Class was over, and students streamed past in both directions. Seeing Yan Heng being punished, they kept casting curious and fearful glances his way.
Yan Heng was long used to this. He hung his head, letting passing classmates look him over, letting the strands of hair falling over his forehead cover his eyes. He stared blankly at his old shoes.
She shouldn't be getting harassed anymore now, right?
He was lost in thought until he saw a pair of clean, brand-new little boots stop in front of his worn-out shoes.
She was here!
His head jerked up.
Zhu Yaya stood obediently before him, grinning widely. "Brother Yan, I came to keep you company."
Yan Heng felt like his brain had short-circuited, stuck on a loop replaying Zhu Yaya's words, "I came to keep you company."
"How could a little sister not follow when her big brother is being punished?" Zhu Yaya positioned herself to Yan Heng's right, standing alongside him. "Thank you."
"Has anyone else bothered you?" He tilted his head slightly to the right.
"No," Zhu Yaya said hesitantly. "But, because of what you did, you lost your financial aid grant. Why did you..."
Because you're more important! Yan Heng answered in his heart. But his eyes swept past the "Daily Code of Conduct for Middle School Students" and the adjacent "Scott High School Student Handbook" posted on the corridor wall. A chill ran through him, and he changed his answer. "It's fine, there's a bonus for the monthly exam. Ahem, I'm your senior. It's only right that I help ensure your studies aren't disturbed."
Zhu Yaya: ...Wh-what?
It's rare to hear you say so much.
The class bell rang right on cue. Yan Heng glanced down at Zhu Yaya and urged, "Hurry back to class!"
Zhu Yaya felt her recently fluttering maiden heart cool down completely. She looked at Yan Heng with a complicated expression. So, you beat up Ling Yiming and stormed the broadcast room... all for the sake of making me study hard!
Zhu Yaya straightened her face. "I promise to live up to Senior Yan's high expectations," she said, obediently returning to class.
Xu Baoying, seeing Zhu Yaya suddenly become serious during class, wasn't quite used to it. "What kind of shock or blow did you suffer?"
"Someone told me to study hard!" Zhu Yaya replied, shrugging.
When school ended that afternoon, Zhu Yaya, having figured out Xu Chun and Yan Heng's usual departure times, leisurely walked out of the classroom. While going down the stairs, she inadvertently spotted Xu Chun rushing downstairs with a worried look on her face.
Zhu Yaya immediately went on high alert.
Something's off. Why is Xu Chun going home so early today? And without Murong Beichen pestering her?
Zhu Yaya's sharp intuition told her these strange actions definitely hid something unknown. She pulled her backpack open with one hand, fished out a fruit container from inside, lightened her footsteps, and followed Xu Chun.
Over a month of tailing experience allowed Zhu Yaya to follow Xu Chun with practiced ease, completely undetected.
She followed Xu Chun to a small grove within Scott High School.
A small grove~
How many idol drama leads have dated here, deepening their feelings for each other.
Jubilation bubbled inside Zhu Yaya. Could it be a date with Murong Beichen? Looks like I can earn another task reward today!
Walking on, Xu Chun ahead suddenly stopped. Zhu Yaya spun and hid behind a cluster of evergreen shrubs, peeking at Xu Chun through the gaps in the leaves.
Zhu Yaya: Hmm, I always feel like a creep coveting Xu Chun.
Then, through the branches, she saw Xu Chun sit down beside a boy. His figure was somewhat blocked by Xu Chun. That boy—
Wait, it's not Murong Beichen's rainbow hair; it's long hair! Could it be a girl?
With her mind racing wildly: #Shocking! The heroine of a certain novel's sexual orientation is a mystery!#
Xu Chun's position shifted slightly just then, allowing Zhu Yaya to finally see the person's true face. It was actually Ling Yiming, the one Yan Heng had beaten black and blue!
It's him! She had almost forgotten that the playboy Ling Yiming had long hair!
Oh dear, the heroine and a male supporting character dating in the grove?
Murong Beichen, you might as well dye your hair green.
Xu Chun took some medicine from her bag, picked up a cotton swab, and tried to apply it to Ling Yiming's wounds, her face full of concern. "Are you okay?"
Ling Yiming seemed pleasantly surprised and hurriedly said, "It doesn't hurt, not at all."
However, the moment the cotton swab in Xu Chun's hand touched Ling Yiming's wound, he yelped in pain like a wounded wolf.
Zhu Yaya felt a bit of schadenfreude. Serves you right! Who told you to mess with me!
While Xu Chun was applying the medicine, Ling Yiming stole glances at her and grumbled resentfully, "It's all that Yan Heng's fault! Always meddling in other people's business. I was just confessing to a girl, and he treated me like this. Could it be that Zhu Yaya is his—"
"She's not," Xu Chun immediately cut off Ling Yiming's next words, then asked, "Why did you suddenly confess to Zhu Yanya?"
"Do you want to hear the truth?" Ling Yiming suddenly dropped his usual rakish demeanor, looking seriously at Xu Chun.
"I..."
"Because I like you." Ling Yiming's eyes were filled with deep affection, gazing tenderly at Xu Chun. "But, my buddy Murong Beichen likes you too. I know my charm is too great, and like Murong Beichen, I have too many girls chasing after me. So, I suppressed my deep feelings for you. When Murong Beichen pressed me about who I liked, I just picked a random girl to confess to. I didn't want Murong Beichen to misunderstand you, and I didn't want my admirers to hurt you."
Xu Chun's expression trembled.
"I didn't want to tell you, but I really can't control this heart that beats wildly for you. I love you, Xu Chun! Would you... be my secret lover? I'll do my best to protect you from outside harm." Ling Yiming continued speaking with deep emotion.
This plot...
Seems similar to something in the original novel, The Domineering Him, The Pure Love.
After the unnamed girl confessed to by Ling Yiming committed suicide, Ling Yiming fell into deep self-blame. Xu Chun couldn't stand to see it. So, Xu Chun sought him out for a private talk, but unexpectedly ended up being confessed to by Ling Yiming instead. After Ling Yiming's confession, the two of them were seen by Murong Beichen. The furious Murong Beichen charged over, initiating the classic two-men-fighting-for-one-woman scene.
Oh dear, even though Zhu Yaya, who replaced that girl, didn't commit suicide as written in the plot, the story still continued this way.
"What are you two doing!"
Murong Beichen's furious voice came from another direction, startling Ling Yiming, Xu Chun, and Zhu Yaya hiding behind the shrubs.
System 886's voice also rang in Zhu Yaya's mind—
"Congratulations on successfully unlocking the eleventh task. Please remain here now, witness Murong Beichen and Ling Yiming fighting over the girl, and enjoy the show."
Zhu Yaya couldn't help but curve her lips into a wide grin. She carefully opened the fruit container, speared a piece of watermelon with a small fork, and popped it into her mouth. Chewing the watermelon slowly, she kept her eyes fixed on the trio.
Money, here I come~
