CHAPTER 11: A Full-On Youth Redemption Love Story

When Su Jiahe heard that Ji Jing had gone home, he was overjoyed. Finally, he could have the entire 1.8-meter-wide bed to himself. He was so happy he could’ve done cartwheels.

Old Su smacked him on the back of the head from behind. “All you know is how to laugh like an idiot. Have you finished your homework yet? Your sister’s going to check it later. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask her. You’ve got two top students at home—what a great setup. If you just put in a little effort, there’s no reason you can’t get into college too.”

Ms. Sun was in the kitchen making soup. Hearing that, she turned around and asked, “How did Xiao Jiang do on the entrance exam?”

Old Su had gone to school today specifically to find out, and he praised him nonstop. “Excellent, absolutely excellent. Teacher Li said the exam this time was pretty tough—especially a few of the extra questions, which were just there to test the students’ limits. Hey, Xiao Jiang got them all right. He only didn’t finish one question due to time, but his approach was correct. As long as nothing goes wrong this year, he’s practically guaranteed a recommendation to Tsinghua.”

Aunt Jiang beamed with pride when she heard that and quickly put down what she was doing to call her brother and sister-in-law and share the good news.

With two seniors in the house, Ms. Sun was all too aware of what a big deal a Tsinghua recommendation was. She quickly ladled out a bowl of soup for Jiang Yan. “Here, Xiao Jiang—how are you doing at school? Settling in okay?”

“Thank you, Auntie. I’m doing fine. The teachers explain the problem-solving steps very clearly.”

“That’s great. What about your classmates? Are you getting along with them?”

“I’m in the same class as Jiasui. The other classmates are all really nice to me.”

Jiang Yan was excellent in every way and adapted quickly. Ms. Sun felt there wasn’t much she could help with, and she was a little embarrassed to bring up the idea of asking Jiang Yan to tutor Su Jiahé.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aunt Jiang in the courtyard, calling her son and daughter-in-law. An idea suddenly came to her. She pulled her husband into the living room and lowered her voice:

“Jiang Yan’s parents work on a construction site. One does hard labor, the other cooks. At night, they sleep in a shed. It’s a tough life, not much money, and they don’t even have social security. I was thinking—can you find them some work at your factory? They don’t have to earn more than they do now, but at least you can arrange for them to stay in a staff dorm.”

“Well… we do have work available, but I’m not sure they’d be able to do it.”

“They can learn, can’t they? How hard can it be? Even I could pick it up in ten days or so.”

Old Su chuckled. “Alright, I’ll take care of it. You go talk to Aunt Jiang. But it’s not for any other reason—I just really like that kid Jiang Yan. He reminds me of myself when I was young.”

Ms. Sun let out a long sigh. “No matter how good other people’s kids are, they’re still not yours. Just look at your son.”

Old Su was baffled. “I’ve seen twins where one is physically underdeveloped and the other’s fine, but I’ve never seen one with a well-developed brain and the other with… a deficient one.”

“Dad!” Su Jiahé protested. “Keep your voice down! I heard that!”

“Oh, oh.” Old Su responded absentmindedly. His gaze fell on Su Jiasui, who was sipping soup while scrolling on her phone. He smiled and said, “Sister Sui, your teacher Li said there’s a big test on Friday.”

“Yeah, a major test.”

“Your classmates probably spent the whole summer in tutoring sessions, but you didn’t. Still, since we’ve chosen a balanced approach, study hard when it’s time to study, and relax properly when it’s time to rest. Don’t worry too much about your first test. It’s okay if your ranking isn’t great.”

Su Jiasui nodded. “I’ve got it under control.”

Old Su scolded his son and comforted his daughter. Feeling like a well-rounded parent, he took a long drag on his cigarette, thinking his parenting philosophy was good enough to write a book about.

Meanwhile, Su Jiasui, full and content, headed upstairs with her phone in hand.

Old Su couldn’t help but call out, “Watch where you’re going—you’re gonna fall in.” But fearing his daughter’s occasional outbursts of rage, he barely managed to get the words out.

Su Jiasui didn’t hear him at all. Slippers slapping against the stairs, she went up with a da-da-da.

No one knew their daughter better than the mother. Ms. Sun said, “Xiao Jing just went home for the first time. Who knows if he and that bastard father of his might get into a fight? Sister Sui’s just worried, so she’s keeping in touch.”

“Hmph. That kind of family.” Old Su flicked his cigarette ash, his expression showing faint disdain—his meaning was obvious.

No matter how wealthy Ji Jing’s family was, with a mother who ran off with a foreigner and abandoned her son, and a father who schemed without caring about family ties—Old Su still thought someone like Jiang Yan, with his own skills and hard-working parents, was far better. At least their family was honest and decent.

If he weren’t worried about causing too much friction and triggering his daughter’s rebellious streak, which could affect her studies, Old Su wouldn’t have tolerated things like he was doing now.

…

The next day, Old Su was still the one driving the kids to school.

They were still some distance from No. 11 High when Su Jiahé suddenly demanded to be let out.

Old Su was confused. “Why? Wouldn’t it be better for me to drop you at the gate?”

“I saw a classmate. I’ll walk with him. Dad, can I have another fifty yuan?”

“Pssh—didn’t I just give you fifty yesterday? You spent it already?”

“It’s the first day of school. I treated some classmates to ice cream.”

“You little money-burning god!”

Though he grumbled, Old Su always supported his kids having a social life. As long as it was within reason, he never skimped. He pulled out another green bill, pinched it between his fingers, and passed it over.

“Thanks, Dad!” Su Jiahé shoved the money into his pocket, slung his backpack over one shoulder, and ran off like yesterday.

Maybe it was twin intuition, but Su Jiasui sensed something was off. She leaned her head out the window and saw Su Jiahé sprinting toward the school gate like he was running a 100-meter dash. He didn’t look like someone who’d just met up with a classmate.

When something’s off, there’s always a reason.

Su Jiasui couldn’t figure it out yet, so she shelved the suspicion for later. After waving goodbye to Old Su at school, she turned and asked Jiang Yan, “Don’t you think Su Jiahé’s acting a little weird?”

Jiang Yan, who sat with Su Jiahé in the backseat, had seen it even more clearly. “Yeah, he seemed flustered.”

“Flustered? Don’t tell me he got himself a girlfriend on the first day of school and is trying to hide it from us? What else would he need money for?”

“Why don’t you just ask him?”

“These days even five-year-olds can lie without blinking. He’s a grown boy—oh, not saying you’re worse than a five-year-old, by the way.”

“…”

Su Jiasui smiled. “Us going to and from school together might attract attention. It could be inconvenient. Chen Xu texted me last night and mentioned it briefly—said you’re the kind of upright youth who walks the line. Hah, his mouth’s mean, but he’s not a bad guy. Come to think of it, it’s not a bad idea to tell people we’re cousins. You don’t need to feel weird about it. Starting today, you’re my aunt’s son. Sound good?”

There was something contradictory about Su Jiasui—straightforward yet mature. She lived boldly and freely, yet always knew how to handle situations and carry authority.

Jiang Yan nodded without realizing it. By the time he came to his senses, Su Jiasui had already hopped into the school gate.

“Sister Sui!” Cheng Xiangxue had arrived early and had been waiting for her. “Did anything weird happen in your class yesterday?”

“What could possibly happen? Just ignore her from now on.”

“Right, don’t bother with her. I hate people like that.”

Cheng Xiangxue’s gaze landed on Jiang Yan, and she gave a shy smile. “Morning.”

Jiang Yan nodded slightly. “Morning.”

Su Jiasui reached out and burst the pink bubbles above her friend’s head. “What time did you leave yesterday afternoon?”

“After the second class,” Cheng Xiangxue said, leaning softly on Su Jiasui’s shoulder. “There’s less than three months until the art exams. I’ve got to buckle down—at least four hours of dance practice every day, and still have to study academics when I get home. It’s killing me.”

Su Jiasui was about to give her a few words of encouragement when she caught sight of Jiang Yan’s eyes widening in disbelief. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like this classmate just now started believing you actually do ballet.”

“Hey! Do I really not look like someone who dances?”

Honestly, if you looked closely, Cheng Xiangxue did have the tall, graceful posture of a dancer. But with her hair in a big round bun, her shirt worn open like a boy’s with a tank top underneath, baggy sweatpants with one leg rolled up, and rainbow socks peeking out, her fashion was… eccentric, to say the least. She looked nothing like the ballerinas Jiang Yan had in mind.

Su Jiasui said, “Can’t really blame Jiang Yan. Dressed like that, aren’t you worried the school will drag you to the office?”

“Baggy pants are convenient for practice. Besides, the office doesn’t care how us seniors dress. I finally made it to my final year—of course I’m gonna dress how I want.” Cheng Xiangxue said this with the smug pride of a long-suffering daughter-in-law finally becoming the matriarch. As someone who took fashion seriously, she’d been hauled into the office countless times in her first two years for dress code violations.

“I don’t get it. You think this looks good?”

“Just wait. Give it a week. These socks of mine are gonna be the next big trend across the joint campus.”

As they chatted, the three of them reached the teaching building. Cheng Xiangxue had a different class, so she waved goodbye. “Let’s eat together at lunch.”

“Mm, bye.” Su Jiasui’s mood dipped. The mention of the joint campus reminded her of Su Jiahe.

Among the joint campuses, No. 11 High was more like the little brother. When it came to academic stars, it couldn’t compare to Xinghai, which churned out top scorers like a factory. As for troublemakers, it wasn’t as flashy or notorious as the students from the vocational and nursing schools—some of whom were even famous citywide. It was the worst of both worlds.

But Old Su believed that, with his son’s average grades, he should go to an average school. At least it would help him develop a healthy personality and proper values. And as it turned out, Old Su was right—at this stage, Su Jiahe could still get overjoyed about fifty yuan. He was definitely not the kind to blow money like it was nothing.

As long as he didn’t turn into a spoiled brat, even living off his parents forever wouldn’t be the end of the world.

So more than his grades, what Su Jiasui cared most about… was whether her little brother would go astray.

When she entered the classroom, the first thing she did was place the breakfast she’d brought for Ji Jing on his desk. Then she sat in his seat and tapped the boy in front of her—Xu Xiaotao.

“Sister Sui.” Xu Xiaotao turned around. He had a long, narrow face, single eyelids, and a buzzcut that made him look like he’d just gotten out of juvie. A five-centimeter scar ran across his temple. He was the “Failing Student A” who had stirred up trouble in that pool hall back then.

Ever since Su Jiasui avenged him that time, he’d switched loyalties and pledged himself to her, calling her boss. For the past two years, he’d been studying hard in her footsteps and had somehow scraped into the Rocket Class. His parents were over the moon—so much so they even wanted to recognize Su Jiasui as their daughter.

“Do you know anyone at No. 11?”

“Yeah.” Xu Xiaotao might have turned over a new leaf, but he’d still mixed around the joint campus scene for a while—his old connections were intact. “Why?”

“My brother, Su Jiahe, goes to No. 11. Help me ask around, see how he’s doing.”

“That’s it? Sure, no problem.”

“I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

“No need to be polite.”

With her task done, Su Jiasui was just about to get up when Ji Jing and Chen Xu entered the classroom one after the other.

“Well, well, Sister Sui, you’re being awfully attentive today,” Chen Xu started in his usual annoying tone. “Waiting here early in the morning for our dear Ji-ge, even brought him breakfast. Honestly impressive. You’re a natural at playing the loyal little study maid.”

Chen Xu never learned his lesson, no matter how many times he got verbally smacked. Su Jiasui couldn’t even be bothered to engage. Instead, she smiled sweetly and asked Ji Jing, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Ji Jing knew exactly why his girlfriend was being so nice right now. Even if his skin had long grown thicker than a textbook, he still felt a little embarrassed. Who else in the world had a girlfriend that worried about him like she was his mom? Her care practically overflowed: “Mm… pretty well.”

“Then sit down and eat,” Su Jiasui said gently. Her gaze slid toward Chen Xu, and her smile turned saccharine. “By the way, I’ll definitely visit Grandma this weekend.”

“Hey, you—”

“You may leave now.”

Su Jiasui didn’t feel like wasting time on Chen Xu. If she really wanted to deal with him, she could shut him up in seconds—after all, she had a tight grip on all his weaknesses.

The upcoming big exam on Friday would determine the next month’s study plan. If results weren’t good, both parents and teachers would double down with hellish intensity. Senior year was already exhausting; extra pressure would only make it worse. So naturally, students in the Rocket Class took this exam very seriously.

As everyone threw themselves into intense review sessions, the gossip about Su Jiasui and Ji Mutian gradually cooled and faded.

Before they knew it, Friday had arrived.

When she handed in her paper for the last subject, Su Jiasui finally let out a long breath.

Lin Simiao said, “This test was harder than I expected.”

“Way harder. I totally blanked at the big questions near the end—never seen stuff like that before.”

“They probably did it on purpose, to shake us up and get us to refocus,” Lin Simiao guessed. Her whole family were high school teachers—she knew how teachers thought.

That made Su Jiasui feel a lot better. “Whew, thank goodness. I was starting to think you all sprinted ahead without me over summer break. Jiang Yan, did you manage the last question?”

Jiang Yan nodded and casually gave the answer.

Ji Mutian, sitting in front of them, turned around with a soft smile on her lips. “I got the same result.”

Lin Simiao’s face darkened instantly.

You Niannian had always disliked how Lin Simiao acted all superior just because she had good grades. Now she seized the chance to rub it in: “Looks like someone’s days as top student are numbered.”

Su Jiasui and Lin Simiao shared a friendship forged through endless battle—they were ride-or-die. So she naturally jumped in to defend her. “Wow, you’re confident. Planning to knock her off the top? Didn’t think you’d made that much progress.”

Su Jiasui was known for both her warm heart and her sharp tongue—few could win a war of words against her. And with Ji Jing backing her up, the two of them had major influence at school. You Niannian might talk trash behind her back, but she’d never dare offend her face-to-face. With a pout, she turned away and went to chat with Ji Mutian instead.

“I didn’t expect you to be this good. You even got that difficult question right.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. I just got the same answer as Jiang Yan—it doesn’t mean it’s correct.”

Out of habit, and with a subtle intention to take a jab at Su Jiasui, You Niannian asked casually, “You’re so good at studying—your parents must’ve put a lot of effort into raising you, right? What do they do?”

Ji Mutian’s eyes instantly reddened, and she lowered her head, sobbing softly.

Tang Shu quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and comforted her as she explained, “Tian Tian’s parents passed away when she was very young.”

As soon as she said that, the whole class erupted in surprise.

While it’s true that wherever there are people, there will be drama, love and hate, and hidden agendas, these students, who had grown up sheltered in the ivory tower of school life, had never really experienced the hardships and cruelties of the world. Their lives were still pure and untainted, so they all gathered around Ji Mutian, trying to comfort her.

Even Lin Simiao, whose face was still dark with displeasure, showed a trace of sympathy in her gaze as she looked at Ji Mutian.

Su Jiasui couldn’t quite tell what she was feeling. If Ji Mutian were just an ordinary classmate with such a tragic background, she would’ve gone out of her way to look after her.

But Ji Mutian was the heroine of the novel, and her boyfriend was the male lead. Just judging by their backgrounds alone, it screamed “mutual healing youth romance literature.” In this story, Su Jiasui was basically the top villain—aside from Ji Hanhua, that is.

So it was really hard for her to feel any sympathy.

As for Ji Jing, he had finished the multiple-choice section and was now sleeping on his desk. The bell had rung a while ago, but he hadn’t budged—sound asleep like a baby.

In the novel, he found out about Ji Mutian’s tragic background much later than everyone else. By then, he had already become interested in her and would often ask her to run errands, do his homework, or take over his classroom duties. It wasn’t until a certain turning point that he learned her parents had died young.

Guilt, regret, and heartache—those complicated emotions turned his shallow crush into a deeper love.

“Sister Sui.” Xu Xiaotao suddenly stood up, the movement so abrupt it caused Ji Jing’s desk behind him to shake. Ji Jing sleepily opened his eyes, yawning with his hand over his face—he looked like a total idiot.

Su Jiasui calmly shifted her gaze to Xu Xiaotao. “Hmm?”

“The thing you asked me to look into a few days ago—I’ve got something.”

“…Let’s talk outside.”

As soon as Su Jiasui saw the serious look on Xu Xiaotao’s face, she knew it wasn’t a simple matter. What she hadn’t expected was that this all started because of her—and Xu Xiaotao.

“Song Shi? The guy who got into it with you at the pool hall?”

“Yeah. He got expelled from vocational school for causing trouble and ended up in juvie. He was released just this past July. On the first day of school, he saw Su Jiahe at the gate of No. 11 High School and immediately recognized him as your little brother…”

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Author’s Note:
It’s 5,000 words today. Tomorrow will be 6,000, hehehe.