Before the assembly even began, Xia Fu already knew about Bao Zhiwei’s withdrawal from school.

Two days before Bao Zhiwei was released from detention, Fang Jingcheng had personally driven over to visit him. He’d said he wanted to settle the medical fees and computer costs early, just in case he became untraceable after dropping out.

Who knows what tricks Fang Jingcheng pulled, but by the end of his visit, he even snapped a selfie with him and sent it to Xia Fu.

“See, reporting him actually worked! Student Bao has turned over a new leaf~ we’ve even become friends.”

It was obvious Bao Zhiwei hadn’t had an easy time in detention. His once plump, pale-yellow face was now shriveled like an old, deflated balloon. His eyes, cheeks, and mouth had fresh scabs, and his chin was covered in patches of stubbly black beard.

Though looking worn-out, he still managed to make a “V” gesture at the camera, scrunching up his features in a smile. Zooming in on the picture, you could even see the faint tears welling in his eyes—all because Fang Jingcheng had gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Fang Jingcheng himself looked as fresh as a spring day, wearing a light blue T-shirt, his bright, tiger-toothed smile as charming as ever, looking like a young college boy who’d met an old friend for a fun day out.

To top it off, at the bottom of the photo was a handwritten note that read: “We made up! I won’t bully girls anymore! Time to go home and reflect!” and signed off “Bao Zhiwei,” with the date written below.

Although the handwriting was Bao Zhiwei’s, the playful, upbeat tone was unmistakably Fang Jingcheng’s doing.

The two stood together in stark contrast, a difference so striking that it made Xia Fu take a cold, sharp breath, catching a glimpse of Fang Jingcheng’s more “rascal” side.

Like a child toying recklessly with a blade, his personality had a bit of a nasty edge…

But, overall, the outcome was something Xia Fu could accept—it was poetic justice in a way.

If she had just kept politely refusing Bao Zhiwei’s advances, it would have likely fueled him further. For someone like him, who believed in “jungle law” and bullied the weak, she couldn’t think of another way to get him to back off.

Served him right. At this point, even if the school hadn’t officially expelled him, there was no way Bao Zhiwei would want to come back and risk facing Fang Jingcheng again, right?

The sudden assembly confirmed Xia Fu’s hunch about Bao Zhiwei’s withdrawal. While a sense of relief washed over her, she also couldn’t help but worry as she stared at the empty seat beside her.

Could that photo have anything to do with why Fang Jingcheng was missing now?

Without him calling on the secretary, things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly. But what would his family think about his interference?

This morning, Fang Jingcheng had dropped her off at class as usual, but after taking a call, he had disappeared. She’d initially thought he was in the adjacent building for his own class, but seeing he wasn’t at the assembly either, she figured there was more to it.

After brushing off the nosy “Straw Head,” she messaged Fang Jingcheng:

“You missed the assembly today; is something urgent going on? Should we reschedule the tutoring?”

Since the matter involved his family, she’d only asked casually, but Fang Jingcheng replied quickly.

“It’s no big deal. My grandma heard I got hurt in a fight, got all worried, and asked me to come home. I should be back this afternoon; let’s meet at the library.”

“Too bad, though! I’ll probably miss out on trying the new tom yum seafood hotpot at lunch today. I’m curious what it tastes like… Remember to eat well, and let me know what you think!”

Unlike a kid waiting miserably for a scolding, Fang Jingcheng sounded relaxed and nonchalant as usual.

Grumbling about missing out on the cafeteria’s new dish, he even sent Xia Fu a meal allowance, just enough for two extra zeros after the price of the seafood hotpot.

Back in the day, whenever her grandma was too busy playing mahjong to make dinner, she’d give Xia Fu money to buy ingredients for dumplings for her and her little brother—but grandma had never been as gentle as Fang Jingcheng was now.

Though he’d been handling countless things for her lately, Xia Fu still couldn’t help but pause whenever he showed this almost “motherly” care.

…She hoped he wouldn’t get scolded too harshly.

Being the obedient girl she was, Xia Fu replied, “Alright, I was about to head to the cafeteria. I’ll take a look,” though she didn’t immediately accept the meal money.

About twenty minutes later, she sent him a photo.

Right in the center of the image was a shiny little steel pot, filled with bright red broth topped with prawns, oysters, squid rings, and a scattering of colorful chili peppers and lemon slices. It looked delicious and, in contrast, made the simple boxed lunch beside it look plain.

“This is the seafood hotpot. I borrowed it from the table next to me for the picture. Looks amazing, but the line’s pretty long. The cafeteria said they’d have it for dinner too, so we can try it together then. I’ll just get a simple lunch now.”

Seeing her message, Fang Jingcheng, slouched like a limp noodle in the back seat of the car with his head against the window, felt his lips curl into a smile.

Trying the seafood hotpot had been Xia Fu’s idea in the first place. Her hometown was inland, and her family wasn’t well-off, so she rarely got to try “Thai food” like this. She’d been curious ever since he’d casually mentioned the dish was being served. Although he’d said he’d join her, he was really just tagging along as her food buddy.

Amazing that she was willing to wait and eat with him later.

Just looking at the vibrant photo, he could almost picture her eyes sparkling with excitement.

It felt like taking care of a skinny little stray dog, watching it through the camera as it sat beside its food bowl, refusing to eat until he came back to share it.

This week, her meals had been solid, and the wounds on her face were mostly healed. She was finally past the doctor’s strict dietary restrictions.

S City was known more for fresh seafood dishes than local specialties; he’d take her out for something nice soon enough.

…Just needed to get through this tedious round of reprimands, and he’d be back in no time.

Thinking this, he watched as Secretary Zhang’s car finally came to a halt in the designated spot.

The towering “Blue Star” Group building had 60 floors, with a helipad on top, and the CEO’s office on the highest floor, offering a sweeping view of S City’s historic architecture. Walking down the hallway, he passed portraits and biographies of each past CEO.

Unfortunately, every one of them was male. While his mother had done just as much, she was relegated to a distant spot, which made Fang Jingcheng purse his lips every time he passed by.

But the most annoying part was still ahead. When Fang Jingcheng tapped on the grand office door, his father finally lifted his head from the desk.

His father, now nearing fifty, had a hint of gray at his temples but still held traces of the handsomeness from his youth—especially in those clear light-brown eyes, which had charmed many women in his day. Women who, in their love-struck naïveté, had thought they’d glimpsed eternity in those eyes, only to later find out about his outrageous affair during his wife’s pregnancy.

Fang Jingcheng’s looks came directly from his father, which was why his grandmother doted on him—and also why his mother had always been a bit distant.

Since accidentally overhearing his mother’s conversation one day, he couldn’t help but feel a slight loathing for the father he’d once looked up to.

“What is it, Dad?”

With a forced smile, Fang Jingcheng greeted him, hoping to get this exchange over with as quickly as possible.

Seeing his son’s nonchalant attitude, his father’s brows furrowed. He slammed the file in his hand shut and scolded:

“You have the nerve to ask? Skipping half your classes to go after Li’s daughter—if you’d succeeded, I’d have at least praised you for putting yourself to good use. But now, who is this scholarship girl you’ve gotten involved with?”

“I sent you to F University to study, not to fool around. All you’re good for is your health; in every other respect, you’re worthless. How can I trust you with Siyu’s responsibilities?”

Though he knew it was best to play along and admit fault, Fang Jingcheng couldn’t suppress the urge to laugh when he heard words like “put to good use” and “fool around.” He almost blurted out, “Isn’t that exactly what you do?”

Blame him for being the way he was; his father’s shortcomings were why he was so clueless and insufferable.

But, while he was silently cursing, Fang Jingcheng knew his father wasn’t exactly wrong. He wasn’t nearly as talented as his older brother, Fang Siyu, and only enjoyed his current life because he depended on his parents. He had no grounds to challenge his father.

If it weren’t for his brother’s congenital illness, he might not have even been born…

Biting his lip, Fang Jingcheng spread his hands in helpless surrender, lowering his head as he replied:

“Well, Dad, it’s not that I didn’t try with Yue Tong. You know my grades aren’t great, and even if I put on an act, she wouldn’t be interested in me.”

“As for the scholarship girl, she’s my teammate in a math modeling competition. You’re right—I’m only good-looking, and she’s the only one patient enough to help me. I just did a little favor for a teammate to smooth things over, but I’ve got things under control. This time, I’ll make you proud in the competition.”

Seeing his son’s obedient response, Fang Jingcheng’s father’s anger cooled. As he looked at the young face that so resembled his own, he couldn’t stay mad.

With a cold snort, he pointed at the door:

“Good. Now get back to school and prepare properly.”

Relieved, Fang Jingcheng let out a long sigh, placing both hands on the door as he prepared to leave. Just as he was about to step out, a voice from the waiting area called out to him.

“Jingcheng.”

Without looking down, Fang Jingcheng recognized the voice. Without opening his eyes, he could already picture the face, one so similar to his mother’s.

His brother was soft, refined, and shadowed with a melancholy aura from his lifelong illness—a bit like an endless rainy season that weighed down on Fang Jingcheng.

With an annoyed “tsk,” he finally raised his gaze to meet his brother’s eyes.

“What do you need, brother?”