As soon as the car stopped, the bodyguard in the passenger seat hadn’t even had time to get out when Tao Fengche pushed the door open himself. He couldn’t wait to leave the suffocating space and, without looking back, walked with the other students through the school gates.

Compared to the Maybach, almost full of bodyguards, the school that many students dreaded felt more like a safe haven.

The three bodyguards left in the car didn’t chase after him. The one in the passenger seat rested his right hand on the holster strapped to his left side, while his other hand held his coat slightly closed. He silently watched Tao Fengche’s back as he walked through the gate and disappeared down the school path.

Only when Tao Fengche was completely out of sight did the bodyguard take out his phone and send a message to Sui Yuesheng.

[Cheng Hai]: [Boss, the young master has safely arrived at school.]

A moment later, he received the next instructions.

“Pack up, let’s head back,” Cheng Hai said in a low voice.

The driver pressed the gas pedal, turned the steering wheel, and the Maybach merged back into traffic.

Tao Fengche was completely unaware of everything that had just happened behind him. After escaping the ever-present gaze of the bodyguards, he felt a sense of relief throughout his body, and even the air seemed much fresher.

The brief confrontation with the bodyguards hadn’t lasted long, and although Tao Fengche had chosen to back down in order to make it to class on time, it still delayed him a bit. Leaving later than usual, he also hit the morning rush hour in Jingpu. Usually, he would arrive at school early, but that day, he entered class just as the bell for morning self-study rang.

Even so, as he stepped into the classroom, Tao Fengche habitually scanned the room. Some were busy copying homework, others were trying to catch up on sleep by lying on their desks, and some had already taken out their textbooks to start memorizing vocabulary. Everyone had their own tasks, and the classroom was as chaotic as ever, much like a marketplace.

…except for the fact that Wang Yuan wasn’t there.

Tao Fengche’s gaze briefly passed over the empty seat but he didn’t think much of it—Wang Yuan had been home the night before, still on the phone with him around ten o’clock discussing the latest developments with the accounts. Wang Yuan lived far from the school and hadn’t returned to the dormitory early on Sunday night, so it was entirely possible that he had either overslept or got stuck in traffic.

But as the morning self-study session ended and the bell for the first class rang, with Teacher Feng Hui walking into the classroom, Wang Yuan’s seat was still empty.

Tao Fengche’s gaze flickered between the vacant seat and Feng Hui, feeling a bit anxious. Although international high schools were much more lenient compared to regular ones, attendance was still taken seriously. Missing morning or evening study sessions might be excused, but skipping class without a valid reason was counted as truancy and could even be recorded on one’s file.

…Where was Wang Yuan now? If Feng Hui, a strict teacher, saw his absence and marked him, it might reflect badly on his school record. Even if the mark was eventually removed, it could still affect his college applications.

Tao Fengche couldn’t help but hope Feng Hui wouldn’t notice. But he knew that was unlikely—an empty seat in a full classroom was as obvious as a missing egg in a neatly arranged carton.

Then, to his surprise, Tao Fengche’s eyes widened.

He was sure Feng Hui saw the empty seat, but she acted as if she hadn’t. She stood at the podium and opened the PowerPoint presentation.

This nonchalant attitude toward Wang Yuan’s absence caused a small stir in the class. Feng Hui lifted the chalkboard eraser and knocked it against the board forcefully.

“Looks like everyone’s in good shape today? I thought you’d all be nodding off during the first class on a Monday morning,” Feng Hui smiled. “Since you seem so energetic, let’s play a game of reciting classical Chinese texts. To keep it fair, I’ll use a randomizer on my computer.”

Groans filled the classroom, but Feng Hui ignored them. Glancing at her watch, she said, “You have three minutes to review.”

The sound of pages flipping filled the room. Though Tao Fengche had long memorized the text, he didn’t want to stand out, so he opened his book and silently read through it again. As he did so, the frustration caused by the bodyguards that morning somehow melted away.

While his eyes were on the text, Tao Fengche’s thoughts were elsewhere, still worrying about Wang Yuan. Why hadn’t he come to school yet? Had something happened?

Their hacking of the system to retrieve data, though exploiting an existing loophole and without profit, was technically still illegal, operating in a gray area.

Had he pressured Wang Yuan too much the night before, pushing him to take a risky step?

At this critical time of applying to schools, if Wang Yuan had been caught by cybersecurity authorities, even if the Wang family could pull some strings to get him out, he would still have a criminal record.

If that happened, Wang Yuan’s future would be ruined because of him.

Tao Fengche’s heart grew heavier, and he didn’t even notice Feng Hui calling his student number. It wasn’t until the student behind him, Yan Yi, poked him with a pen cap that he snapped out of it, standing up to recite the passage fluently.

Seeing that he had successfully recited it, Feng Hui didn’t scold him much, only reminding him to stay focused in class before letting him sit down. But the next student wasn’t so lucky.

Cai Hong, who couldn’t recite a single word, was scolded harshly by Feng Hui.

Had this been earlier in the year, Cai Hong would’ve flown into a rage and argued back, but after being beaten by Tao Fengche and “greeted” a few times by the sports students Wang Yuan had sent his way, Cai Hong had learned his lesson.

He hung his head, taking the reprimand. Feng Hui spent almost five minutes scolding him before finally allowing him to sit.

Having spent so much time on the recitations and scolding, there wasn’t enough time left for the forty-minute lesson. Feng Hui had no choice but to extend the class.

When she finally dismissed them, only three minutes remained before the next class. Tao Fengche glanced at the clock on the wall, bit his lip, and decided to run after her.

“Teacher, wait, I have a question!” Tao Fengche blocked Feng Hui in the hallway. “Do you know why Wang Yuan didn’t come to school today?”

His question was direct, and Feng Hui’s answer was equally straightforward: “His parents called to ask for a leave of absence, saying there was something going on at home.”

Tao Fengche was taken aback.

He and Wang Yuan had been close since childhood, and he was well aware of Wang Yuan’s father’s strict parenting style. His father was the type who wouldn’t allow Wang Yuan to take a sick day unless he had a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius. For him to personally call and excuse Wang Yuan from school, could something serious have happened at home?

But there hadn’t been any signs of trouble lately… and if something had happened, why had Wang Yuan been so calm last night?

Suspicious, Tao Fengche pressed further: “Do you know what the specific reason was?”

Feng Hui shrugged. “His parents didn’t say, so I didn’t ask.”

This was an unspoken rule at the school. Since most students came from wealthy families, if they didn’t volunteer details about their leave, teachers wouldn’t pry. As long as a guardian approved, the leave would be granted.

Tao Fengche understood this but realized he wouldn’t get any more useful information from Feng Hui. Just as he was about to leave, she added, “If you’re worried about him, why don’t you just call him? You two are good friends, right?”

Tao Fengche hesitated.

Feng Hui, thinking she’d hit a nerve, was about to launch into a lecture about proper friendships during adolescence when the bell rang, signaling the next class.

Her words were cut off, and she sighed before waving him off. “Go back to class.”

Relieved, Tao Fengche quickly slipped away.

The morning passed both quickly and slowly. Tao Fengche was torn between his concern for Wang Yuan and the fear of disturbing him or his family if something serious had indeed happened. In his indecision, the morning slipped away.

Tao Fengche was well-liked. Although Wang Yuan was his closest friend, he had many others too. After lunch with a few classmates, some invited him to the club room to watch a movie, but Tao Fengche, after thinking it over, declined.

“Go ahead, I still have something to do.” He gave a somewhat apologetic smile, then parted ways with them at the cafeteria entrance.

The school didn’t strictly require students to stay in the classroom for lunch breaks, and not all boarding students returned to the dormitory for a nap either. There were students freely moving around the school everywhere, and on the more secluded paths, there were couples holding hands, stepping on ginkgo leaves.

Tao Fengche was strolling on the playground to aid digestion. By the time he had walked the third lap, he couldn’t hold back anymore and went to the quiet area behind the stage to call Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan was a serious internet addict, always glued to his phone. Even when sleeping, he would pick up the call within five rings at most. But this time, Tao Fengche waited until the call was about to hang up automatically before Wang Yuan finally answered.

—If he had been a second slower, Tao Fengche would have hung up and decided to call later.

“Hello, Tao Ge, are you looking for me?” Wang Yuan yawned, his voice heavy with sleepiness.

Wang Yuan’s voice didn’t sound like he had been arrested by the police, nor like something had happened at home, which allowed Tao Fengche to relax a bit. “Did I disturb your sleep?”

“No…” Wang Yuan said, yawning again.

Seeing this, Tao Fengche quickly got to the point: “I’ll keep it short. Why didn’t you come to school today?”

“Huh?” Wang Yuan was momentarily stunned, his voice full of confusion, as if he hadn’t quite grasped the situation. The next second, his voice turned full of grievance as he spoke, “Why else? I’ve been busy… Didn’t you give me work to do, Tao Ge?”