Chapter 4: The Nightmare Next-Door Brother

Su Tian remained silent, quietly nodding her head.

Judging by appearance and demeanor alone, the transfer student was indeed cold and intimidating.

“Aren’t they afraid of having their phones confiscated? They’re being so brazen,” Zhou Ying remarked again.

Su Tian nodded silently once more.

After observing for a while, Zhou Ying patted Su Tian, “You’re right. He’s handsome, but that just means trouble.” She sighed regretfully, “Indeed, good looks and loyalty can’t coexist. Just wait patiently, class is about to start.”

Soon the bell rang, and the excited girls left. Su Tian calmly returned to her seat.

The transfer student put away his phone, and Su Tian packed up her English test paper. In that brief moment, both their hands appeared on the desk simultaneously. Under the sunlight, the small red birthmarks on both their wrists were strikingly visible.

She noticed it and froze.

The transfer student seemed not to notice this “coincidence” and asked casually, “What’s the next class?”

Su Tian suddenly looked at the transfer student’s face.

After being stared at for a while, the transfer student finally turned to face her, meeting her gaze.

Su Tian stammered: “Chi… Chinese.”

“How are you doing in Math now?” the transfer student asked even more naturally.

“Okay.”

“Class representative in Chinese… so is Chinese your only strong subject?” The transfer student watched as her eyes gradually widened, his eyes curving slightly in amusement.

Su Tian: “…”

“Have you decided between liberal arts and science?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“I’m thinking of choosing liberal arts.”

Su Tian was speechless.

How should she respond? She didn’t want to respond. Right now, she only wanted to clarify one thing.

Inspired by the small red birthmarks on both their wrists, Su Tian, with her characteristically slow reactions, finally realized that this transfer student looked remarkably similar to her childhood nightmare.

That nightmare-like next-door brother also had a small red birthmark on his wrist.

Because of this, they were once jokingly called a perfect match, and their families had almost arranged a childhood betrothal.

Her heart rate was approaching 180. On one hand, she thought it impossible – hadn’t the neighbors emigrated? On the other hand, she remembered that the long-vacant neighboring house had started renovations, and this morning the transfer student had appeared in her residential complex.

So, the neighboring villa hadn’t changed owners – the original owners were returning?

“May I ask what your name is?”

Although the truth was right before her eyes, Su Tian still refused to believe it.

The transfer student raised his eyebrow slightly.

Just then, the classroom door opened, and Teacher Gao entered carrying a stack of test papers. “Chinese class representative, come help distribute these papers.”

So Su Tian couldn’t get her answer, and as if in a dream, she stood up and walked to the podium in a daze to distribute the papers.

Teacher Gao always liked to read scores aloud in class to stimulate everyone’s competitive spirit, and this time was no different – whoever’s name was called would come up to collect their paper.

Finally, only two papers remained. “Su Tian, 125.”

There were gasps and whispered discussions below the podium.

“Wow – highest in class again for Chinese expression.”

“Might be highest in the school this time, considering how difficult the questions were.”

“The language section was brutal too, but her score is even higher than last time despite the difficulty.”

Su Tian wasn’t the highest.

Because beneath her paper was one with a score of 137.

It wasn’t a name from their class. Su Tian thought the papers had been mixed up, but looking closer, she saw this paper only had a name in the information field – no exam number or class was filled in.

It must be a teacher’s paper, otherwise leaving the information blank would result in a zero.

Su Tian put the paper down.

But Teacher Gao said: “Continue reading.”

So Su Tian paused briefly, then said: “Jiang Chiyu, 137.”

The classroom erupted.

Everyone was asking: Who is that? Not from our class – does anyone know them?

Does no one know?

No one knows.

Suddenly someone seemed to realize something and became excited, pulling those around them close to whisper.

Su Tian was about to return to her seat when she saw her transfer student deskmate slowly straighten up, then stood up and walked toward her.

Those familiar features, that familiar mischievousness.

Su Tian stared at him blankly.

Jiang Chiyu.

Jiang Chiyu!?

Flashback to years ago—

“Jiang Chiyu, you big meanie!”

“Waaah, Jiang Chiyu, I’m going to tell your mom!”

“Brother Zhiyu, if you scare me again I’m really going to tell on you, wuu wuu wuu.”

Jiang Chiyu pulled the test paper from the dazed Su Tian’s hands. When their eyes met, his thin lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile.

The class erupted.

“Crap, I knew the transfer student was impressive but not THIS impressive.”

“The class rep looks stunned.”

“137, I’m stunned too. How did Teacher Gao get such a genius into our class?”

“…”

Teacher Gao was clearly very satisfied. “Quiet, quiet. Now let’s have our new classmate introduce himself.”

Jiang Chiyu took a piece of chalk from the desk and turned to write his name on the blackboard.

The strokes were perfectly aligned and neat.

“My name is Jiang Chiyu. I graduated middle school from Hallton College in England. I look forward to everyone’s guidance.”

As if remembering something, Jiang Chiyu added meaningfully, “I’m a Chinese national.”

Su Tian was speechless again.

Teacher Gao enthusiastically led the applause. “Good! Did you realize the motherland is still the best after returning?”

Jiang Chiyu nodded slightly, responding politely: “The motherland is naturally the best.”

“Alright, you two can go back now.”

Su Tian’s feelings were mixed as she floated back to her seat.

When she sat down, she saw Jiang Chiyu make another trip to retrieve the test paper she had forgotten on the podium.

While Su Tian felt deeply embarrassed, she also found it peculiar.

This childhood friend was different from her memories.

He had matured many, many times over.

When the three of them stood at the podium, he seemed like an adult who could chat easily with Teacher Gao, while she was still a child.

Su Tian suddenly felt that her nightmare had truly become a thing of the past. He had bullied her when they were children because they were just kids, but now he had matured.

So she would magnanimously forgive Jiang Chiyu for all the terrible things he had done to her!

Su Tian began to feel cheerful and reached to take the test paper from Jiang Chiyu, but he didn’t let go. His lips moved slightly, coldly uttering two words: “Stupid fool.”

Su Tian: “?”

Jiang Chiyu calmly released her test paper.

So calmly that Su Tian thought she had imagined it.

She was a bit dazed, slowly taking the test paper and placing it on her desk, then quickly turning to glance at him again.

Had she misheard or had he really called her a stupid fool!

He listened to the lecture expressionlessly, while she, though dubious, showed no reaction, so she could only turn back to look at her test paper.

Unnoticed by anyone, after Su Tian stopped looking at him, Jiang Chiyu smiled again briefly.

As soon as class ended, Su Tian ran off again.

She pulled Zhou Ying to the corner where they had stayed during the previous break and immediately said: “I know him.”

“Bro, you said that last class.” Zhou Ying seemed very excited and couldn’t wait to interrupt her. “Hey, let me tell you something I just heard.”