Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Either Learn or Beat Me Ye Jinwen followed unsteadily up the stairs, looking ahead at Lu Mian with her overbearing gait, then at the cultured and elegant Qimo beside him, his heart filled with endless regret. If he had known he would be tormented like this, he would have adamantly avoided provoking the drunken Lu Mian. But now that she had set her sights on him, there was no escaping. It was Ye Jinwen¡¯s first time in Lu Mian¡¯s personal space, and aside from his aversion to studying, he was also unbearably curious. Xiao Qimo grabbed his cor and flung him onto the sofa, darting no sideway nces, ¡°Don¡¯t look around.¡± ¡°Qimo, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Ye Jinwen couldn¡¯t believe it. The refined man pushed up his rimmed sses, a gentle smile gracing his lips, ¡°Not curious.¡± While they were chatting, Lu Mian had already gotten hold of ¡°A Brief History of Time¡±, taken out some nk paper and pens, and distributed them to them. Still wearing ck clothes and pants, she now exuded not only a cool and handsome aura but also an added air of academia. Ye Jinwen had a foreboding feeling, he didn¡¯t want to sit here, he¡¯d rather be chasing after the Guardian God of Wucheng than listening to a physics ss. ¡°Qimo, Little Mianmian can¡¯t go on like this. Look at her excited state, she¡¯s definitely going to stay up all night.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think of something¡­¡± Ye Jinwen¡¯s brain ran faster than ever, ¡°Right, find Sui Yuan! Sui Yuan is close to her, she must know what to do!¡± Xiao Qimo gave his silent consent. Staying up all night was not a problem, but he couldn¡¯t let her, a girl, do that alone, especially since she had sses the next day. Late at night, after much trouble, Ye Jinwen found Sui Yuan¡¯s phone number and called her. ¡°Mianmian drank?¡± Sui Yuan¡¯s voice on the phone was faint, but her surprise was evident. She didn¡¯t decline and quickly asked for leave from her dorm head to get out. With Xiao Qimo¡¯s help, it was easy for Sui Yuan to leave the school. Ye Jinwen went to pick her up, his t head and timid face constantly clouded with worry. ¡°What, is it a big deal when Lu Mian gets drunk?¡± Ye Jinwen also began to sweat with apprehension. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡¯s it¡¯s troublesome, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to say much, secretly on guard against something. The two returned to Lu Mian¡¯s ce. Before they could enter, a rational yet piercingly cold girl¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen, but you¡¯ll have to beat me first.¡± The voice was so cold and unfeeling that Ye Jinwen felt the air temperature around him drop a few degrees. ¡°This isn¡¯t good¡­¡± Sui Yuan said weakly, furrowing her brows and shaking her head, ¡°Mianmian has started the second level of her teaching mode.¡± ¡°What¡¯s first and second level?¡± ¡°The first level is rational teaching, where she¡¯ll calmly exin knowledge points to you. The second level is violent teaching, where she gets angry if someone tries to persuade her to sleep or doesn¡¯t pay attention properly. She¡¯s quite scary when she¡¯s angry.¡± Yes, Ye Jinwen knew this, knew it all too well. When she starts hitting people, it¡¯s like a god ying neers in a novice vige. ¡°Is there a third level?¡± ¡°Devil teaching.¡± Sui Yuan took a deep breath, otherwise, how could her academic performance be so good? s¡­ Sui Yuan quickly scanned her fingerprint to enter. Upon entering, they saw the cool girl in ck clothes and pants, one hand holding a book and one foot on a coffee table, her cold face tinged with an unruly and vicious dominance, extreme in every sense. In front of her, Xiao Qimo pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing silently. ¡°So¡­ so terrifying.¡± Ye Jinwen quietly stood behind Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan, not one for socializing, had no choice but to step forward and persuade, ¡°Director Qimo, you can¡¯t let Mianmian go to sleep, she¡¯ll take it as a challenge.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°You need to discuss the problems with her, whatever she says, just listen and agree, and it¡¯s best if you take some notes while at it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s beautiful fingers, still pinching his nose, paused. Heh, this little rascal, even drunk, she¡¯s still so unique. Chapter 99 - 98: Neighbors Saying Goodnight Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Neighbors Saying Goodnight ¡°How long will this statest?¡± Xiao Qimo casually picked up the pen on the coffee table, giving in. ¡°Unless there¡¯s an unexpected turn, she¡¯ll probably finish her lecture in about two hours.¡± Ye Jinwen was shocked: ¡°Another two hours!¡± Xiao Qimo: ¡°Let¡¯s all sit down together.¡± In the end, the three of them listened through Lu Mian¡¯ste-night lesson. To Xiao Qimo¡¯s surprise, he initially thought she was just having an alcohol reaction, spouting nonsense. However, unexpectedly, every point she made was clear, simple, and correct. With such ability, scoring a hundred in apetition was well within her reach. But he had seen her academic record, which stated: passing grades. In nine years ofpulsory education, ¡°passing¡± is quite a poor remark. He also knew the volume of knowledge she disyed could not be achieved overnight or learned in a day, but what he didn¡¯t understand was why she restrained herself in every aspect when she could have excelled? Could it be because of her family background? Sui Yuan took care of Lu Mian, helping her to bed, and looked quite worn out when walking out of the bedroom. ¡°Thank you, Director Xiao and Doctor Ye. It¡¯ste now; you should go back and rest.¡± ¡°If she feels unwell tomorrow, contact me, and I¡¯ll help you get a leave of absence,¡± Xiao Qimo instructed like a gentleman. Sui Yuan looked down, chuckling softly, ¡°She¡¯ll be fine after a sleep; don¡¯t make a big deal when you see her tomorrow.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll know tomorrow. In the future, don¡¯t give her any more alcohol!¡± Ye Jinwen nodded frantically. He would rather drink himself to vomiting or death than give Lu Mian another drop of alcohol! The two men left Lu Mian¡¯s house. Ye Jinwen saw Xiao Qimo¡¯s slightly disappointed face and was shocked, ¡°Qimo, are you unsatisfied?¡± Without waiting for Xiao Qimo to say anything, he suddenly nodded in agreement, ¡°True, you haven¡¯t found someone you can talk to like this in a long time!¡± The world of geniuses is lonely; not many can understand them. Perhaps Lu Mian has been misunderstood since childhood, leading her family tobel her a ¡°liar.¡± Over time, she grew tired of showing herself off, avoiding the hassle of her family¡¯s interrogations and trouble. Thinking this way, Lu Mian and Qimo do seem strangely well-matched. Like soulmates destined to be together. ¡°Qimo, although we had to help out with Lu Mian¡¯s unexpected drunkenness today, we can¡¯t forget what¡¯s important. What about the Guardian God of Wucheng? We need to find him as soon as possible!¡± Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t pay much attention to his rambling, unlocking his room with a fingerprint scan, his eyes growing deeper. ¡°Do you remember Captain Guo Shuitian, who was interviewed on TV?¡± he asked indifferently. ¡°Remember. His unit has several unsolved cases, what about it?¡± ¡°He has a son named Guo Zihao, who is Lu Mian¡¯s ssmate and sits in front of her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jinwen, who hadn¡¯t understood the relevance a second ago, suddenly had a revtion, ¡°Qimo, you can¡¯t suspect the Guardian God of Wucheng is Lu Mian, that she¡¯s stealing our thunder?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, you did,¡± Xiao Qimo elegantly turned around, walking to the wine cab and casually pulling out a bottle of red wine, methodically opening it. The luscious red liquid flowed into the crystal ss, seductively crimson under the light. The man gently swirled the ss, every movement exuding nobility and refinement. Ye Jinwen nced in the direction of the adjacent room, suddenlying to a realization, ¡°I see, you¡¯re using the process of elimination. It seems that Little Mianmian can bepletely crossed off the list now, right?¡± Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t answer him, his handsome features tinged with a pleasant emotion, but alsoced with aplexity others couldn¡¯t grasp. He held up the wine ss, toasting in the direction of the neighboring room. Little rascal, goodnight. Chapter 100 - 99 I think... I have fallen in love Chapter 100: Chapter 99 I think¡­ I have fallen in love Lu Mian woke up from a nap only to find the room empty. With a toothbrush in her mouth and rubbing her temples, a flicker of emotion swept through her clear eyes, unseen by others. She arrived at school on time. As usual, she casually took her seat and started reading a novel while others were busy with their homework or submitting their papers; she remained unmoved. Even the ss monitors who might have wanted to say something to her, upon approaching, were pushed back by her distant demeanor. Lu Mian kept to herself; in the entire ss, the only people she conversed with were the two underachievers, Fat Hao and Shouhao. Gathered together, the three students at the bottom of the grade scale, were subjects of mockery from the others, not that they cared. Fat Hao was a bit quiet today. After Lu Mian arrived, he greeted her and then turned his head back, burying himself in whatever he was busily scribbling. Shouhao, who sat diagonally in front, whispered to Lu Mian: ¡°Fat Hao¡¯s depressed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lu Mian raised an eyebrow. ¡°His dad has cracked several cases in a row¡­¡± Shouhao said in a low voice, sounding somewhat helpless. Fat Hao, having overheard, turned around with a gloomy expression: ¡°At this rate, my dad¡¯s going to be promoted to deputy director!¡± Shouhao: The way he says it, it¡¯s just begging for a punch! Lu Mian smiled faintly, flipping another page of her book as if nothing mattered: ¡°So?¡± Shouhao looked puzzled: ¡°Fat Hao, even though it was the Guardian God of Wucheng who did those things, your dad deserves some credit too, doesn¡¯t he? He¡¯s upright and brave, standing up for others¡ªit¡¯s only fair that he¡¯s recognized. Besides, the Guardian God hasn¡¯t been found yet. When they do find him, they can just give him the award separatelyter.¡± As if getting depressed over this was worth it. Fat Hao shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not because of that, I found out who the Guardian God of Wucheng is!¡± ¡°Who?! Spill it, spill it!¡± Shouhao was excited. He was a super-hero fanatic, and such plots greatly interested him¡ªthe Guardian God of Wucheng was essentially a superhero, after all! Lu Mian¡¯s expression remained light and indifferent as she turned another page of her book. ¡°It¡¯s a girl! The Guardian God of Wucheng is definitely a girl!¡± ¡°A girl? That¡¯s explosive news!¡± Lu Mian shifted positions, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Last night, she threw evidence of apany dying wages at the entrance of my dad¡¯s workce. When my dad opened it, a neatly folded sheet of paper fell out¡­¡± Fat Hao took a deep breath, ¡°This paper was hamburger paper, you know, the kind that prevents oil stains when we eat hamburgers, right?¡± Shouhao nodded but still didn¡¯t understand. Lu Mian, however, slightly narrowed her attractive almond-shaped eyes. ¡°The issue lies with this hamburger paper. There¡¯s a cartoon cat head drawn on it and, after my analysis, I¡¯m certain it was drawn by a girl! I even took a photo! The moment I saw it, I felt¡­ I fell in love.¡± He surreptitiously took out his phone and showed the photo to Shouhao and Lu Mian. After a nce, Lu Mian smiled and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± In the restroom. Lu Mian twirled a pack of tissues in one hand, a mocking grin on her face as she texted Zero. [You did that on purpose.] [Bite me!] Zero replied. Heh. Lu Mian didn¡¯t say anything more, just snorted coldly and entered a stall. Last night, she couldn¡¯t move around easily, so she had Zero find some evidence at Chairman La Yang¡¯spany. But that guy did something unnecessary behind her back. She recognized the hamburger paper with the cat head drawn on it¡ªit was something she had doodled absentmindedly at some point. Fortunately, that was the only trace exposed¡­ Lu Mian suppressed the frustration in her heart and walked out of the restroom with a calm expression. But she was stopped by someone blocking her way. Chapter 101 - 100 Do you think I care about that? Chapter 101: Chapter 100 Do you think I care about that? Lu Mian¡¯s fingers continued to flip the tissue packet lightly in her hand. Her other hand rested in her school uniform pocket as she slightly lowered her long eyshes to gaze at her toes, not even bothering to look up at the approaching person. With a cold and mischievous curve on her lips, she drew out the end of her words, lightly exhaling three sybles. ¡°Looking for trouble?¡± Su Jue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The pain in his arm and abdomen was still so pronounced, and the memory of being beaten up yesterday was fresh in his mind; he had no doubt that Lu Mian was not joking with that remark. Whenever he saw Lu Mian, she always had this arrogant and unrestrained demeanor, as if no one else mattered. But he couldn¡¯t let go, couldn¡¯t give up, couldn¡¯t learn his lesson. Some students noticed them and ran off with gossipy giggles, whispering from a distance. ¡°Why is Su Shao here to find Lu Mian again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet a pack of spicy strips that Su Shao must have fallen for Lu Mian!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bet ten packs of spicy strips that Su Shao likes Lu Xinnuan. I heard that their two families are about to make it official!¡± ¡°Lu Mian is from the Lu Family too, so it makes no difference to Su Shao whom he likes. But it seems like Lu Mian doesn¡¯t really care about him¡­¡± Their whispers didn¡¯t catch Lu Mian¡¯s attention but were overheard by Bai Fangfei first. ¡°Had enough talk?¡± Bai Fangfei huffed as she shooed people away, shooting a cold re in Lu Mian¡¯s direction before storming back to the ssroom. Lu Mian also wanted to head back to the ssroom, but Su Jue blocked her way. ¡°Lu Mian, I¡¯ve already heard from my grandfather that it¡¯s true you won a snuff bottle by ying Go when you were little; you didn¡¯t lie,¡± he spoke quickly, afraid Lu Mian would walk away. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else; my grandfather is hosting a Go tournament. If you participate, you can prove it to your parents in person, and they will no longer misunderstand you!¡± After all that talk, Lu Mian didn¡¯t quite understand what Su Jue meant. Don¡¯t tell her that Su Jue had a change of heart and wanted to help her reim her reputation in the Lu Family. She didn¡¯t believe it, nor did she care. ¡°Lu Mian, this is an opportunity!¡± Su Jue stressed. Lu Mian found it annoying. She tossed the tissue packet into the air, turned her head, andughed, ¡°You think I care about that?¡± As she spoke, the tissue packetnded firmly back in her palm, and she continued to toss it yfully. ¡°What do you care about then? They are your family!¡± Su Jue paused for a moment, looked down as if deciding on something, then divulged, ¡°The winner of this Gopetition will receive a prize of twenty million yuan!¡± Twenty million¡­ Lu Mian squinted her eyes, ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware the Su Family had be so generous all of a sudden?¡± ¡°That twenty million is my sponsorship, is that a problem?¡± He straightened up, ¡°I told you before, I¡¯ve made over twenty million in stocks. A few days ago, I invested again, so I¡¯m using the remaining twenty million as the prize for my grandfather¡¯s Go tournament. That¡¯s not a big deal, is it!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve made another investment?¡± This time, Lu Mian engaged in a longer conversation with him. Su Jue finally regained his male pride and sounded proud and self-assured. ¡°Yes, I should be able to make another profit this time. So, twenty million isn¡¯t much for me. If you¡¯re interested, I can also get you into stock trading. Lu Xinnuan also invested three thousand with me before!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lu Mian¡¯s eyes, now narrow almond shapes, shed an unknowable dark gleam as she curiously asked him, ¡°Which stock did you invest in?¡± Su Jue, unguarded, blurted it out. He believed Lu Mian didn¡¯t understand these things; after all, stock trading wasplicated, and he had quite a time teaching it to Lu Xinnuan. As he recited the string of digital codes, Lu Mian clenched the tissue packet in her hand, her mischievous smile tinged with rare sincerity. She gave a thumbs up, mockingly saying, ¡°Su Jue, you¡¯re really something.¡± At her words, Su Jue¡¯s chest swelled with a fleeting sense of tion. Was Lu Mian¡­ praising him? Before he could ponder it, the girl had already brushed past him, leaving only the light and pleasant echo of her voice hanging in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll participate in the Go tournament, so wait for it!¡± Chapter 102 - 101: Maybe We Can Win the Championship Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Maybe We Can Win the Championship Lu Mian, who had just sat back down in his seat, still had a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Seen by both Panghao and Shouhao, the two of them synchronously hugged their arms and shivered. ¡°Mianmian, your expression is a bit creepy¡­¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Lu Mian blinked mysteriously, his nonchnce at its extreme, ¡°I am very gentle, you know.¡± The hefty and lean brothers shivered even more. Lu Mian simply smiled without speaking and took out his smartphone to send a text message to Zero. ¡ª¡ª Su Jue returned to his own ssroom and slowly regained his heartbeat. Touching his chest, he smiled with satisfaction. Even the most reserved, under the lure of vast wealth, which girl could resist? Lu Xinnuan was collecting papers and felt his good mood as she passed by him. She poked his shoulder and sweetly asked, ¡°Su Jue, what¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Su Jue paused, his smile receding, ¡°Nothing much, my family is organizing a Gopetition this weekend. I¡¯ll invite your parents toe and watch.¡± ¡°A Gopetition? Will Grandpa Su be there?¡± ¡°Yeah, he will definitely be there, he¡¯s the sponsor.¡± Lu Xinnuan lowered her eyes, seemingly pondering something, and flipped through a stack of papers in her hands absently. ¡°Su Jue, can anyone join this Gopetition?¡± ¡°Not exactly. My grandfather is hosting this exchange to select a group of Go masters. The participants have to go through a selection process to officiallypete. To attract more masters, I even gave the twenty million I earned to my grandfather as the championship prize money.¡± Lu Xinnuan swallowed hard, clutching the papers tighter. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with admiration and longing, ¡°Then can I¡­¡± Su Jue didn¡¯t let her finish, saying to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll ask your sister to join, and she agreed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lu Xinnuan suddenlyughed, her words swallowed back, ¡°Su Jue, you wouldn¡¯t have invited Lu Mian specially after hearing what I said yesterday¡­ If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have told you. I wouldn¡¯t want Mianmian to trouble Grandpa Su.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see when the timees.¡± Su Jue didn¡¯t intend to say more, just as his phone vibrated, so he took it out to check the message. Lu Xinnuan, clutching the papers, forcefully suppressed the disappointment in her heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring mom to the event. My dad is out of town, so he can¡¯t make it.¡± Lu Xinnuan answered cheerfully, holding the papers while turning around, and sincerely praised, ¡°My sister might even win the championship, right!¡± Su Jue didn¡¯t hear these words, nor the tone that suggested she was looking forward to a good show. He was just staring at the screen of his phone, lost in a daze. His mind went nk. He¡­ had been kicked out of the stock investment group. After zoning out for a full minute, Xie Huiyang walked in through the back door and patted his shoulder, ¡°Su Shao, what are you zoned out for? Better put away your phone!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Jue was wooden. ¡°If Principal Qi sees that, you can say goodbye to your phone!¡± Xie Huiyang pushed him back to his seat and kindly continued to remind him. ¡°You and Lu Xinnuan should be careful too, especially at school. Don¡¯t get too close. Don¡¯t you know Principal Qi is the bane of puppy love? With just one sentence, he can break up a couple! He has broken up several couples already! Tsk, couples in school scatter like rats upon seeing a cat when they see him!¡± Su Jue seemed unable to hear any of it, his body stiff and cold all over. Only one thought upied his mind. He had been kicked out. Kicked out. Chapter 103 - 102: She Won’t Take the Blame for This Chapter 103: Chapter 102: She Won¡¯t Take the me for This His expression was somewhat unusual, and Xie Huiyang stuffed his phone back into his pocket, asking with concern, ¡°Su Jue, what¡¯s wrong with you? Su Jue?¡± Finally, Su Jue snapped back to reality from a nk state. His first reaction was to apply to rejoin the group chat. However, when he searched for the group again, it was nowhere to be found. He didn¡¯t even know why he had been kicked out, not to mention he hadn¡¯t seen any sign before it happened. ¡°Su Jue, the stock you mentioned the other day, I¡¯ve already had my dad invest in it, 300,000! Whenever you decide to sell, remember to give the bros a heads-up, okay?¡± Su Jue¡¯s hand trembled slightly as he looked at Xie Huiyang at the same table and then at Lu Xinnuan¡¯s figure in front of them. His spirit deted. ¡ª¡ª After school, Lu Mian walked out of the gates, only to see Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen standing under the tanus across the street, seemingly waiting for her. She didn¡¯t walk straight and instead sauntered over, ying with her backpack straps. Seeing Ye Jinwen¡¯s baby face turned pale, she greeted him cheerfully, ¡°Doctor Ye, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± With a voice and look full of grievance, he retorted, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lu Mianughed, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Ye Jinwen, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, leaped in front of her. Although he was more than ten centimeters taller than Lu Mian, he seemed toe up short in presence as he ced his hands on his hips, criticizing her: ¡°Little Mianmian, you tormented me allst night, and now you pretend not to understand! I¡¯m the one who truly doesn¡¯t get it¡ªalmost drained dry by you, meow!¡± Not only drained dry, but he was also named and criticized as the worst student among the worst students that Lu Mian had brought along. Lu Mian narrowed her eyes and eyed him up and down with silent disdain. This was one pot she wasn¡¯t going to carry. Xiao Qimo parted Ye Jinwen with a finger, speaking with slight distaste, ¡°Mind your choice of words and context when speaking.¡± Ye Jinwen: What the meow? The refined gentleman ignored him, stepping forward to offer a box of delicate food items, saying gracefully, ¡°I ordered some light porridge for you from MM Ji Restaurant; it¡¯ll be ready for you to eat when you get back.¡± His manner of expression wasn¡¯t mboyant but rather consistently gentle and just right, which was veryforting. Most other girls would probably have already fallen for his gentlemanly charm. But Lu Mian didn¡¯t want to ept it. He smiled, his handsome brows and eyes tinged with tenderness, ¡°The owner also included two hamburgers in there for you.¡± Only then did Lu Mian reach out to take the handbag. Under theforting gazes of the two men across the street, she pulled out the hamburgers and handed back the porridge to Xiao Qimo. ¡°¡­¡± The thought processes of this little rascal were truly unique. Xiao Qimo was exasperated, though the smile on his lips grew even more indulgent. Following her wishes, he took the porridge back and casually asked, ¡°Do you remember apanying me to the banquetst night?¡± He remembered Sui Yuan¡¯s advice and figured that Lu Mian must have experienced memorypses after drinking,pletely forgetting what happenedst night. To his surprise, Lu Mian nodded her head, looking perplexed as she asked back, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I remember?¡± ¡°You drank,¡± Ye Jinwen said faintly. ¡°Right, I had a sip of red wine from F Country¡¯s Bordeaux Pommerol. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jinwen pressed a hand to his forehead, ¡°The issue isn¡¯t that. It¡¯s what happened after you drank!¡± ¡°I know I can¡¯t hold my liquor. After I drank it, Director Qimo got me a cup of warm water. Then you guys drove me home, and I even thanked you at the door. After that, I went to rest.¡± !!! Ye Jinwen¡¯s expression almost crumbled, a hand pped over his face. He finally understood what Sui Yuan meant by not making a fuss. Not only did Lu Mian have ckouts when she drank, but she also created a fabricated memory of the ckout. Just look at her, so assertive and logical in her exnation. Jeez! Xiao Qimo, however, was calm. After cursing little rascal in his heart, he coughed lightly to silence the yful Ye Jinwen. Then the man spoke, a hint of anticipation in his voice. ¡°Lu Mian, I¡¯ll be away on business for the next few days. Do you have any instructions for me?¡± Chapter 104 - 103: A Particularly Awkward Situation Chapter 104: Chapter 103: A Particrly Awkward Situation Ye Jinwen sneaked a nce at Xiao Qimo and was speechless. This whole act of a husband briefing his wife before going on a business trip, what was this nonsense! Lu Mian might not even care about you! Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t pay him any heed, standing there quietly with his thin lips hooked slightly, his deep eyes under the gold-rimmed sses focused intently on the girl. She must have felt the intensity of his gaze. Lu Mian expressionlessly stuffed two hamburgers into her pocket and nodded coolly. ¡°Oh, there really are.¡± The delicate features of Xiao Qimo¡¯s handsome face immediately showed his good mood. This little brat finally showed some human touch. Just as he was about to tilt his head to wait for her instructions, he saw the girl three steps away from him, her brows and eyes painted with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile. She stepped forward two paces. The tall figure was momentarily stunned, and Xiao Qimo slowly narrowed his eyes. As he was wondering what Lu Mian meant, his slightly gathered eyes caught her extending her hand, her delicate white index finger hooking onto his belt. She used a bit of force, and he, as if possessed, took a step forward. Their fingers and abdomen muscles were separated by a thinyer of shirt fabric, touching in a faint and nearly indistinguishable manner, a strangely unfamiliar experience that caused Xiao Qimo¡¯s heart rate to suddenly increase along with a brief dizziness. Yeah, he was also drunk. Drunk on that face which seemed to mock the world, caught in her light, shallow smile. Next to him, Ye Jinwen went ¡°wow¡± in excitement, clenching his fists, screaming internally in ecstasy. This, this¡­ was this like seeing two unyielding iron trees bloom at the same time? I say goodbye to you with a kiss, in the deserted street. He automatically added background music in his head. While he was fantasizing about a scene with more restricted content in his mind, he heard the girl¡¯s gentle chuckle. She said, ¡°Director Qimo, your belt buckle¡­ it¡¯s undone.¡± The belt buckle¡­ undone. Was this¡­ her instruction? The well-mannered man¡¯s handsome face visibly copsed, his slightly narrowed eyes tinged with unspoken emotions. His breath also became heavier. In the ensuing silence, he heard a soft ¡°click¡± as the girl¡¯s fingertips gently repaired the buckle for him. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good for others to see it during your business trip,¡± she said with augh, already stepping back three paces. Her hands returned to her pockets. Xiao Qimo saw her fingers move slightly; she must have wrapped around those two hamburgers. He respectably pursed his lips, remaining still as a rock. Ye Jinwen¡¯s mentally constructed image had already shattered into a QR code. Little Mianmian, you really are one of a kind! To be so blunt with such words! I don¡¯t know why Qimo¡¯s belt buckle coincidentally came undone, and I don¡¯t dare to ask. In any case, he felt all over awkward, just wanting to find a hole to crawl into. In such a massively embarrassing scene, probably only Qimo, who wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid even if Mount Tai copsed before him, could hold it together. As Ye Jinwen was looking down to find a crack in the ground, the genteel man handed over the bag of clear soup, and he instinctively epted it, only to see Xiao Qimo lift a finger. The man pinched his tall nose and then casually took off his gold-wire sses. He pulled out a white handkerchief from his suit pocket and began gently wiping the lenses in a meticulous, slow motion, like a scene from a film. Ye Jinwen felt the hairs stand up all over his body. Perhaps others thought Xiao Qimo was trying to ease the awkwardness, but he knew that Qimo was taking off his sses! He was well aware that Qimo¡¯s nearsightedness was negligible. The only reason he wore sses was to hide the sharpness in his eyes. With sses on, he was the very picture of elegance. Without sses, he was a devil from hell. Qimo couldn¡¯t possibly be so embarrassed that he¡¯d kill Lu Mian to keep her quiet, could he? While he was lost in his wild thoughts, Xiao Qimo had already cleaned the sses and put them back on. The whole process was brief, taking just over a dozen seconds. Ye Jinwen heaved a sigh of relief. The next second, however, he heard Xiao Qimo¡¯s dangerous tone, slow and methodical, ¡°Lu Mian, do you know what it means for a woman to fasten a man¡¯s belt?¡± Chapter 105 - 104 One Day, You Will Know Chapter 105: Chapter 104 One Day, You Will Know Lu Mian furrowed her brows and tilted her head. Tapping the ground with the tip of her shoe, she disyed little patience. She had kindly reminded him to fasten his belt, surely she wouldn¡¯t be med for that! With an air of it¡¯s not my business, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to know.¡± Ye Jinwen nced cautiously towards Xiao Qimo. The gentleman standing under the ne tree maintained a smile that revealed nothing. Even at this moment, he kept his gracefulposure and aura. As elegantly as he put his white handkerchief into his pocket, he intended to end today¡¯s conversation. ¡°Take good care of yourself these days. Call me if you need anything, I¡¯lle back to help you.¡± ¡°No need, I don¡¯t have anything I need help with,¡± Lu Mian, the straightforward woman, said somewhat impatiently, ¡°Director Qimo, I¡¯m going home. My burger¡¯s getting cold.¡± Xiao Qimo could only respond resignedly, ¡°Go on, then. Go home.¡± Ye Jinwen officially announced, ¡°The list of the most difficult people to approach has now been updated.¡± First ce: Lu Mian, the Confronter. Second ce: Lu Mian, the Professor. Third ce: Lu Mian, the Straightforward Woman. Fourth ce: Xiao Qimo¡¯s Lu Mian. Xiao Qimo watched her resolute departure, his hand casually in his pocket, his eyes deep with thought. After a while, he regained hisposure and let out a lowugh. ¡°Little rascal.¡± Someday, you will understand what that means. ¡ª¡ª Lu Xinnuan returned home, and Fu Man had already prepared dinner. Being a senior high school student who needed the most care, Fu Man diligently took care of the logistics to provide her with the best study environment. ¡°Mom, Su Jue said my sister is going to participate in the Go tournament.¡± At the dinner table, Lu Xinnuan took a sip of the soup and casually brought it up. Fu Man served her a chicken drumstick and filled her bowl with chicken soup. ¡°Nuannuan, do you want to participate too?¡± Fu Man asked with earnest concern, ¡°Mom knows you¡¯re talented, but now is the time for you to focus on your studies. Prioritize your studies first!¡± ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ve told Su Jue I¡¯m not participating,¡± Lu Xinnuan replied sweetly. ¡°But mom, let¡¯s go watch sisterpete this weekend and cheer for her, shall we?¡± ¡°No, focus on your studies and don¡¯t worry about your sister¡¯s business.¡± ¡°She is my real sister, how can I not care? And the Go tournament is organized by Grandpa Su. I¡¯m also worried that something might go wrong on her end¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Fu Man¡¯s hand with the chopsticks paused. She knew her daughter¡¯s desire to join the Su family and that Nuannuan had always held herself to the standard of a precious girl. But unfortunately,tely, Nuannuan¡¯s mind seemed to be less and less on her studies. When had it started? Probably after Lu Mian came back¡­ Fu Man frowned and didn¡¯t get a chance to object when Lu Xinnuan tactfully spoke up preemptively, ¡°Mom, if you don¡¯t like it, we won¡¯t go!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­¡± Fu Man sighed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Lu Xinnuan was satisfied. She really didn¡¯t believe that Lu Mian, with her carefree demeanor, could have a high rank in Go! ¡°Oh, Mom, do you remember the snuff bottle sister brought home when she was little? You confiscated it at the time, and I haven¡¯t seen it since.¡± ¡°That thing¡­¡± Fu Man smiled slightly, ¡°It got lost when we moved.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± What a pity¡­ She remembered that the snuff bottle had two miniature Go board designs on it. If she could show it to Grandpa Su, he would surely love it. After dinner, Lu Xinnuan returned to her room to study, and Fu Man, having cleaned the kitchen, went back to her own bedroom. She took out a small box from the back of her vanity drawer and gently opened it. Insidey a palm-sized, white porcin bottle, its surface finely painted with a Go board design. Chapter 106 - 105: Wondering What Twenty Million Looks Like Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Wondering What Twenty Million Looks Like Fu Man carefully held the snuff bottle in her hands. The base of the bottle even bore the imprint of its era, marking it as an antique. She had secretly had it appraised; it was worth three million. After Lu Mian handed it to her initially, she kept it hidden until now. At that time, Lu Mian was only four years old. Although he was inherently quiet and not very talkative, he was still a lovely little angel. The little angel secretly stuffed his treasure into her hands. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m giving you a present! I won it ying chess!¡± At the time, she didn¡¯t think much about it. Seeing it was an old object, she panicked. Their family was struggling financially; if it turned out that Lu Mian had stolen it identally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to afford topensate for it. Even though Lu Mian repeated several times that he had won it, she dared not believe him. After all, it seemed impossible that someone would lose such a valuable item to a child in a game of Go. She quickly took Lu Mian back to look for the elderly man at the entrance to theirplex. However, that person, perhaps just a passerby, might not have realized he had lost a valuable item, and they didn¡¯t find him. She had severely scolded Lu Mian and hid the snuff bottle away, not even daring to sell it during the kidnapping incident two years ago. Once the unknown origin of the item came to light, the reputation of the Lu Family and Xinnuan would be destroyed. They would never be able to hold their heads up high again in their lives! She vaguely remembered that it was around that time that Lu Mian became even colder and quieter, and his actions grew weirder and weirder. Weird as they may be. But it was still better than allowing others to point fingers at their spine, saying that the Lu Family had raised a liar! A thief! She had painstakingly covered for Lu Mian all these years, and yet that girl was still so heartless, ah¡­ ¡ª The weekend arrived quickly. Xinnuan and Fu Man arrived earlier than scheduled at thepetition venue, Wucheng Chess Institute, ording to the address. Banners hung inside and outside the chess institute, and in the main hall, there were neat rows of tables and boards set up for the yers. Xinnuan linked arms with Fu Man and found Su Jue. Su Jue had seemed weighed down with heavy thoughts these past few days, and she couldn¡¯t coax out what was bothering him despite asking several times. Expecting his mood to improve when they met, she was disappointed to find him still aloof and preupied. ¡°Mom, Su Jue sponsored the Gopetition with twenty million this time, all earned from his own stock trading!¡± Xinnuan said with vicarious pride, as if the honor reflected on her as well. Fu Man nodded with difficulty, not knowing what properpliment to offer. ¡°I followed Su Jue¡¯s lead and invested three thousand, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll turn a tidy profit too!¡± Xinnuan was confident in Su Jue, but his expression had turned quite ugly, clearly not wanting to say more, ¡°Your seats are over there. Just go and sit down when you arrive.¡± ¡°Then Grandpa Su¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa is busy, probably won¡¯t have time to entertain you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xinnuan felt quite disappointed; she hade mainly for Old Master Su, but she couldn¡¯t even exchange a word with him. With no other option, she sat down arm in arm with Fu Man, quietly waiting to see Lu Mian make a fool of himself. Su Jue, upset and disarrayed, headed towards Old Master Su. A middle-aged man was chatting up Old Master Su. Upon seeing Su Jue approach, he smiled and ttered, ¡°Old Master Su, your grandson is also a hero among the young, isn¡¯t he? I heard he¡¯s very good at stock trading, and the prize money for thispetition was sponsored by him, right?¡± Twenty million is no small sum. Many yers, attracted by the news, came over to join in on the buzz. Winning or losing the championship wasn¡¯t important; they just wanted to see what twenty million looked like. Old Master Su waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Just kids making a fuss, it¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± Seeing how his grandson was impulsive and craved for glory, he as a grandfather noticed all along and had been deliberately admonishing him, lest he get too carried away. Su Jue, feeling chastened, nodded unnaturally, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nothing to speak of. Uncle Liu, you¡¯re the real star of today¡¯spetition, a Go professional with a sixth dan ranking, having scared off manypetitors!¡± This middle-aged man was Liu Baiyu, one of the invited yers for thepetition and somewhat renowned in the Wucheng Chess Institute. Liu Baiyu responded humbly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say so! I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s another special invitee? Old Master Su, who might that be?¡± Chapter 107 - 106: The Special Invited Player is... Chapter 107: Chapter 106: The Special Invited yer is¡­ Su Qinghe looked mysterious and smiled without saying a word. Su Jue, growing impatient with listening any further, meandered to the entrance of the hall for some air. He pulled out his phone once again to check the stock trading group, but there was still no news. Thinking about how a group of people were all waiting for him to show off his skills, he clenched his teeth so hard that his phone was nearly crushed. If he couldn¡¯t rely on the group, he would just do his own research. After all, he wasn¡¯t without a foundation in stock trading; he refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t outdo that expert! While he was grimly determined, Su Jue looked up and saw two familiar faces approaching the entrance of the chess institute. ¡°Are you¡­ Lu Mian¡¯s ssmates?¡± he sized up the plump and thin brothers in front of him. He had some recollections, ¡°Where¡¯s Lu Mian?¡± Shou Hao and the thin friend exchanged nces. ¡°Mianmian said the earlier matches were too tedious, he¡¯lle over during the finals.¡± ¡°Humph,¡± Su Jue was almost amused to anger, ¡°This is how she treats the opportunity I secured for her? Who does she think she is,ing and going as she pleases?!¡± Shou Hao and the thin friend exchanged nces, looking somewhat bewildered. Shou Hao spread his hands and retorted, ¡°But isn¡¯t Mianmian an invited yer? Mr. Su allowed her toe over during the match¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An invited yer? Arranged by grandfather? Only then realizing the situation, Su Jue felt as if pped in the face. Rendered speechless with frustration, he arranged seats for Shou Hao and the thin friend and sullenly went to wee other guests and yers. Once Shou Hao and his thin friend had taken their seats and looked around, they saw Lu Xinnuan and a middle-aged woman. The two were sitting in the back, whispering to each other. ¡°Is thatdy Mianmian¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°It must be, she¡¯s sitting with Lu Xinnuan.¡± Although they spoke in hushed tones, the distance between the seats was so short that those in front could easily hear them. Fu Man and Lu Xinnuan turned around ufortably. ¡°Are you Mianmian¡¯s ssmates?¡± Fu Man asked. ¡°Yes, Auntie.¡± Shou Hao and the thin friend promptly sat up straight and introduced themselves to each other. Fu Man nodded; at least these two were more polite than Su Jue, managing to smile and call her ¡®Auntie¡¯. But Lu Xinnuan really didn¡¯t care for such people,cking both in looks and ordinary in dress; they were only fit to hang out with someone like Lu Mian. Turning their heads back around, they no longer paid any attention to those in the rear. Shou Hao extended his hand, ¡°I bet a hundred bucks that Mianmian will definitely win the championship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far, Shou Hao. How am I supposed to bet?¡± the thin friend replied in apetitive tone, ¡°Well, I bet that Mianmian will definitely take home twenty million!¡± The two looked at each other and smiled, striking a confident high five. Lu Xinnuan lowered her eyes and scoffed. Many Go masters hade to this majorpetition, including a professional sixth dan yer. Now Lu Mian was too shy to show her face; how could she possibly win twenty million? Perhaps she was huddled somewhere, frantically memorizing Go strategies! At that moment, Lu Mian was not cramming any strategies. She had just woken up from her sleep, getting out of bed methodically as usual, taking care of some matters. Taking advantage of the good weather, she donned her sportswear and went for a couple ofps outside. Aftering back and taking a bath, she meandered downstairs and made her way to the chess institute, stopping by a bookstore en route to pick out a couple of leisure books. By the time she arrived at the chess institute, her timing was spot on. It was just her turn to y in the final match as an invited yer. Many in the audience recognized Liu Baiyu, conceding that losing to such a sixth dan yer was no disgrace. But there was a sense of regret concerning the other invited yer who had never shown a face. ¡°Who is this invited yer? They must be pretty good¡­¡± ¡°Of course, can¡¯t you trust Mr. Su¡¯s judgment!¡± ¡°Without a detailed introduction or a dan rank, it¡¯s uncertain how many moves they could match against Mr. Liu¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan shook Fu Man¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, shall we leave? I don¡¯t think Mianmian wille. It¡¯s almost the end of the tournament.¡± Just as Fu Man was about to say something, the plump and thin brothers in the back suddenly got excited. ¡°Mianmian¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Mianmian has arrived!¡± They took out their support signs, which they had prepared in advance, and held them high above their heads, weing Lu Mian with great enthusiasm. Lu Xinnuan and Fu Man froze in their actions to stand up. The special invited yer¡­ was Lu Mian? Chapter 108 - 107: She Deserves a Chance Chapter 108: Chapter 107: She Deserves a Chance Lu Mian¡¯s arrival brought a refreshing breeze to the already bustling chess institute. While everyone was curious about who this mysterious invited yer was, they saw her casually dressed in sportswear, strolling in leisurely. Someone stepped forward to stop her, ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re in the wrong ce. This area is for thepetition, the spectator seats are over there.¡± Lu Mian responded with a grin, ¡°I¡¯m here to take the twenty million.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Her deration was arrogantly bold, prompting the yers at the chess institute to click their tongues, shake their heads, and scoff. They hadpeted for half a day and had yet to beat the sixth-dan master Liu Baiyu, yet this girl, who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, boldly imed she was going to take away twenty million. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Theughter erupted throughout the chess institute¡¯s hall. Fu Man cared about her image, and her face could hardly maintainposure as theughter, though aimed at ridiculing Lu Mian, felt nearly as mocking to her. Scurrying, she pulled Lu Xinnuan, ¡°Nuannuan, let¡¯s go.¡± Fearing others might recognize that she was Lu Mian¡¯s mother. ¡°Send your sister a text too, tell her not to participate anymore.¡± Pang Hao and Shouhao couldn¡¯t help but stop her. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t go! You¡¯ve got to give Mianmian a chance to show what she¡¯s got, right?¡± ¡°Show what? For her to make a fool of herself? I¡¯m clearer about her capabilities than any of you are!¡± Fu Man snapped back, pulling Lu Xinnuan toward the exit. Lu Xinnuan followed, thoroughly satisfied. However, before they could step out of the banquet hall, a chair unexpectedly slid in front of them, precisely blocking their way out. They turned back in astonishment to see Lu Mian nonchntly folding her arms, smiling at them. ¡°Stay and watch before you leave,¡± she said. ¡°¡­¡± Fu Man¡¯s whole body radiated embarrassment, feeling the burning res from around her, she could imagine just how much face she was about to lose. But now wasn¡¯t a good time to quarrel with Lu Mian, so she reluctantly sat back down. Lu Mian turned gracefully and smiled at Su Qinghe in the seat of honor, then gestured politely to her opponent, Liu Baiyu, to begin. ¡°Please start.¡± She didn¡¯t say much, but her words were powerful andpelling. It was only at that moment that everyone was sure and acknowledged that she was indeed thest yer specially invited by Old Su. A paratrooper who bypassed the preliminaries and directly entered the finals. ¡°Her, on what basis?¡± someone grumbled discontentedly. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of her name in the Go circles. Old Su is really biased this time.¡± ¡°A calf doesn¡¯t fear the tiger because it is new. Just watch, she¡¯ll soon find out her real level! No disrespect, but she¡¯s not at the same level as Mr. Liu!¡± Liu Baiyu was displeased too. He had worked hard to defeat so many formidable opponents to get to the end. Now someone had parachuted in topete for the championship with him? ¡°Old Su, I find this arrangement hard to ept,¡± he protested. Old Su, having seen Lu Mianing topete, was so delighted that his eyes almost squinted shut, and he hurriedly coaxed, ¡°Liu, my boy, I have my reasons for this. You¡¯re strong. If you can beat this little friend Lu Mian, you¡¯ll be the champion. If you lose to her, it means her skills in Go surpass yours, which also means they surpass those of all other yers here. There¡¯s nothing unreasonable about that, right?¡± Just from the game he had watched years ago, Lu Mian qualified to be a special invitee. He wasn¡¯t blindly trusting Mianmian; he had his reasons. ¡°But¡­¡± Liu Baiyu still felt that ying chess with a girl was beneath him. Lu Mian, on the other hand, was not one to quibble. She never liked useless talk, always preferring action when possible. At that moment, she had already calmly taken her seat, leaving Liu Baiyu no choice but to sit opposite her. Meanwhile, at the chess institute¡¯s second-floor window, a girl¡¯s silhouette lingered. Gazing down at therge hall from above, she had the perfect vantage point to see Lu Mian¡¯s chessboard clearly. She murmured to herself, ¡°I want to see just why Grandpa is so favoring her¡­¡± Chapter 109 - 108 They All Underestimated Lu Mian Chapter 109: Chapter 108 They All Underestimated Lu Mian The chess game began, and both sides chose their first move. ¡°You¡¯re young, so you go first,¡± Liu Baiyu offered, not wanting the situation to be awkward. Being the first to make a movees with an advantage. Lu Mian didn¡¯t agree and requested a drawing device for both to draw lots; in the end, it was still Liu Baiyu who made the first move. Liu Baiyu yed the ck pieces and moved first. He strategically ced a piece and chuckled, ¡°Kid, how about uncle gives you a few moves in advance?¡± ¡°The game of chess is like a battlefield, there¡¯s no giving in,¡± Lu Mian calmly made her move. Their game was recorded by cameras throughout, with everyone able to see every detail on the big screen. Thepeting yers ced bets with ill intentions. ¡°I bet Lu Mian loses in five minutes.¡± ¡°I bet three minutes!¡± ¡°One minute should be enough! Hahaha¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t much to see at the start of the game, standard moves, with evenly matched power between the two sides, no one gaining an advantage over the other. Those who originally didn¡¯t think much of her, at some point, fell into silent awe. Liu Baiyu thought to himself that although the girl had some skill, she was still far from beating him. However, just as he had finished cing a ck piece, Lu Mian¡¯s twenty-sixth piece followed closely after,nding on the board resoundingly. The game saw an astounding reversal! ¡°Beautiful!¡± Old Master Su on the chairman¡¯s podium couldn¡¯t help but p and exim aloud. The other chess yers were too shocked to speak. The move was ingenious, seemingly random and capricious but it actually revitalized the white pieces in the upper left corner! ¡°Could she be a hidden master?¡± ¡°I apologize, I take back everything I just said.¡± ¡°White ying second usually doesn¡¯t have an advantage, but she managed to turn the situation around so quickly, I¡¯m impressed!¡± Liu Baiyu became somewhat panicked and hurriedly moved a ck piece to salvage the situation. But he found it was toote; the upper left corner was nowpletely Lu Mian¡¯s domain. After all, a professional veteran, he quickly made a decisive move in the center, preparing hisyout. However, Lu Mian didn¡¯t give him any opportunity, forcing him to retreat with just a few moves! Every time Liu Baiyu would ponder for a long while before carefully cing a piece, but Lu Mian would follow as if without a second thought. One being extremely careful, wracking his brain, the other nonchnt yet in control of the whole board. It was clear to anyone with eyes who was more formidable. The game didn¡¯tst long, and the oue became clear swiftly. Liu Baiyu dropped the ck piece he was holding and hung his head in dejection. ¡°You¡¯ve won,¡± he said with difficulty. Lu Mian had won! Lu Mian had beaten a sixth-dan professional yer! Shouhao and hispanion hugged each other in excitement, shouting in satisfaction. The other contestants were sincerely convinced, raising their thumbs in approval. There was no denying it, their skill was evident for those who understood the game to see the difference clearly. Su Jue¡¯splexion turned purple, as if he¡¯d been pped twice in the face. He¡¯d thought to lure Lu Mian with twenty million topete, but he never expected her to actually win; he felt aplexity of emotions at that moment. It seemed they had all underestimated Lu Mian¡­ Meanwhile, Fu Man and Lu Xinnuan, sitting amongst the audience, didn¡¯t know what kind of expression to make. Fu Man stared at the big screen. Although she didn¡¯t quite understand the game, she knew that Lu Mian was strategic and methodical when ying. She could also hear everyone praising her exceptional skills, even surpassing those of professional yers. She clenched the hem of her clothes tightly, as if something was gripping her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Mianmian knew how to y chess, and she had won against a professional yer. Could it really be that she had won the snuff bottle by ying chess all those years ago? How could she dare believe it! The venue erupted into chaos, and as Old Master Su pped his hands, he began announcing joyfully, ¡°The final champion is¡ª¡± ¡°Grandpa Su!¡± The elder didn¡¯t finish speaking when suddenly, a charming figure stood up from the audience, interrupting the announcement of the results. Chapter 110 - 109: Is Lu Mian a Genius? Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Is Lu Mian a Genius? All eyes in the chess institute¡¯s hall were watching as Lu Xinnuan walked gracefully toward the spectator seats. Everyone else was quite surprised. Who was this? Was she nning to make trouble? Fu Man quickly tugged at her, a vein throbbing at her temple, sensing that something bad was about to happen. ¡°Nuannuan,e back quickly¡­¡± However, Lu Xinnuan had already walked to the front, facing the curious nces of the crowd. She bowed respectfully to Su Qinghe, which was quite polite and showed her well-cultured demeanor. ¡°Grandpa Su, I am terribly sorry for the disturbance. I have a question I would like to ask all the chess yers here¡­¡± Su Qinghe frowned at her and nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask if it¡¯s possible for a four-year-old child to defeat an old chess master?¡± Lu Xinnuan looked around with a smile. The others didn¡¯t quite understand what she was getting at and looked confused. ¡°Normally speaking, it¡¯s not possible.¡± Liu Baiyu considered the question seriously, her tone calm and impartial: ¡°A four-year-old child¡¯s mind is generally not yet developed, and they cannot match the experience of an elder.¡± The other chess yers also nodded in agreement. They were veterans in the world of Go, and although they had heard many legendary stories, they had never heard anything quite so fantastical. ¡°It¡¯s indeed improbable for a four-year-old.¡± ¡°Unless they are a genius!¡± At the mention of ¡°genius,¡± everyone couldn¡¯t help but look towards Su Qinghe. ¡°If I recall correctly, Grandpa Su¡¯s granddaughter is a Go genius, right? She began to show her talent after age seven and became renowned. How many people were stunned by her y, apuding and eximing in admiration! I heard she has already won quite a few international awards!¡± ¡°This one is a genius enough; could there possibly be someone even more extraordinary?¡± Upstairs by the window, the young girl hummed disdainfully and withdrew her interest, turning away. A servant asked beside her, ¡°Miss, do you want to go downstairs for a match?¡± Su Luo waved her hand and walked away, ¡°No need.¡± Downstairs in the hall, Lu Xinnuan listened quietly to the surrounding discussions, and after hearing the consensus from most people, she boldly approached Su Qinghe. Grandpa Su¡¯s expression wasplex, and she bit her lip, trying her best not to show any weakness. Su Jue wanted to say something as a reminder, but in the end, he didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Grandpa Su, not to deceive you, the person I¡¯m speaking of is actually a true story about my sister Lu Mian. At the age of four, she yed chess with an old master and won back an antique snuff bottle worth a considerable amount!¡± The crowd fell silent. The information was overwhelming, and it took a moment for everyone to react. Lu Xinnuan turned elegantly, a mischievous glint passing through her smiling eyes, and with an innocent face, she sinuously said, ¡°So, someone like my sister should be considered a genius, right?¡± She was always skillful in her speech, leaving herself plenty of room for maneuver. No one could find fault with her statement. Including Liu Baiyu, the contestants were shocked and pondered over Lu Xinnuan¡¯s words. When they looked at Lu Mian again, their gazes held a thoughtful depth. They weren¡¯t fools and understood the situation well. They had just denied the possibility of a four-year-old child defeating an old man in the chess scene, and now Lu Xinnuan said it was Lu Mian¡¯s true story. Tsk. An antique snuff bottle, who would easily lose to a child? However, looking at Lu Mian, who remained seated, her eyshes slightly lowered, she appeared utterly unconcerned. She was toying with a chess piece, turning it between her fingers with ease and indifference. Shouhao clenched his fists, ¡°Lu Xinnuan might be praising my brother Mian as a genius on the surface, but she¡¯s actually being sarcastic and exposing him, right? Shouhao, I¡¯m not misunderstanding, am I?¡± Shouhao snorted coldly, ¡°Be confident, drop the ¡®right¡¯!¡± ¡°But, really? Mian-ge won twenty million! What¡¯s the point in one family fighting against itself?¡± Chapter 111 - 110: Worthy of the Title "Genius Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Worthy of the Title ¡°Genius The chubby and skinny brothers could no longer hold back and patted Fu Man¡¯s shoulder in front of them. ¡°Auntie, can¡¯t you see that Lu Xinnuan is jealous of her own sister? Aren¡¯t you going to do something about this?¡± ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t be too biased in your treatment!¡± Their words seemed to hit Fu Man¡¯s sore spot. Her expression turned sour as she said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Nuannuan isn¡¯t jealous! She¡¯s just telling the truth!¡± That was what she said, but she also nced nervously in Lu Xinnuan¡¯s direction, with a pleading look in her eyes, silently begging her not to continue. She knew very well that no matter whether the events of the past were true or false, no one here would believe Lu Mian; it was too far-fetched. Bringing up the past now would only bring more negativity to the Lu Family¡­ Lu Xinnuan was aware of Fu Man¡¯s mindset, but she couldn¡¯t control herself. Watching Lu Miane back and gradually disy her abilities, seeing her get better and closer to the Su Family, stealing the spotlight that once belonged to her, she really couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. She wanted everyone present to witness that even if Lu Mian had won thepetition now, as a child she had still done something dishonorable. Let¡¯s see how she¡¯ll be able to hold her head high after this, let¡¯s see if Grandpa Su will still help Lu Mian! Lu Xinnuan masked the excitement fluttering in her heart and looked sincerely at Old Master Su. However, she did not see the rage or face-turning she had envisioned. Instead, Grandpa Su¡¯s demeanor seemed more¡­ excited?! What was going on?! Old Su Qinghe¡¯s aged cheeks shone brightly, his murky eyes filled with admiration and excitement. He leaned on his cane and said with full breath, ¡°Now, do you all understand why Lu Mian is a special invitee?¡± ??? The crowd was bewildered. What did that have to do with anything? Unable to contain his joy, Su Qinghe nodded and exined: ¡°Since Mianmian¡¯s own sister hase forward, I won¡¯t keep her secrets any longer. Yes, when she was four years old, she really did y chess with an old man, and she was quite impressive!¡± ¡°???¡± Lu Xinnuan suddenly became flustered and stood there unprepared. What was Grandpa Su talking about? ¡°Grandpa Su, why would you say that?¡± Lu Xinnuan forced a smile. ¡°Because I was right there by her side! At the time, I thought to myself, this child is extraordinary. If she¡¯s properly nurtured, she¡¯ll definitely achieve greatness! For the word ¡®prodigy,¡¯ Mianmian is truly deserving of it!¡± The crowd erupted into murmurs. Fu Man was dumbfounded. Lu Xinnuan waspletely stunned. How could this be¡­ She wasn¡¯t trying to praise Lu Mian, this wasn¡¯t the plot she had imagined! She almost blurted these words out, only to bite her lip toote, her expression showing great grievance. Su Qinghe continued to talk endlessly. ¡°She was only four years old, and she forced her opponent into a corner. Oh, and I even recorded a video at the time. I¡¯ve kept it for so many years, and finally, I have the chance to share it with you all. Su Jue, quickly connect to theputer and show everyone!¡± Lu Mian, while rotating the chess pieces, paused momentarily, her expression slightly disdainful. They had even recorded a video¡­ Once the video came out, everyone became silent, their intense gazes fixed on Lu Mian, showing nothing but utter respect! If everyone initially felt that Old Su was showing favoritism towards Lu Mian, the video immediately proved them wrong. Lu Mian was indeed that capable, impressively so since she was little! No one could deny it! In the audience, Fu Man stared at therge screen ying the video, clutching her chest tightly, and two clear tears rolled down. In her nk mind, the only thing that exploded was the voice of a four-year-old little angel. ¡°Mommy, believe me, I really won it on my own. I can y Go again to show you¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, I didn¡¯t steal anything¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, can you take my side just once?¡± ¡°Mom, I was wrong.¡± Chapter 112 - 111: Are You Worthy? Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Are You Worthy? Fu Man¡¯s heart roiled with countless regrets and agony, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already covering her mouth with tears streaming down her face. What had she done? Why hadn¡¯t she believed Mianmian even once back then? All she knew was to say it was impossible, she didn¡¯t believe, and that her daughter couldn¡¯t be that incredible, so impatient that she wasn¡¯t even willing to give Mianmian a few minutes to prove herself. It was she who had pushed the little angel away from her side. Maybe, Mianmian¡¯s personality today was also her doing¡­ Fu Man clutched her chest and, with tear-filled eyes, looked towards Lu Mian at the chairman¡¯s stage. Lu Mian felt it, and casually tossed the chess piece in her hand, nonchntly pretending not to see and avoided Fu Man¡¯s gaze. She was somewhat annoyed with the current situation, as she was just there to take the money that didn¡¯t belong to Su Jue. Clearing up misunderstandings and repairing familial rtions meant nothing to her. Showcasing talent and praise from strangers didn¡¯t interest her either. She stretched her neck and walked up to Elder Su, opening her mouth to say, ¡°Elder Su, can I take the twenty million now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The crowd of chess yers energetically discussing her ranking were awkward to the extreme. Here they were deifying her aplishments, yet she was only interested in twenty million. Su Qinghe was both resigned and indulgent, quickly directing his grandson to get the money ready, to register what needed registering and to handle the transactions that needed handling. By this time, Su Jue had also snapped out of it and hurriedly went with Lu Mian toplete the paperwork. As Lu Mian signed her name, he let out a long sigh next to her, wistfully saying, ¡°Being able to see you and your family resolve misunderstandings this time, my money has been well spent. With this money of mine, I believe your family will definitely be able to live a good life.¡± Lu Mian signed her name swiftly, the pen twirling in her hand before she ¡°thwack¡± set it down with quite some force. Su Jue shuddered. Lu Mian smiled coldly and mockingly, silently wondering what Su Jue meant with his tone of bestowing charity and pointing fingers. Who decided that she would definitely use this money for her family? ¡°You, why are you looking at me like that¡­ I¡¯m trying to help you! This twenty million is my sponsorship after all!¡± Su Jue stuttered, taking a step back. He was aware of Lu Mian¡¯s formidability. But this time, without his sponsorship and involvement, with Lu Mian¡¯s nasty temper, she¡¯d have never reconciled with her family in her lifetime. Her attitude right now was really excessive! Yes, Lu Mian had never shown Su Jue a friendly face. And now, she was even less likely to. She picked up the pen from the table again, twirling it twice in her hand before closing in on Su Jue. The next second, the tip of the pen jabbed precisely at Su Jue¡¯s heart, forceful and malicious, almost leaving him breathless. With her other hand, she nonchntly picked up the twenty-million check, the mocking curve of her lips growing deeper. ¡°Su Jue, do you deserve this money?¡± she asked. Su Jue was startled, ¡°What, what do you mean?¡± But Lu Mian was already out of patience to solve it for him, tossing the pen into his embrace, she turned around holding the check. Su Jue shakily picked up the pen, not doubting that if it had been a knife, he would have been gutted by now. Lu Mian had no intention of lingering, bidding farewell to Su Qinghe before nning to leave. As she passed by Lu Xinnuan, she didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. Arrogant and disdainful, regarding everything beneath her notice. Lu Xinnuan had never imagined the current situation, had never thought that what she took for granted as leverage would instead contribute to Lu Mian¡¯s good reputation. She felt deep hatred and resentment. What would mom do after finding out? Would she reconcile with Lu Mian? Would mom call Lu Mian back to the Lu Family, would she divide her love for her and give some to Lu Mian? No, Lu Mian still had twenty million! Chapter 113 - 112: Sure, I’ll Indulge You Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Sure, I¡¯ll Indulge You Lu Mian strolled throughyers of surprised and admiring gazes, making her way to the entrance of the chess institute. She didn¡¯t forget to snap her fingers at a couple of peers at the front tables, oozing casual coolness. ¡°I¡¯m off, treat you to skewers!¡± ¡°Lu Mian¡¯s on her way!¡± Pang Hao and Shouhao were waving their support banners as they sprinted off. As they passed by the tearful Fu Man, they paused for a moment, feeling extremely satisfied inside, as if a wrongful usation had been gloriously overturned. And Fu Man, watching Lu Mian leave, felt as if she was tied to the chair,pletely immobile. Mianmian, she treated her ssmates better than she did her own mother. She had really failed¡­ Lu Mian, along with Pang Hao and Shouhao, stepped outside, discussing where to head for some fun, when they heard hasty footsteps from behind. And a particrly annoying voice. ¡°Sis, congrattions, I told you you could definitely win the championship.¡± She paused, her smile kind andforting, ¡°Now, mom must be so happy, she won¡¯t have to work so hard anymore!¡± What she said was clearly a ploy to ask Lu Mian for money, urging Lu Mian to use her prize money to alleviate the Lu Family¡¯s debts. Lu Mian seemed to smile and continued walking with her long strides. She had her own ns and didn¡¯t need to bother with the riff-raff. ¡°¡­¡± Pang Hao and Shouhao were bbergasted and couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They confronted Lu Xinnuan directly. ¡°Lu Xinnuan, do you have any shame left? When my Mianmian won twenty million, what the hell did you do? Who doesn¡¯t know you stood out to me and smear my Mianmian, eh! Your own schemes didn¡¯t work out, and now you¡¯re shamelessly asking my Mianmian for prize money? You¡¯re the most vile woman I¡¯ve ever seen, bar none!¡± Pang Hao was so angry his belly fat trembled. Shouhao quickly followed up, ¡°I mean, Goddess Lu, your behavior is pretty ugly, isn¡¯t it? Do you not have a clue why your family is in debt? Was that money used to save my Mianmian? Was it because of my Mianmian that your family owes money? She¡¯s already been abandoned and is miserable enough, and now you want to ask her for prize money to pay off your debts? If it wasn¡¯t because you¡¯re a girl, I¡¯d seriously want to smack you to death!¡± Being harshly scolded by the boys, Lu Xinnuan couldn¡¯t withstand it even with her thick skin. Her eyes reddened, tears swirling. ¡°What did I say to deserve such abuse from you? My family¡¯s situation is really bad, and since my sister has earned some money, isn¡¯t it only right for her to help out a little? That¡¯s her home, her mother we¡¯re talking about, I¡¯m just speaking on behalf of my mother¡­¡± ¡°Lu Xinnuan, have you said enough?¡± Lu Mian¡¯s expression darkened, her tone impatient as she interrupted Lu Xinnuan. She turned around to face Lu Xinnuan, her mouth curved in a cold, mocking smile. ¡°All you want is to ask your sister for money¡­fine, I¡¯ll indulge you.¡± She chuckled with derision. ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan looked utterly bewildered. Lu Mian was still smiling, her clear eyes fixed on Lu Xinnuan, while her hand pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s forehead twitched, suddenly having a bad premonition. The call connected quickly. Lu Mian casually put the call on speaker and looked indifferently at Lu Xinnuan¡¯s emotionally fluctuating face, her own expression growing increasingly devil-may-care. In a clear and authoritative tone, she addressed the person on the other end of the line, ¡°Principal Zhang, I want to make a donation to the school.¡± A donation? Lu Xinnuan¡¯s eyes widened. Principal Zhang on the phone chuckled pleasingly, even sounding a bit ingratiating, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Lu Mian student, how much would you like to donate?¡± ¡°Twenty million.¡± Chapter 114 - 113: Once Mian Ge Takes Action, You’ll Know If There Is Any Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Once Mian Ge Takes Action, You¡¯ll Know If There Is Any Twenty million. As Lu Xinnuan listened to that cool, clear voice, those three words drifted out, and she was already stunned. Her brain was too frozen to function, even less able to ept Lu Mian¡¯s decision. The financial difficulties of her childhood had always made her very conscious of money. After experiencing a kidnapping incident, her family¡¯s situation had be even more dire, where even producing three thousand yuan involved a struggle, leaving them silent in their misery. And Lu Mian, Lu Mian with twenty million yuan in her grasp, so casually, so airily, so nonchntly, donated it away. The feeling was like winning a ten-million-yuan lottery, only to have the ticket torn to shreds right before your eyes! Had Lu Mian gone mad? What was she doing? Couldn¡¯t she have used that money for something else, why donate it?! Even if she had kept some money for the family, why donate it all?! Principal Zhang on the other end of the phone was also taken aback. A 19-year-old student, casually offering a donation of twenty million yuan, was absolutely unprecedented. He tried his best to make his tone sound less incredulous, and kept apologizing over the phone with a smile. ¡°Lu Mian, are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not a lot of money,¡± she said with a lightness in her voice, as if it were of little consequence. Well, well! This little ancestor was indeed making a grand gesture. Principal Zhang naturally could not contain his joy and happily agreed. ¡°However, I have a few ideas I¡¯d like to discuss,¡± Lu Mian said, her lips curling into an exceptionally wicked smile. Her indifferent gaze swept casually over Lu Xinnuan. In her eyes, Lu Xinnuan did not exist, yet her every word and moment seemed to chafe against her, punishing her. Lu Xinnuan stood with her mouth agape, unable to utter a sound. Lu Mian, however, was unhurried and at some point, had acquired a leaf in her hand, which she was crushing idly as she spoke. ¡°Out of this twenty million, ten million will go towards helping impoverished students. Another ten million will set up a schrship to reward outstanding students; I¡¯ll discuss the specifics with you another day.¡± Her tone was not that of a student¡¯s toward a principal. Arrogant and presumptuous, defiant and domineering. ¡°Okay¡­ okay, as you say,¡± Principal Zhang still humored and amodated her, not finding anything wrong with her tone at all. He was fully aware that this was someone whom the Education Bureau shielded, a person whose word could transfer a senior year homeroom teacher. He, as the principal, also had to coax her kindly. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s emotions were crumbling even more. Lu Mian nced at her, the rebellious curve at her lips growing wider and deeper. She said leisurely, ¡°How about we call the schrship the ¡®Lu Mian Schrship¡¯ then?¡± It was deliberate, so what? ¡°Done! We¡¯ll do as you say!¡± And just like that, casually and hastily, the twenty-million-yuan donation was decided upon, as if it were no more significant than buying and selling cabbages. The overweight and thin brothers were nearly ready to kneel down to Lu Mian. With just a single move from Sister Mian, you could tell it was not without a cause. Her maneuver was far more powerful than if they had insulted Lu Xinnuan a hundred or a thousand times! Cool enough, and a real p in the face! Isn¡¯t Lu Xinnuan after money? Then she should just study hard and aim for the schrship, nobody is stopping her from learning! In the end, the schrship certificate will clearly state: Lu Mian Schrship. Just the thought of that scene is thrilling! ¡°Sister Mian, when we get back I¡¯ll have my dad donate five million to the school too! It¡¯s for a good cause and my dad will have no objections!¡± Shouhao dered, not to be outdone, his fervor matching hismitment to stay in step with Lu Mian. Pang Hao also raised his hand high, eager to offer, ¡°My dad might not have money, but my mom¡¯s a businesswoman, she has money! Sister Mian, my family will also give five million!¡± Chapter 115 - 114 This is Not a Reason for Your Favoritism Chapter 115: Chapter 114 This is Not a Reason for Your Favoritism Lu Mian curled the corners of her mouth: ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s with this d¨¦j¨¤ vu of a charity event? But Shouhao and Panghai didn¡¯t care about that. Seeing Lu Xinnuan¡¯s rapidly changing and earth-shattering emotions, they felt extremely satisfied. They weren¡¯t fools. They clearly remembered the disdainful look Lu Xinnuan had given them before! Who was looking down on whom here? They were just as low-key as Brother Mian! Thebined attack from these three left Lu Xinnuanpletely unable to cope. Her emotions copsed in disarray. Her originally delicate and pretty face was now awkward, twitching, contorted, and crumbling, mixed with jealousy, resentment, grudges, and unwillingness. She almost screamed in a heart-wrenching way, ¡°Lu Mian, you are really going too far! You are taking revenge on me, you are definitely taking revenge on me!¡± Lu Mian would rather give all the money to unrted people than share any with her family. It was clear how poisonous and hateful she was towards their family. ¡°Taking revenge on you? Are you even on the same level as my Brother Mian?¡± ¡°My Brother Mian doesn¡¯t care about you at all, okay!¡± Lu Xinnuan bit her lip so hard she almost drew blood, as she used Lu Mian with words that seemed to be soaked in tears. ¡°You hate me, fine, but why treat mom like this? Don¡¯t you know how hard it¡¯s been for her?¡± ¡°Oh, spare me the white lotus act. You talk as if it¡¯s so noble. If Brother Mian gave the money to your biased mom, what¡¯s the difference from giving it to you? In the end, you just want to gain without paying. You¡¯re always thinking about how to freeload!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She had never been humiliated like this before, never. She had always been the good student in the eyes of her teachers, the well-behaved daughter in her parents¡¯ hearts, surrounded by countless halos and praises. No one dared to treat her like this. But everything changed since Lu Mian returned. ¡°Lu Mian.¡± Lu Xinnuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Her eyes, tainted with resentment, darkly fixed on Lu Mian as she spoke coldly, ¡°Letting you give some money to the family, what big deal is that? Don¡¯t forget, you owe it to mom, and you owe me too!¡± Shouhao and Panghai: ??? Has this girl lost her mind? ¡ª In the chess academy¡¯s hall. Thepetitors were gathered around the big screen, watching four-year-old Lu Mian y chess frame by frame. The match was so exciting that not only did they not want to fast forward, they even slowed down the yback several times. While watching, they had to cover their hearts and exim: How cute and beautiful little Lu Mian was! She looked like a doll carved out of a mold, with two little braids and big round ck eyes beneath her neat bangs, and her chubby little face, so tempting to pinch. Yet there was a certain charm of contrast about her. She was clearly a baby, but she acted like a grave and proper old professor. On the other hand, the old man sitting opposite, wearing a veteran¡¯s vest and fanning himself with a palm fan, was casual and carefree. Losing a game did not matter to him; he could stillugh and say ¡°Let the storme more intense.¡± It was lively around the big screen. Su Qinghe had watched it many times and didn¡¯t join the youngsters¡¯ enthusiasm. Passing through the crowd, he found Fu Man in the spectator seats. He also hadints about this biased mother. Seeing her crying miserably, he thought there must be some hidden story. Su Qinghe walked slowly over with his cane and handed her a tissue. ¡°Madam Lu, wipe away your tears.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elder Su.¡± ¡°I have a connection with Mianmian, no need to thank me.¡± He paused, then sat down beside her, sighing, ¡°In life, it¡¯s hard to be fair. Even with twins, one subconsciously prefers the one who smiles and speaks sweetly. Mianmian¡¯s introversion is her natural disposition, but that¡¯s no excuse for your favoritism.¡± Fu Man looked up, pained, ¡°Elder Su, actually¡­ I have my difficulties too.¡± Chapter 116 - 115: So Many Flaws, Don’t Know Where to Start (Added Chapter) Chapter 116: Chapter 115: So Many ws, Don¡¯t Know Where to Start (Added Chapter) Su Qinghe had just sat down when he suddenly regretted it. He hadn¡¯te here to listen to a jumble of excuses. But after all, she was Mianmian¡¯s mother, so he asked indifferently, ¡°Oh? Would you mind talking about it?¡± ¡°Mianmian, she¡­¡± Mentioning the past, Fu Man instinctively covered her abdomen, looking distractedly at some spot, as the memories came flooding back. ¡°Mianmian was always a handful even when she was in my womb. She developed quickly, taking up much of the living space that should have belonged to Nuannuan. Mianmian grew up fine, but it came at Nuannuan¡¯s expense. The doctor warned us several times that Nuannuan might be born weak.¡± ¡°Weak is fine, they¡¯re both my flesh and blood, I couldn¡¯t give up on either. But the birth wasn¡¯t easy, I had a difficultbor with Mianmian, it took a long time for her toe out. As a result, Nuannuan was trapped inside for too long and nearly suffocated to death.¡± ¡°It took a great effort to save Nuannuan¡¯s life. She had to stay in an incubator for a whole month before she started to get better. Poor Nuannuan, so frail and sickly since she was young, couldn¡¯t stand a draft, and it was only as she grew up that she gradually improved. And I¡­ due to that childbirth, lost the ability to conceive again.¡± Su Qinghe furrowed his brows, not quite understanding¡ªwas she ming all this on Lu Mian? But to say that Lu Mian was healthy, he remained skeptical. Although Mianmian was tall, she was so thin that a gust of wind could blow her over, hardly fitting the description of ¡°developed quickly, grew up well¡± as Mrs. Lu had said. ¡°Mrs. Lu, your behavior seems more like discing anger,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯ve misunderstood, I¡¯m not ming Mianmian¡­¡± Though she said she wasn¡¯t ming, in her heart, the scales had long tipped in one direction. She pursed her lips, the heavy nasal sound making her voice seem even more forlorn and deep. ¡°I admit I am biased. Our family¡¯s circumstances were average, without servants; looking after two children was too exhausting for me, especially with Nuannuan being so weak. Naturally, I focused more on her. As for Mianmian, I paid her less attention and had less patience¡­¡± She rambled on about many things, including the matter of the snuff bottle. Su Qinghe didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment; maybe there were too many holes to argue with. He waved his hand, dismissing the conversation. There¡¯s no reasoning with such foolish people; maybe one day she will truly understand where she went wrong. And realize what she has truly lost. ¡ª¡ª In the yard, Lu Xinnuan was still confronting Lu Mian. Her frustration boiled into rage, and she blurted out, ¡°You fought with me even in the womb, making me weak, stunting my growth, and causing our mother to lose the ability to have more children. It¡¯s all because of you!¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao were both baffled, turning their gazes simultaneously toward Lu Mian. Lu Mian wasn¡¯t angry, just smiling. Crushing the green leaf in her hand, she cocked her head, her smile filled with scorn. The angrier the other party became, the calmer she was, calm as a stagnant pool, unaffected by anything Lu Xinnuan said. She slowly walked up to her, towering over her due to her height advantage. Her fingertips, holding the sharp edge of the leaf, glided inch by inch across Lu Xinnuan¡¯s cheek. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s body was tense, as if being sliced and stirred. ¡°Lu Xinnuan¡­¡± she said faintly, ¡°what I owed your family was repaid two years ago.¡± ¡°Repaid? How can you repay the parenting grace of our parents? How can you make up for my childhood frailty?¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Lu Mian was still smiling, her eyes as cold as ever, devoid of warmth. As she spoke, her smile turned vicious, her fingers moving from Lu Xinnuan¡¯s cheek to her neck, and with a deft pinch, she seized all of Lu Xinnuan¡¯s breath in an instant. ! Caught off guard, Lu Xinnuan¡¯s mind went nk, gasping for air, feeling like her eyes were about to burst out. She internally cried out for help¡­ She had no doubt that if Lu Mian applied any more pressure, her neck could snap with a crack. ¡°Sister¡­¡± She struggled to breathe, pleading with tears in her eyes, only to see that Lu Mian was still smiling. Lu Mian¡¯s voice, distant and cold, reached her ears. ¡°You can keep acting up. But I promise, I will slowly destroy everything you have now!¡± Chapter 117 - 116 Let’s Make a Deal Chapter 117: Chapter 116 Let¡¯s Make a Deal ¡°¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan frantically grabbed at the air, desperately struggling, her breath growing thinner and her tears uncontrobly streaming down. Just when she thought she was about to die, she caught sight of a figure out of the corner of her eye and mustered herst bit of strength. ¡°Mom¡­save¡­me!¡± Fu Man, in a state of shock, stood at the entrance of the hall. Hearing the indistinct plea for help, she looked around frantically. Upon seeing Lu Xinnuan being choked by Lu Mian not far away, she panicked. ¡°Nuannuan!¡± She staggered forward, sprinting to Lu Mian¡¯s side, and grabbed her hand. ¡°Mianmian, what are you doing? Let go of Nuannuan, her face is turning blue!¡± Fu Man¡¯s voice was hoarse with exertion, yet she couldn¡¯t pry Lu Mian¡¯s fingers loose however hard she tried. This girl was so thin but surprisingly strong. ¡°Mianmian, what on earth do you want to do? If you want to me someone, me me. It¡¯s all my fault, it has nothing to do with your sister!¡± Lu Mian let out a scoff, her gaze slowly shifting to Fu Man. ¡°Miss Fu, how could you be at fault?¡± she said sarcastically, speaking neither fast nor slow, leisurely. Fu Man listened with a racing heart, not caring about the sarcasm; she only knew that every second wasted, Xinnuan was in more danger. She called out hysterically for people in the hall toe and help. The crowd quickly emerged, but they all watched from a distance, noting any closer. Thepetitors at the chess institute were not blind; they were all fans of Lu Mian. Seeing that even Elder Su hadn¡¯t moved, nor had he given any orders, they stood quietly in ce, none willing to step forward to help. Su Jue would have liked to help, but was held back by Shouhao and Su Qinghe. Fu Man was beginning to feel desperate. ¡°Lu Mian! If you want revenge, take it out on me. I admit I was biased, it was I who neglected you. It¡¯s my fault you¡¯ve be so vicious. Choke me, I¡¯ll let you. Just let Nuannuan go!¡± Miss Fu¡¯s disy of motherly affection was obvious, but Lu Mian watched with derision. She increased the pressure on her hand, her slender arm, devoid of any excess fat, astonishingly lifting the one-meter-sixty-tall Lu Xinnuan off the ground. Fu Man watched her younger daughter¡¯s eyes roll back in obvious terror, her soul almost leaving her body. ¡°Miss Fu, let¡¯s make a deal,¡± Lu Mian said, hershes lowered. ¡°You say, just say it, what do you want?¡± Lu Mian hummed, ¡°You sever ties with Xinnuan, and I¡¯ll send her abroad to a ce you¡¯ll never see again. The three of us live together as a family, how about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Something shattered in the depths of Fu Man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. On the contrary, whatever amount of money or glory you want, I can give you.¡± Her words were proud and arrogant. But Su Qinghe, standing nearby, felt a pang of heartache, gripping his cane tightly, his heart wrenching painfully. What a foolish child! What a foolish child indeed¡­ ¡°Lu Mian!¡± Fu Man cried out loudly, suddenly clutching her chest. Her body slowly slid down, copsing on the ground as she wept bitterly: ¡°You demon, how could you do this! You demon¡­¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s not just about the money,¡± Lu Mian murmured to herself, already knowing the answer, not surprised by the situation before her. Since she was being called a demon, she didn¡¯t mind handing Fu Man another knife. ¡°Miss Fu, are you so upset because you remember the 726 kidnapping case?¡± Lu Mian was still speaking at her own pace, as if the situation was light as a cloud. In that moment, she was like a monarch in control of everything, unstoppable by anyone, unpressured by anyone. That inherently reckless aura emanated from her bones, looking down on all living beings. Chapter 118 - 117 It has nothing to do with you guys Chapter 118: Chapter 117 It has nothing to do with you guys Fu Man stiffened. With one hand gripping Lu Xinnuan¡¯s throat and the other leisurely ying with a leaf, Lu Mian smiled, ¡°During the kidnapping incident, I was choked just like this. The kidnapper asked who to save, and you all said, ¡®Save the sister¡¯.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone around suddenly understood; the kidnapping case from two years ago had caused a huge stir, and they all knew about it. Now that the person involved said so, how could they not understand what was going on! ¡°Mian Bro¡­¡± Fat Hao Shouhao cried his eyes out, what kind of feelings must she have had to smile and speak these words? Fu Man copsed to the ground, clutching Lu Mian¡¯s pant leg. ¡°Mianmian, Mommy was wrong¡­ Mommy was really wrong, please let go of Nuannuan, she has passed out¡­¡± Lu Mian remained unaffected, lightly blowing on the leaf, and said leisurely, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve already made your choice.¡± Fu Man, unable toprehend, looked up at her. But saw Lu Mian slightly bending over, speaking in a light and indifferent tone, ¡°From now on, I have nothing to do with you all.¡± Nothing to do with them¡­ She was going to sever ties with the Lu Family! ¡°What happens to me in the future is none of your concern. What happens to you is also none of my concern. Blood rtions can¡¯t bind me, they only make me feel more disgusted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Man clutched desperately at her heart, as if she too was being choked and unable to breathe. She opened her mouth but couldn¡¯t make a sound. By the time she found her voice again, Lu Mian had already released her fingers. Due tock of oxygen, Lu Xinnuan had already passed out. Fu Man quickly caught her falling daughter and frantically pressed the emergency call on her phone. Lu Mian scoffed, unconsciously wiping her fingers, and signaled to Fat Hao and Shouhao to leave. The Fat and Thin brothers hurriedly wiped their tears and followed closely by her side. ¡°Mian Bro, tissue to wipe your hands.¡± ¡°Mian Bro, I¡¯ll treat you today.¡± Both of them were heartbroken and wanted tofort her, but after all, as awkward teenage boys, their attempts at constion were a bit clumsy. Lu Mianughed lightly, as if nothing had happened. It wasn¡¯t her who had choked Lu Xinnuan, it wasn¡¯t her who had severed ties with her family. She was just Lu Mian. Haughty, rebellious, wicked, and disdainful of worldly affairs. She could be an angel, or she could be a demon. She had full control over her own world; she wasn¡¯t happy to own, nor worried to lose anything. She was herself. The two brothers were at a loss for words, not knowing what to say or do. Lu Mian¡¯s eyes held a faint smile as she ruffled their heads. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m treating you guys to MM Ji.¡± ¡°Mian Bro¡­ doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­Actually, now that no one else is around, if you want to cry, just cry! We¡¯re here with you!¡± ¡°Mian Bro, it¡¯s okay to feel bad, really¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Mian touched her chin, thinking seriously for a moment, and pouted slightly, ¡°Actually¡­ when the heart is dead, there¡¯s no feeling.¡± ¡ª Lu Mian took the brothers to MM Ji Restaurant. The server arranged for them the Number One private room. Along the way, they could sense that Lu Mian didn¡¯t seem to be too upset, and this put them somewhat at ease; consequently, their conversation rxed a bit. ¡°Mian Bro, you were so cool today!¡± ¡°Right, especially when you were choking Lu Xinnuan, it was so badass!¡± Fat Hao said with admiration, ¡°It¡¯sparable to my Wucheng Guardian Goddess!¡± ¡°Your¡­ Wucheng Guardian Goddess?¡± Shouhao rolled his eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t even know who she is, and you¡¯re calling her a goddess.¡± ¡°Anyhow, she¡¯s definitely a woman. She does good deeds quietly; she¡¯s my goddess! Of course, my Mian Bro is also awesome, donating twenty million in a sh!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± Talking about these exhrating things, Fat Hao and Shouhao got their blood pumping. The two exchanged smiles, finally finding the best way tofort Lu Mian. ¡°Mian Bro, just wait, I¡¯m going to get a case of beer! We¡¯re not going home till we¡¯re drunk today!¡± ¡°Right, not going home till we¡¯re drunk!¡± Chapter 119 - 118 Her Wink Chapter 119: Chapter 118 Her Wink Oh, no getting up until drunk? Lu Mian sat astride the chair in a carefree manner, ncing over at them while browsing the menu, her delicate brows and eyes holding a faint smile. ¡°Sure? I can¡¯t hold my liquor very well,¡± sheughed. Fat Hao and Shouhao waved their hands grandly. ¡°No problem! It¡¯s all about having fun!¡± ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯te to MM Ji Restaurant to eat often! Plus, it¡¯s the number one private room. We should do whatever makes us happy, right!¡± ¡°Besides, even if you do get drunk, we¡¯ve got your back!¡± Fat Hao thumped his chest. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you get home safe and sound!¡± With the brothers¡¯ enthusiastic invitation, Lu Mian didn¡¯t want to dampen their spirits. Her beautiful fingers snapped against the menu, ¡°Alright.¡± She then added, ¡°Though I¡¯m not great with alcohol, I can assure you, my behavior when drunk is guaranteed, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°We trust youpletely!¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao nodded rapidly like pecking chickens, their little hearts skipping with joy. Everyone says Brother Mian is cold and unapproachable, and many in the school are afraid toe near her. But the two brothers think she¡¯s nice; she just looks aloof. After more contact, they found she¡¯s actually quite easy to talk to. And she even drinks with them. How down-to-earth is that? A case of beer was ordered for the number one private room. The menu, once passed to the kitchen, was intercepted by a young man in his mid-twenties. Pale and lean hands stopped their brisk chopping motion, and he ced the kitchen knife in the holder before giving the menu a quick look-over. He had a subtle, elegant appearance, thin, long eyes slightly narrowed¡ªnot exactly a knockout at first nce. But his poised and clean-cut, stern aura was captivating. Upon closer inspection, one could easily be entranced. Soon, a hint of confusion touched his normally cid expression. ¡°Manager, what¡¯s with this order?¡± the red-cheeked server asked. The man who rarely smiled slightly raised his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this one. You go tend to the other tasks.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yuren took the menu and walked out from the kitchen, removing his apron as he did so, revealing a tall and lean figure dressed in sharp suit. Although slender, he carried an air of seriousness and solemnity. He quickly arrived at the door of the number one private room. Before knocking, he could hear words like ¡°chess club,¡± ¡°Lu Xinnuan,¡± and ¡°tournament¡±ing from inside. He slowly reached out, ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao both poked their heads out. Yuren paused, then put on a professional smile, ¡°Dear customer, good day. I am the¡­ owner of MM Ji Restaurant, Yuren. I¡¯m here to confirm your order once more.¡± Upon hearing it was the owner of MM Ji Restaurant, the two high school boys immediately became more reserved. ¡°Owner, hello, pleasee in.¡± The two of them politely made way. After all, being in the number one private room and greeted personally by the owner was a treatment they¡¯d never experienced before. ¡°Brother Mian, the owner¡­¡± Fat Hao quietly hinted. Lu Mian, busy with her phone, tapped away at lightning speed, ending her game with a few swift strokes before slowly lifting her head. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Owner Yu is here to check the order.¡± Yuren nodded slightly, pursed his lips, and then clearly read through the menu, item by item. However, when he reached ¡°beer¡­ 12 bottles,¡± his deep voice deliberately emphasized the words, slowing down the pace. Lu Mian put away her phone and, when the brothers weren¡¯t looking, she gave him a mischievous wink and blinked secretly, ¡°That¡¯s correct, just serve the dishes.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Yuren caught the wink and, a bit dryly, said ¡°Excuse me,¡± before leaving the private room. After stepping out, he even touched his chest. Sigh¡­ Chapter 120 - 119: The Goddess Who Eats Hamburgers Chapter 120: Chapter 119: The Goddess Who Eats Hamburgers A sigh slipped gently from his thin lips. Yuren nced back at private room number one, his slender eyes thoughtful as he withdrew them. That girl brought two men with her to eatst time. This time she brought another two guys, and even ordered alcohol¡­ She clearly knows she can¡¯t hold her liquor and rarely takes the initiative to drink, yet she unexpectedly ordered alcohol today. Did something happen? With this thought, he sent a text message to have someone investigate the Go institute. ¡­ Stack after stack of signature dishes arrived quickly, along with 12 bottles of beer ced on the table. In the center of these dishes, there were still the unfailingly present two hamburgers. Fat Hao clicked his tongue. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard MM Ji Restaurant has hamburgers!¡± ¡°The boss said they areplimentary and not for sale!¡± As Shouhao spoke, he opened three bottles of beer and set them in front of each person at the table. Lu Mian didn¡¯t decline and picked up a bottle to clink with them. They were all straightforward people; who needed sses for drinking? They went straight for the bottle. ¡°Mian bro, this first bottle is to celebrate your championship win in the Go tournament!¡± ¡°Mian bro, we¡¯re chugging it down, you do as you like!¡± The two men then tilted their heads back and gulped it all down in one go. Lu Mian chuckled and also drank heartily. In a few seconds, the bottom of her bottle was visible. ¡°Refreshing!¡± Fat Hao sat back down and casually spun the dishes towards Lu Mian, only to be surprised to see that one hamburger was missing from the center te! ¡°Skinny, did you eat it?¡± he asked. ¡°Nah, Mian bro ate it.¡± The two fell silent, exchanging strange looks before turning to Lu Mian, who was focused on elegantly devouring the hamburger. Her movements were meticulous and unhurried, without the exaggerated ir others might show. ¡°Mian bro¡­ you like it?¡± Lu Mian murmured a sound of affirmation, ¡°Not bad at all.¡± ¡°You eat, it¡¯s all yours.¡± Without any rush orpetition, they passed the te over to Lu Mian. Seizing the moment, Fat Hao opened three more bottles of beer and respectfully set them next to Lu Mian¡¯s hand, drawing a teasing remark from Shouhao for acting like ackey. Fat Hao retorted defiantly, ¡°Who¡¯s theckey! Who was it that just opened the beer?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not being ackey, that¡¯s loyalty! Mian bro is my big bro, no matter what!¡± Shouhao snorted, ¡°Not like you, with Guardian God of Wucheng in your heart, while I, only have Mian bro in mine!¡± ¡°So what if I have a goddess? My goddess does good deeds, eats hamburgers, and draws cat faces; she¡¯s a kind, strong, and cute girl! So lovable!¡± He finished in one breath but then suddenly paused. Eating hamburgers? His small eyes quicklynded on Lu Mian. Lu Mian¡¯s hand, holding thest piece, froze, emmm¡­ After three seconds of silence. Fat Hao suddenly pped his thigh, overjoyed. ¡°Mian bro also loves hamburgers! My goddess loves hamburgers too! You two are so fated!¡± Could it be that all kind, strong girls like eating this? He was quite happy about it. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore! Today we¡¯re here to celebrate for Mian bro,¡± Shouhao said with little reaction. ¡°Yeah, stop the chatter.¡± Lu Mian chewed and swallowed thest bite, then stood up and ruffled their heads gently. It was a tender gesture, yet it gave the brothers the sudden impression of being pets. Well, who made it so she was Mian bro? Not minding at all, they lifted their newly opened beers. ¡°Mian bro, this second bottle is to celebrate your newfound freedom and your fresh start!¡± The two men, brimming with spirit, again recalled the exhrating face-pping moments at the Go institute and chattered nonstop. When they went to clink their bottles together, they realized someone was missing. Where¡¯s Mian bro? Chapter 121 - 120 The Decline of Learning (Extra) Chapter 121: Chapter 120 The Decline of Learning (Extra) The two of them synchronized like gods, searching the entire house for Lu Mian. They quickly spotted the very same Brother Mian who was messing with them just a moment ago, standing merely a meter away, hands sped behind his back solemnly watching them. This overwhelming sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ ¡°Brother Mian?¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t respond, his expression still very serious. The two exchanged a look¡ªcould he be drunk? ¡°How much did we drink?¡± Shouhao pondered with a bottle in hand, thinking it wasn¡¯t really that much. Lu Mian pinched the bridge of his nose. What Shouhao said casually, she answered with utmost seriousness. ¡°Today, each person had a bottle, and each bottle is 330 milliliters, this beer is 5% alcohol, so we can calcte that today, each of us has consumed 1.65 units of alcohol.¡± Fat Hao: ? Shouhao: ? ¡°OK, now it¡¯s my turn to ask you,¡± Lu Mian said as she extended a slender finger, slightly bowed her head, and casually strolled around the private room. Before the chubber and thinner brothers could react, she casually began to speak. ¡°Please listen to the following math problem: Li Bai walks down the street, jug in hand, to buy wine. Each time he sees a shop he doubles it, every flower spotted he takes a drink. Three encounters with shops and flowers, the jug of wine is finished¡ªhow much wine was there initially?¡± Fat Hao: Weren¡¯t we here to drink? Shouhao: Is Brother Mian actually drunk or not? The two fell silent for a very long time. With their bewildered expressions, Lu Mian was far from satisfied. Her hands mmed onto the table, ¡°You don¡¯t know this? You are truly the worst two I have ever taught!¡± Fat Hao: ¡­ Shouhao: ¡­ Two hourster. Fat Hao and Shouhao, utterly drained, packed away their papers and pens and stood up, rubbing their knees, as they heard Lu Mian¡¯s liberating ¡°ss dismissed¡±. The two supported each other, empathizing with their shared misery. When they turned around again, Professor Lu Mian, the ¡°culprit¡±, was already sitting on a chair, groggily dozing off. Fat Hao lowered his voice, ¡°Brother Mian¡¯s alcohol tolerance¡­ is really something!¡± Shouhao covered his mouth, ¡°Brother Mian¡¯s drinking manners¡­ aren¡¯t too good either!¡± ¡°The first time in my life, forced down to study on my knees¡­¡± ¡°We have it so hard¡­¡± Each made a remark, not forgetting to snap photos of the spread on the table and posting to their social media. Fat Hao: [The pace of learning is unimaginable. Notes + food jpg.] Shouhao: [Feels like I¡¯ve unlocked a new world. Notes + beer jpg.] ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s hurry up and take Brother Mian back. Go contact a female ssmate and ask if Brother Mian can stay in the school dorm for now.¡± Without further ado, the two helped Lu Mian down the stairs. When it came time to settle the bill, they happened to see Boss Yu at the counter and gave an awkward smile. ¡°Your bill has already been taken care of,¡± Yuren informed them without expression, not surprised to see Lu Mian in her current state. Even though she was being supported by two men without any impropriety, it was still¡­ He said indifferently, ¡°Lu Mian is a good friend of mine, leave her to me. I¡¯ll arrange a room for her to rest.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuren¡¯s expression was serious and sincere, leaving no room for doubt. But the brothers weren¡¯t reassured, ¡°No way, Brother Mian is not in her right mind, and we don¡¯t know if what you¡¯re saying is true or not.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Despite having been thoroughly tormented, they remained steadfast supporters of Lu Mian. Yurenughed again, a helpless look crossing his stern and lean face. It seemed that Lu Mian was doing reasonably well in ss, at least she wasn¡¯t all alone. As Yuren was trying to convince the two men, the husky and lean brothers spotted a familiar figure entering the restaurant first and eagerly waved over. ¡°Director Qi!¡± Chapter 122 - 121: What is the Relationship Between the Two of Them? Chapter 122: Chapter 121: What is the Rtionship Between the Two of Them? Xiao Qimo had just returned from out of town today. The first thing he did aftering back was to order at MM Ji Restaurant, and coincidentally ran into Lu Mian and her two male former desk mates. His gaze fell upon the girl, his brow furrowing slightly for a moment, then he understood. The little rascal was drinking again! Why was she drinking? Did these two guys force her to drink? Or were they secretly nning to do something to Lu Mian? With these thoughts, his gloomy, ice-cold handsome face grew darker. Rolling up his shirt sleeves, he quickly approached Lu Mian inrge strides. His eyes were deep, his gaze intense, as if they weresers scanning over Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao. The originally excited Fat Hao and Shouhao quickly stood straight, greeting him sheepishly. ¡°Director Qimo, hello!¡± Director Qimo¡¯s gaze¡­ was so terrifying! Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t respond to them, his attention focused solely on Lu Mian. In just a moment, he had sized her uppletely and, noticing nothing abnormal, he felt slightly relieved. Although, generally, no one could do anything to her. Lu Mian noticed Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze, her half-open eyes slowly lifting in a careless andnguid manner, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± She stood up straight, still with a stern academic expression on her face. The two brothers shuddered, growing increasingly frightened. Could it be that Brother Mian would also start lecturing Director Qimo? Oh, my gosh, the mere thought was unimaginable! Brother Mian, pleasee to your senses! Then, in their anxious state, they soon heard Lu Mian speak in a cold and solemn tone, ¡°You¡¯rete, my ss is over.¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao: ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s over, Brother Mian is spouting nonsense again! This is Director Qimo! The director who strikes fear into everyone! They could already envision tomorrow¡¯s school bulletin stating: ¡°Lu Mian, drunk, provokes the guidance director, recorded for a demerit. Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao apanied drinking, warned for a penalty.¡± Their heads hung even lower. Xiao Qimo pushed his gold-rimmed sses, his gaze shifting to the two brothers, his voice extremely cold, ¡°You drank?¡± ¡°Director Qimo, we only had a little¡­¡± ¡°Did you encourage her to drink?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, because something happened today, we wanted Brother Mian¡­ Lu Mian to let off some steam, that¡¯s why we urged her to drink¡­¡± They truly had their own difficulties that they couldn¡¯t express. Who would believe it, a person drunk on alcohol actually forced them to study maths for two hours! ¡°What¡­ happened to her?¡± Xiao Qimo sensed something. Just as the brothers were about to speak, a stern voice intervened from the side. ¡°She won a Gopetition and secured twenty million. Her younger sister, out of jealousy, revealed the incident of her winning a valuable snuff bottle when she was four. It was intended to frame her, but instead, it established Lu Mian as a legend. Her younger sister flew into a rage out of humiliation, her mother was biased, eventually leading to Lu Mian cutting ties with the Lu Family.¡± Yuren leaned against the cash register, recounting today¡¯s events. Although his tone was calm and steady, the asional cold glint that shed through his narrow eyes made it difficult to gauge his thoughts. He wasn¡¯t hiding anything, because such matters were easy to investigate; they couldn¡¯t be kept secret. Besides¡­ this man was from the Xiao Family of Jinjing. After hearing Yuren, Xiao Qimo naturally turned his gaze towards him, recognizing the man he had seen before and remembered, the owner of MM Ji Restaurant. His name was unique, Yuren. How did he know everything so clearly? At this moment, what identity did he represent? What was the rtionship between Lu Mian and him? Chapter 123 - 122 Let Lu Mian Choose for Herself Chapter 123: Chapter 122 Let Lu Mian Choose for Herself Although the Fat and Thin brothers found it strange, they nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, Director Qimo, it¡¯s precisely because of this that we wanted Mian¡­ Lu Mian to drink some alcohol, to temporarily forget those troubles.¡± ¡°Even though Lu Mian says she¡¯s not upset, we feel that it¡¯s impossible for her not to be, given that her mom¡­ oh spit, that woman is so biased!¡± Xiao Qimo nodded, aware of the issues Lu Mian had with her family. He hadn¡¯t expected things to have escted to such a serious degree today. Burning bridges¡­ might be for the best. At this moment, he could better understand the approach of the mysterious person number thirteen. Although Number Thirteen had erased the data of the other four victims, causing quite a few difficulties for their investigation of case 726. Yet, it had to be said, he was right. Xiao Qimo, preupied with his thoughts, temporarily let the two off the hook. However, whenever he thought of Lu Mian getting close to these two boys and drinking with them, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit uneasy. ¡°In the future, don¡¯t drink with her anymore,¡± Xiao Qimo instructed firmly, in the manner of a responsible disciplinary director. The Fat and Thin brothers nodded furiously: We dare not! Absolutely not a next time! ¡°Leave her to me, I know where she lives.¡± ¡°Oh! Director Qimo, we really appreciate it!¡± The two boys nodded. They weren¡¯t reassured by Yu, but they trusted Xiao Qimo. After all, he was the grade director, with his teacher¡¯s ethics on disy. However, just as Xiao Qimo was about to help Lu Mian, a slender and fair hand intervened. ¡°Mr. Qimo,¡± the man said in a deep voice. Xiao Qimo narrowed his eyes at Yu, who was blocking his way. The gazes of the two men shed in the air, oneposed and graceful, the other serious and cold. Invisibly, it seemed to carry a few more extraordinary implications. Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze slowly fell on the hand that Yu extended, as gracious as ever, ¡°Businessman Yu, may I help you with something?¡± ¡°Offer advice? I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Yu responded with a faint, light smile: ¡°I¡¯m Lu Mian¡¯s friend. She¡¯s drunk now and needs to rest.¡± The two-hour ss had ended, and now, she should be getting sleepy. ¡°Friends,¡± Xiao Qimo echoed the word on his lips. Lu Mian and the owner of MM Ji Restaurant are friends? What kind of friends? When did they be friends? What is their rtionship like? One question after another emerged in his mind, and Xiao Qimo also realized that Lu Mian¡¯s ability to book the number one private room was probably thanks to this Mr. Yu. His mind understood this, but his heart refused to concur. He persisted, ¡°Whether or not you¡¯re her friend, no one can be sure, but I¡¯m her guidance director, and they can vouch for that.¡± The Fat and Thin brothers nodded, docilely serving as the backdrop. The two boys asionally exchanged nces, feeling there was something off about both Director Qimo and Businessman Yu¡­ Yu didn¡¯t argue, and gestured politely, ¡°Very well, let¡¯s let Lu Mian choose for herself then.¡± Fat and Thin brothers: Tsk, there¡¯s a feeling of a clich¨¦d love triangle drama here, what¡¯s all this fuss about? The restaurant¡¯s front desk was quiet, there was even a sense of suffocation in the air. Yu was unhurried, looking at Lu Mian with a gentleness and indulgence in his eyes, calling out to her, ¡°Mianmian.¡± Something seemed to waver in the depths of Xiao Qimo¡¯s thorough eyes. The forearm with rolled-up sleeves even revealed tensed veins. Lu Mian,pletely unaware of all this, stood up straight, very well-behaved and quiet. Upon hearing Yu call her, she looked up andzily smiled. ¡°Handsome Yu¡­¡± Xiao Qimo: Handsome, Yu?? Without thinking, he pushed up his sses. As his fingertips slid to his cheek, he for the first time, doubted his own appearance. Lu Mian had neverplimented him on being handsome! Chapter 124 - 123 Look up the owner of MM Ji Restaurant Chapter 124: Chapter 123 Look up the owner of MM Ji Restaurant Xiao Qimo stared at Yu Ren for a few seconds. His scorching gaze swept from top to bottom, puzzled. Could it be that the little rascal likes this type? Xiao Qimo was somewhat distracted, due to irritation. When he snapped back to reality, he unexpectedly discovered a hint of triumph in Yu Ren¡¯s eyes, amplifying the irritation in his heart. Yet, he had no choice but to suppress the fluctuating emotions and silently watch Lu Mian, waiting for what she would say next. This was the secretpetition between mature men. Calm and collected, with nomunication, shing in silence. Fat Hao and Shouhao beside them grew even more ufortable, simultaneously stepping back to escape the odd circle. Half a meter away, Lu Mian, the concerned party, remained clueless. She stood erect, prim, and serious. But her action was rather dandy, as sheid a hand on Yu Ren¡¯s shoulder, leaning in a bit closer to him. Xiao Qimo¡¯s heart sank. Her choice is¡­ Yu Ren let out a slight sigh of relief, but Lu Mian by his side spoke again. ¡°Handsome Yu, my chauffeur is here, I¡¯m heading home!¡± Chauffeur¡­ The whole ce fell silent. A suffocating silence. The brothers Fat Hao and Shouhao, covertly staring at the man mistaken for a chauffeur, Director Qimo, huddled together quivering. Aplex look flickered in Yu Ren¡¯s slender eyes. ¡°The Chosen One¡± Xiao Qimo, the chauffeur, didn¡¯t look too pleased either, victorious yet disappointed. After all, to the drunk Lu Mian, he probably only held the status of a chauffeur. Had he shown up a bit earlier, he might have even yed the role of a student. The little rascal! Truly deserving of the title King of Sarcasm! Since it was Lu Mian¡¯s own choice, there was nothing much they could say. Xiao Qimo, the chauffeur, could only dutifully escort her out, and having won, he couldn¡¯t help but give Yu Ren a meaningful nce as he passed by. Yu nodded respectfully, cordially seeing them off. Fat Hao and Shouhao also took this opportunity to weakly excuse themselves and head home. Xiao Qimo took Lu Mian out through the restaurant¡¯s door. Ye Jinwen was driving back and forth looking for a parking space when he saw theme out, so he quickly drove over. Sticking his head out for a look, he was so startled that he abandoned the car and leapt out. ¡°Seventh Brother, Little Mianmian is drunk again!¡± He was on the verge of madness. Xiao Qimo grunted in acknowledgment, opened the car door for Lu Mian, and let her get in. He then followed and sat in the back seat, embodying the demeanor of a boss, waiting for the driver to start the car. Ye Jinwen, with every brain cell in denial, stood outside shaking his head frantically: ¡°I¡¯m not driving! I won¡¯t drive even if you kill me!¡± ¡°Her ss is over,¡± Xiao Qimo said indifferently. Their conversation was strange, but Ye Jinwen understood. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good then¡­¡± he settled back into the driver¡¯s seat, as if he had narrowly escaped disaster. The car slowly started up, heading towards Jincheng No. 1. Ye Jinwen exchanged nces with Xiao Qimo through the rear-view mirror and cast another look at Professor Lu, who was sitting quietly and obediently. Tsk tsk. ¡°Seventh Brother, why is Little Mianmian here?¡± The schrly man didn¡¯t raise his eyes but methodically covered Lu Mian with a thin nket. His deep eyes were restrained, and without answering the question, he simply gave an order. ¡°Look into the owner of MM Ji Restaurant.¡± After saying that, he added ¡°And make sure to do a thorough check!¡± Ye Jinwen confused, kept pressing him on what it was all about. Xiao Qimo, annoyed, exined in a less-than-pleasant tone, especially emphasizing Lu Mian and Yu Ren¡¯s friendship. After a moment of silence, Ye Jinwen said, ¡°Seventh Brother, do you feel like there¡¯s a hint of H?SO? in the car?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 125 - 124: Seventh Brother, You’re in Trouble Chapter 125: Chapter 124: Seventh Brother, You¡¯re in Trouble ¡°` H2SO4¡­ ¡°Oh?¡± The sophisticated man elegantly crossed his legs, his long limbs ovepping in a rxed andzy pose, yet his tone carried a strong sense of oppression as he said withposure, ¡°Feel like taking a chemistry lesson?¡± ¡°Awoo!¡± Ye Jinwen felt as if his lifeline had been seized, and he did not utter another word the entire journey. Xiao Qimo drove Lu Mian home. Although Lu Mian was drunk, she obediently did as she was told. She scanned her fingerprint and walked straight to the bedroom. Sometimes it was hard to tell whether she was really drunk or not. Xiao Qimo sighed and tucked her in with a thin nket. Watching her instinctively curl up into a ball, and hearing her light and even breathing, his gaze grew heavy. ¡°You little rascal, are you really not sad?¡± Only a low whine filled the room, with no one to answer him. He drew the curtains for her and slowly left Lu Mian¡¯s house. Once back next door, Ye Jinwen¡¯s incessant gossipy curiosity followed closely behind Xiao Qimo like an eager puppy. ¡°Brother Qi, don¡¯t you think the name of the MM Ji Restaurant is¡­ quite unique?¡± The sophisticated man didn¡¯t respond to him, and walked towards the sofa. He continued talking to himself, ¡°MM, tranted, means Mianmian! Boss Yu and Lu Mian are friends, and he has given Lu Mian burgers to eat several times. His own restaurant¡¯s name is MM Ji. Geez, it sounds so intimate! I bet they¡¯re more than just friends!¡± The temperature in the room suddenly dropped a few degrees. Ye Jinwen, oblivious, let his imagination run wild until he suddenly clenched his fist in his palm. ¡°Brother Qi, could it be that therge t next door was a gift from Boss Yu?! MM Ji Restaurant is so profitable, buying arge t would be a matter of minutes. This exnation makes everything clear! Oh my God, I feel like I¡¯ve uncovered some earth-shattering secret!¡± The room temperature continued to fall. Ye Jinwen kept on fantasizing. ¡°Before, it was unrequited love from the infatuated, but now it seems the belle is already spoken for¡­¡± He clicked his tongue, ¡°Brother Qi, you¡¯re going to get the cold shoulder.¡± He was reveling in his thoughts when he suddenly sensed a murderous intent from a certain direction, and hurriedly covered his reckless mouth. However, it was toote. He watched as a smooth, round object flew toward him, entering his mouth without error. Ye Jinwen was caught off guard, almost choked to death and had to lean over, clutching his chest, to spit out the object lodged in his throat. It was a grape. He looked over with a mournful expression. The culprit, Xiao Qimo, was flipping through a magazine with cultured elegance, indifferently saying, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, eat more.¡± Ye Jinwen: ¡°¡­¡± Diabolical dog! ¡ª The next day. Lu Mian casually carried her backpack, heading towards ss 1 (25), but before she reached the ssroom door, she could hear the noisymotion inside. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Did you guys see Guo Zihao¡¯s Moments? He studied over the weekend! Hahaha, Guo Zihao, share with us how fast you learn!¡± ¡°The third tost in the entire grade dares to talk about studying¡ªwhat else is in your brain besides food?¡± Guo Zihao, incensed, rolled up his sleeves. Even posting a Moments update resulted in ridicule¡ªdo underachievers not have human rights? Shouhao defended him at his side, ¡°We post our own Moments. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t look at it! Does mocking others show your quality?¡± The crowd didn¡¯t care andughed even louder. ¡°Oh, and you! Talking about unlocking a new world in front of a bunch of wine bottles. Are you the Drunken Beggar, So Hak-ki? Do you learn better after drinking? Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Posting Moments like those, you¡¯re just waiting for everyone to tease!¡± ¡°The second tost and the third tost talk about the joy of studying¡ªthis joke¡¯s gonna keep meughing for a year!¡± Guo Zihao and Shouhao grumbled in their hearts: It was thest in the ss who taught us. Chapter 126 - 125 Underachiever, Mediocrity, Crammer (Additional Chapter) Chapter 126: Chapter 125 Underachiever, Mediocrity, Crammer (Additional Chapter) The ssroom was cacophonous with arguments when, by chance, Lu Mian walked in. It was as if she had a dispersing effect, the cluster of boys at the back door automatically cleared a path for her, weing her like royalty. From the moment she stepped into the ssroom to when she sat down at her seat, there wasplete silence. And the topic they had been discussing was now difficult to continue. Everyone knew that both Pudge Hao and Shouhao were Lu Mian¡¯s people. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend Lu Mian, so they could only ridicule the two underachievers behind their backs, not daring to say anything upfront. Besides, Lu Mian scored full marks in thest physicspetition, she was the teacher¡¯s pet. Lu Mian was long ustomed to the attention from others. She walked to her seat and casually stuffed her backpack into her desk, starting off her day of novel-reading as usual. With their heads hanging, Pudge Hao and Shouhao returned to their seats without their usual greetings, a cloud of gloom hovering above them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± Lu Mian looked up and asked. The two brothers wore strange and fearful expressions, being very cautious. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Mian bro, are you sober yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sober.¡± ¡°Never would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d be like that when you¡¯re drunk¡­ It¡¯s kind of frightening.¡± Lu Mian frowned slightly, ¡°Frightening? Is it so scary when I sleep?¡± ¡°Sleep???¡± The two brothers felt like they were crumbling. ¡°I know I can¡¯t hold my liquor, but I usually just sleep when I¡¯m drunk. I remember you two helped me down yesterday, and we happened to run into Director Qi, who was quite kind to send me home.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Look at that, are those even human words? Did you, perchance, eat the two hours of ss? The brothers dared not say or ask anything. In pity, the misfortunate brothers hugged each other. That¡¯s it, they thought, no more drinking with Mian bro ever again. The first period was math. The petite middle-aged female teacher stood at the podium with a set square, knocking on the table, ¡°Who finished the homework I assignedst Friday? Raise your hands.¡± Swish swish swish, the ss enthusiastically raised their hands. Pudge Hao anxiously nudged Shouhao: ¡°What question? I forgot all about it!¡± ¡°Man, I don¡¯t know either!¡± They turned to consult Lu Mian but then gave up; Mian bro hadn¡¯t even found his math textbook yet. Their flustered demeanor had already caught the eye of the math teacher, Pei Sujin. Only three students in the ss didn¡¯t raise their hands, yes, those three in the corner. Third from the bottom, second from the bottom, the veryst. Infamous for being the worst students, the dregs, the sludge. Pei Sujin¡¯s heart brimmed with frustration as she pointed the set square at the chubby and skinny brothers, ¡°Guo Zihao, Yuan Hao, it seems both of you have mastered the topic. Come up to the board and do it!¡± Seeing their clueless expressions, she gritted her teeth and hinted, ¡°Page 32, thest problem for thought.¡± The pathetic brothers had no choice but to take their textbooks and dishearteningly head to the ckboard. Below the podium, a group eagerly awaited the unfolding drama. Pei Sujin nced at Lu Mian, who was nonchntly still looking for his textbook, and shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Some students, don¡¯t think that doing well in one subject makes you invincible. No matter how well you do, in the end, it¡¯s only worth a hundred points. The graders in the college entrance exam won¡¯t care if you favor some subjects over others¡­¡± She went on with a long speech, which everyone could tell was directed at Lu Mian. Unfortunately, Lu Mian, the very person in question, seemed as though he didn¡¯t understand, his head bowed, finally finding his brand-new math textbook in the gap of his desk. Opening the textbook was his greatest respect for the subject. At the moment, on the podium, Pudge Hao and Shouhao nced at the problem in the textbook and then exchanged a look. Tsk, this problem¡­ Chapter 127 - 126 Welcome Top Student of the Grade (Extra Chapter 2) Chapter 127: Chapter 126 Wee Top Student of the Grade (Extra Chapter 2) ¡°No private talking!¡± Pei Sujin turned her head to re at them. ¡°Teacher, even if those two talk for the whole ss, it won¡¯t help with what they don¡¯t know!¡± Laughter erupted throughout the ssroom. ¡°Didn¡¯t you study over the weekend? Let¡¯s see the results now!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even do your homework and dare say you studied!¡± ¡°Quiet down, no more talking.¡± Pei Sujin struggled to maintain order, reviewed the knowledge points fromst week with the students, and when she turned back to the board, it was covered with densely packed solution steps. Pei Sujin scanned through them quickly, her breath caught in her throat. The teacher was stunned, and the students were caught by surprise as well. Even the ss president, Bai Fangfei, who was quite good at studies, was puzzled, repeatedly flipping through her workbook to check her own solutions. Did those two underachievers really solve the math thinking problem? Inconceivable! The answers weren¡¯t in the textbook, and the two were far apart at the board, plus their solution steps were different, so there was no possibility of copying from each other. What was happening? Intending to make an example out of them, Pei Sujin held her breath, had the fat and thin duo step down, and started discussing their methods with the students. Smooth steps, an innovative approach to problem-solving, and apletely correct answer! Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao walked down with their backs straight, their gaze shining like they were looking at a deity when it fell on Lu Mian. Lu Mian found it all inexplicable and ignored them, continuing to read her novel with her head down. ¡ª¡ª During the second long break, Lu Mian visited Principal Zhang¡¯s office. She finalized some details about the donation and also learned that the five million from the families of Fat Hao and Shouhao had already arrived. She couldn¡¯t help feeling amused at the speed¡­ Having discussed the schrship matter, Lu Mian slouched on the sofa and said indifferently, ¡°Principal Zhang, could I take a look at Kunpeng High School¡¯s historical records?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ those have already been borrowed,¡± Principal Zhang said, embarrassed. ¡°Who borrowed them?¡± ¡°Lu Mian, I can¡¯t tell you that. However, if you¡¯re investigating the kidnapping case, I really don¡¯t have any clues to offer you. The kidnapper¡¯sst disappearance point was indeed at Kunpeng High School, but the surveince at the time was destroyed.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± ¡ª¡ª N?v(el)B\\jnn While Lu Mian was absent, ss 25¡¯s homeroom teacher, Ding Cai, called all the students back to the ssroom. ¡°Let me introduce you all: this is Su Luo, a student who tested into Kunpeng School with you. She has been participating in go tournaments out of town and has now returned. A warm wee, everyone!¡± Next to Ding Cai stood a 16 or 17-year-old girl with a high ponytail, wearing limited edition sneakers, and a faint elite atmosphere exuded from her delicate features, clearly a girl from a good upbringing and outstanding in every way. The students whispered amongst themselves. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Go princess from the Su Family?¡± ¡°I saw her name on the leaderboard before; I thought she transferred.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she really good? Why isn¡¯t she in ss 1?¡± A student tentatively asked, causing others to look sheepish. Talk about losing face¡­ Su Luo ignored the whispers, simply saying a in ¡°hello¡± on the stage and nothing more. Smiling, Ding Cai defused the situation, ¡°Actually, Su Luo joined our school with the highest score in the whole grade. Since she had tournaments to attend, she was ced in our ss. Let¡¯s help each other out from now on! Su Luo, you can sit in¡­¡± He looked around and hesitated when his gaze fell on the seat next to Lu Mian. That was the only empty seat in the ss, and having two girls sit together¡­ No, no. Su Luo was first in the grade, and Lu Mian wasst, that could hurt Lu Mian¡¯s pride. Ding Cai immediately dismissed the idea and pointed to a corner seat on the other side, ¡°For now, Su Luo, take that seat. After the next monthly test, I¡¯ll rearrange the seating.¡± Su Luo shook her head, quite assertively raising a finger, ¡°Teacher, may I sit there?¡± She was of course pointing to Lu Mian¡¯s spot. She added, ¡°I prefer a seat by the window.¡± Chapter 128 - 127: Isn’t it just taken from our house? Chapter 128: Chapter 127: Isn¡¯t it just taken from our house? Su Luo¡¯s attitude was quite assertive. Ding Cai looked troubled. Before he could say anything, the Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao from the back row couldn¡¯t sit still. Shouhao raised his voice to remind, ¡°Find another ce, someone is already here!¡± Normally, upon hearing this, others would adhere to the firste-first-served principle and leave apologetically. Not knowing any better, they wouldn¡¯t say anything. But they underestimated Su Luo¡¯s determination. Su Luo, being born into a wealthy family and blessed with talent, had hardly faced any setbacks in life. Whatever she wanted to do, she would do; whatever she wanted to have, she would have. Of course, she was much better than many who relied on the aura of their family and led aimless lives, as she had ability and always advocated proving oneself through strength. Su Luo thought for a moment and looked up at Ding Cai, ¡°Teacher, do I have the right to choose my seat?¡± Good students being free to choose their seats within the ss was an unwritten rule. ¡°This¡­¡± Ding Cai rubbed his temples, finding it quite difficult, ¡°There are other spots near the window, Su Luo, could you make do for now¡­¡± ¡°Teacher, is it really that hard to just change a seat?¡± With that said, Ding Cai was really stumped. Because the seat she wanted was Lu Mian¡¯s! Lu Mian had been attending ss punctually every day now, asionally bringing him glory in physics; he didn¡¯t dare to provoke this little ancestor. N?v(el)B\\jnn Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t here at the moment, otherwise, there would be a fuss. The students below were quite silent, looking back and forth at themotion. From the back of the ssroom, a voice filled with obvious mockery came, ¡°That¡¯s Lu Mian¡¯s seat. What does it matter if you¡¯re good at studying? She donated twenty million, should she also give up her seat for you?¡± As Shouhao spoke, he mmed down his pen impatiently, indicating his dissatisfaction with Su Luo. Ding Cai and the other students: Confused¡­ Su Luo scoffed. ¡°The money Lu Mian donated¡­ wasn¡¯t it just the twenty million taken from our Su Family?¡± She had seen Lu Mian y chess and win the match that day and naturally knew about this. Later on, she had vaguely heard about the donation and Lu Mian severing ties with the Lu Family. At the time, she was quite surprised. Such a person was indeed qualified to be half an opponent for her. However, she didn¡¯t agree with unting a donation for praise and rewards. Shouhao stood up, not convinced, and argued, ¡°Your Su Family may have sponsored the money, but my brother Mian won it fair and square through Go, how can you say it was taken from your Su Family?¡± ¡°Exactly! You juste up here and try to take Mian¡¯s seat as if you¡¯re some princess?¡± The argument between the three continued, while others remained in continued confusion. Lu Mian¡­ ying chess¡­ won twenty million¡­ and donated it to the school? Their worldview was refreshed once again, the information overload leaving them unable to react for a moment. ss president Bai Fangfei stood up to maintain order, ¡°Have you two had enough? No matter how strong Lu Mian is at Go, have you thought about it? If Su Luo had yed, would she have been able to take the twenty million? It was the Su Family who showed mercy!¡± After speaking, she looked towards the lectern and winked at Su Luo. The Su Family and Bai Family were both wealthy households in Wucheng. Being the same age, Bai Fangfei naturally knew and was very good friends with Su Luo. She naturally sided with her friend and took the chance to suppress Lu Mian¡¯s arrogance. Su Luo responded with a faint smile. Encouraged, Bai Fangfei continued, ¡°Besides, Su Luo earned her spot here with the highest grades in the grade. It¡¯s only right for her to choose her seat freely, and certain people should be sensible enough to make way.¡± Chapter 129 - 128: Win Against Me First Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Win Against Me First ¡°Well, my brother Lu Mian is still the national champion in the physicspetition!¡± ¡°Exactly¡ª¡± The bulky and lean brothers wanted to argue something, but out of the corner of their eye, they caught sight of a slender and delicate tall figure entering through the back door. They lit up like they had seen a savior, their eyes sparking with excitement. Ding Cai gulped: Uh oh, the little tyrant is back! The situation is about to get out of control! Lu Mian returned from the principal¡¯s office, still pondering who had taken the files, and upon entering the ssroom, she saw everyone sitting quietly with several people standing. She was slightly surprised but didn¡¯t mind it much. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on her, which she was ustomed to, so she walked over to a seat by the window at the back of the room, hooked a chair with the tip of her foot, and elegantly sat down. She exuded a carefree and irreverentziness, disinterested in everything happening around her. Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as she pulled a romance novel from a stack of books and began to flip through it, engrossed. Everyone: ? Hey, leadingdy, we¡¯re discussing you here! With all those strange gazes around her, Lu Mian finally developed some curiosity andzily lifted her eyelid, asking the bulky and lean brothers, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Lu Mian, Su Luo is taking your seat! She wants you to change tables!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The girl nodded indifferently, not even ncing at the podium, twirling a page with her fingertip, and leisurely turning it over, a stark contrast to the anxious people around her. That¡¯s it, just an ¡°Oh¡±? Just as everyone¡¯s foreheads were crinkling with question marks, Lu Mian nonchntly added another sentence. ¡°Beat me first and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± Her voice was soft and her tone was calm, but it carried an aura of arrogance and conceit that drilled into everyone¡¯s ears. This wasn¡¯t a challenge but a calm statement of control and strategy! Everybody¡¯s eyes snapped back to the podium. Su Luo felt herpetitive desire rise, ¡°Beat you? Hmph¡­¡± The light chuckle that followed was tinged with a hint of disdain. It made sense, after all. She was a Go princess, having participated inpetitions all around the world, umting trophies enough to fill a room. Moreover, with her brains working just fine¡ª managing to excel in exams despite constantly being away forpetitions ¡ªplusing from the affluent Su family, she practically lived the idealized life every student fantasized about. For her to beat Lu Mian, it would be a matter of minutes. ¡°What do you want topete in?¡± Su Luo stood at the podium, allowing Lu Mian to pick at will, ready to apany her in any challenge. Lu Mian turned another page in her book, speaking listlessly, ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Su Luo: ¡°¡­¡± The ssroom was enveloped in a tense atmosphere. Ding Cai: Being this homeroom teacher is so tough¡­ In the end, it was Ding Cai who took a firm stand, swapping a student who didn¡¯t focus much on studies and had performed poorly in the monthly test to the back row near the back door. He arranged for Su Luo to have the window seat, as she requested, even though it wasn¡¯t the one she truly desired. What a headache. Ding Cai rubbed his temples and quickly left the ssroom. After ss. Shouhao and the lean brother kept chattering, encouraging Lu Mian. ¡°Lu Mian, Lu Mian, we believe in you, you can win anything.¡± ¡°Where is this confidenceing from?¡± Lu Mianughed. N?v(el)B\\jnn Shouhao: You gave it to us! The brothers also exchanged a significant look: If she really can¡¯t beat Su Luo, they still have a trump card! Hehehe¡­ Of course, those were all problems forter. As Su Luo passed by Lu Mian on her way to the restroom, she purposely knocked on her desk. Noticing her engrossed in a romance novel, her expression was quite speechless. ¡°Lu Mian, I¡¯ll have thepetition set up by today. This seat, I¡¯m going to im it!¡± Chapter 130 - 129: He’s Coming Chapter 130: Chapter 129: He¡¯s Coming Su Luo was full of confidence and assurance. When she made that statement, nobody around felt it was out of ce, and Bai Fangfei, proudly linking arms with her, also seemed to strut triumphantly. Their gazes bothnded on Lu Mian, who simply couldn¡¯t ignore them even if she wanted to. Reluctantly tearing her gaze from the climax of her novel, she nced at Su Luo amidst her busy reading, her pupils flickering slightly with uncertainty. Seizing the opportunity, Bai Fangfei taunted, ¡°Scared, huh? If you don¡¯t want to be embarrassed, you¡¯d better give up your seat to Luoluo now. Don¡¯t wait until you¡¯re humiliated and lose your ce, too.¡± Su Luo also stood silently, looking forward to Lu Mian¡¯s response. The Shouhao brothers were feeling somewhat downcast. Lu Mian looked at Su Luo for a while, then, with a snap, closed her novel, and asked her nkly, ¡°You, who are you?¡± She hadn¡¯t really heard a word Su Luo had said. ??? Shouhao erupted intoughter, clutching their bellies, unable to straighten up. Lu Mian had quite the nerve to retort like that! There were Su Luo and Bai Fangfei trumpeting their own praises, and yet Lu Mian had no idea who Su Luo was. Surely she couldn¡¯t have failed to look up at her opponent even once? Just look at Lu Mian¡¯s style, look at Lu Mian¡¯s momentum. Not showing off, nor admitting defeat. ¡°Lu Mian, she¡¯s Su Luo, the one who fought with you over the seat before! Take pity on the child and at least nce at her!¡±ughed Shouhao, still holding his belly. Lu Mian nodded. So she was Old Su¡¯s granddaughter. The two grandsons from the Su family were pretty interesting; unexpectedly, she felt as if she had thepany of grandchildren¡­ Her nonchnce and air of superiority incensed Bai Fangfei, ¡°Lu Mian, you¡¯re too arrogant! Do you even know who Luoluo is? How dare you belittle her like this? Apologize to Luoluo right away!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Although she had lost face, Su Luo only felt embarrassed for a moment and didn¡¯t harbor much emotion. She had seen plenty of the haughty and the arrogant. Those who ended up crying after a defeat were often from this lot. ¡°Lu Mian, let¡¯s see the real deal in thepetition!¡± she emphasized, as a reminder. ¡°Fine.¡± After the two had walked away, Shouhao and Shouhao muttered quietly to each other. ¡°Lu Mian, this Su Luo may have bad intentions, but she seems to be a little better than Lu Xinnuan¡­¡± Shouhao stroked his chin, analyzing. Shouhao nodded, ¡°At least, not so hypocritically innocent.¡± Lu Mian chuckled and stretchedzily in her seat. Su Luo, at first nce, seemed like the type with great pride and a young achiever¡¯s arrogance. With her character and status, she naturally didn¡¯t need to resort to any schemes or hide her true feelings. If she liked something, she simply did, and if she disliked it, she made it clear¡ªindeed much more generous than Lu Xinnuan and far better than her fame-seeking brother. She casually tapped her pale fingertips on the desk a few times, bing attached to the spot and toozy to move. Well, then, might as well humor her a little. At noon after school, Lu Mian went home to Jin Cheng No. 1 as usual. Her lunch was already timely set on the table. She had just lifted half the lid of the thermal container when the doorbell rang. She paused, closed the container bearing the MM Ji Restaurant logo, put it back into the cupboard, and then got up to open the door. As expected, there stood a cultured man at the door. He was dressed unusually for the day, eschewing his usual suit-and-tie for casual home clothes and an apron, standing before Lu Mian with a tray in hand. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The tray bore several dishes. Ye Jinwen emerged from behind him, also holding a few side dishes. Lu Mian leaned against the doorway, tilting her chin up and silently asking what this was about. Xiao Qimo smiled at her easily, ¡°I left my chopsticks at your cest time, do you mind if Ie over and eat?¡± Chapter 131 - 130: Are You Feeling Sorry for Me? Chapter 131: Chapter 130: Are You Feeling Sorry for Me? ¡°?¡± Lu Mian had no time to respond before Xiao Qimo took a step forward, with Ye Jinwen chuckling behind him, thinking to himself, ¡°shameless.¡± The two men ced each dish onto the dining table, totaling six tters. Among them were two extra-thick,vish burgers. Lu Mian¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, and her lips pursed together. Xiao Qimo quickly caught her subtle expression, quite pleased with himself, and shot a suggestive look at Ye Jinwen. Ye Jinwen rubbed his hands together, ¡°Little Mianmian, I¡¯ve got something else to do, I¡¯m heading back now.¡± Lu Mian, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Xiao Qimo felt a little disappointed, ¡°You cane over to eat after you¡¯re done.¡± Ye Jinwen rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking, with only two pairs of chopsticks, do I even have a share? Do I? While thinking this, he remained very polite on the surface. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m too busy, can¡¯t make it, you guys go ahead and eat.¡± Xiao Qimo was amicable, saw him out, and with his long legs naturally closed the security door, cutting off the longing gaze of the man outside. Ye Jinwen returned to the next room dejectedly, clutching a bucket of instant noodles and peeking at the bustling kitchen, bitterly spitting out two words. ¡°Beast! Scum!¡± ¡ª Lu Mian thought today was quite magical as she pursed her lips, looking at the table full of dishes. ¡°Director Qimo, you made this?¡± She stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the table. At a nce, all the dishes were light and delicious, especially the meaty burgers that she absolutely adored. ¡°I got off work early today, so I made some on the fly. Want to try?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lu Mian wasn¡¯t fussy. Seeing her favorite burgers, she reluctantly let Xiao Qimo sit down. She found the two pairs of chopsticks from the kitchen, one pair for each of them. She picked up a burger, her mood instantly improved, the corners of her mouth gently curving upward as she took a bite. ¡°Hmm, not bad!¡± Xiao Qimo thought to himself, at least the trashcan full of discarded ingredients hadn¡¯t been a waste; as long as she liked it. He also tacitly avoided mentioning yesterday¡¯s event at MM Ji Restaurant or her getting drunk, since she didn¡¯t remember anyhow. He was elegantly picking at his food when he casually asked, ¡°So you really like burgers, any reason?¡± ¡°The reason¡­¡± The girl stared intently at the sizeable fish patty and the thick burger. She looked quite preupied. N?v(el)B\\jnn After several bites, shezily said, ¡°Because burgers are the only thing I didn¡¯t have to share with Lu Xinnuan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s heart clenched abruptly, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Burgers are unhealthy, unclean. Lu Xinnuan is delicate and wouldn¡¯t gain any nutrients from them.¡± She was very straightforward about it, speaking quite candidly. Xiao Qimo had never considered her love for burgers to stem from this reason. His heart cracked a bit, and from within seeped a tender pain and sourness. The impact of one¡¯s family trulysts a lifetime. As he was silently pondering how tofort Lu Mian, he saw the girl across from himugh softly, the corners of her mouth still spoiled to the extreme. Lu Mian tilted her head, ¡°Do you pity me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just kidding.¡± She said with a teasing look in her eyes, her mood still quite good as she exined, ¡°Don¡¯t imagine my life as tragic, because I genuinely love eating burgers. Since Lu Xinnuan doesn¡¯tpete with me for them, I like them even more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This made Xiao Qimo feel even morepassion for her. ¡°If you like them, I¡¯ll make them for you often.¡± After all, that was better than her eating at MM Ji Restaurant. Thinking of the owner of MM Ji Restaurant, he felt the saying was true: to capture someone¡¯s heart, one must first capture their stomach. Yep, the high school sweethearts hadn¡¯t lied to him. Xiao Qimo watched her contently finishing an entire burger and as she was about to start on the second, he spoke nonchntly. ¡°Lu Mian, what is your rtionship with Yuren, the owner of MM Ji Restaurant?¡± Chapter 132 - 131 Director Qi, You Are So Amazing (Added) Chapter 132: Chapter 131 Director Qi, You Are So Amazing (Added) Lu Mian¡¯s hand grasping the burger paused, and upon hearing his question, shezily put it back down. She leaned back, resting against the back of the chair. A faint smile yed on her face as she remained silent, but the four words were clearly written in her expression: ¡°None of your business.¡± When people be guarded, their bodies involuntarily retreat, assuming a self-protective stance. Xiao Qimo understood Lu Mian¡¯s guardedness and felt somewhat sad. The little brat didn¡¯t have him in her heart at all, yet he was obsessing over her day after day¡­ Even on this business trip, he was preupied with her. The schrly man turned over these thoughts in his mind, yet outwardly remained asposed as ever, gently cing the burger back in Lu Mian¡¯s hand and slowly pushing up his sses. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not trying to pry into your private life,¡± he said gentlemanly. ¡°As the school¡¯s guidance director, it¡¯s my responsibility to help you discern social connections. You might be an adult, but you¡¯re still a student.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± Lu Mianughed wildly, her eyes and eyebrows full of an unruly pride as she shook her head. ¡°Director Qimo, are you the sea?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Why are you meddling so widely?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo inwardly cursed her as a little brat. Lu Mian added, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. The burgers from Boss Yu¡¯s ce are really tasty, isn¡¯t it normal for me to be friends with him?¡± She recalled briefly that yesterday at the cashier¡¯s counter, Xiao Qimo and Yuren had indeed met, and she had indeed mentioned that Yuren was her friend. Noticing the disbelief in Xiao Qimo¡¯s peripheral vision, she propped her elbow on the table and suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance across the dining table. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear with her finger, her mboyant and wickedly beautiful features reflected in Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes. That little red mole¡­ The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly. His dark, deep eyes shifted down for a moment before quickly looking away. He could almost hear the sound of his own heartbeat, as the normally calmke of his heart was stirred into turmoil. Lu Mian chuckled softly, scanning the rich spread of dishes on the table and said with a low, softughter, ¡°Director Qimo is so capable, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can check it out¡­¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°¡­¡± Those clear, prating eyes seemed to see right through him, leaving the man with a deep and somber gaze resting helplessly on her face. He was certain he wouldn¡¯t get anything out of her today¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s continue eating,¡± he gestured politely. He consoled himself that today wasn¡¯t entirely without its gains, at least Lu Mian had justplimented him for being ¡°so capable.¡± Lu Mian quickly withdrew herself, crossing her legs with theposure of a boss. She ate her burger leisurely while not forgetting to pull out her phone to y, her actions casual and mischievous. ¡°Mr. Capable¡± was sitting right across from her, yet she was audacious enough to directly text Zero. Mian: [The stocks fromst time can be sold now.] Zero: [It¡¯s finally time! Hahaha, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for so long!] Mian: [By the way, tell Handsome Yu to leak some information casually.] Zero: [What do you mean?] Mian: [If someone can¡¯t find anything, it would be quite a blow to their pride.] Zero: [¡­¡­¡­¡­] ¡ª- The afternoon brought a physical education ss. After the students had gathered and warmed up, the kind-hearted PE teacher let them have free time. Su Luo was highly efficient, quickly organizing threepetitive events and preparing the equipment, inviting Lu Mian to face her in the challenge. Theirpetition was the hot topic in ss today. Many people surreptitiously ced bets with spicy strips, betting that Su Luo would definitely beat Lu Mian. Lu Mian might be good in physics, but she was weak in other subjects. Lu Mian had won the Gopetition, but she was no match for the Go princess! Some who openly or secretly disliked Lu Mian also unkindly sided with Su Luo. Chapter 133 - 132: What I Don’t Give, No One Can Snatch Away (Extra 2) Chapter 133: Chapter 132: What I Don¡¯t Give, No One Can Snatch Away (Extra 2) A big group of people arrived at thewn. The two factions faced each other off. Compared to therge crowd of ssmates behind Su Luo, Lu Mian¡¯s poprity here was obviously much less. Behind her stood only Fatty Hao and Shouhao, unwaveringly loyal. She didn¡¯t really care. But Fatty Hao and Shouhao felt quite aggrieved. These people hadn¡¯t seen big brother Mian in action, or else¡­ they¡¯d be blinded by his brilliance! But they couldn¡¯t lose thispetition either, as it concerned big brother Mian¡¯s desk! The two suggested, ¡°We should at least find a referee, right?¡± Bai Fangfei from the opposite side was not pleased, ¡°Guo Zihao, Yuan Hao, what are you implying? Afraid that Luoluo will y dirty? That¡¯s what we should be worried about, okay?! Do you know how kind-hearted our Luoluo is? To amodate thest in the ss rankings, she specially chose some less intensepetition methods. You should just count your blessings!¡± ¡°So kind-hearted¡­¡± Yuan Hao, always straightforward, curled his lips: ¡°If you¡¯re really that kind, then don¡¯t snatch my brother Mian¡¯s desk spot!¡± ¡°Exactly! Let me tell you, we don¡¯t cause trouble, but we¡¯re not afraid of it either!¡± Bai Fangfei red, pointing directly at Lu Mian: ¡°Lu Mian, aren¡¯t you going to manage these two? They¡¯re way too arrogant!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lu Mian answered indifferently, smiling with a squint, both fierce and proud, ¡°Then let me remind you of something: What¡¯s mine is mine. If I don¡¯t give it up, no one can snatch it away.¡± Arrogant? Lu Mian was far more arrogant than them! Bai Fangfei stomped her foot in anger, at a loss for words. Su Luo smirked teasingly, ¡°Alright, stop quarreling. Since neither side trusts the other, fine, let¡¯s find the fairest person to referee, someone who¡¯s not a ssmate of ours!¡± ¡°Then who should we find?¡± Everyone looked around. Students from other sses were each enjoying their own games. It was hard toe by a physical education ss, and nobody wanted to be interrupted. As for the PE teacher, he was ying basketball enthusiastically with a few students and it didn¡¯t seem right to disturb him. ¡°Director Qimo ising over!¡± No sooner had someone cried out than everyone hurriedly hid their props. Director Qimo¡¯s iron-fisted approach was well-known throughout the school. Su Luo calmly revealed those hidden objects, exining, ¡°These are all educational items rted to learning. The director won¡¯t have an issue with them.¡± Everyone nodded, though still somewhat skeptical. ¡°Alright then, go invite Director Qimo to serve as the referee,¡± Su Luo suggested with a smile. ¡°To prevent anyone from suspecting foul y.¡± ¡°Okay, I will!¡± Bai Fangfei volunteered eagerly. Hearing this proposal, Lu Mian¡¯s eyes flickered troubledly. In front of Xiao Qimo, should she win or not? ¡°Do you want to find someone else?¡± she suggested. Su Luo chuckled and shrugged her shoulders more disdainfully, ¡°I think Director Qimo is a great choice. Everyone says he¡¯s stern and impartial, the fairest judge there is.¡± Lu Mian: Goddamn impartial and fair¡­ ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Lu Mian resigned. When Bai Fangfei went to ask Xiao Qimo, the usually stern and unbiased director surprisingly agreed to referee without much persuasion. The man¡¯s presencemanded immediate attention, making a group of students shiver thrice over. He nced at Lu Mian casually, his gaze seemingly tender. Without looking at him, Lu Mian could feel his eyes on her, thinking to herself, this man has too much free time! ¡°The props are all normal.¡± He quickly checked the props and distributed them to Su Luo and Lu Mian. When passing them to Lu Mian, whether intentional or not, his fingertips brushed against hers. With the props as a screen, others couldn¡¯t see, but Lu Mian felt it. A fleeting moment, casually executed, yet it made her heart skip a beat. N?v(el)B\\jnn She looked up, unintentionally meeting Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze, his smiling eyes shing a triumphant tease. Men. Chapter 134 - 133: Saving You Some Face Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Saving You Some Face Lu Mian collected her gaze without a sound. The tips of her fingers, touched by Xiao Qimo, were slightly warm, and she gently curled them up, hiding everything without a trace. Xiao Qimo maintained his usual serious demeanor, deliberately looking away. Opposite them, Su Luo also began to speak, holding the game prop in her hand. ¡°Lu Mian, this is a 4¡Á4 digital Huarong Dao. The goal is to reorder the number blocks on the game board from left to right, top to bottom in the correct sequence, using as few steps and as little time as possible. Do you understand the rules?¡± Lu Mian nodded. A 4¡Á4 game board has a total of 16 block spaces, 15 with numbers. The missing number block is the space for movement. Simply put, all she had to do was arrange the numbers 1-15 in order on the board. Standing between the two, Xiao Qimo swept his gaze unintentionally over Lu Mian, his hand already prepared with a stopwatch. ¡°Ready?¡± Su Luo: ¡°Director Qimo, I¡¯m ready.¡± He didn¡¯t respond, waiting for Lu Mian. Lu Mian nodded somewhat impatiently. ¡°Begin.¡± The low, gentle voice fell, and the girls in thepetition began to fiddle with the props in their hands. The onlooking students all craned their necks, not daring to cheer or speak, just silently and excitedly watching. Especially Su Luo, whose hands moved so adeptly and quickly, they hadn¡¯t even reacted before she had already arranged a row of numbers. Indeed, a Go prodigy. That hand speed, that intellect, that logical thinking ability, they were way beyond their league. Looking back at Lu Mian, she was flipping the blocks so carelessly, not seeming to bepeting, but rather as if ying with a toy. She must be nning to give up thepetition, not even showing a hint of nervousness! Su Luo had a great chance of winning. Ten seconds had passed, and she had alreadypleted half. This game was about fighting for every second; as long as she maintained this pace, beating Lu Mian would be easy. Fifteen secondster, Su Luo chuckled as she put thest number in ce. With a victorious smile curling at her lips, she raised her hand. However, before she could speak, Lu Mian¡¯s leisurely voice preempted from the other side. ¡°I¡¯ve finished.¡± Su Luo looked over incredulously, her smile stiffening¡ªLu Mian had actually finished a step ahead of her?! Xiao Qimo carelessly stopped the timer, checked the results of both sides, which were correct, making thepetition valid. ¡°The first round is.¡­¡± ¡°Director Qimo! This isn¡¯t fair!¡± Before he could finish, Bai Fangfei and the others were already dissatisfied. Xiao Qimo slightly narrowed his eyes. ¡°Director Qimo, clearly Su Luo finished first; she just didn¡¯t announce it that quickly! Although Lu Mian was fast, she was at least one second slower than Su Luo!¡± ¡°I agree! Just looking at Su Luo¡¯s hand speed, she was much faster than Lu Mian! How could she possibly beat Su Luo¡­¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao crossed their arms and sneered coldly. See, I knew this would happen. A group who never believed Lu Mian could win, their first reaction when Lu Mian pped them in the face was to question it. Su Luo also nodded, ¡°Director Qimo, I was a bit slow to speak, how will you judge this?¡± Xiao Qimo appeared to be strictly businesslike, exining indifferently with the stopwatch in hand: ¡°Lu Mian wins.¡± ¡°Why?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°By the time you finished, she had already been waiting for you for seven seconds.¡± At these words, the room fell silent. Su Luo was stunned: ¡­ Her backers too slowly opened their mouths, as if in slow motion. In a game where a single second could determine the winner, Lu Mian had finished seven seconds faster than Su Luo?! Shouhao, hands on his hips, boasted proudly: ¡°Our Brother Mian finished at 20 seconds, while Su Luo only finished at 27 seconds!¡± ¡°Su Luo, our Brother Mian was actually being considerate, afraid that going too fast would hurt your pride!¡± Chapter 135 - 134: The Almighty Tycoon Chapter 135: Chapter 134: The Almighty Tycoon The plump and slim brothers sang in perfect harmony, thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was those people¡¯s own fault forcking discernment and belittling Brother Mian! Lu Mian, for his part, was as cool as a breeze, tossing a small pebble in his palm, amusing himself. Xiao Qimo nced at her, thinking the game must be rather boring for her, since she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to show a hint of joy in her victory. He could now be certain that the kid¡¯s IQ was at least above 170. So impressive it was dazzling. He nced at the props she had used and wondered how long it would take him toplete them? The ssmate opposite took a full minute to regainposure. Even Director Qimo had dered it fair and square, what else could they say? Maybe Lu Mian just happened to excel at that game. Besides, there were still two rounds to go¡ªthe oue was still unknown! Su Luo had lost, and it indeed bruised her pride. Fortunately, she hadpeted so many times that she had developed a strong mentality and didn¡¯t copse from the setback. ¡°I lost the first round, let¡¯s move on to the second!¡± She handed two fourth-order Rubik¡¯s cubes to Xiao Qimo for inspection, while also reminding Lu Mian with a rather proud tone. ¡°Lu Mian, since this is apetition, you just go ahead and use all your skill! I don¡¯t need you to go easy on me! Giving your all is the least respect you can show your opponent!¡± It didn¡¯t matter to her, Su Luo, if she lost the game, but to be ¡°let go¡± by an opponent was nothing short of humiliating. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian looked at her with a somewhatplex expression and eventually nodded her head in difficulty, ¡°Alright.¡± The fourth-order Rubik¡¯s cubes were fine, and Xiao Qimo distributed them to both parties. The typical Rubik¡¯s cube is third-order, and the fourth-order is somewhat more difficult than the third-order. Seeing Lu Mian still tossing the pebble, he knew this little rascal would have no problems. It seemed that even without him as the referee, she wouldn¡¯t suffer any disadvantage. Xiao Qimo sighed. He feltpletely superfluous¡­ ¡°Start timing!¡± This time Lu Mian took thepetition quite seriously, probably because Su Luo had reminded her, so she made a bit more effort. She kept one hand in her pocket and held the Rubik¡¯s cube in the other. The cube spun around in her hand, emitting crisp and coherent clicking sounds. Before the bystanders could even discern the colors, she had already moved on to the next step, so fast that they were worried the cube might fly away. It was like a magnificent performance; each of her movements, every flick of her fair fingers, was incredibly pleasing to the eye. Pang Hao and Shouhao watched in awe, feeling all the more that¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Brother Mian is an all-around boss, isn¡¯t he¡­¡± ¡°Drop the ¡®isn¡¯t he¡¯.¡± On the other side, Su Luo was manipting the Rubik¡¯s cube just as quickly, hesitating slightly sometimes before continuing. As time ticked away, a thinyer of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. Hearing the asional murmurs of surprise and admiration deliberately suppressed behind her, she wrinkled her brow and looked bemusedly across at her opponent. To her dismay, Lu Mian was just then handing over thepletely solved cube to Director Qimo. She was startled, and the Rubik¡¯s cube in her hand dropped to the ground. She had onlypleted one-sixth of it, and Lu Mian had already finished. Was this Lu Mian¡¯s true strength? Xiao Qimo stopped the timer. The result hardly needed to be stated, and there was no controversy¡ªLu Mian had won against Su Luo with an absolute advantage. She pped her hands, showing no interest in savoring the joy of victory nor in observing the challenger¡¯s expression, and coolly announced, ¡°I¡¯m out,¡± before striding away. Pang Hao and Shouhao thoughtfully added a warning to someone. ¡°Nobody¡¯s got a chance at stealing from my Bro Mian!¡± Su Luo: ¡­ Lu Mian had left, and Xiao Qimo stayed where he was, pushing up his sses with a sense of helplessness, feeling quite annoyed. Little rascal, I¡¯m still here. He quickly followed suit and left as well. A group of students watched respectfully as he departed. The remaining people felt pretty awkward and were very quiet. Bai Fangfei, seeing Su Luo in a not-so-good mood, quicklyforted her, ¡°Luoluo, don¡¯t be upset. These games don¡¯t mean anything. Next time, we¡¯llpete with her academically or in Go!¡± Chapter 136 - 135: When She Smiles, the Whole World Lights Up Chapter 136: Chapter 135: When She Smiles, the Whole World Lights Up Su Luo didn¡¯t say much, the oue was already decided, and if she clung on relentlessly, she would only appear petty. She was the daughter of the Su Family, and was not about to lose her temper over such a trivial matter. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Bai Fangfei was right, there would always be opportunities topete in the future. She and Lu Mian would eventually see who was superior! ¡ª¡ª Since the athleticpetition during PE ss, Lu Mian had enjoyed quite a bit more peace. Su Luo stopped fighting for seats, Bai Fangfei ceased her antics, and the ssmates who previously sided with Su Luo consciously steered clear of her. They felt that Lu Mian was formidable in certain aspects, but also enigmatic. Her character, experiences, and capabilities were all mysterious, which made it difficult to gauge her true abilities, so it was best to keep a respectful distance. That day, after ss ended, Lu Mian received a text message from Sui Yuan, inviting her to meet at the flower beds between the two school buildings. She arrived as promised, and before Little Baldy showed up, she leaned against a ginkgo tree, boldly ying with her phone. Her toes nudged the ground intermittently, and from afar, she looked like a painting. ¡°Mianmian!¡± A timid and gentle call made Lu Mian look up to see Little Baldy running towards her, gasping for breath with a notebook in his hands. She softly instructed, ¡°Run slower!¡± Such a tender voice made Su Luo, who was passing by on her way to the senior third grade area, pause in her steps. Bai Fangfei was with her, nced in that direction, and scoffed. Both of them tacitly remained still, watching from a distance. Ignoring Lu Mian¡¯s advice, Sui Yuan sped up and ran towards her. As he bent over trying to catch his breath, Lu Mian¡¯s mischievous hands had already patted his forehead several times. ¡°Mianmian!¡± Sui Yuan hurriedly dodged, touching the back of his head, ¡°I need to talk to you about something serious!¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s so serious?¡± Lu Mian spoke with lingering tones, slowly moving closer to him. She was tall and had to bend down slightly. A teasing smile hung on her lips. Her dark almond eyes twinkled with warmth, the epitome of non-seriousness. A flirtation that was deadly! Sui Yuan quickly used the notebook to shield his blushing cheeks. This girl was too wicked! Didn¡¯t she realize how beautiful she was? When she smiled, the whole world lit up, and even she, a girl, couldn¡¯t withstand it and involuntarily blushed. Sui Yuan urgently snapped out of Lu Mian¡¯s charm. ¡°Mianmian, I¡¯ve heard all about it from Yuren, about you and the Lu Family¡­ forget it, let¡¯s not talk about that. No one understands your feelings better than us, don¡¯t be too upset,¡± he said. Sui Yuan knew that this topic was heavy for him, for Zero, for Yuren, for¡­ everyone involved. They would never deliberately bring it up, but they would never forget it either. Wanting to offerfort and care, they struggled to find ways to redeem the other, asnguage was so feeble. Yes, they were all victims of the 726 kidnapping case, more precisely, individuals who had been abandoned by their closest kin. With simr experiences and the days they fought for survival together, they were as close as any blood rtives and cherished each other dearly, despite having no blood ties. As he consoled Lu Mian, he was also consoling himself. ¡°Hmm, Yuanyuan¡­¡± Lu Mian slightly pouted, suddenly bing serious, even somber, ¡°Are you sad?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sui Yuan clenched the notebook suddenly. He and his brother, who was two years older, grew up in an orphanage. After their mother died, they were abandoned there by rtives. Before they turned 18, although they lived in poverty and had no support, they also had their simple joys. That was until one day, when a line of luxury cars appeared at the orphanage gate, calling out to him and his brother as ¡°young master¡± and ¡°miss,¡± saying, ¡°We¡¯ve finally found you.¡± Chapter 137 - 136: Study Schedule Chapter 137: Chapter 136: Study Schedule She was taken to avishly decorated vi and met her biological father, grandparents, and many rtives rted by blood. They doted on her, buying her clothes, food, and smiling at her warmly. She had thought this was the beginning of a happy life, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be short-lived; she found herself in the middle of a kidnapping, and both she and her brother were taken hostage. She thought, with her rtives being so affectionate towards her and her brother, and the family being quite wealthy, she should be able to return home safely, right¡­? However, she thought too much¡ª Her biological father coldly handed over five million yuan without even ncing at her, telling the kidnappers, ¡°The boy can inherit the family business, but what¡¯s the use of a girl? Do as you will with her!¡± She understood then, she was only brought back home incidentally. She was a girl, without value. Lately, she had been rescued. Without any resentment, she returned to that home. Having lost the affection of her family since childhood, how could she not yearn for their love? She said she didn¡¯t mind their choices, they were still family, and she couldn¡¯t bear to part with the brother she had grown up with. But one day, she overheard them talking about her¡ª A divorced tycoon offered three million yuan as a betrothal gift, while a yboy heir could go up to five million yuan. She fled that ce in a frenzy. She changed her name, and everything was left to fate. ¡°Yuanyuan?¡± Lu Mian knew she was reminiscing about the past, seeing the involuntary shimmer in the corner of her eyes, she reached out and embraced Little Baldy in her arms, ¡°My mistake, stop thinking about it¡­¡± All the tenderness that remained in her bones, she brought it all out. Sui Yuan sobbed in her embrace. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Lu Mian looked down and stroked Sui Yuan¡¯s smooth head, sighing. Silly Yuanyuan, even if you cut your hair like a boy, it won¡¯t change the deep-seated preference for sons¡­ Su Luo, who was not far away, watched this scene and frowned, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Bai Fangfei took the opportunity to snap a photo, thinking about something with a triumphant smile as she followed. It took a while for Sui Yuan to calm down before sitting up from thefortable embrace, pinching her somewhat stuffy nose, ¡°Alright, we still have to discuss serious matters!¡± ¡°Hmm, go ahead,¡± Lu Mian went back to acting nonchnt. ¡°This is the study n for your semester, I¡¯ve arranged everything for you, just follow it and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Sui Yuan spread the notebook out and showed it to her seriously. Lu Mian didn¡¯t even nce at it, instead went to y with Sui Yuan¡¯s clothes, ¡°Yuanyuan¡­¡± ¡°No acting cute!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian spread her hands out, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just a studypanion, why are you making me a study n?¡± She finally nced over itzily. October exam goals: Over 50 in Language, Mathematics, English. Over 60 in Physics, Chemistry, Biology. Over 40 in Politics, History, Geography¡­ She flipped to the next page. November exam goals: Over 60 in Language, Mathematics, English¡­ It was indeed a step-by-step progression. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s also the physicspetition.¡± Sui Yuan took out a pen and earnestly added, ¡°Last time you scored a hundred in the preliminaries, you can¡¯t do too poorly in the retest this time; at least a hundred is necessary, otherwise, people will question your ability.¡± Lu Mian: But there¡¯s only a hundred points total¡­ ¡°Can I refuse?¡± Lu Mian took away her pen, utterly resigned. Sui Yuan puffed up her cheeks, looking like an angry and dumbfounded little monk while bald. ¡°Of course not!¡± The reason she arranged this for her was because she felt shecked goals; aside from investigating the kidnapping case, it was all about earning money, leading a monotonous and dull life. Mianmian should be doing things that suit her age. Moreover, the physicspetition offered direct admission, and that also took regr grades into ount. If she scored zero every time, the chance for direct admission would probably be at risk. The heartache and effort she put in were all to help her quickly leave those dark shadows behind! Oh dear¡­ If possible, she would prefer her to experience love. But would Mianmian agree? Did she have the heart for it? Chapter 138 - 137: Lost the Backbone (Extra) Chapter 138: Chapter 137: Lost the Backbone (Extra) Lu Mian watched Little Baldy huffing and puffing, looking very determined, and she gave in. ¡°If you insist,¡± she said helplessly, snatching Sui Yuan¡¯s nner and stuffing it into her school uniform pocket. ¡°Back to ss, Little Baldy!¡± Lu Mian smiled and waved goodbye, taking the chance to ruffle Little Baldy¡¯s head again before walking away with a mischievous gait. ¡ª- Su Luo had been in a bad mood when she got home these past few days. Su Jue noticed and knocked on her room door to express his concern. Su Luo pushed against the desk, the chair sliding back half a meter, and she asked, ¡°Brother, what do you think about Lu Mian?¡± Su Jue¡¯s hand, pinching the c bottle, paused, and the can made a clicking sound. ¡°Aloof, arrogant, venomous tongue¡­¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Unfathomable.¡± ¡°Pfft. With thatstment, you¡¯re giving her too much credit.¡± Su Jue shook his head: ¡°I admit she has some skill, but not enough to be looked upon differently by Grandpa. I¡¯m rather curious, how many more secrets she¡¯s hiding that we don¡¯t know about!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Jue wanted to say something to dissuade her, but seeing Su Luo¡¯s determined expression, he swallowed his words. His sister had always beenpetitive from a young age, never resting until she won against her chosen rival. Thinking about how Grandpa had scolded him several times because of Lu Mian, he figured it might be good to let Luoluo dent Lu Mian¡¯s edge. ¡°By the way, brother, how are your stocks doing? Every time Dad video chats with us, he always praises your foresight, and Mom and I are proud of you when we¡¯re away,¡± Su Luo¡¯s mood, initially not so great, brightened with the mention of this. However, Su Jue was feeling pretty stressed. He was holding onto stocks worth five million, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sell. But he couldn¡¯t decide when the best time to sell was, and had been dragging it out. Without that chat group, he felt like he had lost his spine. But seeing the admiring and approving look in his sister¡¯s eyes, of course, he wouldn¡¯t show any weakness: ¡°Just wait for the good news from me! When I make money, I¡¯ll buy you a new car!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°My brother is awesome! Now I won¡¯t have to worry about your twenty million anymore¡­ To tell you the truth, you could¡¯ve just thrown them a few hundred thousand back then, and it would¡¯ve been a fortune to them¡­¡± Who could say otherwise? Su Jue regretted it too. After all, he said it in the heat of the moment. If he hadn¡¯t made such a high bet, Lu Mian probably wouldn¡¯t have agreed topete. But now that Lu Mian had taken the twenty million and cut ties with the Lu Family, he felt incredibly frustrated. Especially when he thought about thest thing Lu Mian said to him, ¡°Do you deserve this money?¡±, it made him irritable. ¡ª- Today was the ss meeting. Ding Cai was, as always, emphasizing old issues like discipline and studies. ¡°As for discipline, our ss is pretty good, ranking first in the grade; even I didn¡¯t see thating, haha¡­¡± Ding Cai¡¯s good mood was written all over his face, ¡°Keep it up. If our studies aren¡¯t up to par, at least we can excel in discipline!¡± The ssmates were puzzled: their ss discipline¡­ first? Shouhao muttered, ¡°Do you think Principal Qi got it wrong?¡± Shouhao shook his head: ¡°My guess is, it¡¯s definitely because of¡­ us three!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°After all, we three at least donated money to the school and had that encounter with Principal Qi. A little bit of face is still something, right?¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Shouhao gave him a thumbs up. When the brothers looked up again, Ding Cai had already moved on to another topic. ¡°Next, I want to emphasize studies. For the uing monthly exam, I¡¯m nning to implement a buddy system within the ss,¡± Ding Cai solemnly announced. ¡°Buddy system?¡± Chapter 139 - 138 Assistance Plan (Additional Update 2) Chapter 139: Chapter 138 Assistance n (Additional Update 2) ¡°One-on-one peer assistance. ording to academic rankings, those ahead assist those behind, taking advantage of the fact that school has just started and the workload isn¡¯t too heavy yet. Help each other out and make progress together!¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± There was a collective wail from the ss. ¡°Teacher, can we form our own groups?¡± ¡°Form your own groups¡­ that¡¯s fine, but it has to be thoroughly evaluated by me first.¡± This actually piqued the students¡¯ interest, and during the ss meeting, they excitedly began looking for their ¡°other halves.¡± Ding Cai was up on the podium, checking off and registering each pair. Good students Su Luo and Bai Fangfei also found their partners to help, who were the fourth from the bottom Xu Jiahui and the fifth from the bottom Liang Qianqian, respectively. By the end, after everyone had registered and the group names were read out, it became apparent that only three students were left without partners. Guo Zihao, Yuan Hao, Lu Mian. Everyone looked at them with a mix of bemusement and sympathy. These three were so poor in their studies that none of the better students would choose them¡ªit would simply be a waste of time. And even if they did waste their time, there was no guarantee they¡¯d teach well, and it would be the good students who¡¯d end up embarrassed. The ss felt quite awkward for them, but it was what it was. The saying ¡°you can¡¯t teach a young fool or carve rotten wood¡± referred to them. Guo Zihao was the type who tried very hard and was earnest, but just couldn¡¯t learn. Yuan Hao was the type who wasn¡¯t great at studying or particrly diligent. And Lu Mian, she was the type who did whatever she pleased and just idled her days away. Ding Cai was a bit headache-ridden and thought about forcibly assigning ssmates to them, but no one would agree. Others felt embarrassed on their behalf. Lu Mian, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care and was smilingly happy to take it easy. Guo Zihao, known as Fat Hao, and Shouhao were very angry, and to prove a point, they raised their hands voluntarily. ¡°Teacher, we three will form a group!¡± Ding Cai: ??? ¡°Hahahaha¡ª¡ª¡± The ssroom burst intoughter. The bottom three forming a peer assistance group? Would the veryst one help the second and thirdst to be tied forst ce? Stop joking! ¡°Okay, okay, quiet down!¡± Ding Cai felt sorry for the three of them. Guo Zihao and Yuan Hao weren¡¯t bad kids; since the start of school, they hadn¡¯t caused any trouble and their families had even donated money to the school. They just weren¡¯t good at studying. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he thought, and if all else failed, he would personally take on these three students. However, Lu Mian pulled out Sui Yuan¡¯s study n from her pocket, and the light in her almond-shaped eyes flickered. A peer assistance n¡­ wasn¡¯t totally out of the question. ¡ª¡ª During the break. A girl hurried over to ss 25¡¯s door and stopped Bai Fangfei: ¡°ssmate, could you call Su Luo for me?¡± Recognizing the girl¡¯s high school uniform, Bai Fangfei quickly called for Su Luo. The girl spoke hastily: ¡°Su Luo, Su Jue is fighting with someone, you should go check on him!¡± ¡°My brother?¡± Without further thought, Su Luo immediately ran off. Bai Fangfei, who had always had a good impression of Su Jue, naturally followed anxiously. Behind the ssroom of ss 12th Grade (1), there was a tight cluster of people. ¡°Su Shao, don¡¯t be angry, let it go!¡± ¡°Xie Huiyang, you could say less too. You two are so close, fighting only hurts the rtionship!¡± Xie Huiyang swung another punch in anger, but Su Jue dodged, and the punch missed. Xie Huiyang, frustrated, shook off the ssmates trying to break up the fight, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys me Su Jue! My family invested three hundred thousand following him, and it¡¯s all gone! I could ept the loss, but today, when I barely mentioned it, heshed out and gave me the cold shoulder. Where do I even go to get justice!¡± Su Jue was unabashed. ¡°Why did you have to bring it up when I was already in a bad mood? Isn¡¯t that clearly just to mock me?¡± Standing at the door, Su Luo quickly grasped the situation and rushed over to pull Su Jue away, ¡°Okay, brother, stop fighting!¡± The onlookers, who dared neither persuade nor pull them apart, found the situation much improved after she arrived, and a fight was averted.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In the infirmary. As Su Luo applied thest Band-Aid to Su Jue, she started seriously. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the deal with you and stocks? Tell me the truth.¡± Chapter 140 - 139 Stock Friends Group Chapter 140: Chapter 139 Stock Friends Group Su Luo¡¯s tone was serious, and her gaze intense. Su Jue had to admit that in some matters, his younger sister was more stable than he was. But if he told the truth, what face would he have left? He stared at the band-aid on his body and mumbled a few excuses. The gist was that this slip-up was an ident; he wanted to wait for the perfect moment to sell and hadn¡¯t expected that instead of the perfect moment, what came was a total loss. Su Luo didn¡¯t believe it. Even with a mishap, it was impossible to go from making tens of millions before to now losing five million. ¡°Brother, if you don¡¯t tell the truth, I can¡¯t help you. Just tell me, and I promise I won¡¯t tell Grandpa,¡± she soothed. The siblings held great respect for their grandfather and were eager to receive his approval. He was an old man respected and adored by everyone in Wucheng, their pride, and the target of their ambitions. But Grandpa was strict and demanding, always more scolding than praising towards them, not at all like the indulgent grandparent of rumors; he often favored Lu Mian, valuing Lu Mian more than either of them. At this moment, the siblings felt a sense of kindred spirit with each other. Su Jue hesitated for a moment, ¡°Luoluo, we absolutely can¡¯t let Grandpa know about this, he would kill me!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± With Su Luo¡¯s promise, Su Jue thought it over several times and still decided to reveal the matter of the stock investment chat group. Once he began, it became easier to continue, and he talked about all the details, big and small, without holding back, getting it off his chest. ¡°Luoluo, do you think there¡¯s something fishy about this?¡± Su Luo¡¯s expression grew intense, ¡°Absolutely, there¡¯s something fishy!¡± She paced back and forth beside the hospital bed, thinking hard. ¡°After you gave Lu Mian the stock codes, you were kicked out of the stock investment chat group. The twenty million you earned from trading stocks were entirely won by Lu Mian. She even said you didn¡¯t deserve the money. What does this suggest?¡± Something flickered in the depths of Su Jue¡¯s eyes. ¡°It suggests you were reported!¡± Su Luo frowned deeply, ¡°You said it yourself, the chat group¡¯s entry requirement is for poor people. And Lu Mian, she must be in that group!¡± Was Lu Mian poor? Of course, she was poor, tragically so. Having just been kidnapped, her parents were biased and didn¡¯t love her; she was alone without support or ie. But despite being such a poor person, she had the courage to sever ties with her family, and the fortitude to donate twenty million, which meant Lu Mian did notck money, at least not in urgency. In addition to that, she had inquired from Bai Fangfei; Lu Mian did not live on campus, and to this day, no one knew where she resided¡­ Su Luo became even more convinced of her thoughts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Lu Mian must also be in that group! You spoke to her with genuine openness, without any defense, and revealed the codes, and she turned around and reported you. The group owner identified your information, so naturally, they would not allow you to stay in the group. Furthermore, they arranged for Lu Mian to win your twenty million.¡± Su Luo analyzed logically. Su Jue nodded repeatedly, ¡°At first, I was just curious and misused the identity of our housemaid¡¯s son¡­¡± ¡°But you did break the group¡¯s rules; it was your fault,¡± Su Luo said without siding with her brother but also not despising him. She patted Su Jue¡¯s hand with gravity. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s done is done, and I won¡¯t disclose it. Your face is my face; we are a family after all. You are still the brother skilled in stock trading, the pride of the family, always have been. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, I¡¯ve saved some money myself; you can use it to repay the three hundred thousand to your ssmate first.¡± ¡°Investments are inherently about wins and losses¡­¡± Su Jue was reluctant to give, and it hurt his pride to have his 17-year-old sister clean up his mess. ¡°Brother, they¡¯re just ordinary people, not like our family. Consider it a charitable act. We can¡¯t tarnish Grandpa¡¯s reputation, can we?¡± She smiled, ¡°Three hundred thousand isn¡¯t much, just pocket change.¡± Su Jue reluctantly nodded. ¡°And the matter with Lu Mian¡­¡± Chapter 141 - 140: Found Information on the Owner of MM Ji Restaurant! Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Found Information on the Owner of MM Ji Restaurant! Mentioning Lu Mian, Su Luo¡¯s attitude took a turn for the worse, her proud face tinged with resolve. ¡°Since Lu Mian has yed tricks and mind games with you, don¡¯t me me for ying dirty too!¡± ¡°Luoluo, what are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Fight fire with fire! She made you suffer a loss in silence, I¡¯ll make her roll out of that group!¡± Su Luo clenched her fists, her stance unwavering. Though Lu Mian was poor, she showed no aspiration to improve herself. Based on herst-ce ranking in the grade and her habit of reading novels during ss instead of paying attention, she was more than eligible to be kicked out of that stock investors¡¯ group. Now, the most important thing was to find Lu Mian¡¯s ount and the group number¡­ ¡ª- On her end, Lu Mian received a message that Yuren had leaked a bit of information ording to her instructions. She smiled, trusting in Yuren¡¯s work, who always had a firm grip on such tasks. After all, she had to let that Mr. Xiao who had been keeping an eye on her have some gains¡­ Zero, in an uncharacteristic move, asked her if she was interested in Xiao Qimo. She was speechless, she was only because Xiao Qimo was also investigating the 726 kidnapping case and thought she might get some clues from him. Just that, nothing more. Although Principal Zhang wouldn¡¯t disclose who took the school¡¯s historical archives, she was almost certain that it was Xiao Qimo who had taken them. Such simple logic, yet Zero and Sui Yuan bothered her with it, their thought processes were indeed strange. N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡ª- Xiao Qimo was admonishing a young couple caught in the act in his office, and out of the blue, he sneezed. He covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief in a graceful and refined manner. ¡°Tell me, how did you chase her?¡± he put away his handkerchief, crossed his legs, and spokenguidly. Ye Jinwen had long since be numb, sitting steadily at the office desk, busy with something or other. The couple inwardly regretted for the two hundred and fiftieth time¡ªthey had even hidden in the gaps between buildings, how were they still caught by Director Qimo? It was well known that once Director Qimo caught a couple, they had no chance of getting back together. But the couple didn¡¯t believe in such talk. They exchanged a determined nce, this time they were ready to face difficulties head-on! The boy shielded the girl, ¡°Director Qimo, we won¡¯t let it affect our studies! We even improved in our monthly exam scores, you can¡¯t break us up!¡± The girl was moved, her boyfriend was so cool, so manly, so courageous! Xiao Qimo squinted his eyes, holding his phone with some impatience. ¡°Answer what I ask you.¡± His tone was calm, but it carried an unexined and solemn authority. The boy caved in, ¡°Gifts, I gave her gifts! I gave her a bottle of her favorite perfume!¡± Oh, gifts. Director Qimo leisurely jotted down these words. He paused thoughtfully, ¡°Was the perfume orange-scented, by any chance? Do all girls like this scent?¡± ¡°Orange?¡± The boy didn¡¯t respond, but the girl looked somewhat bewildered, ¡°Director Qimo, how did you know?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯sing from him.¡± It was faint, hardly noticeable to most people, mixed with a hint of peach. Director Qimo¡¯s expression was indifferent, but the girl¡¯s face suddenly changed. Having looked admiringly at her boyfriend just moments ago, she now looked at him as if he were a pile of second-hand excrement, her disgust palpable. ¡°You have that bitch¡¯s perfume scent on you¡­¡± she sneered darkly, ¡°I only like peach, I¡¯ve never used orange-scented perfume!¡± ¡°Baby, listen to me, let me exin¡­¡± the boy frantically tried to exin. Director Qimo wrote down two more words with his unfazedposure: nickname Baby. ¡°Ha, what¡¯s there to exin? Drop dead! Jerk!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The office returned to its quiet state. Ye Jinwen calmly stood up from his chair, stretchednguidly, and joked with Xiao Qimo while waiting for an email. ¡°Director Qimo is so awesome! There¡¯s no couple you don¡¯t want to break up that you can¡¯t break up!¡± Xiao, the Campus Assassin, squinted his eyes, ignored him, and mused lightly, ¡°What gift should I give to Lu Mian¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jinwen rolled his eyes dramatically. Just then, a confidential email came through, and he hurriedly opened it to check. He shouldn¡¯t have been rmed at the sight, but his hand holding the phone trembled. His voice shook with disbelief, ¡°Brother Seven, we¡¯ve got the information on the owner of MM Ji Restaurant!¡± Chapter 142 - 141 The Little Rascal is a Little Rich Girl Chapter 142: Chapter 141 The Little Rascal is a Little Rich Girl Xiao Qimo put away his phone, finally interested in the topic. But Ye Jinwen convinced him to perhaps do some mental preparation first. Xiao Qimo, puzzled, leaned on his sses coldly and urged him to speak quickly. Ye Jinwen clutched his phone, trembling, ¡°The owner of MM Ji Restaurant isn¡¯t Yuren, it¡¯s¡­ Lu Mian.¡± It¡¯s Lu Mian! The unassuming Lu Mian, who had always been around them without showing off, was the behind-the-scenes owner of this super popr restaurant! Ah ah ah ah¡­ Back then, he had unted MM Ji¡¯s takeout box to Lu Mian; he¡¯d even eagerly sought out the owner to drive away Su Jue and others; several times he¡¯d wondered why MM Ji would have hamburgers. Thinking about these details, he simply couldn¡¯t face Lu Mian anymore. Performing a sword dance in front of Guan Gong, this was definitely the most embarrassing moment of his life! ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo looked up at him, hisment light butden with significance, as if digesting this information. Ye Jinwen hurriedly exined, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true! If there¡¯s a false word, I will eat shit!¡± The refined man showed little surprise. For him, whatever Lu Mian did never seemed out of ce; he could calmly ept it all. But what was odd was that Lu Mian had only been rescued two months ago. How had she be the owner of MM Ji so quickly? More importantly, the rtionship between her and Yuren still hadn¡¯t been answered! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Qimo, what are you thinking?¡± Ye Jinwen, unable to grasp his thoughts, asked cautiously. ¡°Heh¡­¡± The manughed slowly and deliberately, ¡°So the little brat is actually a little rich girl.¡± So, living in such arge t was normal, right? Hmm, as long as it wasn¡¯t bought by some other man. Ye Jinwen: ¡°¡­¡± Why was he suddenly fed dog food? But Qimo, could you stop showing that ¡°I really want to be kept¡± expression? Pull yourself together, you are the heir of Z Country¡¯s wealthiest Xiao Family! Your family is the richest! Also, could you focus a little bit of your attention on work? ¡°The kidnapping case¡­ the matter of Mystery Person Number Thirteen¡­ the Wucheng Guardian God issue¡­¡± Ye Jinwen mumbled as he fiddled with his phone case. Xiao Qimo¡¯s beautiful fingers snapped suddenly. ¡°Then let¡¯s pay a visit to the Su Family.¡± ¡ª¡ª Su Family. Xiao Qimo had no trouble seeing Elder Su. Elder Su still looked white-haired and frail, and after dismissing the servants with his cane, he invited Xiao Qimo and Ye Jinwen to sit in the pavilion. On the stone table at the center of the pavilion, a game of unfinished chess wasid out. Xiao Qimo casually picked up a chess piece and made a move. Old Su touched his chin andughed heartily, ¡°Care for a game?¡± ¡°No, thank you, Elder Su.¡± Xiao Qimo withdrew his hand, sipped some tea, and said indifferently, ¡°I apologize for not visiting you sooner after being in Wucheng for such a long time. I¡¯ve been entangled in some important matters and hope you can forgive me.¡± He has always been so well-mannered and gentlemanly. One could immediately feel that Xiao Qimo was a standard aristocratic gentleman upon first meeting him. Elder Su chuckled, ¡°Mr. Xiao, don¡¯t say such things. You attended a banquet at the Su Family before, and Little Yezi has told me all about it. In truth, it¡¯s the Su Family who didn¡¯t treat you well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Xiao Qimo exchanged a few pleasantries. Ye Jinwen kept signaling him to get to the main topic. The man nodded, put down his teacup, and got straight to the point, ¡°Elder Su, do you and Lu Mian have a history?¡± Ye Jinwen: ¡°¡­¡± Can¡¯t stop talking about Lu Mian for three sentences! Elder Su smiled slightly, a hint of wariness in his voice, ¡°She¡¯s just a poor ordinary girl, how did shee to your attention?¡± Chapter 143 - 142 I Want to Learn Programming Chapter 143: Chapter 142 I Want to Learn Programming ¡°Ordinary kids¡­¡± Ye Jinwen really wanted to ask: Can an ordinary kid open a restaurant? Can an ordinary kid live in arge t by themselves? Can an ordinary kid be that awesome? He seriously doubted that Su¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t seeing things through a filter. Xiao Qimo wasn¡¯t in a hurry, leisurely saying, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have any ill intentions towards her. I¡¯m just getting to know her on a personal level, which has nothing to do with the Xiao Family or anything in Jinjing.¡± Old Su smiled, with a look of not understanding. Xiao Qimo added, ¡°Perhaps, I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before, it¡¯s not impossible¡­¡± ¡°Ha ha ha¡­¡± Old Suughed, ¡°Mr. Xiao, such pick-up lines shouldn¡¯t be said to an old man like me!¡± He paused, ¡°Actually, I did see Mianmian a few times when she was a child. Seeing how smart and clever she was, I paid her a bit more attention. I wasn¡¯t in Wucheng during her kidnapping case, and after I came back, I investigated the matter by all possible means but didn¡¯t find any clues. If this is also considered a kind of connection, then so be it!¡± His words were vague, but they left no room for refutation. However, Xiao Qimo knew that there had to be more to Old Su¡¯s connection with Lu Mian than he let on. But he probably couldn¡¯t get anything more out of Old Su for now, and he gracefully chose not to ask any further questions. One thing he was certain of: Old Su was definitely hiding something very important. The three of them sat there in silence, each savoring their tea. The voice of a servant came from the entrance of the back yard. ¡°Young master, miss, the master is receiving guests.¡± Su Jue and Su Luo had returned home from school and were stopped at the entrance of the backyard; the siblings exchanged a nce and naturally understood that their grandfather must be hosting an important guest. ¡°Alright, we¡¯lle byter.¡± Su Luo nodded her head, subconsciously peeked into the yard, and caught sight of that man amidst the cool breeze and the clear moonlight in the center of the pavilion. Isn¡¯t that Director Qimo? N?v(el)B\\jnn So, Director Qimo knows their grandfather. With this thought, she suddenly smiled and followed Su Jue away. It was only after their grandfather had sent the guest away that she and Su Jue re-entered the backyard. ¡°Grandpa.¡± The two of them called out respectfully. Old Su smiled, ¡°Back from school.¡± ¡°Grandpa, you know our Director Qimo?¡± ¡°Director Qimo?¡± ¡°Yes, the guest who was just here. He¡¯s our academic director.¡± Old Su paused, as if he realized something, his inner feeling of helplessness remained hidden as he briefly said, ¡°I know him.¡± Su Luo didn¡¯t ask further, preupied with other matters, she moved forward and took her grandfather¡¯s arm, casually asking, ¡°Grandpa, do you know any friends who are good at programming?¡± ¡°Programming?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve be quite interested inputer programming recently, so I was hoping you could help me find a good mentor to teach me!¡± Su Jue knew her intentions and didn¡¯t stop her, adding his encouragement, ¡°Grandpa, if Luoluo wants to learn, please help her out. Our family has always valued the nurturing of talent; maybe Luoluo, apart from Go, also has a gift for programming.¡± The Su Family did indeed ce great importance on the cultivation of children¡¯s talents. Su Luo had talent in Go, so they found her the best mentors to teach and cultivate her without considering the cost. Su Jue liked to trade stocks, and they supported that too, never fretting over the gains or losses. As long as the two children weren¡¯t arrogant or rash and stayed on the straight path, he naturally approved. Old Su had also thought more than once, if back then Mianmian had been willing to follow him, perhaps her life now would be different. s, it¡¯s pointless to talk about it now. He sighed silently. ¡°Actually, I do know someone who is very good at programming.¡± Chapter 144 - 143: Don’t Fall for Her (Extra Chapter) Chapter 144: Chapter 143: Don¡¯t Fall for Her (Extra Chapter) Meeting the animated gazes of the siblings, Su Qinghe¡¯s tone weakened a bit more, ¡°I¡¯ll have to arrange this first. After all, I¡¯m not sure if they will agree to tutor you.¡± Was there anyone who wouldn¡¯t give his grandfather face? n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The siblings were puzzled, yet they happily agreed. Maybe the person Grandpa found was a top figure in the industry! A leading coding master indeed has the right to be arrogant. ¡°Okay, thank you, Grandpa!¡± After returning to their room, Su Luo and Su Jue whispered to each other for a while. ¡°Brother, just you watch. Once I contact this coding master, I¡¯ll have him hack into Lu Mian¡¯s ount!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Su Jue seemed to have thought of something and paused. Su Luo red at him, frustrated, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s with that despondent look? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t bear to move against Lu Mian? Don¡¯t forget how she tricked you!¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget!¡± ¡°Then you like her?¡± Su Jue hastily denied, ¡°Impossible! Grandpa said before, our family is not a match for Lu Mian.¡± He had never forgotten those words; they echoed like a curse in his mind. ¡ª¡ª Su Luo¡¯s face turned very ugly, extremely ugly. It was like the pride of his illustrious lineage was defeated by a beggar. ¡°Grandpa was way out of line!¡± Su Luo clenched her fist and waved it in front of Su Jue, ¡°Bro, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t get involved with either of those Lu sisters! Especially that Lu Xinnuan, look at her family background, look at that petty temperament of hers, imagining she can step through the Su Family¡¯s door, what a joke!¡± Su Luo naturally looked down on Lu Xinnuan. She had met Lu Xinnuan a few times; gentle and well-mannered, seemingly ady from a reputable family, but in reality, utterly affected. Talking to her was unsatisfactory, all indirect and vague. Su Jue nodded absentmindedly and left the room. ¡ª¡ª At this time, Lu Xinnuan was still in the hospital. Since the Go tournament, she had been brought to the hospital due to hypoxia. Though a day or two would have been sufficient, Fu Man, worried sick, insistently paid the hospitalization fees, wanting her to fully recover before discharge. ¡°Nuannuan, are you feeling better today?¡± Fu Man handed over a te of fresh and shiny grapes, not many, all for her younger daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, have some fruit.¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Tears threatened to fall from Lu Xinnuan¡¯s eyes again. Fu Man felt immensely pained, ¡°What¡¯s happened now, why are you crying again?¡± ¡°I¡­ I lost all my money in the stock market¡­¡± That sent a jolt through Fu Man¡¯s heart, almost at her wit¡¯s end. Three thousand dors, a month¡¯s living expenses for their family! She earned six thousand a month, while the children¡¯s father only contributed one thousand to the family. Food, utilities, and investments for her younger daughter, this little money was never enough. The woes of the poor are countless, ny percent of them due tock of money. Now, with added troubles like Nuannuan¡¯s hospitalization and the lost money, they can¡¯t even afford meals this month. But seeing Nuannuan crying so heartbreakingly, she could not bring herself to say anything. She wanted to help share the family¡¯s burden, what wrong did she do? As Lu Xinnuan was tearfully about to say something, Su Jue sent her a message. This was the first time he reached out to her since she was hospitalized. She opened it, and it was a money transfer. Chapter 146 - 145: Is it too late to kneel now? Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Is it toote to kneel now? Xu Jiahui called out to his left and right. ¡°Look, everyone, Lu Mian has set goals for herself!¡± he shouted with a burst of loudughter. Indeed, several ssmates came over to see what themotion was about. Encouraged by the crowd, Xu Jiahui held the notebook aloft over his head with both hands and read out loud without any reservations, ¡°Goal for the October monthly exam: over 50 points in Language, Math, and English; over 60 points in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology¡­ ¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± A wave ofughter swept through the ss. ¡°The person who got eight zeroesst time is going to make aeback this time!¡± ¡°Did she set these goals with her eyes closed?¡± Xu Jiahui scoffed, ¡°Even with Su Luo tutoring me, I wouldn¡¯t dare set such goals for myself. Lu Mian is really funny, overly confident, huh!¡± Fat Hao and Shouhao couldn¡¯t possibly allow him to go on like this; they rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight. Before they could swing their fists, however, a piercingly cold female voice came from the doorway. ¡°Put that down!¡± The voice was so chilling that Xu Jiahui¡¯s spine instantly turned cold, and in his nervousness, the notebook he was clutching was ¡°sshhr¡± torn in half. A cold and fierce breeze blew behind him, sweeping over in an instant! Nobody knew when Lu Mian had appeared behind Xu Jiahui, nor did anyone have the chance to stop her. N?v(el)B\\jnn All they saw was the girl¡¯s right arm grabbing Xu Jiahui, her slender fingers filled with strength, pinching his wrist until a ¡°crack¡± followed, breaking the wrist with a snap. Howls of pain echoed one after another, but that wasn¡¯t all. Lu Mian flung him away, her face expressionless as she raised her right foot and kicked him squarely in the abdomen, sending him flying several meters away. ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°ng!¡± ¡°Crash¡­¡± The crumbling body overturned five or six desks in session, scattering everything on the desks, in the desk slots, desks, chairs, books, into a messy heap on the floor. Everyone in the ss was stunned. They all knew that Lu Mian was aloof and cold, not the talkative type. Usually, she just avoided contact with others,ing off as quite chilly. Yet, they had never seen her look so terrifying before. Was it necessary, over just a notebook? What could have been solved with a few words turned into violent artistry. Nobody dared to help Xu Jiahui. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly. Especially those who had just been mocking Lu Mian, at this moment, they only had one thought: Is it still possible to kneel and apologize now? Fortunately, at this time, Su Luo and Bai Fangfei happened to return from the restroom. Everyone sighed with relief, their savior had arrived. Expecting her to intervene, Su Luo walked up to Lu Mian with furrowed brows. ¡°Lu Mian, why did you hit someone?¡± Her tone was not pleasant. Hitting Xu Jiahui was like striking her in the face, considering everyone knew he was now under her care. Lu Mian ignored her, she didn¡¯t have the spare time to bother. She simply knelt down and quietly started picking up the pieces of paper from the ground, one by one. Those were from the notebook Xu Jiahui had torn up. Yuanyuan¡¯s notebook. Without uttering a word, her aura was icy cold, and though she did not speak, it sent chills down people¡¯s spines to the point where even Fat Hao and Shouhao didn¡¯t dare to approach her. Su Luo frowned and asked someone quietly what had happened. ¡°It was Lu Mian who started it!¡± Xu Jiahui finally snapped out of his pain and confusion, cried out to Su Luo. Struggling, he pushed off books, cups, and various other items from his body and shakily stood up, propping himself up on a desk corner. Themotion in their ssroom was too great, attracting other students from outside the ss to watch the spectacle. The uproar also drew the attention of school leaders and teachers. Xiao Qimo said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± sending those onlookers away and arriving at the door of ss 25. ncing inside, he understood the situation. Indeed, someone had been looking for trouble with Lu Mian again! Chapter 147 - 146: You don’t even listen to Director Qi’s words? Chapter 147: Chapter 146: You don¡¯t even listen to Director Qi¡¯s words? Xiao Qimo¡¯s arrival made the already tense air even more suffocating and rigid. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Everyone instinctively took a step back, not daring to approach Director Qimo. They didn¡¯t even have the guts to look him straight in the eye. Even though he hadn¡¯t spoken a word, even though he looked schrly with his sses on, his presence still made people tremble without reason. Everyone understood this to be what¡¯s called ¡°aura.¡± Xiao Qimo quickly walked over to Lu Mian. Lu Mian was still picking up pages from the floor, looking quite downcast, wrapped in sharp spikes that made her untouchable. Seeing the Dean of Discipline arriving, Xu Jiahui felt even more confident, nursing his soft wrist whileining: ¡°Director Qimo, Lu Mian hit me! She started it! She almost broke my hand!¡± Xiao Qimo slightly narrowed his eyes, ignoring Xu Jiahui, and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened?¡± Clearly, he was skeptical. But the people in the ssroom were too cowardly to speak up. ss president Bai Fangfei was also trembling with fear, nudging Su Luo and muttering into her ear, ¡°Luoluo, you should speak up, my legs are shaking.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said your family knows Director Qimo? You have more clout; he definitely won¡¯t scold you¡­¡± Su Luo sighed, ¡°Alright.¡± The other students felt like they had dodged a bullet, thinking it must be nice to have connections, admiring Su Luo¡¯s backbone! Su Luo stepped forward and approached Xiao Qimo. She exined that Xu Jiahui had touched Lu Mian¡¯s notebook without permission, read its contents aloud, and even identally tore it. In desperation, Lu Mian hit him. Her exnation was quite objective, not taking sides. But fighting was wrong no matter how you looked at it, and for the sake of their ss¡¯s disciplinary points, she added, ¡°Director Qimo, Lu Mian shouldn¡¯t have fought. We will talk to her properly, please give us another chance!¡± Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t respond to her. It was not about whether there would be another chance; that wasn¡¯t the point. He couldn¡¯t bear to hear others speak ill of Lu Mian. ¡°Lu Mian,e with me to the office,¡± the man said. Director Qimo had spoken, and everyone¡¯s gaze returned to Lu Mian. At that moment, she had just finished picking up the scraps from the floor and stood up, acting as if she hadn¡¯t heard a thing. She returned to her seat and with a kick, she opened her chair and sat down firmly. She then casually swept all the intrusive items off the table, leaving a starkly empty desktop. The ss¡¯s first shock: ¡­She¡¯s ignoring Director Qimo¡¯s words? The ss¡¯s second shock: ¡­Is Lu Mian¡¯s courage made of dark iron? Xiao Qimo: ¡­Little rascal, I just wanted to ask if you were hurt. ¡°Do you have glue, clear tape?¡± she asked coldly, looking at the slim and chubby brothers. Shouhao and Bai Fangfei scrambled to dig them out from their desks and presented them to her. Lu Mian pursed her lips and took the items, then silently started to meticulously piece together her pink notebook, page by page. Her movements were delicate and patient, ignoring everyone around her. All the ssmates had their mouths agape, hearts clenched in suspense, worried what terror might unfold in the next moment. Would Lu Miansh out again, would Director Qimo explode? However, nothing of the sort happened. Lu Mian was calm, and so was Director Qimo. But the air was still suffocating. Shouhao picked up a page from a corner, nced at it, and carefully passed it to her, which was presumably one Lu Mian had missed. ¡°Lu Mian, there¡¯s one more page¡­¡± He held it out earnestly with both hands. Looking down, he seemed to see a hand-drawn cartoon animal avatar on the page. Those brushstrokes looked like¡­ His heart skipped a beat, and his hands shook even more. Chapter 148 - 147: With Me Here, Nothing Will Happen Chapter 148: Chapter 147: With Me Here, Nothing Will Happen ¡°Mian¡­ Brother Mian¡­¡± Fat Hao stammered. His eyes were practically glued to that sheet of paper. But since the profile was on the reverse side, he couldn¡¯t see it clearly and wanted to flip the paper over, but then he saw Lu Mian looking at him with a deadly serious face. He hurriedly returned the paper to her with utmost respect. Lu Mian took it and bent her head, continuing to carefully and patiently piece the notebook back together. The entire ss¡¯s inner OS: Feels like I¡¯m watching the Bizarre Behavior Awards. Then, looking at the strict and merciless Director Qimo, who didn¡¯t seem to take Lu Mian¡¯s disrespect seriously, they were even more confused. Everyone turned their gaze toward Su Luo. At this moment, only the princess daughter Su Luo seemed capable of suppressing the situation. Seeking help from her, Su Luo naturally wouldn¡¯t ignore them. With a growing sense of collective pride and taking advantage of her slight connection with Xiao Qimo, she said, ¡°Director Qimo, don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯ll talk to Lu Mian.¡± Having said that, she walked over to Lu Mian, maintaining a certain distance, and said, ¡°Lu Mian, the director is asking you to go to the office, so please go. Exin things clearly to the director, otherwise, it¡¯s our whole ss¡¯s discipline score that will suffer¡­¡± However, Xu Jiahui was dissatisfied and began yelling. ¡°Director, you must discipline Lu Mian properly! She¡¯s extremely arrogant in ss, and this isn¡¯t the first or second time she¡¯s threatened a ssmate! All I did was touch one of her notebooks, and she had to hit me like this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a notebook, I¡¯llpensate with ten of them! But she must give me an exnation today!¡± His voice was very morous, Lu Mian¡¯s ears were buzzing, and she randomly grabbed something from the windowsill and fiercely threw it over. ¡°ng¡­¡± The heavy object precisely shattered at Xu Jiahui¡¯s toe. As it hit the floor and broke apart, everyone realized it was a pot of sulents. Xu Jiahui: ¡­ To be honest, I was just a step away from death at that moment. The others lowered their heads even further, huddling together meekly. This time Lu Mian was surely doomed, right? Daring to act violently in front of the Head of Guidance, she truly had a heart of diamond and the gall of ck iron. ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo was as helpless as he could be, tiredly pinching the bridge of his nose, let it be. Lu Mian was too angry now, nothing he said would be of any use. He also gave up on the idea of calling her to the office. His tone shifted, and his icy gaze, through the lenses of his sses, focused intently on Xu Jiahui and Su Luo. ¡°You two,e with me to the office.¡± ? Su Luo paused, met Xiao Qimo¡¯s confirming gaze with a nk mind, but obediently nodded her head. The pair followed Xiao Qimo to the office. Xu Jiahui, who had been injured,gged a few steps behind. He quietly asked Su Luo, ¡°Luoluo, why is Director Qimo taking us to the office?¡± ¡°It should be to understand the situation. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yeah! With you here, of course, I¡¯m at ease!¡± After they left, the ssroom quieted down. Everyone silently tidied their things. Even though moving desks made a lot of noise, they all deliberately kept their voices down, afraid to disturb that bigshot. They helped each other out and quickly cleaned up the aftermath, not daring toin. Thank goodness their ss had Su Luo; otherwise, Director Qimo certainly wouldn¡¯t let matters rest easily. When Ding Cai arrived for the lesson, the ssroom had returned to its serene, united, and friendly state. Watching the lively Ding Cai, everyone silently sympathized with him. ¡ª Xiao Qimo had just returned to the office with the two students when a neighboring school leader came over to ask what was going on. He leisurely pushed open the door, lightly chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Xu Jiahui and Su Luo were both taken aback.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 149 - 148: Why Provoke a Big Shot? Chapter 149: Chapter 148: Why Provoke a Big Shot? Xu Jiahui: My wrist is broken, how can you say there¡¯s nothing wrong? Su Luo: Could it be that Director Qimo is protecting ss 25? School leaders, puzzled, ¡°Why is there such a big fuss?¡± Xiao Qimo, unruffled, said, ¡°These two students were fighting over something during the break and knocked over a desk.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± the school leader asked casually. ??? Xu Jiahui lifted his head in shock, looked at Su Luo, then pointed at himself. Director Qimo must have made a mistake. The two of them, fighting over something? Knocking over desks? They were clearly the victims. Lu Mian was the real culprit! How did the victims end up taking the me? Yet Director Qimo¡¯s eyes, devoid of warmth, looked at him, so confining and terrifying¡­ Su Luo gave him a tug, and he could only grit his teeth and nod. The school leader left leisurely with hands behind his back. Su Luo and Xu Jiahui also followed Xiao Qimo into the office. ¡°Director Qimo, it wasn¡¯t like that, listen to my exnation!¡± Xu Jiahui wanted to exin, but Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t give him the chance, not even showing interest in the details of their fight. He sat calmly and elegantly on the sofa, instructing indifferently, ¡°You, go clean the men¡¯s restroom.¡± Xu Jiahui shook his loose, swollen wrist that looked like a steamed bun. Asking him to clean the restroom? He¡¯s injured like this, and still expected to do cleaning duties? Reading Xu Jiahui¡¯s thoughts, Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze drifted to Ye Jinwen. Ye Jinwen stood up from his chair and without asking, he took Xu Jiahui¡¯s wrist, popping it back into ce in an instant. The movements were rough, bringing tears to Xu Jiahui¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, you¡¯ll be able to clean the restroom,¡± said Ye Jinwen, before sitting back at his desk and getting back to his work. They must have provoked Lu Mian! Why provoke anyone else when you could challenge the boss? One boss beats you up like it¡¯s sport; the other is so scheming it makes you question your life. Tsk, isn¡¯t it good to be alive? ¡°¡­¡± Xu Jiahui didn¡¯t dare talk back, silently took the tools, and headed to the restroom. Su Luo couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Director Qimo, Xu Jiahui is at fault, but isn¡¯t Lu Mian¡¯s beating someone even more serious¡­?¡± Xiao Qimo smiled, ¡°Are you Su Lo¡¯s granddaughter?¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen you at home before, but I didn¡¯t have a chance to greet you then.¡± The man, uninterested in listening, gave a nod of his chin, ¡°Then you¡¯re responsible for cleaning my office.¡± Su Luo: ¡°¡­¡± This was not the turn of events she had anticipated! ¡°Director Qimo, what about Lu Mian?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± The two went from confusion to more confusion. Yet, facing the school¡¯s iron-d and ruthless guidance director, they doubted internally but didn¡¯t dare to object outwardly. After they finally finished cleaning, Xu Jiahui followed Su Luo back to the ssroom in utter disarray. ¡°Su Luo, what does Director Qimo mean by this?¡± Su Luo, rubbing her sore wrist, was no stranger to tedious tasks, and she felt equally exhausted. She was just as perplexed and could onlye up with one exnation. ¡°Director Qimo did it for the discipline of our ss.¡± ¡°Discipline?¡± Xu Jiahui looked at his swollen wrist, ¡°That must be because of you that Director Qimo did this.¡± But something didn¡¯t sit right with him. ¡°Let¡¯s not make a fuss about this incident and just appreciate the director¡¯s kindness,¡± she suggested. Xu Jiahui felt unsatisfied, ¡°Are we just going to let Lu Mian off then? For the sake of ss honor, I can keep quiet. But Lu Mian attacking someone should warrant more serious punishment!¡± ¡°Director Qimo said he¡¯ll handle her, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it. In the future, don¡¯t mess with Lu Mian¡¯s stuff!¡± Su Luo cautioned. ¡°It was just a notebook, not some secret girls¡¯ diary¡­¡± Su Luo also didn¡¯t fully understand, but she remembered seeing that pink notebook somewhere. Forget those matters. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if you outdo them academically, than anything else?¡± she said with a pause. With this fight, the demerits against Lu Mian were only umting. Could she still remain in such an investment group? Chapter 150 - 149: Giving You One Chance Chapter 150: Chapter 149: Giving You One Chance At night, Lu Mian returned home with an air of lethality. Dressed head to toe in ck, she changed out of her clothes and casually tossed them into the washing machine. Slipping into herfortable pajamas, she went to rifle through the fridge for something to eat. The fridge was virtually empty, save for the light that shone steadfastly within. It was truly a sad tale. She closed the refrigerator door, deciding to go to bed. ncing at her phone during a brief moment, she saw several missed calls from Teacher Su but decided to ignore them. Xiao Qimo, in the next room, had always been silently aware of the neighbor¡¯s movements. Hearing the security door open and close, he knew that Lu Mian had arrived home. He looked up at the wall clock¡ªeleven o¡¯clock. Sote, where had this girl been? MM Ji Restaurant? A bar? Or some other ce? Was she feeling all right? Had she returned to normal? What important things were written in that pink notebook? Questions bubbled up in his mind, one after another, and he suddenly realized that unknowingly, the name ¡°Lu Mian¡± hade to upy arge portion of his time and thoughts. No wonder Jinwen alwaysined that he was neglecting his duties¡­ But he couldn¡¯t control himself. Xiao Qimo slowly made his way to the balcony, where the light from the room next door spilled gently onto the ground. Looking at the stream of light, he felt as though he could see Lu Mian herself. He didn¡¯t know when his emotions had started to be influenced by that little rascal. At first, he found her intriguing, a bundle of secrets, and as thest victim, he had the impulse to investigate her. Afterward, through numerous coincidences and encounters, he was gradually drawn to her. Even subconsciously, a sense of familiarity with Lu Mian had begun to emerge. This feeling, unfamiliar yet marvelous, captivated him. With these thoughts in mind, the man¡¯s thoughts stirred, and he returned to his room to get busy. At this time, Lu Miany in bed, unable to fall asleep because of her rumbling stomach. The bedroom light was switched off and on, on and off, several times in session. During her final attempt to switch on the light, she sat up in bed, clutching her stomach, thinking that if there was a delicious fish fillet burger avable right now, life would be perfect. Perhaps she should go next door to borrow some food, and return the chopsticks while she¡¯s at it. ¡°Not appropriate.¡± She didn¡¯t move but instead wrapped herself in her nket and turned on her phone to open the food delivery app. As if the heavens had heard her wish, even before she couldplete her order, a faint noise came from the balcony. Lu Mian was immediately on guard, only to see that a meal box had appeared steadfastly on the balcony. She approached it with suspicion. Upon opening the meal box, the aromatic scent of a fresh fish fillet mixed with the fragrance of the burger wafted towards her. She revealed her first smile of the day. Turning her head to nce next door, she saw a certain man leaning on the balcony, gently lifting his wine ss in a toast to her. Bathed in the warm yellow light, he appeared refined and elegant, cool and collected. The balconies between the two were separate, with a gap in between. Looking at the burger and then at the drone sitting beside him, she understood. ¡°Thanks.¡± This time, her thanks were heartfelt. Sometimes, the timing of an object¡¯s arrival is crucial. When she was craving a fish fillet burger most, Xiao Qimo delivered one to her, making her feel blessed. ¡°Xiao Qimo,¡± Lu Mian murmured softly, also leaning against the balcony with the burger in hand, ¡°I can give you a chance to ask me one question.¡± She spoke in earnest. The man paused mid-sip of wine, as it was the first time he¡¯d seen her with such a serious and sincere expression¡ªif he wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªinfused with a touch of tenderness. Xiao Qimo swallowed his wine. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om His first thought was that this girl had lost her mind? His second thought was to burst intoughter. He coughed a few times. His lips curved into a beautiful smile filled with warmth and indulgence. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked. Lu Mian nodded, ¡°No matter what you ask, I will tell you the truth! But you only have one chance to ask!¡± She knew he was searching for the whereabouts of Number Thirteen. If that was what he wanted to know most, she would answer truthfully. Xiao Qimo chuckled softly, seeming to enjoy the rity after the clouds had parted. He gently swirled his crystal ss, adopting a new posture before asking leisurely, Chapter 151 - 150 A Cunning Old Fox Chapter 151: Chapter 150 A Cunning Old Fox Xiao Qimo paused for a moment and leisurely set his wine ss on the windowsill. He nced at the girl next door, a gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks as she focused intently on biting into her burger, waiting for his question. He really had too many questions he wanted to ask. He thought that the closer he got to her, the closer he¡¯d get to the truth. Yet he didn¡¯t realize, the closer he got to her, the more mysteries he found about her. If he had to pick the one question he wanted to ask the most right now, he felt¡­ it wasn¡¯t necessary. Some things, he would look into. Whether he found the answer or not, it all came down to personal skill. He stored his gentleness and patience deep within his dark eyes, tapping the ss with his fingertip. Along with the pleasant hum of the reverberating ss, he too began to speak. ¡°Lu Mian, I want to save this opportunity.¡± ¡°Save it?¡± Lu Mian stopped eating her burger and looked up, a yful nonchnce returning to her eyes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Typical of you.¡± An old fox through and through. Keeping the opportunity for the most critical moment to maximize benefits, if that¡¯s not what a cunning old fox would do. Xiao Qimo didn¡¯t care about the praise or criticism implied in her words, smiling gently, ¡°I¡¯ll take that as your consent.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She raised her burger to him. He responded by tilting his wine ss to her. The night breeze was so sweet. ¡ª¡ª The next day in ss. Lu Mian arrived at the ssroom as usual, and her ssmates instinctively gave her a wide berth, staying well away. She didn¡¯t mind and calmly took her seat. She pulled out a stack of pretty notebooks from the desk hole, some powder-blue, some powder-purple, some powder-green¡ªthe colors all soft, the embodiment of light and fresh. Fatty Hao and Shouhao turned to sneak a look at her. Were Lu Mian¡¯s pink notebooks ruined, and she had to rece them with so many others? Who would have thought, Lu Mian had a pink, girlish heart within her. Lu Mian was oblivious to their thoughts and pped the stack of notebooks on her desk, ¡°Take these back and copy the notes.¡± ¡°Notes? Lu Mian, you never even bring out a textbook during ss, where did you get the notes?¡± Lu Mian gave Shouhao a knock on the head with her pen. ¡°These are from a senior girl that I borrowed from. She¡¯s consistently in the top five of her grade. These notebooks contain knowledge points from the first semester of the first year¡ªpure gold, suitable for your use.¡± Fatty Hao and Shouhao were overjoyed. ¡°Wow! These are treasures!¡± ¡°Lu Mian, you even managed to get these kinds of notes!¡± The brothers gave her a thumbs-up, finally lifting the gloom they had been under. In fact, Lu Mian had received these notebooks the day before, but with Yuanyuan¡¯s notebook torn up, she hadn¡¯t had time to deal with these trivial matters. Fatty Hao idly flipped through the notebooks, his mind suddenly lighting up. ¡°Lu Mian, does that mean that pink notebook from yesterday was also from that senior? The style is the same, and the covers are all of the same design.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Lu Mian replied casually, but then added, ¡°So, you need to take good care of these notes. If even a corner is missing, I will¡­¡± !!! So that means, the youngdy¡¯s notebooks are very important to Lu Mian! ¡°Lu Mian, we won¡¯t look at them anymore!¡± ¡°Lu Mian, please spare us!¡± Notes are precious, but their lives are more important. They were not fortunate enough to look at such notes! ¡°Not looking is fine,¡± Lu Mian said slowly as she started packing them away, ¡°in which case, you are very likely to lose the assistance n.¡± She had promised Yuanyuan¡¯s educational goals, so she would relinquish thest ce to her. ¡°¡­¡± Fatty Hao frowned and made a difficult decision, ¡°It seems that not studying is not an option.¡± Shouhao tried to reassure him, ¡°So serious? Being third from the bottom isn¡¯t a problem, your dad said as long as it¡¯s notst ce it¡¯s no big deal!¡± ¡°But¡­ my dad got promoted to deputy director!¡± Chapter 152 - 151: Must Find Her! Chapter 152: Chapter 151: Must Find Her! Given that Panghao¡¯s tonecked much joy, and was even quite gloomy, Shouhao found it hard to understand, and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Your uncle¡¯s promotion is a happy event! What does it have to do with your studies?¡± ¡°Now that he¡¯s be famous, he¡¯s ordered me to step up my studies too, and no longer be at the bottom of the ss¡­¡± Shouhao showed understanding, as one¡¯s family should progress together in harmony. ¡°But fatty, why did your dad get promoted all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Geez!¡± Panghao pped his thigh, a gush of bitter tears: ¡°You guys have no idea,st night the local bullies in Wucheng were cracked down on! My dad has been trying to deal with them for years without sess, butst night they were all rounded up!¡± ¡°The local bullies got wiped out? Hahaha, serves them right! That bunch of scoundrels, who knows how many wicked things they¡¯vemitted in secret, and with their vast influence, no one dared to touch them. Your dad is definitely the true hero of Wucheng this time, he deserves the promotion!¡± ¡°Hero my ass! It was all thanks to the Wucheng Guardian God, my dad just picked up the pieces and took the me!¡± Without taking his eyes off Lu Mian, Panghao added, ¡°Because of this incident, the higher-ups are very satisfied with my dad. Just so happens the deputy director retired, and they announced right there that my dad would take over. He¡¯s still desperately trying to exin to the leadership that it wasn¡¯t his credit!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shouhao¡¯s mouth twitched, others¡¯ fortuitous luck that they couldn¡¯t earn in eight lifetimes, yet he found it burdensome. ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m really interested in this Wucheng Guardian God. What¡¯s she after?¡± ¡°Right! Besides, how could a girl aplish that?¡± Panghao nodded, thinking of the blurry hand-drawn cartoon head he saw yesterday, and took a few more nces at Lu Mian. Some things leave no trace until you start thinking in that direction. Once you do, you find clues everywhere. Yet, having spoken for so long, Mianmian showed no reaction, just leisurely reading a romance novel without any sign of anomaly. Panghao truly couldn¡¯t spot any slip. But he was certain that the stroke work looked almost like the cartoon cat head on the hamburger wrapper. Don¡¯t ask him why; it was the intuition passed down by his old man. Was that profile picture drawn by Mianmian? Or maybe it was drawn by the owner of the notebook, the senior high school girl? Could it really be a coincidence? He didn¡¯t quite believe it and finally clenched his fist, ¡°Someday, I will find this Guardian Goddess, she deserves the admiration of all Wucheng¡¯s citizens!¡± ¡°Count me in, I¡¯ll help you search! Superhero, here Ie!¡± This chuunibyou energy made Lu Mian somewhat ufortable. She lifted her head from the novel, gave each of them a flick on the forehead. ¡°Hurry up and copy the notes, finished them within three days and return them to me.¡± ¡°Mianmian, can we photocopy them? It¡¯s faster and won¡¯t damage the notebook, perfect!¡± Lu Mian smiled with narrowed eyes, ¡°You may try.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That they really dared not do. Copying notes is the simplest method of memorization whether you understand the material or not, as long as you copy it earnestly, you¡¯ll gain something from it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om This was indeed Lu Mian¡¯s original intention. The two brothers also tacitly didn¡¯t ask why Lu Mian wasn¡¯t copying since, with ¡°Professor Lu¡¯s¡± level, she probably didn¡¯t need to. ¡ª¡ª After school, Lu Mian received a call from Teacher Su. She suddenly remembered that Teacher Su had also called herst night. After answering, sure enough came Teacher Su¡¯s somewhat aggrieved voice. ¡°Mianmian, have you forgotten about this old man?¡± Lu Mian coughed slightly with embarrassment, ¡°Teacher Su, please go ahead.¡± Su Qingheughed heartily, ¡°Well, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Chapter 153 - 152: Big Sister is So Beautiful! Chapter 153: Chapter 152: Big Sister is So Beautiful! Hearing old Mr. Su asking for her help, Lu Mian didn¡¯t agree right away. Kicking pebbles along the road, she asked patiently, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mianmian, you¡¯re really good withputers, and it¡¯s called programming, right? I, an old man, don¡¯t understand those things. I would like to ask you to teach someone.¡± ¡°You want me to teach someone programming?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± old Mr. Su¡¯s tone became even kinder, ¡°Just teach her casually, and if she likes it and has a talent for it, we can make long-term ns. If it¡¯s just a whim of hers, then it¡¯s even simpler; you can¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t say much, and agreed to it. She didn¡¯t like listening to long-winded reasons. If she was asked for help, she would help if she wanted to, and refuse if she didn¡¯t want to. Old Mr. Su was good to her, and it was not a difficult task, so she agreed offhand. ¡°Alright then, Mianmian. I¡¯ll send you her chat ountter on, and you can add her as a friend.¡± After saying this, old Mr. Su even lowered his voice like he knew the ropes: ¡°I know people in your profession like to maintain secrecy. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t reveal any of your information, let alone allow you to meet!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Mian helplessly hung up the phone and pushed the matter aside. Passing by themunity supermarket and recalling the empty fridge at home, she stepped inside. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was the time when people got off work and school, so the supermarket was quite busy. Lu Mian headed to the less crowded fast-food section, grabbed some instant noodles and frozen dumplings, and went straight to the checkout area. Passing by the kitchen utensils shelf, she saw neatly arranged chopsticks. Hmm¡­ She casually picked up two packs and threw them into her shopping basket. At the checkout, there was a queue several meters long. Lu Mian stood at the end of the line, keeping a distance from the family of three in front of her. The family of three consisted of a young couple and their three-year-old daughter. The little girl was at an adorable and lively age, waving a pinwheel around her parents, who watched her closely with eyes full of love, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere. Lu Mian pursed her lips and took a step back, pulling out her phone to y a game. ¡°Mianmian, be careful not to fall!¡± The young girl suddenly looked up. But all she saw were the young parents gazing tenderly and smiling at their daughter while the tall father simply bent down to carry the child on his shoulders. It was a homophonic name. Lu Mian was momentarily distracted, gripping her phone tightly. Her thoughts drifted off, and she didn¡¯t even notice someone had stood behind her. The little girl¡¯s vivaciousughter and figure were still fluttering before her eyes. Distracted by the wild gestictions of the girl¡¯s small hands, her focus blurred. However, just as the pinwheel in the little girl¡¯s hand was about to hit Lu Mian¡¯s face, a deep and strong arm suddenly lifted, shielding her from it. Lu Mian¡¯s eyes finally focused, and she smelled a faint, familiar scent. Turning her gaze, she saw Xiao Qimo standing beside her, looking at her with an elegant, amused smile. Just now, he had shielded her from harm. It was like when she was a child in the crowded streets during the Lantern Festival; her father held her in his arms and spread his palm to shield her from the various collisions from the outside world. She pursed her lips, saying nothing. The little girl¡¯s parents hastily turned around: ¡°Mianmian, quickly say sorry to the uncle and the sister.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± the little girl said in a cute voice, ¡°Sister is really pretty! Uncle is very handsome too!¡± The young parents also smiled apologetically, saying sorry several times. Lu Mian shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Meanwhile, Xiao Qimo frowned elegantly, pushing his sses up, ¡°Little friend, call me ¡®brother.¡¯ Chapter 154 - 153: What Is He Upset About? Chapter 154: Chapter 153: What Is He Upset About? The three-year-old baby looked at her parents, bewildered. Her parents were equally bewildered, seeming as if they had inadvertently offended Xiao Qimo. Xiao Qimo insisted, ¡°Call me brother!¡± The little girlpromised and sweetly called out, ¡°Uncle Brother!¡± Certain uncle: ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian didn¡¯t understand why he was so insistent on the title, but she found it quite amusing and let out a lightugh. When she turned her head, she saw Xiao Qimo tossing a bag of fruit over in a sour mood, which he urately threw into her shopping basket. Before she could say anything, the man slightly bent over and naturally took the shopping basket from her. Lu Mian: What¡¯s he sulking about? The two hadn¡¯t said much, but when they bumped into each other by chance, they naturally ended up together, waiting to check out. The conversation of a family of three in front of them floated over clearly. ¡°Daddy, daddy, I want to be the Guardian God of Wucheng when I grow up!¡± The little girl was babbling, some of her words not pronounced correctly, but understandable. The young father said with a chuckle, ¡°Sure, Mianmian will be the great hero of Wucheng!¡± At the mention of this Guardian God of Wucheng, the few customers queuing in front also turned around, chatting to pass the time. ¡°This Guardian God has done a lot of good deeds for the people! I heard that he took down the local thugs!¡± ¡°Exactly, doing good without leaving a name, such noble integrity!¡± ¡°I saw in the news, that recently appointed deputy director said they have formed a special team to find this Guardian God at all costs!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, when the timees, we definitely have to properly honor this Guardian God!¡± The topic was lively among everyone, but Lu Mian isted herself from the conversation, ying a game on her phone with a detached expression. Xiao Qimo shifted the shopping basket from his left hand to his right and nced at her from the corner of his eye, ¡°It seems that the Guardian God of Wucheng has really won the hearts of the people.¡± ¡°Uh huh, yeah.¡± She responded nomittally. ¡°Do you want to know who he is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian slowly raised her little face, smiling innocently, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s gaze became a bit moreplicated as he looked away. The supermarket was getting more and more crowded, and the queue was growing longer. Seeing her be a bit impatient, Xiao Qimo suggested that she wait at the entrance instead. Lu Mian nodded, said, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to youter,¡± and walked out. Soon it was Xiao Qimo¡¯s turn to check out. The cashier, while scanning the barcodes, shyly nced at him, smitten. Xiao Qimo¡¯s features were cold and stern as he took each item out of the basket, but when he reached thest two packets of chopsticks, he paused. ¡°Sir?¡± The cashier waited for him. The man paused for a moment, expressionless as he threw the chopsticks far away, and said calmly, ¡°Check out.¡± Upon returning home, Lu Mian had the lunch sent by Handsome Yu and then fired up herputer. A text message from Old Su had alreadye, and after she logged into her ount, she added the other party as a friend. The other side seemed to be waiting for her and epted the request quickly. When she saw the message from the other party, Lu Mian¡¯s expression suddenly became puzzled. [Hello, teacher. I am Su Luo, Old Su¡¯s granddaughter.] emmm¡­ Su Luo wanted to learn programming from her? Lu Mian casually picked up a pen from the table, leaned back in her chair, and her lips curved into a wicked and unrestrained smirk. She twirled the pen in one hand while rapidly typing a line with the other on the keyboard. [Tutoring fee: 10,000 per hour] Both Su Luo and Su Jue on the other side of theputer were taken aback, thinking that the expert their grandfather had found must indeed be a big name in the industry, with a high fee to match. But since it was someone their grandfather had found, they naturally trusted himpletely. Su Jue felt pained about the money. However, Su Luo didn¡¯t hesitate much and transferred the money generously. N?v(el)B\\jnn If the other party had true skills and could crack Lu Mian¡¯s ount and group number, what was a little money considered? Chapter 155 - 154 Collective Complaint by Teachers Chapter 155: Chapter 154 Collective Comint by Teachers Fifty thousand. Lu Mian looked at the money Su Luo had transferred to her and smiled as she epted it. This was the family price; she had given Su enough face. Actually, teaching Su Luo the basics of programming wasn¡¯t difficult, nor was it any kind of secret material. She casually sent over a couple of basic documents, and Su Luo was already thanking her profusely and happily. Although she wasn¡¯t particrly fond of Su Luo as a person, since she had promised Su, she naturally carried out her responsibilities. She just asionally wondered why Su Luo suddenly wanted to learn programming. ¡ª¡ª Lu Mian chatted with Su Luo about ten thousand yuan at noon and then went to school for her normal sses in the afternoon. She didn¡¯t feel any psychological burden and went on as usual. However, when Su Luo passed by her, she hummed softly in a rather intriguing manner. She didn¡¯t mind. Since the mentoring program started, many people were openly and secretlypetitive, all working hard. Shouhao and Fat Hao were also busy copying Yuanyuan¡¯s notes, and the two of them rarely got serious. N?v(el)B\\jnn The only special existence in the ss was Lu Mian, who would open her textbook and read novels during ss. After ss, she¡¯d close her textbook and continue reading novels. She was once again gloriously summoned to the office. At this time, Ding Cai looked at Lu Mian as if she were a precious treasure, with great rarity and warmth in his tone. ¡°Lu Mian, considering you haven¡¯t teamed up with any ssmates, I¡¯ve carefully thought it over and decided I will personally tutor you. How does that sound?¡± Although Lu Mian¡¯s grades in other subjects weren¡¯t good, she had certainly earned him a lot of face in physics. In the past half month, he had walked with his head high and chest out wherever he went. So, with her intelligence and wisdom, improving her grades in other subjects wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian twitched the corner of her mouth. Why was Teacher Ding still hung up on this? ¡°You¡¯ve done well in my physics ss, and I am truly honored, but I also hope you¡¯ll give a little attention to other subjects, right? Several teachers have alreadye to meining about you¡­¡± Lu Mian listened quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you secretly, if you score zero again in the next monthly test, they might have you leave the ssroom¡­¡± Being collectivelyined about by the teachers, Lu Mian felt no pressure whatsoever. ¡°Teacher,¡± she propped up her chin with both hands, leisurely asking the person opposite her, ¡°those two novels, have you finished them?¡± Ding Cai: ¡­ Alright, he got the message! Time to change the subject. ¡°By the way, the physicspetition¡¯s retest ising up soon. How is your review going?¡± After Ding Cai finished speaking, he noticed Lu Mian¡¯s somewhat bewildered gaze. Thinking she had encountered some kind of problem, he straightened up with a ¡°with the teacher here, nothing is a problem¡± attitude, waiting for her to ask for help. However, what he saw was Lu Mian touching her chin, as if she¡¯d just had a revtion. ¡°Oh, is it starting soon?¡± Ding Cai inhaled sharply, ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about the timetable and the general scope of the test in thest meeting?¡± Could it be that this ancestor didn¡¯t even know when the test was?! ¡°Teacher, just print out the admission ticket for me.¡± Ding Cai: ¡­ Did she mean she didn¡¯t need to review at all? The other teachers in the office couldn¡¯t help but nce at Lu Mian, their expressions ratherplex. Wan Lin came over and handed Ding Cai the ¡°ss Discipline Score Sheet,¡± kindly reminding him, ¡°This time thepetition is quite fierce; they have to select the top one hundred out of a thousand students nationwide for the finals.¡± He changed the topic, ¡°However, I do have high hopes for Lu Mian.¡± Lu Mian gave him a slight smile. The other physics teachers were especially envious. Who would have thought that the once-mocked ss 25 produced such a genius? ¡°Old Ding, although your ss didn¡¯t do well in thest monthly test, with Lu Mian there, your ss still holds its ground!¡± ¡°Yes, and ss 25 scored first ce in discipline, which Director Qi specifically praised!¡± The other teachers grew even more envious. However, one teacher was extremely puzzled and muttered, ¡°But I clearly saw your ss fighting yesterday, and it even disturbed Director Qi. Howe you didn¡¯t receive any penalty points?¡± Ding Cai abruptly stood up, ¡°What? Our ss had a fight?¡± Chapter 156 - 155 Official Business Chapter 156: Chapter 155 Official Business The young ss teacher was utterly shocked, staring at the circle of teachers in astonishment. Seeing the ¡°how could you not know¡± expressions on those teachers¡¯ faces, he felt as if his brain was deprived of oxygen. Bewildered, he grabbed the discipline scoring sheet, confirming that their Grade 10 (25) ss indeed had a perfect score, with no points deducted for discipline. ¡°How can this be?¡± he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Mr. Ding, I don¡¯t know the specifics either. s, I thought you had known already¡­¡± that teacher said with an awkward smile, ¡°you should ask Lu Mian. Isn¡¯t she from your ss?¡± Right, there was also Lu Mian. Ding Cai hurriedly looked towards her. Lu Mian rubbed her temple, slowly rose from her chair, and nodded slightly at Ding Cai. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ding Cai banged the table, ¡°Who was fighting with whom? Lu Mian, tell me everything. Fighting is uneptable, we must call the parents!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian lowered her head again, sincerely replying, ¡°Teacher, I was the one fighting.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ding Cai first reacted for a few seconds, then the blood rushed to his head, and he quickly pinched his own philtrum. A few teachers next to him hesitated to speak and turned away¡ªthey felt slightly sorry for Mr. Ding¡­ Lu Mian knew that Ding Cai was a good teacher, and to show her appreciation, she smiled, picked up the scoring sheet, and rarely consoled someone else, ¡°Teacher, no points were deducted.¡± Ding Cai: ¡°¡­¡± No deductions were a good thing, but he still felt kind of irritated. The other teachers instantly felt a sting of jealousy. Wan Lin paced around the office, puzzled at the sank discipline ranking of his Grade 12 (1) ss. ¡°Our ss had Su Jue fighting before, and our discipline ranking hasn¡¯t risen until now! Howe it¡¯s different with your ss?¡± ¡°Yeah, no points deducted for fighting, did Principal Qimo make a mistake? But Principal Qimo is always so strict and conscientious, heartless¡­¡± This question ultimately went unanswered, and Lu Mian silently left. After pausing, she still decided to go to the head teacher¡¯s office. ¡ª- This ss was mathematics. The math teacher, Pei Sujin, was still stern and rigid, carrying a set square, walking back and forth in the ssroom, eyeing students doing their exercises. She poked the workbook of any student not focused on the exercise with the sharp edge of the set square. She naturally did not spare a scolding when she reached Yuan Hao and Guo Zihao¡¯s seats. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was only when she turned around and saw the empty back seat that she realized all the other issues were trivial; the real student who could rile up a teacher was her! ¡°Where is Lu Mian?¡± Pei Sujin asked through clenched teeth. Someone in the ss looked up and said softly, ¡°Just now I saw her going to the head teacher¡¯s ce¡­¡± While doing the exercise, Su Luo paused her pen, as something dawned on her. It must be about the fight. Principal Qimo must be settling ounts with Lu Mian afterward. Thinking about how she was once punished by Principal Qimo to clean the entire office despite doing nothing wrong, which left her back aching, this time the punishment for Lu Mian would surely be even harsher. Lu Mian, always courting trouble. Pei Sujin huffed, ¡°Tell Lu Mian that if she scores zero again in the next monthly test, she should no longer attend my ss!¡± Heads of the ssmates drooped even lower. Bai Fangfei smiled at Su Luo, as if she had achieved a temporary victory. In the head teacher¡¯s office. Lu Mian sat on the couch ying with her phone, and after finishing a game, shezily looked up and said, ¡°Principal Qimo, since you are the school¡¯s head teacher, let¡¯s do things by the book, shall we?¡± A student begging the Principal to adhere strictly to rules and procedures was indeed a first. Ye Jinwen muttered under his breath, Qimo¡¯s mind was up in the clouds; how could he possibly stick to the rules! But Lu Mian was dead serious. Regardless of what that man was thinking, she had initiated a fight and wasn¡¯t going to dodge the consequences. Xiao Qimo was busy, not responding to her. Chapter 157 - 156: Write a Self-Criticism Chapter 157: Chapter 156: Write a Self-Criticism What is he busy with? He¡¯s sitting in front of his desk, earnestly cutting open a pomegranate with a fruit knife in hand. The pomegranate seeds are so small, yet under his distinct knuckled fingers, each one is peeled undamaged, crisply entering a pretty ss bowl. Before long, there¡¯s a small mountain of seeds in the ss bowl. ¡°Ahem!¡± Ye Jinwen beside him reminds Qimo. Be serious, brother, what are you doing peeling this damn pomegranate at such a time. Hurry and seize the chance to confess to Little Mianmian, tell her all this is for her, that as long as she is in ss 25, fairness in handling affairs simply can¡¯t be achieved! Say that as long as you are here, you¡¯ll protect Little Mianmian thoroughly! Quick, quick, quick! Xiao Qimo did be serious, he threw away the peeled pomegranate skins into the trash can, carrying the small ss bowl with a stern face, he walked up to Lu Mian. ¡°Eat.¡± He handed it over. Lu Mian lifted her head in confusion, her expression rather indescribable. The pomegranate was bought by Xiao Qimo and Lu Mian together at the supermarket at noon, and he started peeling it in the office in the afternoon. Now the man is handing histest achievement to Lu Mian, and that serious attitude makes people instinctively feel: this is punishment. Lu Mian,pletely befuddled, casually pinched a few seeds. She slowly bit into them, the crisp and sweet taste of pomegranate bursting in her mouth, very sweet, very smooth. But her expression is still very confused. She is here to be punished, not to ask for fruit. Xiao Qimo gave her the bowl of pomegranate, paced back and forth in the office with hands behind his back, his voice solemn. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that eating too much beef can make a person aggressive. Eating more pomegranates can make one gentle.¡± Lu Mian pinched a few more seeds and put them in her mouth: So what? Ye Jinwen suddenly sported an expression as if he was dealt a bad hand. Lu Mian is eating the pomegranate personally peeled by Qimo, while he¡¯s been handed the lemons he served up himself! Confessions and such are weak, Qimo¡¯s tactics are the real dark art, the true cunning. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to align with your principles of fairness and justice.¡± Lu Mian, holding the small bowl, didn¡¯t hesitate to eat half of it calmly and slowly. Xiao Qimo turned to look at her, ¡°Then write a reflection paper.¡± Lu Mian snapped her fingers, ¡°OK!¡± She got up from the couch, grabbed a pen from the table, a nk sheet of paper, and swiftly wrote something down, handing it to Xiao Qimo. ¡°Done.¡± Ye Jinwen craned his neck to see, staring at the three big words on the white paper, he fell silent. [I was wrong] The theme is clear, the focus is precise, sinct and to the point, with a good attitude¡­ Psh! Ye Jinwen thinks there is no one more perfunctory than Lu Mian. While he was contemting this, he saw Xiao Qimo seriously put away that ¡°reflection paper,¡± inserted it into a book, and solemnly said, ¡°Received.¡± Ye Jinwen: There really is someone! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Raising his head, he only saw Xiao Qimo and Lu Mian breaking into a smile at each other as if by an unspoken agreement. Ye ¡¤ Single Dog ¡¤ Jinwen: I shouldn¡¯t be here. Lu Mian turned and left, just as she stepped out the door, Xiao Qimo¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°The physicspetition is about to start, good luck!¡± Lu Mian bent her lips and chuckled lightly, ¡°I¡¯m off!¡± ¡ª- Today is the day of the physicspetition semifinals. The examination venue is still set at Kunpeng High School. There were many students from other schools this time, and the examination site was crowded with students and parents early in the morning. Parents surrounded their children, offering them all kinds of heartfelt warmth and encouragement, checking their study tools. Lu Xinnuan also came, she ced great importance on thispetition and naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it. Fu Man patiently put a knit long coat on her, instructing, ¡°The temperature varies a lot these days, you¡¯ll take it off at noon, got it?¡± ¡°I got it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous about the test, just perform as usual¡­¡± ¡°Mom, stop nagging.¡± Lu Xinnuan responded impatiently, her eyes looking around as if searching for someone. Until she saw Lu Mian¡¯s carefree, solitary figure, her eyes gleamed. She affectionately hooked Fu Man¡¯s arm. Chapter 158 - 157: Galaxy Sleep Guard Team! Chapter 158: Chapter 157: Gxy Sleep Guard Team! The sudden closeness of her younger daughter caught Fu Man off guard for a moment, her face filling with a tender and contented smile. Lu Xinnuan pouted and kissed her on the cheek, ¡°Mom, wait for my good news!¡± Fu Man kept repeating ¡°Okay,¡± her joy clearly overflowing. Lu Xinnuan swept a stealthy nce at Lu Mian, her eyes tinged with vengeful satisfaction. What she possessed, Lu Mian did not. What she was now enjoying, Lu Mian did not have. Anything that could even slightly affect Lu Mian¡¯s performance was a pleasure for her to witness. Fu Man, unaware of her thoughts, gently fixed Lu Xinnuan¡¯s ponytail and wrapped her coat around her with utmost care. But as she turned her head, she inadvertently caught sight of that slender, cool figure. All her movements froze mid-air, her expression stiff, her throat dry and unable to produce a sound. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Only by reading her lips could one tell that she had called out two words: Mianmian¡­ Lu Mian didn¡¯t even spare a nce as she passed by expressionlessly. Fu Man¡¯s eyes followed her, wanting to say something, do something, but then she saw Lu Xinnuan on the other side, anxiously rummaging through her school bag and asking, ¡°Mom, have you seen my admission ticket?¡± ¡°Admission ticket? Mom will find it for you!¡± ¡°Yeah, help me, they¡¯re about to start letting us into the exam room.¡± Standing alone, Lu Mian indeed appeared quite different from the other candidates. While others were surrounded by encouraging parents, she leaned against the wall from a distance, neither reviewing nor speaking, just ying games on her phone. The only thing she fidgeted with was a pen in her hand. asionally, candidates would steal nces at her, full of sympathy. The exam room doors soon opened, and the candidates began to line up, entering after inspection by the proctors. Parents also positioned themselves to the side, waving hands and offering their children thest bits of encouragement. Lu Mian stood off at a distance, preferring to wait and be thest one to enter due to the crowd. Lu Xinnuan and Fu Man let out a sigh, making conversation, ¡°She¡¯s still so antisocial, doesn¡¯t fit in at all.¡± Fu Man nced in that direction but said nothing. Lu Xinnuan was secretly ted. However, her joy didn¡¯tst two seconds before she saw arge group of about twenty students suddenly rushing toward the exam room. They ran over and, as they approached Lu Mian, they stopped and neatly held up signs. The luxurious support signs read: [Go Mian! You¡¯ve got this!] This spectacle was indeed more grand than any other candidate¡¯s. Lu Xinnuan¡¯s expression immediately fell. Lu Mianzily lifted her eyes, retracted the pen to her palm, slightly surprised. Pang Hao and Shouhao approached with smiles, ¡°Mian, all these are part of your fanboys and fangirls!¡± ¡°Yeah Mian, today¡¯s your big day, so we specially selected twenty representatives toe cheer you on!¡± Lu Mian pocketed her phone, the corners of her mouth curling up in a slight arc, softly uttering, ¡°You guys have too much free time!¡± Yet, her tone was gentle and mellow, enrapturing the boys and making the girls shriek with excitement. ¡°We even have a loud name!¡± Pang Hao signaled to the group behind him, ¡°We are¡ª¡± ¡°The Gxy Mian Protection Squad!¡± Lu Mian: ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s, uh, pretty cringey. ¡°And Mian, my dad also came!¡± Pang Hao puffed out his chest and waved toward therge group. A slightly round-bellied middle-aged man in uniform then stepped forward from behind. Lu Mian abruptly paused, her hand clenching the pen tensed up, emmm¡­ What was Deputy Director Guo Shuitian doing here? Chapter 159 - 158: Mian Ge is the Best! Mian Ge is the Strongest! Chapter 159: Chapter 158: Mian Ge is the Best! Mian Ge is the Strongest! Lu Mian¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she smiled and greeted. ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡± She wasn¡¯t adept at small talk, and after saying this, she stayed quiet. Guo Shuitian didn¡¯t mind. Every person has their own personality, and he was well aware that this girl tended to be cool, but her heart was incredibly kind. She had helped his son with his studies multiple times, lending her senior year notes, especially in math. It seemed like his son had an epiphany overnight. His son often mentioned this female ssmate at home. Now that he saw her, indeed, she was a pretty and generous young woman. Guo Shuitian looked at her as if she were his daughter-inw, with eyes full of appreciation and affection, sizing up Lu Mian. However, thanks to his many years of experience in criminal investigation, he had an intuition that this girl was quite different, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint how. He just felt like she didn¡¯t belong to this ce, a peculiar intuition indeed¡­ ¡°Hello, Lu Mian. Thank you for taking such good care of Guo Zihao. Uncle is cheering for you!¡± Guo Shuitian was quite gregarious, unlike the stiff and solemn image on TV, always smiling. Lu Mian also smiled, saying ¡°Thank you,¡± and then softly asked Fatty Hao, ¡°Why is your dad here too?¡± ¡°My dad had something to take care of at the school, and when he heard you were here for thepetition, he came to root for you!¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t want to see the deputy chief at all. Ah¡­ Their group was noisy and drew the attention of many candidates who had not yet entered the exam hall, even the parents couldn¡¯t help but look towards Lu Mian. Especially when they saw Guo Shuitian, their expressions were quite surprised. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Anyone who had watched the Wucheng news would recognize Guo Shuitian, a man of integrity and real action. In the hearts of themon people of Wucheng, he was definitely a genuine hero. Seeing such a person cheering for that girl made everyone think she was no ordinary girl. Lu Xinnuan also saw it and wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. Lu Mian could actually know such an important figure and have such a good rtionship with them. Now, with a group of people cheering her on, she felt her earlier performance lost its meaning and even affected her mood. She coldly withdrew her hand from Fu Man¡¯s. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going into the exam hall now.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Nuannuan! Focus on your exam!¡± ¡°How can I focus now¡­¡± Lu Xinnuan pouted, ¡°it¡¯s so chaotic around the exam center¡­¡± Sheined with thinly veiled hints and walked away with a gloomy face. There weren¡¯t many people left queuing at the entrance, and Fatty Hao reminded Lu Mian to hurry in. The group uniformly made heart gestures at her, ¡°Mianmian is the best! Mianmian is the strongest!¡± Lu Mian touched her forehead and quickly walked away. She didn¡¯t even pause when she passed by Fu Man. The contrast in her attitude was stark. Fu Man gaped, feeling as if a piece had been carved out of her heart, leaving her hollow. She could still asionally hear discussions from the other side. ¡°Guess how many points Mianmian will score this time?¡± ¡°One hundred percent!¡± ¡°Is she really that amazing?¡± ¡°Duh, you don¡¯t understand. When others score ny percent, that¡¯s because their ability is at ny percent. Our Mianmian scores one hundred percent because the paper only has one hundred points. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll be no problems this time!¡± ¡°Plus, let me tell you a secret. She¡¯s not only great at physics, but her math is also superb!¡± Fatty Hao and Shouhao exchanged looks, a bitterugh hinting at their own hardships. ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°Impressive!¡± Fu Man listened with perked ears, twisting her clothing as she slowly walked away. Mianmian¡­ Was she really as good as they said? Chapter 160 - 159: Teacher, please help me once! (Extra) Chapter 160: Chapter 159: Teacher, please help me once! (Extra) Lu Mian finished her exam in the morning, and during her online teaching session in programming at noon, Su Luo suddenly posed a question to her. [Teacher, do you take on jobs?] Over the past few days, she had taught Su Luo some programming knowledge¡ªwhether the other party listened carefully or not, at ten thousand yuan per hour, she did her duty diligently. Seeing Su Luo¡¯s question today, Lu Mian was momentarily taken aback. She quickly typed a line in response. [The fee is quite high, please consider carefully.] When Su Luo received the message, she quickly called Su Jue over. ¡°Brother, my teacher said she can take the job, let¡¯s get this settled quickly before anything else happens,¡± Su Luo said. The main reason was that she wasn¡¯t interested in programming, and the few sses she took were just to get closer to the teacher. Su Jue hurried over excitedly, but when he saw the words ¡°fee is quite high,¡± he felt a twinge of pain. He was not the same as before, no longer daring to invest recklessly in stocks. If he was still in that group, he could afford millions, not just tens of thousands. ¡°Luoluo, ask about the price first. If he can give us a discount out of respect for Grandpa and you, that would be even better!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll ask. Money isn¡¯t the main concern; what¡¯s important is that we do it wlessly. We absolutely cannot let Lu Mian find out beforehand. If she¡¯s on guard against us, it¡¯ll be harder for us to report her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± After discussing for a bit, Su Luo carefully sent a message to the ¡°teacher.¡± She checked it several times from left to right, with a sincere attitude, no typos, and clear sentences. Lu Mian twirled a lock of hair by her ear, and upon the pop-up message from Su Luo, her finger hesitated, pulling her scalp¡ªa bit painful. She leaned a bit closer to the screen. [Teacher, how much do you charge to hack someone¡¯s chat ount?] She suddenly had a strange feeling¡­ Lu Mian: [It depends on who it is.] Su Luo: [Just a student, nothing influential.] Lu Mian: [The fee ranges from one hundred thousand to a million.] Seeing the price, Su Luo thought it was eptable, quite a friendly rate for a programming master. Su Jue also agreed. After all, his biggest wish now was to find a way back into that group. Just one more chance, and he could turn his fortunes around. By then, he could have all the money he wanted! The two quickly sent over Lu Mian¡¯s chat ount, personal information, and phone number. Su Luo was good friends with Bai Fangfei, and since Bai Fangfei was the ss monitor, obtaining this information was easy. On Lu Mian¡¯s end, as she looked at that ount, she fell into a long silence. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om So after all this rigmarole, they wanted to hire her to hack her own ount? This move was quite¡­ indescribable. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to Su Jue¡ªit made her seem like a bully. Lu Mian replied half-heartedly: [I don¡¯t take the job.] Su Luo: [Teacher, please! For Grandpa¡¯s sake, you must help me this once!] Lu Mian: [It¡¯s a premium ount, can¡¯t be hacked.] Su Luo: [No, she¡¯s just an ordinary student! We¡¯re not trying to do anything terrible; we just want to report her in a group. She¡¯s full of blemishes, causing harm behind people¡¯s backs; she¡¯s not a virtuous person.] Lu Mian smirking: So this is what it feels like to hear someone badmouth you directly. Su Luo and Su Jue were also quite confused on their end. The teacher had previously agreed to take on tasks, so why wouldn¡¯t she do this small favor? The premium ount thing was obviously an excuse, and they could afford to pay the reward, so what was the real reason? Lu Mian on her side of the screen sighed, typing a line swiftly. [Let¡¯s have a video call; I¡¯ll exin it to you face-to-face.] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 161 - 160: Do I Need to Explain Further? Chapter 161: Chapter 160: Do I Need to Exin Further? Video call? Both Su Luo and Su Jue were caught off guard. Everyone in their profession knew that revealing one¡¯s identity was taboo, as it could invite a host of troubles. Although they didn¡¯t know much, this was the first time they had seen a master programmer take the initiative to start a video call. ¡°Could it be someone we know?¡± Su Luo suddenly had this thought. Su Jue hurriedly called a halt, ¡°How could it be such a coincidence?! After all, you are his student, and Grandpa also knows him. It¡¯s just a video call, not a big deal.¡± After speaking, he optimistically added, ¡°Psychology has shown that face-to-facemunication greatly improves the chance of sess. If you say a few nice things to the teacher, maybe he¡¯ll agree to take the job.¡± Su Luo nodded at these words. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Yet, she suddenly felt uneasy, unable to pinpoint what was wrong. She sent a message: [Okay, teacher.] After sending it, she clicked on the video invite, and the screen disyed a waiting for the other party to ept. She casually straightened her hair and clothes, sitting upright in front of theputer. Su Jue stepped back a few paces to avoid appearing in the camera¡¯s view. The screen showed the connection was sessful. Su Luo took a deep breath, feeling inexplicably nervous. The other party seemed to be adjusting the camera, with the lens shaking and flipping, making the image unclear. She waited patiently. Finally, a figure appeared on the other side, but what caught her eye first were a pair of slender legs d in Kunpeng School Uniform pants. She was so taken aback that she stared wide-eyed at the screen, watching as the person leisurely took a seat, and saw a familiar face, nonchnt and cocky, appear before the camera! Her brain froze for a few seconds. After snapping back to reality, she pushed her chair back violently, sliding to a very distant position. It was as if she had seen some ferocious beast, a mix of shock, fear, and disbelief, all chaotically entwined. In that moment, she had tossed the demeanor of the Su Family¡¯s haughty princess clear across the Milky Way Gxy. Su Jue was utterly confused. He had never seen his sister lose herposure like this; she was always so proud and confident. Puzzled, he pushed her chair back to the desk and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Su Luo grabbed Su Jue with a trembling voice and stared at him, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s Lu Mian!¡± ¡°Lu Mian?¡± Su Jue didn¡¯t understand and, seeing his sister¡¯s panic, he took a look at the camera himself. Their conversation and movements were all observed by the other side, a familiar and mischievous chuckleing through. The person on the other side leisurely said, ¡°Yes, I am the ordinary student Lu Mian that you speak of, full of ws, not of the virtuous kind.¡± !!! Her tone was as calm as normal conversation, but every word pierced into Su Jue¡¯s ears, rupturing his eardrums and prating his brain. Su Jue staggered back, crashing into the bookshelf and almost tripping. His condition was no better than Su Luo¡¯s. The siblings looked at each other in shock, wondering what on earth was going on! Had they engaged the wrong way? How could Lu Mian be on the other side? The Lu Mian here was calm, fingers twirling around her hair while another hand spun a pen, that rebellious and unruly smirk piercing through the camera to their side. She put it sinctly, ¡°The situation is that you guys wanted to hire a programmer to hack me, and it turns out that this programmer is myself.¡± The siblings¡¯ faces turned red and then pale, their astonishment reaching its peak. Lu Mian is¡­ a programmer?! She sighednguidly, ¡°Do you need more of an exnation?¡± Chapter 162 - 161: Can’t Underestimate Her Anymore Chapter 162: Chapter 161: Can¡¯t Underestimate Her Anymore Su Luo and Su Jue were shocked to their senses, finally regaining their rationality. What more is there to exin? The moment the video was yed, there was nothing left to exin. Although they didn¡¯t understand why Lu Mian could code, facts were facts, and they had walked right into the line of fire. They even eagerly licked their faces, asking for Lu Mian to shoot! N?v(el)B\\jnn How could this happen?! Su Jue was the first to react, he turned down their volume and, as if suddenly enlightened, exined to Su Luo. ¡°I remember now, when Sui Yuan disappeared, Grandpa also asked for Lu Mian¡¯s help¡­ She found Sui Yuan¡¯s whereabouts in just a few minutes¡­¡± ¡°Sui Yuan?¡± ¡°A ssmate from my ss, not important.¡± ¡°Bro, such important information, why didn¡¯t you say it earlier?¡± Su Luo was filled with regret. Su Jue spread his hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes at the time, who knew how she did it. And besides, Grandpa only said she was very good withputers; I never thought about programming! And I never imagined Grandpa would hire her as your coding tutor!¡± It might have been preconceived notions, or perhaps the contrast with Lu Xinnuan, but when Lu Mian first returned, his impression of her was truly terrible, and he wouldn¡¯t believe she possessed so many hidden skills. But what¡¯s the use of regret now? They had just sent that kind of message to Lu Mian. Upon seeing it, who knows what kind of smile Lu Mian had on her face. Su Luo had never experienced such a moment of being pped in the face so directly, her face now dark and grim, burning with embarrassment. She took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Bro, we can¡¯t underestimate Lu Mian anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Su Luo was the first to stabilize and returned to theputer, turning the volume back up. The other party had not hung up yet, and she still had to deal with what came next. She couldn¡¯t evenck the courage to meet Lu Mian¡¯s gaze. Lu Mian, on the other end of the camera, was smiling coldly. ¡°Can I turn it off now?¡± she said. Lu Mian was actually very impatient and couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them, her purpose for starting the video was just to let them see for themselves, not wanting to say more than necessary. Being pped in the face publicly was simply Su Luo and Su Jue¡¯s personal delusion. Su Luo had yet to speak when Su Jue suddenly rushed forward and roared at the person on the screen. ¡°Lu Mian, you yed us! Luoluo reported her own name from the beginning, how could you not know? You didn¡¯t just continue the lessons, but you took a lot of our money and eavesdropped on our secrets. You¡¯re pleased with yourself, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Lu Mian¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her ten fingers interlocked as she stretched them in front of the camera, producing a series of cracking sounds. Su Jue tensed up, soon hearing the indifferent, dismissive voice from the other side. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as idle as you are?¡± Those words made Su Jue¡¯s face flush red. Su Luo tugged at her brother, ¡°Enough, bro, now¡¯s not the time to assign me.¡± Lu Mian was hired by Grandpa, and paying her was a mutually agreeable decision, which she epted. If Lu Mian had really intended to y them, she would have demanded a high fee right when they first requested her services. That would have been a true loss of both face and money! They couldn¡¯t me Lu Mian for this, it was their own overconfidence andck of caution towards this tutor that was at fault. Su Luo tried to stay asposed as possible. ¡°Lu Mian, since you already know our purpose, there¡¯s nothing for me to deny. We are indeed investigating the ount you use in the stock group, and we¡¯re nning to report you!¡± ¡°Report?¡± ¡°You reported my brother before, causing him to be kicked out of the stock group. We¡¯re just returning the favor. You¡¯re more familiar with the rules of the stock group than we are; do you really think you¡¯re suited¡ª¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Lu Mian had no patience to listen to her ramblings, cutting her off irritably, ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Give us the group number for the stock group, and we¡¯ll report you fair and square!¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Lu Mian let out an incredulousugh, so bullheaded? A wild and unrestrained light emerged in her clear eyes, she touched her chin and suddenly, in a good mood, she pulled the corners of her lips into a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m waiting.¡± Chapter 163 - 162: Perhaps at Your School Chapter 163: Chapter 162: Perhaps at Your School Lu Mian quickly agreed. This swift attitude, however, caught both Su Luo and Su Jue off guard, making it feel like their punches had hit cotton. The frustration within them didn¡¯t dissipate; instead, it grew even more intense. Lu Mian quickly sent them the group number and group name. Su Jue immediately rushed over, staring at the string of numbers and recalling them for a moment; they were almost the same as the group number in his memory. With a click on search, he found it quickly, and was now certain this was the same investors¡¯ chat group from before. He couldn¡¯t wait to apply to join. Lu Mian ignored Su Jue¡¯s impatient expression, his lips curving into a mocking, cold arc, and before closing the video chat, he said onest sentence, light as a feather. ¡°If you wanted the group number, why not just ask me? Going around in such a big circle, wasting time.¡± The video connection was severed. All was calm again. Su Luo and Su Jue looked at each other in dismay. Instead of feeling happy about getting the group number, they were dumbstruck by Lu Mian¡¯sstment. Did they want to go through such a big hassle? Did they want to solve the problem in this way? They had spent money and toiled away in sses, only to have the group number handed to them like charity from the enemy. Who could ept that? ¡ª¡ª The Principal¡¯s office. Principal Zhang and Guo Shuitian had a casual lunch together, and their conversation quickly turned to the topic of the ¡°Wucheng Guardian God.¡± Who in Wucheng didn¡¯t know this legendary story! Principal Zhang, curious, inquired, ¡°Director Guo, who exactly is the Wucheng Guardian God? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been misleading everyone deliberately to keep a low profile!¡± ¡°Ha! I wish I had that ability!¡± Guo Shuitian sighed, ¡°Principal Zhang, not to keep anything from you, but the Wucheng Guardian God is very likely to be a student from your school!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Principal Zhang¡¯s face changed dramatically, ¡°How is that possible?!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say this without evidence. Those local thugs have all been arrested, and one of them saw a bit of the Kunpeng School Uniform peeking out of the Guardian God¡¯s bag. Anyone with a Kunpeng School Uniform must be rted to your school if not from it.¡± ¡°¡­Is it really possible¡­ Haven¡¯t any of them seen the Guardian God¡¯s true face?¡± Guo Shuitian shook his head, ¡°The Guardian God acts both ruthlessly and quickly; they didn¡¯t have time to react before they were knocked out. I have questioned those people, and this little piece of information is all that came out of it.¡± He didn¡¯t mention anything about the hamburger wrapper and the cartoon cat head just yet. After all, such scant evidence wasn¡¯t enough to locate someone. Principal Zhang hesitated to speak. Guo Shuitian raised his hand, cutting in first. ¡°Don¡¯t start with the security cameras; to someone who can appear and disappear like a ghost, cameras are just decoration. Just like the kidnapping case two years ago, weren¡¯t your school¡¯s cameras wiped clean?¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Principal Zhang: ¡°I understand, I understand¡­¡± But howe it suddenly made him feel proud? Their school was truly full of talent! Since the topic hade up, Guo Shuitian didn¡¯t forget to give a few reminders. ¡°Principal Zhang, I will continue to investigate this matter. However, I also advise your school to be extra vignt during this time and make sure no strangers are let into the school. If the Guardian God is indeed inside the school, I worry there might be someone looking for revenge who slips through the.¡± Principal Zhang looked grave, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your advice, Director Guo.¡± ¡ª¡ª Just in the afternoon, upon arriving at school. Shouhao and the heavyset boy were sitting at the flowerbeds below the teaching building, chatting about the dinner celebration they nned for Lu Mian that night. Sui Yuan happened to pass by, and seeing the two of them, she thought of the ¡°Gxy Lu Mian Protection Squad¡± her ssmates mentioned that morning. She changed direction and walked toward the brothers. ¡°Excuse me, can I join the Gxy Lu Mian Protection Squad?¡± Chapter 164 - 163: Can You Draw? Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Can You Draw? Neers had arrived, and the brothers naturally weed them with extreme enthusiasm, hastily pulling out a notebook and pen for Sui Yuan to register. Sui Yuan carefully filled in his name, taking it very seriously, as if he was joining some significant organization. ¡°Sui Yuan?¡± Shouhao read the name, and suddenly realized¡ªwasn¡¯t this the senior sister who had lent them her notes? Senior sister? They looked at Sui Yuan over and over again until they made the timid and frail Sui Yuan blush, and they finally confirmed that this was a bald senior sister. She had delicate features, so why did she have a buzz cut? Shouhao took another few nces at Sui Yuan, tugged Shouhao to the side, and muttered mysteriously, ¡°Do you remember the message left by the Guardian God of Wucheng that I told you about?¡± ¡°Remember.¡± Eats hamburgers, can draw cartoon cat heads. Shouhao nodded, ¡°I have also seen a simr avatar in that pink notebook! That notebook, doesn¡¯t it belong to this senior?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°I mean the brushstrokes are pretty simr, but I didn¡¯t see it clearly!¡± Shouhao pped his forehead, ¡°So¡­the Guardian God of Wucheng might be this Miss Sui Yuan right here? But it¡¯s not that absolute, right? It could also be that someone randomly drew it, maybe even Mianmian did it!¡± Inspired, Shouhao said, ¡°Why not use the process of elimination then!¡± Ever since they had followed Mianmian, they felt their brains were working a lot better! Shouhao, with Shouhao in tow, came back to Sui Yuan, smiling slyly. Handing over the notebook and pen again, ¡°Senior Sui Yuan, could you also note down your hobbies? Like what you like to eat, any special skills?¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Sui Yuan looked a bit bewildered. ¡°It helps everyone get to know each other better, maybe you and Mianmian share somemon hobbies!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sui Yuan nodded and earnestly wrote down two words under hobbies: ¡°Studying.¡± Shouhao and Shouhao¡¯s mouths twitched. No wonder she was so good at studying; it was purely a hobby. Her interests were a perfect match for Mianmian when he was drunk! But that wasn¡¯t what they wanted to know. Shouhao changed tactics, pointing to a nk space in the notebook, ¡°Senior Sui Yuan, our Gxy Guardian Team also asionally makes support posters and stuff, can you draw?¡± Sui Yuan nodded. Excited, Shouhao said, ¡°Then draw us a cartoon cat head on the spot!¡± Sui Yuan thought these two juniors were pretty strange, but since they were Mianmian¡¯s friends, they were her friends. She picked up the pen and with just a few brief strokes under the watchful eyes of Shouhao and Shouhao, she drew a cartoon cat head. She nced at her watch and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to go to ss. Let me know if you have any activities in the future¡­¡± Shouhao and Shouhao nodded repeatedly. Mianmian cherished Sui Yuan¡¯s notebook so much, so his feelings for Senior Sui Yuan went without saying. They dared not mess around. ¡°Oh, senior!¡± Shouhao remembered something, ¡°After school this afternoon, we¡¯re nning to invite Mianmian for a meal, you shoulde too, it¡¯s the weekend tomorrow anyway!¡± Sui Yuan tilted his head slightly, like a puzzled little monk. After a pause, he asked, ¡°Has she agreed?¡± ¡°Not yet, we n to tell her this afternoon.¡± Sui Yuan curled his lips slightly, gently shaking his head, ¡°I have ns, I won¡¯t go. But¡­ I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have time to join either.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Sui Yuan didn¡¯t say anything further, quickly leaving with his head down. Once Sui Yuan had left, the brothers immediately showed their true colors, frantically and excitedly grabbing the cat head drawn by Sui Yuan topare it with the one they had on their phone of the hamburger wrapper. Chapter 165 - 164: Find a Way to Get Brother Mian to Draw (Additional Chapter) Chapter 165: Chapter 164: Find a Way to Get Brother Mian to Draw (Additional Chapter) After a while. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Shouhao, stroking his chin, ¡°It kind of looks like it¡­ and kind of doesn¡¯t; I can¡¯t make anything out at all!¡± Panghao, flicking through a notebook, imitated his old man¡¯s tone. ¡°The brushwork on this burger wrapper is delicate, coherent and carries a hint of rebellious casualness. Although this one bears some resemnce, itcks a certain wild vor,¡± Panghao fancied himself quite the critic. The first part of that statement was actually something he had overheard from his dad. Shouhao pped his thigh, ¡°So then, you¡¯re saying, Lu Mian is the Guardian God of Wucheng?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t really say that¡­¡± Panghao shook his head, ¡°Although Lu Mian eats burgers, we¡¯ve never seen her paint, have we? We need evidence for this sort of thing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Shouhao smiled slyly: ¡°We¡¯ll just find a way to get Lu Mian to paint one herself, and that¡¯ll settle it!¡± Their discussion was so enthusiastic that Bai Fangfei, who passed by, nearly burst intoughter upon hearing them. ¡°You two are ridiculous; sucking up to someone isn¡¯t done like this! Everything is about Lu Mian; how is she so capable?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± The brothers didn¡¯t want to argue with a girl. ¡°I¡¯m the ss monitor, and you guys are shirking your duties all day. What¡¯s wrong with me managing you a bit? And what¡¯s this about forming a ¡®Protect Lu Mian Squad¡¯? Just wait until the month-end exams; you¡¯ll both be crying!¡± She appeared genuinely concerned, ¡°Both of your families are so well-off, yet you keep hanging out with someone who¡¯s unloved by her dad and mom. Are you not afraid of what others might say?¡± ¡°As long as you shut up, no one will have the time to gossip!¡± ¡°You!¡± Bai Fangfei stomped her foot in frustration. Just wait, after the monthly exam, she¡¯d make sure Lu Mian paid the price! After the brief interlude, Lu Mian arrived at school in the afternoon and discussed dinner ns with Panghao and Shouhao. Just as Sui Yuan had predicted, Lu Mian didn¡¯t have time. ¡°Lu Mian, are you busy today?¡± the two asked. Lu Mian, propping her chin, gazed out the window, absently nodding: ¡°Yes, something important.¡± The kind that no one could prevent. Coincidentally, Mr. Su had sent her a message inviting her over to the Su Family for dinner, which she declined without a second thought. After school. Lu Mian, slinging her backpack over one shoulder, sauntered casually toward the school gates. Since it was Friday, lots of parents hade to pick up their kids. Many cars had lined up along the curb, filling the entire street. Lu Mian stood on the sidewalk, ying with her phone while waiting for something. Bai Fangfei, appearing from nowhere, passed by Lu Mian and said coolly, ¡°Waiting for a ride too?¡± This area was the pickup zone where students waited for their parents to drive over and get them. She was aware of Lu Mian¡¯s family situation. Not that it mattered that she had cut ties with the Lu Family; even if she hadn¡¯t, the Lu Family wouldn¡¯t send a car for her. So what if Lu Mian had made twenty million from Go, she still donated it to the school. Besides, twenty million was nothing for their level of wealthy families. But Bai Fangfei¡¯s attempt to strike up a conversation went unanswered. Turning her head to look at Lu Mian beside her, she saw that Lu Mian didn¡¯t even flicker an eysh. Fiddling with her phone in one hand, the other casually tucked in her pocket, she exuded an air of unruly nonchnce, seemingly indifferent to the world. Tsk, such arrogance. Thinking this, Bai Fangfei saw two cars approaching. She walked over to the luxurious Rolls-Royce, waving at Lu Mian in show-off manner. ¡°Lu Mian, my ride¡¯s here, bye,¡± she said. Only then did Lu Mian realize someone was speaking to her. As she looked up, she saw a sleek ck car; she lifted her leg and strolled towards it unhurriedly. Bai Fangfei watched Lu Mian get into the car in front, then scoffed softly from inside her own car. Just a crummy old brand. She directed the driver, ¡°Uncle Li, there¡¯s so much space ahead, move up a bit, don¡¯t let anyone cut in line!¡± ¡°No need to worry, miss, no one will cut in line,¡± the driver assured. ¡°Why not?¡± Driver Li smacked his lips. ¡°That car¡¯s too expensive, no one dares to follow behind! Our ten Rolls-Royces wouldn¡¯t even cover the cost!¡± Chapter 166 - 165 Director Qi’s Phone Call Chapter 166: Chapter 165 Director Qi¡¯s Phone Call Bai Fangfei was startled at his words and stared straight ahead. After waiting for a moment, she realized that no car dared to cut in front of them, even though the traffic was jam-packed behind them; they all automatically made way for that car. But, Lu Mian had just gotten into that car! N?v(el)B\\jnn This makes no sense! Bai Fangfei couldn¡¯t ept it, ¡°It¡¯s not even a luxury car¡­¡± ¡°Maybe, this is just the pleasure of the rich¡­¡± Old Li remarked with a tsk tsk. The car¡¯s badge ¡°Wen¡± was a guise, a third-rate brand with top-tier manufacturing. At first nce, it indeed looked like an ordinary car without much fame, but in fact, its engine to its decorations, everything was top-notch. Even the shell of the car was bulletproof. It was quite normal for regr people not to know these details, but for them drivers, it was impossible not to be aware. Strangely, this was the second such car he had seen in Wucheng. It seems that there are indeed many wealthy individuals in Wucheng who prefer to keep a low profile. Old Li¡¯s words triggered dissatisfaction in Bai Fangfei; they were discussing the car, but Bai Fangfei was upset that she, the daughter of the Bai Family, was being overshadowed by Lu Mian, and her own driver was even speaking in Lu Mian¡¯s favor. ¡°That¡¯s a lie¡­¡± she murmured disdainfully under her breath. Old Li didn¡¯t take herment to heart and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss, was that your ssmate just now? I saw you talking to her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Miss is really lucky to have such a person as a ssmate¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Fangfei¡¯s face looked as embarrassed as if she had swallowed a fly. ring again at the car in front, trying to see inside from all angles but failing, she immediately came up with an idea. The car that came to pick up Lu Mian doesn¡¯t necessarily belong to Lu Mian; who knows what messy reason lies behind it¡­ ¡°Uncle Li, let¡¯s not go home yet. Follow that car in front, let¡¯s see where they¡¯re headed!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡ª¡ª Lu Mian got into the car and leaned back in afortable position on the back seat, all rxed andzy. The driver in front, Dongyang, a 23-year-old young man, turned around, respectful and deferential. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll take you there first; someone else will pick up Miss Yuanyuan separately.¡± Lu Mian hummed in response, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The car started and left the congested street without any impediment. After driving for half a minute, Dongyang nced through the rear-view mirror, his voice quite cold as he reported to Lu Mian, ¡°Boss, someone is following us.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Mian, who had just started a game, swiftly maneuvered her fingers, replying nonchntly, ¡°Shake them off.¡± She showed not a hint of tension from being followed, as it had be routine for her. Upon receiving themand, Dongyang elerated and quickly lost the Rolls-Royce that was closely following them. Heh, trying to tail them? Get a different car first! Lu Mian paid no attention to these minor details and calmly continued her game. After a victory in the game, her phone also started ringing. It was a call from Xiao Qimo; she paused, seemingly hesitant. Dongyang was quite curious and nced at her through the rear-view mirror; the boss was always decisive, answering calls promptly or hanging up immediately. Whose call could make her hesitate like this? Eventually, Lu Mian tapped to answer the call. ¡°Director Qimo.¡± Her tone was faint. A smooth and elegant bass voice came from the other end, ¡°Are you free tonight? I¡¯d like to invite you to dinner.¡± Lu Mian was silent for a few seconds. Xiao Qimo gently smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Some ingredients like beef and foie gras were shipped over from abroad, and they¡¯re said to be excellent for making burgers.¡± Lu Mian pursed her lips. Gulp. Chapter 167 - 166 He Is a Good Person Chapter 167: Chapter 166 He Is a Good Person She swallowed subtly, and soon, her delicate and cool features became as light as the breeze, as tranquil as the clouds. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Director Qimo. I¡¯m tied up, please go ahead without me.¡± Xiao Qimo was about to say something else, but the sound of ¡°beep beep beep¡± came through the phone¡ªthe other party had already hung up. Little rascal! Clutching the now darkened screen of the phone, the depth in Xiao Qimo¡¯s eyes intensified beneath his gold-rimmed sses. Ye Jinwen came huffing and puffing with a load of ingredients and asked obsequiously, ¡°How did it go? Little Mianmian must be looking forward to it, right? These are all top-grade ingredients freshly shipped from abroad today! Kobe beef, foie gras, caviar, giant lobsters¡­ damn, I¡¯m drooling just thinking about it!¡± Xiao Qimo¡¯s expression darkened even more, and he bypassed the pile of ingredients with a cold voice, ¡°She¡¯s tied up, can¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°What? This is unprecedented!¡± What could be more important than a luxury burger feast? Especially when Xiao the Boss himself is cooking! Xiao Qimo clenched his phone silently: He wanted to know too! ¡ª- On the other side, Dongyang took a few more nces at Lu Mian and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask another question. ¡°Boss, who is Director Qimo?¡± Their boss¡¯s social circle wasn¡¯tplex, and this suddenly phoning Director Qimo making a dinner invitation was an unfamiliar character, so naturally, he was curious. Being a driver, he also had the duty of protecting the boss. Although, admittedly, their boss didn¡¯t really need his protection. ¡°Oh,¡± Lu Mian said nonchntly, ¡°He¡¯s our school¡¯s guidance director.¡± Dongyang: A guidance director inviting a student to dinner? That doesn¡¯t sound normal at all! While he was pondering this in his mind, the reflection of the young female boss in the rearview mirror slightly lifted the corner of her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s a good person.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± But something still felt off to him. Dongyang drove Lu Mian to a vi in the suburbs. After checking the surroundings, Lu Mian leisurely got out of the car and walked in. Dongyang withdrew on his own. Lu Mian, familiar with the ce, strolled through the elegant courtyard adorned with Trumpet Creeper, picking a leaf as she went, passed through the foyer, and slouched into the living room. The open kitchen was right next to it; the slim man in a suit and apron looked over, his usually stern features softening with a thin smile, ¡°School¡¯s out!¡± ¡°Handsome Yu,¡± Lu Mian greeted as she tossed her backpack onto the sofa. Putting down her phone and shedding all her guard and distance, shefortably switched to slippers and ambled around the living room. Every so often, she drifted over to the dining bar, casually picking at the ingredients Yuren had prepared, sneakily stuffing them into her mouth. Yuren saw through her actions but said nothing, just smiled. ¡°Yuanyuan should be arriving soon too, right?¡± Yuren asked her. ¡°Yeah, she should be here any minute.¡± ¡°Zero has gone to pick up the cake, will be back shortly.¡± ¡°Zero, always can¡¯t sit still.¡± Lu Mian chuckled lightly. After a few exchanges, the living room settled into silence. But no one felt ufortable ¨C everyone was busy with their own things. More than ten minutester, a slight noise came from the hall, and soon thereafter, Sui Yuan, with a bald head, peered cautiously as he entered. ¡°Herees our little birthday star,¡± Yuren teased. October 22nd. Today was Sui Yuan¡¯s ¡°birthday.¡± The so-called birthday was not really his date of birth but the day Sui Yuan was rescued and reborn. The few of them tacitly considered this day a rebirth, and thus, a birthday. Sui Yuan approached the bar, his shyness mixed with a hint of joy, ¡°Thanks, Old Yu, for going to all the trouble, preparing so much delicious food for us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not often we get together, it¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Sui Yuan then greeted Lu Mian. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Little Baldy, I went to the semifinals today!¡± Lu Mian leaned against the bar, arching her eyebrows, her mischievous demeanor as if seeking praise. Sui Yuan gave her a thumbs up, ¡°Mianmian is so good!¡± ¡°Mianmian is so good!¡± Yuren echoed teasingly. As the three conversed, a cheerfulugh rang out by the door. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Chapter 168 - 167 Long Time No See, I Miss You So Much Chapter 168: Chapter 167 Long Time No See, I Miss You So Much Before they arrived, their voices could be heard. Laughter traveled from the foyer to the living room, and the three people at the bar knew without guessing who it was, all turning their heads to look toward the door. Soon, a slenderdy wearing tight jeans and a ck leather jacket walked in. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om She was carrying a cake box, her waist-length wavy hair tossed back with a flourish as she kicked off her high heels and walked in barefoot. This beauty with the aura of a mature woman was called Ya Ling. She was the same Zero who had been in correspondence with Lu Mian, managing Lu Mian¡¯s potential affairs. Her personality was sunny; she loved to y, make noise, never fearing trouble, and could never sit still. Beneath her wavy locks and delicate makeup, she was actually only 22 years old. Such attire made her look more mature, adding a bit of feminine charm. Beautiful yet not sleazy, yful without being frivolous. Ya Ling nced inside, her lips painted with the most trendy emperor red shade, curving even more brightly. ¡°Everyone is here!¡± With that, Ya Ling put the cake on the coffee table, walked over to the bar, kissed Sui Yuan¡¯s cheek, clicked her tongue at Yuren, and finally settled next to Lu Mian. Sheughed unrestrainedly, leaned her shapely figure closer, draping an arm over Lu Mian¡¯s shoulder and hooked her finger under the young girl¡¯s chin. ¡°Mian, it¡¯s been so long, I really missed you!¡± Sui Yuan covered her mouth and giggled. Here we go again, Zero is starting her ¡°troublemaking¡± again. Yuren couldn¡¯t bear to look, focused on chopping vegetables, knife up and down. Lu Mian had a cold and proud demeanor, not too fond of close contact with others. Such intimate gestures would probably get others kicked away, but for Zero and her few friends, she had immense patience and tolerance. She didn¡¯t resist Zero¡¯s closeness and even cooperated by letting out a low, domineering ¡°huh.¡± Ya Ling beamed with a smile. Lu Mian exhaled gently, ¡°Do you want me to bite you?¡± Ya Ling¡¯s smile stiffened. She suddenly remembered her earlier bravado, afterpleting a mission on a whim, she had left a burger wrapped in paper with cat drawings for Guo Shuitian. Lu Mian said, ¡°You did that on purpose.¡± She replied, ¡°Then bite me!¡± s, the girl hadn¡¯t forgotten! When it came to makingebacks, she didn¡¯t even spare her own people. Ya Ling sheepishly smiled and moved even closer to Lu Mian. ¡°Mian, be gentle, okay?¡± Lu Mian softened her features but didn¡¯t take those matters to heart; she naturally leaned in slightly, responding, ¡°Woman, don¡¯t y with fire.¡± The maturedy couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and burst outughing, letting go of Lu Mian. ¡°Mian, you¡¯ve been reading too many romance novels, huh? Remembering all those ssic lines so well.¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± ¡°So, what have you figured out from them?¡± Lu Mian pursed her lips and answered earnestly, ¡°Still working on it.¡± The group shook their heads, sharing a knowing smile. After theughter, Yuren took a break from chopping vegetables to ask Ya Ling, ¡°Give me the pepper salt you bought.¡± Ya Ling raised her eyebrow with a smile, fished out a small bottle from her leather jacket pocket, and tossed it to Yuren. Yuren caught it with precision. Ya Ling was boisterous, but she was reliable when it came to work. The group chatted by the bar for a while longer. Yuren was in charge of cooking, Yuanyuan assisted, and Ya Ling was responsible for keeping the atmosphere lively. Lu Mian just watched themugh, asionally stealing a cherry tomato or a slice of cucumber. When caught, Yuanyuan would puff her cheeks and pretend to be angry like a little monk, encouraging Lu Mian to be even more brazen with her snacking. They were like siblings in a family, chatting andughing without any awkwardness, sincere and open. Though, one person was still missing. Chapter 169 - 168 Mutual Hurt Chapter 169: Chapter 168 Mutual Hurt Lu Mian liked this feeling. The warmth she had longed for since childhood, which she hadn¡¯t gotten from her family, but had found among thesepanions. Even with all the hardships she once faced, she still felt herself very lucky. It was just that¡­ Their identities were somewhat unique, and being able to gather in Wucheng was already hard toe by, nobody wanted to disturb this equilibrium they had found or to attract unwanted attention, so they had to limit the frequency of their get-togethers. Therefore, each of these gatherings was something Lu Mian cherished deeply. Come rain or shine, no matter what, as long as they were there, she would be as well. Yuren was skilled in the kitchen and worked quickly, a stack of delicate dishes was ced in attractive tes, all set. Ya Ling watched him take off his apron and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Old Yu, back in the day you were a young and sessful CEO. Time flies, and now you¡¯re confined to this corner of the world, cooking and brewing soup.¡± Yuren¡¯s hand paused as he put down the apron, a deep emotion shed across his lean cheeks then quickly dissipated. ¡°Now, it¡¯s pretty good.¡± The sparkling life he had before he turned 23 was like a joke. It was only after the kidnapping case that he saw everything clearly. Yu¡­ the Fool. He had been a fool for 23 years, and for the rest of his life, he just wanted to be the free Yuren. Even though the subject was somewhat heavy, Yuren didn¡¯t take it to heart but instead looked at Ya Ling with a gentle smile. ¡°Are we at the part where we hurt each other now? Ya Ling, don¡¯t just talk about me. When I first met you, you hadn¡¯t even taken off your white coat, still a beautiful andposed surgeon. Now¡­ I guess you don¡¯t even know how to hold a scalpel anymore, huh?¡± Ya Ling stood with her hands on her hips, her smile full of mischief as herrge eyes locked onto Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan¡¯s little head cowered. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about Yuanyuan! Hahaha, such a pity for her long, ck waterfall of hair. She was so pretty and soft before, and now, she¡¯s just Little Baldy! Although she¡¯s still quite cute¡­¡± Sui Yuan puffed up in annoyance, ¡°Ya Ling, there you go again! If we¡¯re hurting each other, let¡¯s do it then¡ªand I¡¯ll say this, do you dare to recall the scene of when the five of us first met?!¡± Yuren: ¡°¡­¡± Ya Ling: ¡°¡­¡± All three of them collectively turned to look at Lu Mian, even more sheepish. Lu Mian spread her hands, her voiceced with an appealingughter, ¡°Continue, you guys!¡± The three of them immediately fell into a chaotic recollection. Back then, they were all victims abandoned by their families, fearing the consequences of their kidnappings, silently nursing the wounds inflicted by their supposed loved ones. It was a time in their lives when they were suffering from major blows and naturally had little patience for anyone. The five of them were not harmonious in the beginning; they even found each other disagreeable. Later on, they even sparked a fight¡­ N?v(el)B\\jnn They didn¡¯t want to remember the details; anyway, Lu Mian ended up winning. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The three of them finally gave up on recalling those memories, their hairs standing on end. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Ya Ling personally put an end to the topic she had stirred up. Everyone automatically picked up their tes and headed towards the dining room, the four of them in sync not to wait for the fifth member. Sui Yuan muttered under her breath, ¡°He¡­ he still can¡¯t return, huh¡­¡± Ya Ling hugged herfortingly, fists clenched with a forceful tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, the ungrateful wretch! Once I catch him, I¡¯ll pin him down and give him a beating three hundred times over!¡± Although she spoke like this, a fifth set of chopsticks and te were still ced at the table. Chapter 170 - 169: Lu Mian Lost in Thought (Extra) Chapter 170: Chapter 169: Lu Mian Lost in Thought (Extra) The four people looked at each other and took their seats. Yuren and Ya Ling were busy setting out the dishes. Lu Mian slightly tilted her head, looking towards the only empty seat, momentarily lost in thought. The chopsticks, um¡­ She twirled a lock of hair by her ear with her index finger, while the other hand spun a chopstick. She suddenly remembered that she seemed to have bought two packs of chopsticks from the supermarket before, so why couldn¡¯t she find them afterward? ¡°Mianmian?¡± Yuren waved his hand in front of her: ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lu Mian immediately came back to her senses, replying earnestly, ¡°Oh, I was thinking about how to beat that guy up three hundred times.¡± Ya Lingughed until he bent backward: ¡°With Brother Mian here, I have got someone to back me up!¡± ¡°Zero, Mianmian is a girl, you should change the way you speak.¡± Yuren said helplessly. Ya Ling smiled coquettishly, looking across: ¡°Brother Mian, do you think I should change?¡± Lu Mianid out her napkin methodically and gave her an indulgent wink: ¡°As long as you are happy.¡± The other three: ¡­ In fact, Lu Mian was the youngest among them, and they all wanted to spoil their little sister. But in reality, they were the ones being pampered and cared for by the young girl. This feeling was both joyful and helpless. Yuren shook his head and looked at the table full of dishes, finding his sense of worth again, and pushed the burger te towards Lu Mian, ¡°It¡¯s all yours.¡± Ya Ling and Sui Yuan didn¡¯tpete either. But this time, Lu Mian unusually didn¡¯t touch them, she even looked away after a few nces, deep in thought. This left Yuren¡¯s heart cold; could it be that even his worth in cooking was gone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, not feeling hungry?¡± Yuren noted that Lu Mian had been distracted quite often tonight. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Lu Mian waved her hand, ¡°No, I¡¯m just not very hungry yet.¡± Probably realizing she had been distracted, Lu Mian felt a bit guilty and quickly changed the subject, ¡°Today is Yuanyuan¡¯s birthday, let¡¯s get some alcohol!¡± As she said this, she moved to find a drink in the liquor cab. Alcohol?! Ya Ling, Sui Yuan, and Yuren were instantly horror-stricken, jumping out of their seats with the speed of their lives, blocking the doors, intercepting Lu Mian, hiding the alcohol. ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian pursed her lips, self-reflecting: ¡°Am I that disliked for my poor tolerance?¡± The three people pursed their lips. It¡¯s not that you have poor tolerance; you have a bad drunk personality! You have no sober awareness of yourself! Of course, they dare not say this, for after all, even if they did, Lu Mian would not admit it! They had to record a video of her drinking one day to let her see for herself how she was when drunk! Yuren pacified her back to sit down: ¡°We rarely get together; let¡¯s talk more.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± The three of them dodged a bullet. Ya Ling hurriedly lit the candles on the cake, forcefully diverting Lu Mian¡¯s attention: ¡°Yuanyuan, make a wish!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Sui Yuan happily agreed, the candlelight reflecting in her pupils while she solemnly looked at her close friends who had been through thick and thin, put her hands together and closed her eyes. A soft and leisurely ¡°Happy Birthday¡± song rang in her ears. After a while, she finished making her wish, and the four of them helped blow out the candles. ¡°Yuanyuan, this is the gift I¡¯ve got for you!¡± Ya Ling handed her a big box. Sui Yuan opened it to find a pair of boxing gloves. ¡°Sister wishes you can be brave. If anyone troubles you, don¡¯t hesitate to punch them!¡± ¡°Thank you, Sister Zero.¡± Yuren also presented his gift, ¡°Yuanyuan, you spend a lot of time using your brain. This is a massage helmet that effectively relieves eye and brain fatigue; it¡¯s perfect for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Yu!¡± Finally, it was Lu Mian¡¯s turn. Lu Mian pushed the beautifully prepared gift box over to Sui Yuan. Sui Yuan wanted to open it, but Lu Mian pressed her hand down: ¡°Don¡¯t look yet, wait till I get the spot for the physics cement, and then you can open it.¡± ¡°So secretive¡­¡± ¡°Just listen to me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sui Yuan pouted, epting the gift, and nced at the delicate box again, really wanting to know what was inside¡­ After the gifts were given, everyone prepared to start eating the cake. Ya Ling¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She looked at the caller ID and rolled her eyes: ¡°Tsk, the heartless one is calling!¡± Chapter 171 - 170 What’s going on with you two? Chapter 171: Chapter 170 What¡¯s going on with you two? The phone was constantly ringing. Ya Ling casually flicked her long hair, nced at Lu Mian, then looked at the other twopanions, silently asking whether to answer it or not. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Sui Yuan was softhearted and gave a weak nod. Yuren was an old stick-in-the-mud and remained stoic. The final decision still fell on Lu Mian. Lu Mian dipped her chopsticks into the birthday cake, getting a bit of cream which she savored at the edge of her lips. It was only when the ringing was about to cut off automatically that she spoke leisurely. ¡°Answer it.¡± Only after she spoke did the atmosphere around the table liven up a bit. Ya Ling clicked her tongue, answered the call, and switched to speakerphone. A low, deliberately restrained male voice came from the other end. ¡°Ya Ling, it¡¯s me¡ª¡± Ya Ling replied coldly, ¡°I know it¡¯s you. What do you want?¡± ¡°¡­ Wish Yuanyuan a happy birthday for me. I¡¯ll make up for her birthday giftter!¡± Sui Yuan quietly responded with a ¡°sure,¡± unsure whether the other party could hear. ¡°Anything else?¡± Ya Ling continued. There was a pause on the other end, the voice sounding somewhat hollow: ¡°Is she¡­ there?¡± They all knew who ¡®she¡¯ was referring to. Ya Ling was the kind who loved to stir up excitement; a mischievous expression yed across her grinning face, ¡°She¡¯s right in front of me. I¡¯ve got it on speaker.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The other side went quiet for more than ten seconds, ending with the person sighing deeply in the end. ¡°I have other things to handle, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± The brief call ended. Ya Ling spat disgustingly at the screen. This heartless jerk, just a few words in a phone call, not knowing that everyone was actually very¡­ Forget it. He had his own thoughts. After putting away her phone, Ya Ling looked up to see Lu Mian slightly distracted, blinked curiously, and asked, ¡°Mian bro, what¡¯s actually going on between you two?¡± Sui Yuan and Yuren were also curious. All four of them were rescued at different times. After severing ties with their own families, they all tacitly ended up in Mianmian¡¯s hometown. This was another form of support andpanionship. Only that person had chosen a different path from theirs. They weren¡¯t using him, they were just worried about him. When Lu Mian noticed the burning curiosity in their eyes, he nonchntly took a bite of the cake and innocently shook his head. ¡°Nothing at all¡­¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± Since Lu Mian wasn¡¯t telling, they didn¡¯t press further, confident that nothing major could happen. The bond between the five of them had been tested by life and death; such trifles wouldn¡¯t affect them. After the call was disconnected, just as Ya Ling set down the phone, it buzzed several more times. Yuren, like the head of the family, sternly remarked, ¡°Ya Ling, your business is too busy.¡± ¡°Old Yu, don¡¯t wrong me. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m busy, it¡¯s clearly Mian bro!¡± As she spoke, she opened her phone to check, and chuckled, ¡°Someone is desperate to join the stock group, insisting on applying the whole day.¡± After saying this, she was still puzzled, ¡°I definitely kicked that person out, and I don¡¯t know how he got the group number again¡­¡± ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Facing Ya Ling¡¯s puzzled look, Lu Mian smiled faintly and leisurely said, ¡°I gave it to him.¡± Ya Ling: ¡­ You¡¯re the boss; what you say goes! However, since it was Mian bro who allowed it, she suddenly had a ¡°wonderful¡± idea. Yuren was unaware of her n, and simply gave a straightced admonition, ¡°Just permanently block that kind of person, to avoid the hassle.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ya Ling threw her wavy hair back in a bold gesture and smiled seductively, ¡°I have my ns¡­¡± Chapter 172 - 171: The Box at the Doorstep Chapter 172: Chapter 171: The Box at the Doorstep Yuren and Sui Yuan saw her like that and knew someone was about to be out of luck. Oh well, it¡¯s just that Zero has always had a knack for stirring up trouble. They had a fairly good guess as to who the unlucky one was. Sui Yuan shared a ss with Su Jue, and given that Su Jue had brazenly dined at MM Ji Restaurant, they didn¡¯t need to think hard to figure out who it was. Before doing anything, Ya Ling consulted Lu Mian¡¯s opinion, ¡°Mian bro, do you agree?¡± ¡°Whatever makes you happy.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ya Ling enthusiastically blew Lu Mian a flying kiss, feeling reassured, ¡°Love you, love you!¡± This person named ¡°Yao Jue,¡± actually named Su Jue, was truly loathsome. Using someone else¡¯s identity to sneak into the stock group and leaking information, he was leading others to buy stocks secretly. Everything he did vited the stock group¡¯s management rules. Kicking him out was already letting him off easy. Yet he was shamelessly persistent, and this time, his reason for requesting to join the group was: to report Lu Mian! She almost diedughing at that reason! This time, she was determined to deal with Su Jue properly! Today, Lu Mian wasn¡¯t feeling well and hadn¡¯t eaten much, having nibbled at only half a hamburger. Yuren noticed and couldn¡¯t settle down all evening. After the birthday party, even though it wasn¡¯tte, they all had to leave separately. When will the daye when they can gather openly and freely? Perhaps only when they hadpletely uncovered the true culprits behind the kidnapping case, destroyed theirir, could they be truly free. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Sui Yuan and Ya Ling left one after the other. Lu Mian sat quietly for a while before deciding to head back as well. Yuren walked Lu Mian to the door, where a night breeze made it slightly chilly. He instinctively zipped up her school uniform all the way and then took off his own suit jacket, draping it over her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s chilly at night, wear it on your way back,¡± he said. Lu Mian nced at the clothes on her body, still carrying Yuren¡¯s unique cool scent, and smiled, ¡°Okay. You too should rest early, Handsome Yu!¡± The girl turned and left. Yuren paused, then suddenly reached out to stop her. Facing the girl¡¯s slightly puzzled gaze, Yuren carefully chose his words, speaking seriously, ¡°Mianmian, is there any issue between you and that Mr. Xiao?¡± ¡°Xiao Qimo?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuren looked up slightly to the starless night sky, ¡°You know, he¡¯s investigating you. Thest time you told me to leak some information, I let out that you¡¯re the owner of MM Ji Restaurant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Mian blinked rapidly, Handsome Yu had released that piece of information? ¡°Alright¡­¡± Although she was resigned, she remained calm. ¡°But Mianmian, my gut tells me that he¡¯s not only a member of the Xiao Family, so be careful,¡± he insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m aware.¡± Yuren looked up at the dark night sky, at her bright and burning eyes, and sighed slightly in his heart. He hoped he was just overthinking it. ¡ª¡ª Lu Mian returned to Jin Cheng No. 1. She exited the elevator with a nk expression. Since she moved softly, the motion-detecting lights in the hallway didn¡¯t turn on. In total darkness, her gaze lightly swept past the neighbor¡¯s door. After a fleeting pause, she looked away quickly. She headed resolutely toward her own door. As she approached the security door, she noticed a square box by her doorstep, barely visible in the faint light. She narrowed her eyes, her whole body in a defensive stance, her senses sharply scanning the surroundings, ready for action at any moment. She took a step back and used the tip of her foot to kick off the box lid. As the lid hit the ground, the hallway light came on. She looked down slightly and when she saw what was inside the box, her entire strength seemed to drain away instantly, Lu Mian was frozen in ce. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!