Picking Up the Kid After School

[Shocking! Son of the Chen Group's Chairman Suspected of a Hit-and-Run!]

[Man Drove Drunk Late at Night, Leaving One Dead and One Injured!]

["My Dad Is Chen Qiao!" What Made the Chen Family's Young Heir So Arrogant?]

[...]

Anyone who opened Fish City's local news was bombarded with these reports.

Because of Chen Jiliao's unusual status, the story kept gaining traction, rapidly spreading across the internet.

Even though the Chen Group immediately launched a PR response, it couldn't keep up with the speed at which the news spread.

At last, the PR department realized someone else was fanning the flames behind the scenes.

They tried to quiet things down, but every time they suppressed one story, another popped up. After running themselves ragged, the entire PR department was drenched in sweat, and the stock price kept falling anyway.

In the past, Chen Qiao would definitely have given the entire PR department a vicious tongue-lashing.

Now, though, he really couldn't bring himself to say anything. After all, the person responsible was his own son.

Besides, the shareholders' demands for answers were already enough to leave him overwhelmed.

When Yu Bu'e saw the news, he found it strange.

Just last night, Chen Jiliao had hired an assassin to kill him.

Today, news about his hit-and-run was everywhere.

How could there be such a coincidence?

The first person who came to mind was Luo Feixuan.

During martial arts class, Wu Yang was sweating buckets.

Panting heavily, he took a bottle of water from Yu Bu'e and gulped down half of it.

Over the past few days, Wu Yang had been giving it everything he had, determined to make one final push.

With admission to the Martial Arts Academy drawing near, he naturally wanted to give it his best shot.

Quite a few of their classmates were in the same situation as Wu Yang.

Xu Hu was one of them.

Interestingly, even as they worked hard, they were providing Yu Bu'e with a steady stream of jealousy points.

Before this, Yu Bu'e had been their go-to source of consolation.

So what if I haven't opened all twelve spirit meridians? Aren't I still much better than Yu Bu'e, who only has eight?

That guy practices the Meridian-Opening Fist every day, more diligently than anyone, but hasn't he still gotten nowhere?

Some people might not have said it aloud, but deep down, they saw Yu Bu'e as a joke.

Others would offer him comforting words while he trained. They sounded encouraging, but only they knew what they were really thinking.

Now, however, Yu Bu'e had emerged as a dark horse, shattering everyone's preconceptions time and again and swiftly rising into the Qi Refining Realm.

As they kept sweating through their final push, every thought of Yu Bu'e made jealousy blaze inside them like a raging fire...

Things were fine the way they were. Couldn't you just stay at the bottom? Why did you have to... become someone we could only look up to?

"Yu, just how far have things gone between you and School Belle Luo?" Wu Yang asked curiously as he sat beside Yu Bu'e.

Yu Bu'e glanced at him, looking a little helpless.

"Don't pry into grown-up business."

"Anyway, I think School Belle Luo has fallen head over heels for you," Wu Yang said earnestly.

Yu Bu'e felt a little odd hearing that and couldn't help giving Wu Yang another look.

"What gave you that impression?"

"Don't you think so?" Wu Yang said seriously. "School Belle Luo has always been outstanding, and so many guys like her. But have you ever heard any rumors about her before?

"She's always been completely out of reach. Yet around you, she's like a different person... Anyway, it's a side of her I never even dared imagine."

"Could it be that you just... didn't know much about School Belle Luo before?"

Wu Yang gave him a long look, then shook his head helplessly.

"There's no explaining this to a romantically clueless guy like you!"

"..."

"Oh, right. There's actually something I've always wondered about. Can you let me in on it?" Wu Yang suddenly changed the subject.

"Hmm?"

"Everyone knows School Belle Luo has a special spirit meridian. But what kind is it?" Wu Yang asked.

Yu Bu'e paused, then shook his head.

"How would I know?"

"Come on. You and School Belle Luo are already in that kind of relationship-how could you not know?"

Yu Bu'e looked a little awkward.

True, as School Belle Luo's "boyfriend," he didn't seem to have any excuse for not knowing even that.

But only he knew the truth about their relationship.

"Aren't you curious at all?" Wu Yang pressed.

Yu Bu'e shook his head. "That's her business. Why should I be curious?"

He and Luo Feixuan had certainly talked a great deal lately, but they had always maintained a certain distance. Courteous mutual respect was the best way to describe it.

Just as Luo Feixuan didn't pry into his secrets, he had never thought to ask what kind of spirit meridian she had or what her family connections were...

Seeing Yu Bu'e lost in thought, Wu Yang didn't ask anything else.

Whether Yu Bu'e genuinely didn't know or simply couldn't say, he had no reason to keep pressing.

After martial arts class, Yu Bu'e and Wu Yang were heading back to their classroom. Just as they were about to enter the school building, a familiar voice called from behind them.

When Yu Bu'e turned and saw Song Ziyu's radiant smile, Wu Yang patted him on the shoulder.

"Yu, we may be buddies, but if you're really two-timing them, I'm going to look down on you. Mess around all you want, but don't play with people's feelings!"

Before Yu Bu'e could explain, Wu Yang shot him a meaningful look and left.

Dressed in her school uniform, Song Ziyu walked up to Yu Bu'e, looking a little nervous.

She held a book against her chest, her gaze flitting away as she asked softly, "Um, how were the cookies?

"It was actually my first time making them, so I didn't really know what I was doing. If they weren't good... you can tell me. I'll do better!"

"The cookies?" Yu Bu'e froze for a moment, then slapped his forehead as he remembered. Even his eyes were full of gratitude as he looked at Song Ziyu. "Those cookies were amazing! I'd be dead without them!"

He wasn't joking in the slightest!

When the assassin ambushed him yesterday, Song Ziyu's cookies had blocked a hit, giving him a chance to turn the tables and kill his attacker.

Otherwise, he might very well have been killed instantly!

Even if he hadn't died on the spot, he would have been badly wounded and unable to fight back. Forget killing the assassin-he wouldn't even have lasted until Uncle Qing arrived!

A little surprised, Song Ziyu raised her head and met Yu Bu'e's eyes, deeply touched.

She truly hadn't expected Yu Bu'e to think so highly of the cookies she had made!

Did he really mean he couldn't live without my cookies?

Oh my gosh! That was so direct!

Song Ziyu's heart fluttered wildly, her cheeks turning bright red as she spoke in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

"If you like them... I'll make more for you!"

With that, she turned and ran.

Watching her retreating figure, Yu Bu'e scratched his head.

Wait... more? Is that really necessary?

Surely I can't be unlucky enough to run into an assassin every day?

By the afternoon, rain finally began to fall from the gloomy sky.

Yu Bu'e stared absently at the window, covered in streaks of rain.

Inside a café.

"Miss, it took us so much effort to gather all that material. Releasing it at this point will give that father and son time to come up with a response..."

The woman seated across from Luo Feixuan was about thirty, dressed in a women's suit and looking thoroughly capable.

"We could have waited for the right moment and dealt them a crushing blow. But now... what a waste!"

Luo Feixuan stirred her coffee, her expression calm.

"I only wanted to give him a warning. Besides, this will keep that father and son too busy to think about anything else for a while."

"What do you mean?" the woman asked, puzzled.

Listening to the raindrops tapping against the glass, Luo Feixuan turned her wrist to check her watch, then suddenly stood.

"Sister Qiu, sorry, but I have to go."

"Huh? Where... are you going?"

Luo Feixuan glanced back with a smile.

"To pick up the kid after school. It's raining, and I'm afraid he didn't bring an umbrella."