Pocket Money Didn't Disappear, It Just Changed Hands

For a moment, Yan Yi'an really wanted to pull his hand back.

But he didn't, because in the few seconds he hesitated—

Yan Xianjue had already blinked his huge, sparkling eyes at him, shooting rays of light his way.

Both hands were tightly gripping the edge of the card, as if he were just waiting for Yan Yi'an to let go.

To avoid an unsightly tug-of-war at the entrance to Yan Xianjue's school—

Yan Yi'an let go with an amused smile.

He leaned back against the seat, his posture relaxed and carrying the air of a big shot.

He nodded with certainty. "Pocket money."

Yan Xianjue immediately clutched his chest and staggered back a step with exaggerated acting.

Yan Xianjue had an epiphany again!

[So pocket money doesn't disappear. It just gets transferred from my second brother to me!]

Yan Yi'an: That wasn't wrong, exactly.

*

"Thank you, Big Brother!" Yan Xianjue thanked him decisively, without the slightest embarrassment.

As long as I thanked him fast enough, regret wouldn't catch up to me!

It wasn't that he lacked experience.

It was just that, even after growing up, all his red envelope money and pocket money combined had left him with less than a million in savings.

Though he didn't know how much was on the card, Yan Xianjue didn't think a windfall like this could ever be too small.

[Big Brother is beautiful and kind-hearted! Thank you for the God of Wealth's gift!]

[Such a wonderful big brother must be protected by me!]

[Brother! You're my one and only brother!]

Yan Yi'an: ...

Getting handed a nice-guy card by his own younger brother felt a little strange.

And had he asked Yan Ci what he thought about that?

Looking at Yan Xianjue, whose inner drama was overflowing while his face still maintained a calm, composed smile through his clumsy acting—

Yan Yi'an finally waved a hand helplessly. "You're going to be late."

"Ah!" Yan Xianjue checked his watch and nearly jumped up in panic.

He waved dramatically through the car window, leaving behind a voice that gradually faded into the distance. "I'm going to class first! Don't forget to pick me up tonight!"

*

Yan Xianjue made it into class in the final second before the bell stopped ringing, under the physics teacher's furious glare.

He happily sat down in his seat.

He propped up his textbook to block his face, then carefully took out his phone to check the balance on the card.

A moment later, he covered his mouth, afraid he might accidentally cry out in class.

Five million!!!

There was actually five million!!!

It was no wonder Yan Xianjue was so shocked.

Father Yan and Mother Yan doted on him and transferred pocket money to his card every month without fail.

But they had never given him such a huge amount in one go.

[Big Brother really is the most generous tycoon in this family!]

[And a tycoon like this should be fleeced without mercy!]

Yan Xianjue was immersed in the joy of his unexpected fortune, completely shutting out the outside world.

*

After class—

Yan Xianjue walked down the hallway, intending to use the restroom.

Someone came up from behind and pounced directly onto his back, making Yan Xianjue stagger forward.

"Brother Yan!" At the same time, the person's booming voice rang out. "What were you thinking about during class?"

Without waiting for Yan Xianjue to answer, he continued on his own. "Tsk, tsk. You have no idea how Mediterranean looked at you."

Yan Xianjue dropped one shoulder and used a clever twist to throw the person off his back.

The newcomer wasn't surprised in the least. Used to it, he followed the force and landed at Yan Xianjue's left side.

"Zhou Ye, don't stand so close to me. It's too hot."

This body of his was afraid of heat. Now that the weather was gradually warming up—

While everyone else was still wearing jackets, Yan Xianjue was already wearing nothing but a short-sleeved shirt.

Even so, whenever someone hung off him, he felt like he was overheating and about to suffocate.

"When does he ever look at me kindly?" Yan Xianjue had too many lice to feel itchy and too much debt to worry about.

With his physics grades, he and the physics teacher were simply hurting each other.

*

"Holy shit!" Zhou Ye, walking beside Yan Xianjue, suddenly cried out.

"Isn't that the top student in the grade?"

The DNA carved into Yan Xianjue's bones stirred.

No student raised under exam-oriented education could ever stop being awed by legendary creatures like academic gods.

Especially not someone like him, a learning-impaired student who could barely manage second-tier universities.

He suddenly shook his head. No, what the hell was that?

He clearly didn't care that much about grades in this life.

Grinding himself to death over exams was something from before he had nearly dropped dead.

It seemed that suddenly regaining his memories had indeed affected him.

Yan Xianjue wasn't sure when that influence would disappear—or perhaps blend into his current life.

But at that moment, he followed his heart's yearning gaze toward where Zhou Ye was pointing.

Hmm...

He said in disbelief, "The top student in the grade?"

The person walking toward them was clearly a drenched rat dressed even more lightly than he was!

His wet hair lay limp against his scalp.

It had been washed so thoroughly that Yan Xianjue even suspected the other boy's short-sleeved shirt had turned translucent.

Of course, that might also have been because it was soaked through.

Zhou Ye nodded, confirming that Yan Xianjue hadn't mistaken him. "That's him."

Yan Xianjue opened his mouth, still somewhat incredulous.

Zhou Ye said matter-of-factly, "Sometimes my second uncle drops me off early in the morning, and I see Ji Xi pushing his mom's breakfast cart over before school."

Zhou Ye had a loud voice, a big mouth, and an enthusiasm for gossiping everywhere.

If Yan Xianjue spent sixty percent of his energy at school wrestling with physics, which he simply couldn't understand—

Then Zhou Ye spent seventy percent of his attention digging up gossip.

There was hardly any gossip in the school that he didn't know.

Just as Yan Xianjue's family background wasn't exactly a secret at school—

The equally disheveled top student in the grade was the same.

But the two of them could be considered opposites.

One was the young master of the well-known Yan Household, someone no one dared provoke.

As for Ji Xi's identity as a poor student being exposed, aside from the fact that he hadn't gone out of his way to hide it—

It was mainly due to someone else's malicious amusement.

Yan Xianjue didn't know any of this.

He only blinked and asked, "Then what's with all the water on him? Did he go shower? Did the Top Student Class have PE last period?"

Zhou Ye shook his head and guessed, "Maybe he ran into Lin Shi?"

At the mention of that name, Yan Xianjue immediately felt a reflexive wave of nausea.

Before he could figure out why—

Zhou Ye suddenly brought up something else. "Come to think of it, the rankings from the last exam were posted."

He shrugged. "They do this every time after an exam. Haven't you noticed that the people in their class are already used to it?"

Yan Xianjue frowned. "Isn't that bullying? The school doesn't do anything?"

He remembered that his school's atmosphere didn't seem that bad.

Zhou Ye shrugged casually again. "Things like this can't be avoided."

Even if their school's atmosphere was considered pretty good.

"He was specially admitted after placing first on the high school entrance exam."

"Lin Shi has been kept beneath him ever since they enrolled. He's been second place forever."

"Lin Shi..." Zhou Ye fell silent for a moment, seemingly unable to find an appropriate description. He finally gave up and said, "He's just that awful. He looks down on poor people, and he can't stand that Ji Xi gets better grades than him."

"No way, isn't second place good enough?" Yan Xianjue had never even placed second across both his lives.

"If I got second place on a monthly exam, my dad would pop champagne to celebrate."

Zhou Ye snorted with laughter. Faced with his friend's terrible physics grades, he had nothing to say.

His friend's relationship with physics was like electricity and an insulator: the main principle was, Laozi, stay the hell away from me.

Zhou Ye guessed, "Ji Xi probably doesn't want to cause trouble either."

Yan Xianjue nodded. If that was the reason, he could understand Ji Xi's concerns.

Back when he was in school in his previous life, he had also been careful not to cause trouble.

Other people had parents who would protect them fiercely, while he couldn't even find someone to attend a parent-teacher meeting for him.

As the two passed Ji Xi, Yan Xianjue untied the towel wrapped around his wrist and tossed it over.

Zhou Ye was surprised. "You know him?"

Yan Xianjue wasn't someone who made a habit of meddling in other people's business.

Yan Xianjue rolled his eyes at him. "Wouldn't you know whether I know him?"

But clearly, he had only replied out of habit.

A moment later, he said, "It's not like I'm short one towel."

"He looked like he needed it."

After all, being watched by classmates he saw every day while looking so miserable—wasn't that another form of bullying?

*

Ji Xi held the white towel that had fallen from the sky, his expression blank for a moment.

And the person who had thrown him the towel didn't even turn around to spare him a glance.

Even if that glance had contained pity or indifference, this blatant disregard—

Made him feel as though he were a stray cat passing by who, for once, hadn't been unlucky enough to get kicked by a pedestrian.

Instead, he had encountered a human who didn't like cats and wasn't particularly kind either, who casually clicked his tongue before tossing him a dry towel and telling him to wipe himself clean.

All right, comparing himself to that was strange.

But the situation itself was strange.

For over two years, whenever Lin Shi physically bullied him, other students might sympathize or secretly feel thrilled, but this was the first time he had encountered someone openly opposing Lin Shi.

He was surprised, intrigued, and even a little delighted.

But his good mood didn't last long.

When he returned to the classroom, Lin Shi stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, blocking the way.

"Tsk. Why does the great top student look like a drowned rat?"

Ji Xi looked at him coldly as he asked a question whose answer he already knew.

Lin Shi got angry whenever he saw that face, which remained calm year-round.

Rolling his eyes, he straightened up. His larger, sturdier body radiated pressure as he stepped toward Ji Xi one step at a time.

As their shoulders brushed past each other, Lin Shi suddenly exerted force.

He rammed Ji Xi, sending him stumbling back two steps.

*

A crisp female voice rang out. "Lin Shi!"

"You're bullying people again!"