Li Bingqing walked over to Su Yunian's desk.
She smiled sweetly at Lu Chi, who sat in the inner row. "Lu Chi, this break is pretty long. Let's go for a walk on the sports field."
Thinking of their plan, Lu Chi nodded.
He rose from his seat and said to Su Yunian, "School beauty Su, sorry for the trouble, but could you let me through? I need to step out."
Su Yunian glanced at Li Bingqing, then stood expressionlessly to let Lu Chi pass.
Lu Chi and Li Bingqing left the classroom together.
Their classmates' chatter rose behind them.
"Aaaah! Fuck! Fuck!"
"What's going on?"
"Li Bingqing and Lu Chi..."
"...What the fuck is going on?!"
"Don't tell me those two are together?"
"Huh? No way. When did they get so close..."
Su Yunian watched their retreating figures coldly.
Outwardly, she showed no reaction, her face still a glacier that would never thaw.
Inside, however, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.
She wasn't quite sure where that discomfort came from. She just felt uncomfortable.
And a little... sour.
Lu Chi and Li Bingqing deliberately walked very close together as they passed the window of Class 1, Grade 12 next door.
Their aim was to let Lu Jiyang see them acting "intimate" and make him think they had gotten together.
Hadn't Lu Jiyang wanted to use a honey trap against him? Then he would pretend to fall for it and give him something to celebrate.
Sure enough, after Lu Chi and Li Bingqing passed the window of Class 1, Grade 12 and headed downstairs shoulder to shoulder, Lu Jiyang, who had been sitting on a desk chatting with his classmates, shot to his feet.
He rushed to the door in a few long strides, watching their retreating figures with the corners of his mouth curling up.
Great! As long as these two don't study hard, Lu Chi won't get in, and then my chance will come!
Although I'm a reborn son of destiny and Lu Chi can't possibly compare to me, I still have to play it safe. I mustn't let him lie low and grow!
Every possibility has to be strangled in its cradle! In this life, the Lu family's fortune can only be mine! Mine!
While all that drama played out inside his head, Lu Jiyang feigned surprise and asked the classmates beside him:
"Was that Lu Chi just now? And Li Bingqing?"
"When did those two get so close?"
"Haha, could there be a story there?"
Several classmates craned their necks to look outside along with Lu Jiyang. One said, "There might be!"
Another said, "What's the big deal? They're just two classmates who happened to walk together. Don't let your imagination run wild."
Lu Jiyang nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Just two classmates going downstairs together. No big deal. Let's get back to our seats."
Lu Chi and Li Bingqing ran two laps around the sports field, then returned to the classroom shoulder to shoulder.
Believing his plan had succeeded, Lu Jiyang was inwardly jubilant.
Back in the classroom, Lu Chi again asked Su Yunian to let him through so he could return to his seat in the corner.
Only after Lu Chi asked twice did Su Yunian reluctantly stand.
Her stunning face wore an icy expression.
Even the air around her turned bitterly cold.
Lu Chi was a little puzzled. Who had made this iceberg beauty angry?
But he couldn't be bothered to concern himself with it. He went back to sleeping with his head on the desk.
At long last, the school day broke for lunch.
Lu Chi left the classroom and headed toward the school gates with Li Bingbing.
Without warning, school beauty Su Yunian walked straight between the two of them, looking very angry.
Li Bingqing asked Lu Chi, "Your deskmate looks unhappy. Did you upset her?"
Lu Chi shook his head. "Why would I bother that little iceberg? She's got such a weird temper."
The little iceberg Su Yunian, walking ahead of them: "..." You're the one with a weird temper! Your whole family is weird!
She huffed and quickened her pace.
Lu Chi: "..."
They continued toward the school gates.
Lu Chi asked Li Bingqing, "How's your dad doing now?"
Li Bingqing sighed helplessly. "His life was saved, but he'll never be able to walk on his legs again."
Lu Chi comforted her. "It's okay. As long as he made it out alive."
Li Bingqing nodded.
Just then, someone called from behind, "Bingqing! Bingqing!"
Lu Chi knew who it was without turning around.
That little white flower Zhao Feifei, of course!
Li Bingqing turned, and Zhao Feifei soon caught up.
Though she wore her school uniform, she had light makeup on her face.
Every gesture, every frown and smile made her look like someone who was no easy customer.
"Bingqing, are you going to the hospital today? I don't want to go home at noon. I want to come with you to see your dad."
The moment Zhao Feifei approached, she spoke in a cloyingly sweet voice.
When she saw Lu Chi, she even gave him a shy smile, throwing flirtatious looks around indiscriminately.
"Oh, Lu Chi, you're here too! Do you want to come with me to visit Bingqing's dad?"
What Lu Chi hated most was this kind of damned green tea, pestering Li Bingqing every day.
Her intentions were far from innocent.
Lu Chi couldn't even be bothered to answer Zhao Feifei. He quickened his pace and left.
Given the cold shoulder, Zhao Feifei's face flushed red and then pale.
She stamped her foot at Lu Chi's retreating back.
Inside, she began cursing.
Hmph! What's he acting so high and mighty for? He's just a country bumpkin found in the slums. I say a few words to him, and he thinks he's somebody?
Pah! Once I get Lu Jiyang to toy with Su Yunian's feelings, then get engaged to Lu Jiyang in college, I'll make you pay!
At the school gates, Lu Chi's driver had already arrived in the Rolls-Royce to pick him up.
Lu Jiyang's driver had also arrived in his Bentley.
Whenever the two cars were parked together for comparison, Lu Jiyang felt especially bitter.
He wished he could drive Lu Chi out of the Lu family and become the one sitting in the back of the Rolls-Royce himself.
When they got home, the rest of the family was out.
Only their second sister, Lu Qingru, and the servants were there.
Lu Qingru was sitting on the sofa, cracking sunflower seeds as she watched television.
When she saw Lu Chi and Lu Jiyang come home,
Lu Qingru ignored Lu Chi entirely and greeted Lu Jiyang.
"Jiyang, you're back from school?"
Lu Jiyang eagerly trotted over, sat beside Lu Qingru, and turned to give her a hug.
He said coaxingly, "Mm-hmm, Second Sister, I missed you~ Aren't you busy today?"
Lu Qingru grabbed a small handful of sunflower seeds for Lu Jiyang and said, "Mm-hmm, no events today. I'm taking a day off at home."
The two sat together chatting and cracking sunflower seeds, treating Lu Chi as though he didn't exist.
Lu Chi wasn't angry either. He put down his schoolbag and went to wash his hands in the bathroom.
Auntie Wang had already set out the food and said respectfully, "Second Miss, young masters, lunch is ready."
Lu Chi nodded and sat down at the dining table.
Lu Qingru and Lu Jiyang remained on the sofa chatting and cracking sunflower seeds, as though they hadn't heard Auntie Wang.
Lu Chi paid them no mind. He simply sat at the dining table, picked up his rice bowl, and started eating.
Lu Jiyang pointed toward the dining table and whispered, "Second Sister, look at Brother Lu Chi... he's already eating."
Seeing that Lu Chi hadn't waited for her and Lu Jiyang, Lu Qingru said unhappily, "Just what you'd expect from someone from the slums. He doesn't understand the slightest thing about manners or rules."
Lu Jiyang shot Lu Chi a smug glance, gloating in his eyes.
He wished he could fan the flames higher.
"Don't be angry, Second Sister. Brother Lu Chi didn't mean to start eating without us. He used to be all alone in the slums. There was no one to teach him the rules."
Lu Jiyang's words only made Lu Qingru angrier.