On Monday, as Xu Youyou entered the classroom and set down her backpack, Liu Miaomiao immediately came over to stick to her side.

“You and Brother Juan went to the art gallery again over the weekend?”

Xu Youyou nodded. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you supposed to go to Qian Xin’s house for math tutoring? I told you to come, but you all refused.”

Liu Miaomiao played dumb and giggled twice, saying, “Brother Juan has finally come back for a visit, but you guys didn’t go watch a movie or stroll around the mall. Why go to an art gallery?”

It was considered a sin to speak a few extra words in the art gallery. Everyone quietly admired the artwork there without much interaction, which wasn’t suitable for building relationships at all.

But Liu Miaomiao knew for sure that it was something Xu Youyou wanted to do, and of course, Brother Juan wouldn’t refuse.

“Movies? Strolling on the mall?” Xu Youyou chuckled and poked Liu Miaomiao’s leaning head. “Since when did Juanjuan start liking those things?”

Lu Chenjun had a quiet disposition and at a young age, he possessed a mindset akin to an elderly person’s concern for health and well-being.

Before the final year of high school, he used to remind Xu Youyou to go to bed at ten o’clock every night.

So when it was just the two of them going out, Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun would usually go to places like the library and the art gallery.

In addition, Xu Youyou’s journey in painting had never been interrupted; it was just that she slightly reduced the time spent on painting after reaching the final year of high school. This time, there happened to be an exhibition by an artist she liked at the art gallery, so of course, she wanted to go see it.

“I feel like in a few more years, I’ll see Goji berries soaking in your thermos cup.” Liu Miaomiao sharply retorted, “How old do you think you are? Come on, get excited! Do you even know what passion is?!”

“I don’t.” Xu Youyou said with a chuckle, shaking her head.

At that moment, Xu Youyou’s classmate sitting in front of her was also chatting with her friend. Somehow, the conversation drifted to the brutal murder of a family of three that had surfaced yesterday, where even a five-year-old child was not spared, and the murderer, who fled and hadn’t been caught yet.

Since the incident had occurred in the neighboring city, everyone couldn’t help but feel a bit scared when discussing it.

“I heard the suspect is only eighteen years old! Named Wang something. He looks really fierce and evil in the photo.”

“My mom also told me not to stay for evening self-study and to come home early.”

As they spoke, one of them turned to look at Xu Youyou and Liu Miaomiao. “Youyou, Miaomiao, you should also come home early tonight.”

“Mmhmm, thanks~”

After both of them agreed in unison, Xu Youyou gently nudged Liu Miaomiao. “Go back to your seat. Morning self-study is about to start.”

Their seats were not arranged in the traditional classroom style with paired desks but rather in combinations of five rows and six columns. There was a small aisle in front, behind, and on each side, so it didn’t feel crowded.

Otherwise, with Liu Miaomiao’s habit of coming to chat with Xu Youyou right after class, even if there were paired desks, Xu Youyou’s ‘desk mate’ would have to make way.

“Sigh……”

Liu Miaomiao reluctantly sat back down in her seat, thinking this wasn’t acceptable at all.

At such a young age, her family’s Youyou was already stepping into the lifestyle of an elderly person without experiencing the vibrant world. What should she do if Xu Youyou actually grew old?

But now wasn’t the right time. After the college entrance exam, she would have to take Xu Youyou out to broaden her horizons!

With this thought in mind, Liu Miaomiao took out her phone while the teacher hadn’t arrived yet and opened the school forum, hoping to find some latest gossip. However, the first post she saw infuriated her!

【I heard someone confessed their feelings and got rejected.】

【1L: I heard from others that they’re the two best-looking seniors!】

【2L: Laughing to death. Isn’t it normal? That person is focused on studying, okay?】

……

【35L: But seriously, Lin is really handsome. It seems like there are quite a few girls from other schools who like him too.】

【36L: Lin is handsome, but our Brother Juan is handsome and cool, right? Xu definitely wouldn’t be interested in Lin.】

……

At first, if it was still considered normal gossip, Liu Miaomiao even thought about joining in to mock Lin Zeming, saying he was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. But she didn’t know how it veered off track later on.

They said that Xu Youyou was raised as a child bride by Lu Chenjun’s family from a young age?!

Joking about those two words might be fine, but the implications between the lines were clearly derogatory.

They even said that Aunt Xu was the nanny of the Lu family who got pregnant before marriage and gave birth to Xu Youyou. If it weren’t for proximity to the Lu family, how could Xu Youyou have attended such good schools since childhood?

“Bloody hell!”

The more Liu Miaomiao read, the angrier she became. She immediately logged into her account and started passionately responding.

Then……

The post was promptly deleted by the admin.

Liu Miaomiao took a deep breath and had to silently tell herself not to be angry three times before finally managing to calm down her emotions a bit.

However, even though the post was deleted, she could easily guess where the slanderous words came from.

It was either those girls who liked Lin Zeming or those boys who were rejected by Xu Youyou and became resentful.

They never focused on studying properly and were always thinking about romance. They even engaged in spreading malicious rumors, just like in TV dramas. Liu Miaomiao really wished she could pry open their heads and see if it was filled with water.

Poor Youyou. Liu Miaomiao didn’t know if it was just bad luck, be she was always attracting these lunatics.

As Xu Youyou’s steadfast best friend who had been with her since kindergarten, primary school, middle school, and high school, Liu Miaomiao had grown accustomed to some of Xu Youyou’s ‘mystical’ abilities.

For example, when a boy who liked Xu Youyou got rejected, there would usually be girls who liked that boy trying to pick a fight with Xu Youyou.

If there weren’t any girls who liked that boy, then he himself would hold a grudge out of unrequited love, doing everything he could to smear Xu Youyou behind her back. As if the more miserable Xu Youyou was, the happier the boy felt.

Weren’t these people crazy?

Fortunately, these lunatics were still the minority. Moreover, Xu Youyou and the others weren’t pushovers either.

If someone dared to lay hands on them, they fight back. If someone dared to gossip behind their backs, they confronted them directly, gathered evidence, and presented it to the police and the principal. They make sure the person publicly apologizes.

Lu Chenjun learned some computer skills from Aunt Xu. Simple tasks like hacking into an IP address posed no difficulty for him.

After a few incidents, everyone came to understand that Xu Youyou wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She was truly capable of both physical confrontation and involving the authorities!

With Lu Chenjun, Liu Miaomiao, and others backing her up, these lunatics were practically extinct by the time they reached high school.

Unexpectedly, when Lin Zeming showed up, the trouble started all over again.

Sometimes Liu Miaomiao wondered if her family’s Youyou was some kind of celestial being in human form, destined to undergo trials and tribulations before ascending to immortality.

Of course, such speculations were met with ridicule from Qian Xin and the others, who unanimously believed that Liu Miaomiao had been reading too many novels.

Xu Youyou probably just had bad luck.

Xu Youyou who heard those words at that time: “……” I’m really sorry for my bad luck!

Anyway, Liu Miaomiao had already gained some experience in dealing with such situations.

She had just taken screenshots of the people who said those things in the post. Even if the post was deleted and the forum was anonymous, with the all-powerful Brother Juan on their side, everything would be fine!

It’s not that Xu Youyou couldn’t handle it herself. It’s just that during this critical period of the college entrance exam, unlike herself and Qian Xin who was determined to study abroad, Xu Youyou wanted to rely on her own efforts to get into her mother’s alma mater, A University.

With her current grades, theoretically, she shouldn’t have any problems. But to minimize any unexpected situations, Liu Miaomiao and the others didn’t want Xu Youyou to be distracted by these trivial matters.

Friends were exactly what one needed at times like these!

If those people had the guts to come and insult them face-to-face, Liu Miaomiao wouldn’t mind showing them the results of her training over the years.

It’s just that the rumor-mongers didn’t show up, but Lin Zeming did.

There was quite a distance between Building A and Building B, and morning self-study for the third-year students started at 7:30 AM.

At 7:25 AM, Lin Zeming stood conspicuously at the door of Xu Youyou’s classroom with breakfast in hand, ready to impress her with his ‘sincerity’.

After returning home that day, he spent a weekend carefully pondering the situation. It was clear to him that Xu Youyou was different from the shallow girls who liked him solely for his appearance. She was a genuinely well-behaved girl.

He would need sincerity to win someone like her over!

Lin Zeming quickly thought of the idea of bringing breakfast. When was the last time he had been to school before 7:00 AM? To be precise, he had never been this early.

One must know that the international class didn’t have morning self-study, and Lin Zeming often arrived late for the 8:30 AM class. Now, he actually……

He was even starting to impress himself!

“Xu Youyou, I brought breakfast for you!” Ignoring the curious gazes around him, Lin Zeming rushed into the classroom as soon as he saw Xu Youyou. He held up the still-warm breakfast in his hand, revealing a silly smile reminiscent of a husky. “I’ll take care of your breakfast from now on! How about that? Are you touched?”

Xu Youyou felt speechless. “……I’m not. I don’t want it. I already had breakfast at home.”

As the college entrance exam approached, the auntie at home started making elaborate breakfast, allowing Xu Youyou to eat to her heart’s content before coming to school every day.

Not to mention that Xu Youyou was unfamiliar with this guy; she wouldn’t consider having breakfast with him. And even if they were friends, Xu Youyou still wouldn’t be able to eat.

Liu Miaomiao stood in a protective stance in front of Xu Youyou, while simultaneously waving away Lin Zeming. “Go away, this isn’t your class. Strangers can’t come in.”

Whoever tried to break up her Butter Rolls CP was her enemy!

Moreover, Lin Zeming was synonymous with trouble. What if his presence affected Xu Youyou’s mood and subsequently affected her performance in the college entrance examination?

“Who are you? I’m talking to Xu Youyou.” Lin Zeming retorted. He wasn’t known for his good temper either. He then turned directly to Xu Youyou and said, “I’ll still bring breakfast every day even if you don’t want it. If you don’t eat this, then I’ll just throw it away!”

After saying that, he actually took a few quick steps and threw the breakfast directly into the trash can in the corridor.

Shortly after, Lin Zeming felt several sympathetic glances around him.

Sympathizing with him? Have these people gone crazy from studying too much?

Just as Lin Zeming was about to leave with a determined stride and a handsome silhouette, Xu Youyou took action.

Faced with such shameful behavior of wasting food, Xu Youyou’s choice was simple. She took out her phone and composed a short message to send to the director of teaching and learning.

Don’t ask why she had the teacher’s phone number; for an ‘unlucky’ good student like her, it wasn’t difficult to obtain.

Coincidentally, the teacher was patrolling the floor below their classroom, ready to catch students who were late for morning self-study. Upon receiving Xu Youyou’s message, he hurriedly rushed up the stairs and appeared at the classroom door in less than a minute.

“Lin Zeming!”

As the teacher passed by the trash can, he glanced inside and indeed saw a completely untouched breakfast.

This was clearly a case of wasting food!

Even if Lin Zeming came from a wealthy background, someone who could become the director of teaching and learning at this school must have some authority. He particularly disliked students being distracted by romantic relationships, especially considering that Xu Youyou was one of the school’s top prospects for this year’s college entrance examination!

“How can you be like this? You even reported to the teacher!”

As soon as he heard the baldy’s voice, thinking of his nagging appearance, Lin Zeming finished his sentence and tried to bolt, clearly startled by Xu Youyou’s actions.

After all, in Lin Zeming’s past experiences, snitching to the teacher was a despicable act, something that would earn disdain from peers.

But Xu Youyou didn’t play by the usual rules at all. Not only did she openly report to the teacher, but as soon as Lin Zeming took a couple of steps forward, she grabbed him firmly and pinned him down on the desk with a swift move, causing his handsome face to distort under the pressure.

However, Xu Youyou had no intention of showing any mercy. She tightened her grip, and then, with a soft and innocent smile, she said to the approaching teacher, “I’ve caught him, Teacher.”

Others present: “…… ” How to put it…… they weren’t particularly surprised.

A few classmates who had been in the same class as Xu Youyou since middle school even quietly applauded in their hearts.

Her movements were swifter and decisive, without any hesitation.

As expected of Xu Youyou! She never failed to live up to their expectations.

The sight of Lin Zeming, a tall guy of 180 centimeters, being pinned down by the ‘fragile’ Xu Youyou on the desk was indeed quite captivating. They certainly wanted to take a few more glances.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Lin Zeming attempted to struggle, but it seemed Xu Youyou had been eating something special to grow up so strong. He couldn’t muster any strength to break free; he couldn’t even budge.

Just like a kitten caught by the back of its neck, completely powerless to resist, Lin Zeming could only be ‘carried away’ by the teacher.

With the farce coming to an end, Xu Youyou calmly returned to her seat and began her morning self-study as if nothing had happened, completely unaffected.

Meanwhile, Liu Miaomiao had also received the investigation results provided by Lu Chenjun. The identities of those individuals had been uncovered one by one, and the authorities had already been notified.

They shouldn’t think spreading rumors on anonymous forums would go unnoticed. The post had garnered enough views to meet the threshold. Even though, due to their underage status, the consequences might mainly be warnings, a public apology would be inevitable.

Brother Juan acted swiftly today!

Liu Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief and silently praised Lu Chenjun in her heart.

It’s not that Lu Chenjun wasn’t usually quick; it’s just that he was exceptionally efficient today. Dealing with Lin Zeming’s disturbance took no more than five minutes. Bother Juan’s speed was truly impressive!

However, Liu Miaomiao was unaware that this time, it wasn’t Lu Chenjun’s doing.

When Lu Chenjun received Liu Miaomiao’s message, Qin Yiren happened to be nearby and coincidentally caught sight of a few words. Upon seeing someone speak ill of Xu Youyou in such a manner, this ‘hidden mother’ naturally couldn’t sit idly by.

Within thirty seconds, Qin Yiren sent a message to Xu Wenyin, and fifteen seconds later, Xu Wenyin replied.

It took only a minute, then Lu Chenjun received all the evidence. He spent another two minutes calling the police and informing the principal, and….. it was settled?

“How dare they say that to my family’s Youyou? I’m so angry!”

Three minutes later, Xu Wenyin appeared at the Qin family’s door, stomping her feet. “I’m going to the school!”

Because the events of the novel began during Xu Youyou’s senior year of high school, Xu Wenyin naturally paid extra attention. But since Xu Youyou seemed fine every week, she thought everything was okay.

Little did she expect that Lin Zeming would still show up!

Will school violence happen next? And then Xu Youyou’s failure in the college entrance exam?

She absolutely wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen!

The rumor was spread at night, the police arrived at 7:50 AM, and the school issued a notice of criticism at 8:10 AM.

Moreover, conveniently, there was a flag-raising ceremony after the first class on Monday morning. The two boys and three girls who spread the rumors were directly requested to apologize to Xu Youyou in front of the entire school.

Such efficiency! Even the principal couldn’t help but commend them!

He didn’t think this matter was blown out of proportion. If people could casually slander an innocent girl now, would they become keyboard warriors in society later?

The principal, having been in education for many years, never underestimated the power of words.

He understood too well how just a simple sentence could inflict so much harm on an innocent child.

This time, Xu Youyou had her family to support her. But what if it were someone else with less courage?

Upon receiving the apology, Xu Youyou looked at the five unfamiliar faces in front of her. Instead of saying ‘it’s okay’, she simply responded with a casual, “Oh.”

It indicated that she understood but had not forgiven them.

Their apology was their business; whether or not she forgave them was hers.

The resentment on the faces of some of them was too obvious. Xu Youyou couldn’t be bothered to play along with this charade.

“Pffff—”

They were already on the podium at this moment, and Xu Youyou’s reaction was seen and heard by those in the front row. Someone couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

That laugh thoroughly provoked certain individuals.

“What are you being so arrogant for?! Just because you’ve latched onto the Lu family doesn’t make you anything special! You’re just a bastard! Your mother is—”

“Smack!”

There’s a resounding slap.

In front of all the teachers and students, Xu Youyou didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

Hitting someone might not solve everything, but it definitely lets out some frustration.

“Your mother didn’t teach you any manners, so I’ll teach you!”

Xu Youyou’s face turned as dark as ink. Insult her, and she wouldn’t get so angry. But insult her mother, even a slap would be light!

If there weren’t so many people around, she would have……

Thinking that her mother was watching her from a distance, Xu Youyou restrained her anger and took a few steps back to avoid being infected by people’s craziness.

“Ahhh! I’ll fight you!”

But before the other girl could even start, she was quickly grabbed by a vigilant teacher.

Just now, they were caught off guard. If the two sides had continued and really started fighting, this matter would have been a full-blown farce!

———pr

At the principal’s office.

Xu Wenyin, Lu Chenjun, and Xu Youyou stood together, while the girl who was slapped sat on the other side.

The other students who spread rumors have been released and, in addition to apologizing, they have to write a five-thousand-word self-critique. Furthermore, it would be posted on the school bulletin board.

Originally, this matter should have been resolved.

The principal massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming. While it was true that the rumors were instigated by those individuals, the situation took a different turn when Xu Youyou slapped someone.

Judging by Xu Youyou’s current expression, it’s clear she wouldn’t apologize.

Just as the principal was feeling troubled, Xu Youyou spoke up on her own accord, “Principal, I won’t apologize. If you want to issue a school-wide criticism, go ahead, I don’t mind.”

She didn’t regret slapping the girl at all. Sensing her mother holding her right hand, Xu Youyou gave her a reassuring smile.

“Also, I feel that recent events at school have been affecting my mood. I’d like to apply to study at home in preparation for the exam.”

With only a little over two months left until the college entrance examination, all the necessary lessons were completed long ago. Now, it was entirely up to the student’s self-discipline.

It wasn’t just Xu Youyou; in fact, several students in this school have applied to study at home in preparation for the exam. Some families might have even hired private tutors to provide targeted reviews.

Xu Youyou’s request wasn’t unreasonable. However, as the principal was about to speak, he glanced at the girl who had been crying.

Xu Wenyin stepped forward. “Principal, I don’t think my family’s Youyou did anything wrong either. If this student wants to call the police, she can. If she wants compensation, we’ll pay. I won’t shirk responsibility.”

“Furthermore, my child is about to take the college entrance exam. I don’t want her to worry about such matters anymore.”

After speaking, Xu Wenyin nodded slightly at the principal and then led Xu Youyou out of the principal’s office without further delay.

The mother and daughter have such similar temperaments!

Lu Chenjun followed slightly behind. He had come with Xu Wenyin earlier and naturally witnessed the entire process.

“Student Sun Xiaomin.” Lu Chenjun accurately called out the person’s name, causing Sun Xiaomin, who had been sobbing with her head down, to suddenly lift her head in surprise, and then immediately lower it again as if remembering something.

But Lu Chenjun had seen that there was no trace of tears on her face.

He didn’t bother to engage with the other party any further, simply staring at her expressionlessly. “Compared to your actions— breaking another girl’s bones, locking her in the restroom overnight, and so on— Xu Youyou’s slap shouldn’t be considered much, right?”

“What?!”, came the surprised voice of the principal. He hadn’t expected such incidents to occur in his own school; it was definitely his negligence.

“I didn’t! You’re talking nonsense!” Sun Xiaomin, forgetting about her image in front of the handsome young man, shouted sharply, her voice piercing.

Lu Chenjun’s brow furrowed imperceptibly as he turned his gaze to the principal. “Principal, don’t worry, those things are what she did at her previous school. Since coming here, she has only dared to take people to the restroom to threaten.”

His words struck a nerve.

Sun Xiaomin transferred in the second half of the sophomore year. The fact that her previous school didn’t uncover these incidents and allowed her to transfer successfully was indeed the school’s negligence.

After saying that, Lu Chenjun walked towards the door, making sure to close it firmly behind him.

It was a gesture of politeness, albeit a slight one.

However, when he caught up with Xu Youyou and her mother, he saw a boy blocking their way. From his words, Lu Chenjun immediately guessed the identity of the other person.

The culprit of this incident— Lin Zeming.

“I didn’t know they were still posting on the forum.” Lin Zeming only found out about his confession being posted on the school forum after the incident had already escalated. Moreover, some people took advantage of the situation to muddy the waters and smear Xu Youyou.

Although he was somewhat bothered by Xu Youyou pressing him against the table in the morning, causing him to lose face, Lin Zeming felt that, as a boy, he should take it on the chin. This matter definitely shouldn’t be blamed on Xu Youyou.

“Oh.” Xu Youyou’s response was very indifferent. “Please move aside.”

Lin Zeming may or may not realize that she wouldn’t have any kind of relationship with him, but there’s no denying that this guy was really annoying!

“You’re Lin Zeming?” Xu Wenyin looked at the tall boy in front of her, evidently recalling the plot from the novel.

In the story, this guy made a bet to chase after Xu Youyou and would bring her breakfast every day. As a result, Xu Youyou was isolated and bullied by those girls who liked Lin Zeming. And in the end, she even missed her college entrance exam.

Even though it was a different high school from the one in the novel, Lin Zeming still showed up.

Thankfully, Xu Youyou’s personality was completely different from the original story, and this time Xu Wenyin was also there. No one can bully her daughter!

“Are you Xu Youyou’s……?” Lin Zeming looked at their similar faces. He was about to say sister but then remembered what they said about Xu Youyou’s background. She didn’t have a sister.

If it was her mother, she looked too young, didn’t she?

“I’m Youyou’s mother.” Xu Wenyin put on a malicious expression she learned from a TV drama. “Are you trying to pursue our Youyou?”

Before Lin Zeming could even nod, Xu Wenyin spoke up. “My daughter’s boyfriend should at least be ranked first in the grade. You…… look more like you’re at the bottom of the grade.”

It’s academics, academics again!

Thinking that he was perfect in every aspect except for a minor flaw in academics, Lin Zeming felt thoroughly despised by this mother-daughter duo.

Darn it, does having poor grades mean people can’t pursue a girl anymore?

If Xu Wenyin could hear his thoughts, she would definitely reply, “I don’t care about others, but you, Lin Zeming, can’t!”

Don’t tell her that the original story had nothing to do with the present. Xu Wenyin would become indignant whenever she thought about the description of Xu Youyou being bullied and the pain she felt for not being able to attend her dream university due to missing an exam.

“Aunt Xu, Xiao Lu.”

Just then, Lu Chenjun caught up. He naturally walked over to Xu Youyou’s other side and took her hand, inspecting it for a moment. “Does it hurt?”

Xu Youyou laughed. “How can it hurt when I’m the one doing the hitting?”

Lu Chenjun said seriously, “The force applies reciprocally.”

Seeing the harmonious interaction between the two, Lin Zeming widened his eyes. “Then what about him? Who is he?! He’s not the first in the grade, is he?”

This guy, although he didn’t want to admit it, was quite handsome. He was just slightly inferior to him. But how come he had never seen or heard of this person before?

In response to Lin Zeming’s question, it was Xu Youyou herself who answered.

“What’s it to you? It doesn’t matter if he’s not first in the grade.”

Besides, with Lu Chenjun’s grades, if he were still in high school, he would definitely be one.

Xu Youyou didn’t bother hiding her favoritism at all. With one hand holding Lu Chenjun and the other holding Xu Wenyin, she bypassed Lin Zeming and walked away confidently.

None of them glanced back at him, as if he were an insignificant person.

Lin Zeming’s face gradually darkened. It was the first time he had been treated with such disrespect— No, it wasn’t the first time— Xu Youyou had never shown him any respect!

But expecting him to give up just like that was impossible.

However, Lin Zeming didn’t expect that after that incident, Xu Youyou never returned to school again. Upon inquiry, he found out that she had applied to study for the exam at home.

If he wanted to see her again, he would have to wait until after the college entrance examination.

Leaving aside Lin Zeming’s frustration, Xu Youyou was quite happy studying at home. She was the type of person with great self-discipline, and her daily routine was very regular.

Without all the chaotic people, she could tease Niannian whenever she was tired from studying, and enjoy rich and delicious afternoon tea and snacks. Her efficiency in reviewing was much higher compared to being at school.

Soon, the day of the college entrance examination arrived.