Chapter 25

At this point, Jiang Muti couldn’t help but question how this person even became the male lead.

She remembered that in the original novel, by the time the story reached the adult arc, this guy had transformed into a completely domineering CEO. Although this CEO seemed to have plenty of free time, spending it on multiple breakups and makeups with the female lead, leaving their romantic storyline tangled.

But after arriving in this world, Jiang Muti, observing from the sidelines, felt that the logic in the novel was somewhat automatically completed in reality.

For instance, Qiao Yuqi would eventually become a big star, and it wasn’t just out of thin air. Behind the scenes, a combination of talent, hard work, and opportunity was essential.

So why was it that when it came to Zhou Lu, normal logical patterns just didn’t apply?

But then again, in romance novels, it seemed that the intelligence and emotional intelligence of the male lead were often treated as separate calculations.

It was like those powerful figures in the business world who, despite their achievements, would end up in misunderstandings with the female lead due to the villain’s small scheming.

With that thought in mind, Jiang Muti concluded that Zhou Lu’s current foolishness was indeed the standard cliché of romance novels.

She thought to herself, lucky for her, she wasn’t interested in the male lead. If she were playing the role of a vicious supporting female character trying to sow discord, based on Zhou Lu’s current behavior and his reactions to the male lead, she’d almost be close to a complete victory.

Not to mention successfully breaking them up—at the very least, with a little push, she could make them separate.

So she earnestly told Zhou Lu, “Let me give you some advice: from now on, don’t trust other girls too much, even if they sound reasonable, especially those who don’t get along with your girlfriend. That’s just asking for trouble, so remember this.”

Zhou Lu frowned and looked at her. “I know what you mean. Do you think I’m stupid? I only think you’re able to objectively analyze my situation because you have no interest in me.”

“And you’re such a peculiar person, good at going against others. I think even if you can’t come up with a permanent solution, at least you can help me stall while I’m in this tough spot.”

“Go on, what’s your plan? I’ll decide if it works or not.”

Here it came—he’s stupid, but in certain ways, he had a strong judgmental logic. If she said he was smart, though—

That would be a lie.

Jiang Muti chuckled. “No, don’t act like it’s my duty to fix this for you. You’re saying I should offer solutions, but whether you use them or not, that’s up to you.”

“Who are you commanding? Do you think I’m your cleaning maid? If you want to act all high and mighty, maybe you should first consider what benefits you’ve given me that would make me listen to you.”

“Yesterday, I was just really annoyed with you, so I couldn’t help but say a couple of things. Do you really think anyone’s so eager to watch the drama between you two? It’s so irritating. I still have homework to finish. Please, let me focus on being a student first.”

Zhou Lu waved it off casually. “Don’t worry, I never make anyone work for me for free.”

“Clothes, jewelry, sports cars, yachts—whatever you want, just name your price.”

Jiang Muti sneered. “You act like I’m dying to have all of that. Instead of wasting my time, you should probably be more worried about whether your family will go after Li Xi and offer her five million to make her break up with you.”

“Tsk tsk! Actually, with your type of girlfriend who’s all about the money, fifty thousand would probably be enough to get rid of her, and you wouldn’t lose out.”

Zhou Lu choked, about to explode, but then paused, thinking. “Wouldn’t the old folks go that low, though?”

He said, uncertain, “Hmm, no, I’ll still be cautious. Can’t underestimate their tactics. Anyway, I’ll take it one step at a time.”

“You’re doing well. First, help me figure out what direction they might come at me from. Once I block off all the paths, I can think about how to fight back.”

As he spoke, Zhou Lu walked away with a satisfied expression, leaving Jiang Muti completely confused about what had just happened.

She had never encountered someone so self-absorbed, making decisions and setting up a partnership without consulting anyone.

The key point was, what business did she have cooperating with him? Was she involved in any way? She couldn’t care less about the male and female leads’ troubled romantic journey.

She was thinking that next time this guy approached her, she’d just treat it like he was looking for trouble and speak her mind without any restraint.

Only then did Jiang Muti dial Ji Feishi’s number.

Ji Feishi and Yun Cheng weren’t in the same class, and since it wasn’t yet noon, he hadn’t seen Yun Cheng that day and didn’t know anything was off with him.

When he saw the incoming call during the break, he was actually quite happy. They had just exchanged numbers yesterday, and now today, he was the one getting in touch.

His lips involuntarily curled up, and when he picked up the phone, he said, “Why are you calling during break? The surroundings are noisy, and the time is short.”

Jiang Muti didn’t mind his preachy tone and quickly said, “I’ll make this short. This morning, before Yun Cheng left, he seemed off emotionally. I’m worried he might get hurt or confused, so please keep an eye on him. Make sure to bring him back tonight, thanks.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Feishi no longer focused on his own small, lighthearted thoughts and quickly became serious. “Got it! I’ll go check on them in the classroom right now.”

He didn’t hang up, though, and continued asking, “Wasn’t everything fine yesterday evening?”

Jiang Muti hesitated to share the full reason, so she just vaguely replied, “There’s something at home, but don’t worry, it won’t really affect him. It’s just that he’s probably feeling down for a while.”

Ji Feishi didn’t press further. By this time, he had already arrived at the entrance of Yun Cheng’s classroom. When he saw Yun Cheng’s behavior, his expression froze, and all his worries immediately vanished.

Yun Cheng was hanging out with a few guys at the back of the classroom, having a contest to see who could throw nuts the most accurately.

The problem was, they weren’t aiming for a trash bin or anything else. They were throwing them into each other’s mouths.

There was a poor excuse for commentary beside them: “Now, it’s contestant number four, Yun Cheng, former basketball team member, with great vision, strength, and reflexes. As soon as he steps onto the field, the other contestants are intimidated by his presence.”

“Alright, he’s making his move! He’s lifting his arm, like a leopard ready to pounce. That sharp gaze—will he break the record of three consecutive hits by contestant number two? He’s thrown it, thrown it—”

“Oh no! Too bad, the bullet missed its mark and went straight for the target’s… nostrils.”

The student who had volunteered to be the target immediately pulled the peanut out of his nose and cursed, “You have some accuracy, huh? How am I supposed to eat now?”

Yun Cheng, proud of his MVP status, lifted his chin. “Throwing into such a big target like your mouths, doesn’t that mean you guys are on the same level as me? This is just bullying you all, so I made it harder for myself.”

His arrogant attitude earned him the ire of his friends, and they mobbed him, giving him a good beating.

These guys were in their final year of high school, but their behavior was more fitting for third graders in elementary school, pulling off childish stunts like this.

Meanwhile, Jiang Muti was on the phone with Ji Feishi, who had been silent for a while. She grew anxious, thinking something had gone wrong with Yun Cheng, and quickly asked, “What’s going on? Is he okay?”

Ji Feishi found explaining too silly, so instead, he simply switched to video call, letting Jiang Muti watch the scene for herself.

Jiang Muti watched for a while, then fell silent. After a long pause, she said, “This guy keeps bragging about how girls confess to him. Which girls are so clueless?”

Ji Feishi replied, “That’s beyond the scope of this conversation. Next topic.”

Jiang Muti laughed with amusement. “Well, as long as he’s fine, thanks for your help.”

Just as she was about to hang up, she heard Ji Feishi say, “That’s it? Just like this?”

Jiang Muti was confused. She looked back at her phone screen and noticed the awkwardness and dissatisfaction on the other end, as though some expectation had been disappointed.

Then, trying to cover it up, she said, “It’s nothing, just being used as a remote errand runner. This is the first time.”

Jiang Muti laughed. “How does it feel, the first time?”

She immediately realized that she was being a bit cheeky. Sure enough, Ji Feishi paused for a moment, and she could almost hear the awkward flush of embarrassment on his face.

The two awkwardly ended the call.

Jiang Muti reminded herself not to act so thoughtlessly around him, but at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a bit smug.

She put her phone away. The break was over, so she’d have to wait until after the next class to go upstairs and check on Yun Duo.

However, Yun Cheng’s behavior really surprised her. Yun Duo was upset to that extent, yet he seemed perfectly fine.

Since both siblings had returned home together last night, there shouldn’t have been a problem where Yun Duo knew something but Yun Cheng didn’t.

Yun Cheng usually appeared carefree, but he was actually someone who valued emotions deeply. Jiang Muti couldn’t understand it completely, but she thought it was a good thing that someone who cared for their children didn’t get entangled in unnecessary troubles.

She couldn’t figure out the cause but knew that understanding it wasn’t necessary.

After class, she almost immediately left the classroom and made her way to the third floor to Yun Duo’s classroom.

Although they were in the same grade, for some reason the classrooms were several floors apart.

When Jiang Muti arrived at the classroom door, she saw Yun Duo sitting in front of a book, staring blankly into space.

She glanced at the blackboard and saw that it was an English class, but the book in front of Yun Duo was a math book.

It was surprising that in this zombie-like state, she hadn’t been scolded by the teacher for not paying attention.

Just as Jiang Muti was about to enter, she saw a girl collecting the answer sheets and walking over to Yun Duo’s desk. She called out a few times, but Yun Duo didn’t respond.

The girl was immediately irritated, and, holding the pile of collected papers, slammed them down heavily on Yun Duo’s desk.

“Are you deaf? I called you three times! You still need me to ask again to turn in your paper?”

Yun Duo had much better relationships with her classmates than Jiang Muti had in the past.

Seeing this, a student nearby quickly intervened, “She didn’t hear you, what’s the big deal? Why are you slamming the desk and yelling? I didn’t even notice your voice, don’t pick on her.”

The girl sneered. “Of course, I have to ask three times to collect an assignment. Should I just talk to you next time, and then you can pass it on to the young lady, and when she agrees, I’ll come collect it?”

“Who are you being sarcastic with?” Yun Duo’s deskmate was also annoyed. “You’re just making a fuss for no reason, why don’t you admit it?”

The girl’s face turned ugly. In fact, there was no direct conflict between them. It was just that Yun Duo was pretty, had a good temperament, and performed well academically, so she was liked by both boys and girls in the class.

At this age, it was normal for some girls to develop crushes, and this girl had once pursued a boy who had shown interest in Yun Duo. So naturally, she wasn’t fond of Yun Duo.

Fuming with embarrassment, the girl snapped, “Don’t rush to defend her, acting like a big servant—oh no, wait, a servant is more proper than you.”

“Always following that one person in Class One, running errands, carrying bags, and riding in a luxury car to and from school. That’s what real benefits look like, what are you guys even?”

Her sharp and mocking words made everyone around her blush with anger, and then they heard a loud ‘bang.’

Yun Duo slammed her hands on the desk and stood up. She was already tall for a girl, and now, suddenly standing up made her appear much taller than the other girl.

She casually grabbed her answer sheet from the desk and slapped it onto the pile of papers.

Her expression was dark, and it was a stark contrast to her usual lively, easygoing demeanor that made people want to be around her.

For the first time, the classmates saw her face so grim, and it strangely made them feel uneasy.

Yun Duo stared at the girl and coldly said, “I’ve already given you the paper. Are you not leaving?”

Seeing the look on her face, the girl was silenced by the uncomfortable gaze, and she reluctantly gathered her papers and turned to leave.

But after taking just a couple of steps, she tripped. Her papers flew out of her hands, and she instinctively grabbed the corner of a nearby desk to avoid falling. Unfortunately, the papers scattered everywhere, and picking them up felt like an unlucky chore.

The girl angrily looked up and saw the person she had just mentioned, “That one from Class One,” standing nearby, arms crossed, looking down at her embarrassing situation with a sneer.

The girl’s eyes met with that mocking smile, and even the leg she had extended didn’t shy away.

The girl yelled, “What are you doing? That was on purpose!”

Jiang Muti shrugged. “How could it be? Whether it’s intentional or not is a matter of subjective perception. You’re not me, so how could you judge so casually?”

“Can’t you see I’m a grown person?”

“Of course, a lowly maid who needs to report every little thing like handing in a paper doesn’t deserve my attention. As for me, when I go out, I don’t need to watch where I’m going. Someone will always point out the obstacles for me. From what you just said, you seem to understand the rules here, don’t you?”

“You’re going too far—” The girl’s eyes reddened, but news of this person’s actions had already spread throughout the school.

The person who had made the young master, Zhou Lu, retreat step by step was not someone ordinary students should mess with.

To this day, her words were still circulating on the school forum:

“You dare to breathe loudly in a classroom that my family paid to have repaired? Do you have no shame?”

Jiang Muti, however, was too lazy to respond. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you going to pick up the papers? No one is going to help you.”

The girl looked around, and sure enough, no one seemed willing to help. Even her closest friend, who had tried to approach, was given a look that was both mocking and threatening by the person, causing her to shrink back.

In this school, she was almost becoming the second Zhou Lu, a figure people feared.

The girl felt wronged but had no choice but to squat down and pick up the papers, which had scattered so widely that they were difficult to collect from the floor.

At this moment, she heard a sneering laugh from above. “Look at her, squatting down with her butt sticking up, doesn’t she look like a dog?”

If the earlier actions were considered too harsh, this comment was malicious and venomous enough to make anyone lose their composure.

The girl turned around in fury, only to find that the look in the other person’s eyes was even more terrifying.

It was as though this person would coldly watch her die if she were to drop dead right then and there. This made the girl feel an intense sense of fear.

At the same time, she felt incredulous.

Was it really necessary? It was just a few verbal disputes, after all.

Jiang Muti was well aware that when someone’s mental state is on the edge, just a few words can push them over the edge.

So, those who see someone struggling emotionally and still take the opportunity to stir up trouble really need to be prepared for a knife in the back.

It’s simply self-destructive.

When Yun Duo saw Jiang Muti approach, she knew she was worried about her and had inadvertently made her stumble into this mess.

For a moment, she felt both awkward and guilty. She tugged at her hand and said, “Go back, I’m fine. I’m not running around, I’m at school. Why are you worrying so much?”

Jiang Muti had no choice but to ask her deskmate to take good care of her. Yun Duo, feeling even more helpless, agreed.

Her deskmate, having witnessed the legendary tough-talking young lady, was left speechless. One moment she was acting all high and mighty, and the next moment, she was earnestly giving instructions, leaving him in a daze.

After surviving the day, when they finally got home from school, they had the chance to sit down and discuss things properly.

The three of them squeezed into Jiang Muti’s room. Compared to Yun Duo’s gloominess, Yun Cheng was much more cheerful.

It almost seemed like this guy either forgot he had a mother, or worse, he had already forgotten what happened last night by the next day.

Yun Cheng rubbed Jiang Muti’s head and rolled his eyes. “Of course not, I just think it’s meaningless.”

“Anyway, the year she left, I just treated it like I didn’t have a mom anymore,” Yun Cheng continued, his cheerful demeanor turning grim as he spoke. “What’s her game? She hasn’t cared for us for so many years, and now she comes back and says she misses us? Heh! Is international calling that expensive? Can’t she make a call if she misses us?”

“We’re grown up now. We’re not kids with no options. The law can’t even do anything about this. Let her come back, see if I even care.”

Yun Duo felt uneasy hearing her brother speak so coldly. Although her perception of their biological mother had been one of abandonment and unfamiliarity over the years, she still had some old memories of the family of four. She awkwardly said, “Bro—”

Yun Cheng looked at her with a complicated expression, stroked her head, and pulled her into an embrace, as if wanting to say something but holding back.

Jiang Muti noticed this and asked directly, “Is there something we don’t know?”

Yun Cheng didn’t speak, but his attitude clearly indicated an unspoken confirmation.

Yun Duo quickly squirmed out of his embrace and looked at him, “What’s going on?”

But she didn’t get an answer.

Jiang Muti then shoved a can of iced cola onto his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

With a sneer, Jiang Muti said, “Cut it out. You still expect to cover things up like this? Spit it out. Yun Duo is grown up now. There’s no way you can hide things from her forever. Besides, it’s better to say it out loud now so that everyone’s prepared, rather than ending up confused about the situation later.”

Yun Duo added, “Yeah, I’m not some fragile porcelain doll who only hears the good stuff.”

Yun Cheng was helpless and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, “She cheated and divorced.”

“Huh?” Yun Duo looked up in disbelief.

Jiang Muti had some suspicions. If there wasn’t a change of heart, it was rare for a woman with two children to be so ruthless.

Old Yun was gentle and refined, an absolute gentleman. Even if their relationship had fallen apart, as long as they talked things through, a peaceful divorce wouldn’t have been impossible.

Without the preconditions of violence, betrayal, or other grudges, even if they divorced, for the sake of the children, he wouldn’t have drained the family’s wealth, right?

Yun Cheng gritted his teeth and said, “Do you remember? At that time, Dad had just been working here for less than two years and couldn’t often come home. During that time, there was an uncle who frequently came to our house to hang out.”

He sneered, “Later, when they were discussing the divorce in the middle of the night, I overheard. That woman used our custody as leverage, taking the house and money Dad had worked hard for.”

“Because when it comes to custody, the mother naturally has an advantage, and Dad’s job kept him away from home. If she really made a fuss, she’d probably win. So, Dad gave up the property to keep us.”

“In other words, we were sold out by her long ago. What’s there to miss or feel sad about for someone like that?”

Yun Cheng rarely showed any aggression outside of the sports field, but now his expression was dark and sharp, completely different from his usual self.

Yun Duo stared at him in a daze, unable to believe that her mother, the one she had held onto a faint hope for all these years, could be so disgraceful.

At this moment, Yun Cheng cupped her face, his fingers wiping away the tears she had unknowingly shed.

He said seriously, “So, you, me, Dad, Muti, and Brother Yun are the family we’ve been living with for so many years, not some irrelevant person who has been gone for many years. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” Yun Duo wiped her tears and looked her brother in the eye. The hesitation and weakness she had felt earlier in the day, tangled in the web of her emotions, were gone. She emphasized firmly, “I understand, bro!”

Actually, Yun Duo, compared to her brother, was someone who was much more decisive and clearer about love and hate.

Jiang Muti patted both of them, saying, “Exactly. The worst thing in the same camp is a lack of communication. If you didn’t explain things clearly, and they come back trying to play the emotional card on Yun Duo, wouldn’t that just stab your dad in the heart?”

She then told Yun Cheng about the foolish things he had done at school today, which had dropped the average IQ of the entire senior class to the level of elementary school.

After some bickering, the two siblings’ moods finally cleared up. There was still some discomfort, but that could only be dealt with over time.

A few days later, Father Jiang and mother returned, and upon seeing the dramatic change in Jiang Muti, they were indeed impressed. Even the usually strict Father Jiang couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.

He smiled at Mother Jiang and said, “After all, she’s our daughter. She’s no worse than her brothers.”

The “brothers” he referred to were not Jiang Yunjuan, but the two older brothers who had died young.

It could be said that the Jiang family had excellent genes. Not only Jiang Yunjuan and her, but when Jiang Muti flipped through old family photo albums, she saw her two brothers, who hadn’t lived past ten, also looked lovely and bright-eyed in the pictures.

However, once these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the family became a little subdued. Jiang Muti glanced at Jiang Yunjuan.

But he appeared calm and unaffected, with no signs of discomfort.

The family had a quiet dinner. During the meal, Father Jiang reminded Mother Jiang to prepare some things for Jiang Muti that a girl should have.

“You never cared much about dressing up before, but now you’re finally showing some effort. It’s time to start paying attention. Your mom has a lot of good stuff collected. Go pick out something nice.”

Jiang Muti, of course, was happy to hear this. Earlier, Jiang Yunjuan had bought her a lot of good things, but given her vanity and materialism, the more the better.

However, she hadn’t expected that the things wouldn’t come for free. On the third day, after she thought she had gathered plenty of items, Father Jiang and mother told her to prepare well for a small private social gathering.

She didn’t need to dress too formally, but she had to look composed and pretty.

At first, Jiang Muti didn’t think much of it. But after arriving at the venue with her parents, she realized the gathering was with Zhou Lu and his parents.

What else was there to not understand? Both of them stared at each other in silence.

The adults on both sides found their reactions amusing. “Look at the kids, their reactions are exactly the same. It was right not to tell them beforehand, what a perfect match!”

Mother Jiang reminded her, “Muti, greet them.”

“Match? Pfft!”

Jiang Muti blurted out in confusion.