The leaves on the trees occasionally drifted down with the wind. Not far away, a student on duty was cursing at a tree, and the bell for class had already rung.
Ji Zhaoxi stood silently in the corner.
A few boys were scattered around, blocking the exit.
"Ji Zhaoxi... right?" The boy at the front raised an eyebrow.
Ji Zhaoxi nodded.
The boy with the earring laughed. "You know who we are?"
Ji Zhaoxi silently nodded again.
"Know why we called you here?" The earring boy leaned against the wall.
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head.
"You got a crush on Bro Wild, huh?" The earring boy's tone turned hostile. "You like him for real, or is it just for his money?"
The boy next to him sneered. "Why bother talking to her? She’s stubborn as hell."
Ji Zhaoxi didn’t think her mouth was all that stubborn—she just didn’t know what to say.
"Honestly, we kinda liked you at first," the earring boy went on. "But the more we watch you, the weirder it feels. You’re no little innocent flower, are you? There’s plenty of dirt on you around school."
His eyes narrowed. "Since you’re a girl, we’re not gonna hit you."
"But remember this: our patience has limits. If you keep clinging to Bro Wild, we won’t care if you’re a girl or not."
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi with her head down, afraid to look at them, the earring boy snorted and left with the other boys.
What he’d said was true—if Ji Zhaoxi hadn’t shown up, the money Zhou Chiye was giving out would have gone to them. But since she did come, it meant they lost out on their share.
Meanwhile, the discipline director was standing under a tree with his hands behind his back, yawning.
Gazing at the campus, he sighed with admiration: what a beautiful school—picturesque scenery, students of noble character...
Just as he was about to compose a poem, a student ran up to him, tearful.
"Sir, someone cornered me!"
The director jumped in shock. "What?!"
How could something so awful happen at their school?!
The scorching summer wind was shut out by the thick glass windows. A faint scent of air freshener lingered in the classroom.
The air conditioner at the back of the room was working overtime, sending out a chill that made the students fresh off PE class sleep even more soundly.
The teacher at the podium had a face as dark as thunder.
She was definitely filing a complaint!
Why did she always get assigned the slot right after PE? Her throat was nearly raw from shouting, and half the class was secretly dozing off.
The teacher stopped lecturing, and the room went silent. Students who had been dozing snapped awake.
Why’d it go quiet?!
Seeing everyone alert now, the teacher resumed the lesson.
As she spoke, her gaze landed on Ji Huaichuan.
He was bent over, picking up a book from the floor, but he hadn’t moved a muscle for two minutes. This was the second time—he’d held that pose for two whole minutes.
The teacher gave a cold laugh and was about to speak.
Ji Huaichuan opened his eyes, looked blank, then straightened up and set the book back on his desk.
The next second, his pen fell to the floor.
Ji Huaichuan used the same trick again, bending over to get it.
That was another two minutes.
Teacher: ...
"Ji Huaichuan!" she snapped. "Stand up for the rest of class!"
The sleeping students jolted awake for real this time and started gulping down water.
"Why can’t you learn from your sister? When I teach her, she sits up straight, her eyes full of a thirst for knowledge. And you? First picking up a book, then a pen—if you keep this up, class will be over before it starts!"
The teacher fixed her glare on the other students, who guiltily avoided her eyes.
Ji Huaichuan, listening to her describe Ji Zhaoxi’s classroom behavior, couldn’t help thinking back to her kindergarten days.
Back then, she always sat the straightest. If the teacher praised another kid for sitting straighter, she’d come home crying.
Every time she cried, their dad would yell at her, and Ji Fangyun was too busy working to pay her any mind. The only one who ever comforted her was him...
Ji Zhaoxi was really hard to soothe.
"Pfft."
At the memory of Ji Zhaoxi blubbering with a runny nose, Ji Huaichuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Teacher: ...
Ji Huaichuan immediately clamped down and put on a serious face.
The teacher stared at him calmly and pointed to the back of the room.
Ji Huaichuan dutifully grabbed his book and headed to the back, where he also blocked the air conditioner.
The students in the front row, suddenly feeling hot: ...
Could someone just beat Ji Huaichuan up already?
The school broadcast suddenly announced that a few male students had been named and shamed for disciplinary action, with a repeat warning that any bullying on campus would result in immediate expulsion—and no tuition refund.
The part about not refunding tuition was repeated three times!
Since those boys had only cornered Ji Zhaoxi without causing any real harm, the school called the police and notified their parents.
Before school let out, Ji Zhaoxi received their apology letters and written pledges.
The school expressed deep regret over the incident and promised to cover a year’s worth of her cafeteria expenses.
As a special admit, she wasn’t subject to the usual tuition waivers or exemptions anyway.
When Ji Zhaoxi saw the amount on her meal card, she was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Ji Huaichuan had been lectured for two straight periods by his teacher and head teacher. By the time school ended, he was completely dazed.
Ji Zhaoxi hummed a tune as she rode her bike, with Ji Huaichuan sitting behind her, his head resting lifelessly on her back.
Seeing how miserable Ji Huaichuan was, she only felt happier, pedaling even lighter.
Not far away, a car was parked, and someone inside was watching them quietly.
The driver gasped. "Young master, they’re in on it together! And they go to the same school as you!"
Kids these days were unbelievable.
But A High was full of rich kids... why would they resort to scamming? Was it some kind of weird hobby?
The driver stared at their backs for a moment, then said, "There’s only one explanation, young master: that boy must have led the girl astray."
A guy making a girl bike him around—that guy was something else.
Zhou Chiye frowned impatiently at his phone.
He had just found out that those guys had ambushed Ji Zhaoxi, and his face turned grim.
Were those idiots brain-dead or what?
He’d even told Ji Zhaoxi that if anyone bullied her, she should come to him.
And now the bullies turned out to be his own people.
Zhou Chiye was in a foul mood. He frowned and sent Ji Zhaoxi a transfer.
He was still hesitating over how to apologize.
Then Ji Zhaoxi replied.
[Thanks, Bro Wild! So much money! -]
Zhou Chiye’s bad mood instantly cleared. He sighed and typed back.
[This was on me. Consider it compensation for the trouble. It won’t happen again.]
On the other end, Ji Zhaoxi was barely reading his words, too busy spamming him with happy emojis. In no time, the chat was flooded with her starry-eyed stickers.
Zhou Chiye looked at the messages and couldn’t hold back a snort.
Damn, she was something else.
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. Was their young master’s mood swing a bit too extreme?
Were all teenage boys like this?
