《The Fake Heiress' Seven Brothers Pampers Her》


 Chapter 1: Going Back Tomorrow

    <h4>Chapter 1: Going Back Tomorrow</h4>


    When He Jing transmigrated, she was still dancing on the grave of her vicious stepmother. The stepsister who had stolen her fianc¨¦ was afraid that her dirty deeds would be exposed, so she did not even dare to breathe loudly.


    Then, a bolt of lightning struck down.


    When she opened her eyes again, she heard a fierce argument.


    The woman''s voice was cold outside the door: "Anyways, Xiao Yi is disgusted by her, so we have to send her back."


    "After all, Jingjing is the daughter we raised for many years. Even if we carried the wrong child, we should treat her better. Look, Jingjing even tried tomit suicide. Our Cheng family is so rich. It''s not like we can''t afford to take care of Jingjing," The man sounded helpless.


    "I don''t care. Once she''s saved, we''ll send her back to her lousy He family. Think about how our Xiao Yi has been living all these years."


    The woman refused to take a step back and spoke aggressively.


    The two of them did not notice that the person on the bed in the open ward had already undergone a soul exchange, and the electrocardiogram had miraculously started to bounce again.


    The woman on the bed opened her eyes weakly. Her long eyshes trembled, but her eyes filled with shock.


    She was actually alive again.


    She thought inwardly, "What the hell was this?"


    Then, a jumble of disorganized information flooded her mind.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Who could tell her if this was real!!


    She, the fair, beautiful, rich, cool, proud, awesome, He Jing, had actually transmigrated into a novel about the counterattack of a rich family''s daughter. It was about a pitiful female protagonist who was mistakenly raised as a wealthy youngdy, only to be found at the age of 18. Then she would gain incredible powers, make the male lead hers, seduce the second male lead, and have 800 male characters fall madly in love with her, crashing into walls for her sake.


    And she was the cannon fodder supporting actress in the book who had restored her identity as a poor girl and refused to leave. She was the fake wealthy heiress, He Jing!


    To avoid being chased out of the Cheng family, she staged a suicide attempt and shamelessly clung to the wealthy family. Not only did she not act humble and cautious as a guest, but she also constantly provoked the female lead, Cheng Yi. In the end, she sessfully courted death. She went from being a proud and arrogant youngdy to a scheming woman who was disliked by everyone and even got hit by a truck and her head fell off.


    He Jing felt a bit nauseous.


    How did she be this kind of character after transmigrating?


    Was this appropriate?


    It was just a case of mistaken identity. Her adoptive parents didn''t want her, so she could just go back. She insisted to fight for something that didn''t belong to her. Look, karma had caught up to her.


    At this moment, the man and woman outside the ward were still arguing. They were undoubtedly her adoptive parents, Cheng Yue and Ye Shuping.


    Their voices were thunderous. If it were anyone else, the nurse would havee over to stop them and chase them away. However, this hospital was funded by the Cheng family, and she was now on the top floor. The top floor ward was only for the Cheng family.


    "Is Xiao Yi your biological daughter or is Cheng Jing your biological daughter? We haven''t treated Cheng Jing badly all these years, right? Look at how the He family treated Xiao Yi. They actually made her drop out of school to work and support the seven brothers."


    "Those seven men have hands and feet. Are they worthy of letting my precious daughter work and support their education? The He family favors boys over girls and abuses Xiao Yi. I''m already being lenient by not holding them ountable. Keeping her at the He family, don''t you find it outrageous?."


    "Cheng Yue, we''ve been married for so many years. I''m telling you today, Either Cheng Jing dies or I, Ye Shuping, live!"


    Cheng Yue felt overwhelmed. Looking at his wife''s unreasonable behavior, he didn''t know what to say.


    It was true that the He family had mistreated Xiao Yi, but Jingjing was also innocent. She had lived with the Cheng family for so many years and knew nothing. Other than being a little rough and arrogant, she was really warm-hearted.


    Just as the two of them were locked in a heated argument, the door of the ward was suddenly opened. A weak and sickly girl with a bandage on her forehead was seen. She was wearing arger hospital gown and her eyes were very calm.


    She said, "I''ll go. I''m discharged today. I''ll go back tomorrow."

 Chapter 2: Too Hard

    <h4>Chapter 2: Too Hard</h4>


    This shocked Cheng Yue and Ye Shuping.


    Just a moment ago, she was adamant about staying, and now...


    Cheng Yue''s face was full of disapproval when he heard this. He thought that she was throwing a tantrum. "Don''t cause trouble now. Where can you go back like this?"


    However, Ye Shuping was delighted. She changed her cold attitude from before and went forward to hold her hand as she said, "Jingjing, don''t me me. It''s not that I can''t tolerate you. It''s just that Xiao Yi has suffered too much. I really can''t bear to see her being wronged. Let Xiao Yi stabilize her emotions for a while, and then I''ll bring you back."


    Of course, it was a lie!


    Ye Shuping couldn''t wait for He Jing to return to the He family and nevere back. She was afraid that He Jing would change her mind and refuse to return, so she wanted to lure her back to the He family first.


    Once that happened, they would change the locks, and what rtionship could a poor girl have with the Cheng family?


    He Jing knew that Ye Shuping was up to no good because she had seen this expression many times. She withdrew her hand from Ye Shuping''s grip and said coldly, "Since I''m a part of the He family, I can''t call you mother anymore. Aunt Cheng, thank you for taking care of me for so many years. I understand how you feel. I''ll return to the He family tomorrow."


    "Really?"


    Ye Shuping was so excited that she raised her volume by several degrees.


    He Jing nodded. "Of course, it''s true. I''m not a member of the Cheng family. I won''t stay at the Cheng family. Please call me He Jing from now on, Aunty."


    Ye Shuping was overjoyed. She nced at Cheng Yue and smiled as she said, "Jingjing is still sensible. Cheng Yue, did you see it? I didn''t force her to do this. Jingjing wanted to leave."


    Cheng Yue remained silent. He secretly med He Jing for being impulsive. Once she returned to the He family, she would have to drop out of school to support her seven brothers.


    Little did he know that this was exactly what He Jing was pursuing!


    How could they have thought that her seven brothers would all be big shots in the future? They were second to none in their fields and had a transcendent status. Even the Cheng family would not be able topare even one percent of their achievements.


    This was the true ''golden finger'' of a counterattacking wealthy heiress. It was the kind that was extremely thick. Because the fake daughter, He Jing, refused to return to the He family and even courted death, the seven brothers had always treated Cheng Yi, who was not blood-rted, as their biological sister. They were thrilled when she returned to the Cheng family because she could finally escape her hardships and live a good life.


    In a few years, they rose one after another. After they made their achievements, they collectively stood up to support Cheng Yi.


    If Cheng Yi made a mistake, they helped smooth things out. Whatever gift Cheng Yi wanted, it would be airlifted the next day. In short, with seven brothers, Cheng Yi''s happiness knew no bounds.


    With these seven brothers, why would she still be afraid of having a hard time in the future?


    She had to go back to that family.


    That afternoon, He Jing underwent her discharge procedure and boarded the car home.


    Worried that she might change her mind halfway, Ye Shuping sent a car and two bodyguards to escort her back to the He family.


    Before she left, the bodyguard gave her a bank card, which was obviously instructed by Cheng Yue.


    He Jing refused, "Tell Uncle Cheng that I appreciate his kindness. I appreciate it."


    The bodyguard expressionlessly kept the bank card.


    He Jing turned around and looked at the rundown and cramped shanty house with the word "demolish" all around. The corners of her mouth twitched. She couldn''t help but think that it was too dpidated. The walls were ck and the corners were corroded. It was actually still habitable.


    No wonder the fake wealthy heiress refused toe back. From being extravagant to being frugal, the difference was not just ordinary. No matter how hard it was before she transmigrated, it would not be to this extent.

 Chapter 3: Not Even False Orthopedics

    <h4>Chapter 3: Not Even False Orthopedics</h4>


    Then, He Jing saw a pair of eyes through the old window covered by the tattered curtains. They were eager, timid, and a little cautious.


    After a brief moment of eye contact, the owner of the eyes immediately retreated as if shyly hiding away. He Jing thought for a moment, entered the corridor, and rang the corresponding doorbell.


    Unfortunately, the doorbell was broken. He Jing pressed the button with one finger and it wouldn''te up. She could only knock on the door again and say, "Is anyone there? I''m He Jing."


    After a long time, the door opened a crack. The child who had been leaning against the window peeked out and looked at her, then slowly opened the door.


    The dim, damp, and cramped house instantly entered He Jing''s eyes.


    A few people were standing in the living room which was less than 20 square meters. Their faces looked obscure under the dim light of the bulb, and their eyes were deep and ck.


    He Jing didn''t expect to light up the house during the day. She took a look and saw that there was only one window in the house, and the window was facing the wall.


    Who would be so wicked to have a window like this? Even the venttion was a problem!


    He Jing cursed in her heart, but she didn''t show it. Instead, she smiled sweetly at the people in the room and greeted them, "Hi, I''m back."


    Everyone in the room looked at her and was dumbfounded by her beautiful smile.


    They had long been informed that He Jing was going to be sent back. They had even heard that He Jing had been reluctant toe back and seek death. They expected her to have a bitter expression when she saw them, but they did not expect her to be unexpectedly sweet and passionate.


    They scrutinized He Jing from top to bottom. Her expensive and beautiful flouncy dress, every pearl shining radiantly, her white and shiny leather shoes immacte. Her slightly curled chestnut-colored hair cascaded over her shoulders, resembling a chocte egg roll, and her fair and delicate face was breathtakingly beautiful, like an angel who had identally fallen into the mortal world.


    Was she really rted to them, with the surname He?


    While they were sizing up He Jing, He Jing was also sizing them up. With the help of natural light, she sized them up from tallest to shortest. She saw that their appearances were 70% simr, but each of them had a different temperament.


    The brothers had different expressions. Some were aloof, some were delighted, some were longing, some were afraid...


    Among them, her eldest brother, He Yuan, seemed the mostposed.


    He had a very handsome face and looked mature and steady. He was only 22 years old this year, but he had already earned himself a ce in a prestigious university through hard work. He supported himself with schrships every year. He was about to graduate soon.


    In the future, he would be the CEO of a listedpany. He would master advanced technology and monopolize the entire industry. It could be said that he was destined for greatness.


    He Jing smiled and greeted, "Hello, Big Brother."


    He Yuan looked at her calmly, "Wee back."


    His attitude was not particrly enthusiastic.


    He Jing then looked at her second brother, He Ning. He had short, soft ck hair, a high nose bridge, double eyelids, and long eyshes. He had a ssic first-love appearance. He was clean and tall, and his handsomeness was overwhelming.


    Her second brother, He Ning, had an outstanding academic performance, and he was considered the campus heartthrob. He excelled in basketball and was extremely cool. He was discovered by a talent scout before he graduated and entered the entertainment industry. He became the most popr male idol in the entertainment industry. His fans screamed to have children for him and jumped off a building for him.


    At the same time, he was also the second male lead in the book. After finding out that he had no blood rtion with Cheng Yi, he erupted with astonishing affection and passionately pursued Cheng Yi.


    Well... She had to think of a way to steer him back on track. False orthopedics couldn''t prevail in the radiance of socialism.

 Chapter 4: I Hope Big Brother Will Truly Treat Me As A Younger Sister

    <h4>Chapter 4: I Hope Big Brother Will Truly Treat Me As A Younger Sister</h4>


    He Jing greeted him obediently, "Hello, Second Brother."


    He Ning snorted coldly and turned his head away. He looked at her coldly and didn''t care about her.


    He Jing then looked at the boy standing next to He Ning. He had an expression that of "I''m the most arrogant, I''m the most rebellious." He looked very unruly.


    The eldest brother, He Yuan, introduced, "This is the fourth brother. His name is He Sui. The third brother, fifth brother, and sixth brother have gone to visit my Aunty."


    He Jing revealed a sweet smile. "Hello, Fourth Brother."


    He Sui rolled his eyes and snorted.


    The youngest, He Xiaoguo, who was also her younger brother, did not need any introduction at all because he himself took a timid step forward. His eyes were filled with desire. "New...Hello, new sister."


    He Jing was pleasantly surprised. She didn''t expect He Xiaoguo to be the most likable among her brothers.


    She crouched down and looked at the little boy in front of her. She smiled and said, "Hello, Xiaoguo."


    As if he had seen a human trafficker, Fourth Brother immediately pulled He Xiaoguo behind him.


    In the end, He Jing turned to her silent father and mother, went over, and gave them a big hug as she called out, "Dad, Mom."


    Tears welled up in her father''s and mother''s eyes.


    They had originally thought that their daughter, who had lived in a wealthy family, would not want to acknowledge them. They did not expect her to reallye back and be willing to live a hard life with them.


    They hurriedly called their eldest son, He Yuan, to bring He Jing to rest. He Yuan did as he was told and brought He Jing to Cheng Yi''s room.


    Although the He family was poor, it seemed that they did not mistreat their only daughter because there were only two rooms in total. Cheng Yi upied one room alone, and the other room was squeezed by seven brothers. Surprisingly, her father and mother actually slept in the living room.


    This waspletely different from what He Jing had imagined.


    The book had vividly described her father and mother forced Cheng Yi to drop out of school and work to support her seven brothers'' education. When she first transmigrated, Ye Shuping said the same thing. But if the He family really favored boys over girls, would they give Cheng Yi such a precious room all to herself?


    It was obviously impossible.


    Moreover, Cheng Yi''s belongings had not been taken away. There was a pile of bottles and cans of skincare products on the messy dressing table. These skincare products were all cheap and unknown brands, but they were undoubtedly a considerable burden for the poor He family.


    After taking in all of this, He Jing had a feeling in her heart. He Yuan then said, "The He family can''tpare to the Cheng family. The rooms are small and run-down. You''ll have to manage with what you have. If there are any conflicts in our living habits, we can adapt to you and make corresponding adjustments."


    "Even though there are many men in the family, we won''t casually enter your room. We''ll also be careful not to disturb you when you''re showering. Usually, Xiao Yi''s shower time is between 8 pm to 9 pm. We''ll stay in the room to study and won''te out."


    Because the house was too small, the overall sound instion was poor. The movements in the bathroom could be heard clearly in the living room.


    He Jing could already imagine how hard they had tried to restrain themselves in order to take care of Cheng Yi.


    He Yuan continued, "The few of us and Xiaoguo all take about 15 minutes to shower and wash up. Dad and Mom have formed a habit of showering as soon as they get off work. The bathroom from seven to eight o''clock is theirs. This can''t be changed. Do you think you can ept it?"


    He Jing said calmly, "Yes. Big Brother, if you don''t mind, send me a copy of the family schedule. I''ll follow it from now on."


    He Yuan nced at her and frowned slightly. "Have you really decided to stay in the He family?"


    He wondered if she might change her mind and run back to the Cheng family.


    He Jingughed. "Of course. My surname is He, not Cheng. I hope Big Brother will truly treat me as a younger sister in the future."

 Chapter 5: Facing Dropping Out of School

    <h4>Chapter 5: Facing Dropping Out of School</h4>


    He Yuan''s cold expression finally softened. He looked at He Jing with warmth in his eyes and said, "Alright, I''ll be careful."


    He Jing continued, "Also, I didn''t bring anything back from the Cheng family. If it''s clothes, I don''t want to wear Cheng Yi''s. Could you do me a favor and buy a few outfits for me, Big Brother?"


    "This is what I should do."


    Hence, He Yuan left the room and considerately closed the door for her.


    He Jing stayed alone in the small bedroom. She did not sleep but wandered around casually.


    The bedsheet was newly changed., though washed until it was white, it still had a sun-dried scent. The peeling bedside table was free of dust.


    Many of the skincare products on the dressing table were used up and empty bottles were left behind. A few cheap stickers were stuck on the table with words like "Keep going" written on them. It seemed that Cheng Yi had followed the same path as Lu Xiaokui in the He family.


    There were tworge boxes of things in the cardboard box next to the dressing table. When she opened them, they were all cheap gifts. There were plush toys and stic Barbies. He Jing''s eyes welled up when she saw them. Although she did not have to worry about food and clothing before she transmigrated, no one had ever given her such things.


    A feeling of envy rose faintly.


    Just as she was thinking about this, she suddenly heard very low and hushed conversations from outside the room. Obviously, someone was trying to avoid someone else, but because the house was too small, they couldn''t avoid being heard clearly by He Jing.


    "Our family is so poor that we can barely make ends meet. Big Brother pays his own tuition fee through hard work. Xiao Ning''s grades are so outstanding, so he definitely can''t drop out of school. Let''s talk to Xiao Jing about this. After all, we are all family."


    "No, it''s too soon after Xiao Jing''s return. If we talk to her about this, won''t it hurt her feelings? Let''s think of another solution, so we won''t bother her."


    "Mom, let''s think of another way. At most, I''ll go out and find a part-time job."


    "Xiao Yuan, you''re already busy enough. How are you going to find a part-time job? It''s my uselessness and can''t afford to raise you guys."


    ...


    Who would have thought that she would give birth to quintuplets in one go?


    Other than the eldest brother, He Yuan, the second to sixth brothers were all born at the same time.


    Originally, they had hoped for a daughter, so they gritted their teeth and gave birth to He Jing. However, they didn''t expect that after taking contraceptive measures, they still got pregnant by ident and gave birth to their youngest child, He Xiaoguo.


    Amidst the babble of voices, a clear and cold voice rang out. It was He Ning. "Enough, I''m not going to school anymore. I'''''' go to work."


    He was scolded by their father, "Don''t talk nonsense. What future is there in working?"


    But then, the door banged, and someone left the house.


    The entire living room fell into silence as if it had entered winter. Unable to bear it, He Jing opened the door and walked out. She saw her parents and three brothers looking at her in unison. They were miserable and worried.


    Then, she heard the fourth brother, He Sui, said sarcastically, "If Xiao Yi was still here, there wouldn''t be so many problems."


    The eldest brother, He Yuan, immediately stopped him with a stern shout, "Xiao Sui, watch your words!"


    The current situation was not something that Cheng Yi could solve with her presence. Poverty was a long-term disaster for the family. Whoever joined would only be unfortunate.


    However, He Sui was not convinced. He mumbled, "That''s true. We''ve already agreed with Xiao Yi. As long as she drops out of school for a year and wait for you to graduate and work, we would send her to a better high school. But now we have an idle person in the family, studying in an elite school. We are so poor, how can we afford it?"


    He Yuan''s expression instantly turned extremely ugly. He actually had no way to refute his words.


    Suddenly, He Jing let out a "pfft"ugh. Her beautiful eyes curved, and they were as ck as grapes.


    Thisugh made He Sui angry, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His eyes spewed fire as he said angrily, "What are youughing at?"

 Chapter 6: Strength

    <h4>Chapter 6: Strength</h4>


    He Jing''s soft voice was full of a young girl''s coquettish naivety, with a hint of yfulness andint in her tone. She said slowly, "Fourth Brother, you''re so funny."


    He Sui felt like he was being ridiculed and his attitude became sharper. "I''m not your fourth brother. I only have Xiao Yi as a sister."


    He Jing raised her eyebrows and said with a little grievance, "Alright, then... Fourth Brother, allow me to ask, who made the decision to let Cheng Yi drop out of school?"


    Of course, it was a decision made by the whole family.


    Among the eight children, seven boys were all outstanding. Only Cheng Yi had poor grades and attended an expensive third-rate high school. It could be said that she was the biggest burden for the whole family.


    Even though He Sui never felt that she was a burden.


    "What does this have to do with you? Anyways, Xiao Yi is a thousand times better than you."


    He Jing smiled lightly and said, "Actually, I know it even if you don''t say it. This was a decision made by our parents after discussion. It''s because Cheng Yi''s academic performance wasn''t good, right?"


    In the living room, their Father and Mother were suddenly called out. They couldn''t help but look at each other in bewilderment.


    He Jing was right. This was what they had decided after discussion. Although their seven sons doted on Cheng Yi and didn''t want her to drop out of school, in their hearts, their sons and daughters were all flesh and blood of theirs. They could not be biased towards any one of them. Therefore, they decided to suspend their studies based on their final grades. Unfortunately, Cheng Yi ended up rankingst.


    It was really embarrassing to be seen through. He Jing''s parents were afraid that she would look down on them and think that they valued boys over girls. However, they did not expect He Jing to smile. "But I''ve always been ranked first in ss."


    He Sui''s body stiffened.


    Father He and Mother He werepletely shocked.


    A strange expression shed across the eldest brother, He Yuan''s face, and then a faint smile appeared in his eyes.


    How could this be...


    She clearly seemed like the kind of girl who was aloof from worldly matters. She would have afternoon tea with her friends today, and go shopping at the mall tomorrow. She would casually take the college entrance examination. Then, she would wait to be sent abroad for further studies and to be gilded.


    He Jing spoke leisurely, "Fourth Brother, you''re in your third year of high school this year, right? Why don''t we have a mathpetition?"


    He Sui was about tough. He looked at her with endless pity. First High School was a key provincial high school, and he had never fallen out of the top ten in the school. He relied on his academic record to receive excellent performance allowances every year. How could hepare with her in solving math problems?


    Heh.


    "Alright, don''t me me for bullying you."


    He Sui was very proud of his abilities and did not take He Jing''s so-called top rank in the ss in his eyes seriously at all. He knew that she attended an elite high school filled with wealthy kids who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun all day long. She was the best among the dandies. It was unlike First High School. There were so many people in the province taking the middle school examination together, and only a few could enter.


    He Jing smiled even sweeter and blinked. "Then please go easy on me, Fourth Brother."


    The youngest brother, He Xiaoguo, looked at the eldest brother, He Yuan, timidly. His face was wrinkled and he was worried.


    Although the new sister looked very capable, He Sui was really amazing...


    He Yuan also felt uneasy and could not help but say, "Jingjing, you should rest more since you have just arrived..."


    He Jing tilted her head, and her big, watery eyes were as charming as grapes. "Big Brother, I''m really powerful. You can''t doubt my strength."


    However, He Sui had already taken out the two test papers that he had to do tonight from his bag and mmed them on the table. Then, he nced at He Yuan and said arrogantly, "Big Brother, don''t worry. I''ll take it easy on her."


    However, the more he spoke, the more He Yuan knew that his fighting spirit had been ignited. He would definitely do his best to humiliate He Jing.

 Chapter 7: Competition Questions

    <h4>Chapter 7: Competition Questions</h4>


    He Yuan looked at He Jing again and again. She still had a carefree expression as if nothing mattered. He could only say, "Since that''s the case, I''ll be the referee."


    "Ok."


    "No problem."


    He Sui and He Jing agreed.


    He Sui snatched the set of exam papers, the A version, and sneeredzily, "The A version is even harder. Don''t use me of taking advantage."


    He Jing nodded. "Thank you, Fourth Brother. I''ll do my best."


    He Yuan suddenly remembered, "Jingjing, are you only in your second year of high school?"


    He Jing said, "Yes." He Yuan frowned and said, "He Sui is already in his third year of high school this year. If there''s anything on the test paper that you don''t know how to do, just leave it nk. It''s beyond the scope of the second-year curriculum and all will be graded."


    He Jing wanted to say "no", but He Sui had already said arrogantly, "Sure."


    He nced at He Jing and smirked. "As long as she doesn''t cry when she losester."


    Then, thepetition officially began.


    The time limit was set at one hour because it was lunchtime in an hour. He Sui didn''t have any objections, and neither did He Jing.


    He Sui sat on the sofa and started writing on the small, peeling tea table. He Jing went to the dining table, looking as if she did not want to be disturbed.


    Hence, no one went up to disturb her. Everyone surrounded He Sui and watched as he wrote the exam paper with great vigor.


    An hourter...


    No, not even an hour.


    He Sui finished the exam papers. The neat pages are filled with dense writing. He looked up at He Jing. The beautiful young girl tilted her head. Her fair skin was like a touch of brightness embedded in the cold gray tone. Her slightly tilted side profile was exquisite and beautiful like an oil painting. Her slender hands were still writing slowly. It was obvious that she had not finished it.


    He Sui reminded her mockingly, "You only have two minutes left."


    As soon as he said this, He Jing put down her pen.


    The whole family stared at He Jing, their hearts pounding. They were inexplicably nervous, but she was like an exemry student who did not go overboard. She stood up and handed the exam paper to the eldest brother, He Yuan. He Yuan only took a nce at the paper and waspletely stunned.


    The handwriting was too beautiful.


    He Sui also stuffed his exam paper into He Yuan''s hands and waited for the result of his certain victory.


    Then, the living room fell silent. No one dared to make a sound to disturb him, afraid that they would disturb He Yuan''s thoughts.


    Mother He was supposed to go and cook, but for some reason, she couldn''t move her legs at this moment. She waited for the oue like she was buying a lottery ticket.


    Father He had a serious expression on his face as He Xiaoguo pulled on his trousers. Both of them were worried, although they didn''t know who they should hope to win...


    He Yuan''s expression suddenly became peculiar, as if he had seen something strange.


    He Sui was an impatient person. Seeing this, he immediately said, "How is it, brother? Did He Jing fail?"


    He Yuan slowly shook his head and handed the exam paper to him. He said, "You lost."


    He Sui''s eyes widened on the spot and he cried out excitedly, "How is this possible?!"


    He Yuan said, "See for yourself."


    He Sui quickly lowered his head and realized that thest two questions, she had used several different methods to solve, and the handwriting was leisurely and rxed as if she had added them after finishing the test paper with nothing else to do.


    "This question wasst year''s college entrance examination. It was called the devil''s question byst year''s examinees. Not only did she write the correct answer, but she also used three solutions. Xiao Sui, you were outdone. You lost."


    He Sui''s hands and feet turned cold. He raised his eyes stiffly and looked at He Jing. The young girl was still smiling, as if she was unfazed by favor or humiliation.

 Chapter 8: Damned Woman

    <h4>Chapter 8: Damned Woman</h4>


    He Jing certainly knew that she would win. What a joke. She was a top student who transmigrated. How could she not win against a little kid? "So... If we were to choose sacrifice based on results, Fourth Brother should be ahead of me."


    He Yuan, "This..."


    He Jing let out an "ah" and said in an extremely apologetic tone, "I''m sorry, Fourth Brother. I took away your chance to go to school. Eldest Brother, quickly go and call Second Brother back. The matter of tuition fees has been resolved."


    He Sui had just recovered from the blow and almost spat out a mouthful of blood when he heard this. He flew into a rage and said, "I''m not dropping out of school!"


    He Jing blinked innocently, "But your studies aren''t as good as mine."


    He Sui choked.


    He then heard her say in an exasperating tone, "Ah, could it be that Fourth Brother wants to bring Sister Cheng Yi back and let her drop out of school in your ce?"


    He Sui gritted his teeth, "Absolutely not!"


    He said inwardly, "This damned woman!"


    If it was said that he only disliked her when she first arrived, then now he simply wanted to strangle her.


    He Jing smiled again. "I''m just joking. Don''t take it to heart, Fourth Brother. The Cheng family has paid for my tuition fees for three years, so I will continue to study at Yin High School. As for Second Brother''s tuition fee, I will find a way to handle it."


    Father He''s eyes immediately brightened, and Mother He seemed to be ttered. "Is that true, Jingjing?"


    "It''s true."


    Mother He couldn''t help butugh.


    ording to He Jing''s words, the He family could save another sum of money. This was really great.


    Although the He family had always treated Cheng Yi as their biological daughter, her high tuition fees were really a heavy burden.


    Now, they could finally pay off the money they owed the school.


    As for He Jing''sment about finding a way, Mother He did not take it to heart at all.


    He Jing looked at He Yuan again. "Big Brother, let''s go out and look for Second Brother. If he runs out like this, it won''t be good if he encounters danger."


    He Yuan smiled gently and said, "Alright."


    Mother He felt like the dark clouds above her head dissipate, and she felt much lighter. "Thene back early. I''ll go cook."


    He Jing followed He Yuan out of the house.


    ...


    The He family lived in a residential area called Goldfish Ridge. It was near a construction site where new buildings were being erected. It was quiet and sparsely popted in this area.


    He Yuan and He Jing walked side by side and said to He Jing in a low voice, "Fourth Brother doesn''t have any bad intentions. He just likes Xiao Yi very much. Don''t lower yourself to his level."


    He Jing shook her head, "I won''t."


    Why would she, a 25-year-old aunty, argue with a 17-year-old kid?


    He Yuan nced at the construction site in front of him and said worriedly, "Let''s go and look for Xiao Ning together."


    He Jing wasn''t familiar with the surrounding environment, so she naturally didn''t want to be presumptuous and readily agreed. Then, the two of them walked through the construction site and arrived at a lively sports field. He Ning was sitting on a swing and watching primary school students y basketball.


    He Yuan said, "Wait for me here."


    He walked towards He Ning alone.


    He Jing stood where she was as she watched He Yuan and He Ning talk about something.


    After a moment, He Ning turned to look at her, his eyes extremely cold.


    He pursed his thin lips slightly, and his handsome face was filled with expressions such as "troublesome" and "unhappy".


    Then, he left He Yuan behind and walked alone in the direction of the He family.


    He Yuan turned around and said to He Jing, "Let''s go, we''ll go back too."


    He Jing looked at He Ning''s back and nodded. "Alright."


    Then, the two of them followed He Ning and slowly made their way back home.


    When He Ning returned home, he clearly felt that the atmosphere at home was not right. Father He was sitting on the sofa reading yesterday''s newspaper, and the corners of his mouth curled up as if he had won a lottery of five million. He Xiaoguo was ying with a cheap frog clockwork toy, but his mind was not on it. He kept ncing in the direction of the door.

 Chapter 9: Pretty Sister

    <h4>Chapter 9: Pretty Sister</h4>


    Fourth Brother sat on the sofa with an expression as if someone owed him 100 million yuan. He crossed his arms and seemed a little unconvinced. There were two test papers in front of him, one of which was crumpled. Mother He came out of the kitchen with tomato soup. Her face was flushed as if it was the second day of their marriage. When she saw He Ning, she greeted, "Ningning is back. It''s time to eat."


    She paused for a moment, looked behind him, and asked, "Why are you back alone? Where are Eldest Brother and Jingjing?"


    He Ning wasn''t in the mood to respond. He said perfunctorily, "They''ll be back soon. I won''t have dinner. I had ice cream outside."


    As he spoke, he walked towards his room.


    The door mmed shut with a "bang".


    Father He put down the newspaper and sighed, "He still can''t bear to part with Xiao Yi."


    His seven sons had a good rtionship with Cheng Yi. Now that Cheng Yi had left and a "stranger" hade, it was normal for the brothers to be awkward.


    Fifteen minutester, He Jing and He Yuan returned.


    He Jing had already changed out of her little dress and wore a simple white shirt and pleated skirt. She was talking andughing with He Yuan, looking very happy.


    He Sui and He Xiaoguo, who were sitting on the sofa, looked up at the same time. They were genuinely stunned. He Jing, in her white shirt, hadpletely lost the mour she had when they first met. She seemed like a pearl that had lost its luster and returned to dust and smoke.


    However, her beautiful face did not make her look ordinary at all. Her curly hair was tied up with a newly bought rubber band and tied up into a bun. Her youthful and cute vibe overflowed, just like a lemon in summer. Just a look at her made people think of sour and sweet.


    She was really good-looking...


    Although Cheng Yi was also very good-looking, her style remained consistent. She had always presented herself with a pure and innocent image. On the other hand, He Jing was versatile and exquisite, as if she could hold on to any style. He Sui could not help but be envious of the boys who were in the same high school as He Jing.


    If there were such beautiful girls in their school, his grades would definitely not be so good.


    As soon as the thought shed through his mind, He Sui wanted to p himself twice. Thinking of his failure just now, he got up angrily and went into the room. He said to Mother He, "I won''t eat dinner either. I''m not hungry."


    Mother He had just brought all the food to the table when she eximed, "Ei." When she looked at He Jing again, she immediately forgot what she was about to say. Her eyes were filled with love and joy. "As expected of my daughter, you look beautiful in everything."


    He Jing''s eyes curved, "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true." Mother He praised her sincerely but then couldn''t hold back and asked He Yuan softly, "How much did you spend on this outfit?"


    He Yuan put one hand in his pocket and said calmly, "30 yuan. The top was 10 yuan, the skirt was 20 yuan, and she even asked the boss for a pair of socks."


    Mother He rxed her brows and then scolded, "It''s so cheap. Why don''t you buy more for Jingjing?"


    He Jing said, "Mom, it''s not necessary. I have to wear my school uniform to school. This outfit is just right for changing."


    He Xiaoguo had put down the frog toy long ago. With eyes full of envy, he said, "Mom, can I get my new sister to send me to school tomorrow?"


    If He Jing was willing to send him to school, all the children in school would be envious of him.


    Mother He refused decisively, "No, we can''t trouble your sister."


    Unable to hold back his deep disappointment, He Xiaoguo weakly said, "Oh." He sounded extremely pitiful.


    After dinner, He Jing took the initiative to go into the kitchen to help Mother He with the dishes. In her previous life, as Cindere, housework came naturally to her, but before she could start, Mother He drove her out.

 Chapter 10: What Are You Doing?

    <h4>Chapter 10: What Are You Doing?</h4>


    Mother He said, "You can just sit on the sofa. Xiao Yuan, take the rice from the rice cooker and serve it to Ningning and Xiao Sui."


    He Ning and He Sui were growing, so how could they skip meals?


    In the room.


    He Sui sat in front of an old desk that was almost crushed by books and felt depressed. Losing to He Jing was really too embarrassing. He could onlyfort himself with the excuse that He Jing must have studied at the Cheng family to feel better.


    He turned to look at He Ning, who was lying on the bed. His eyes were closed, and he had earphones in his ears that had lost their paint. He was listening to music on an outdated mp3 yer. His ck hair covered his full forehead, and the curves of his face were extremely handsome.


    He Sui called out, "Second Brother."


    He Ning took off an earpiece and opened his eyes. His expression was cold and impatient.


    "What is it?"


    "When He Jing went out to look for you today, did she say anything to you?"


    "No."


    With just a few words, He Sui already sensed that He Ning was in a bad mood. He shut his mouth resentfully and stopped asking for trouble.


    He Ning plugged the earphones back on, and a tender and crisp female voice yed in the earphones. It was Cheng Yi.


    ...


    The next day, He Jing woke up early and tidied up the room.


    She didn''t like to use second-hand things, so she had to throw away everything that Cheng Yi had left behind.


    When she opened the door with a full bag of items, He Jing happened to bump into He Ning, who was walking out of the room. The two of them looked at each other. He Ning remained expressionless, and He Jing greeted her with a sweet smile, "Good morning."


    He Ning walked past her without looking at her.


    He Jing usually used the bathroom at 6:30 am. It was only 6 am now. He Yuan, He Sui, and He Xiaoguo woulde outter. After washing up, everyone would sit together for breakfast.


    Father He and Mother He had to leave early for work, so they couldn''t eat breakfast together.


    He Jing had packed a lot of things. It took her a lot of effort to move from the door of the room to the sofa. She sat on the floor and swung her arms with a sense of helplessness. Suddenly, a hand reached out in front of her and easily picked up the things.


    He Jing followed the hand and looked up. It was He Yuan.


    He had just woken up. His hair was disheveled, and the sleepiness in his eyes had not dissipated. He Jing''s smile was as bright as a sunflower in the morning. "Good morning, Big Brother."


    He Yuan said, "Leave the heavy work to us boys. You''re a girl. You shouldn''t force yourself."


    He Jing felt a heartfelt warmth in her heart. She got up from the ground and followed He Yuan out. Unexpectedly, a hole appeared in the bag and the rubbish she had collected spilled all over the floor.


    Cheng Yi''s skincare products, clothes, and cheap jewelry were all over the ground.


    At the same time, He Sui opened the door and exploded on the spot.


    "He Jing, what are you doing!"


    He Ning walked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth and foam all over the corner of his mouth.


    Even He Xiaoguo also came out of the room.


    Even He Yuan''s expression was quite unsightly. He had thought that He Jing was just cleaning up the ordinary trash, but he did not expect her to throw away Cheng Yi''s belongings without permission.


    Yet, she smiled and said calmly, "There were too many things piled up in the room. If I didn''t throw some away, it would be very crowded, so I cleared some."


    He Sui rushed to He Jing and grabbed her wrist. His eyes were red as he roared angrily, "These are all Xiao Yi''s things. What right do you have to do this?!"


    He Jing''s hand was in pain from the strangtion. She nced at the other three brothers, and their expressions were all indifferent.


    It was obvious that they felt that she was wrong because they only treated her as an outsider who had only been here for a day. Cheng Yi was their biological sister in their eyes.

 Chapter 11: A Fight

    <h4>Chapter 11: A Fight</h4>


    He Jing wasn''t panicking. She had a strong mental fortitude and could withstand all kinds of blows. It was the standard for a vicious supporting actress to continue courting death. For someone like her, who had been tempered by her vicious stepmother to have a strong will, as long as she didn''t suffer any substantial harm, other blows were nothing.


    Thus, she turned her gaze back to He Sui and raised her eyebrows slightly. "I can tell you the address of the Cheng family. If you don''t want me to throw these things away, you can send these things to her personally."


    He Sui''s anger came to an abrupt halt for no reason. He had nowhere to vent it. He let go of his hand and picked up the things on the ground. He red at her fiercely. "You''re not allowed to touch Xiao Yi''s things in the future."


    He Jing chuckled, "You dare not to look for her because you know she won''t want it, so you can only vent your anger on me. Fourth Brother, that''s not very manly of you."


    It was as if He Sui''s sore spot was poked, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He cursed angrily, "Bullsh*t! This is Xiao Yi''s thing. If I give it to her, she will definitely want it. You don''t know her at all. She''s not someone like you!"


    He Jing sighed leisurely, sighing in his ignorance, "Do you know how wealthy the Cheng family is? Cheng Yi is living in the bedroom that I personally modified in the past. It''s 200 square meters, which is about triple the size of the He family''s house. It has a natural bath, a walk-in closet, and a gym. The clothes she wears are from thetest international designer brands, and the shoes she wears are all handmade and custom-made. Every product she puts on her face goes through rigorous testing to match her skin''s needs. The ingredients added to them are enough to buy the entire supermarket you''re holding in this bag of trash. Are you sure she will use it if you give it to her?"


    He Sui stubbornly argued, "Even if she doesn''t use it, she''ll definitely keep it well."


    He Jing was almost moved to tears by his intelligence. She simply couldn''t be bothered to argue with him and said, "Whatever."


    He Sui heard helplessness and deep disdain in her tone. His self-esteem was severely damaged as he shouted, "So be it. I''ll definitely prove it to you."


    He Jing was so calm that she didn''t even frown. "Sure, I''ll wait for you."


    He Sui stormed back to his room and mmed the door loudly.


    He Jing shook her head imperceptibly, full of sympathy for him.


    The plot in the book was straightforward. After the true heiress returned to the Cheng family, she was afraid that her biological mother, Ye Shuping, would feel bad. Until her brothers became sessful, she did not return to the He family to visit them once.


    Following the plot setting of a light novel protagonist, after Cheng Yi returned to the Cheng family, she quickly adapted to the life of a wealthy family and started her daily face-pping routine. She entered an aristocratic school to p her ignorant ssmates, attended a wealthy family banquet to p her arrogant socialite, and even went shopping to p the passers-by who were showing off their wealth. If she was not pping her face, she was on the way to do so. She had long forgotten about the He family.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the brothers of the He family had be sessful and could be her "golden finger", He Jing believed their roles in the story would be limited to two chapters at most. He Ning, the typical second male lead, had hardly any scenes before bing the nation''s male god.


    So... Giving her skincare products was simply asking for trouble. She had no choice but to ept it.


    After breakfast, He Yuan left the house first. He was doing an internship while attending university and had a dormitory outside. If it weren''t for weing his younger sister, he wouldn''t have made the effort toe home. He probably wouldn''t be able to see his family for the next month. He Ning and He Sui, on the other hand, both attended the First High School, but it was far from home. It took 40 minutes bus ride to reach. They had no choice but to leave quickly.


    There were limited spaces in the high school dormitory, and they had to pay for the amodation fee. The He family obviously could not afford it. The brothers could only attend day school, even if it took a terrifying amount of time to go back and forth.


    They had brought lunchboxes, which were leftovers that Mother He had deliberately made yesterday. They could bring them to school after they were heated up in the morning.


    He Jing didn''t have a lunchbox. Mother He left 20 yuan on her bedside, probably because she wanted her to buy something to eat herself and not let her suffer too much.

 Chapter 12: Borrowing Money

    <h4>Chapter 12: Borrowing Money</h4>


    Twenty yuan was already a lot. For the He family, it was enough for the brothers to eat several meals. He Jing was touched and sighed in her heart.


    Although the He family was poor, they really doted on their daughter. If the fake heiress was willing toe back, she might not have died and could still live happily.


    Yin High School was near First High School and far from home. He Jing had no choice but to leave with He Ning and He Sui, leaving He Xiaoguo alone at home. She said worriedly, "Will Xiaoguo be fine alone?"


    He Sui was annoyed when he heard her words and wanted to stab her. "Don''t be hypocritical. Third Brother will be back in a while."


    "... Oh."


    The Goldfish Ridge was 200 meters away from the nearest bus stop. He Sui walked very quickly, leaving He Jing behind.


    He Jing walked side by side with He Ning, who wore white earphones and had a slightly cold expression on his handsome face. She called out to him.


    He Ning turned his head impatiently and frowned slightly. He Jing asked, "Second brother, can you lend me some change?"


    The money would get stuck in the bus fare machine if it wasn''t inserted properly. Mother He gave her a 20 yuan. In the past, she could squander her money as she pleased, but now she was a pauper. She had to break a penny into two pieces.


    He Ning pursed his lips and reluctantly took out four one-yuan notes from his old wallet and handed them to her. He was extremely cold and aloof as if he was saying, "Troublemaker, don''t talk to me again."


    He Jing smiled and took it. "I''ll pay you back."


    The young man''s voice was icy, "No need."


    The bus arrived and he got on it.


    The bus was packed with people. He Jing did not see He Sui. She stuffed two notes into the bus fare machine and walked to the back of the bus with difficulty. She never thought that she would have to squeeze on a bus one day. Fortunately, she had a strong will and was not pretentious.


    Men and women were squeezed together, and the scene was quite tragic.


    He Jing suddenly felt someone touch her thigh and felt extremely disgusted.


    Yin High School''s school uniform was a white shirt and a suit skirt. The skirt was a little above her knees, so it wasn''t considered exposing at all. He Jing was almost certain that the person who touched her was intentional.


    The second day after she transmigrated, she encountered a pervert. He Jing was extremely annoyed. She turned her head to see who the audacious person was to be so bold, but to her surprise, He Ning stood beside her. He used his schoolbag to wedge between her and the other person and created a gap between her and the surrounding people forcefully.


    He Jing was stunned. She slowly smiled and said, "Thank you, Second Brother."


    However, He Ning didn''t even spare her a nce and his beautiful eyes were extremely cold.


    He Jing remembered the description of He Ning in the book. The young idol who became famous could make his fans blush and their hearts beat with a smile. In private, he had a hot-tempered and irritable personality. Only the real heiress could soothe his manic depression.


    Hmm... She didn''t see any signs of his manic depression, but he seemed quite gentle.


    ...


    The moment He Jing stepped into the ssroom based on her memory, the air instantly fell silent. All the students turned to look at her in unison, their eyes filled with disbelief.


    An impostor heiress actually dared to appear in Yin High School?


    At the same time, He Jing noticed Cheng Yi, the real heiress who was adored by everyone. She sat in her seat and nced.


    In therge ssroom, Cheng Yi''s appearance was clearly not the most outstanding, but her innate female lead temperament made her stand out among the cannon fodder and was very dazzling.


    When Cheng Yi saw He Jing, a visible nervousness appeared on her face as if she was afraid that she would make trouble.


    He Jing suddenly remembered the original plot.


    The fake heiress had indeed made things difficult for Cheng Yi, saying that even if she changed her identity, she was still a pheasant with phoenix feathers. Her grades were as bad as a ghost and she was not worthy of studying at Yin High School. This scene happened to be witnessed by the male lead, Yan Hanxi, who arrived just in time. A protective instinct surged in his heart, and he boldly dered that he would tutor her, no matter how unreasonable it was.


    As for Yan Hanxi, he originally had an engagement with the fake heiress. However after Cheng Yi transferred to Yin High School, he fell in love with her at first sight and quickly fell into a deep affection. He then unterally broke off the engagement with the fake heiress.

 Chapter 13: New Classmate

    <h4>Chapter 13: New ssmate</h4>


    This was also an important reason for the constant death of the fake heiress. The female protagonist was destined to have everything. As a vicious female supporting character, even if she wanted to save her love, it was a great sin.


    From then on, the fake heiress turned into aplete tragedy. Not only did she watch the boy she liked protect another girl, but she also became the target of ridicule in the entire school. Her image as the proud girl of the heavens was gone forever.


    Thinking of this, He Jing frowned and nced around the ssroom quietly. Yan Hanxi was probably not there.


    Initially, in order to be with Yan Hanxi, the fake heiress got admitted to Yin High School and chose the science stream. But from now on, it would not be the case anymore.


    No matter how impressive Yan Hanxi was, she didn''t care.


    In a daze, someone called out, "He Jing."


    He Jing looked at her and saw Cheng Yi stand up from her seat. She suppressed her nervousness and hostility and smiled magnanimously and forgiving. "I hope we can get along well in the future."


    If it were the fake heiress, she would probably have exploded. Just being deprived of her heiress status would have been good enough, yet Cheng Yi actually wanted to get along well. What a joke!


    However, He Jing only nodded calmly and replied, "Okay."


    Then, she walked back to her seat.


    Not only the students in the ssroom but even Cheng Yi was stunned.


    She took the initiative to lower her head and express her goodwill because her position in the Cheng family was still not stable. If things really got out of hand, she did not know which side her father, who was filled with guilt towards He Jing, would stand on. However, she did not expect He Jing to let it go so easily...


    Cheng Yi thought, "How could this be... Didn''t He Jing desperately say that she wanted to stay with the Cheng family two days ago and chase me out?"


    The ssmates were even more surprised. He Jing was used to being arrogant and condescending in school. She looked down on everyone except Yan Hanxi. She didn''t put anyone in her eyes, but she could actually treat Cheng Yi so calmly. The sun really rose from the west.


    But the situation was clear and obvious.


    He Jing wiped her desk with a tissue as if no one was around. She took out her textbooks and began her pre-ss preparation.


    Cheng Yi nced at her for a while, curled her fingers, and looked away unwillingly.


    Now, she was the young heiress of the Cheng family. He Jing was worlds apart from her. She really didn''t need to pay too much attention to her, right?


    However, the expression on Cheng Yue''s face when he mentioned He Jing, made Cheng Yi determined to study hard and be someone better than He Jing,pletely recing He Jing''s position in Cheng Yue''s heart.


    Yan Hanxi didn''t show up even when ss started. He Jing overheard the students whispering, "He skipped ss again. I heard that Yan Hanxi had a fight with a third-year student from the neighboring First High School."


    "What''s the grudge between them?"


    "Who knows? Anyway, the teacher doesn''t care. He always tops every exam, he''s a genius."


    ...


    He Jing lowered her eyes and looked cold.


    She thought to herself, "First ce? Not for long."


    The math ss this time was about trigonometric functions. The teacher called a student toe up to the ckboard and solve a question. At a nce, the teacher saw Cheng Yi''s pretty face in the ssroom and excitedly called out, "The student who just transferred over,e and do this question."


    Cheng Yi''s expression changed when she was called.


    Her grades were not good. When she transferred, she did not pass the entrance test of Yin High School. She only got less than 60 points in many subjects. Among them, her math score was the worst, only getting a single digit.


    The Cheng family donated three buildings and barely managed to get her into the school. When they asked her if she wanted to study humanities or sciences, she deliberately chose the science stream topete with He Jing. She thought that she would be able topletely rece He Jing sooner orter, but she did not expect to fail in her first ss.

 Chapter 14: No Harm Without Comparisons

    <h4>Chapter 14: No Harm Without Comparisons</h4>


    Cheng Yi didn''t know how to answer this question and couldn''t even understand it.


    The math teacher thought she was shy and said gently, "Come on, it''s okay to make mistakes. Everyone, give her a round of apuse to encourage her."


    The ssroom suddenly erupted into apuse.


    Cheng Yi had no choice but to go up. She moved with difficulty and stood in front of an empty ckboard. She picked up the chalk as her fingertips trembled. After a long time, she wrote the word "solution", but there was no follow-up.


    The ssmates became impatient, and the math teacher gradually caught on to the situation. His joy was reced by dissatisfaction in the blink of an eye. He hated connections.


    The teacher felt speechless and he turned around and called another person''s name, "Cheng Jing."


    He Jing stood up in response and smiled as she said, "I changed my name, Teacher. My surname is He."


    The math teacher looked at her with a smile, pleased with her excellent temperament. "Alright, then He Jing,e up and teach Cheng Yi."


    He Jing walked onto the stage and took the chalk from Cheng Yi''s hand graciously. She wrote a series of forms behind the word "solution" and said calmly, "Substitute this form first, then do this..."


    Every number was written neatly.


    Cheng Yi stood at the side and suddenly felt extremely inferior. She felt the burning gazes of the entire ss on her. She curled her fingers tightly and felt so ashamed that she could not even hide her face.


    The questions that were so difficult for her to solve had be so easy in He Jing''s hands. The whole ss must beughing at her...


    After what seemed like an extremely long time had passed, He Jing had already written down a full solution and answer. She asked calmly, "Have you learned it?"


    Cheng Yi clutched her clothes tightly and nodded.


    Only then did the math teacher reveal a satisfied smile. "Very good. He Jing, please help this new student in the future. The new student should also learn more from He Jing."


    He Jing frowned and did not say anything.


    Cheng Yi replied softly, "Yes."


    She felt extremely humiliated.


    Cheng Yi turned around, and the mocking and teasing looks from the whole ss confirmed her embarrassment. Cheng Yi didn''t even dare to raise her head and hurried back to her seat.


    He Jing slowly followed behind her and flipped through her notes again.


    The ss quickly ended. The math teacher asked the ss monitor to distribute two papers as homework.


    He Jing summarized the key points of the ss. Suddenly, a shadow cast over her head. She looked up and saw Cheng Yi standing in front of her desk, bolstering her with her deskmate.


    He Jing asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "That..." Cheng Yi looked a little embarrassed. "Can you teach me how to do the questions?"


    He Jing raised her eyebrows. She was surprised, but she did not show any other emotions.


    In fact, Cheng Yi was deeply distressed. She struggled for a long time, then she pursed her rosy lips and said seriously, "The He family is very poor. It should be difficult for you to go back, right? If you teach me how to do the questions, I''ll give you money. You can earn money with dignity and even subsidize your family."


    He Jing instantly understood her intentions and was especially impressed by her. She had to admit that the female lead was indeed the female lead. Every word and sentence was filled with schemes.


    "The He family is very poor. It should be very difficult for you, right?" She subtly demeaned others while showing the superiority of her reversed superiority.


    "You teach me, and I give you money. You can earn money with dignity." After she hit a stick, she gave a candy to buy people''s hearts. It was awesome.


    "And even support your family" The ultimate goal was to use He Jing''s hand to give the He family a little bit of return to highlight her understanding and goodness.


    However, if the He brothers knew that Cheng Yi was the one who gave her all the money she earned, who would remember her efforts?

 Chapter 15: Scheming

    <h4>Chapter 15: Scheming</h4>


    The He brothers had always been obsessed with Cheng Yi. Now that they knew that she was in the Cheng family but her heart was in the He family. They would probably be moved to tears. They would also think that she was a victim who was forced to return to the Cheng family. Cheng Yi had enjoyed a good life and was a good person. Compared to He Jing, she, who had a dark history ofmitting suicide and did not want to go home, was simply useless.


    In the end, Cheng Yi could still get what she wanted and improve her results. It was really perfect.


    He Jing smiled gently, her eyes bright and dazzling. "Cheng Yo, I''ll think of a way to earn money to support my family. You don''t have to worry about it. You''d better sign up for a proper tutoring ss. It''s much more useful than relying on me."


    When Cheng Yi came with her n, she felt that even if He Jing refused, she would have at least considered it. But she did not expect her to be so straightforward. She said anxiously, "He Jing, I know you have objections to me, but please don''t be willful. This is a good idea, isn''t it? The He family is already so poor that they can''t make a living. They don''t have the money to support you to study at Yin High School. When the timees, you might even have to drop out of school."


    "Well, that''s none of your concern."


    He Jing said inwardly, "A way to earn money? I had plenty."


    He Jing had already thought of it on her way to school.


    Cheng Yi didn''t expect He Jing to be so stubborn. Unable to hold back, she blurted out, "He Jing, are you afraid that I will surpass you?"


    He Jing blinked, and her expression became very subtle. After a while, she smiled. "Yes, you''re right."


    Cheng Yi was speechless.


    Cheng Yi thought, "Do you think I''ll believe in you?"


    Cheng Yi stood in front of He Jing''s table for a long time, but He Jing had no intention of changing her mind. She bit her lip and left unwillingly.


    Her deskmateforted her. "Cheng Yi, don''t be too sad. He Jing is like this. She can''t tolerate anyone except Yan Hanxi. Unfortunately, Yan Hanxi doesn''t like her at all. If you can think of a way to get Yan Hanxi to teach you how to do the questions, that would be awesome."


    Cheng Yi was new to the school and didn''t know who Yan Hanxi was, but her deskmate piqued her interest when she speak so highly of him.


    Her deskmate was Yan Hanxi''s fangirl, and she kept talking, "Who is the most handsome in Yin High School? It is definitely my Brother Xi. He is the school''s heartthrob when he enters the school, and he is a legend in exams. He skips ss yet still gets first ce. Yin High School is a school for the rich. Kidnapping and extortion cases happen every two or three days. But if Brother Xi steps in, the kidnappers will instead pay for the protection fee. All the female fans in A City had exploded. When the talent scout came to poach him, Brother Xi refused to leave the school."


    "In short, Brother Xi is invincible. The woman that Brother Xi likes hasn''t been born yet, and neither can He Jing."


    Cheng Yi''s heart skipped a beat, and even her gaze became somewhat eager.


    He Jing got into Yin High School on her own, but she had gotten in through the back door. If Yan Hanxi liked her, she would not lose to He Jing...


    Moreover... There was no need for her to be anxious.


    The He family was so poor that they couldn''t afford He Jing''s education. If she didn''t ept her good intentions and couldn''t earn money, she would drop out of school soon.


    By then, she would still be the daughter of a rich family, while He Jing would only be an ugly duckling and gradually fade away from the masses.


    He Jing was still unaware of Cheng Yi''s secret intentions. She nned to earn some money as she had several siblings to support. Each of them was as thin as a bamboo pole. In the future, they would also have a lot of problems even if they had seeded.


    During thest ss of the day, their ss teacher said, "We''ll have monthly exams next Monday. Go back and revise well. The student who ranksst in the ss will be responsible for cleaning the ssroom for a week. There will be a parent-teacher meeting at the end of the term, and these results will be recorded on the report card."


    The whole ss wailed like headless flies. Some of them did not want to rankst and clean the ssroom, while others feared getting scolded for not improving their ranks after each exam. In short, everyone was in a panic.


    Of course, He Jing was an exception.

 Chapter 16: Earning Money

    <h4>Chapter 16: Earning Money</h4>


    Her lips curled up slightly and knew that her chance hade.


    After the ss teacher left the ssroom, she flipped through the notebook she had copiedtest night. She opened it and slowly flipped through page by page. It was filled with well-prepared notes.


    The ckers were still discussing how to sessfully pass the exam. One after another, they were suddenly attracted by the bright red notes.


    They looked at each other and read a message from each other''s eyes, "No way..."


    Soon, the confusion in their eyes dissipated, and became extremely determined!


    For the sake of the exam, they had to collide with He Jing!


    Everyone in the ss knew that He Jing didn''t care about anyone except Yan Hanxi, but He Jing was really awesome. Other than Yan Hanxi, no one was more capable than her. She was a genuine top student!


    "Jing... Sister Jing..." One of the struggling students called out tentatively.


    He Jing looked at him and smiled gently, appearing quite amiable, "What''s the matter? Do you need something?"


    The group of struggling students pped their thighs and thought, "F*ck, she''s changed!"


    The struggling student revealed a shy smile, "Sister Jing, can you lend me your notes to copy? It''s an emergency."


    Today was Friday, and there were only two days left until Monday. They didn''t want to fail their exams!


    He Jing tilted her head and said in confusion, "But I have to revise too. What should I do?"


    The struggling student tried his best to brag, "Sister Jing, you''re so awesome. You will be number one even without revision! Sister Jing, are youcking strength now? No! What youck now is luck. As long as you are willing to lend me your notebook, I am willing to ask my father to set up Sister Jing''s Foundation overnight to sponsor children in the mountainous areas. God will definitely bless you to surpass Brother Xi and be the first in the school!"


    He Jing was speechless. Frankly speaking, who in the entire A City needed sponsorship more than her? No one.


    "Fine, but I won''t lend it to you. I''ll only sell it. I''ll give you the whole notebook for 5000 yuan. What do you think?"


    The struggling student was stunned.


    He Jing smiled and said slowly, "I''m not the daughter of a wealthy family now. I can''t even afford a meal. To be honest, I borrowed the bus fare today. If you guys don''t like the idea, forget it."


    The student roared on the spot, "I''m willing!"


    Oh my god, 5000 yuan in exchange for a chance to be a top student. It was so profitable!


    For someone like him who had to spend 5000 yuan on a meal, He Jing seemed like Guanyin Bodhisattva herself.


    When the other ckers heard this, they went wild. "He Jing, you''re going too far? 5000 yuan to sell your intellectual treasure? I''ll offer 10000 yuan."


    "I''ll offer 20000 yuan."


    "I''ll offer 50000 yuan."


    The ssmates were in an uproar.


    The entire ssroom erupted into chaos.


    He Jing''s phone vibrated one after another. Someone sent her friend requests through the ss group, and someone simply transferred money to her.


    Cheng Yi sat in her seat and packed her bag, dumbfounded. There was only one thought in her mind, "This group of prodigals must be crazy! Was it necessary to spend so much money on a notebook?"


    But at the same time, her expression also turned unpleasant. She thought, "He Jing said that she would earn money by herself and she had indeed earned money. Did that mean she would continue to study at Yin High School? Moreover, she would rather sell her notes to others than tutor me. She was hostile to me!"


    In less than ten minutes, He Jing had sold the two notebooks that she had spent the entire night copying. She had earned a profit of 20000 yuan and was very satisfied.


    The struggling student, who had bought the notes, hugged his divine weapon and refused to let go, afraid that it would be snatched away. Another struggling student, who had been lucky enough to get the second divine weapon with quick transfers, proudly disyed the notes for others to see. The handwriting was amazing!

 Chapter 17: Not On The Same Path

    <h4>Chapter 17: Not On The Same Path</h4>


    It was clearly handwritten, and the words were so beautiful. The coordinate axes drawn were even better than theirs. The difference between people was too big.


    They really wanted to collect it.


    Half an hourter, everyone in the ssroom had left. He Jing had to go back too. Yin High School did not have evening self-study. The teachers were punctual with their dismissal time, more urate than a cuckoo clock. If the students wanted to get good grades, they had to study on their own.


    He Jing packed her bag and prepared to leave but was stopped by someone. She didn''t even lift her eyelids and said emotionlessly, "Is there anything else?"


    Cheng Yi''s eyes were filled with grievance and she looked a little pitiful. "Why can''t we be friends? Although we''ve exchanged identities, it wasn''t my fault. He Jing, there''s really no need for us to be so hostile."


    He Jing looked at her in anger and amusement. "Since when did we go against each other?"


    "Was it because I embarrassed you in front of the teacher by going up to help you solve the question or because I refused to tutor you?"


    "Cheng Yi, I don''t want to be friends with you because we''re not on the same path. That''s all."


    Cheng Yi was embarrassed and angry, but she couldn''t help but retort, "Aren''t you angry that I stole your identity? You''re clearly..."


    "No, I''m not."


    He Jing looked at her with a clear gaze.


    "I don''t care about being rich. If you want it, you can take it."


    Anyway, she had lived enough of the days of glory and wealth, right?


    She just wanted to live an ordinary life now.


    Cheng Yi was speechless. For some reason, she felt inexplicably humble. She was clearly the real daughter of a wealthy family, but she felt as if she had stolen this identity...


    She thought, "Why? Why was this happening?"


    "Good luck with your monthly exam. I wish you all the best," He Jing said lightly and left, avoiding her.


    ...


    Yin High School didn''t have evening self-study sessions, but First High School did. The students in First High School were known for their diligence. They finished school at nine every day. The total number of exam papers they had was enough to circle the world twice. It had even been on the city news.


    Almost every year, the top scorer of the provincial college entrance examination came from First High School. He Jing admired this school.


    She wanted to wait for He Ning and He Sui to go back together after school, so she wandered around First High School alone to familiarize herself with the surroundings. She even bought some oden and two ice-creams.


    There was no doubt that the ice cream was for He Ning, and she nned to bring the oden to He Xiaoguo and the others.


    They rarely had the chance to eat such snacks. They would definitely like it...


    He Jing thought about it and looked at her phone. It was almost time, so she should head to First High School.


    When she passed by a small alley, she suddenly caught a whiff of a bloody smell.


    A steel pipe was thrown to the ground with a crisp sound. A few stray dogs barked. It was obvious that something bad was happening in the alley.


    He Jing had never been interested in such behavior that vited the spirit of socialism, prosperity, democracy, and mutual assistance. In her eyes, those who relied on violence to solve problems were all mentally retarded. Only barbaric animals hunted each other. The country''s efforts to eliminate evil were still not strong enough...


    Suddenly, she heard someone shout, "Yan Hanxi!"


    As if her feet had been nailed to the ground, He Jing stopped in her tracks and looked into the alley.


    The sky was dark, and the moon hung in the sky. The tall and slender young man outlined a faint silver silhouette in the moonlight. His sharp shoulders were like rugged mountains, half hidden in the darkness and half exposed under the moonlight. The wind blew his white shirt, revealing his thin and fair waist and a dazzling red mole on his waist.


    Hearing themotion, he turned around. His eyes were long and narrow, and the ruthlessness in his eyes had not dissipated.


    It was Yan Hanxi!

 Chapter 18: Almighty Male God?

    <h4>Chapter 18: Almighty Male God?</h4>


    The male lead of this story is both the school bully and the school hunk. Not only are his grades extremely outstanding, but he is also incredibly handsome. As the author''s favorite character, he possesses an array of talents, including ying the piano, archery, horse riding, singing, and proficiency in various sports. He even had the skills of GPS, which allowed him to locate the real heiress and save her any time, and the skill to avoid b*tches, which kept him distant from all females except the female lead. He is also exceptionally strong, capable of effortlessly lifting the female lead with just one hand, even raising her up to the sky.


    In short, he is an all-around perfect male god, utterly irrational and lovable.


    He was Cheng Yi''s golden thigh and timely savior. The seven brothers treat him as their archenemy, afraid that Cheng Yi will be taken away by him. But in the end, they failed to guard against him.


    As for herself, being the vicious female supporting character, she could only be mercilessly killed as cannon fodder. She witnessed the happy end of the two with her own eyes and left behind a stroke to advance the plot, hiding her merits and fame.


    It''s really infuriating!


    He Jing didn''t want to stay here at first. Since Yan Hanxi was Cheng Yi''s man and had nothing to do with her, she decided to take the initiative to stay away from him to avoid being cannon fodder. But for some reason, being attracted to Yan Hanxi seemed to be an innate instinct of this body, or maybe cannon fodder was destined to be unable to resist the male protagonist, so she couldn''t leave at all.


    Yan Hanxi nced at her with an indifferent expression, as if they didn''t know each other at all. He said, "Get lost!"


    He Jing wanted to leave, but she couldn''t. She could only watch as the third-year student from First High School picked up his bag and smashed it at Yan Hanxi, only to be kicked away by him.


    He Jing finally understood why she was stuck here.


    It''s the rule in novels that the male lead''s show-off moments must be witnessed by someone so that person can scream, "Wow, you''re amazing!" How could the readers appreciate the male lead''s handsome and charismatic qualities without her as the cannon fodder?


    Since she couldn''t leave, He Jing decided to stay put. She watched the showzily.


    She even wanted to get some melon seeds to snack on. She leaned against the crooked electric pole at the entrance of the alley with her arms crossed in front of her chest, looking calm andposed.


    Yan Hanxi frowned, obviously displeased, probably because her "I won''t leave. I''ll see what you can do" attitude was too conspicuous. But soon, he had no time to care about He Jing.


    Without the worry of "this little girl will call for help", the third-year students of First High School were more motivated than ever for the beautiful girl''s attention. They tried to gang up on Yan Hanxi and rubbed their fists. Yan Hanxi''s face suddenly turned very ugly.


    He turned back to look at He Jing again. He Jing still showed no intention of leaving or calling for help. He pursed his thin lips and faced the third-year students.


    As He Jing watched, she discovered that something was off. She thought, "Why was this almighty school hunk so weak? Tsk, he almost couldn''t win. It was even lousier than the three moves and two styles that I had practiced before transmigrated. How did he be a school bully like this?"


    He Jing questioned the author''s logical thinking.


    It was unclear if it was revenge or if the fight was too intense and Yan Hanxi forgot that there was someone behind him. A third-year student threw his bag at Yan Hanxi and aimed it at his head. Yan Hanxi dodged and the bag flew straight at He Jing.


    Bang!


    The ice cream fell to the ground and turned into a mess of white.


    He Jing blocked the bag, and the bag of oden in her other hand swayed.


    The atmosphere in the alley suddenly changed. Even the stray dog in the alley that held a piece of meat and bone that they had scavenged from the trash can, dared not to bark. The third-year student who had hit He Jing stuttered, "I''m... I''m sorry!"

 Chapter 19: Bringing Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 19: Bringing Trouble</h4>


    Yan Hanxi was originally annoyed, but when he turned around, he was stunned and then curled his thin lips.


    He smiled and said casually, "Boss, isn''t it inappropriate to act after watching the show for so long?"


    Then, he bent down to pick up the school bag that he used as a shield, as well as the books and papers that had fallen out of the school bag.


    He Jing frowned.


    A third-year student from First High School said, "So you guys are in cahoots!"


    Yan Hanxi said confidently, "Didn''t you see that she''s wearing the Yin High School uniform? Of course, we''re on the same side, right, Boss?"


    He Jing said coldly, "Shut up!"


    That damned male lead dragged her into this mess. How shameless can he be!


    Obviously, a certain someone was very shameless. He imitated her posture from earlier, leaned against the wall, andpletely concealed himself in the darkness. He saidzily, "Let me introduce you. This is our school''s top star. If she says jump, I won''t dare to go down on one knee. If she asks me to stand, I won''t dare to lie down. You ruined her ice cream, and you''re finished."


    The third-year student from First High School revealed a horrified expression that said, "Stop f*cking lying". He said, "How is that possible? There has never been a female school bully in Yin High School!"


    A certain someone smiled brightly. "Well, today''s an exception."


    The third-year student from First High School waspletely stunned. He looked at He Jing with fear as if he was looking at a female dinosaur.


    He Jing was implicated by Yan Hanxi and smirked. She then ced the oden in her hand on the ground...


    Ten minutester, the alley was littered with "corpses" scattered in all directions.


    Yan Hanxi had one hand carrying his backpack and the other in his pocket. "Hey, what''s your name?"


    He Jing ignored him. She picked up the oden from the ground and turned to leave. Yan Hanxi licked his lips and said again eagerly, "How about bing sworn brothers? In the future, I''ll protect you in all sorts of ways."


    Of course, He Jing knew how confident he was when he said that.


    The Yan family was the first prestigious family in A City, and he was the young master of the Yan family. He basically had everything at his disposal. If he really wanted to protect someone, that person could basically do whatever he wanted in A City.


    But she did not need it.


    He Jing didn''t even bother to look up and said calmly, "Okay." Then, she turned around and waved her hand nonchntly. Her short skirt fluttered in the wind.


    She said, "Wait until you finish your five-day trip in the detention center, little brother."


    Five minutester, the young man who won and the "corpse" who lost were all taken away in the police car.


    The third-year student from First High School wailed, "We were the ones beaten up. Why do we have to be arrested too?"


    The police officer took out his baton and reprimanded coldly, "You''re so young and you''re not learning well. Behave yourselves."


    Only the cold-looking young man was expressionless. There was a hint of gloominess in his eyes, and he looked like he wanted to eat someone up.


    ...


    It was already veryte when He Jing returned home. The whole family looked at her as if they were surprised by her appearance. Then, there was an inexplicable awkwardness in the living room. Even He Sui''s face seemed somewhat unnatural.


    Mother He was obviously embarrassed. She hurriedly got up from the sofa and said, "Jingjing, you''re back. How was school today? I''ll go and prepare some noodles for you."


    He Jing had already guessed something. She picked up the bag of oden and said gently and considerately, "It''s my first time taking the bus home, so I''m not familiar with it, so I got lost. Mom, don''t trouble yourself. I''ve already eaten. Look, I brought something for you all."


    He Xiaoguo almost pounced on her. His voice was crisp and bright, "Delicious food!"


    He Jing smiled even more cheerfully. She opened the bag of oden and gave him a skewer of fish balls. Then, she ced the rest on the table. Then, she heard He Sui snort proudly and mumble, "I thought you ran back to the Cheng family again. You came back sote, and we didn''t even leave you any food."


    He Jing knew that they would think so. Her smile became a little helpless as she said, "Since I''m here, I won''t leave again. It''s even more impossible for me to sneak back."


    Her words paused and she turned her gaze to He Ning and asked, "Second Brother, do you want some? It won''t taste good when it gets cold."

 Chapter 20: Where Did The Money Come From

    <h4>Chapter 20: Where Did The Money Come From</h4>


    He Ning''s eyes were indifferent as he asked, "Where did the moneye from?"


    He Xiaoguo, who was eating a meatball, stopped. He Sui, who was about to sneakily take the squid roll, retracted his hand. Father He, who was sitting on the sofa reading the evening newspaper, looked up. Mother He, who was about to step into the kitchen, also retracted her leg.


    By the way, Mother He had only given her 20 yuan in total. Where did she get the money to buy oden?


    Everyone''s gaze focused on He Jing, filled with curiosity. The air seemed frozen, and a string was pulled taut, ready to snap at any time.


    He Jing smiled nonchntly. She saw through their true thoughts at a nce and said, "It''s not from the Cheng family. I earned it myself."


    He Ning frowned deeply, his handsome face filled with disbelief.


    He Sui seemed to have grabbed her by the braids and said sarcastically, "Are you kidding me? Where did you earn so much money? Although our He family is poor, we have our pride. We won''t ept anything that has an unclear source."


    He Xiaoguo didn''t swallow the meatball. His cheeks were puffed up. He suddenly felt unsure whether to swallow or not.


    He Jing''s beautiful eyes stared straight at He Sui, making He Sui feel guilty. However, she did not say anything. She picked up the oden from the table, turned around, and walked into the room, closing the door.


    He Sui inexplicably felt that he had been pped in the face. He then heard his mother say with a hint of me, "Xiao Sui, you''ve gone too far. Jingjing has good intentions no matter what. She specially brought something back for you brothers to eat. Even if she took the Cheng family''s money, you shouldn''t have said that to her. Go apologize to herter."


    He Sui, who felt guilty, suddenly exploded, "No, why should I apologize to her? She can''t exin it. This money is just not clean."


    Mother He was at a loss for words and sighed in a low voice.


    Father He said calmly, "I''ll talk to Jingjingter and see where she got the money from. If she borrowed it from the Cheng family or her ssmates, we''ll pay it back for her."


    At this moment, a car horn sounded outside the door.


    He Xiaoguo took advantage of the distraction and swallowed the fish ball. Excitedly, he said, "It must be Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother who came back from Aunty''s house!"


    Every time they returned, they would bring him delicious food!


    As he spoke, his two short legs ran out like a whirlwind.


    The tense atmosphere in the living room eased a little.


    Mother He took the opportunity to instruct, "Behave. No matter what, you have to apologize to Jingjingter."


    He Sui was still unconvinced. "I won''t. I won''t apologize even if I die."


    In less than a minute, He Xiaoguo returned with a group of strangers.


    They saw that this group of strangers was very young. There were boys and girls, and all of them looked like young masters and daughters. All of them were dressed in branded clothes. One of them even held a Ferrari key. The He family members couldn''t know such a rich person, so it could only be someone He Jing knew.


    Amid the uncertainty, the boy with the Ferrari key hooked on his index finger stood outside the threshold and asked politely, "Hello, Aunty. Does He Jing live here?"


    Mother He''s eyelids twitched. She quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes." Then, she kicked He Sui, signaling him to serve tea.


    She then went to knock on He Jing''s door and felt anxious. She lowered her voice and said, "Jingjing, your ssmates are here for you."


    He Jing opened the door.


    The oden was still on the old table behind her, untouched. She had changed from her school uniform into the cheap clothes that the eldest brother, He Yuan, bought for her. She walked out with a calm expression.


    She nced at the few boys and girls at the door. Who else could it be but the few ckers who bought her notes?

 Chapter 21: Apologize

    <h4>Chapter 21: Apologize</h4>


    He Jing walked towards the door. She had roughly guessed why they were here.


    Mother He pulled Father He to the side and said nervously in a low voice, "I''m afraid they''re here to urge Jingjing to repay the money. I wonder how much Jingjing borrowed and how much money we left on our cards?"


    Father He was very serious, "Just 1000 yuan. This month''s expenses have already exceeded the limit."


    They both felt overwhelmed with worry.


    He Sui went to the kitchen to pour some water, but he didn''t have any intention to bring it to them. He knew that this group of rich second-generation heirs wouldn''t drink their boiled water, so he simply went to Mother He''s side and listened to them calcte how much money they could save. He couldn''t help but sneer. "You want me to apologize for this? They''vee to collect the debt in person. It''s really embarrassing."


    He Xiaoguo didn''t dare to speak. He timidly hid behind the sofa and stuck his head out.


    Suddenly, when the group of rick-looking boys and girls at the door saw He Jing, it was as if they had seen their savior. Their eyes lit up, and they shouted with exaggerated expressions, "Sister Jing, we finally found you. The solution to the problem in the notes you sold us was too difficult. We couldn''t understand it at all! Can you exin it to us as after-sales?"


    Father He, Mother He, He Sui, and He Xiaoguo were all shocked when they heard what they said.


    He Jing was not surprised at all. She said without a frown, "Sure, but it''s already veryte."


    "Sister Jing, there are only 48 hours left until Monday. Just treat it as a matter of life and death for us. We will definitely listen carefully and won''t take up too much of your time!"


    He Jing thought for a moment and turned to the dumbfounded Father He and Mother He as she said, "Dad, Mom, I''m going out for a while. I''ll be back around midnight."


    The struggling students were moved to tears and quickly said, "Uncle, Auntie, don''t worry. We promise to send her back safely!"


    Before Father He and Mother He coulde back to their senses, the door mmed and He Jing had already closed the door and left.


    The living room fell into silence. Only the sound of the door closing could be heard.


    After a long silence, Mother He seemed to be in a trance and asked carefully, "Hubby, did you hear that?"


    Father He''s mood was extremelyplicated. "Yes, I heard."


    It turned out that He Jing really did not take money from the Cheng family. The money for the oden was earned by herself. Then, the doubts they had about her just now were too hurtful...


    He Sui was extremely depressed, and his hand holding the water was a little unstable.


    Who would have thought that He Jing had such a way to make money?


    Nothing like this had ever happened in their school.


    He Xiaoguo felt that the fishball he had eaten was totally worth it. He smiled and said, "Fourth Brother, you should apologize to sister properlyter."


    He Sui red at him, but he had no choice but to respond, "Got it."


    The door of the other room suddenly opened, and He Ning walked out wearing white earphones. His beautiful eyes were indifferent. "I''m going out for a while."


    Mother He asked, " Where are you going sote at night?" He Ning walked out of the door without looking back. The door closed with a "bang" once again.


    ...


    He Jing got into the car of one of the struggling students. It was a limited edition Ferrari. The shy red Ferrari was extremely cool. He Jing remembered that the struggling student A was not even 18 years old yet. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed.


    The other two girls who were assigned to sit with her did not notice her emotions. They even told He Jing the reason, "This is his cousin''s car. He lent it to him temporarily. The driver''s license is also in the car."


    He Jing said, "I''ll drive."


    Her tone left no room for doubt.


    Struggling student A wanted to show off in front of He Jing but was instead pushed to the passenger seat by her. He felt aggrieved, but he didn''t dare to say anything, afraid that He Jing might leave if she got unhappy. However, when He Jing adjusted her posture, it was obvious that she was an experienced driver.


    Her side profile was extraordinarily beautiful under the cold moonlight. Struggling student A couldn''t help but say, "Sister Jing, how long have you been learning to drive?"

 Chapter 22: Dream

    <h4>Chapter 22: Dream</h4>


    She was too skilled!


    The two girls were equally impressed.


    He Jing looked ahead and replied casually, "It''s been a while. I used to dream of being a racer."


    "What about now?"


    "I want to be a Nobel Prize winner."


    The two girls were speechless.


    Struggling student A, "What prompted such a great leap in your aspirations?"


    He Jing said lightly, "Women are not allowed to participate in F1."


    Struggling student A was speechless.


    He thought to himself, "The fact was too real."


    On the way to the private library, the conversation in the Ferrari rarely stopped. Apart from the initial response, He Jing barely said anything throughout the journey.


    The two girls chattered endlessly, from popr celebrities to the school forum, and from the school forum to Yan Hanxi. They even brought He Jing into the discussion.


    "Sister Jing, how are things going between you and Yan Hanxi? If it doesn''t work, let''s change to someone else. I have a senior in my social circle who is very handsome. If you''re interested, I''ll send you his WeChat."


    He Jing waited for a red light and said indifferently, "I''m not interested in Yan Hanxi anymore. I won''t pursue him anymore."


    Struggling student A''s eyes lit up. He felt that his chance hade. "Sister Jing, look at me. I''m not a scumbag. I can be your boyfriend!"


    He Jing replied, "Ugly rejection."


    Struggling student A said, "... There was no more love."


    The two girls thought that He Jing was injured from chasing Yan Hanxi, so theyforted her and cursed the guy. He Jingughed and said, "I don''t want to be in a rtionship for the time being. I just want to focus on studying."


    The girl who failed to sell her senior was greatly disappointed and could only give up on the idea. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at the library.


    Struggling student A''s private library was also open to the public except for Saturday and Sunday. The normal libraries were closed at this time, so they could onlye here.


    He Jing exined the questions to them until eleven o''clock. Only then did the group of struggling students finally feel that they had an epiphany.


    With He Jing''s god-like thinking and learning ability, they could not think of anything else other than "Wow".


    After it was over, Struggling student A volunteered, "Sister Jing, I''ll send you back!"


    Other ssmates chimed in and teased struggling student A until he blushed.


    However, He Jing remained calm and said, "No need. This ce is close to home. I''ll walk back. It''s gettingte, you all should head back and rest early."


    Struggling student A, who had been rejected twice, felt disheartened. He insisted on sending He Jing out of the library. The two of them walked out of the revolving door together. Under the dim yellow streetlights, a slender figure stood alone and cast a dark shadow on the ground.


    He Jing was taken aback. Then, her red lips curled up. She turned to look at struggling student A and said, "There''s no need to send me off. Go get the car."


    Struggling student A was dumbfounded. Before he could ask "why", he saw He Jing walk towards the person under the streetlight like a cheerful butterfly and shout, "Second Brother."


    He Ning lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "Dad and Mom were worried and asked me to pick you up."


    "I know." He Jing held his arm intimately. "Let''s go. Dad and Mom must be waiting anxiously."


    He Ning frowned, but he did not break free in the end. He nced at He Jing, and her angelic face under the moonlight appeared pure and innocent. Her bright smile seemed capable of sweetening anyone''s heart. His heart suddenly felt like a small pebble had been thrown into a calmke, creating ripples.


    He Jing didn''t notice anything and asked with a sweet smile, "Are Dad and Mom asleep?"


    "They''re asleep."


    "Thank you for picking me, Second Brother."


    ".. It''s nothing."


    The two of them walked back on foot. Their connected shadows looked like conjoined twins. He Ning caught a whiff of the girl''s fragrance. It was like a sweet orange with a faint milky fragrance. He was silent for a moment before he suddenly said, "I''m sorry."

 Chapter 23: Apologize

    <h4>Chapter 23: Apologize</h4>


    He Jing stopped in her tracks and looked at him strangely. "Why are you apologizing to me?"


    He Ning also stopped and looked straight at her with his beautiful eyes. His eyes were filled with seriousness. "If I hadn''t asked, Fourth Brother wouldn''t have said those words. I apologize for my and Fourth Brother''s actions."


    He Jing pursed her red lips tightly and remained silent for a while. She observed He Ning''s reaction and saw the feigned calmness on his face concealing his unease. Unable to hold back, she burst intoughter, "Haha! Second Brother is so serious. I thought it was something major, but it turns out to be this. Don''t worry, I didn''t take it to heart."


    He Ning still didn''t believe his ears, "Really?"


    "Of course."


    When He Sui wrongly used her, she deliberately did not exin, just to wait for them to find out.


    People only believed what they saw, not what others said. She had just joined this family, and the slightest movement would cause them to be vignt and panic. It was normal for them to suspect her.


    She wasn''t angry at all, but her excessively good-natured leniency would only make people think they could take advantage of her. To prevent them from doing more outrageous things in the future, she could only pretend to be angry.


    She didn''t expect the effect to be better than she had imagined. He Ning, who was only gentle to Cheng Yi in the original novel, had already opened a hole in his heart. He Jing didn''t believe that she couldn''t pierce through it.


    Sure enough, He Ning''splexion visibly improved. He looked at her, his handsome face still had a cold look, but his tone had unconsciously softened a lot, "But don''t do such things in the future. You should behave like a student at school. You''re not a businessman."


    He Jing nodded and smiled with narrowed eyes, "I understand."


    He Ning didn''t say anything else, and the two of them went home together.


    ...


    He Jing thought that when she returned home, the house would definitely be pitch-ck. However, that wasn''t the case. The clock passed twenty minutes, and the He family''s house was brightly lit. Other than He Xiaoguo, Father He and Mother He, as well as He Sui, were sitting in a row on the sofa in the living room. None of them were asleep.


    As they saw their return, the three of them stood up from the sofa almost in unison and said one after another, "You guys are back."


    He Jing greeted them one by one, "Dad, Mom, Fourth Brother, why aren''t you asleep yet?"


    Mother He pushed He Sui with an unnatural expression, causing him to stagger and fall in front of He Jing. He Sui''s arrogant face was filled with reluctance. He lowered his head and quickly said, "I''m sorry."


    If one didn''t listen carefully, one wouldn''t be able to hear it clearly.


    He Jing teased him intentionally and deliberately smiled mischievously, "Fourth Brother, what did you say? I didn''t hear you clearly."


    He Sui immediately raised his head and red at her fiercely. Then, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "I said I''m sorry!"


    He Ning frowned. He Jing smiled gently. "It''s okay, Fourth Brother, don''t take it to heart."


    Only then did Mother He say, "Jingjing, this matter is Xiaosui''s fault. Don''t take it to heart. Xiaosui promised me that it will never happen again."


    He Jing smiled lightly when she heard that. Her eyes were like crescents. "I believe what Fourth Brother said. The oden is still in my room. They can be reheated and eaten tomorrow morning."


    He Sui saw that He Jing wasn''t being unreasonable and unforgiving, so he forced himself to calm down. He turned to He Ning and asked straightforwardly, "Second Brother, did you go out specifically to pick her up?"


    He Ning pursed his thin lips and his expression immediately became very unpleasant. He Jing made a sound of surprise and looked at him with confusion. Their eyes met. Before He Jing could say anything, He Ning strode back to his room and mmed the door coldly.


    Mother He was afraid that He Jing had been bullied and asked worriedly, "Jingjing, did anything happen between you and Xiao Ning? Did you happen to run into each other on the way back?"

 Chapter 24: Bread

    <h4>Chapter 24: Bread</h4>


    He Jing smiled and said, "No, I get along very well with Second Brother. I like Second Brother very much."


    Mother He finally eased her worried and sighed slightly, "Among all the children, Xiao Ning is the most introverted. We can''t change no matter what. Previously, when Xiao Yi was around, he would often talk to her, so the situation was slightly better. If you like him, please trouble him more. I really hope he can be more cheerful."


    He Jing nodded slightly and looked at the tightly shut door behind her. Her eyes were bright and full of meaning.


    The two of them talked for a while before He Jing returned to her room because Mother He needed to sleep as she had work the next day.


    Mother He and Father He cooperated to turn the sofa into a bed. He Sui sneaked into He Jing''s room when the two of them were not paying attention.


    He saw He Jing sitting in front of the dressing table and was about to open the drawer to look for ab. When she heard the movement, she looked up slightly and asked him, "Fourth Brother, what''s the matter?"


    He Sui leaned against the door and held the doorknob with one hand. He asked curiously, "What happened between you and Second Brother? Why did hee back with you?"


    He Jing tilted her head when she heard that. She stretched out a finger and ced it on her red lips. She blinked and said yfully, "It''s a secret!"


    He Sui immediately pulled a long face and cursed. He red at her and warned her fiercely, "Let me tell you, don''t even think about getting close to Second Brother. He will never care about you. Our hearts belong to Xiao Yi."


    He Jing said inwardly, "Oh."


    He Jing''s expression did not change as she smiled slightly. "It''s sote. Aren''t you tired, Fourth Brother?"


    He Sui was speechless.


    He Sui thought, "Alright, I''ve said my piece. Let''s go!"


    As he left, He Jing did not forget to remind him, "Please close the door. Thank you, Fourth Brother."


    He Sui had originally wanted to m the door and leave dramatically, but when he heard her words, he was so angry that he was fuming. He turned around and looked at Father He and Mother He who were already lying on the sofa bed. In the end, he did not dare to m the door. He could only close the door softly, grind their teeth, and raise his middle fingers.


    He Jing took off the hair clip in front of the dressing table and went to bed. She obviously couldn''t take a shower tonight. After all, she had to pass through the living room to go to the bathroom. By the time she finished washing up, it would be midnight. It would be so noisy that the two adults couldn''t sleep. They woke up earlier than the chicken and sleptter than the cow every day. It could be said that it was very tiring.


    He Jing turned off the lights andy on the bed. She closed her eyes and couldn''t fall asleep. Unable to resist, she sighed and got up from the bed in the dark. She used the moonlight to get the cold oden on the desk.


    Just as she was about to eat, there was a soft knock on the door.


    He Jing looked at the door in confusion. She walked over hesitantly and opened the door. In the dimly lit doorway stood a figure darker than the darkness itself, and she couldn''t even see his face clearly. Then, a stic bag containing something was thrust toward her. The person at the door turned around and left.


    He Jing called out in a low voice, "Second Brother?"


    There was no response.


    She had no choice but returned to her room. She closed the door and turned on the light. There was a piece of pineapple bread in the stic bag.


    The bread was crumpled, and two pieces of crispy pineapple crust had fallen off. It was unknown where they hade from, but they were very soft.


    He Jing''s eyes curved into a smile. She put down the cold oden and ate the sweet pineapple bread.


    Early the next morning, He Jing felt refreshed. When she went out of her room, she saw He Sui sitting on the sofa and ying with He Xiaoguo. He Ning was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.


    The He family''s breakfast was made by a few brothers in turn, except for He Xiaoguo, who was not even as tall as the kitchen counter. He couldn''t even reach the pot on his tiptoes.


    He Jing brushed her teeth and washed her face. She immediately went into the kitchen and smiled brightly, "Second Brother, let me help you."

 Chapter 25: Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 25: Mistake</h4>


    He Ning was frying eggs. When he saw her approaching, his gaze hardened and he ordered coldly, "Stand further away."


    He Jing had just stopped when the oil in the pot sshed out. It didn''t burn anything, but there was an obvious spot of oil on her school uniform.


    He Ning frowned and called out, "Fourth Brother."


    He Sui also came into the kitchen.


    He still had a triangr stic board in his hand that he hadn''t put down in time. He asked, "Second Brother, what''s wrong?"


    He Ning pursed his thin lips and ordered, "Take her out."


    When He Sui saw He Jing, he sneered and said mockingly, "I told you earlier that Second Brother wouldn''t pay attention to you, but you still went up to him."


    Just as he finished speaking, He Ning said, "Change out of your school uniform and let Fourth Brother wash it for you."


    He Sui, who was pleased with himself, was speechless. He had a face full of questions instantly.


    He Jing nced at He Sui and saw his expression as if he had eaten sh*t. She smiled. "Okay, thank you, Second Brother."


    He Sui called out "Second Brother" in dissatisfaction. He wanted to protest, but when he saw He Ning raise his eyebrows, he immediately wilted and became extremely depressed. "So be it. If you go to Yin High School wearing dirty clothes, you''ll be embarrassing our He family."


    He Jing was amused and raised her eyebrows. She did not expect He Sui to be so afraid of He Ning.


    Sometimes, he would even speak harshly to Mother He. He Ning could subdue him with a single nce. As expected of the second male lead.


    He Sui met her teasing gaze and immediately red at her, saying fiercely, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and take it off."


    He Jing was just teasing him. She didn''t really want to embarrass him, so sheughed, "Fourth Brother, there''s no need. The school is about to issue a new uniform. It''s just a small spot of oil that you can''t notice if you don''t look carefully."


    He Sui immediately beamed with joy and revealed an "at least you know what" expression. He turned to He Ning and muttered, "Second Brother, you heard her. It''s not that I didn''t want to wash


    for her!"


    He Ning replied with an "Mm". He Sui quickly ran out of the kitchen, afraid that there would be more trouble.


    He Jing found an apron from somewhere and put it on. The big apron wrapped around her slender body. Even if it was an ordinary apron, she looked very good when she put it on. "Second Brother, let me help you. This way, I won''t dirty my clothes."


    He Ning pursed his thin lips slightly and did not object. However, when He Jing walked to his side, he said, "I''ve paid you back for what I owed you yesterday."


    He Jing was stunned and felt a little helpless.


    It turned out that he showed her kindness because he felt that he owed her something.


    Yesterday, because of his words, she was ridiculed and bullied by He Sui, so he specially made her reim it back from He Sui today. This was really...


    He Jing didn''t know what to say.


    However, He Jing did not give up and smiled at him. "Thank you, Second Brother, for specially giving me pineapple breadst night. It was delicious."


    He Ning''s beautiful eyebrows knitted immediately, and his voice was clear and slightly cold, "What pineapple bread?"


    He Jing was stunned. She was even more surprised than him. If he didn''t give her the pineapple bread, then who did?


    Suddenly, a ridiculous thought surfaced in her mind. She turned around and looked at He Sui, who was ying with He Xiaoguo on the sofa.


    She thought, "Could it be him?"


    The corners of He Jing''s mouth twitched slightly, and then she fell silent. After a moment, she raised her face and easily avoided the topic. "It''s nothing. Maybe someone identally stuffed it into my ce. Second Brother, what do you want me to do, I''ll help you."


    He Ning was not a person who loved gossip. He frowned and did not ask further. He turned off the fire and scooped the eggs from the pot and said, "Done."


    He Jing was speechless.

 Chapter 26: Damn Tsundere

    <h4>Chapter 26: Damn Tsundere</h4>


    As she buried her doubts in her heart, He Jing''s perception of He Sui changed.


    She remembered that the original novel didn''t portray He Sui as a tsundere...


    This intermittent and piercing gaze made He Sui inexplicably feel goosebumps. He could not help but wonder if someone was cursing him behind his back.


    When he finally caught the source of that gaze from He Jing, he rebuked bluntly, "What are you looking at? What''s there to see?"


    He Jing straightforwardly asked, "Fourth Brother, did you give me the pineapple breadst night?"


    He Sui''s expression changed drastically at a speed visible to the naked eye. His ears turned red all of a sudden, and he becamepletely flustered. It was as if his mind had gone nk for a moment, and he did not know how to answer. Then, he raised his voice and adopted an extremely ferocious attitude, "Bullsh*t, I... I won''t give you bread."


    At the end of his sentence, he stuttered.


    He Jing''s mood was strange.


    He Xiaoguo was eating fried eggs. He held a spoon in one hand and asked curiously, "What pineapple bread?"


    He Sui''s redness extended from his ears to his face. He quickly kicked He Ning''s foot under the table and hinted crazily, "I''m not sure. It must be Second Brother who gave it to me."


    He Ning cooly rejected, "I didn''t."


    He Sui was anxious. He gritted his teeth and said, "Then it must have been Mom who gave it to you. Anyway, it''s not me. It definitely can''t be me."


    He Jing drawled, "Oh" and smiled faintly. "I don''t think it''s Foruth Brother either. Maybe Mom gave it to me. I''ll ask herter."


    As soon as she finished speaking, He Sui stood up with a whoosh and roared, "It''s just a loaf of bread. Is it necessary to ask so many questions? You''re so petty. I wonder how the Cheng family treated you?"


    Seeing that he was about to get angry, He Jing promptly changed the subject and said calmly, "Mainly because the bread is too delicious. I liked it a lot, so I wanted to ask where it was bought and thank the person at the same time."


    He Sui was speechless as he suddenly lost his temper and his face turned red. He slowly sat down again and squeezed out a sentence after a long time, "You''re so greedy. It''s just a piece of bread. You''re so ignorant."


    He Jing got up and went back to her room. She took out the leftover oden and ced it on the dining table. "It''s still good when it''s hot. Second Brother and I came backte, so I''ll have to trouble Fourth Brother to give this to the person who gave me the bread."


    He Sui snorted and turned his head. "I don''t want it. You trouble someone else."


    He Jing sped her hands together and said coquettishly, "Fourth Brother, please."


    "This is you begging me."


    "Yes, yes."


    He Xiaoguo bit on the egg. He couldn''t understand why He Jing had to ask He Sui, who had been at loggerheads with her, when He Sui and He Ning were in the same high school and returned homete.


    He thought, "Sigh, my brothers and sisters are too strange. It''s a headache."


    ...


    Yin High School didn''t have a day off on Saturday. It only had a day off on Sunday, so He Jing still had to go to school today.


    He Xiaoguo was still picked up by her third brother, whom she had never met before. Before she left, He Jing asked, "When are Third Brother, Fifth Brother, and Sixth Brothering back from Aunt''s house?"


    He Sui stretched his neck to look at the bus on the road and replied, "Aunt''s family owns a snack bar. Recently, a new residential building has opened near them. The flow of people is huge, and they need help. Third Brother, Fifth Brother, and Sixth Brother won''t be back until next week at least."


    He Jing didn''t know much about the situation of the He family''s rtives. After all, there were many andplicated characters in the novel. Some unimportant characters would be written in a few sentences or a chapter or two. Moreover, readers were more focused on the emotional and sweet romantic parts rather than paying special attention to those characters.

 Chapter 27: Overlord Couple

    <h4>Chapter 27: Overlord Couple</h4>


    Hence, He Jing went to school.


    Yin High School was particrly unusual today. He Jing walked on the road to school and found that there were discussions everywhere. Her intuition told her that these discussions were rted to Yan Hanxi.


    Sure enough, someone with very urate information spread the news about Yan Hanxi''s detention and fight on the school forum. The entire school was instantly in an uproar, like boiling water.


    Everyone was dumbfounded.


    Yan Hanxi was taken into custody?


    The students from First High School actually had the audacity to report the young master of A City. Don''t they want to live in A City anymore?


    There were even some senior students eager to confront students from First High School and fight for justice for Yan Hanxi. The students from First High School can''t win the fight, so they y tricks. What kind of true heroes were they?


    He Jing was a little speechless. Ordinary people would usually be detained for a few days for fighting, but Yan Hanxi had actuallye out so quickly...


    As expected of the male lead.


    Suddenly, a quarrel broke out. A girl with a wavy ponytail, apanied by two other girls, cornering a boy against a tree.


    The girl wore white knee-high stockings, and her long and fair legs caught everyone''s attention. She lifted one leg and pressed it "thump" next to the boy''s ears, scaring all the boys present. The boy, embarrassed and afraid to look at her skirt, hid his head like a quail. The girl asked aggressively, "Repeat what you said just now!"


    The boy quickly begged for mercy with a mournful face, "Sister Qiuyu, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said bad things about Brother Xi. Please spare me this time."


    "I told you to repeat what you just said!"


    Reluctantly, the boy spoke in a barely audible voice, "So what if he has good grades? What does it matter if he''s handsome? He still ended up getting detained. He''s always skipping sses and causing trouble. Yan Hanxi is nothing special. I don''t understand why the girls in school like him so much, so superficial."


    As soon as he finished, all the girls present became furious, and each one wanted to rush forward and hit him.


    Yan Hanxi was the idol of all the girls in the school, and the idol could not be ndered. How dare he secretly badmouth Yan Hanxi? He even said that they were superficial. Unforgivable!


    The girl raised her chin, her eyes filled with contempt as she said, "How dare you belittle Brother Xi? Look at yourself in the mirror. Brother Xi can get first ce without ss. Can you?"


    The boy''s face turned red and he wished he could dig a hole in the ground. "I''m sorry!"


    "Get lost!" The girl put down her leg and kicked his butt. "If you dare to say bad things about Brother Xi again, don''t me me for being rude to you."


    The boy didn''t dare to look back after being kicked. He covered his butt and ran away without looking back.


    The farce ended after five minutes. The boys who were watching and recording the video felt unsatisfied but they could only gradually disperse.


    He Jing also nned to leave. She turned her head and looked away. However, from the corner of her eye, the girl who had just thumped the boy walked towards her with a group of people. She blocked her way and cast a shadow over her.


    "Stop right there!"


    "What''s the matter?"


    He Jing did not even lift her eyelids and asked indifferently.


    Of course, she recognized the girl in front of her.


    Shen Qiuyu, the daughter of the wealthy Shen family and the publicly acknowledged female overlord in Yin High School. Unlike the fake heiress who was arrogant and disdained associating with others, Shen Qiuyu had a group of followers and was known as the Yan Hanxi''s fan club.


    Those who were willing to join the organization and those who were unwilling to join the organization had to join the organization as long as they were named by her. Many boys who did not like Yan Hanxi at all were forced to join the organization. Whenever Yan Hanxi had any activities, they had to form a group and go to the venue to cheer him on.


    This rich youngdy was also quite generous. She had paid her membership fees well, so she had not caused any trouble. After a long time, some people were moved by her infatuation and called Yan Hanxi the school bully and the overlord flower. If they were really together, they would be called the "overlord couple".


    The fake heiress liked Yan Hanxi, so she was naturally disgusted by the "overlord couple". Therefore, she and Shen Qiuyu were at loggerheads with each other. The two of them became enemies.


    It was obvious that Shen Qiuyu was looking for trouble.

 Chapter 28: I Only Like His Persona

    <h4>Chapter 28: I Only Like His Persona</h4>


    As expected, Shen Qiuyu took another step forward and threatened coldly, "It''s rare for Brother Xi toe to school today. You''d better not harass him. If I find out that you''re pestering him, you won''t have an easy time."


    He Jing was speechless. She took a step back and said calmly, "I had no intention to pester him. Let me go over."


    Shen Qiuyu raised her eyebrows and she became even angrier. "Don''t think that just because you have an engagement with Brother Xi, you can look down on everyone. I won''t let you go over today."


    He Jing looked at her subtly as if she was looking at a new species that had invaded from some unknown. Then, she crossed her arms and asked slowly, "ss is about to start. Are you leaving me here to skip ss with me?"


    Shen Qiuyu choked and felt the rage burning inside her chest. For a moment, she could not think of what to do with her.


    As it was well known, Yan Hanxi detested campus bullying. In the past, he had caught someone bullying a transfer student, and he had broken his leg on the spot. Then, the school expelled the bully. Since then, there had not been a single violent incident at Yin High School. It had even won the title of "Top Ten High School". Therefore, locking He Jing in the toilet and stripping her clothes were definitely not allowed. Even pulling each other''s hair was prohibited.


    Seeing that it was almost time for ss, He Jing did not want to waste time with Shen Qiuyu. She reluctantly took a step back and promised her, "I promise you that I will never pester Yan Hanxi again, and I will break off the engagement with him. If you don''t step aside, I will go to the dean."


    Shen Qiuyu was stunned. She could hardly believe her ears.


    He Jing walked around her and was about to go over.


    Shen Qiuyu grabbed her arm and raised her voice, "What is it? Say it again!"


    Her tone was as if the sun had risen from the west and Mars was about to collide with Earth.


    He Jing frowned and said impatiently, "I said, I won''t bother Yan Hanxi anymore. You don''t have to treat me as an enemy anymore."


    Shen Qiuyu screamed, "Why?"


    He Jing looked amused. "Is there a need to ask? I don''t like him anymore. I don''t feel any feelings for him. I don''t want to pursue him anymore."


    "Liar!"


    He Jing used to like Yan Hanxi to the point of being sick.


    As long as Yan Hanxi appeared, she would stick to him like a piece of sticky candy. He couldn''t get rid of her, and now she said she didn''t have any feelings for him anymore.


    It was really going to rain red!


    He Jing was really powerless to exin. She said casually, "Believe it or not, if you keep dragging me, I''ll bete for ss."


    Shen Qiuyu furrowed her brows and held her tighter, as if afraid that she would run away, and said, "No, you have to give me a reason today. If you don''t give me a reasonable reason, I won''t believe you and won''t let you go to ss."


    He Jing was speechless.


    What a strange person.


    Helpless, He Jing said coldly, "Because he has a criminal record."


    Shen Qiuyu''s eyes widened. "What ame reason."


    She felt like she had been yed by He Jing again.


    Unexpectedly, He Jing exined seriously, "I think this reason is sufficient. First of all, I''m still young, and my understanding of rtionships is limited. It''s easy for me to fall for it with just his face, but that''s not true love. Secondly, I only like positive and upright students. Someone like him with a criminal record is not worthy of me with my clean image. In short, I''ve only liked his persona for so long. Now that his persona has copsed, I don''t like him anymore. Is that clear enough?"


    Shen Qiuyu was stunned. Shen Qiuyu was dumbfounded. Shen Qiuyu began to doubt life...


    Damn, she only liked his persona.


    There was such a thing as love in this world?

 Chapter 29: Crash at the Scene

    <h4>Chapter 29: Crash at the Scene</h4>


    Before Shen Qiuyu could pull herself out of this confused speech, there was a sudden silence around her.


    She saw He Jing''s expression suddenly turn ugly. Then, a series of shouts sounded in front of her.


    "Brother Xi."


    "Hello, Brother Xi."


    He Jing was speechless.


    Yin High School''s biggest ident scene of the year was set.


    It was too tragic.


    She saw a tall and slender young man with a school bag in one hand and a hand in the pocket of his school uniform. His beautiful eyes sparkled like shining stars, and there was a hint ofziness on his body.


    He wore the uniform and exuded an air of elegance. His limited-edition sneakers were spotless. He stood casually, and his casual posture revealed elegance. He was no longer as arrogant and ruthless as yesterday. Today, he looked like a prince who had walked out of aic book. It was no wonder that the girls in Yin High School were charmed to death. Even He Jing was a little stunned for a moment.


    But it was only for a moment.


    He Jing didn''t forget the awkward situation she was in. She exchanged a nce with Yan Hanxi and immediately looked away. She was calm andposed as if she wasn''t the one who had said those words.


    Shen Qiuyu called out in surprise, "Brother Xi." In the blink of an eye, she smiled like a flower and happily went up to him like a bird.


    "Morning."


    Yan Hanxi''s gaze was fixed on He Jing. He greeted someonezily, but no one knew who he was talking to.


    Shen Qiuyu was overjoyed. She immediately threw He Jing out of her mind and revealed the sweetest smile. "Brother Xi, ss is about to start. Let''s go to the ssroom together."


    Yan Hanxi was still looking at He Jing. His thin lips curled up, and his eyes were full of meaning. "Sure."


    It was only then that Shen Qiuyu remembered to show off to her "love rival." She raised her chin and snorted in He Jing''s direction. Then, she went to hold Yan Hanxi''s arm, but Yan Hanxi dodged her.


    Shen Qiuyu felt a little regretful that she couldn''t hold Yan Hanxi''s arm, but she wasn''t discouraged. This was because today could be said to be the gentlest day Yan Hanxi had ever treated her. Usually, Yan Hanxi wouldn''t talk to anyone, and all the girls in Yin High School were not allowed to get close to him. She was already an exception.


    He Jing crossed her arms and stood where she was. She was cold and indifferent. She did not know whether to sympathize with her or pity her.


    In the flow of the novel, the male and female leads were destined to be together. Yan Hanxi was meant to be with Cheng Yi. The other girls were just nothing to him. His momentary tenderness was merely for the sake of plot progression. She would probably be pped in the face by Cheng Yiter. Only then could she show the unique status of the female lead. Heh!


    Just as the thought shed through her mind, Yan Hanxi suddenly stopped not far ahead. He turned around and said with a charming smile, "Three Good Student, why aren''t you following me? Are you waiting there for the punishment of beingte?"


    He Jing was speechless.


    She knew that he had heard everything she said just now!


    He Jing had no choice but to follow.


    She followed behind the two of them at a moderate distance, maintaining a safe distance.


    Yan Hanxi didn''t look back at her, but inexplicably He Jing felt as if she was being stared at. Her whole body was not at ease, her nerves involuntarily tensing up. She was on guard, secretly calcting. If Yan Hanxi recognized her as the one who called the police to arrest him and wanted to find her for revenge, she would deny it. After all, those who went against the male lead usually met a tragic end, and the He family definitely couldn''t afford to offend him.

 Chapter 30: Epic Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 30: Epic Meeting</h4>


    When the three of them entered the ssroom together, the entire ss was stunned.


    Yan Hanxi hated it when girls approached him. Today, he seemed to have changed. There were two beautiful girls on his left and right. This was...


    It was too enviable!


    The moment struggling student A saw He Jing, he stood up from his seat and waved enthusiastically, "Sister Jing!"


    He Jing looked at him and smiled faintly.


    The heart of struggling student A melted in half.


    However, before he could feel too happy, he suddenly sensed a murderous aura. He looked at Yan Hanxi instinctively and saw a casual smile on Yan Hanxi''s face as if he hadn''t noticed them at all. His mind was stuck.


    At the same time, Shen Qiuyu deliberately slowed down and stood behind Yan Hanxi. She blocked He Jing at the door and red at her fiercely. "I was wondering why you gave up on Brother Xi so easily. It turns out that you''re ying hard to get. Just wait and see. Brother Xi will definitely be mine!"


    Being misunderstood again, He Jing couldn''t be bothered to waste her breath on her. She directly threw her bag, scaring Shen Qiuyu so much that she jumped away reflexively. Then, she walked past her and said, "Up to you."


    Shen Qiuyu was so angry that her nose almost went crooked. She gritted her teeth.


    He Jing returned to her seat, took out her English textbook, and stuffed her bag into the drawer. She opened the notebook and began to write down the words she had memorized yesterday. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cheng Yi stand up from her seat.


    Oh right, the plot had changedst time. Today should be the epic meeting between the male and female leads.


    The clich¨¦ scene of love at first sight and the story of the campus Cindere was about to begin.


    Sure enough, Cheng Yi walked past her with a straight face, leaving behind the thick fragrance of Bulgari perfume.


    She seemed to have dressed up carefully today. Not only did she wear perfume, but even her smooth ck hair was slightly curled. She had a crystal maple brooch on her left chest, making her look more noble. Unfortunately, such a mature aura did not suit her. It was like a child stealing adult clothes. It looked a little awkward. He Jing could not help but think that the real heiress in the original novel had never made such a mistake. She always presented herself as pure and well-mannered and knew her limits. Now, she was...


    Without much thought, Cheng Yi stopped in front of Yan Hanxi''s desk. She held a book with both hands and looked nervous.


    Yan Hanxi put his hands in his pockets and stepped on the edge of the desk with one foot. He narrowed his eyes and raised his exquisite chin. Looking at the girl in front of him, he asked coldly, "What''s the matter?"


    Cheng Yi blushed and lowered her head. Her eyshes drooped slightly as she stammered, "That... I''m a new transfer student, I... My name is... Cheng...Cheng Yi..."


    Yan Hanxi was impatient and was about to chase her away when he suddenlyughed again. "You''re the daughter that the Cheng family recently found, the girl who swapped identities with Cheng Jing?"


    Cheng Yi was instantly overjoyed that her fingertips trembled. She asked shyly, "You''ve heard of me?"


    "Mm..." Yan Hanxi didn''t answer. Instead, hezily showed a rare trace of patience. "Why are you looking for me?"


    Cheng Yi hesitated for a moment before finally mustering up the courage and handed the book over. She said as if she was unafraid of death, "I heard that you are very good at math. I want to ask you to teach me how to do the questions."


    As soon as she finished speaking, the entire ssroom suddenly fell silent.


    All the students stared at Cheng Yi with pity in their eyes. They thought, "Another girl who was bewitched by Brother Xi''s appearance."


    It was widely known, Yan Hanxi had never been kind to women. He would only reject all kinds of advances from girls with a threefold refusal.


    Not interested.


    I''m not free.


    Stay away from me.


    As time passed, almost no one dared to approach him, spoil his mood, and make him hate them.

 Chapter 31: B*tch

    <h4>Chapter 31: B*tch</h4>


    Oh, he also had the nickname "Great Demon King". That was how he got it.


    He Jing couldn''t help butugh.


    Although they were the male lead and the female lead, could this scene be a bit more refreshing?


    Dressed up like this and speaking such lousy lines, if Yan Hanxi can fall in love with Cheng Yi at first sight, He Jing seriously doubted whether Yan Hanxi needed to see an ophthalmologist.


    But then Yan Hanxi asked, "Why don''t you look for Cheng Jing? Her grades are also very good."


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, "Bastard!"


    He didn''t forget to bring her along even when he was having a romantic scene with the female lead.


    Cheng Yi clenched the corner of her skirt. "Because..."


    The atmosphere was tense just now, and she immediately realized that she had said the wrong thing. However, she was not willing to ept failure like this. She had to attract Yan Hanxi''s attention andpletely outshine He Jing.


    "Hmm?"


    "I''ve already tried." Cheng Yi''s tone was downcast. She lowered her eyes slightly and looked aggrieved and pitiful. "He Jing was unwilling. She said that we were not on the same side. I think maybe I''m too stupid and can''t learn anything well, so she finds me annoying. Unlike He Jing, she''s smart and even has extra tutoring from famous teachers, so she had always been outstanding."


    After she finished speaking, her shoulders trembled and she choked slightly. She pretended to be strong and made people''s hearts ache.


    Immediately, the boys were furious, and a strong desire to protect them surged out of their hearts.


    They looked at He Jing and remembered that she used to look at people with her chin. She was arrogant and insufferably arrogant, but now she had be more and more vicious. They had looked at her in a new light because she sold her notes. They thought that she had changed. As expected, a dog could not change its ways.


    This was too much!


    And the instigator of all this stood leisurely on the side, watching all of this with a cold gaze. There was not a hint of shame on her face, as if everything had nothing to do with her.


    They couldn''t help but defend Cheng Yi and said, "Some people bully new students because of their good grades. It''s fine if they don''t want to teach them, but they''re so entric. Have they forgotten that they''re no longer the heiress of a rich family?"


    "That''s right. Cheng Yi, don''t be discouraged. Your grades are not as good as someone else''s because you couldn''t afford private tutoring. Otherwise, who''s to say who''s better than who."


    "Great Demon King, you should act like a decent person for once and help a transfer student. It wouldn''t hurt to teach her a math problem."


    ...


    Amidst the chatter, Cheng Yi waited for them to finish speaking, she spoke again, "Thank you all for your encouragement. I''m fine... It was true. I don''t think He Jing did it on purpose. Please don''t have any opinions about her because of me. She will be sad too."


    "Listen." In the original novel, a certain cannon fodder who had been secretly in love with Cheng Yi since the first day she transferred here said unhappily, "Cheng Yi is so kind. She''s a real heiress and is so approachable. Someone should really learn from her."


    He Jing was listening, so she was so angry that she almostughed.


    Sure enough, the female lead of a light-hearted novel was indeed the female lead of a light-hearted novel. If she didn''t find someone to p her face, how could she highlight her uniqueness? How could she attract the male lead to advance the plot? It was time for her, the tragic supporting actress, to sacrifice herself for the plot again.


    However, she had already read the entire novel. Why didn''t she realize that the real heiress was a b*tch?


    There was no one else who could have such a max attribute of b*tch.


    However, what no one had expected was that a sharp sound suddenly came from the ssroom when a desk leg scraped against the floor. This sound seemed to be able to pierce people''s eardrums and was extremely unpleasant. It immediately attracted everyone''s attention and sessfully interrupted the boys'' indignation.

 Chapter 32: Personality Issues

    <h4>Chapter 32: Personality Issues</h4>


    All the students looked at the source of the sound and saw that the long leg that was previously resting on the edge of the desk had straightened. The row of desks had all been pushed forward because of his strong movement. The owner of the long leg had a cold expression on his face, and the smile on his face had disappeared.


    His gloomy face made the boys who had been gossiping feel their hearts thump. They knew that the great demon king was angry and not just a little angry but very angry.


    Cheng Yi immediately felt a surge of delight. She didn''t expect her pitiful act to be so effective. Even Yan Hanxi was moved by her. His anger must be because of her!


    She heard that He Jing liked him. If he stood up for her, He Jing would definitely run out of the ssroom in tears.


    If Yan Hanxi fell in love with her because of this...


    Thinking of this, Cheng Yi secretly blushed. She had six brothers, and none of them were more handsome than him. If such a handsome and capable boy fell for her...


    So, she took a step forward so that Yan Hanxi could see her face more clearly. She smiled brightly and said, "Yan Hanxi, please don''t be angry. He Jing might have her own difficulties. She definitely doesn''t mean to target me."


    Then...


    "Get lost!"


    Yan Hanxi coldly spit out these words.


    Instantly, the ssroom fell silent.


    Although Yan Hanxi was usually cold and aloof, and he didn''t give girls any face at all, this was the first time he was so rude.


    This also...


    Cheng Yi trembled in fear and took a step back, her pretty face turned pale. She never thought that Yan Hanxi would be so fierce to her. Even if he didn''t want to stand up for her, he didn''t have to do this to her.


    She timidly looked into Yan Hanxi''s eyes, as if she had fallen into a cold pool. She tried her best to squeeze out a smile, which was ugly and forced as she said, "If Yan Hanxi is unwilling, then forget it. I have no intention of causing you trouble."


    Yan Hanxi smiled, his smile piercing. "Since you didn''t mean to trouble me, you shouldn''t havee to me. The scent of your perfume is awful. I''m about to throw up. "


    "Puff..."


    He Jing, who thought that she would sacrifice herself to the heavens for love, almost burst outughing when she heard this.


    Cheng Yi was now on the verge of tears. She raised her arm and smelled the refreshing citrus fragrance, and her mind was filled with the words "How could that be?" She had asked someone to do some research. Yan Hanxi liked this brand of perfume very much and had even bought different series for his mother. She had painstakingly chosen this one to make herself appear youthful and lively. How could he say it smelled bad?


    Seeing her reddened eyes, the cannon fodder who admired her resisted Yan Hanxi''s invisible pressure and said fearlessly, "Brother Xi, aren''t you going too far? Cheng Yi didn''t do anything and she''s still a girl..."


    Yan Hanxi''s phoenix eyes turned, and his deadly gaze fell on him. "Then I hope that when you get good results in the future, people will think that you were born to be smart and that you were tutored by a famous teacher. It has nothing to do with your hard work."


    The cannon fodder choked and his face turned red.


    Instantly, everyone looked at Cheng Yi differently.


    Not everyone was as brainless as the students who were overprotective. They felt that something was wrong with Cheng Yi''s words, but they couldn''t put their finger on it. After Yan Hanxi said that, they immediately understood.


    No wonder Yan Hanxi told her to get lost. She wanted someone else to teach her the questions, but she looked down on He Jing in her heart. When He Jing didn''t agree, she started to criticize her with insinuations. Her character was seriously wed.

 Chapter 33: Lying

    <h4>Chapter 33: Lying</h4>


    This time, Cheng Yi couldn''t cry anymore. She was being stared at by the whole ss and clearly felt disgusted by them. Even the male ssmate who had stood up for her earlier showed a regretful expression as if he had been deceived.


    She looked at Yan Hanxi helplessly with red eyes. Yan Hanxi pulled his long legs back from the desk expressionlessly, stood up, and walked out.


    Shen Qiuyu, who had long disliked her, rushed up to her and red at her fiercely as she said, "Brother Xi rarelyes to ss, but you messed it up. Are you satisfied now?"


    Cheng Yi couldn''t answer, and then Shen Qiuyu chased after Yan Hanxi,


    The second bell rang, and the atmosphere in the ssroom was a mess.


    Cheng Yi lowered her head and dared not to see anyone. She hugged her book and slowly returned to her seat. When she passed by He Jing, she stopped and the two of them looked at each other.


    He Jing curled her red lips and gloated openly.


    What does it mean to shoot oneself in the foot with a stone?


    This is it.


    Although she knew that they would definitely be together in the end, she was truly enjoying this moment.


    Cheng Yi bit her lip and red at her with hatred before continuing to walk forward.


    After a while, the teacher entered the ssroom.


    ...


    Today''s first ss was Physics. The teacher was bald, but he was humorous and well-liked by the students. To everyone''s surprise, Yan Hanxi actually returned, followed by Shen Qiuyu, trailingzily behind him.


    Shen Qiuyu stood behind him and said on his behalf, "Report."


    The Physics teacher nced at them and said in a good temper, "Go back to your seats. Come earlier next time."


    Yan Hanxi nced at He Jing and returned to his seat with a slight smile. Shen Qiuyu''s expression seemed a bit frustrated as if she regretted not having the adventurous experience of skipping ss with Yan Hanxi.


    When she chased after him earlier, she thought that Yan Hanxi had been disgusted by Cheng Yi and left the school. Unexpectedly, she followed him all the way to the restroom. When Yan Hanxi came out of the restroom, he saw her shaking the water off her hands and said expressionlessly, "I didn''t expect you to have such a hobby."


    This made her feel both ashamed and infuriated.


    The ss began. The Physics teacher handed back the papers fromst week''s test and announced the grades.


    He Jing scored 96 points and took first ce, while Yan Hanxi missed the exam and came inst with 0 points.


    The Physics teacher praised He Jing, and the whole ss fell silent. All the students suddenly realized the truth.


    No matter how hard He Jing worked, her IQ was f*cking outstanding. They were all humans, so why was the difference so big?


    The male students blushed with embarrassment.


    To be honest, hardly anyone at Yin High School came from a poor background. They were all from wealthy families and had numerous tutors. How many students could be as exceptional as He Jing?


    Cheng Yi clenched her fists when she felt the mocking gazes from all directions. She was unwilling and embarrassed. She did not participate in this examination. What exactly did they want from her?


    Suddenly, the Physics teacher called out, "Cheng Yi."


    He Jing raised her eyes slightly and nced at Cheng Yi. Seeing that she stood up hesitantly with a timid look on her face. The Physics teacher asked casually in a caring tone, "Cheng Yi, how did you do your Physics at your previous school?"


    Cheng Yi''s expression immediately turned extremely ugly. She looked around in a panic and bit her lip hard, and met the teasing or disdainful gazes of the entire ss. When she met He Jing''s indifferent eyes, she mustered up some courage and smiled slightly as she said, "Teacher, I''ve always ranked first in Physics in my previous school."

 Chapter 34: Seat

    <h4>Chapter 34: Seat</h4>


    "Whoa."


    The entire ss gasped in shock.


    Just a moment ago, she had asked someone to teach her how to do the questions, and now, she imed to be the top student in her previous school.


    "Is it true?"


    "With such poor math skills and outstanding Physics, is she really so specialized in a certain subject?"


    "It can be specialized in this way?"


    ...


    He Jing immediately smiled.


    The top student in Physics?


    She remembered that in the original novel, she had only gotten 19 marks in her most recent Physics exam. Even if she put a piece of dried fish on the paper, even the cat would score more than her. Yet, she dared to say she was the top student in Physics in her previous school?


    Impressive, indeed. As expected of the female lead, she was bold and confident.


    Suddenly, a hoarse and pleasant voice of a young man sounded from the back of the ssroom, "Then can you tell me what the highest and lowest points are when the train turns a corner?"


    Cheng Yi froze.


    The young man who spoke slowly stood up from behind her, "Cheng Yi, the top student in Physics, can''t answer such a simple question? He Jing could answer this question correctly in oral form."


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, "What did it have to do with her?"


    He Jing was really confused. If it was an ident that the two of them did not fall in love at first sight ording to the original novel, then what was this situation?


    Why did she feel that Yan Hanxi and Cheng Yi werepletely at loggerheads? Could it be that the two of them had changed the script from falling in love over time to bing enemies...


    This was too unpredictable...


    He Jing could clearly feel that Cheng Yi was panicking. She could only try her best to remedy the situation, "I... I haven''t encountered this question before, and the teaching materials in my previous school were different from those in Yin High School. I haven''t learned a lot of knowledge..."


    Yan Hanxi chuckled lightly with a hint of mysterious meaning.


    Cheng Yi struggled not to show her cowardice and said stubbornly, "But I believe I''ll catch up very quickly. Yan Hanxi, you will know when the next physics testes."


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows and reluctantly believed her nonsense. He sat down.


    The Physics teacher spoke up at the right time, "Cheng Yi''s determination is very good. You must work harder in the future and contribute to the country in the field of Physics."


    Cheng Yi nodded, "Thank you for your encouragement, Teacher."


    In an instant, the way the ss looked at her changed.


    If she was really a Physics expert, then what she had said to He Jing earlier might not have been too excessive. Perhaps He Jing had really relied on private tutoring to surpass her...


    Cheng Yi felt somewhat relieved in her heart. Now that the words were out, no matter what, she had to outperform He Jing in the next Physics test and gain a firm foothold in Yin High School.


    He Jing noticed the subtle gazes of her ssmates when they looked at her and found it funny. The truth would reveal itself eventually, just as Cheng Yi had said, in the next test. If she could surpass her in a short period of time, it was also her ability. It had nothing to do with her.


    Could it be that if Cheng Yi got first ce, she would be thest?


    It was impossible.


    Calmly, they moved on to the second ss. It was their ss teacher''s ss. The ss teacher was theirnguage teacher. Before ss, she specially announced something, "After this monthly exam, we will rearrange the seats. In order to prevent some students from secretly ying with their phones in ss from affecting others, the rules of seating this time will be based on the total score. The first and second ce will sit together, the third and fourth ce will sit together, and so on. I hope everyone will work hard."


    As soon as she finished speaking, the ss erupted.


    In an instant, He Jing''s expression changed, and she could no longer remain calm.


    Didn''t this mean... She would be sitting with Yan Hanxi?

 Chapter 35: Failed to Intentionally Underperform

    <h4>Chapter 35: Failed to Intentionally Underperform</h4>


    The ss teacher also specially reminded, "Yan Hanxi, I hope you won''t be absent for the uing monthly exam."


    A pleasant and smiling voice came from behind, "Sure."


    He Jing suddenly felt a burning sensation on her back, as if there was a strong gaze that wanted to prate her.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Forcefully making her cannon fodder, the author was really good at writing scripts.


    After school, Shen Qiuyu rushed over almost like flying and dered war on He Jing, "Just you wait, I will definitely rank second in the whole ss and sit next to Brother Xi!"


    He Jing thought to herself, "Please, put more effort into it. I don''t want to be the first or second ce."


    She had to stay far away from Yan Han as possible.


    Meanwhile, she heard someone approach Cheng Yi and tteringly said, "Cheng Yi, you''re really a Physics expert? Then, if we end up sitting together after the monthly exam, can you lend me your copy?"


    Cheng Yi tried her best to maintain a smile and asked in an almost innocent tone, "Does the monthly exam include Physics?"


    "Of course. The monthly test covers all subjects, and the entire grade is tested at the same time. Everyone''s seat is randomly arranged, and we might be assigned to other sses."


    Cheng Yi''s expression visibly cracked, and her mind was a little dazed.


    This p in the face came too quickly!


    She had originally wanted to go back and ask the Cheng family to find the best teacher to tutor her. As long as she worked hard, she would definitely be able to improve rapidly. At that time, the fake number one could also be the real number one. She did not expect it to appear so soon!


    However, she still forced a smile and pretended to be generous. "If we can be together, I will help you."


    The student who asked for help was overjoyed and told the good news to others.


    He Jing withdrew her gaze from her and looked at Shen Qiuyu again, "You''ve found the wrong opponent. She''s your strongest rival."


    Even if it was picking the best among the worst, the title of first ce in the school still carried a lot of weight.


    Shen Qiuyu turned around and was immediately distracted. "I almost forgot about her. She tried to pester Brother Xi on the second day of school. I must confront her."


    As she spoke, she walked towards Cheng Yi.


    He Jing finally had some peace and quiet. Only then did she pack her bag in an orderly manner. After checking her stationery, she put it in. However, suddenly, a ruler was pressed down on the table.


    The fingers on the ruler were long and slender. He Jing''s gaze followed the fingers and moved up to a handsome face. Yan Hanxi was smiling at her and said unhurriedly, "Three Good Student, can I send you home?"


    He Jing responded coldly, "No."


    Since he had heard her say she only liked his character, there was no need to pretend to be polite now. She might as well not like him and make him unable to stand the cold shoulder.


    Yan Hanxi unexpectedly said, "You won''t intentionally underperform on this exam, right?"


    He Jing was speechless.


    Very good, he got it right with one sentence.


    He Jing''s thoughts had been poked and she could not answer him, so she chose to avoid him and said extremely coldly, "It seems like my performance in the exam has nothing to do with you."


    Yan Hanxi''s thin lips curled up slightly, "Indeed. But you know that our Yin High School has always valued strength. The results of every monthly examination will be included in the assessment of various rewards, such as the merit schrship and other financial aid programs that have been in vain for many years..."


    He Jing''s face darkened.


    Yan Hanxi blinked innocently and said cunningly, "Good luck, He Jing. I have high hopes for you."


    He Jing''s eyes turned sharp and red at him with a murderous look.


    She thought, "Alright then, don''t regret it!"

 Chapter 36: Monthly Exam

    <h4>Chapter 36: Monthly Exam</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, it was Monday, and the monthly exam was imminent.


    He Jing was assigned to take the exam in her own ss, and Yan Hanxi was also in the same ss.


    Moreover, to her annoyance, either by coincidence or divine intervention, Yan Hanxi''s seat was right next to hers, and Shen Qiuyu was behind her.


    With a wolf on the right and a tiger at the back, He Jing felt mentally exhausted, but struggling student A ran to her from the back of the ssroom excitedly. "Sister Jing, we''re in the same ss for the exam. As long as I can get 19th ce this time, I can sit next to you in the future."


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    Struggling student A exined, "I''ve asked the teacher. The seating arrangement is vertical, not horizontal. There are nine seats in a row, which means there are 18 people. If I get 19th ce, I''ll just sit next to you."


    He Jing asked, "Did the teacher tell you if the first ce would sit by the wall or the aisle?"


    Struggling student A chuckled and said, "By the wall." Then he scratched his head again. "However, isn''t Brother Xi also taking the exam? If Brother Xi takes the exam, Sister Jing can only get second ce."


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, "Thank you very much."


    When Shen Qiuyu heard this, she sneered as she entered the ssroom, "Her? She wants to get second ce too?"


    Struggling student A didn''t dare to argue with her for fear of being beaten up. He heard Shen Qiuyu say, "He Jing, do you dare topete with me? If you can get second ce in this monthly exam, I, Shen Qiuyu, will write my name upside down."


    He Jing''s red lips curled up and she said in amusement, "But I want to get first ce."


    Shen Qiuyu burst intoughter, "You think you can surpass Brother Xi? Dream on!"


    Usually, He Jing''s grades were good, ranking around third or fourth. But she couldn''t consistently secure second ce.


    He Jing didn''t want to argue with her at first. It was normal for girls at this age to be blinded by love and fall for their sweetheart. However, she felt that it was necessary to teach her a lesson. That was, women should never say no!


    "Then what if I get first ce?"


    "I won''t snatch Yan Hanxi from you again."


    "Alright then." Although she was not interested in pursuing Yan Hanxi, she epted the challenge. He Jing nodded readily, "Remember what you said."


    Shen Qiuyu huffed, turned around, and returned to her seat. She was going to revise before the exam and vowed to teach He Jing a lesson.


    When the bell rang, Yan Hanxi arrivedte. The long-legged young man walked into the ssroom leisurely. He wore an ordinary school uniform that made him look like a high-end designer.


    When he passed by He Jing, he smiled at her and sat down. Soon, the invigtor walked into the examination hall.


    ...


    After the exam, He Jing felt a bit exhausted. After all, it had been a long time since she had taken such a long written exam. After taking so many exams in a row, she still felt a little tired and her fingertips hurt a little.


    Struggling student A hurriedly ran over to check the questions with her, "Sister Jing, what did you choose for the third multiple-choice question in math?"


    "A."


    "What about the seventh one?"


    "D."


    Struggling student A was relieved and jumped up in joy. "Right, everything is right. Sister Jing, it''s all thanks to the notebook you sold me. I''m confident this time. I''m sure I can move up by two ces."


    He Jing smiled, "Is that so? Congrattions then,"


    Struggling student A said, "Sister Jing, remember to sell me your notes if you have them. The questions in your notes are really amazing. A few of them were exactly what came up in the exam."


    He Jing couldn''t help but ask, "By the way, what''s your name?"


    Struggling student A, who was chattering non-stop, immediately revealed an expression as if he had been struck by lightning. His mouth was wide open, and it took him a long time toe back to his senses. "Ah... Ah... My name is Wu Yu."


    After he reacted, he protested unhappily, "Sister Jing, you''re so mean. We''re in the same ss, but you don''t even know my name!"


    He Jing said apologetically, "I''m sorry." From the corner of her eye, she inadvertently saw Cheng Yiing out of the ssroom next door.


    She looked like she had lost her soul. It was only when she looked up and saw He Jing that she regained her spirits. She pretended to be calm and walked up to He Jing. She smiled and said, "I might have done well in Physics this time."

 Chapter 37: Who’s First?

    <h4>Chapter 37: Who''s First?</h4>


    He Jing asked nonchntly, "You cheated?"


    Cheng Yi was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and instantly got angry. She red at her fiercely and said, "You''re the one who cheated." Then, she walked past her into the ssroom.


    This reaction...There was no doubt that she was guilty...


    He Jing did not believe that Cheng Yi could be enlightened in one day. Because in the original novel, after being tutored by Yan Hanxi and a famous teacher for half a year. Since she was so confident that she could do well in physics. The only possibility was that she cheated. She couldn''t fathom what method Cheng Yi had used to cheat, which managed to deceive both the teachers and the advanced invigtion technology of Yin High School.


    Three dayster, the monthly examination papers were marked and the scores of each subject were announced by the respective teachers.


    In the first ss, the English teacher walked in with the test papers and said happily, "Our ss has made great progress in this exam, especially He Jing. He Jing scored 150 points in English, and Yan Hanxi scored 149 points in second ce. There''s a difference of 10 points between him and our third-ranked student, Shen Qiuyu, who got 139 points. Let''s congratte these three students."


    As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the entire ss was in an uproar.


    "Oh my god, she actually got full marks for English?"


    "What kind of monster was this?"


    Everyone looked at He Jing in disbelief. If Yan Hanxi''s long-standing first ce in grades was called an "unbeatable miracle", then this miracle had already been broken, even if it was just this one subject!


    A hint of interest appeared in the eyes of the person whose miracle had been broken. He wasn''t unhappy at all. Instead, he smiled happily.


    He Jing was very calm. She took a look at her paper and found that 0.5 marks had been deducted from her essay. Her actual score should be 149.5, which was rounded up to full marks. It was only 0.5 marks higher than Yan Hanxi''s actual score of 149. It could be said that it was very close.


    "Next, Wu Yu has 120 points...Cheng Yi, 45 points..."


    As Cheng Yi went to the stage to collect her paper, she looked pale and almost about to copse. She felt a sharp pain in her heat, nails digging deep into her palm as she endured the scornful gazes around her.


    In the second ss, the Chemistry teacher came in with the test papers. He had the same expression as the English teacher from the previous ss. The students couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease.


    Then, they heard a familiar tone and a familiar line, "Our ssmate He Jing has made great progress. Last time, she fell behind in chemistry, but this time, she got first ce. Well done. Come, let''s start handing out the papers. He Jing, 96 points, Yan Hanxi, 96 points. Shen Qiuyu, 94 points...Cheng Yi, 9 points."


    The students were speechless.


    "First ce, first ce again."


    "Although they were tied for first ce, still..."


    "Hello, what''s the matter?"


    "Do you have any consideration for other examinees?"


    The impact of this perfect score was too strong, no one even noticed Cheng Yi, who only scored a single digit.


    When it was the third ss, the Biology teacher walked in with the test paper. This time, He Jing was finally not in first ce, but she secured second ce with a one-point difference. Shen Qiuyu was three points lower than her.


    They were already numb to thenguage and math sses that followed. Either He Jing or Yan Hanxi came in first. The two study gods werepeting with each other and left a significant gap with the rest of the students, who could only look up to them.


    In the final Physics ss in the afternoon, Cheng Yi, with a gloomy face, finally cheered up, and her beautiful eyes lit up slightly... Here ites!


    Before the Physics teacher could speak, a student teased, "Teacher, you don''t need to build suspense. Just tell us directly. Is the first ce He Jing or Yan Hanxi? Let us know who the final first ce is!"


    The Physics teacher shook his head and smiled, "Neither. The first ce in Physics this time is the new transfer student, Cheng Yi. Congrattions, Cheng Yi, for achieving a perfect score of 100 points for first ce in Physics in the school. You really didn''t disappoint the teacher."

 Chapter 38: Cheating

    <h4>Chapter 38: Cheating</h4>


    The whole ss was dead silent.


    All the students were astonished.


    "No... No way, Cheng Yi actually got first ce?"


    She had only scored 40 points in English and a single digit in Chemistry. Yet, she stood out in Physics and surpassed He Jing and Yan Hanxi?


    Cheng Yi stood up slowly and smiled politely. "Thank you, Teacher. I will continue to work hard."


    Whispers immediately rang out below, "Could she have cheated?"


    It''s notmon for someone to excel in one subject while struggling in others. Focusing on Physics alone and obtaining first ce seemed like an attempt to cover up some deception.


    At this moment, Shen Qiuyu stood up and said loudly, "Teacher, I want to report He Jing. She must have cheated!"


    "Huh?"


    The students who were questioning Cheng Yi turned their attention to He Jing.


    The Physics teacher was a gentle and honest person. He hated cheating, so his face darkened and he asked, "What happened?"


    Shen Qiuyu said angrily, "No matter how good He Jing''s grades were before, she was only in third ce. However, in such a short period of time, she seemed to have taken a smart pill overnight. She was either first or second. If I''m not wrong, He Jing also scored high in Physics, right?"


    The Physics teacher frowned and said, "Yes." He reported He Jing''s score, "98 points, in second ce with Yan Hanxi."


    Shen Qiuyu immediately turned to look at He Jing and asked angrily, "He Jing, tell the truth. What despicable methods did you use to deceive the invigtors and the surveince cameras in the examination hall?"


    He Jing was so angry that sheughed. She was sitting at home, and the me fell from the sky. Was this her fate of having to bear the burden of the female lead?


    She slowly stood up from her seat and said indifferently, "I didn''t cheat"


    Shen Qiuyu didn''t believe her. She strode up to her and rummaged through her desk and drawers, attempting to find a cheat sheet. When she didn''t find anything, she moved on to rummage through her school bag. Arge pile of stationery poured out of her school bag and smashed onto the table. Some even fell to the ground. He Jing grabbed her wrist and said coldly, "If you''re willing to bet, you have to admit defeat. Enough is enough."


    If she didn''t cheat, she didn''t cheat. No matter how much they searched, they wouldn''t find any evidence.


    Shen Qiuyu seemed to have found something to use against her, and she shook her hand away, "You''re feeling guilty. Is it hidden in your phone?"


    Even the students who were watching the show felt that she had gone a little overboard. Struggling student A, Wu Yu, could not help but say, "You have to hand in your phone during the monthly exam. He Jing can''t bring her phone in."


    Shen Qiuyu answered without thinking, "That means she has another phone. Anyway, she definitely can''t be so smart all of a sudden. It''s fine if she passed me, but she also passed Brother Xi!"


    He Jingughed genuinely. She said in a mocking and pitying tone, "Shen Qiuyu, if you can''t do it yourself, others can''t do it either. I don''t me you for having such thoughts, but you treat Yan Hanxi as a god and think he''s the smartest in the world. Have you asked your parents if they admit that their genes are inferior to Yan Hanxi''s parents'' genes? Think about it again, why can''t there be someone in this world who can surpass Yan Hanxi in academics?"


    "Rankings are meant to be surpassed. No matter how difficult a test paper is, there''s always a maximum score. No matter how good Yan Hanxi is, he''s just a person. He has to put in a lot of effort to maintain his first ce. If you really think that Yan Hanxi is a genius who can get a first ce even if he skips ss every day, fights, and doesn''t study. Then it''s not surprising that you don''t have the courage to get first ce."

 Chapter 39: A Clear Conscience

    <h4>Chapter 39: A Clear Conscience</h4>


    "However, I''m different from you. I have no rivals and no limits. It doesn''t matter to me even if I surpass Yan Hanxi. As long as I don''t get full marks in every subject and make mistakes in every exam, I''ll never be satisfied. I want to achieve better results. The genius in your eyes is not something that I can''t surpass. This exam is based on my own strength. Not only this time but next time, I will also work hard to achieve my own goal."


    "If you have any objections to me or believe that my grades are fake, please go and find evidence after ss. This is the teacher''s ssroom now, not the ce for you to act unruly."


    He Jing turned to look at the Physics teacher and said respectfully, "Teacher, please continue."


    The Physics teacher was no longer angry. His eyes were filled with admiration and praise, "Not bad, He Jing. You have a good learning attitude. You must continue to maintain it. I believe that you didn''t cheat."


    Shen Qiuyu waspletely speechless. It was as if her worldview had been shattered for over a decade. She was in a daze. After a long while, she said, "I''m sorry," and ran out of the ssroom.


    The students stared at He Jing and felt that her entire body was glowing. Someone in the back row of the ssroom twirled a pen with a bright smile in his eyes, mixed with the excitement of a hunter.


    Themotion had been repeated one after another, but it had returned to calm so quickly. The ssroom had returned to order. No one remembered that Cheng Yi had ranked first in the ss.


    She stood there in a daze, motionless. The bright smile on her beautiful face had long disappeared.


    It was only when the Physics teacher reminded her, "Cheng Yi,e over and collect your test papers. Let''s talk about the test papers next..."


    Cheng Yi pinched herself hard and used the pain to maintain herposure. She walked up to the stage and held the 100-mark paper that she had obtained through cheating. She felt that it was extremely dazzling.


    When He Jing was first in the subject, she could get the attention of everyone. Everyone let out "wow" sounds, filled with envy and admiration. When it came to her, all that was left was doubt and forgetting. She thought, "Why...Why was it so unfair!"


    She was clearly the heiress of the Cheng family. He Jing had stolen more than ten years of her life. Yet she still faced constant setbacks while He Jing effortlessly gained everyone''s attention.


    No, she couldn''t ept it...


    Cheng Yi held the paper and unconsciously crumpled it. Suddenly, she thought of something and smiled again.


    ...


    After school, He Jing packed her bag and headed to First High School to wait for He Ning and He Sui.


    Wu Yu''s face was filled with tears, "Sister Jing, you''re too amazing. How did you manage to get the seat near the wall? It wasn''t easy for me to get to 19th ce."


    But now he had to be next to Yan Hanxi, the great demon king. It felt so ufortable.


    He Jingughed, "You underestimated me. You should work hard to get third ce so that you can sit behind me."


    "I don''t even dare to think about it..." Halfway through his sentence, Wu Yu quickly changed his words, "Alright, Sister Jing. I''ll work hard next time. I''ll definitely try to sit behind you."


    Just as He Jing had said in ss, the bigger your heart is, the bigger the stage will be. A man should never say he can''t do it!


    He Jing packed her bag and left the school. She bought ice cream and snacks as usual and walked through the same alley as usual.


    However, a man was leaning against the electricity pole at the entrance of the alley. The setting sun shone on his body, casting a slender and tall shadow on the ground. He bent one leg and stepped on the electricity pole in a very rxed posture. His beautiful eyes looked at her with a dazzling smile, and his voice had a hint of ridicule.


    "Three Good Student, why are you so slow?"

 Chapter 40: Greetings

    <h4>Chapter 40: Greetings</h4>


    He Jing halted and kept a distance from him. She looked at him expressionlessly. "What''s the matter?"


    Yan Hanxi put one hand in his pocket, straightened his body, and asked with a smile, "You really don''t want to be sworn brothers with me?"


    He Jing said coldly, "I think you should have a brain check-up. How could you think of letting a girl be your sworn brother?"


    "Do you consider yourself an ordinary girl?"


    He Jing caught the stick with her bare hands.


    One person taking on ten.


    An ordinary girl?


    He Jing said, "I am."


    Yan Hanxi smiled. "I can apologize for my ungentlemanly behavior earlier. Please reconsider."


    He Jing felt that there was no need to consider it.


    If she was just an ordinary cannon fodder, she would definitely be happy to throw herself at his thigh. Unfortunately, she was not. She was a vicious female supporting character.


    He Jing couldn''t be bothered to argue with him anymore. She didn''t say a word and continued to walk forward, trying to pass him and go straight to First High School.


    However, when she passed the electricity pole, her arm was grabbed.


    A refreshing and clean smell of sea salt surrounded her. The hot temperature of the young man''s palm prated the thin summer clothes, and her skin turned hot and red. A handsome face gradually erged in front of her.


    Though she had the ability to push him away, He Jing found herself unable to move.


    Here it came again.


    That d*mned novel logic.


    Yan Hanxi was about to kiss her.


    He Jing''s forehead started to sweat from nervousness and difort. She hated the feeling of being dominated. However, when Yan Hanxi''s tall nose was about to touch hers, he suddenly stopped.


    He nced at her, his long and narrow ck eyes flickering with tiny bright spots of light. His Adam''s apple moved slightly as he said, "Hey, do you have to be so difficult to get?"


    Although his words were vexed, his tone was filled with joy.


    He Jing''s heart was relieved, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she met his eyes and looked him in the eye.


    It was the first time in her life that a little boy had flirted with her and almost kissed her. He Jing found it funny. She tilted her head and curled her red lips. "You finally realized that some people, whom you usually ignore, are now out of your reach."


    Yan Hanxi raised an eyebrow. "Are you ming me for being too cold to you, my lovely fianc¨¦e?"


    He Jing raised her hand and stretched out a finger to tap the center of his forehead, pushing his face away forcefully. She pped her hands and said, "Do you need me to remind you that your fianc¨¦e is the heiress of the Cheng family? I''m just an imposter. My surname is He now. Cheng Yi is your little sweetheart."


    "Little sweetheart?" Yan Hanxi seemed to have discovered an interesting word. He thought about it carefully and then smiled. "I still think you''re sweeter."


    Without any artificial perfume scene, her entire body, or even a strand of hair, had the smell of milky strawberries. If it wasn''t for his years of education and self-restraint, he really couldn''t help but want to take a bite of her small, cute, and crystal clear earlobes he saw just now.


    Fortunately, He Jing did not know what he was thinking at the moment. She only said coldly, "Then you should have heard of a saying, ''A good horse doesn''t graze on old pasture.''"


    Yan Hanxi thought for a moment and said casually, "I am a human."


    Being human meant there would be regrettable choices, and changing one''s mind when one was wrong was not a bad thing.


    He Jing choked and then became angry. Other than wanting to call him a "hooligan," she had no other thoughts.


    Yan Hanxi chuckled when he saw her slightly annoyed expression. He then stepped aside and said, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have teased you. If you''re unwilling, I won''t force you. Let''s just consider what happened earlier as a way to greet my new deskmate."


    He Jing couldn''t help but re at him.


    She thought, "What the f*ck kind of greeting was that?"


    Who would greet others like that?

 Chapter 41 - 41: Overly Protective

    Chapter 41: Overly Protective


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Fortunately, Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t continue to pester her. After a while, he disappeared from view. He Jing looked away, frowned slightly, and went to First High School.


    There was early dismissal at First High School that day. When He Jing arrived, He Ning and He Sui happened toe out with a group of male students. He Jing smiled and called out, ¡°Second brother, Fourth brother!¡±


    He Ning and He Sui looked up at the same time and saw the long-legged and slender He Jing not far off. Their expressions froze, and then they heard the surrounding students exim, ¡°Wow!¡±


    He Jing was tall, and the Yin High School¡¯s skirt was short even for the average person. Even with the white stockings, her fair legs were exposed.


    He Sui took off his school jacket that was tied around his waist, walked forward, and threw it at her. He said fiercely, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that you¡¯d do some homework at Yin High School and wait for us to pick you up?


    He Jing blinked. ¡°I finished my homework in ten minutes between sses, so I came over.¡±


    A male student from First High School nudged He Ning. He was envious and moved; so excited that he looked as though he had scored full marks. ¡°He Ning, is this your sister? She¡¯s so pretty.¡±


    He Ning pursed his thin lips and ignored him.


    He Jing walked up to He Ning and lifted her head to look at him. She called out ¡®Second brother¡¯ once more and then looked at the people beside him.


    She smiled sweetly and waved at them. ¡°Hello, my name is He Jing. I¡¯m He Ning and He Suit s sister.¡±


    The male students were restless. They secretly rubbed their palms and said softly, ¡°He Jing, can you give me your We¡­¡±


    Chat.


    Before they could finish, He Ning ced his wide palm on He Jing¡¯s face and turned her around. He coldly said, ¡°Go.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t know what was going on. She sighed andined, ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re covering my eyes.¡±


    The male students were speechless. These two brothers¡­ They had such a strong desire to protect¡­


    He Jing followed He Ning and He Sui onto the bus. She didn¡¯t understand why her two brothers were angry.


    She was protected by the two of them in a small corner. There were no handrails around her, so she could only tug at He Ning¡¯s clothes. After thinking for a moment, she chose somewhere else to tug at, asking He Sui, ¡°Fourth brother, don¡¯t you have a good rtionship with your ssmates?¡±


    Oh.


    So this was the crux of the problem.


    He Jing understood and didn¡¯t ask any further. They made their way home in this way. He Xiaoguo was already back and was sprawled at the dining table in the living room doing his homework.


    When he heard the sound of the door opening, his dark, beady eyes lit up. He jumped down from the high chair that was so high that his toes couldn¡¯t reach the ground. When he saw He Jing holding a snack in her hand, he ran over happily and hugged He Jing¡¯s thigh.


    He Jing smiled. She bent down and patted his head before handing him the snacks. He Xiaoguo immediately opened the snacks.


    He Sui tossed his bag on the sofa and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±


    He Ning was about to go into her room when He Xiaoguo suddenly choked and said, ¡°By the way, Xiao Jing¡­ There were several calls earlier¡­ They were for you¡­¡±


    He Jing looked at his bulging hamster-like cheeks as he sucked on his chubby little fingers. Her gaze was gentle as she asked, ¡°Who called?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say. She only said that she wanted you to return a call when you came back.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± He Jing said.


    The He family was poor and could not afford a cell phone for everyone, so they had an old-fashionedndline at home. The old-fashioned telephone had not been cleaned for a long time, and the dial was covered in dust. However, the phone body was smooth to the touch, and not even a single scrap of paint had peeled off. He Jing picked it up.


    She opened the call history and a long string of numbers at the top jumped into view ¨C it was actually the Cheng family¡¯s phone number..

 Chapter 42 - 42: Condemned

    Chapter 42: Condemned


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing paused. She heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw He Ning stopping behind her. His eyes were lowered, and his expression was hard to see. However, there was a gloomy aura surrounding him.


    He Jing immediately understood his thoughts.


    He missed Cheng Yi.


    He must have hoped that this call was from Cheng Yi.


    Unfortunately, it was unlikely.


    After calming herself down, He Jing dialed the number.


    Beep-Beep¨C


    The call went through.


    He Ning reached out and put the phone on speaker.


    He Jing shouted into the microphone, ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was a three-second pause before a high-pitched female voice burst forth like a volcanic eruption. The decibel was so loud that it almost split the roof. ¡°He Jing, how dare you bully Xiao Yi in school! I didn¡¯t chase you out of Yin High School because of our many years of mother-daughter rtionship. You actually bullied my biological daughter when I was unprepared!¡±


    He Jing had never thought that old-fashioned phones could have the function of a loudspeaker. She hurriedly covered the microphone to reduce the noise pollution as she listened to themotion on the other end.


    ¡°Things haven¡¯t been rified yet. Shuping, don¡¯t make things sound too unpleasant. ¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi came back in that state, and you¡¯re still speaking up for a fake daughter. Cheng Yue, do you have a heart?¡±


    ¡°But Xiao Yi also said that it has nothing to do with Jingjing. Let¡¯s not misunderstand Jingjing.¡±


    ¡°Other than her, who else dares to bully the daughter of the Cheng family? Xiao Yi is kind and afraid that we will be sad, so she pushed the me on her behalf. How could you believe these words?¡±


    The receiver fell silent.


    Then, the middle-aged man raised his voice. ¡°Hello, Jingjing.¡±


    Only then did He Jing remove her hand from the receiver. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear. She replied, ¡°Uncle Cheng.¡±


    Her adoptive father, Cheng Yue, said with a hint of heartache, ¡°Jingjing, I¡¯ve doted on you for so many years and spoiled you until you have a pampered personality. I¡¯ve never regretted it. I¡¯ve always felt that you¡¯re still able to understand right from wrong despite being spoiled. I feel that you¡¯re not a bad person, except for being a little willful usually, but this time¡­You¡¯ve disappointed Daddy too much. Xiao Yi wept very sadly when she came back¡­¡±


    Even though she was crying so sadly, she kept trying to defend her and said that she must have been targeting her unintentionally.


    No matter how angry He Jing was at them for switching Cheng Yi back to the Cheng family, she should not vent her anger on Cheng Yi. She had suffered enough for so many years.


    He Jing was so amused that she evenughed out loud. She asked, ¡°What did Cheng Yi tell you?¡±


    Ye Shuping grabbed the receiver and said sternly, ¡°Xiao Yi didn¡¯t say anything bad about you. Don¡¯t even think about making personal attacks on her.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we call her over to confront her?¡± He Jing said.


    Ye Shuping said coldly, ¡°Xiao Yi is tired from crying. She¡¯s already asleep. She didn¡¯t do her homework today. No matter what the truth is, I¡¯m warning you not to bully Xiaoyi in school in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get Yin High School to expel you.¡±


    After saying that, the phone was hung up with a bang, leaving behind a busy tone.


    He Jing put down the phone and turned around to see He Ning¡¯s indifferent gaze. He Sui, who had just gotten some clothes from his room and was about to take a shower, stood at the door with an ugly expression. Even He Xiaoguo, who had been eating snacks, stopped eating, pulling the fingers he had been sucking on from his mouth and frowning.


    Her heart sank, and she slowly got up from her squatting position.


    ¡°What did you do to Xiao Yi?¡± He Sui stared at her and asked coldly. The warmth they felt on the way home from school disappeared at this moment..

 Chapter 43 - 43: Indifference

    Chapter 43: Indifference


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°What do you think I can do to her?¡±


    He Sui clenched his fists in anger and gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully Xiao Yi in school!¡±


    He Jing clicked her tongue and pulled out a chair beside her. She sat down and said, ¡°She only cried for a while, and the Cheng family called to me me. You guys also see me as an enemy. We were both switched at birth, but why is the difference so big?¡±


    It was as if fate had mercilessly grabbed her throat.


    She couldn¡¯t me Cheng Yi for running home crying for not scoring better than her for the exams. When she cried, everyone coaxed her and sided with her. This feeling was explosive.


    It was time for her, the vicious supporting actress, to sacrifice herself for pleasure again.


    He Sui was already furious, and when he heard her nonchnt tone, he became even more enraged. He tossed his clothes aside and rushed forward, using her, ¡°You bullied Xiao Yi, and you still dare to make sarcastic remarks!¡±


    He Jing looked at him with bright eyes. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to? Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡±


    He Sui mmed his fist on the table. He looked infuriated and on the verge of strangling her. ¡°You¡¯re so vicious. I¡¯ll never treat you as my sister!¡±


    In an instant, He Jing¡¯s face went nk. Her beautiful eyes were numb and indifferent, as if she had never had any feelings for him.


    Suddenly, He Sui felt a little flustered.


    After a second or two of silence, He Jing smiled again. It was sweet, but not as warm as before. ¡°Alright, then I won¡¯t treat you as my brother.¡±


    He Sui¡¯s heart stopped and he suddenly regretted what he had said. However, on second thought, He Jing had done something wrong. Why was she so confident? He was right to do this!


    He Jing had already stood up and walked around him. She returned to her room and closed the door.


    He Sui¡¯s anger was inexplicably extinguished by more than half. He pointed at the door and said, ¡°Second brother, look at her attitude. It was she who bullied


    Xiao Yi first.


    He Ning¡¯s eyes grew colder as he walked away without saying a word.


    The next day, the atmosphere was clearly much colder when the three of them went to school together. In the morning, when everyone was together in the living room, He Jing only said ¡®good morning¡¯ to He Xiaoguo. As they ate, she didn¡¯t say a word either.


    He Sui¡¯s expression was dark, as if someone owed him eight million. He Ning was still wearing his earphones, his eyes closed, and his entire body was emitting a cold aura that kept people away.


    When the bus stopped and the three of them got off, He Sui loudly said, ¡°Hey,


    I¡¯m warning you again. You¡¯re not allowed to bully Xiao Yi in school.¡±


    He Jing turned a deaf ear and stepped into the school. As soon as she entered the ssroom, she saw Cheng Yi talking andughing with her new deskmate. There were also several girls surrounding her.


    She seemed to have sensed something and looked at her with a meaningful smile.


    He Jing only took a nce before she withdrew her cold gaze and returned to the first seat in the first row. After a while, a graceful figure appeared in front of her.


    Cheng Yi stood in front of the desk and said in a condescending and caring tone, ¡°He Jing, are you okay? I¡¯m really sorry about yesterday. Dad and Mom were too concerned about me and wrongly used you. I¡¯ve already exined it to them.¡±


    He Jing did not even lift her eyelids and said in a dull tone, ¡°Are you done? If you¡¯re done, I have to revise.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face stiffened, and then she couldn¡¯t hide the joy in her eyes. She pretended to be worried and asked, ¡°My brothers didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, right? Especially Fourth brother. He has an explosive temper and always speaks harshly, but he doesn¡¯t have any bad intentions. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    He Jing finally looked up at her and clearly stated, ¡°Please correct your words. Those are my brothers, not yours. If there¡¯s a conflict, we¡¯ll resolve it behind closed doors. It has nothing to do with you..¡±

 Chapter 44 - 44: Not Familiar

    Chapter 44: Not Familiar


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi was delighted.


    The more He Jing was like this, the happier she was. If He Jing really wasn¡¯t bothered, she wouldn¡¯t have said that. She would only be high and mighty as usual, looking like she didn¡¯t care at all.


    After seeing what she wanted to see, Cheng Yi turned around to return to her seat.


    However, she bumped into a firm and warm embrace. The pleasant smell of sea salt instantly engulfed her. She looked up and into the young man¡¯s clear and beautiful eyes. His handsome eyebrows were like the proud works of the heavens, and his soft thin lips looked extremely kissable.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face turned red and she stammered, ¡°Student¡­ Student Yan.¡± It was Yan Hanxi.


    However, the young man did not give her a second look. He only took a step back calmly as if she was air. Instead, he smiled at He Jing. ¡°Good morning, Merit Student.¡±


    The smile in his eyes was like shimmering waves, more dazzling than the sunlight outside the window.


    He Jing nced at him with an unwee look when she heard that. She said perfunctorily, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t stop Yan Hanxi from finding her cute. His smile grew wider. He sat down beside her and took out the monthly test paper. ¡°I have a question I don¡¯t know how to answer.¡±


    He Jing, of course, would not believe him.


    The all-rounded male protagonist had an IQ of 280. Even if he identally answered a question wrongly during the exam, that would be him being absent-minded and handing in the paper carelessly. After the exam, he would be able to get the correct solution with a casual nce. Was it up to her to teach him?


    ¡°Merit student, among the three ¨C morality, intelligence, and aesthetics morality is ranked first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wicked.¡±


    Yan Hanxi could tell at once that his new deskmate was petty and was taking revenge on him for saving ¡®I¡¯m human¡¯ previously.


    At this moment, a gentle and pure female voice sounded from the side. ¡°Student Yan, are you doing corrections for the physics paper? Perhaps I can teach you.¡±


    The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Cheng Yi¡¯s smile was gentle and confident. Fortunately, in order to set herself up as a physics genius, she had asked her tutor to properly exin this test paper to her the day before.


    Although she didn¡¯t understand many physics terms and a long list of forms, she had almost memorized everything the tutor had said. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to deal with others.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Hanxi only raised his eyelids slightly and askedzily, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face turned pale. Her fingertips curled up as she grabbed the hem of her suit. ¡°Student Yan, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Only then did Yan Hanxi remember what she had said earlier. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Cheng Yi. We¡¯re not familiar with each other, so I won¡¯t trouble you.¡±


    Cheng Yi waspletely humiliated. Her eyes turned red as she covered her face and ran back to her seat.


    He Jing was inexplicably pleased. The unhappiness she felt from being disgusted just now had disappeared. She smiled and nced sideways at Yan


    Hanxi. ¡°If you do this, you¡¯ll be courting your wife in the future.¡± ¡°Do you have some misunderstanding about me?¡± Yan Hanxiughed.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Is she worthy?¡±


    He Jing thought to herself, ¡°From the looks of it, it¡¯s a no. I just don¡¯t know what else the real daughter will do. In short, he will definitely regret it in the future.¡¯


    During the first lesson, the ss teacher summarized the previous day¡¯s monthly test. When she mentioned once more that He Jing had surpassed Yan Hanxi to be the top student in the ss, the whole ss was still a little overwhelmed.


    Until the ss teacher said, ¡°Student He Jing is now appointed as the new student councilor of my ss. I hope everyone can learn from her.¡±


    Everyone cried out in surprise and looked at Yan Hanxi. He was smiling slightly, but he didn¡¯t show any other expression..

 Chapter 45 - 45: Student Councilor

    Chapter 45: Student Councilor


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yin High School was a ce that emphasized fairness and strength. Even though Yan Hanxi skipped sses every few days and was rarely seen, he had been a student councilor for two years, and his treatment was the same as the top student in the other sses.


    And today, the position of student councilor had finally fallen aside.


    He Jing stood up. ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡±


    The ss teacher liked her from the bottom of her heart and said gently, ¡°Then you¡¯ll be responsible for collecting homework from the ss in the future.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± He Jing said.


    The ss teacher nodded and asked her to sit. As soon as He Jing sat down, Yan Hanxi touched her arm and teased her, ¡°Merit Student, I never do my homework. Do you want to implement supervision for me?¡±


    He Jing moved her hand away and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t hand it over, you¡¯ll get a demerit.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. ¡°That heartless?¡±


    The student councilors of every ss in Yin High School had a notebook in their hands. It recorded all kinds of illegal actions by students on campus. Those who had more points deducted would have to publicly reflect on themselves at the school meeting and would also be criticized by the school.


    Yan Hanxi used to be a student councilor, and no one could stop him from regrly skipping sses. He was not stupid enough to record his own name down.


    The notebook was practically collecting dust in the ss teacher¡¯s drawer. This time, it was going to see the light of day again. As expected, after ss, the ss teacher asked He Jing to collect the notebook from her. It had a yellow cover and a pen was kept inside.


    He Jing came back with her notebook and was greeted with a wave of envious gazes. It was obvious what they were thinking ¨C if they had this book, they would make things difficult for whoever offended them. However, He Jing was not so childish.


    Yan Hanxi stared at the notebook in her arms, his gaze moving up until itnded on He Jing¡¯s exquisite and pretty face. He swallowed and asked with a smile, ¡°Will there be demerits for kissing?¡±


    He Jing nced at him indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s up to you outside the school. If it happens on the school grounds, I¡¯ll report it directly to the Academic Affairs Office and let the teachers handle it.¡±


    The school was strict, and it was the intention of the board of directors and the parents to strictly control puppy love.


    Students came from good backgrounds, so there had to be more restrictions. With their conditions, if they really liked each other, as long as they did not change their minds after the college entrance examination, there was no such thing as being separated from each other. They could easily spend some money to go to the same university.


    Yan Hanxi was speechless. After a while, heughed again. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    He still dared to do it despite keeping it in mind.


    Anyway, he was not afraid of criticism.


    Until school ended, no one in ss did anything out of line. He Jing filled in the date on the first page of the notebook, crossed out the main part of the page, and put it in her bag.


    Yan Hanxi answered the phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Then he turned around and said to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t send you back today.¡±


    He Jing had no intention of letting him send her back at all. However, judging from his tone when he earlier answered the phone, she felt that something was off. She frowned and asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Yan Hanxi was stunned for a moment, and then the smile on his lips broadened. He looked at her deeply and said half-jokingly, ¡°To fight; do you want toe along?¡±


    ¡°Yan Hanxi, you¡¯ll get a demerit even if it¡¯s a fight outside school,¡± He Jing said expressionlessly.


    As soon as she finished speaking, the young man in front of her let out a muffledugh.


    He Jing looked up and met his teasing gaze. She immediately realized that she had been yed. She flew into a rage due to her embarrassment and red at him.


    Yan Hanxi reached out to touch her head, but she dodged. He then used the chance to scratch her nose and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter..¡±

 Chapter 46 - 46: Who Is the Biological Sister

    Chapter 46: Who Is the Biological Sister


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Who cared if it was a small matter? He Jing didn¡¯t want to listen to him anymore. She turned around and packed her bag.


    She moved quickly and wanted to leave before Yan Hanxi, but when she turned around again, Yan Hanxi had already left the ssroom.


    At this moment, there were only three people left in the ssroom ¨C Cheng Yi and her two new best friends.


    He Jing inadvertently nced over and met Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes. She walked up with her two best friends and said with a smile, ¡°Congrattions, He Jing, for bing the student councilor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Please make way. I¡¯m going back,¡± He Jing said calmly.


    Unexpectedly, Cheng Yi turned to her two best friends and said, ¡°You guys go ahead. I want to go to First High School with He Jing to visit my brothers.¡± He Jing immediately frowned.


    However, she did not say anything. Instead, the two female students looked at her with deep hostility. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Don¡¯t bully Xiao Yi.¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded yet amused. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak.


    The real daughter was indeed the female lead. She had gained the trust of others so quickly and had supporters. If it was an ordinary person, it would definitely not be possible. Moreover, these two people looked so sincere.


    Soon, the two female students left. Cheng Yi looked at her again and smiled even more brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, He Jing. Let¡¯s go to First High School together. They shouldn¡¯t be out of school yet.¡±


    If He Jing did not know her true colors, she would probably be moved by such a pure smile. She nced at her and walked out without saying a word.


    She didn¡¯t care what she was thinking. She just had to wait and see.


    Cheng Yi was rebuffed, but she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. She followed He


    Jing unhurriedly and the two of them stepped out of Yin High School together. He Ning and He Sui were waiting outside the school. The two tall and handsome figures stood out in the crowd, attracting the attention of countless girls by the roadside. A few girls were observing and whispering not far away; most were discussing whether or not they shoulde up and ask for their


    WeChat.


    However, when Cheng Yi saw the two of them, she overtook He Jing and threw herself into He Ning¡¯s arms. The girls quietly walked away resentfully.


    He Jing stopped two steps away from them and watched icily as He Ning supported her body with his reddened ears. He scolded her gently, ¡°Xiao Yi, watch your image.¡±


    He Sui grumbled unhappily, ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯re so biased. You only hug Second brother and not me.¡±


    Cheng Yi then threw herself into He Sui¡¯s arms and he twirled her round in a circle. The three of them were joyful and harmonious, as if they were biological siblings.


    After about five minutes, He Ning and He Sui finally remembered that He Jing was there. They looked up at He Jing at the same time and saw that He Jing¡¯s expression was calm and emotionless, as if it all had nothing to do with her.


    For some reason, the two of them felt ufortable. He Ning pursed his thin lips slightly and his smile gradually disappeared. He Sui silently removed his ws from Cheng Yi and distanced himself from her.


    Only then did He Jing step forward and greet them indifferently. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    After saying that, she left and walked towards the bus stop.


    Things came to a pause.


    He Ning and He Sui¡¯s eyes followed He Jing as they watched her walk away. They didn¡¯t know whether to chase after her or not.


    Recently, there had been news of a female student being dragged into a van on the road. They couldn¡¯t let He Jing go back alone, but if they chased after her like this, Cheng Yi would be left behind by them. It wasn¡¯t easy for them to meet¡­


    After a long silence debating with himself, He Ning said with some difficulty, ¡°Xiao Yi, when will the Cheng family¡¯s car pick you up? I¡¯ll get Fourth brother to wait here with you.¡±


    When He Sui heard this, he got unhappy. ¡°Second brother, you should stay here. Xiao Yi is closer to you. I¡¯ll go after that woman..¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47: Apologize to Her

    Chapter 47: Apologize to Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Anyway, he didn¡¯t want to stay there.


    Cheng Yi was so angry that she was almost in tears. No, to be precise, she really cried. Her tears wet her eyshes.


    They actually¡­


    They actually¡­


    He Ning and He Sui panicked and quicklyforted her. ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t think too much. You¡¯re the most important to us. If He Jing gets lost, Mom and Dad will be angry with us.¡±


    Cheng Yi cried, ¡®You guys go.¡±


    The many years of affection she had with them actually lost out to He Jing, who had just be their sister.


    She was so confident that they would unhesitatingly choose her over He Jing.


    He Ning cupped her face in his hands. He Sui wiped her tears and apologized sincerely to her. He repeatedly assured her that He Jing was not as important as her before she eventually felt better.


    After finally coaxing her, He Ning asked, ¡°Xiao Yi, did He Jing bully you at school?¡±


    Cheng Yi stopped sobbing and looked up at He Ning with tears in her eyes. She pretended to be puzzled. ¡°Second brother, why are you asking?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, the Cheng family called and said that He Jing bullied you,¡± He Ning said calmly. ¡°Fourth brother even quarreled with He Jing. Did such a thing happen?¡±


    Cheng Yi lowered her head and hemmed and hawed, looking embarrassed. After a long time, she said in a low voice, ¡°No, Sister He Jing takes good care of me at school¡­¡±


    He Sui instantly exploded. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Tell us honestly ¨C did she bully you? Did she?¡±


    Cheng Yi lowered her voice even more. ¡°She really didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    He Sui turned around and left, looking like he was going to fight someone. He Ning called out to him, ¡°Fourth brother!¡±


    He didn¡¯t manage to stop him.


    In the blink of an eye, he had walked away, leaving the two of them alone. He Ning pursed his thin lips and said seriously, ¡°If He Jing bullies you, we will definitely educate her well. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Cheng Yi noticed that He Ning said ¡®educate her¡¯ instead of ¡®teach her a lesson¡¯. Her face stiffened slightly and she pretended to be disappointed. ¡°Second brother, I miss you all so much. Is it that you no longer treat me as your sister?¡±


    ¡°How could that be?¡± He Ning asked.


    ¡°Because you have Sister He Jing.¡± Cheng Yi clutched the hem of her dress and bit her lower lip, saying, ¡°Sister He Jing is so outstanding. I can¡¯t match up to her in anything. Our ssmates like her, and so do the teachers. I only have the identity of a rich daughter, but in the eyes of others, I¡¯m just a joke.¡±


    He Ning immediately interrupted her. ¡°No matter how outstanding she is, you¡¯re the only one in my heart. Don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯ll make her apologize to you.¡±


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t say anything. Her beautiful eyes glowed, revealing that she was deeply moved.


    He Ning¡¯s heart softened, so much so that it was a mess. He gently stroked her hair.


    He Sui had just reached home when He Ning also arrived.


    In the dark corridor, He Sui had just taken out his keys and looked at the person beside him in surprise. ¡°Second brother, why are you back so soon?


    Where¡¯s Xiao Yi?¡±


    He Ning¡¯s attractive eyes were cold. ¡°Xiao Yi asked me toe back first, saying that she was afraid that He Jing would be unhappy.¡±


    He Sui raged, ¡°He Jing, He Jing¡­ He Jing is simply our family¡¯s jinx.¡±


    As he spoke, he twisted the handle and kicked the door open. He strode in and then shouted, ¡°He Jing, get out here.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, He Jing¡¯s room door opened. The beautiful girl was like a princess in an oil painting, set in the door frame. She had just changed into furry slippers and was still holding a school bag in her hand.


    However, her cute outfit did not match the expression on her face. Her pretty face was too nk. He Jing asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He Ning¡¯s tone was frosty. ¡°He Jing, no matter how you were in the Cheng family in the past, in the He family, you have to be responsible for your own actions if you do something wrong.¡±


    ¡°Apologize to Xiao Yi..¡±

 Chapter 48 - 48: It’s Not Fragrant

    Chapter 48: It¡¯s Not Fragrant


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As soon as the words left his mouth, He Jingughed. It was unclear whether she wasughing out of anger or because she was amused. Her eyes curved into crescents, as charming as the crescent moon, yet tinged with sarcasm.


    This was the first she knew of someone in the world who apologized. She could not help but be curious. ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    He Sui suddenly became like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He said sharply, ¡°He Jing, don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    He Jing raised her eyebrows. ¡°So what if I go too far? Chase me out of the He family and bring your precious Xiao Yi back if you can. Let¡¯s see if Big brother and Mom and Dad agree.¡±


    It would have been fine if she hadn¡¯t mentioned Big brother. However, the moment she mentioned him, He Sui thought of He Yuan. He furiously stomped off to look for thendline to give He Yuan a call.


    If He Yuan also agreed to chase He Jing away, then He Jing would definitely leave. They did not want to give her another look.


    He Ning looked at He Jing. ¡°Big brother dotes on Xiao Yi. He won¡¯t be on your side.¡±


    He Jing did not panic at all. She coolly curled her red lips up. ¡°Even if Big brother doesn¡¯t help me, there¡¯s still Mom and Dad. I don¡¯t believe that there¡¯s no reasonable person in the He family.¡±


    Whatever it was, she was not used to their habit of framing others.


    The call went through very quickly. He Suiined to He Yuan in front of He Jing. His tone was not exaggerated at all. He made He Jing out to be heinous and unforgivable, as if there was no one more abominable than He Jing in existence.


    He Yuan listened patiently and asked, ¡°Then what happened between He Jing and Xiao Yi?¡±


    He Sui abruptly choked. He instantly realized that he did not seem to understand the situation, so he turned his head and shouted at He Jing, ¡°Hey, tell us honestly how you bullied Xiao Yi in school.¡±


    He Jing found it funny. ¡°If I speak when you want me to, won¡¯t I be losing face?¡±


    He Sui was so enraged that his blood boiled. He immediately turned back and continued to gripe, ¡°Brother, you heard it too. In short, if she stays in this family, I¡¯ll go. If I stay, she goes.¡±


    He Yuan then said, ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll get a clear picture of the situation. I¡¯m doing a part-time job. I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    Then, with a beep, a busy tone was heard.


    He Sui put down the phone, as if he could already see the day He Jing was sentenced to death. He turned back and said smugly, ¡°He Jing, you¡¯re finished.¡±


    He Jingughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    With that, she swung her hand and closed the door.


    The living room returned to silence. He Sui was silent for a while before he cursed softly, ¡°F*ck!¡± He Ning frowned as he looked at He Jing¡¯s room door, his eyes dark.


    The next day, He Sui got up to make breakfast. He deliberately did not make He Jing¡¯s share. He wanted to teach He Jing a lesson and let her know what she should and should not do.


    He Xiaoguo secretly used a spoon to swipe his portion, preparing to leave it for He Jing.


    Although it was indeed annoying for the new sister to bully the previous sister, his mother had said that it¡¯s not good to skip breakfast.


    Unexpectedly, after He Jing washed up, she nced at them and the breakfast in front of them and went downstairs expressionlessly.


    Five minutester, she returned and sat down before the three of them with a bowl of steaming ramen in her hand.


    This was not a bowl of ordinary ramen. It was a luxurious version of ramen with He Xiaoguo¡¯s favorite fried eggs, He Ning¡¯s favorite coriander, and He Sui¡¯s favorite braised beef.


    The fragrance of meat, eggs, and coriander filled the entire living room. He Ning¡¯s fingers, which were holding the spoon to scoop the porridge, paused. He Xiaoguo stared intently at the fried eggs in He Jing¡¯s bowl and swallowed¡­


    This was f*cking¡­


    He Sui suddenly felt that the breakfast before him did not smell good anymore..

 Chapter 49 - 49: Stop Using Them and Showing off

    Chapter 49: Stop Using Them and Showing off


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After that, He Jing stopped going to school with them.


    Because she left after the fight, her posture made it seem as if she was not in the same group as peasants like them.


    However, they did not expect the traffic to be so bad in the morning rush hour. The bus and taxi stopped side by side. He Jing satfortably in the back seat of the taxi, while He Sui and He Ning stood close to each other by the door, packed like sardines.


    When their eyes met, He Jing indifferently retracted her gaze. He Sui leaned against the bus door and gritted his teeth. ¡°She definitely did it on purpose.¡± He Ning had no words.


    In the end, the taxi arrived at the school before the bus. He Jing got out of the taxi and happened to meet Cheng Yi, who wasing out of the luxury car.


    Cheng Yi looked at He Jing in surprise, then understood something. She smiled and greeted He Jing. ¡°Good morning, He Jing.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t even look up. She replied perfunctorily with a ¡®morning¡¯ and walked into Yin High School.


    Of course, Cheng Yi wouldn¡¯t let go of such a good opportunity to ridicule her for no reason. She promptly caught up and asked hypocritically, ¡°Did He Jing quarrel with her brothers, so she came to school alone?¡±


    He Jing ignored her, as if she hadn¡¯t heard her.


    Cheng Yi continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t He Jing curious about what I said to Second brother and Fourth brother yesterday?¡±


    He Jing finally stopped and said frostily, ¡°There¡¯s no need to know.¡± What else could it be; it wasn¡¯t hard to guess.


    Cheng Yi got a response and knew that He Jing was not feeling calm. She smiled again and stopped as well. She held her bag in front of her with both hands and said confidently and briskly, ¡°He Jing, do you know that although some people are born with bad luck, even if they were rich but switched at birth, God will not mistreat them? And some people might have a good life and could be part of a rich family even if they weren¡¯t rich, but they still have nothing. They don¡¯t have parents to dote on them, nor do they have elder brothers to dote on them. They¡¯re quite pitiful.


    ¡°Just like this time, you clearly didn¡¯t do anything, but everyone is on my side. He Jing, good grades aren¡¯t everything. Being smart is. Am I right?¡±


    At this moment, He Jing didn¡¯t know whether to scold her or sympathize with He Sui and He Ning. She said coldly, ¡°If you really like them and treat them as your biological brothers, stop using them and showing off. Otherwise, believe me, you will lose them very soon!¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression changed, and she stood up straight. ¡°That¡¯s just sour grapes; what do you know? My rtionship with Second brother and Fourth brother will never change.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    She only knew that there was a limit to a person¡¯s patience. After being repeatedly used and hurt, feelings would slowly thin out. In the end, it would be like a cier melting, and not a trace would be left.


    ¡°Then I wish you good luck.¡±


    He Jing entered the ssroom and was quickly surrounded by a group of people, including Wu Yu. All of them looked worried. He Jing asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Only then did they start talking at once.


    ¡°Shen Qiuyu has returned to school. She didn¡¯t transfer schools.¡±


    ¡°Her expression was so fierce when she came in just now. It was obvious that she wanted to cause trouble for you, Sister Jing.¡±


    ¡°Sister Jing, why don¡¯t you run away? Brother Xi isn¡¯t here, so Shen Qiuyu will most likely attack you.¡±


    Although fighting was forbidden in the school, and Yan Hanxi was a huge mountain that hung over the school, Yin High School was jointly funded by three wealthy families, Cheng, Yan, and Shen. Shen Qiuyu was the daughter of a board member, so even Yan Hanxi could not touch her.


    In the past, He Jing was the daughter of the Cheng family and had the same status as Shen Qiuyu. That was why the two of them were evenly matched. Now that her identity as the daughter of the Cheng family had been reced, she would definitely be at a disadvantage if she were to fight against her¡­


    Speaking of the devil ¨C Shen Qiuyu had arrived..

 Chapter 50 - 50: The Biggest Fan

    Chapter 50: The Biggest Fan


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The ssroom instantly fell silent. A few girls followed Shen Qiuyu; the group of them walked into the ssroom aggressively, deliberately bumping into Cheng Yi¡¯s shoulder as she was about to enter.


    She had skipped a whole day of sses. Everyone in the ss thought that she must have transferred schools, but they did not expect her to recover her vigor.


    The students were all feeling tense on He Jing¡¯s behalf. Wu Yu gently tugged on the clothes at He Jing¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Sister Jing, don¡¯t provoke her first. Deal with her for a while; I¡¯ll go look for the teacher.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± He Jing said.


    In full view of everyone, what could she do to her?


    Cheng Yi, who was standing at the door, was delighted. Her two best friends walked up to her and gloated, saying softly, ¡°He Jing is going to be in trouble.¡±


    Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t suppress the crazy smile on her face, but she still said in a fake manner, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. He Jing will definitely be able to handle it.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Shen Qiuyu walked to He Jing¡¯s desk in a few strides. The students who had originally surrounded He Jing automatically made way.


    He Jing stood and faced Shen Qiuyu; the two of them looking at each other coldly. The temperature in the ssroom seemed to have dropped by several degrees. Even the air seemed to be on the verge of freezing.


    Suddenly, Shen Qiuyu called out, ¡°Sister Jing!¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Sister Jing, I was wrong! ¡®¡±¡®


    This was simply a f*cking twist of fate. Wu Yu felt that his heart could not take it anymore. He Jing, on the other hand, was calm. She looked at Shen Qiuyu in amusement and said, ¡°Oh?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu sincerely reflected on herself. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that Sister Jing couldn¡¯t get first ce and looked down on myself. I promise that I won¡¯t do this again.¡±


    ¡°Forget about Yan Hanxi,¡± He Jing said. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in him.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu didn¡¯t had no doubts about that. She blinked and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in Yan Hanxi either!¡±


    The entire ss was bbergasted. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Their school¡¯s number one bully and school hunk was given the cold shoulder just like that?


    Yan Hanxi, who had just arrived at the ssroom, was stumped.


    Did girls nowadays have a change of heart so quickly?


    However, Shen Qiuyu was not just saying that. She was really not interested in men because-


    ¡°Sister Jing, I¡¯ve thought about it. It¡¯s really not worth it to chase after a man. You¡¯re the one who deserves to be my idol. I¡¯ve decided to change Yan Hanxi¡¯s fan club to He Jing¡¯s fan club. From now on, I¡¯ll be your number one fan.¡±


    He Jing was dumbstruck.


    There was¡­really no need¡­


    Shen Qiuyu could not hide her adoration and admiration. She said excitedly, ¡°Of course, of course. You¡¯re the best in the world. I¡¯ll protect your smile. So, I thought about it. It¡¯s a pity that Sister Jing¡¯s excellence is limited to Yin High School and can¡¯t be known to others. So, I¡¯ve already bought an LED screen in the city center to disy Sister Jing¡¯s uncensored beauty in 3600 HD in Times Square, as well as a month of advertising on all the subway routes in A City. I¡¯m supporting Sister Jing¡¯s hot debut in the center position.¡±


    ¡°Also, when Sister Jing bes A City¡¯s top scorer of the college entrance examinations, I¡¯ll buy Sister Jing a small and name it after Sister Jing. I¡¯ll let the whole world know how outstanding Sister Jing is.¡±


    ¡°Right, we can also do something about with the Nasdaq screen in Times Square, New York.¡±


    Please spare me. Thank you.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression was already ugly.


    Her two best friendsforted her, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Shen Qiuyu¡¯s brain. She¡¯s always licking the boots of those who have good results. Xiao Yi, don¡¯t be sad. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll surpass He Jing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±


    On the contrary, it made Cheng Yi¡¯s heart ache even more, as if she had been pierced by needles..

 Chapter 51 - 51: I’m Your Father

    Chapter 51: I¡¯m Your Father


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The farce only ended when the bell rang.


    He Jing took a while to calm down.


    It was too terrifying. Shen Qiuyu¡¯s character¡­


    The long-legged young man sat beside her and did not listen seriously. He tilted his face, his eyshes long and thick, and asked with a smile, ¡°Merit Student, how are you going topensate me for throwing me aside?¡±


    He Jing stared at the ckboard and took notes. Without looking up, she said,


    ¡°If you speak again, ten points will be deducted.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. Sure enough, he didn¡¯t say anything else. He tore his exercise book, wrote a note, and handed it to her.


    He Jing looked down and saw the words: ¡°Not a single point deducted. Is there a reward?¡±


    He Jing was speechless. Did he think that she, the student councilor, was Santa us? To even reward¡­


    However, in order to get Yan Hanxi to stop, she replied with a single word,


    ¡°yes¡±.


    Yan Hanxi asked again, ¡°What is it?¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°A father.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows when he received the note. He turned around and saw He Jing¡¯s expressionless face. The words ¡°I am your father¡± were written on it. He didn¡¯t know how to react.


    After ss, He Jing was summoned by the ss teacher. She saw her Big brother, He Yuan, in the office.


    She never expected He Yuan toe to school personally because of such a small matter. He was wearing a white shirt and ck jeans. His eyebrows were thick and sharp, and he was handsome, with a calm aura.


    When He Jing saw him, she instantly beamed and happily called out ¡°Big brother¡±. He Yuan¡¯s expression rxed and he quickly walked up to her. He said gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ve suffered because I didn¡¯t care.¡±


    He Jing shook her head and looked at his tanned skin. Her heart ached as she said, ¡°No, Big brother must be very tired working while studying. Actually, you didn¡¯t have toe all the way here.¡±


    Seeing that He Jing was so sensible, the ss teacher nodded, pleased. ¡°He Jing has excellent academic results and is a good person. Please rest assured that Yin High School has the best teaching quality. If there is a dispute between students, they will be dealt with fairly and no sides will be taken.¡±


    He Yuan thanked her sincerely, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Jingjing, Teacher.¡±


    He had already learned everything that had happened between He Jing and Cheng Yi.


    He didn¡¯t understand the war between the girls, so he just treated it as a minor conflict between girls. However, he knew very well that He Jing didn¡¯t bully Cheng Yi in school, nor did she do anything wrong. It was not what He Sui said at all.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why the Cheng family called to use He Jing, He Sui and He Ning had wronged He Jing. That was the whole truth.


    He Yuan had a headache when he thought about how He Sui hadined about wanting to kick He Jing out of the He family the day before. He Sui had been impulsive all along. This time, he had really gone overboard. Hence, he turned his head and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after school today.¡±


    It was obvious that he wanted to support He Jing.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He Jing¡¯s red lips curled up slightly.


    He Yuan patted her head again and didn¡¯t say anything else. He told her to go back to ss.


    He Jing remembered that he had low blood sugar because he was studying and working for 18 hours a day. She took out a fruit candy and stuffed it into his hand. ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t work too hard. Remember to rest.¡±


    He Yuan looked down at the fruit candy in his palm and felt his heart warming. He lifted his head and saw that He Jing had already disappeared from the office.


    After school that day, He Yuan did not go back on his word and came personally to pick He Jing up..

 Chapter 52 - 52: Investigation

    Chapter 52: Investigation


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Before he arrived, He Sui and He Ning were already there. They stood out in the crowd like before, attracting the attention of many girls.


    He Jing had juste out of the Yin High School School when she heard He Sui grumbling unhappily, ¡°What is Big brother up to, calling us to the entrance of Yin High School. What can¡¯t we talk about at home?¡±


    He Ning was still cold and aloof. With one hand in his pocket, his beautiful brows furrowed with a trace of impatience.


    He Sui was used to being ignored by him, but he was still open-minded. ¡°Hey, Second brother, do you think that Big brother was too enraged when he found out that He Jing bullied Xiao Yi, so he decided to draw a line with He Jing at the entrance of Yin High School School and bring Xiao Yi back?¡±


    He Ning silently nced at him. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    No matter how overboard He Jing was, she was still their sister. He Yuan would not do such a thing without considering their parents¡¯ feelings.


    He Sui knew that it was impossible, but sincerely hoped for it so he said it out loud. ¡°I hope Big brother willeter and teach He Jing a lesson.¡±


    Heh¡­


    He Jing walked towards them, feeling both angry and amused.


    When He Yuan cameter, who knew who would be the one to really get it from him.


    He Sui turned around and saw He Jing standing behind him. He got a fright, as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Only just,¡± He Jing said lightly.


    He Sui glowered at her and mumbled. His voice was so soft that it could not be heard clearly. Then, he said seriously, ¡°He Jing, we¡¯ll give you onest chance. As long as you promise to apologize to Xiao Yi, we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones and put in a good word for you in front of Big brother. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be as simple as an apologyter.¡±


    Although He Yuan was gentle, he was actually very fierce, even fiercer than them.


    He Jing deliberately teased them. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly. ¡°I bullied your precious Xiao Yi, and you can forgive me?¡±


    He Sui was immediately provoked and red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t do this again!¡±


    He Jing raised her eyebrows. It was obvious that nothing was going in and gave a perfunctory attitude.


    Even He Ning, who was used to being indifferent and casual, said coldly, ¡°No matter what you do, we can put up with you. Except for this matter.¡±


    He Jing grunted and reluctantly gave an answer. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The three of them were getting increasingly hostile when He Yuan finally got off the bus, arrivingte.


    He had probably just finished his part-time job and hadn¡¯t even changed out of his work clothes before he rushed over. Before he could get close, he apologized gently, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡±


    He Jing smiled sweetly, her eyes curved. ¡°It¡¯s notte. I just got out of school.¡±


    He Sui stood beside He Jing and felt He Jing¡¯s beauty at close range. He could not help but curse to himself, ¡°You really know how to pretend in front of Big brother.¡± Then, he walked over to He Yuan and called out, ¡°Brother.¡±


    He Yuan didn¡¯t even look at him. He walked towards He Jing and took out a keychain from behind him. ¡°Here.¡±


    He Jing saw that there was a very small and cute Pikachu doll hanging on the keychain. This was the first time she had received such a gift. She was so delighted that her eyes narrowed into slits and she gave He Yuan a big hug. ¡°Thank you, Big brother.¡±


    He Sui looked on jealously. ¡°Do you have to do this for a keychain? Don¡¯t you know how to restrain yourself outside?¡±


    This d*mned woman had never smiled so brightly at him before.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that something was amiss. He rushed to He Yuan¡¯s side and said angrily, ¡°Big brother, she bullied Xiao Yi, and you still bought her a gift. Aren¡¯t you being too biased?¡±


    It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to bring this up, but once he did, He Yuan¡¯s face darkened. He took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°I applied for half a day off from school for this..¡±

 Chapter 53 - 53: The Truth

    Chapter 53: The Truth


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui choked and blinked dazedly. ¡°What do you want to do to He Jing? After all, this was the first time she has made such a mistake. There¡¯s¡­There¡¯s no need to be too heavy¡­¡±


    He Yuan pped the back of his head. ¡°Apologize to Jingjing!¡±


    He Sui, who had just been kind to He Jing, was stupefied. ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°Apologize. To. Jingjing!¡±


    These words slowly came out of He Yuan¡¯s mouth. He recognized every word, so why couldn¡¯t he understand them when they were strung together?


    He Sui almost subconsciously said without thinking, ¡°Why should I apologize to He Jing when she bullied Xiao Yi? I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Jingjing didn¡¯t bully Xiao Yi,¡± He Yuan said seriously. ¡°I took half a day off today and went to Yin High School to ask Jingjing and Xiao Yi¡¯s ss teacher about the situation. On the other hand, Jingjing was bullied in school by the Shen family¡¯s daughter and was then framed by you guys. You guys are really something¡­¡±


    He Sui¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He looked at He Jing and reprimanded, ¡°Were you bullied at school? Why didn¡¯t you say so!¡±


    He Jing looked at him in amusement.


    He Sui cowered and resentfully retracted his gaze. He turned back to He Yuan and said unwillingly, ¡°What could the ss teacher know? Maybe He Jing secretly bullied Xiao Yi. Otherwise, why would Xiao Yi cry and say those words in front of us¡­


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to ask Xiao Yi.¡±


    To be honest, he was also shocked when he found out that He Jing hadn¡¯t done anything to Cheng Yi.


    After all, He Sui had made such a big deal out of it and seemed as though he was going to embarrass He Jing today. He thought that He Jing had at least humiliated Cheng Yi verbally.


    However, she had not.


    He Jing had never said anything unpleasant to Cheng Yi.


    On the other hand, Cheng Yi¡¯s public rebuke on the second day of school was suspected of targeting He Jing.


    Yin High School was a small ce, and everyone knew about the slightestmotion. Even seated in the office, the ss teacher knew everything. Moreover, the ss teacher had called the students to the office to ask for details. These words were all said by the students themselves.


    At this point, He Yuan did not think about anything else. He only wanted his two younger brothers to apologize to He Jing. He pressed down on He Sui¡¯s head and icily lectured him, ¡°You used Jingjing without distinguishing right from wrong and still dare to quibble. This is what the He family taught you.


    Apologize!¡±


    He Sui had no room to resist under his big brother¡¯s authority. He snorted unwillingly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He Yuan pped him again. ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he said loudly.


    He Jing wouldn¡¯t go so far as to make things difficult for a 17-year-old kid. Of course, she generously forgave him. However, when she thought of how infuriating his previous words were, He Jing couldn¡¯t help but dig up old wounds. ¡°I¡¯m so vicious that you won¡¯t treat me as your sister anymore?¡± He Sui was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m so despicable. If I stay in the He family, you¡¯ll go; if you stay, I¡¯ll go?¡±


    He Sui¡¯s face flushed red and he red at her angrily. ¡°He Jing, enough is enough!¡±


    He Jing refused and taunted him. He Sui felt guilty. He lowered his head and said, ¡°I was wrong, okay? I definitely won¡¯t treat you like this in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good boy.¡±


    After teaching He Sui a lesson, it was He Ning¡¯s turn.


    He Jing merely looked over.


    He Ning had no words.


    Three secondster.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my mistake,¡± he said coldly.


    As he spoke, he did not give He Jing any room to express herself. He turned to He Yuan and said, ¡°Brother, you guys go back first. I¡¯ll wait for Xiao Yi here. I have something to ask her..¡±

 Chapter 54 - 54: I Like You the Most

    Chapter 54: I Like You the Most


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Yuan knew that He Ning had always been a paranoid person. He couldn¡¯t rest without rifying certain things with her. He nodded and said, ¡°Then Jingjing, let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    He Jing did not probe. She smiled at He Yuan and walked off with him.


    There was a huge crowd at the entrance of the Yin High School. More and more students came out. He Ning waited there alone like a persistent green tree. After a while, he finally saw Cheng Yi and her two best friends exit.


    When Cheng Yi saw He Ning, her face lit up. She asked her two best friends to leave first before walking over to He Ning alone. When she didn¡¯t see He Sui, she asked in surprise, ¡°Where¡¯s Fourth brother?¡±


    ¡°He went back with Big brother.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Big brother was here too?¡± After a pause, she suddenly felt that something was amiss. ¡°Then why did Big brother leave before he saw me?¡±


    He Ning was silent for a moment before he answered, ¡°Why did you cry a few days ago such that the Cheng family called us?¡±


    When Cheng Yi heard this, she immediately felt bad. Seeing He Ning¡¯s attitude and He Yuan¡¯s visit to the school, she guessed that things were most likely exposed, so she quickly lowered her head and replied in a disappointed tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Second brother. I made you worry. I didn¡¯t do well in my monthly exams, so I couldn¡¯t help but cry.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when I asked you before?¡± He Ning frowned deeply.


    Because of her, they had wronged He Jing for no reason¡­


    Cheng Yi looked up in confusion. ¡°Do I have to say this? I¡¯m sorry, Second


    Brother. I felt too embarrassed, so I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    He Ning was speechless. Thinking about it carefully, when he asked if He Jing had bullied her, she had indeed said no.


    However, He Ning felt inexplicably ufortable. He kept feeling as if he had been tricked and had suffered a loss, so much so that he looked at Cheng Yi strangely.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s pure and pretty face was filled with uncertainty. ¡°Second brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He Ning stared at her for a while, then looked away and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Cheng Yi seemed to have guessed the whole story. She covered her mouth and said in surprise, ¡°Second brother, could it be that you misunderstood Sister He Jing because of this and did something to her?¡±


    He Ning was hit on the head by an invisible stick and fell into a state of frustration. He pursed his lips and did not speak. Cheng Yi immediately restrained her emotions and held He Ning¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s all because of me that you did such an impulsive thing. I¡¯m sorry. Next time, I¡¯ll make it clear.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to Sister He Jing to exin and ask for her forgiveness.¡±


    After all, she was his younger sister who had grown up with him. Moreover, he was the one who liked¡­


    He Ning closed his eyes andpletely epted the fact that his recklessness had led to this series of misunderstandings.


    After controlling his emotions, he returned to his normal self and turned to look at her with a gentle gaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean it. There¡¯s no need to apologize. Besides, I¡¯ve already apologized.¡±


    Cheng Yi hugged him and buried her face in his arms. She said softly, ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re the person I trust the most. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt because of me. Next time, no matter if it¡¯s true or not, don¡¯t stand up for me anymore.


    After all, Sister He Jing is your sister.¡±


    He Ning¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He let out a sigh and suppressed the fire in his heart. He said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡±


    No matter what, he would never let anyone hurt her.


    Even if that person was his younger sister, he still wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Cheng Yi looked up and smiled sweetly. ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re so good to me. I like you the most.¡±


    He Ning stared deeply at her. His cold face was as warm as melted spring water, and his thin lips could not help but curl up. He reached out and gently stroked her hair with an indescribable longing¡­.

 Chapter 55 - 55: An Acrobat in Her Previous Life

    Chapter 55: An Acrobat in Her Previous Life


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t notice it at all and broke away from him. ¡°Second brother, I have to go back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    He Jing followed He Yuan home. He Sui was too quiet on the way back. He looked a little depressed, as if he had suffered a huge loss and had no ce to talk about it.


    He Jing more or less knew what he was thinking. Her red lips curled up without batting an eyelid. As the saying goes, experience is the father of wisdom. With this lesson, they would not dare to blindly trust Cheng Yi again¡­


    This was also the reason why she had not wanted to exin too much.


    Moreover, she had also deliberately used He Yuan as a backup when their rtionship as siblings had frozen to a certain extent.


    She didn¡¯t know much about the other brothers, but she had some confidence in He Yuan¡¯s personality. After all, he was going to be a CEO in the future. How could he be impulsive like these two 17- or 18-year-old kids? He must be more rational than emotional.


    Not long after they arrived home, He Ning also came back. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. It was obvious that the real heiress had found an excuse to brush him off. He Jing wasn¡¯t discouraged and didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, just like how the female supporting character was born unable to walk the path with the male lead, the second male lead would naturally lose his intelligence when it came to the female lead. Nothing could escape thew of fiction.


    He Sui saw that He Ning hade back to life in an instant and hurriedly moved closer to him, asking him what he had said to Cheng Yi.


    He Ning lowered his eyes and helped exined things on behalf of Cheng Yi to calm He Sui down. As expected, He Sui¡¯s depression disappeared and he became lively again. ¡°I knew Xiao Yi didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It was an oversight as she had failed her monthly test.¡±


    With that, he turned to look at He Jing. ¡°Unlike a certain someone who is calctive, Xiao Yi is my good sister, hmph!¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. She went into the kitchen and helped He Yuan. After a while, the kitchen was filled withughter and a joyous atmosphere.


    He Yuan only stayed for a day before returning to school. He Jing felt that it was a pity that the two of them had such a short time together. Before he left, she bought him arge jar of candy and asked him to bring it to the dormitory.


    He Yuan rubbed her head. ¡°Don¡¯t waste money. Buy more delicious food for yourself and take good care.¡±


    He Jing picked up the keychain and waved it in front of him. ¡°I like the gift that you brought for me.¡±


    He Yuan¡¯s calm and handsome face revealed a doting expression. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you more the next time Ie back.¡±


    He Jing nodded and sent him out. It was not until he got on the bus that she turned around to get her bag and prepare to go to school.


    He Sui popped his head out and said sourly, ¡°You¡¯re so good to Big brother, but so bad to me. Those who don¡¯t know better might think that Big brother is your biological brother and I¡¯m your cousin.¡±


    ¡°If you want, I can call you ¡®cousin¡¯,¡± He Jing retorted.


    He Sui spat three times in a row and grabbed He Jing¡¯s arm. ¡°You have to treat me like how you treat Big brother, do you hear me?¡±


    He Jing rolled her eyes. ¡°My foot.¡±


    ¡°How can you be like this? You can¡¯t even hold a bowl of water level; showing your favoritism.¡±


    ¡°In my previous life, I was an acrobat. I¡¯ve never held a bowl level.¡±


    ¡°D*mned woman, you¡­¡±


    He Ning followed the two of them from a distance. Listening to them bicker, he felt inexplicably irritated.


    After such a big misunderstanding, the rtionship between the two of them became even better¡­


    When He Jing arrived at school, she found that the campus was especially lively that day. Many people were in groups, holding their phones and discussing something. Suddenly, a bang came from the side, attracting the attention of everyone nearby.


    The corners of He Jing¡¯s mouth twitched. She felt that this scene was familiar..

 Chapter 56 - 56: Who Is the School Belle?

    Chapter 56: Who Is the School Belle?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Then, she turned around and saw Shen Qiuyu pinning someone against a tree.


    The girls behind her were waving gs excitedly.


    Shen Qiuyu said domineeringly, ¡°For the school belle selection, vote for He Jing. Understand? He Jing is Yin High School¡¯s most beautiful one ¨C a fairy descended to the mortal world. If I hear you praise that little b*tch Cheng Yi again, I guarantee that you will avoid me in the future!¡±


    The boy who was pinned down trembled and nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.


    Shen Qiuyu pped her hands in satisfaction. She stepped back and looked behind. When she saw He Jing, her face instantly lit up. ¡°Sister Jing!¡±


    He Jing¡¯s hair stood and she walked away.


    Shen Qiuyu quickly followed and held her arm, as if they had been good friends for ten lifetimes. ¡°Sister Jing, Yin High School is going to choose a new school belle. I¡¯ve already mobilized more than half of Yin High to vote for you. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be the champion.¡±


    He Jing remembered that in the original novel, the school belle was the real heiress. All the people who tried topete with her for the title of school belle had all had a lot of scandals. She thought about it and found that Shen Qiuyu wanted her dead.


    Seeing that He Jing did not answer, Shen Qiuyu observed her expression and even blinked innocently. She said in confusion, ¡°Sister Jing, why are you unhappy?


    He Jing took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the school belle.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu was baffled and felt even more puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I just want to study hard,¡± He Jing said.


    Although Shen Qiuyu admired He Jing¡¯s dedication to her studies, she felt that


    He Jing had to do this because-


    ¡°Sister Jing, if you be the school belle, you can shoot a school publicity MV with the school hunk, Brother Xi!¡±


    He Jing fell silent. She definitely couldn¡¯t do it now. No matter how much Yan Hanxi hated Cheng Yi, he was destined to be Cheng Yi¡¯s man. If she wanted to avoid being cannon fodder, she had to stay far from him. Shooting a music video? Wasn¡¯t that asking for trouble?


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu replied with an ¡®oh¡¯ and said regretfully, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take down Sister


    Jing¡¯s phototer.¡±


    The two of them entered the ssroom together.


    When she arrived at ss, He Jing took out her phone and browsed the school forum. Only then did she realize that there was a blurry image of herself in the first ce. It showed that she had more than 500 votes. The second-ced senior, Xu Bi, only had more than 200 votes. Cheng Yi was ranked second from the bottom.


    She really didn¡¯t expect that the number of votes for the school belle in the original novel would be so miserable. She should have been able to leave the others in the dust¡­


    Wu Yu, who was sitting next to her, suddenly eximed, ¡°Who deleted Sister Jing¡¯s photo? It wasn¡¯t easy for me to open more than ten ounts to vote for Sister Jing.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    No wonder her votes had risen so quickly. It turned out that she had such a powerful army of trolls.


    Shen Qiuyu replied, ¡°I deleted it. Sister Jing said she wasn¡¯t interested in being the school belle.¡±


    Wu Yu looked up and turned to look at He Jing. He asked in confusion, ¡°Why? Sister Jing is so pretty. She deserves to be the school belle!¡±


    Cheng Yi and her two best friends had just entered the ssroom when they heard this.


    Of course, Cheng Yi also knew about the school belle selection. When she was in the luxury car, she had flipped through her ranking and found that she was near the bottom. She almost fainted from anger.


    She thought that she was not inferior to He Jing in terms of looks, but no one voted for her. This was uneptable to her.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s two best friends were even more unable to ept it.. One of them, Zhang Man, immediately said, ¡°Why does He Jing deserve to be the school belle? Isn¡¯t Xiao Yi better looking than He Jing?¡±

 Chapter 57 - 57: Controlling the Votes

    Chapter 57: Controlling the Votes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Qiuyu abruptly stood up and went straight to the point. ¡°Pfft, don¡¯t tter yourself. Sister Jing is miles ahead of her in terms of temperament and looks!¡±


    She was clearly in front of her, but she still had to speak sarcastically. In her anger, Zhang Man forgot the difference in status andined indignantly, ¡°Shen Qiuyu, aren¡¯t you just relying on your power and money? No one dares to go against you, so you¡¯re forcing others to vote. If she¡¯s that capable, don¡¯t control the votes and we¡¯ll see.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu had never been afraid of anyone. She continued to retort, ¡°You¡¯re talking as if the Cheng family has no money or power. If you have the ability, you can control the votes too. You want to get first ce without spending money or putting in any effort. You still have the cheek to spout nonsense.¡±


    Zhang Man was so furious that sheughed. ¡°The school belle selection is based on good looks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s about looks.¡± Shen Qiuyu said coldly, ¡°Sister Jing¡¯s good looks moved me, so I was willing to control the votes for her. Who asked her to not be good enough so no one helped her? To put it bluntly, she¡¯s not good-looking nor charming. Even if she became the school belle, she would be embarrassed to unt it, afraid that others would misunderstand that my Yin High School only produces flower vases.¡±


    Even the calm He Jing could not help but burst outughing.


    Shen Qiuyu¡¯s mouth was too venomous. As expected of a vicious supporting actress like her. It was really impossible for her to not have somebat strength.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face had obviously turned the color of puce, and she could no longer maintain her elegance. Zhang Man couldn¡¯t argue with Shen Qiuyu, so she pulled at Cheng Yi and said, ¡°Undercover operation. We don¡¯t want to be the school belle anymore. Whoever wants it can go ahead.¡±


    Cheng Yi was pulled at, but she didn¡¯t move. Her hands curled tightly into fists.


    How could she ept not being the school belle?


    Yesterday, she had been questioned by He Ning and had already lost that round to He Jing. She had to get back at her no matter what.


    She did not believe that He Jing would always be so lucky to be able to surpass her in every aspect. She did not want to hear Cheng Yue sigh at the dinner table and talk about He Jing¡¯s outstanding past. She wanted to overtake He Jing and be someone that everyone looked up to.


    She was the true heiress!


    ¡°Xiao Yi¡­¡± As if she knew what she was thinking, her other best friend, Liu Sisi, called out to her softly, ¡°The Cheng family is no worse than the Shen family. Why don¡¯t we control the votes too?¡±


    She simply needed to spend some money to buy some votes and they¡¯d definitely catch up.


    Cheng Yi bit her lip and did not respond for a long time.


    Until Sisi said, ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t follow the rules. It¡¯s that they¡¯re too despicable. We were just defending ourselves.¡±


    Cheng Yi nodded hesitantly.


    The three of them no longer continued to argue with Shen Qiuyu. They returned to their seats and began to discuss the matter of buying tickets.


    The school¡¯s votes had all been bought by Shen Qiuyu, so there was not much to fight for. It was better to buy votes from other schools. After all, the school belle selection was an open event, so it was normal for other schools to join in the fun.


    He Jing didn¡¯t care what Cheng Yi was nning next. She handed a ss of water to Shen Qiuyu. She should be thirsty after speaking up for her. Shen Qiuyu still felt that it was a pity and advised, ¡°Sister Jing, why don¡¯t you participate? Look at Cheng Yi¡¯s arrogance. Don¡¯t tell me that you want her to suppress you? You¡¯re clearly the most beautiful.¡±


    Wu Yu echoed, ¡°Yes, yes, Sister Jing. It¡¯s meaningless if you don¡¯t participate in the school belle selection.¡±


    He Jing smiled but did not say anything. The female lead¡¯s looks had always been in line with the public¡¯s taste. If it were not for Shen Qiuyu¡¯s strong canvassing for votes, few would have voted for her. She really felt that there was no need to feel that it was a waste.


    As for the school hunk¡­


    He Jing suddenly thought, ¡°Was Yan Hanxi the school hunk before? Howe I didn¡¯t see any music videos he filmed with anyone else?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu thought that He Jing was interested in Yan Hanxi but didn¡¯t want to reveal it. She quickly replied, ¡°Brother Xi has always been the school hunk, but he doesn¡¯t want to shoot. No one in school dares to get him to do it, so the male lead in the music video is automatically reced.¡±


    ¡°Oh- I¡¯ He Jing understood. ording to thews of fiction, the male lead¡¯s firsts should be reserved for the female lead. Presumably, after Cheng Yi became the school belle this year, Yan Hanxi would shoot a music video with her.


    She was also anxious that the rtionship was developing so slowly..

 Chapter 58 - 58: Looking for Trouble

    Chapter 58: Looking for Trouble


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yan Hanxi skipped another day of ss that day, so He Jing deducted 10 points


    from him.


    Thanks to the relentless efforts of Cheng Yi¡¯s two best friends, Cheng Yi¡¯s votes finally increased visibly. From 20 votes to 300 votes, she surpassed her senior, Xu Bi, and took the number one spot.


    He Jing only took a nce and closed the school forum. She did not pay further attention to it and packed her bag to leave the school.


    However, Cheng Yi walked over with Liu Sisi and Zhang Man. Before she could say anything, Zhang Man said in a mocking tone, ¡°He Jing, why did you withdraw from the school belle selection?¡±


    While waiting for He Jing to give her an ice cream treat, Shen Qiuyu sneered. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t want topete with a certain pheasant and lower herself. She can only endure it.¡±


    He Jing wanted tough again. These two best friends were like two defenseless little hens in front of Shen Qiuyu¡¯s maximumbat power.


    Zhang Man¡¯s expression turned ugly .¡±Shen Qiuyu, would it kill you to speak nicely?¡±


    Before Shen Qiuyu could speak, He Jing¡¯s red lips curved up. ¡°You know that she¡¯s here, but you still have toe and provoke her and find trouble for yourselves. Isn¡¯t it that there¡¯s something wrong with your heads?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu realized that He Jing¡¯s words could be really mean. No wonder the two of them could previously argue evenly. She was delighted. It turned out that they were born to be sisters!


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression turned cold. She pulled Zhang Man, who was about to re up, and said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go. The school is about to close. We should go home.¡±


    After the three of them left, He Jing walked out of the ssroom with Shen Qiuyu.


    He Jing treated Shen Qiuyu to a Pizza Hut-vored cone that even came with a second cup at half-price. Shen Qiuyu ate her ice cream and couldn¡¯t help butin to her idol. ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re too stingy. I¡¯m the dignified daughter of the Shen family, and you actually treated me to such cheap ice cream.¡±


    He Jing did not hide it and replied directly, ¡°I can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re already so poor. Didn¡¯t the Cheng family help you?¡±


    ¡°They gave it to me, but I didn¡¯t take it,¡± He Jing said lightly.


    Shen Qiuyu thought about it and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. With a viin like Cheng Yi around, it¡¯s not safe to take the money. It¡¯s better not to take it.¡±


    He Jing finished her ice cream and wiped her mouth with a tissue. She said, ¡°I have to go find my brothers. I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu was still licking the ice cream that had melted because she had not paid attention to it. When she heard that, she hurriedly raised her head. He Jing had already disappeared into the crowd.


    When He Jing arrived at First High School, she was carrying a lot of delicious


    luuu.


    As soon as He Sui came out of school, he shamelessly came up and said excitedly, ¡°Are there beef meatballs today?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He Jing smiled.


    Who would eat beef meatballs every day and not get sick of them?


    He Sui was a little disappointed. He grabbed a piece of barbecued meat and said as he ate, ¡°You must remember to buy beef meatballs tomorrow. I¡­Xiaoguo loves them.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Then why are you eating all the meatballs? Not a single one went to Xiaoguo.¡±


    He Sui¡¯s face flushed and he let out a soft sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just eating a few of your beef meatballs. You¡¯re so stingy. When I go to university and be sessful, I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want and give you all that I earn.¡±


    That was precisely what He Jing wanted He Sui to say ¨C that it was not a matter of money, as long as she wasn¡¯t cannon fodder at the critical moment.


    Thinking of this, she stuffed a few more sticks of roasted meat into He Sui¡¯s hands. After she was done, she suddenly remembered that there was someone else beside her. He Jing turned and handed over the stic bag containing the roasted meat. ¡°Second brother, do you want to eat?¡±


    He Ning¡¯s eyes had a gloomy look and he seemed unhappy. ¡°No,¡± he said coldly.


    After saying that, he strode ahead of them.


    The three of them walked one after another and soon arrived at the bus stop.


    He Jing waited for the bus with the crowd of people who were getting off work and school. She inadvertently caught a glimpse of a tall and slender figure..

 Chapter 59 - 59: Come Home With Me

    Chapter 59: Come Home With Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The young man was very eye-catching among the surging crowd. It was as if he was born with a sense of superiority. Wherever he went, he shone.


    He Jing couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him.


    These d*mnedws of fiction again.


    The female supporting role stood rooted when saw the male lead.


    Yan Hanxi followed a group of unknown people into the luxurious club opposite the bus, leaving only his shadow.


    No wonder he didn¡¯t have time for ss. It turned out that he was perfecting his flirting manual in such a ce¡­


    He Jing quickly came back to her senses and turned to He Ning and He Sui. ¡°Second brother, Fourth brother, you guys go back first. I have something to do.¡±


    Coincidentally, a bus heading home came up.


    He Sui said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s so important that you have to do it now? It¡¯s going to be dark soon. Going home alone¡­ Hey hey¡­¡±


    He Jing actually got on the bus and swiped her card before getting off. She pushed them up and speedily escaped from the crowd.


    He Ning frowned and finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The doors of the bus closed and it left.


    He Jing crossed the road and arrived at the entrance of the club.


    This kind of luxurious club was a ce for rich people to spend. Usually, only adults would enter. There was a mix of good and bad people within, and it was difficult to tell them apart. It was full of dirty transactions and even secret gambling, and not a ce that students should enter. Therefore, as soon as she approached, she was stopped by the bodyguards. ¡°Students are not allowed to enter.¡±


    He Jing looked down at her clothes.


    Everyone who lived here recognized the school uniform of Yin High School.


    Yan Hanxi was not wearing it when he went in.


    He Jing circled left and right and found arge department store two meters to the left of the club. She slung her bag and turned left.


    Ten minutester¡­


    ¡°Hello, wee to Cool Sound Club.¡±


    After putting on a disguise, He Jing no longer looked like a student. She stood ten centimeters tall and wore a white dress. Her straight hair spilled down like a waterfall, and her sunsses covered most of her face, revealing only her sharp nose and brightly painted red lips. She was as elegant as a socialite from high society.


    When the receptionist in the club saw her, it was as if he had seen a fat sheep.


    He weed her warmly, ¡°Hello, Ma¡¯am. Is this your first time here?¡±


    He Jing took off her sunsses and flipped her hair, looking very charming.


    The receptionist was stunned. Such beauty was too shocking. Could it be that she was a small celebrity who was about to debut?


    However, He Jing only nced at him arrogantly and said calmly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to look for my son.¡±


    Looking¡­ Looking for her son?


    The receptionist¡¯s face froze, and he almost couldn¡¯t maintain his smile.


    He looked at He Jing¡¯s supple and youthful face, which could not be covered even with makeup. He asked carefully, ¡°Ma¡¯am, how old are you?¡± He Jing said impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m almost 40. Why? Is there a problem?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t¡­


    This was more than just a problem.


    This was a huge problem.


    He had seen so many women, but he had never seen one who was 40 years old and looked so young.


    ¡°How old is your son?¡±


    ¡°17 years old, the most handsome of those who came in just now.¡±


    ¡°But his ID card shows that he¡¯s an adult.¡±


    ¡°He stole it from his brother.¡±


    The two of them chatted as the receptionist brought her to the second floor in the elevator. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator door, their ear drums were shattered by the loud music. This was a massive entertainment hall that stretched as far as the eye could see, taking up an entire floor. There was a band on a stage in the corner, singing rock and roll till they were hoarse. Unfortunately, no one was enjoying it. The people in the hall were ying snooker and darts..

 Chapter 60 - 60: Only My Wife Can Control Me

    Chapter 60: Only My Wife Can Control Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    There were also people ying Truth or Dare in the resting area. A bunch of people heckled, ¡°Go on and kiss!¡± Suddenly, a couple started kissing as if no one else was around.


    The receptionist felt inexplicably embarrassed. He felt that such an asion was not suitable for He Jing. He secretly turned around and took a nce.


    However, He Jing¡¯s expression was calm, as though this wasmonce. He finally epted that there were people in this world who were blessed with youthful looks. They could look as young as 18 years old at the age of 40.


    After passing through this lively area, the receptionist led He Jing to a door and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, your son is inside.¡±


    He Jing nodded and said lightly, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been hard on you. You may leave.¡±


    Then, she twisted the handle, walked in, and closed the door.


    In an instant, all the noise faded away.


    The soundproofing in the room was excellent, and there was almost no noise from outside. He Jing scanned everyone in the room and saw that there were more than twenty people in total. Yan Hanxi was leaning against the edge of a billiard table.


    His facial features looked deep and unruly under the dim light. The white school uniform outlined his tall and slender figure. Although he was a little immature, his temperament was indeed not much different from those who came here. No wonder the club would let him in as an adult.


    While He Jing was sizing them up, they were also sizing her up. The atmosphere here was not good to begin with. With He Jing suddenly barging in, the scene became even more tense. A boy with freckles all over his face said unkindly, ¡°Olddy, you¡¯re in the wrong room.¡±


    He Jing was dumbstruck.


    Yan Hanxiughed and said in a teasing tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any manners? Someone so young should be called ¡®Aunty¡¯.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned to look at He Jing with a mocking gaze. ¡°Right, Aunty?¡±


    He Jing¡¯s expression turned cold. She called out even more unkindly than the man with the brown spots, ¡°Yan Hanxi!¡±


    Her voice was sweet and soft. It was not an Aunty. The students who had taken off their uniforms understood and asked with widened eyes, ¡°Is she from Yin High School?¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s from your First High School.¡±


    The First High School student furiously denied, ¡°Bullsh*t. There¡¯s no girl as good-looking in my school.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled again. ¡°Alright. Since none of you want her, I¡¯ll reluctantly ept her. Student He Jing,e here.¡±


    This ¡®Student He Jing¡¯ was gentle and romantic, like a feather gently scratching one¡¯s heart.


    He Jing frowned. She was unwilling, but she still obediently walked to his side and, in a voice that only the two of them could hear, said, ¡°50 points will be deducted for entering and leaving indecent ces in private.¡±


    Yan Hanxi stared ahead, not paying attention to her words. He softly hushed her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I¡¯ll write you a self-reflection after you¡¯ve deducted 100 points.¡±


    He Jing wanted to hit him, but he didn¡¯t even care about 100 points. At this moment, the student from First High School said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue from where we stopped. Yan Hanxi, you won¡¯t go back on your word, will you?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Yan Hanxi replied.


    Only then did He Jing realize that in addition to the pool table, there was also a dartboard in the room. There were several blue darts inserted into the dartboard, and several of them hit the bullseye.


    Seeing that Yan Hanxi was about to go over, He Jing grabbed his hand and asked in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°ying with them, ¡± Yan Hanxi said.


    As if He Jing believed him.


    When she came in, the strangeness in the room didn¡¯t escape her. It was obvious that the crossbow was drawn and a fight could break out in the next second.


    He Jing stopped him and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Yan Hanxi looked at her with a smile. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll lose, cheer me on in your heart. Only my future wife can control me..¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61: Strong

    Chapter 61: Strong


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing retracted her hand and red at him.


    If one refuses to listen to the words of the wise, then one must be prepared to suffer a loss. There was nothing anyone could do if he chose to be obstinate.


    The student from First High School said sourly, ¡°It¡¯s just throwing darts. Look at you two, sticking together like a couple. If we win, First High School will admit defeat and won¡¯t cause trouble for the girl who called the police to arrest our boss. If he loses, Yan Hanxi wille to our First High School and apologize to all the students at the g-raising ceremony on Monday.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll expose this matter. No one will get out of it unscathed. ¡±


    He Jing understood the crux of the matter.


    Was Yan Hanxi here to stand up for her?


    Tch, who asked him to stick his nose in her business?


    He Jing may have thought as much, but she kept it to herself, sparing Yan Hanxi a nce. Meanwhile, Yan Hanxi held a yellow dart and stood behind the designated line, readying himself to throw his dart.


    He suddenly turned to look at her.


    He Jing met his gaze briefly before averting her eyes, training them on her heels instead.


    The dart hit the dartboard.


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help but look up. Yan Hanxi¡¯s yellow dart had hit the bullseye. It was an eye-catching sight. Involuntarily, a smile crept to her lips, delight glimmering in her eyes.


    Yan Hanxi caught her in the act, causing He Jing¡¯s face to burn in embarrassment, her mouth drawing a smooth line.


    ¡°Just smile if you¡¯re happy,¡± Yan Hanxi said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide it; I promise I won¡¯t look if you don¡¯t want me to.¡±


    Bah!


    He Jing cursed secretly.


    Her mind did one thing while her body did another. He Jing¡¯s upturned brows betrayed her true feelings, the happiness she sought to hide. True to his word, however, Yan Hanxi did not peek. Instead, he focused on the darts still waiting to be thrown. Not one failed to hit the bullseye.


    The students from First High School watched helplessly. While impressed by the disy, they were unhappy to be on the losing end. Unwilling to admit their defeat, they demanded a rematch. ¡°Again!¡±


    Yan Hanxi was not in the mood to humor them, however. He had other ns, ns more fun than pandering to First High School¡¯s inability to ept their loss. Shrugging, he sidled up to He Jing, looking determinedly uninterested.


    He Jing smiled. ¡°If Yan Hanxi doesn¡¯t wish to continue, how about letting me rece him?¡±


    The students from First High School sized up He Jing suspiciously. ¡°Do you know how to y?¡±


    Of course, He Jing knew how to throw darts. She was good at throwing darts but humbly said, ¡°I know a little.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the First High School students refused to let her act as Yan Hanxi¡¯s substitute. ¡°No, we won¡¯t ept it if it isn¡¯t Yan Hanxi ying. Yan


    Hanxi, let¡¯s go for another round!¡±


    Yan Hanxi eyed He Jing, who remained expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m the girl who got your boss arrested by calling the police.¡±


    The room exploded in a cacophony, the students of First High School being the chief source. Yan Hanxi smirked yfully.


    ¡°Are you still against me subbing in?¡± He Jing asked.


    How could they not y?


    ¡°I¡¯m ying!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± He Jing said. ¡°The bet that Yan Hanxi made with you doesn¡¯t count. I¡¯ll bet with you myself.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The students from First High School were dumbfounded.


    Hadn¡¯t the match already been concluded in He Jing and Yan Hanxi¡¯s favor?


    He Jing wrung her hands, ncing at Yan Hanxi. ¡°I don¡¯t like owing others.¡± Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile evaporated.


    It morphed into one of helplessness. Girls these days were not cute. They were too stubborn.


    He Jing was none the wiser to Yan Hanxi¡¯s thoughts as she picked a few pink darts from the tray and said, ¡°I¡¯ll use these.¡±


    ¡°Pink? Alright.¡± The man with brown spots who would y against her picked a few green darts. ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you just because you¡¯re a girl. Don¡¯t go crying to Yan Hanxi when you lose.¡±


    He Jing nodded and asked, ¡°Are you going first, or shall I?¡±


    The man with sporting brown spots behaved gentlemanly and gestured ¡®please¡¯ with his hand. ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    He Jing nodded and took up her position at the marked boundary, throwing pink darts at the dartboard in quick session.


    Except for the first one, slightly off-center, the rest were bullseyes..

 Chapter 62 - 62: Homework

    Chapter 62: Homework


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The students of First High School watched in stunned silence.


    On the other hand, He Jing was as cool as a cucumber. ¡°I haven¡¯t thrown darts in a long time. I must be rusty¡­ It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    What was the point of them ying when the odds were stacked against them?


    The man with brown spots admitted that he would never be able to do the same in his eight lifetimes and chose to admit defeat. First High School had lost the bet.


    After leaving the club, He Jing crossed the road and waited at the bus stop for her ride home.


    She bought a bottle of orange juice and received four coins in change, which she stowed in her frog-shaped purse.


    A tall, handsome young man stood beside her. He was like her guardian angel, keeping her safe from the prying eyes of the other men around. ¡°I¡¯ll send you home,¡± he said.


    He Jing did not answer, seemingly not of a mind for idle chatter. Her head bowed, He Jing answered absentmindedly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Yan Hanxi plucked He Jing¡¯s schoolbag off her shoulder and slung it over his. ¡°Miss Merit Student, you¡¯ve kicked the ho¡¯s nest this time.¡±


    He Jing looked up, growling, ¡°And why would I have kicked the ho¡¯s nest if not for you?¡±


    She would not have had to disguise herself and follow Yan Hanxi if he had not gone under her nose to do things. Besides, it was not like she could leave: thews governing the novel world would not allow her. It was only right that she, as the adult between them, ensured that the young saplings of her country did not grow wayward or crooked..


    Yan Hanxi chuckled. ¡°Ah! So you would lie and deceive others if it meant maintaining the integrity of the school¡¯s reputation? Let me apud you for being one of the top ten students in this country, then!¡±


    There was nothing wrong with her being among the top ten in the country, or so He Jing thought. She had always been a positive person.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so set in your ways and believe we should part, let¡¯s settle the score regarding you calling the police and iming to be my mother,¡± Yan Hanxi said.


    He Jing had already thought it through and answered calmly, ¡°If it¡¯s money you want, I haven¡¯t got any. I only have this life of mine.¡±


    Yan Hanxi quirked a brow. He knew He Jing was bold and stubborn, but not to this extent!


    He tried for apromise that would settle the itch in his heart. Quietly, with a honeyed voice like a cello ying on the G string, he asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She, of course, would not give him a chance.


    He Jing could not be bothered to respond to the human-shaped flirting device next to her. When the bus arrived, she dropped a coin in the till, paid for her fare, and got on the bus.


    Yan Hanxi remained behind, his hand in his pocket. He did not go against He Jing¡¯s wishes, but that did not mean he could not enjoy himself, and enjoy himself he did, a Cheshire smile ying on his lips.


    The next day, He Jing went to school early and saw Yan Hanxi sitting in his seat.


    He seemed to be in high spirits. When he heard her entering, he turned to greet her, offering her a faint grin, ¡°Good morning, Miss Merit Student.¡±


    All the girls in the ss looked at them.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± He Jing said expressionlessly.


    Her seat was next to Yan Hanxi, which she could not reach with his leg blocking the way.


    Yan Hanxi lifted his leg out of the way with a raised brow.


    She had just taken her seat when their form teacher bustled into ss, saying,


    ¡°Student He Jing, please bring your homework to my officeter.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s expression froze. She put down her bag and took out her homework from the previous day. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said to Yan Hanxi.


    This time, Yan Hanxi did not oblige. He kicked his legs up and rested them on his desk. ¡°I haven¡¯t handed in my homework either. Aren¡¯t you going to ask for Oh-


    She would have forgotten if Yan Hanxi had not mentioned it.


    ¡°Your homework, please,¡± He Jing requested icily, her hand outstretched and waiting.


    Yan Hanxi admired He Jing¡¯s fair skin and supple flesh, especially her hands and the lines that marked tracks along her open palm. ¡°Miss Merit Student,¡± he began, his voice tickling the hearts of those who heard him with feather-like touches, ¡°is it so hard to get homework from the big, bad bully? Why don¡¯t you try another approach?¡±


    How could she be bothered with another approach?


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m trapped just because you won¡¯t let me through?¡± He Jing demanded..

 Chapter 63 - 63: A Ruthless Deduction Machine

    Chapter 63: A Ruthless Deduction Machine


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Yan Hanxi said in an affected falsetto.


    Supporting her weight with one hand, He Jing vaulted over the table.


    The papers in her arm did not so much as flutter in the wind generated by the force of her vault. So elegant was she as He Jing steadied herself that she could put nationally acimed gymnasts to shame.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s grin grewrger as he praised, ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Opening her duty book that kept track of students and their assignments, she jotted down a sentence: ¡°Failure to submit homework on time will result in a ten-point deduction.¡±


    He Jing was utterly ruthless in her approach, behaving like a point deduction machine.


    It was a total defeat for Yan Hanxi. Rubbing his forehead, he smiled helplessly.


    ¡°How can there be a girl like you¡­?¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t someone flush when they are embarrassed? To be so emotionless¡­


    Still, it was one reason Yan Hanxi was so interested in her. The more she acted outside his expectations, the more attention he showered her with.


    He Jing did her rounds and collected the homework from her peers, carrying the stack taller than she was to the teacher¡¯s office.


    ¡°Sister Jing, let me help you!¡± Wu Yu eagerly volunteered himself upon seeing He Jing¡¯s situation.


    However, someone else beat him to the punch before he could attempt to take the load off He Jing¡¯s hands.


    Wu Yu and Yan Hanxi looked at each other.


    Wu Yu quivered in his shoes.


    Ah! He understood Yan Hanxi despite no words being shared between them.


    He was not worthy of this opportunity.


    He Jing did not care what Yan Hanxi wanted to do, and she let him do as he pleased, stepping out of the ssroom with him in tow.


    He Jing could not have known how her actions stirred up the ss as soon as she stepped out.


    Cheng Yi had just arrived at school when she heard someone say, ¡°Boss Yan seems to like He Jing¡¯s type. She¡¯d be the school belle easily if she fought for it.


    ¡°He Jing is prettier than Cheng Yi¡­¡±


    ¡°Cheng Yi¡¯s pretty, not unlike a delicate flower in clear water. She has He Jing beat in temperament, but He Jing outshines her in beauty. Those facial features¡­ they¡¯re amazing. She looks good even without trying.¡±


    Standing beside Cheng Yi, Liu Sisi said, ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t take it to heart. Your votes put you firmly in first cepared to all the others. Even if people prefer He Jing to you, you¡¯ll still be the school belle at the end of the day.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt a little better. She offered Liu Sisi a warm smile as she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    At this moment, there was amotion outside the ssroom.


    Someone barged in from outside and said in between pants, ¡°A third-year student is here¡­ she said she was looking for you, Cheng Yi¡­¡±


    All eyes turned to Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi returned their looks with befuddlement. She had never interacted with her seniors, so why would one of them be looking for her?


    Hesitantly, Cheng Yi stepped out to greet her upperssman. Arge group of people crowded around the door, filling the hallway. A few students from the neighboring ss popped their heads out to see what was happening.


    An immensely beautiful girl with long hair dyed fashionably in the shade of ash stuck out from the crowd. She had exquisite features, making her look like a porcin doll. She wore the top half of the school uniform, exchanging the bottom half with a miniskirt, which showed off a ferocious tattoo on her thigh.


    Cheng Yi recognized her at a nce. It was Xu Bi, the senior currentlypeting with her for the title of school belle. She was currently ranked second.


    For an inexplicable reason, Cheng Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Even the transfer student is so arrogant now,¡± Xu Bi said. ¡°She refuses toe out and greet me. Do I need to invite her out despite being her senior?¡±


    Someone noticed Cheng Yi in the crowd, forcing her to dere her presence known. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here.¡±


    The crowd of spectators took a step back, giving Cheng Yi and Xu Bi some room.


    Only Zhang Man and Liu Sisi remained by Cheng Yi¡¯s side. Xu Bi¡¯s overwhelming presence was so great that they dared not speak. Cheng Yi was not much better, gripping the hem of her skirt and hiding her panic behind an elegant smile.. She smiled serenely, pure and harmless, and asked, ¡°Senior, is there something you need from me?¡±

 Chapter 64 - 64: Sweeping Votes

    Chapter 64: Sweeping Votes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xu Bi sized her up with a smile full of teeth. ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt that Xu Bi¡¯s gaze was unfriendly. She paled, turning as white as a sheet as she clenched the hem of her skirt. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing wrong, Senior Xu Bi, I¡¯ll return to ss and continue with my revision.¡±


    She tried to excuse herself and leave with her two best friends.


    However, Xu Bi¡¯s words,ced with sarcasm, forced her to stop. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the ck horse of the Campus Belle Competition, a girl who gained more than 400 votes in less than a day, would look like this. It¡¯s really strange.¡±


    Xu Bit s entourage of boys snickered, eyeing Cheng Yi in disdain. They had voted for Xu Bi and wanted her to win. They were the ones who noticed the sharp increase in Cheng Yi¡¯s votes, which threatened Xu Bi¡¯s position as campus belle. Most recently, Cheng Yi had surpassed Xu Bi. There was no doubt in their minds that the votes had been tampered with.


    A quick investigation revealed a few clues.


    Clues that pointed at the most culpable suspect. Hence, they hade looking for trouble.


    Cheng Yi spun around, a hint of annoyance peaking through her genteel facade. ¡°Senior, what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°You know very well what I mean,¡± Xu Bi said. ¡°I have evidence! Let¡¯s watch the footage together next Monday.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She shot Zhang Man a questioning look and met her friend¡¯s panicked expression. Gritting her teeth, Cheng Yi did the only thing she could: she smiled apologetically at Xu Bi. ¡°Senior, I¡­¡± Xu Bi ignored her and addressed her fans instead, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They left without looking back.


    Cheng Yi felt a chill settle in her bones, freezing her with an arctic chill. She red at Zhang Man angrily and dragged her to thedies¡¯ room.


    It was almost time for ss, so thedies¡¯ was unupied. Zhang Man squeaked in panic, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened! That know-it-all from the neighboring school epted the money and said he would help us get the votes.¡±


    Cheng Yi immediately drew her own conclusions. That know-it-all must have taken the money but found the issue too troublesome to manage. Along the way, Xu Bi must have discovered the troll army that person had gotten to vote; hence, her appearance just now was a power y to embarrass her publicly.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t be so harsh on Zhang Man,¡± Liu Sisi interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no point scolding her. We should focus on damage control, and maybe we can reverse the situation.¡±


    Cheng Yi calmed down upon hearing Liu Sisi¡¯s words. Angry and dejected, shemented, ¡°What else can we do? The only way to salvage my reputation is to withdraw from thepetition.¡±


    Xu Bi would have no reason toe for her then.


    At the very least, it would open the possibility for her to settle things privately with Xu Bi. As long as she was sincere enough, Xu Bi would likely let the matter go.


    Liu Sisi was silent for a moment before she suddenly said something shocking, ¡°Why don¡¯t we push this matter onto He Jing?¡±


    Cheng Yi was so shocked she failed toprehend Liu Sisi¡¯s intentions. Zhang Man immediately pped in agreement and said, ¡°Alright, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to find a way to push the me onto He Jing,¡± Liu Sisi said slowly. ¡°This way, Xiao Yi can continue to run for the title of school belle, and He Jing will have no face to remain.


    ¡°Since Xu Bi knows about the vote fixing and has evidence to back her ims, we¡¯ll need to get creative; maybe¡­ we cook up a story about a mix-up between He Jing and Xiao Yi¡¯s identity as a real and fake heiress, making everyone believe He Jing was jealous of Xiao Yi and would do anything to frame her.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Cheng Yi was wildly tempted.


    If all went ording to n, she would be killing two birds with one stone.


    Not only could she be the school belle, but she could also crush He Jing¡¯s influence.


    However, the matter was easier said than done.


    Liu Sisi mulled over the issue and said, ¡°We¡¯ll need a witness.¡±


    While Xu Bi had physical proof, they would have witnesses. In this way, no one would know who was telling the truth.


    As long as people believed their ims, and He Jing had no means to exin herself, the night of thepetition¡¯s finale would be the altar on which her good name would be sacrificed..

 Chapter 65 - 65: Details

    Chapter 65: Details


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Before Liu Sisi could finish, Zhang Man had devised a more devious course of action. ¡°We should test the waters, posting a few hints online about who is the fake heiress and who is real. Then, on Monday, we¡¯ll single out He Jing and convince everyone of Xiao Yi¡¯s innocence. No matter how influential He Jing is, she won¡¯t be able to quash the majority¡¯s opinion.¡±


    Having settled on a n, Cheng Yi could not be more satisfied.


    However, to maintain her image, Cheng Yi could not agree to Zhang Man¡¯s proposal too easily. Hence, she feigned hesitation and said, ¡°But isn¡¯t this wrong? After all, He Jing is innocent¡­¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯re too kind!¡± Zhang Man cried indignantly. ¡°That¡¯s why He Jing takes advantage of you. Even if you aren¡¯t worried about yourself, you should still consider your parents¡¯ positions. He Jing deceived them and stole their attention from you. Don¡¯t you want to win the title of school belle and force them to acknowledge you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cheng Yi said in a muffled voice.


    Liu Sisi interjected, saying, ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯re not evil. You¡¯re doing this in self-defense. You need not have considered such measures if He Jing hadn¡¯t forced your hand. He Jing is to me fore what may.¡±


    Cheng Yi considered their words, nodding cautiously, ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you both suggest. But we can¡¯t repeat this ever again¡­¡±


    Zhang Man nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t worry. No matter what happens, we will be by your side. If this n fails, I will take responsibility for everything. Besides, no one likes me much except for you; you¡¯re the only one who treats me with sincerity.¡±


    Cheng Yi smiled. ¡°Manman, don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re a wonderful person. You¡¯ll always be my friend.¡±


    The three of them hugged one another.


    The three of them discussed the details of the operation and how they would secure witnesses. By the time they stepped out of the washroom, the bell signaling the start of ss had already rung. To their surprise, Yan Hanxi also exited the gents at this time. He looked to have washed his hands, his slender fingers still dripping water.


    Cheng Yi panicked. Afraid that Yan Hanxi had overheard their conversation, she called out weakly, ¡°Student Yan.¡±


    Yan Hanxi looked at her with cold eyes and no expression. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Cheng Yi did not know what to say. She shook her head and thought, ¡®If Yan


    Hanxi had heard us, he would not be so calm.¡¯


    With that thought in mind, she felt relieved and led Liu Sisi and Zhang Man back to ss.


    He Jing had no idea that she was being watched, so she was momentarily stunned when she heard Wu Yu gossiping about what had happened in the corridor.


    Had such a sequence of events urred in the original novel?


    She did not think so.


    ording to her memories, the plot revolved around the real heiress and how she became the most popr girl in school, overshadowing the fake heiress who failed to win andter chose to nder the former in retribution by posting untruths on the school forums. The fake heiress was quickly discovered and publicly shamed for her actions.


    Meanwhile, the supporting female cast, involving Xu Bi and Shen Qiuyu, joined hands to muster the votes in their favor. It was only after Yan Hanxi, the male lead, stepped forward to deal with the mess that forced the two to back down, paving the way for the real heiress.


    After that, the real heiress became the school belle, untouched and unchallenged. It was smooth sailing, with no real bumps on the road. So why did Xu Bi draw Cheng Yi into an altercation instead?


    It was a strange deviation from the plot.


    Still, it had nothing to do with her, or so He Jing thought. She had not participated in the School Belle Competition, so what they did or chose to do was of little consequence.


    He Jing forgot about the matter almost as soon as she heard it. It was not until the afternoon after school that He Jing was reminded of what transpired earlier that day by a post on the school forums. It was a trending topic with an eye-catching title: ¡®818 Cheng Family¡¯s Real and Fake Daughter Appears


    Peaceful on the Surface, but Actually, There Are Undercurrents of Grudges and


    Hatred.¡¯


    He Jing had a bad feeling. She clicked on the post and saw that someone was talking about her and Cheng Yi from a third-person perspective, discussing things she and Cheng Yi supposedly did or did not do. It was clearly trying to paint a target on her back..

 Chapter 66 - 66: Stop Playing Around

    Chapter 66: Stop ying Around


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The entire post was written like flowing water, and everything that happened seemed to be vividly lifelike. However, the contents of this post was fabricated out of thin air. It described her in a tone that was overtly filled with praise but covertly criticizing, causing many people to hate her.


    The fake heiress had a bad style in the past, which made this post more realistic. Many people leftments on the post to ask for more insider information. There was also a small group of people who took the opportunity to dig up old scores and received hundreds of likes.


    In short, the entire post was arge-scale criticism.


    He Jing felt that this post was strange, so she paid close attention to it. She opened a WeChat window with Wu Yu and sent him two messages.


    She asked, ¡°Can false posts be reported? How are they usually handled?¡±


    Wu Yu was a clever little fellow. When he heard that, he immediately guessed that He Jing was worried about the post. He immediately replied with a giggling emoji and replied, ¡°False posts can be deleted after being reported by many people, but the Yin High School forum is a ce where everyone has the most freedom to speak. Other than using a fake identity to scold the teachers and the principal, it¡¯s basically slow for anything else. Moreover, I saw thetest post at the top. It¡¯s very popr, which means that many people have seen it. It¡¯s useless to delete it. If you really want to deal with it, it¡¯s best to open another post to refute the rumors.¡±


    Of course, whether everyone believed it or not depended on what they thought.


    He Jing fell silent and continued, ¡°Is there a way to check the IP of the poster?¡±


    Wu Yu replied, ¡°Yes, but we need someone who knows a lot aboutputers. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be able to get past our forum¡¯s firewall.¡±


    He Jing frowned deeply and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She closed the WeChat window and wondered where she was going to find someone who was especially good atputers.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly go to Yan Hanxi, could she?


    Although Yan Hanxi was omnipotent.


    Forget it.


    She would think of a solution when she went back.


    After a minute of frustration, He Jing decided to put this matter aside for the time being and put her phone in her pocket.


    After buying the beef meatballs, she went to the entrance of First High School to wait for He Sui and He Ning to finish school. There was no one with the pair that day, and He Sui was happy to see her. He rushed to her like a little piglet out of a pigsty and stared at the beef meatballs in her hand. He Jing had no choice but to give the beef meatballs away.


    Then, she handed some egg pancakes to He Ning and said quietly, ¡°Second brother, here.¡±


    He Ning took it silently and turned to look at He Sui, who was munching on the beef meatballs. He pursed his thin lips and returned the egg pancakes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not eating. Leave it for Xiaoguo.¡±


    He Jing looked confused.


    She was sensitive by nature and felt that He Ning had be very strange ever since they had quarreled.


    He Sui finished the beef meatballs and licked his lips in satisfaction. He said, ¡°I realized that it¡¯s actually not bad to have a sister like you. As long as you don¡¯t anger me, it¡¯s fine. He Jing, be good in the future. I¡¯ll treat you the way I treat Xiao Yi.¡±


    He Jingxin said ¡®thank you so much¡¯ inside, but upon hearing the name ¡®Xiao Yi¡¯, she remembered the post on the forum and fell deep in thought.


    On the way back, He Jing was exceptionally quiet. After getting off the bus, He Sui finally could not help but ask her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you unhappy that I ate a few of your meatballs?¡± He Jing was dumbfounded.


    Was she such a stingy person to him?


    After hesitating for a moment, He Jing eventually told him her troubles perfunctorily. He Sui thought nothing of it and said, ¡°Well, I thought it was a big deal. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    As soon as he said this, He Jing was genuinely stunned. She faltered and said,


    ¡°You know how to y around withputers?¡±


    He Sui raised his chin proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen others do it.¡±


    He Jing lost her temper. ¡°Fourth brother, stop fooling around.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what kind of attitude is that? I can pick it up,¡± He Sui said unhappily..

 Chapter 67 - 67: Learning Computer Science for Her

    Chapter 67: Learning Computer Science for Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Good heavens, the school forum was created by a technical expert. How could he learn it on the spot when it was so difficult?


    He Jing thought hard about it. In the original novel, He Sui would be involved in the e-sports industry in the future. He would be an extremely fierce gamer and reach god-level on his debut. However, this was too different from checking the IP¡­


    He Jing didn¡¯t want to hurt his confidence, nor could she reject his kind intentions. She could only say casually, ¡°Alright, thank you, Fourth brother.¡±


    He Sui smiled, revealing his teeth. ¡°Lend me some money and I¡¯ll buy some rted books. It¡¯s best if you can lend me aputer. I guarantee that I¡¯ll get it done within a week.¡±


    He was actually serious about it. He Jing felt a slight headacheing on. ¡°Okay, how about 500? I¡¯ll borrow aputer from my ssmates tomorrow.¡±


    He Sui snorted. ¡°50 is enough.¡±


    To be conservative, He Jing still gave him 200 yuan. He Sui pocketed the 200 yuan and said, ¡°I won¡¯t return the extra money. I¡¯ll pay you back double when I have money in the future. I want to buy beef meatballs to replenish my strength. ¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Fourth brother, you must have been from


    Chaoshan in your past life.¡±


    He Sui rolled his eyes. ¡°Then Xiaoguo loves to eat fried eggs. Don¡¯t tell me he was from Jiangsu?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡±


    It might be.


    The next day, He Sui took the 200 yuan to the second-hand market and bargained with someone to buy 5 pounds of books for 100 yuan. Although the books were old and tattered, they were still usable. He happily carried the 5 pounds of books home and began to study hard.


    Seeing that he was still not sleeping even after the lights were turned off in the middle of the night, Xiaoguo took out a shlight and shone it on him. With a wrinkled face, heined sleepily, ¡°Fourth brother, I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± He Sui didn¡¯t even raise his head. ¡°Go to sleep if you¡¯re sleepy.¡±


    ¡°Fourth brother, I can¡¯t sleep with you flipping pages beside me,¡± said He Xiaoguo.


    He Sui picked up the clothes on the bedside and covered his head. He said fiercely, ¡°Hurry up and sleep.¡±


    He Xiaoguo felt wronged. He struggled to get off the bed with his two short legs and rubbed himself against He Ning¡¯s bed. He said quietly, ¡°Second brother, I can¡¯t sleep with Fourth brother reading so much. I¡¯ll sleep with you.¡± He Ning did not answer.


    He Xiaoguo mbered onto the bed and leaned in to look at him. ¡°Second brother, are you asleep?¡±


    He Ning opened his eyes and stared at the cracked bed board with his dark eyes. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    He Xiaoguo was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t bother too much about it. He sprawled on top of him and fell asleep.


    There was only a light in the room and the faint sound of breathing. He Sui buried his head in his studies. After some time, he asked He Ning, ¡°Second brother, what does VPN mean?¡±


    He Ning¡¯s emotionless voice rang out, ¡± An encryptedmunication technique. ¡±


    He Sui replied with an ¡®oh¡¯ and continued. After another five minutes, he pounded his pillow and said angrily, ¡°I still have to go to the second-hand market tomorrow to buy an English dictionary.¡±


    He knew the letters of every word here, but he couldn¡¯t understand them when they werebined together. It was infuriating!


    But don¡¯t even think about making him give up.


    He Jing had no idea about all of this. She went to school to borrow Wu Yu¡¯s notebook, and Wu Yu agreed readily. When Shen Qiuyu heard about it, she also rushed to offer hers, but He Jing tactfully refused.


    ¡°Why, Sister Jing? Myputer is definitely better than Wu Yu¡¯s,¡± Shen Qiuyu asked, somewhat hurt.


    He Jing replied seriously, ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s too good. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to afford it if I break it.


    Who knew what He Sui would do with the borrowedputer in the end? She had to be mentally prepared.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need that bit of money, so what does it matter?¡± Shen Qiuyu said.


    He Jing thought that to her, it might just be an ordinaryputer that could be reced at any time, but to her, this was a huge favor. She most hated owing favors because things that could be solved with money were not a big deal, and favors were.


    Fortunately, Shen Qiuyu did not continue to pester her. She changed the topic and asked excitedly, ¡°By the way, Sister Jing, tomorrow is the weekend.. Where are you going to have fun?¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: Book a Party

    Chapter 68: Book a Party


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing answered almost without thinking, ¡°Staying at home.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Shen Qiuyu asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have money.¡±


    Any transaction that was more than five yuan would not be considered.


    Shen Qiuyu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that such words woulde out of your mouth one day.¡±


    In the past, she had spent a lot of money on Yan Hanxi. She ate and wore only the best.


    He Jing, on the other hand, had already started calcting the days when the schrship and poverty relief fund would be distributed. In less than a month, it would time for summer camp. The summer camp was a huge expense, and she did not have that much spare money to spend. She could only n carefully and save as much as she could.


    Moreover, the school that He Xiaoguo attended had a simr event, so she had to pay the money on behalf of the He family. In the past, He Xiaoguo had never gone because the family was poor.


    He could only watch helplessly as his ssmates went off, while he had a boring weekend. Then, on the first day of school, he would listen to his ssmates talk about their post-travel feelings, seeminglypletely isted.


    He couldn¡¯t write an essay even if the teacher asked him to. He could only hand in his nk homework and stand as punishment. He Jing thought that since she had already joined and be a member of this family, she wanted to give her younger brother a happy childhood experience.


    Wu Yu said, ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re too boring. Why don¡¯t you go out to have fun with me and I¡¯ll pay for all the expenses?¡±


    Before He Jing could say anything, Shen Qiuyu teased, ¡°I think you¡¯re trying to woo Sister Jing. Stop dreaming. Sister Jing would definitely rather have fun with me than go with you.¡±


    At this moment, Yan Hanxi, who had been leaning back in his chair with a math book covering his face, suddenly sat up straight. The book slid down from his face, revealing hisnguid and exquisite eyebrows. It was a fatal attraction. Shen Qiuyu blushed when she saw this and heard him say, ¡°Next weekend, there will be a new secret room in the suburbs of Azure City. It¡¯s horror-themed. Merit Student, do you want to take up the challenge?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu answered on He Jing¡¯s behalf almost without thinking, ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    He Jing frowned slightly. Why was this fellowing to join in the fun again?


    She turned to look at Yan Hanxi, only to see that his lovely narrow eyes were smiling and looking very affectionate.


    Yan Hanxi casually fiddled with the math book that had fallen on him and said slowly, ¡°I have free admission tickets to all the escape rooms in A City. I can¡¯t finish them even if I go there ten times a day. If you want to go, I can give you a few tickets. You can take it as mutual help between deskmates.¡±


    The corners of He Jing¡¯s mouth twitched. What kind of mutual help was this? She couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give Wu Yu some?¡±


    Although Wu Yu was separated from him by an aisle, he could barely be considered a deskmate.


    Wu Yu, who was cued, had no words.


    Yan Hanxi nced indifferently at Wu Yu and chuckled. ¡°If he wants it, of course I will give it to him.¡±


    However, his tone clearly said, ¡°If you dare to take it, you¡¯re dead.¡± Wu Yu shrank back and immediately waved his hand. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    He Jing thought for a moment. Yan Hanxi had so many free coupons that he couldn¡¯t use them all anyway, and they couldn¡¯t be turned into cash. She could use them on his behalf, and consider it prevention of wastage, so she dly agreed, ¡°Then give me a few.¡±


    He Sui, He Xiaoguo, and the others didn¡¯t have any entertainment programs. They could only stay at home. It was a good time to bring them for a workout.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yan Hanxi said with a smile.


    He Jing did not take his coupons for nothing. She took out her favorite fountain pen from her bag and exchanged it with him.


    This pen was worth tens of thousands of yuan each. It was stationery that the Cheng family had bought for her and waspletely worth the price. Yan Hanxi pulled off the pen cap and smiled. ¡°Just this is enough.¡±


    The pen cap was gold-ted and looked like a bullet. It was very beautiful.


    But He Jing was a little speechless. ¡°Then what about my pen?¡±


    Without a pen cap, it would definitely spoil in less than two days.


    Yan Hanxi actually took the cap off his fountain pen and put it on for her. ¡°Use this.¡±


    He Jing was dumbstruck.


    Then what was the point of her giving a pen cap?


    Wasn¡¯t it just exchanging one?


    However, Yan Hanxi insisted, so she didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    ¡°Actually, you can borrow things likeputers from me,¡± Yan Hanxi said..

 Chapter 69 - 69: The Repaired Computer

    Chapter 69: The Repaired Computer


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After school that afternoon, perhaps because of Yan Hanxi¡¯s male protagonist aura, Wu Yu ran to her and said dejectedly, ¡°Sister Jing, the notebook that the nanny sent over identally got wet.¡±


    He Jing let out an ¡®ah¡¯ and asked him with a frown, ¡°Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already damaged,¡± Wu Yu said dejectedly.


    He Jing was silent.


    This was too unfortunate.


    He Jing touched her nose and felt a little helpless. ¡°Forget it then. I¡¯ll try to borrow it from someone else.¡±


    Wu Yu felt very guilty and scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister Jing. I didn¡¯t keep my word and lend you myputer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Wu Yu turned and went back. He Jing thought about He Sui¡¯s expression when she returned empty-handed and sighed.


    Yan Hanxi hadn¡¯t left yet. He held his chin and said in a cheerful tone, ¡°Merit


    Student, you seem to need help.¡±


    He Jing red at him. ¡°Can you not gloat over others¡¯ misfortunes?¡± If it wasn¡¯t for his big mouth, she wouldn¡¯t have been so unlucky.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I lend it to you?¡± Yan Hanxi smiled.


    He Jing was expressionless. ¡°No.¡±


    It was obvious that hisputer would only be more expensive than Shen Qiuyu¡¯s.


    As if he had seen through her thoughts, Yan Hanxi said unhurriedly, ¡°I have an oldputer. I secretly bought it with my allowance when I was in junior high school. My father smashed it and I repaired it myself. Although it works, I almost never use it anymore. If you don¡¯t mind, you can take and use it¡­¡± He Jing frowned. ¡°Why did your father smash yourputer?¡±


    Yan Hanxi shrugged his shoulders and said nonchntly, ¡°He said that I have to use something that is worthy of my status. Even if it¡¯s just aputer, I should use the best¡­¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    Mr. Yan was so perverse.


    ¡°So-¡± Yan Hanxi looked at her with his deep and narrow eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°To protect myputer, can I leave it with you for a while?¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°You¡¯ve already given me tickets today.¡±


    epting his kindness again was not within her principles.


    Yan Hanxi was amused. ¡°He Jing, it seems that you don¡¯t understand what¡¯s a gift and what¡¯s helping. A gift is a voluntary act. It¡¯s the initiative that leads everything. It has nothing much to do with the recipient. On the other hand, helping is bestowing a favor. In the process of interaction between people, gifting does not seek returns and does not obtain direct benefits. Helping behavior expects long-term returns. In short, both parties benefit.¡±


    He Jing frowned. ¡°Where did you learn all these theories?¡±


    ¡°I made it up on the spot,¡± said Yan Hanxi.


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. ¡°He Jing, who will help me in the future, do you want to consider?¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± said Yan Hanxi.


    Then, Yan Hanxi made a call and asked someone to send hisputer over.


    He Jing waited quietly with him in the ssroom.


    ¡°What do you think about the post on the forum?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    He Jing answered straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯m already thinking of ways to deal with the false rumors and malicious nder.¡±


    ¡°Then who do you think did it?¡± Yan Hanxi smiled.


    If He Jing knew, would she still be so distressed? She would have directly confronted someone. A person like her would definitely get to it without wasting her breath.


    Yan Hanxi deliberately reminded her, ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the school belle election.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. She thought about it carefully. If it really had something to do with the school belle election, then¡­


    Cheng Yi?


    The person who delivered theptop had arrived. Yan Hanxi handed theptop to her personally, turned around, and waved at her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. See you tomorrow.¡±


    He Jing pursed her red lips and banished the thought that Yan Hanxi might know the inside story.


    No matter how powerful Yan Hanxi was, he was not a god. If he really knew, why didn¡¯t he tell her directly? It couldn¡¯t be to protect her pride..

 Chapter 70 - 70: Tsundere Attribute Acting Up

    Chapter 70: Tsundere Attribute Acting Up


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    With this thought in mind, He Jing returned home.


    When He Jing and He Sui opened theptop bag and took out theputer, they were blinded by a brand newputer.


    There were no signs that theptop had been dropped, and there was not a single scratch on the screen.


    If Yan Hanxi had really had thisputer repaired, it was probably because he had ¡®repaired¡¯ it from the inside out, such that it was no different from a new one.


    so¡­


    Was this also called repairing?


    He Jing suddenly felt a stab of pain between her brows. ¡°Fourth brother, be careful when you use it. Don¡¯t damage it.¡±


    Otherwise, their entire family would have to go to the Yan family to be nannies.


    He Sui stared at theputer with shining eyes, as if he had seen a treasure. His mouth was agape as he eximed, ¡°The students at your Yin High School are really rich. This is the most premium Note fine series from the DE brand. When I previously apanied my ssmates to buy aputer, I saw that it was priced at 70,000 yuan.¡±


    He Jing was stunned.


    So such an expensiveputer wasn¡¯t worthy of Yan Hanxi¡¯s status in Mr. Yan¡¯s eyes?


    Then what kind ofputer would be worthy of Yan Hanxi¡¯s status?


    He Jing hadpletely forgotten that the Notebook she used before she transmigrated was from Tilp, an English brand. The cheapest one cost 500,000 yuan.


    After getting theputer, He Sui entered a state of extreme excitement. He sat at the dining table and touched theputer with his hands that had been washed thrice with dishwashing liquid. He pressed the power button almost piously.


    Age and time period did not matter when it came to men¡¯s love for electronic products. A teenager like He Sui liked to yputer games. Even if he passed by an inte cafe, he would stop to take a look.


    He Jing sat beside He Sui and watched him y around with it. He was self-taught. As soon as his hands touched the keyboard, he started typing, taking to it like a fish to water.


    As he tinkered with it, he sighed. ¡°This book is too smooth. My ssmate¡¯sputer jams so much. He lent it to me to y with it once, but I didn¡¯t want to y anymore. It¡¯s good to have money. I want to make a lot of money in the future.¡±


    ¡°You earn money just to buy aputer?¡± He Jingughed.


    He Sui paused and turned his head to stare at her flushed cheeks. He suddenly stuttered, ¡°What are you hinting at? Give up. I definitely¡­definitely will not¡­give you my bank card¡­¡±


    He Jing was a little speechless. Did she say that she wanted his bank card? Men¡¯s brain circuitry was really mystical. He Sui continued, ¡°However, if you¡¯re obedient, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want¡­ I can try to buy it for you¡­¡±


    He Jing understood. He Sui¡¯s arrogant nature was acting up again. She could only take his words as sarcasm ¨C saying he wouldn¡¯t give her his bank card meant that he would; saying that he could try to buy her whatever she wanted meant that he would buy her whatever she wanted.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Fourth brother.¡±


    He Sui nced at her and felt that her expression was a little strange. He snorted and went back to theputer.


    He Jing sat beside him and watched him fiddle with it for a while without any results. She was so bored that she yawned and had to stand up. ¡°Fourth brother, you go ahead.¡±


    She had to go return to her room to do her homework.


    He Sui waved his hand and said, ¡°Go on, go on.¡±


    He Jing returned to her room.


    Although it was the weekend tomorrow, almost every subject teacher had assigned at least one paper as homework. There were seven or eight papers in total. He Jing used her spare time to finish two papers in school, and there were still a few more to go. Therefore, the lights in the room stayed lit until midnight.


    When she was done with the paper, she saw from the clock on the wall that it was already 12 0¡¯clock. She calcted that she had taken four hours. Her body moved, but her arms went numb. Her entire body felt like it was falling apart.


    He Jing exhaled and got her clothes to take a shower. When she opened the door, she found that the entire living room was pitch-ck, and only the dining area was still lit..

 Chapter 71 - 71: Finding Out the IP

    Chapter 71: Finding Out the IP


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Good heavens, He Sui was actually awake and still at it.


    He didn¡¯t even turn on the lights.


    He Jing turned on the lights and called out, ¡°Fourth brother.¡±


    He Sui was startled. He turned around with his eyes wide open. He stared at He


    Jing and reprimanded softly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make any sound when you walk?¡±


    He Jing had no words. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯re too engrossed.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even notice that she had turned on the lights.


    Getting a fright, He Sui pulled at her arm, saying happily, ¡°I think I¡¯m about to master it.¡±


    There were a bunch of road maps and English words on theptop screen. He


    Jing couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Really? Fourth Brother, don¡¯t lie to me.¡± He Sui was angry. ¡°Who are you looking down on? I can crack your lousy IP in ten minutes.¡±


    He Jing was bbergasted. He Sui, who was supposed to be an esports big shot, was actually aputer genius?


    Seeing her stumped expression, He Sui said proudly and happily, ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, did you? Hmph, you¡¯re looking down on me. I have an IQof 280. Please pander more to me in the future. I¡¯ll help you solve any problems.¡±


    He Jing was silent for a moment upon hearing that. Then, she asked, ¡°Fourth brother, do you want to have your ownputer? I¡¯ll buy one for you.¡±


    Such a talented yer should contribute to the country. Why would he y games? It was simply a waste. She would buy it for him even if she had to sell everything so that he could make a name for himself as soon as possible.


    Putting everything else aside, she could not bear to see talent being buried!


    He Sui was stunned by her sudden generosity and was dumbstruck for a while.


    Then, he said coolly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to buy me anything.¡±


    As a man, he should work hard to earn money to buy what he wanted.


    He Jing said, ¡°No, you have to have thisputer. Tomorrow is the weekend.


    We¡¯ll go to Computer City.¡±


    Although they were poor and couldn¡¯t afford a 70,000 yuanputer, 2,000 yuan was no problem. The configuration was a little low, so they could make do with it for the time being.


    He Sui turned around. Something clearly shifted in his gaze, but his strong self-esteem did not allow him to nod, so he looked particrly awkward. ¡°I already said, no¡­¡±


    ¡°You can write me an IOU.¡± He Jing said, ¡°I know you can definitely return it.¡±


    Young people could often be swayed. Faced with the temptation of aputer, it was very difficult to resist. He Sui did not say anything for a moment. He did not say whether he wanted it or not, but He Jing knew that this matter was in the bag.


    Without waiting for He Sui to speak again, He Jing said, ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal ¨C we¡¯ll wake up early tomorrow and go to the city center together.¡±


    He Sui held it in for a long time before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll write an IOUter. I want to make it clear that you wanted to lend me money to purchase it, and not that I wanted to borrow from you. When Dad and Mom ask about it, don¡¯t push the me to me. And don¡¯t hold this over my head when we argue in future.¡±


    He Jing was bbergasted. ¡°¡­Fourth Brother is quite thorough.¡¯


    ¡°Of course.¡± He Sui becamecent again.


    He Jing shook her head in amusement. ¡°Since there¡¯s still a little bit left to crack that IP address, then you should first sleep today. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±


    He Sui was still immersed in the excitement of getting a newputer the next day. How could he still sleep? He hurriedly said, ¡°Go and wash up. I¡¯ll be done after you finish.¡¯


    He Jing obediently went into the toilet.


    Fifteen minutester, He Sui managed to decipher the IP address of the poster.


    He Jing was not surprised when she saw that the IP address of the poster on theptop was from the second grade¡¯s ss Three.


    Her guess had been right..

 Chapter 72 - 72: The Truth Is Out

    Chapter 72: The Truth Is Out


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    In order to prevent any mistakes, He Jing asked He Sui, ¡°Fourth brother, is there any way to confirm who this IP belongs to?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± He Sui said confidently. This ount has been registered for a long time, and there are very few posts and logins. I can help you check the IP address she logged in tost time. If it¡¯s different from this address, it¡¯s most likely her home address. You can take this address to your ss and ask who lives nearby. The error won¡¯t be more than five meters.¡±


    He Jing nodded and sat down beside him, watching him make checks. After a while, a new IP address popped up. The address was Tranquil District on A City¡¯s Cypress Road.


    He Jing sent the address to Wu Yu and asked him, ¡°Do you know who lives here?¡±


    Wu Yu sent a puzzled emoji and asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote and Sister Jing is still awake. Isn¡¯t this Zhang Man¡¯s address? Sister Jing, how did you get it?¡±


    Very good, the truth was out!


    Because Xu Bi was unhappy that Cheng Yi had more votes than her and was looking for trouble with her, Cheng Yi¡¯s best friend, Zhang Man, saw injustice and tried to help her, so she came up with a n to attack her. She deliberately made such a post to prepare everyone. When the time came, everyone in Yin High School would support Cheng Yi, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to clear her name.


    Fortunately, she was alert and discovered it in advance. If the fake heiress was here, she would probably adopt a lofty attitude and ignore it. She might even hate Cheng Yi even more and say something in public, confirming the crime described in this post.


    He Jing replied to Wu Yu with a ¡®Thank you, it¡±s nothing¡¯. Then, she browsed through all the posts under this ount. Other than ndering her, half a year ago, she had also anonymously sullied the reputation of a rtively pretty ssmate. She implied that she was an illegitimate daughter who was coquettish and had hooked up with a rich man.


    In short, the content was very ugly.


    He Jing took down all of this as evidence. Then, she opened the forum on her phone and found that the post about the real and fake heiress¡¯s feud had been hyped up more than 2,000 times. Just a minute ago, another unfamiliar ount had posted a new post, exposing her and Cheng Yi¡¯s ¡®bad blood¡¯. She clicked on it and saw that the tone was roughly the same as the previous post owner, praising her openly and criticizing her secretly. There were more than 20 replies scolding her in a refresh.


    He Jing looked at thesements that were scolding her and was extremely calm. She said, ¡°Fourth brother, please help me check the IP address of this newly-registered ount.¡±


    He Sui said, ¡°Okav.¡± He became more and more familiar with it and quicklv analyzed the IP address of this new ount.


    As expected, it was also Cypress Road¡¯s Tranquil District.


    Zhang Man was not in school at this time, so she could only post from home. With anotheryer of strong evidence, He Jing felt that there was no need to investigate further. She said to He Sui, ¡°Thank you, Fourth brother. Go to sleep. I¡¯m going as well.¡±


    He Sui nced at the screen full of abbreviations on the post and felt that something was amiss. He asked, ¡°Who are this CY and HJ? How did they start fighting? And this candied haws avatar, why meddle in other people¡¯s business? What does it have to do with her? Why did she post it? Why did you investigate her?¡±


    The air in the living room suddenly froze.


    He Jing lowered her eyes and said bluntly, ¡°CY is Cheng Yi, HJ is me. The person with the candied haw avatar is Cheng Yi¡¯s good friend.¡±


    He Sui was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Wha¡­. What?¡±

 Chapter 73 - 73: Publicly Protect Her

    Chapter 73: Publicly Protect Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. She said calmly,


    ¡°Cheng Yi¡¯s friend deliberately made a post to defame me, so I have to investigate clearly and clear my name.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± He Sui retorted subconsciously. ¡°How could Xiao Yi be friends with such a bad person?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± He Jing said.


    He Sui clicked on the post and read it carefully. The first sentence was, ¡°I¡¯m an ordinary student at Yin High School, a passerby who has nothing to do with this post. Ever since the real heiress of the C Group transferred to our school, I realized that our school has changed a lot. Firstly, it¡¯s not as peaceful anymore.¡± Then, the post used a long story to describe why the school was not as peaceful anymore. It made a seemingly objectivement on He Jing and Cheng Yi, but the wording she used on He Jing was especially sharp, At first nce, it didn¡¯t seem like much, but after reading it carefully, one would unknowingly think, ¡°Why is He Jing so annoying?¡±


    When he looked at thements again, there were all sorts of curses.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect HJ to be so dirty in private despite looking so noble.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not easy to understand the inner workings of one¡¯s mind. HJ may look pure, but has an evil heart.¡±


    ¡°Poor CY. After so many years of hardship, she¡¯s still being targeted by HJ. HJ is a fake heiress. Why didn¡¯t she transfer schools? How could she be so shameless as to stay on at Yin High School?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really unimaginable that her skin is thick to this extent.¡±


    He Sui was enraged. No matter how overboard He Jing treated Cheng Yi, it was still between He Jing and Cheng Yi. What right did outsiders like them have toment on it?


    Besides, many things looked fake at first nce. Did they have any brains? For example, He Jing deliberately ndering Cheng Yi. With He Jing¡¯s temper, she would only p whoever offended her. Who would be so petty with you?


    Also the clothes of the Cheng Yi.


    She secretly used Cheng Yi¡¯s cosmetics.


    She was badmouthing Cheng Yi in front of her male ssmates.


    Before He Jing could prepare a long speech to gain more trust, He Sui exploded. ¡°What a f*cking moron. I¡¯m going to hack this post!¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Sui turned his head again. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll help you hack this post and paste the poster¡¯s IP on the front page of your forum so that others can admire it. I¡¯ll go to your school on Monday to look for Xiao Yi and forbid her from interacting with this Man or whatever. She¡¯s simply a maggot hiding behind the Inte.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s eyelids twitched and she quickly stopped him.¡±Don¡¯t, Fourth brother. I¡¯ve already gathered the evidence. I¡¯ll deal with this matter on Monday. You¡¯ll be held ountable for hacking the post on the school forum, and others will only think that I¡¯m having a guilty conscience.¡±


    Most importantly, she didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy and wanted to see what Cheng Yi¡¯s next move would be. Her intuition told her that what Yan Hanxi had said was probably true.


    He Jing persuaded He Sui for a long time before he finally went to bed. When she looked at the forum again, she suddenly realized that Zhang Man¡¯s new post had been issued a warning about being blocked. Although it was still there, replies were forbidden.


    This time, the people of Yin High School could no longer sleep. Even the gossip group appeared and posted a new post with a question mark, ¡°What¡¯s going


    One person replied, ¡°Brother Xi has stepped in. The forum rules have just been updated. It says that the forum forbids discussion of students¡¯ private matters.


    What the heck is going on?¡±


    When the gossipers saw the replies, they all clicked on the thread about rules at the top of the forum. They scrolled to the bottom and saw that there was really such a rule.


    This¡­


    Another person came out and said, ¡°No way, no way, no way. Don¡¯t tell me that there are still people who don¡¯t know that Brother Xi is one of the administrators of the school forum. Back then, this forum had technical problems, but Brother Xi helped to set it up. He was the only student among the five administrators.


    A bunch of people replied, ¡°Then what does he mean? He¡¯s openly protecting

 Chapter 74 - 74: What Do You Think?

    Chapter 74: What Do You Think?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Within 30 seconds of asking this question, he actually got the answer from the main character.


    Yan Hanxi: Yes.


    The others kept quiet. What a joke. They didn¡¯t dare to not ept it. Yan Hanxi was a god in Yin High School. He would protect whoever he wanted to, even if that person was He Jing.


    At this moment, an audience member who had been keeping a clear head among the haters came out andmented, ¡°Brother Xi has never been biased. I think He Jing has been used unjustly. That poster said so much yet didn¡¯t even dare to reveal his real name, obviously having an ulterior motive.¡± Shen Qiuyu, who was obsessed with helping He Jing tear apart the haters, immediately voted in support. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve already gotten someone to check the IP address. I want to see which little b*tch is ndering my Sister Jing!¡±


    In a huge vi, the young man who was lying on the King-sized bed took a sip of red wine and slowly typed a line of words on his phone, ¡°Refresh the page, this forum has opened the real-name mode of leaving messages. At the same time, the forum is undergoing emergency maintenance. Your previous posts and replies cannot be deleted for the time being.¡±


    Instantly, the forum was in chaos.


    Everyone scrolled down the interface and refreshed it. Their names appeared on the screen openly, as if thestyer of a half-naked person¡¯s loincloth was torn off.


    Following that, the forum was filled with bloodshed.


    There had been many posts stirring trouble on the forum in the past. Those who had been wronged and been cursing each other to the point of wanting to kill each other¡¯s families quickly went to see who the other party was.


    Alright, he could stay up all night now because he couldn¡¯t even finish eating the popcorn as he watched the show.


    At the same time, in Cypress Road¡¯s Tranquil District.


    Zhang Man was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. She kept sending messages to Cheng Yi, asking what to do. Although her two ounts did not show her real name and she was still safe, Shen Qiuyu said that she wanted to check the IP, so she would definitely find her.


    ¡°Why did Brother Xi step forward to help He Jing? Did he hear about it in the toiletst time?¡±


    Cheng Yi did not know that her expression was also very ugly.


    Sisi sent a message saying that it wasn¡¯t that, and asked the two of them to calm down. If Yan Hanxi had really heard it, he would have done more than that. Based on his temper, they would have been punished by now.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t Brother Xi never get involved in these trivial matters?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xi must be interested in He Jing, that¡¯s why he¡¯s willing toe out and help.¡±


    This result was even more difficult for Cheng Yi to ept.


    Wasn¡¯t Yan Hanxi someone who wouldn¡¯t easily fall for anyone? How could he fall in love with He Jing? What should she do then? Mrs. Cheng had said that they were engaged¡­


    ¡°Are you listening, Xiao Yi?¡± Sisi eximed.


    Cheng Yi responded and woke up from this fatal blow in a daze. She asked


    Zhang Man, ¡°Have the names of the two ounts you posted from been found


    ¡°No,¡± Zhang Man said. ¡°I¡¯m only using a clone ount. I didn¡¯t use my real name, so I¡¯m safe for now.¡¯


    Sisi said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. We¡¯ll find someone to make Brother Xi and He Jing¡¯s rtionship ambiguous. Our post was so popr previously, and we¡¯ve achieved our goal. Even if Brother Xi stands up for He Jing, most people will believe us. As long as we produce a witness on Monday, we can cover up the matter of buying votes. We¡¯ll think of a way to deal with Shen Qiuyu.¡±


    Cheng Yi was a little unwilling. Why was He Jing¡¯s name ced together with Yan Hanxi¡¯s name?


    The Cheng family and the Yan family had a marriage alliance, so she and Yan Hanxi should be a couple.


    But now that things hade to this, this was the only way.


    Hence, Cheng Yi found Sun Chaoyang, the boy who had previously expressed his love for her, and decided to let him be the one to stand out for her. She sent him a few messages.


    Five minutester-


    Sun Chaoyang: Do you like He Jing? @Yan Hanxi


    Everyone held their breath, unable to believe their eyes.


    Yan Hanxi was a misogynist. How dare he ask him such a question in front of everyone?


    You¡¯re courting death!


    However, Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t get angry at this fatal question. Instead, he got an answer.


    Yan Hanxi: What do you think?

 Chapter 75 - 75: Might As Well Say He’s Gay

    Chapter 75: Might As Well Say He¡¯s Gay


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    No matter what Sun Chaoyang thought, they didn¡¯t think so.


    Heaven knows how long He Jing had been pursuing Yan Hanxi, but Yan Hanxi was unmoved. They had been deskmates for almost a week, and there had been no ambiguous activity. Now, he was protecting her, perhaps because he felt guilty and felt that he should help her out since she had been pursuing him for so long.


    Liking He Jing?


    Might as well say that he was gay.


    However, some people felt that Yan Hanxi¡¯s ambiguous words were actually an admission. With Yan Hanxi¡¯s personality, he would only reply with a ¡®scram¡¯ when he heard such an offensive question. How could he have such an ambiguous attitude?


    Sun Chaoyangpleted the task ording to Cheng Yi¡¯s instructions and quickly replied to Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi was not satisfied with the screenshot, but that was that.


    She had already prepared for Monday¡¯seback. She wanted to save herself from the whirlpool of public opinion. Zhang Man was unreliable. She had asked Sisi to find a witness and pay a lot of money to keep his mouth shut.


    To frame her, when the time came, he would insist that the money was given by He Jing, and that she had asked him to help her boost the votes. He Jing knew that she could not be elected as the school belle, so she wanted to drag her down with her. He Jing would never be able to exin herself.


    The remaining one was Shen Qiuyu¡­


    Cheng Yi had a private chat with Sisi because it was inconvenient for Zhang Man to know the content.


    Cheng Yi: What about Shen Qiuyu? She¡¯ll find out the IP sooner orter, and Manman won¡¯t be able to keep it secret. I don¡¯t want Manman to get hurt because of me, and I don¡¯t want to see her transfer schools.


    Liu Sisi: Brother Xi hired a technical expert to build the school forum. It¡¯s difficult for ordinary hackers to break through. Shen Qiuyu will find out the IP address at least three dayster. By then, the spotlight on the vote-buying will have passed. We¡¯ll get someone to post to divert attention from Manman and not let her transfer schools.


    Cheng Yi: What if Yan Hanxi makes another move?


    Yan Hanxi had found a technical expert to build the forum, so there must be a way to crack it. If he was determined to help He Jing¡­


    Sisi: That proves that Brother Xi likes He Jing, which is why he spared no effort. Even if Manman transfers schools, this matter won¡¯t affect you much. As long as He Jing¡¯s jealousy of you can¡¯t be cleared, you¡¯ll be innocent.


    Cheng Yi reluctantly put aside her worries and slowly calmed down.


    On the weekend, He Jing brought He Sui to the city center to buy aputer as promised. The corners of He Sui¡¯s mouth curled up, and he did not stop smiling all the way.


    He brought his newputer home, attracting He Xiaoguo¡¯s attention. Even He Ning looked at him with a slightly moved expression. For some reason, He Jing could clearly sense that He Ning was a little gloomy.


    Their gazes met. He Ning silently stood up and returned to his room. He Sui followed him with hisptop and started ying.


    After a while, He Sui was chased out, but this did not stop him from ying on theputer. He continued to do so at the dining table in the living room.


    It was as if he wanted to treat thisputer as a family heirloom; it was beyond precious.


    He Jing found it funny and could only let him be. She nced at the calendar on the wall and realized that He Ning¡¯s birthday wasing up. What should she buy for He Ning?


    In the blink of an eye, it was Monday. Monday was a big day for Yin High School because they had to raise the g that day and watch a group movie in the afternoon.


    He Jing was the new student councilor of the second grade¡¯s ss Three. She had been appointed as the g-raiser early in the morning and was responsible for raising the national g. Zhang Man¡¯s was filled with jealousy when she saw this. She could not help but say, ¡°Xiao Yi, such a good opportunity should be yours.¡±


    Cheng Yi smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. He Jing is very outstanding.¡±


    Zhang Man snorted unhappily, but when she thought about how He Jing¡¯s reputation would be ruined in the afternoon, she secretly looked forward to it..

 Chapter 76 - 76: A Storm Is Brewing

    Chapter 76: A Storm Is Brewing


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The other students had just finished a few big ¡®shows¡¯ over the weekend and were looking forward to Monday¡¯s show the most. There was plenty of discussion as they looked at He Jing¡¯s slender back.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s true? He Jing is jealous of Cheng Yi and secretly did something bad to her.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s true. It¡¯s easy to go from rags to riches, but not the other way around. I heard that Cheng Yi¡¯s previous family was poor. I don¡¯t believe He Jing wouldn¡¯t feel resentful switching over.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it either.¡±


    Almost 80% felt that the post contents were true. Some even suspected that Cheng Yi had opened a clone ount and said it herself.


    Even though Yan Hanxi had sealed off the forum, it didn¡¯t stop them from fantasizing. Some of their thoughts were even worse than what was written in the post.


    After a while, an inexplicable atmosphere fell over the entire school. They looked at He Jing with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t expect her to be such a person. It¡¯s so terrifying.¡±


    ¡°To think Brother Xi is helping her; it¡¯s simply iprehensible.¡±


    ¡°I hope she can drop out of school as soon as possible. Our school doesn¡¯t wee such a ck-hearted peasant.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu exploded in anger and stopped the gossiping boys. ¡°Shut up, all of you shut up.¡±


    He Jing was not that kind of person!


    Even the He Jing of the past was arrogant and disdained to do such a thing.


    They were sworn enemies and knew each other best.


    Unexpectedly, the boys did not dare to refute her on the surface. After she walked a few steps away, they whispered behind her, ¡°Ah, Shen Qiuyu is also a moron. I don¡¯t know what she admires about He Jing. All she knows is to stay around He Jing. She might as well chase after Brother Xi like in the past¡­¡±


    Just as Shen Qiuyu turned around in anger, she saw the boys¡¯ expressions change drastically. They stared into the distance and stood up straight.


    ¡°Bro¡­Brother Xi¡­ ¡±


    Shen Qiuyu turned and saw Yan Hanxi standing not far off with a smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He said lightly, ¡°If you¡¯re so free, why don¡¯t you clean the toilets?¡±


    The words he said were worse than the stones in the toilet.


    The boys almost ran away, not daring to say another word.


    On this day, all the students were sleepwalking in ss. They did not even listen to what the teacher said. They were only thinking about the uing group viewing.


    Cheng Yi put on light makeup and was ready to face everything. It was finally 3:30 pm.


    The students walked excitedly to the recording room like kids in a candy store.


    Xu Bi didn¡¯t disappoint them. She had been waiting there for a long time. When Cheng Yi and her two best friends entered, they saw her standing on the stage.


    A small table had been ced on the stage, and therge and clear screen behind it could be controlled to y audio and visual materials.


    Xu Bi tossed the USB drive in her hand and looked at Cheng Yi from afar with a confident smile. Cheng Yi also smiled appropriately.


    At this moment, someone asked, ¡°Where¡¯s He Jing? Why isn¡¯t He Jing here?¡±


    ¡°No way. Such a good opportunity to watch Cheng Yi¡¯s show and she doesn¡¯t want to watch?¡±


    In less than half a minute, the crowd started to make a ruckus again. ¡°She¡¯s here, she¡¯s here. He Jing is here.¡±


    He Jing camete because she had been called to the office by a teacher. The teacher was also very interested in the goings-on in the forum, and so asked her a few questions.


    Of course, He Jing answered truthfully. The teacher also felt that it was meaningless upon hearing it. After offering a few words offort, she slowly walked to the video recording room.


    He Jing was expressionless when she saw Cheng Yi and Xu Bi¡¯s stance. However, Cheng Yi suddenly averted her gaze and looked at her, the smile on her face deepening¡­


    He Jing sneered to herself. If she had any schemes, she would probably be disappointed..

 Chapter 77 - 77: Public Execution

    Chapter 77: Public Execution


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    At this moment, Xu Bi suddenly called out, ¡°He Jing.¡± Everyone looked at her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you y the video in this USB drive?¡±


    Whoa.


    There was a collective gasp.


    This was really ying with fire.


    Xu Bi had obviously seen the post on the forum and was deliberately stirring up trouble.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± He Jing said lightly.


    Even if she didn¡¯t get along well with Cheng Yi, she wouldn¡¯t stand take the initiative to step forth as cannon fodder. It would only make her die faster.


    Xu Bi didn¡¯t expect He Jing to refuse. Her expression changed and she was about to get angry, but when she thought about how her opponent was mainly Cheng Yi, she held back her anger.


    Soon, the entire recording room was filled. Almost all the teachers and students had arrived. Xu Bi picked up the microphone on the table and tapped it. Then, she shouted, ¡°Hello!¡± to attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    The show was about to begin. The students were not supposed to go on stage and touch these expensive equipment, but no one came forward to stop them.


    Just like that, Xu Bi had ample time to express herself. She said, ¡°Hello, teachers and students. I¡¯m Xu Bi. I¡¯m sorry to take up five minutes of everyone¡¯s time. I want to show everyone something¡­¡±


    Zhang Man sat beside Sisi and became nervous. She asked softly, ¡°Will there be any problems?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t,¡± Sisi said.


    Cheng Yi stared at the huge screen on the stage and saw a PowerPoint presentation that had been prepared in advance.


    The PowerPoint was very concise and clear at a nce. The first picture was a graph. There were a few colored lines on the graph, representing the few girls who were running for the school belle, including He Jing.


    Several lines rose separately. The one representing He Jing rose the fastest, followed by Xu Bi, with Cheng Yi at the bottom. Then, He Jing¡¯s stopped rising and disappeared from the chart, indicating that He Jing had withdrawn from the election. Then, Xu Bi¡¯s rose at a constant rate and was firmly in first ce.


    However, after less than two hours, Cheng Yi, who was at the bottom, began to rise explosively. Other¡¯s growth rate changed every hour, forming an undting curve, but hers was in a straight line. In an instant, she surpassed Xu Bi and reached the peak.


    After surpassing Xu Bi, her speed did not slow, continuing to rise in a straight line and widening the gap between her and Xu Bi. The number of votes in second and third cebined was not as much as hers alone.


    Anyone who wasn¡¯t stupid would know what this meant.


    Then, the PowerPoint moved on to the second diagram. The voting usernames kept jumping. Every username was newly registered. It did not take more than two seconds to crazily vote for Cheng Yi.


    If the first diagram couldn¡¯t determine that Cheng Yi was cheating, then the second one would be a death knell.


    The crowd was in an uproar, and they could not sit still.


    Yin High School was a ce that valued fairness, and cheating was absolutely not allowed. A transfer student so rampantly buying votes in the school was definitely a provocation to the established rules of Yin High School!


    ¡°This is too shameless. If you can¡¯t win, you¡¯ll y this game.¡±


    ¡°The Xu family is so rich. If Xu Bi wants to buy votes, she can get any number she wishes. No wonder Xu Bi was so angry after seeing the rankings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen confident people, but I¡¯ve never seen someone as confident as she is. She really thinks she¡¯s the most beautiful woman in the world. She can¡¯t evenpare to He Jing.¡±


    ¡°I suggest removing her ranking and directly choosing senior Xu Bi as the school belle.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Yi, can you give an exnation to me and the other students who are running for the school belle?¡± Xu Bi lips curled up..

 Chapter 78 - 78: I Have a Witness

    Chapter 78: I Have a Witness


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A beam of light shone on Cheng Yi.


    Everyone looked at Cheng Yi with ridicule and disgust, but Cheng Yi seemed unaffected. She stood up and said elegantly, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy the votes.¡± Who would believe that?


    If there was no vote-fixing, how could all of this be exined?


    As if she had rehearsed it thousands of times, Zhang Man skillfully stood up and spoke up for her. ¡°Xiao Yi is so honest, it¡¯s impossible for her to buy votes.


    Someone must have deliberately framed her.¡±


    Xu Bi said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s interesting. Who would be so stupid as to frame someone by spending money to buy votes to promote her to the position of the school belle?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be? It must be He¡­¡± Zhang Man scoffed.


    Silence.


    She deliberately did not finish her sentence, but the teachers and students had already understood.


    Thinking back to the post about the real and fake heiress, thoughts began to run wild. Perhaps she was really framed?


    ¡°Manman, don¡¯t talk nonsense without evidence. However, I really didn¡¯t buy votes. If Xu Bi insists that I used unfair means topete, I¡¯m willing to withdraw from the school belle election to prove my innocence.¡± Cheng Yu spoke out at the right time.


    Her words were well thought-out and instantly won many over. Immediately, the entire recording room was filled with whispers.


    ¡°I suddenly feel that Cheng Yi might have been framed.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Yi is already very outstanding. It¡¯s unfair that no one voted for her because she¡¯s just transferred over. Xu Bi has already been the school belle for a term, and she still wants to start a fight. How graceless.¡±


    ¡°He Jing is so hateful.¡±


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t He Jing dropped out of school yet? I can¡¯t stand it anymore. What¡¯s so great about having good grades?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xi is still protecting her. Brother Xi is really blind.¡±


    The beam moved from Cheng Yi to He Jing, who was exceedingly calm.


    She didn¡¯t even frown. Instead, Shen Qiuyu stood up and shouted angrily,


    ¡°Whoever hit the lights, get it off. This has nothing to do with Sister Jing.¡±


    At this moment, Sisi stood up and said shockingly, ¡°This matter has something to do with He Jing. I have evidence.¡±


    Not only Shen Qiuyu, but Xu Bi was also stunned.


    Her PowerPoint presentation was not finished yet, and she was actually hesitating if she should continue.


    Obviously, everyone¡¯s focus was on He Jing now. They heard Sisi emphasize, ¡°I have a witness.¡±


    In an instant, the pitch-ck hall was in an uproar.


    Sisi said, ¡°As Cheng Yi¡¯s best friend, I¡¯ve always been very concerned about Cheng Yi¡¯s matters. After noticing the abnormal increase in votes, I had my doubts about it, so I specially investigated. I didn¡¯t expect to discover something extraordinary.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up her phone and made a call. She said concisely, ¡°Bring him over.¡±


    After hanging up, she looked at everyone and said calmly, ¡°Everyone, please wait patiently for a while. The truth will soon be revealed.¡±


    A boy stood up and said sarcastically, ¡°He Jing, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±


    He Jing looked at the boy who spoke ¨C Cheng Yi¡¯s admirer, Sun Chaoyang ¨C and calmly asked, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    Sun Chaoyang said, ¡°To think that you could even think of using the school rules to frame someone. He Jing, you are indeed a genius. However, our Yin High School does not wee you. Please get out!¡±


    His words were powerful and resounded loudly. Many were incited and shouted, ¡°Get out.¡±


    The teachers saw that the situation was getting out of control and quickly came forward to deal with it, telling everyone to calm down, but no one listened..

 Chapter 79 - 79: Self-Defeat

    Chapter 79: Self-Defeat


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It appeared as though the situation was about to get out of hand. Someone threw something at He Jing. It was an unopened mineral water bottle. Wu Yu, who was sitting in the front row, eximed, ¡°Sister Jing, get out of the way.¡± He Jing remained motionless as if she was frightened.


    At this moment, time seemed to have stopped. Everyone thought that a murder was about to happen.


    However Bang!


    The mineral water bottle was kicked away.


    Almost no one saw how He Jing moved. They only saw the mineral water bottle fly back in the direction it came from. The bottle urately hit the forehead of the person who threw the bottle. The person was knocked unconscious on the spot.


    In an instant, everyone gasped, and the hair on their backs stood on end.


    He Jing nced coldly at the dumbstruck students. Her voice was still soft and pleasant. ¡°My apologies, but I won¡¯t apply to drop out of school, nor will I leave this school.¡±


    Who would dare to bring this up?


    The moring voices from before seemed to fade visibly.


    Sun Chaoyang also became as quiet as a mouse.


    Zhang Man stammered, ¡°Even¡­Even if you use force to threaten us, you won¡¯t be able to change the truth¡­¡±


    ¡°The truth will indeed not be changed.¡± He Jing nced at her coldly. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to say what exactly happened.¡±


    Suddenly, Cheng Yi had an extremely bad feeling. She secretly tugged at Sisi¡¯s sleeve, wanting her to ask the witness not toe.


    However, before the two of them couldmunicate, the witness that Sisi had bought over arrived.


    It was a wretched-looking young man and he didn¡¯t look honest.


    Cheng Yi had no choice but to shut up and let this act continue. She silently prayed that nothing would go wrong. Sisi walked forward and said to the witness, ¡°Tell everyone what you told me two days ago.¡±


    The witness memorized the script very professionally. When Sisi asked, he immediately revealed a troubled expression and said, ¡°This¡­This isn¡¯t too good. I¡¯ve already epted the money. I can¡¯t go back on my word.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see an innocent girl being framed?¡± Sisi asked. ¡°I heard that you used to be a security guard at Yin High School. You should know how difficult it is to join the school.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are willing to tell the truth, I will pay you double.¡±


    The witness finally showed a hint of interest.


    He opened his mouth hesitantly, as if he was looking for courage to bravely expose an evil deed. Just as everyone was patiently waiting for him to speak, He Jing, who was standing under the light, suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He Jing isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Sisi cursed in her heart and quickly tried to stop the witness from speaking, but it was toote. The witness said, ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve already revealed the truth. He Jing was the one who asked me to buy the votes.¡±


    Everyone was bbergasted.


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression suddenly became extremely ugly.


    She pinched the back of Sisi¡¯s hand hard, and Sisi hinted crazily, ¡°Could it be that you remembered wrongly? Maybe that person¡¯s name isn¡¯t He Jing, but Zhao Jing?¡±


    The witness was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that the script was not written like this. It seemed that he would have to be paid moreter. Then, he replied firmly, ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely He Jing. The pronunciation of ¡®He¡¯ is very unique. I will not remember it wrongly.¡±


    Sisi was so enraged that she wanted to hit someone. This idiot!


    She had long forgotten that she had told him repeatedly that, no matter how others denied it, he would insist that it was He Jing in front of everyone.


    He Jing nced at Sisi andughed. ¡°Then why did she ask you to buy the votes for me?¡±


    The witness stared at He Jing suspiciously and remembered what Sisi had said before. Cheng Yi was prettier than the average person, and He Jing was quite good-looking, much prettier than the two girls beside Sisi. Therefore, he treated He Jing as Cheng Yi and said passionately, ¡°She said that you snatched her parents away and wanted to let you have a taste of notoriety. Once Yin High School expels you, your parents will definitely take her back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then she¡¯s really mean.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    All the teachers and students had a hard time holding back theirughter and almost treated this farce as aedy.


    They looked at Sisi meaningfully. Sisi¡¯s face was ashen. Cheng Yi finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and shouted, ¡°I am Cheng Yi.¡±


    The witness¡¯s brain stopped spinning. It took him a while toe back to his senses. He pointed at He Jing and asked, ¡°Then who is she?¡±


    He Jing¡¯s red lips curled up slightly. ¡°I¡¯m He Jing..¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80: I Have a Piece of Evidence Too

    Chapter 80: I Have a Piece of Evidence Too


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A huge question mark gradually appeared in the witness¡¯s mind. Then, he turned to look at Sisi mechanically, only to see Sisi¡¯s face full of hatred and resentment.


    F*ck, it was over.


    The acting was a mess.


    The witness was already dumbfounded. He Jing continued to ask, ¡°How much money did I give you? How many votes did I get you to buy from others? Don¡¯t give an overestimation. I¡¯m poor and might not be able to afford it.¡±


    The witness braced himself. ¡°1..1 forgot about these¡­¡±


    He Jing pretended to be surprised and widened her beautiful eyes. ¡°You¡¯re kidding. You just received the money and you forgot. Your memory is too bad.¡±


    The witnessughed dryly and found an excuse to slip away. ¡°I suddenly remembered that my girlfriend is having an abortion today. I have to apany her to the hospital, so I¡¯ll leave first¡­¡±


    He Jing was not unreasonable. She nodded and saw that he was almost running away. Then, she turned to Sisi and said with a smile, ¡°The witness you found seems to have some IQ problems. What should we do? Do you have other witnesses?¡±


    At this point, there was no other way out except to be stubborn. Sisi gritted her teeth and argued, ¡°He clearly told me that before¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh- I¡® He Jing continued to smile. ¡°Actually, I also have a piece of evidence. If everyone is interested, I can show it to you.¡± Cheng Yi¡¯s head buzzed and she hastily said, ¡°No!¡±


    She felt guilty.


    Although she did not know what evidence He Jing had, it was definitely unfavorable to her. She could not suffer a greater blow.


    She didn¡¯t want to drop out of school and disappoint Mr. and Mrs. Cheng.


    Cheng Yi quickly walked up to He Jing, her eyes pleading. She said in a low voice, ¡°Give¡­Give Sisi a chance. She didn¡¯t mean to frame you. Please forgive her this once, okay?¡±


    Then, in a small voice that only the two of them could hear, she said, ¡°He Jing, please forgive me once on ount of my brothers. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    He Jing quietly looked at her. She couldn¡¯t figure out why this person was so different from the heroine in the original novel. She said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not a person who can endure grievances. Cheng Yi, this is already the second time.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t settled scores with her for previously making the Cheng family call to scold her.


    Cheng Yi blushed and bit her lower lip without saying a word. Then, her fingers curled up into fists as if she had made up her mind. She looked up at everyone and said loudly, ¡°I admit that I was the one who manipted the votes. I¡¯m very sorry that I made such a decision because of my vanity. I apologize to Xu Bi!¡±


    Sisi and Zhang Man were stunned.


    They rushed over and grabbed Cheng Yi¡¯s arm. ¡°Xiao Yi, how can you say that¡­¡±


    The evidence that He Jing had might not be the evidence that they had manipted the votes.


    Why not just take a gamble?


    Cheng Yi brushed their hands away and red at He Jing venomously. She said self-righteously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lied to you guys and made you suffer for me without knowing the truth. However, since the matter has been exposed, there¡¯s nothing to hide. I don¡¯t want you guys to be hurt because of me.¡± She couldn¡¯t afford to gamble.


    She couldn¡¯t face the disappointment in Mr. and Mrs. Cheng¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want to scram from Yin High School just like that.


    That would make her feel inferior to He Jing. This was something she could not ept no matter what.


    A real heiress would never lose to a fake one. A fake would always be a fake. She was the real goddess. Even if she asionally went overboard, she could make amends. She had to surpass He Jing.


    Sisi and Zhang Man were touched beyond words. They didn¡¯t expect that Cheng Yi would be willing to bear everything for them.


    They did not know it was only that Cheng Yi had been forced into a corner. Self-destruction could actually save some of her image. He Jing suddenly admired her wisdom, courage, and nerve. As expected of the female lead, it was admirable for her to make a bold decision!


    However¡­


    He Jing smiled lightly. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t expect that Cheng Yi really fixed the votes.


    The evidence in my hands actually has nothing to do with the vote-fixing..¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81: Turning the Tables

    Chapter 81: Turning the Tables


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes instantly turned red.


    He Jing took out her phone from her pocket and opened the photo album. She asked Shen Qiuyu, ¡°Can videos from the phone be screened?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu said, ¡°Yes. Sister Jing, I¡¯ll help you do it.¡±


    He Jing thanked her lightly and handed her the phone. Shen Qiuyu immediately took the phone and rushed to the stage.


    Cheng Yi had already admitted that she was cheating. Xu Bi did not have any sense of presence at the moment, so there was no need to y the rest of the PowerPoint. Seeing Shen Qiuyue over, Xu Bi tactfully made way for her.


    Shen Qiuyu deftly connected the phone to the smart console, and the video in the photo album was instantly magnified countless times before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    An attractive hand was the first to enter the shot. It held the mouse and its joints were clearly defined. The owner of the hand opened the forum of Yin High School and began to analyze the ount that posted on the fake and real heiress. After a while, there was only an IP address left on the screen.


    Yin High School, Year Two, ss Three.


    The poster was actually He Jing¡¯s ssmate?


    It was clear that the owner of the post said that she was someone who had nothing to do with He Jing and Cheng Yi. How could ssmates be called unrted?


    What was even more interesting was that the person who helped He Jing analyze the IP address checked the IP address that was used to log into the ount in the past, and another address popped up.


    Cypress Road, Tranquil District.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a school. Who logged in from home?¡±


    ¡°Who lives in Tranquil District on Cypress Road?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Man. In our second grade ss, only Zhang Man lives in Tranquil District. The others are far away from her.¡±


    Once this news was released, everyone was looking for this girl called Zhang


    Man.


    Shen Qiuyu sneered on stage and ordered, ¡°Lighting technician, shine the beam on the short girl beside Cheng Yi. Blind her with that light!¡±


    Zhang Man, who was originally inconspicuous in school, was suddenly locked in by the lights. Her pale face was like a dying patient as she shrank and hid behind Cheng Yi.


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t want to be illuminated by the lights, so she pushed her out.


    Zhang Man appeared under the lights in such a sorry and humiliating manner. She shed tears and quibbled, ¡°No, it¡¯s not me. This video of yours must have been edited.¡±


    He Jing nced at her and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s more.¡±


    Then, Shen Qiuyu started ying the second video.


    It was still the same hand being used to analyze the IP address, but this time, the target was different. It was the ount that made the second post about the real and fake heiresses.


    This ount had never logged in from the school before. There was only one IP address, and that was the Tranquil District on Cypress Road.


    The entire video was only two minutes long, and it was difficult to edit it.


    He Jing said, ¡°I never thought that one day, I would suffer defamation and nder at the hands of my ssmates. This is really disappointing. I¡¯m not taking out this evidence for anything. I¡¯m just trying to prove that I¡¯ve never done such a sinister thing. Remaining quiet to prove innocence is just an excuse for the powerless. I just want to nail down the facts. I, He Jing, am frank, honest, and aboveboard. I will definitely not be soft-hearted or polite with anyone whoever nders me.¡±


    Her words were followed by thunderous apuse.


    The teachers and students were amazed.


    The light returned to He Jing.


    Shen Qiuyu cheered loudly on the stage. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. She picked up the phone and took more than ten photos of He Jing. Then, she put magnified them on the big screen to let everyone feel the beauty of her face.


    At this moment, there was only one thought in everyone¡¯s mind.


    D*mn, she was too beautiful!

 Chapter 82 - 82: Becoming the School Belle

    Chapter 82: Bing the School Belle


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    At this unforgiving angle, not only did He Jing not have a single pore, but her skin was also fair and smooth, and ruddy as if it was glowing.


    Her eyshes were long, curly and thick, and her red lips were gorgeous like roses, making people¡¯s hearts flutter at a nce.


    Such a beauty actually withdrew from the school belle election. Was there any justice in this world¡­


    Shen Qiuyu took the opportunity to say, ¡°Although Sister Jing said that it¡¯s better to do two more questions and improve yourself, rather than to participate in the school belle election, I still think that it¡¯s too much of a pity that Sister Jing doesn¡¯t be the school belle with her looks. I want to help Sister Jing canvass votes. I hope everyone will vote for her to be the school belle. It¡¯s not a loss to vote for my beautiful Sister Jing. Is anyone willing?


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll vote for Sister Jing!¡± Wu Yu shouted.


    The other boys in ss Three also joined forces and shouted, ¡°He Jing, He Jing, bravely fly. The boys from ss 3 will always be by your side!¡±


    He Jing had no words.


    Her mood suddenly turned foul.


    She looked at her own photos screened one after another on the stage and felt both helpless and touched. However, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of a slender figure beside the curtain on the side of the stage, imperceptibly hidden in the darkness.


    He Jing¡¯s gaze met his from afar. When she met his starry dark eyes, she saw a faint and dazzling smile. Then, he turned around and left, as if he had never been there. Everything was like a gorgeous and eerie illusion.


    He Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    She suddenly felt that Yan Hanxi might have been protecting her overly strong self-esteem, so he didn¡¯t do anything and left everything to her. He stood there, ready to strike when she couldn¡¯t handle it.


    However, she quickly banished this narcissistic thought. Who was Yan Hanxi? He was the male lead. The male lead was destined to have true love. What did it have to do with cannon fodder and supporting actress like her¡­


    Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. You have to be calm.


    However, He Jing still decided to treat him to a meal when she was free, to thank him for protecting her on the forum.


    She¡¯d be going to the escape room next weekend. Why not pick that time¡­


    After Wu Yu finished voting, he ran back excitedly and mumbled, pulling He Jing back from her thoughts. ¡°Sister Jing, what are you looking at? You¡¯re the school belle!¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    It turned out that Shen Qiuyu had suggested that, while the entire school was present, it would be better to publicly vote for the school belle. After receiving everyone¡¯s unanimous approval, the teachers had no choice but to go with the flow and cancel the viewing.


    In the end, He Jing alone took 90% of the school¡¯s votes and overwhelmingly won first ce.


    Xu Bi didn¡¯t expect that she would end up helping someone else instead. She left the recording room angrily.


    Shen Qiuyu waved the small g of victory and ran over to inform He Jing. ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re the school belle now. You can shoot a school promotional MVwith Brother Xi!¡±


    He Jing was dumbstruck.


    What kind of development trajectory was this!


    The matter of the school belle was over just like that?


    Cheng Yi wasn¡¯t chosen?


    This was seriously inconsistent with the original work.


    He Jing was a little unhappy. If the original plot could be changed at any time, then wouldn¡¯t it mean that she wouldn¡¯t have the power to control the script¡­


    How could this change her ending of being cannon fodder?


    ¡°Sister Jing, the ss teacher looking for you.¡±


    After the farce ended, the students had already left one after another. Someone returned to inform He Jing of the news.


    He Jing was confused. She had already collected all the homework for all the subjects today and handed them in, so why was the teacher still looking for her? However, she still left the recording room quickly.


    The other students walked behind her and looked at her swift figure. They still felt that it was unreal. Why hadn¡¯t they realized before that she was so beautiful?


    Then, there were many spections, such as ¡®Is the person in the video on He Jing¡¯s phone her boyfriend¡¯, and ¡®No wonder He Jing publicly said she didn¡¯t like


    Yan Hanxi¡¯¡­.

 Chapter 83 - 83: Promotion of the MV

    Chapter 83: Promotion of the MV


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    However, most of them were still enraptured by He Jing¡¯s beauty. They praised He Jing while belittling Cheng Yi.


    ¡°No wonder He Jing could get first ce in the school. Hear what she said that it¡¯s better to do two more questions than to participate in the school belle election. ¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, some people would do anything for a false reputation. Their results are terrible, and they even shot themselves in the foot. What a joke.¡±


    ¡°As expected, birds of a feather flock together. Cheng Yi is not much, and her two friends are not much either. One found someone to perjure evidence, and the other used a fake identity to smear He Jing.¡±


    ¡°He Jing is really unlucky to have these three ssmates. She might as well transfer to our ss.


    Cheng Yi listened to thesements as she walked silently behind them. She lowered her head, her nails digging into her flesh.


    Others might not recognize it, but she did. The hand in the video on He Jing¡¯s phone belonged to He Sui. She never expected that the person who betrayed her at such a critical moment would be He Sui¡­


    If it weren¡¯t for the evidence provided by He Sui, she wouldn¡¯t have panicked and admitted that she had cheated.


    If He Sui had not provided evidence, Zhang Man¡¯s post to defame He Jing would not have been exposed. There was still room for redemption.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s chest hurt so much that she decided to get an exnation from He Sui no matter what.


    Could it be that he had already switched sides and joined He Jing¡¯s camp?


    No.


    She did not believe it.


    He Jing arrived at the ss teacher¡¯s office and immediately saw Yan Hanxi standing next to him. He looked like a male model from a magazine. His height and body proportions were exceptional, and he stood there in a dazzling manner.


    Yan Hanxi heard themotion and looked at her. He smiled meaningfully.


    He Jing had a hunch that something was wrong. Then, she heard the ss teacher say, ¡°He Jing, you¡¯re here. I have an important task for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He Jing asked.


    The teacher said, ¡°You¡¯ll be filming this year¡¯s promotional music video with


    Yan Hanxi.¡±


    He Jing was stumped.


    The teacher was too well-informed.


    She had only been the school belle for less than ten minutes.


    The teacher continued, ¡°The school will pay for all the costumes and props during the filming process, including the photographer. You only need to follow the script and act ordingly. If there is anything inappropriate, you can ask Yan Hanxi tomunicate with you.¡±


    ¡°Can you change the person being filmed?¡± He Jing asked.


    Who did she think she was? How could she be qualified to shoot a MV with the male lead?


    They should let Cheng Yi do it. They were a match made in heaven.


    Yan Hanxi smiled and didn¡¯t say anything, but the teacher understood what he meant. ¡°No. If you have any difficulties, just tell me. The school will solve them for you.¡±


    There was no difficulty at all. She just felt as though her life was about toe to an end.


    The teacher couldn¡¯t bear to make things difficult for her, but he couldn¡¯t make the decision on behalf of the young master and change his partner without permission. Yan Hanxi took the initiative to say, ¡°Merit Student, think about the schrship. It¡¯s going to be given out after filming the MV. It¡¯d be such a pity if you can¡¯t get it.¡±


    He Jing was at a loss for words. Despicable.


    He only knew how to use the schrship to scare people. She didn¡¯t want it¡­And¡­


    No way¡­


    She had to.


    He Jing took a deep breath and red at him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    He was the one who insisted on sticking to her, and not the other way around.


    The heavens should open their eyes and not make her cannon fodder. Otherwise, she would really curse.


    Yan Hanxi smiled and continued to push his luck. ¡°Merit Student, can you add me on WeChat? We have to choose the location of the MV together. The school has already sent me pictures of the location. I¡¯ll send them to you.¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t reject him in front of the teacher, so she scanned his WeChat..

 Chapter 84 - 84: Cunning and Sneaky Guy

    Chapter 84: Cunning and Sneaky Guy


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yan Hanxi was not lying. He sent her the pictures of the school¡¯s filming location within two seconds of adding her as a friend.


    However-


    The school square?


    The school grove?


    School cafeteria?


    Was there a need to choose?


    Yan Hanxi smiled cunningly and blinked innocently. ¡°Merit Student, what do you think of the grove?¡±


    He Jing almost hit him on the spot. She red at him furiously and said, ¡°Up to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and school uniforms,¡± Yan Hanxi said. ¡°Our school has produced three types of uniforms in total¡­¡±


    ¡°Up to you.¡±


    ¡°For the props, there are books, a radio, a basketball¡­¡±


    ¡°Up to you.¡±


    After all themunication was done, Yan Hanxi looked at her meaningfully. ¡°He Jing, you¡¯re really casual.¡¯ He Jing was dumbstruck.


    Little brat, you¡¯re dead!


    When they returned to the ssroom, Shen Qiuyu and Wu Yu came up to her and asked curiously, ¡°School is almost over. Why did the teacher call you over? Sister Jing, tell us about it.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t want to mention it at all. She said expressionlessly, ¡°The teacher asked me to shoot a music video with Yan Hanxi.¡¯


    Shen Qiuyu let out a ¡®wow¡¯ and felt a little envious.


    Although she didn¡¯t like Yan Hanxi anymore, she didn¡¯t have many chances to shoot a music video with a handsome guy like Yan Hanxi.


    ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll let you do it instead,¡± He Jing said.


    Shen Qiuyu immediately restrained her expression and shook her head. ¡°No, no, no. Forget it.¡±


    As everyone knew, Yan Hanxi was notoriously difficult to deal with.


    He was not difficult to deal with because of his ¡®misogynistic¡¯ temper, but because he was actually very fussy.


    For example, if the cup he drank from was identally touched by someone, he would throw it away.


    Another example was when his sneakers were identally stepped on while ying basketball. From then on, he would no longer wear those sneakers, and he would send someone to get a new pair for him on the spot.


    Shooting an MV¡­


    It was not difficult to imagine the scene. If she got too close, she would enjoy the same treatment as Cheng Yi. ¡°Stay away from me. I¡¯m about to throw up from the smell of your perfume.¡±


    If she moved too far away, he would put on a long face and think that the other party was hostile to him. He would directly quit and say, ¡°I¡¯m not filming anymore.¡±


    In short, pray for yourself.


    Perhaps He Jing had seen something from Shen Qiuyu¡¯s expression, but she felt terrible. She looked like she had nothing to live for. Suddenly, she heard Yan Hanxi, who had just stepped in, standing at the door andughing softly. His deep and seductive guttural voice made her heart pound.


    This demon¡­


    He Jing didn¡¯t want to look at him and deliberately avoided his gaze. Yan Hanxi walked over and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to shoot the school¡¯s promotional music video with He Jing this time. I hope I can give He Jing a pleasant experience.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s cheeks inexplicably heated up as she glowered fiercely at him.


    Experience, your foot!


    After school, He Jing quickly packed her bag and left without looking back, afraid that she would be gone if she looked at Yan Hanxi again.


    On the way, Cheng Yi jogged up, panting as she followed behind. ¡°Sister He


    Jing¡­¡±


    He Jing originally wanted to ignore her, but she relentlessly followed her all the way to the school gate. He Jing¡¯s footsteps stopped abruptly.


    She turned around and asked in a distant tone, ¡°Is there anything you need?¡±


    Cheng Yi stopped in front of her with her hands intertwined. She lowered her head and said, ¡°He Jing, I apologize on behalf of Manman. I didn¡¯t know she would do such a thing. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart¡­.¡±

 Chapter 85 - 85: B*tch

    Chapter 85: B*tch


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing almostughed.


    If she had no doubt that Zhang Man¡¯s post to defame her had something to do with her at the beginning, then after watching the show today, she was certain that they had nned all of this together.


    Just to sully her reputation.


    Of the three, one was in charge ofmanding, one was in charge of public opinion, and one was in charge of faking witnesses.


    And she actually had the guts toe up to her. He Jing¡¯s red lips curved up and she said mockingly, ¡°Cheng Yi, you don¡¯t have to apologize for something you didn¡¯t do. You came to me so eagerly. Do you have a guilty conscience?¡±


    Cheng Yi had an aggrieved expression on her face as tears fell. ¡°He Jing, do you have some misunderstanding about me? I¡¯m not what you think.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re like. Please have some professionalism as a female lead. Don¡¯t disgust others.¡±


    Why didn¡¯t I realize that the female lead was actually like that when I read the original plot? Could it be that the party¡¯s brilliance did not shine enough for the author to let such a person be the main character? Was there a problem with his outlook on life, his values, his worldviews?


    Cheng Yi cried even harder, her eyes almost swollen like walnuts.


    Many people shot nces at them, thinking that He Jing was bullying Cheng Yi. After all, the tears of a beauty were always moving.


    He Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her anymore. She turned around and was about to leave when Cheng Yi suddenly grabbed her hand. Subconsciously, He Jing threw Cheng Yi to the ground.


    At the same time, a furious roar came from behind like thunder, ¡°He Jing, what are you doing?¡±


    He Jing turned around and saw He Sui and He Ning.


    He Sui strode forward and helped Cheng Yi up from the ground. He Ning walked to Cheng Yi¡¯s other side and held her hand. He looked coldly at He Jing and said, ¡°This time, we didn¡¯t wrongly use you, right? He Jing, you really disappoint me.¡±


    He Jing looked at Cheng Yi wrapped in He Sui¡¯s arms. Her face was covered in tears, but the corners of her mouth were raised, as if she had won a victory. He Jing was silent for a moment and lowered her head. He Sui said unhappily,


    ¡°Hey, say something!¡±


    This time, they had seen her bully Cheng Yi with their own eyes. They could not let her get away with it¡­ Suddenly, He Jing said softly, ¡°I was wrong.¡±


    He Sui was at a loss for words.


    He Ning was shocked, and his eyebrows twitched uncontrobly. He vaguely felt that he was in trouble.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s premonition surged again. He Jing looked up and pouted her red lips. She was also crying. Her tears were like dewdrops on her eyshes. Her cheeks were red, and so was the tip of her nose. She looked extremely pitiful.


    However, she was also exceptionally cute. Her tear-stained appearance made Cheng Yi, who was also crying, pale inparison. She said weakly with a trace of strength, ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have done that to Cheng Yi. Even if Cheng Yi said that she¡¯s your sister and that I¡¯m just an orphan, I shouldn¡¯t have gotten angry. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed Cheng Yi when she pinched my arm. No matter what, it¡¯s wrong to hit her.¡±


    nder!


    This was nder!


    Cheng Yi was directly ndered by He Jing. She couldn¡¯t help but scream on the spot, ¡°When did I pinch your arm? I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t say those words either. Don¡¯t nder me.¡±


    He Jing continued to wipe her tears. ¡°Yes, Cheng Yi didn¡¯t. I identally did it myself. Since Fourth brother and Second brother both like Sister Cheng Yi, I¡¯ll apply for amodation.¡±


    He Sui and He Ning frowned at the same time.


    NO!


    If she really stayed there, He Yuan would skin them alive..

 Chapter 86 - 86: She’s Fine

    Chapter 86: She¡¯s Fine


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The two brothers were silent for a time. Eventually, He Sui went to He Jing¡¯s side and said, ¡°Can you show me your hand?¡±


    He Jing refused. She mimicked Cheng Yi¡¯s bashful countenance and looked away.


    He Sui gently pulled her hand into his and said, ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    He was shocked when he saw He Jing¡¯s bruised arm. It looked terrible.


    He Jing quickly snatched her hand away, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go and take care of Sister Cheng Yi. She fell just now, and her butt must be hurting.¡±


    ¡°How painful can a fall be?¡± He Sui muttered. ¡°She¡¯s fallen plenty of times since she was young.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.


    What was he saying?


    Cheng Yi turned to He Ning, believing he was smart enough to see through He Jing¡¯s cheap tricks and stand up for her. Unexpectedly, a slight frown overtook his features, and he asked her, ¡°Xiao Yi, did you say what you did to He Jing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±


    Cheng Yi almost copsed. They believed He Jing¡¯s words and not hers.


    He Ning showed no sign of siding with her. Instead, he released her hand andforted He Jing, offering her his handkerchief to dry her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry; you don¡¯t look pretty when you cry.¡±


    He Jing epted the handkerchief and cleaned herself up, sniffling every so often as she said, ¡°Second Brother, you¡¯re so nice.¡±


    He Ning¡¯s expression instantly softened. ¡°Bring her back and get her hand seen to,¡± he told He Sui. ¡°I need to talk to Xiao Yi.¡±


    He Sui spared Cheng Yi a parting nce. He had wanted to tell his sibling about Zhang Man, Cheng Yi¡¯s best friend, but stopped himself. Getting He Jing treated was more important.


    After He Sui and He Jing left, He Ning solemnly said, ¡°Xiao Yi, I have something to say to you.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He Ning rarely took that tone with her, and when he did, it meant he was being serious.


    ¡°Second Brother, what is it?¡± Cheng Yi asked, pushing down her panic with her head bowed.


    He Ning eyed her with cool indifference. ¡°No matter what you think He Jing has done to you, she is still your sister. I hope you¡¯ll set aside your petty differences with her if for no one else but for the sake of Big Brother, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Brothers, Xiaoguo, and Mom and Dad. I know you¡¯re upset about leaving the He family, but so is He Jing. You shouldn¡¯t speak ill of her like that now and ever.¡±


    Cheng Yi wanted to cry but had no tears.


    It was all He Jing¡¯s fault for dragging her name through the mud!


    ¡°The girl who posted those defamatory statements on the school forums is your friend, Zhang Man, right?¡±


    Cheng Yi stiffened, color draining from her face. She hurriedly grabbed He Ning by the hem of his shirt and said, ¡°I had nothing to do with it! Did He Jing say something to you about it?¡±


    He Ning replied, ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. I looked into the matter myself. You shouldn¡¯t associate yourself with such figures in the future.¡±


    Cheng Yi could not even cry despite desperately wanting to. There was a hole in her heart, resembling a torn cloth bag leaking air. She had lived with the He family for over a decade and had never been questioned or taught such a humiliating lesson. She felt her rtionship with her siblings rapidly crumbling like a web undone.


    All because of He Jing!


    What was so good about He Jing?


    She was the He family¡¯s esteemed daughter, having lived with them longer than He Jing, so why had thingse to this? What was the cause of this sudden, inexplicable change?


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes turned red.


    He Ning meant nothing else by his words, merely stating an observation after investigating the matter. He could not have known what was going through Cheng Yi¡¯s mind. Just as he was about to exin, Cheng Yi stepped on his foot and ran away, her face covered, barely concealing the tears running down her face. In the blink of an eye, she was gone..

 Chapter 87 - 87: See Through

    Chapter 87: See Through


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Ning frowned deeply, but with Cheng Yi gone, there was nothing more he could do.


    Meanwhile, back in the He family home¡­


    ¡°Fourth Brother, did you find the medicinal wine or not?¡±


    He Jing sat on the sofa, enjoying He Sui¡¯s care. It was a wonderful feeling.


    He Sui anxiously rummaged through the boxes and cabs, replying with a tight voice, ¡°I¡¯m looking, I¡¯m looking!¡±


    Soon after, he found a ck bottle with a wooden stopper tucked in a corner. He grabbed it and squatted in front of He Jing.


    ¡°Here, let me apply it for you.¡±


    He Jing smiled bashfully, giving He Sui ess to her arm. With her head tilted and a curl to her cherry-colored lips, she began, ¡°Fourth Brother, why haven¡¯t I seen this gentle side to you before?¡±


    The fingers He Sui used to apply the medicine to He Jing¡¯s bruise trembled. He looked up, his eyebrows arched. ¡°Gentle? Don¡¯t kid yourself. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t use such sissy words to describe me.¡±


    He Jing was being honest. After all, He Sui had insisted on seeing her hands. Watching Cheng Yi on the verge of an apoplectic rage was just the icing on the cake.


    Wait, when did she unknowingly be a vicious female supporting character¡­?


    As He Sui carefully applied the brown medicinal wine to her, an unpleasant and strange smell was emitted. He Jing frowned. ¡°Second Brother, what did you apply on me?¡±


    ¡°Medicinal wine.¡±


    ¡°Is the medicinal wine supposed to smell like that?¡±


    He Sui picked up the bottle of medicinal wine and shook it, taking a whiff of the mixture. He suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh, it might have expired.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Sui noticed He Sui¡¯s wide-eyed look, continuing indifferently, ¡®


    He Sui saw her disdain and said indifferently, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t have the money to buy a recement for our family¡¯s things, they will never expire.¡± He Jing did not know how to respond.


    Ten minutester, her arm began to itch. He Jing quickly washed her arm under the tap. She had developed a rash.


    It was an allergic reaction.


    He Sui heard themotion and came out of the room. He frowned when he grasped the situation. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡¯ He Jing cried.


    He Sui felt guilty about He Jing¡¯s plight and whipped out hisptop to find an answer online. Using their neighbor¡¯s inte connection, he typed in the search bar: ¡®What to do if I have a rash on my hand?¡¯ The most popr answer was astonishing.


    He Jing felt a chill run down her spine as she met He Sui¡¯s strange gaze. ¡°What did Baidu say?¡±


    ¡°Baidu says to have your hand chopped off because it¡¯s probably a sign of cancer.¡±


    He Jing nearly fell over in exasperation.


    When He Ning returned, he boiled a pot of hot water for He Jing.


    ¡°How is drinking hot water going to help me?¡± He Jing asked.


    Expressionlessly, He Ning answered, ¡°It¡¯s a mild allergic reaction; it¡¯ll subside with time. You wouldn¡¯t be in this state if your immune system weren¡¯t so weak. Drinking hot water will help strengthen your immune system! ¡±


    He Jing buried her face in her hands.


    Could this be punishment for usurping the female lead¡¯s route?


    Fortunately, He Jing¡¯s rash disappeared after an hour or two, just as He Ning predicted. He Ning threw the expired bottle of medicinal wine into the trash and said, ¡°Fourth Brother, go down and buy a new bottle.¡±


    He Sui¡¯s mouth fell open in disbelief. ¡°We¡¯ve been using this medicinal wine for seven years, and it¡¯s always worked!¡± ¡°Are you going or not?¡±


    He Sui: ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going. Sheesh!¡±


    ¡°Fake heiress! Ah, my life, how troublesome¡­¡± He Sui muttered as he picked up his wallet, heading for the door.


    He Jing smiled sweetly at his departing figure, saying, ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯d like another popsicle while you¡¯re at it¡­¡±


    He Sui choked on a curse at the tip of his tongue. He looked back and shot He Jing a re, which she met with a dazzling smile. With great reluctance, he shut the door behind him.


    Only He Ning and He Jing were left in the living room.. ¡°Those bruises on your arm were your own doing, aren¡¯t they?¡±

 Chapter 88 - 88: Doesn’t He Like You?

    Chapter 88: Doesn¡¯t He Like You?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was stunned. Then, like a cat caught chewing on the sofa, she answered without guilt, ¡°Ah, Second Brother found out.¡±


    He Ning was speechless.


    Where did she get the confidence to be so shameless?


    He Ning had only figured it out on the way home. He had lived with Cheng Yi for so many years and rarely saw Cheng Yi cry so miserably. She would not have reacted so strongly unless she felt seriously wronged.


    His first thought uponing to this realization was to confront He Jing, but that went out the window when he discovered He Jing was suffering from an allergic reaction. His anger had mostly subsided at this point. Feigning anger now would do little to address the issue.


    Ah! The divine powers must have sent He Jing to torment him. Since her appearance, the He family had been in chaos, facing trouble after trouble.


    And the source of it all was this deceitful gremlin whose face was barely an inch away from his. ¡°Are you angry?¡± He Jing asked.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He Ning demanded frostily.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t done as I did, you would have med me without listening to reason. I was only looking out for myself.¡±


    He Ning paused.


    ¡°How is it? Does it feel good to be wronged?¡± He Jing needled lightly. ¡°Does your heart ache to see your precious Xiao Yi in tears?¡±


    He Ning¡¯s expression was so terrible that it was scary, but he did not allow his anger to get the better of him. ¡°You have my word,¡± he said, his words ringing solemnly, ¡°If something simr happens in the future, I will investigate the cause thoroughly. Don¡¯t do this again.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± He Jing said. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t act against me, I will do the same to her.¡± She had not lied there.


    If the real heiress did not take the initiative to provoke her, she would want to stay as far away from her as possible. No one would say no to living a long life. He Jing still wanted to avoid the horrible oue of bing cannon fodder¡­


    Early the next morning, He Jing went to school and found that Cheng Yi was not around; apparently, she had called in sick.


    Liu Sisi and Zhang Man were in ss when Zhang Man received notice to head to the principal¡¯s office. Zhang Man was not away for long when she returned in tears.


    Her red-rimmed eyes and heart-wrenching cries were clear for all to see, attracting everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Manman, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Liu Sisi quickly handed her a tissue.


    ¡°I was expelled.¡± Zhang Man sobbed in despair.


    It was at this moment that Yan Hanxi stepped into the ssroom. With one hand in his pocket and a stray lock of his raven-ck hair curled up, he cut quite the sleepy figure.


    He ignored themotion and greeted He Jing with azy smile, ¡°Good morning, Merit Student.¡±


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the ssroom turned strange.


    Although Yin High School was known to be strict, the school very rarely expelled students.


    That was not to say Zhang Man was innocent: she was the guilty party and deserved to be expelled for her horrific actions.


    Still, one could dream, even after the effects of the forum closure incident¡­


    No one could have known what was going through Zhang Man¡¯s mind.


    Suddenly, she rushed up to He Jing and clutched the edge of her blouse. ¡°He Jing, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have targeted you. Can you please talk to Brother Xi on my behalf? I don¡¯t want to be expelled from school. M-my father¡­ He¡¯ll beat me up¡­¡±


    ¡°Let go.¡± A slight frown adorned He Jing¡¯s face.


    Zhang Man shook her head frantically.


    He Jing sighed exasperatedly. ¡°What makes you think Yan Hanxi can overturn the school¡¯s decision? Besides, why would he listen to me?¡±


    ¡°Brother Xi is the only son of the school¡¯srgest shareholder. Of course, he has the clout to have my expulsion overturned. Brother Xi likes you! He¡¯ll listen to you¡­¡±


    The ss fell into a dead silence as soon as he finished speaking.


    Zhang Man looked up and noticed her ssmates¡¯ grave, sympathetic faces, realizing that she might have misspoken. She immediately tried to remedy the situation and said, ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m at fault; please give me another chance¡­.¡±

 Chapter 89 - 89: Is That Right?

    Chapter 89: Is That Right?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jingughed. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d go to the effort to do something like that for you? Or is this desperation talking? Are you so hard up that you¡¯d want to owe Yan Hanxi a sizable favor?¡±


    A better person might live and let live, but not her. He Jing stuck by her principles: If no one wished ill upon her, she would reciprocate. But if one stepped on her toes and thought they could get away with it, they had another thinging.


    She was no saint, nor did she possess infinitepassion.


    ¡°Think before you act. All actions have consequences. I hope this will be a lesson you won¡¯t forget, one you¡¯ll carry to your future school.¡±


    Zhang Man¡¯s tears dried up; reality had caught up to her. Just as she was about to call He Jing out for being cold-blooded and heartless, He Jing interjected. ¡°Was it worth it? Doing so much for someone else, someone who does not care about you?¡±


    Zhang Man froze. A chill gripped her in its icy grasp, rooting her to the spot. Her lips moved, but no words escaped.


    She could not help but wonder if all she had done and suffered was worth it.


    She had done so much for Cheng Yi, but on the day of her expulsion, Cheng Yi had taken sick leave and did not even offer her any support. Cheng Yi¡¯s parents were shareholders of the school!


    No, she could not listen to He Jing. She and Cheng Yi were friends, best friends¡­


    Zhang Man fished out her phone from her pocket and called Cheng Yi. She called once, but thetter did not pick up. She tried again and got the same result¡ªthis sequence of events repeated five or six times with no sign that the line would ever connect.


    He Jing leveled pity-filled eyes on Zhang Man. She was most certainly aware of who Zhang Man was calling, but she would get no help there. Cheng Yi was probably wallowing in self-pity, too depressed to bother helping Zhang Man. Otherwise, in this era where phones never left one¡¯s side, there was no reason why she could not get through¡­


    Zhang Man threw her phone on the ground, her puffy eyes summoning a flood of tears again. Liu Sisi triedforting her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Xiao Yi called in sick; she¡¯s probably not feeling well.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He Jing quipped. ¡°Shall I give it a go?¡±


    He Jing picked up the phone that Zhang Man had thrown and dialed the number on the screen.


    It did not even take ten seconds for the line to connect. Cheng Yi¡¯s hoarse voice carried over. A quiet ¡®Hello?¡¯ was heard by those present before He Jing hung up.


    Liu Sisi did not expect things to ur as He Jing had said. She was stunned into silence and dared not look at Zhang Man.


    Zhang Man was so angry that sheughed.


    She turned around and said to He Jing, ¡°Cheng Yi was also involved in the voter fraud, including the smear campaign against you. She approved everything.¡±


    Although the ss had their suspicions, it was still quite startling to have their thoughts confirmed by Zhang Man.


    Cheng Yi may have looked sweet and innocent, but she harbored a cruel, vicious streak that few had witnessed until now. More rming, however, was her readiness to burn the bridges she had formed, leaving her friend in the lurch in her moment of need. It was horrifying!


    Even Liu Sisi began second-guessing Cheng Yi¡¯s words, trying to parse out the true from the false. Only Cheng Yi¡¯s admirer, Sun Chaoyang, remained steadfast in his defense of her. ¡°Don¡¯t nder Cheng Yi when she isn¡¯t around to defend herself! Cheng Yi isn¡¯t the person you make her out to be. She¡¯s too kind and sweet to be anything else.¡±


    Zhang Man dried her tears and looked at Sun Chaoyang pitifully. He looked like a beggar begging for scraps in her eyes. ¡°Do you know what she said about you in private? She said you were a harassing bootlicker and found you very distressing. Cheng Yi has only had eyes for Brother Xi, no one else.¡±


    Sun Zhaoyang¡¯s pupils constricted. It was as if he had suffered a terrible blow, his face turning ashen.


    He Jing never expected the aftermath of the voter fraud incident to be so exciting. She suddenly felt that the little setback she almost suffered was nothing.


    When Cheng Yi returned, she would probably faint from anger¡­


    The young man¡¯s clear and bright voice sounded unhurried at this moment,


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. My real fianc¨¦e will be unhappy if she hears this..¡±

 Chapter 90 - 90: Isolated

    Chapter 90: Isted


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    His eyes were slits, barely open, as he smiled at He Jing. It gave He Jing goosebumps.


    ¡°Zhang Man may not have been entirely truthful. Still¡­¡± Such were the thoughts shared by the vast majority of the ss.


    Yan Hanxi was interested in He Jing.


    Ever since He Jing¡¯s personality flipped overnight, Yan Hanxi had been more diligent in his attendance. Why would a truant like him suddenly turn over a new leaf, willingly submitting his homework when asked?


    Was this not the power of love?


    It was obvious that although He Jing was not actually the daughter of the Cheng family, Yan Hanxi did not intend to renounce the engagement to his fianc¨¦e.


    Yan Hanxi had already told her to get lost once, yet Cheng Yi seemed tantly ignorant and self-absorbed.


    As it said, one¡¯s words would be nice when death was near. Zhang Man could not remain in Yin High School, so why should she keep Cheng Yi¡¯s secrets? After saying what she wanted to say, she resigned herself to her fate, packing her things and preparing to leave the ss for thest time.


    Yan Hanxi approached He Jing and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t responded to my greeting. ¡±


    He Jing did not even bat an eye, offering the most perfunctory salutations possible. ¡°Morning.¡±


    Yan Hanxi grinned boyishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if what I said offended you.¡±


    He did not n on giving up his current finac¨¦e, even though He Jing had fallen from grace, turning into a girl without any fortune.


    He Jing cocked a brow. ¡°What has that got to do with me? Why should I be offended?¡±


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    He Jing tapped her table with a rolled-up book. ¡°Hurry up and hand in your homework.¡±


    Yan Hanxi ogled He Jing, bbergasted. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the Cheng family¡­


    Cheng Yiy on her bed, still brooding over the phone call she had just received. She felt a twitch in her eye and an inexplicable sense of unease. After stewing over the matter for an indeterminate amount of time, Cheng Yi gave in, drying her tears and putting on her makeup before calling her driver to send her to school.


    As soon as she arrived, Cheng Yi stood at the center of several mixed gazes from all directions as if¡­ As if she were being mocked for something she did not know! Cheng Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Her unease swelled. Quickening her pace, she ate up the distance from the school gate to her ssroom. All eyes turned to her in confusion when she slid the door open but just as quickly pretended to have not seen her from the way they averted their eyes.


    Cheng Yi did not think of herself as paranoid, but even she could tell something was wrong. She could feel herself being isted and ostracized by the rest. She hurried to Liu Sisi¡¯s table and inquired, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Liu Sisi answered nonmittedly without sparing her more than a nce, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me; I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s anxiety peaked, but she was too distressed to know who to turn to.


    Zhang Man was absent, and Liu Sisi gave her the cold shoulder. She had only been away for half a day, so how had things devolved to this extent?


    Inspiration struck her in her hour of need. Wasn¡¯t the school forums the best ce to learn thetest gossip? Excusing herself, she arrived at her desk and summarily pulled up thetest news on the school forums.


    Her name shone in bold, taking up much of the trending section. Words like ¡°vicious¡± and ¡°heartless¡± were repeated several times. Cheng Yi clicked on the most popr post, discovering what had transpired in her absence. It was too much. She copsed in her heap, a doll with her strings cut in her chair.


    How could this have happened?


    She had only been upset and did not want to pick up Zhang Man¡¯s call, so how had that spiraled out of control, developing in a direction she could not have predicted?


    Just then, a ssmate passed by, identally knocking over her pencil case. He immediately apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll¡­¡± Cheng Yi quickly said.


    Before she could finish, the student picked up her pencil case with a clean tissue before throwing it in the waste paper basket.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s words were stuck in her chest..

 Chapter 91 - 91: Turtle Hair

    Chapter 91: Turtle Hair


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi was furious.


    Who did he think he was? Did he think she was some kind of virus? How could he insult her like this?


    Why was she deliberately isted from the rest? Was this some sort of ploy by He Jing?


    The sound ofughtering from her peers forced her back to reality. Cheng


    Yi could not take it and left the school with her face covered.


    It was all He Jing¡¯s fault!


    She wanted Mr. and Mrs. Cheng to teach He Jing a lesson and have her expelled from Yin High School.


    As for He Ning¡­


    No, He Ning and He Sui had already betrayed her. Only her third brother, He Zhou, would stand up for her!


    He Jing was not privy to Cheng Yi¡¯s thoughts as she continued reviewing her textbook, lost in thought. Cheng Yi had phoned in sick but still showed up, only to leave a whileter. Did this count as skipping ss? Forget it. He Ning would pull her up for tea and biscuits if she deducted points from Cheng Yi. The fewer troubles she had, the better¡­


    Yan Hanxi took her moment of distraction to nudge her arm. ¡°Miss Merit


    Student, is theputer I lent you any good?¡±


    There was nothing for He Jing toin about, not to mention how Yan Hanxi had spent 70,000 yuan on it. She thanked him sincerely, ¡°It¡¯s great.


    Thank you, Student Yan.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smirked. ¡°Student Yan is the nickname Cheng Yi gave me. I want something different.¡±


    He Jing frowned. ¡°How about Great God Yan?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in feudal superstitions,¡± said Yan Hanxi.


    ¡°Boss Yan?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mix with gangs,¡± Yan Hanxi said.


    ¡°Brother Xi?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like people calling me brother.¡± He Jing was speechless.


    What was there to be picky about?


    Was he a turtle?


    Yan Hanxi wheeled her for another name.


    He Jing held a momentary silence before spitting out three words, ¡°Yan. Han.


    What could be simpler than calling someone by their name?


    Yan Hanxi smiled, clicking his ballpoint pen using the t surface of his table.


    He looked like a cat who caught the canary. He Jing felt helpless. Did Yan Hanxi have something wrong with him? Why did he have to behave so strangely? Yan Hanxi shot He Jing a half-smile. ¡°Are you scolding me in your heart?¡±


    He Jing was taken aback.


    Could he read her thoughts?


    Yan Hanxi set aside his pen and rubbed his forehead helplessly. ¡°The schrships will be awarded soon. Since I lent you myputer, treat me to a meal!¡±


    He Jing eyed him suspiciously.


    ¡°Uh-huh, what do you think?¡± Yan Hanxi teased yfully.


    An awkward frown worked its way onto He Jing¡¯s face.


    Yan Hanxi mulled over his options. He Jing was no longer the daughter of the Cheng family, and she was not as rich as she once was, so he had to do his best to help her save where he could.


    ¡°How about Australian lobster?¡± Yan Hanxi tried. He was already being conservative!


    The temperature around He Jing plummeted. ¡®


    Yan Hanxi frowned and thought of something less expensive. . . Fillet steak?¡±


    Do you want to bankrupt me?¡±


    ¡°Seafood sashimi?¡±


    . Maybe. Unless you¡¯re talking about imported sashimi from Japan. In which case, I might as well dig up a loach from the river for you to eat.¡±


    ¡°Turkish fried rice?¡±


    . Is Turkish another name for your Godmother?¡±


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    What else could he eat?


    Yan Hanxi had set the bar pretty low, so much so that he thought it non-existent.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you decide?¡± he relented after much deliberation.


    He Jing seemed to have already thought it through and answered expressionlessly, ¡°We¡¯ll have hot and spicy soup.¡±


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    ¡°The meat dishes can¡¯t exceed three taels.¡±


    Yan Hanxi was both angry and amused.


    He was the tyrant of Yin High School and the young master of A City. He would lose face if others saw him eating such base cuisine.


    He Jing¡¯s chilly facade faltered. She stared at him for a good, long while beforepromising. ¡°You may have a few extra pieces of tripe.¡±


    It was getting from bad to worse! Did he look like someone who would eat tripe?


    In the end, Yan Hanxi declined He Jing¡¯s invitation to have hot and spicy soup or whatever hotpot she could think of. A call from home saved him.


    As he answered the call, he snuck a nce at He Jing. ¡°Hot and spicy soup, or your version of M hotpot, isn¡¯t sanitary,¡± Yan Hanxi began. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner at my ce instead..¡±

 Chapter 92 - 92: Third Brother, He Zhou

    Chapter 92: Third Brother, He Zhou


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing did not think she was close to Yan Hanxi to the extent that he would invite her to his house for dinner. She recalled him saying he would like to try her cooking at some point, so maybe bringing some over would be a good idea.


    Now that she thought about it, He Jing realized it had been a while since shest cooked. Yan Hanxi had mentioned several items he would not mind eating earlier, and though she knew how to prepare them, the ingredients were expensive.


    Hmm¡­ In that case, it might not be a bad idea to help with dinner. At least it would save her from having He Ning and He Sui burning down the kitchen.


    He Jing had finished grocery shopping, buying plenty of carrots, celery, prawns, beef, and assorted seasonings, and now waited at First High School¡¯s front gate.


    He Sui saw that she was carrying a big stic bag that was so heavy that she could not even lift it and quickly came to her aid. ¡°What did you buy? Why is it so heavy?


    He Jing dutifully listed out all she had bought.


    ¡°Are you trying to poison us or something?¡± He Sui blurted out.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Oh, how she would love to!


    As a four-star chef, having her older brother question her cooking skills was the greatest insult.


    The ever more sensitive He Ning enquired, ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± He Jing affirmed. ¡°It probably won¡¯t taste like much.¡±


    ¡°Shut. Up.¡± He Jing hissed.


    He Sui¡¯s mouth snapped shut, but that did not mean he was pleased. He knew he was right! How could a pampered youngdy, living in thep of luxury, know anything about cooking? Whether or not she even knew how to boil a kettle of water was already in the air.


    There was no way she could be better than Third Brother, could she?


    Forty minutester, the three of them arrived home.


    He Jing was the first through the door, having inserted the key into the keyhole. He Sui had his hands full with the groceries, so he was in no position to open the door.


    As soon as she entered the house, she noticed He Xiaoguo¡¯s presence; it seemed he was home earlier than usual. He Xiaoguo was sitting on the sofa, ying with his new toy. He Jing had never seen anything like it before and wondered who had given it to him.


    Soon, He Jing discovered another anomaly. Someone was in the kitchen cooking, the cooker hood¡¯s loud fans whirring.


    The smell of food filled the living room, making He Jing¡¯s stomach growl. He Sui, who was still outside, waiting for He Jing to get a move on, grew impatient and nudged her by swinging hisden bags and knocking into her calves. ¡°What are you doing standing around?¡±


    He Jing snapped back to reality, reacting instinctually, giving him space to maneuver through.


    He Sui had not even taken a few steps into the house when he eximed,


    ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re back!¡±


    He Zhou, the family¡¯s best cook, had finally returned from his stint at their aunt¡¯s house. He no longer had to endure He Ning¡¯s nd porridge!


    He Zhou had a knack for turning the simplest ingredients into the most wholesome dishes; he was the spiritual pir of the He family.


    Hearing themotion, a man wearing an apron popped out of the kitchen.


    He was a young man of eighteen or neen years, but his temperament made him seem older than his years. For someone just out of puberty, He Zhou was far more mature and virtuous than his peers.


    He Zhou had a pair of peach blossom eyes and an arched nose, and his lips were redder and fuller than the average boy¡¯s. If He Ning resembled a cold, unapproachable lotus covered in frost, then He Zhou was a sweet, alluring poppy flower.


    He Zhou Ignored He Sui and focused on He Jing. ¡°So this is our biological sister, He Jing! I¡¯ve heard so much about you,¡± heughed. ¡°My name is He Zhou, and I am your older brother, but everyone calls me Third Brother. It¡¯s nice meeting you. I hope you¡¯ll look out for me..¡±

 Chapter 93 - 93: Food for Commoners

    Chapter 93: Food for Commoners


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ah, so this was He Zhou!


    He Jing treated everyone equally and greeted him with the same sweet smile she shed at He Yuan when she was first epted into the family. ¡°Hello, Third Brother. I¡¯m He Jing,¡± she responded politely.


    He Zhou took off his apron, wiping his dirty hands on a clean rag. ¡°Come in,e in. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back; dinner is almost ready.¡±


    He Sui sprang to action, dumping the heavy groceries on the ground and worming his wav Dast He Zhou and into the kitchen. ¡°What are vou cooking? It smells amazing!¡±


    ¡°I brought a few things from our aunt¡¯s house. It isn¡¯t much, but there are beef and chicken drumsticks, so I thought of making a bell pepper stir-fry for the former and roast chicken for thetter,¡± He Zhou said.


    He removed the lid covering the chicken drumsticks and helped himself to a piece. It was fresh out of the oven and piping hot, yet He Sui did not seem to mind, stuffing as much as he could manage into his mouth. ¡°This is great!¡± he cried. ¡°Why aren¡¯t Fifth and Sixth Brother back, though?¡±


    He Zhou nced at He Jing. His lips twitched, forming a faint smile without any warmth. ¡°Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother still have things they need to handle back at our aunt¡¯s ce. As for Xiaoguo, I picked him up from school since it was on the way back. It¡¯ll be Second Brother¡¯s birthday in two days, so Fifth and Sixth Brothers will return by then.¡±


    He Jing felt ufortable under He Zhou¡¯s considering gaze; it felt like needles prickling her skin. She could not tell if it was He Zhou¡¯s default demeanor or whether he was being hostile. Since she could not tell, it was best to go with the flow. ¡°Is it that good? Let me try some, too!¡±


    He Sui swiped another chicken drumstick and stuffed it into her mouth. Before she had time to savor the vor, He Sui crowed, ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it amazing¡­?¡±


    Whether it was before she transmigrated and became the fake heiress or the time she spent inhabiting her new body, He Jing had always been fortunate enough to sample excellent food.


    He Zhou had not controlled the heat in the oven well nor considered how long the chicken drumsticks had been frozen. It left much to be desired, in He Jing¡¯s opinion. Still, He Jing did not want to pick on Third Brother¡¯s cooking and leave a bad impression on him; they had just met!


    She finished her drumstick with as much care as she could muster and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s delicious; Third Brother is an amazing cook. How did you marinate the chicken


    He Zhou returned the smile with a faint upturning of his lips. ¡°It was not anything special. Coming from a wealthy family, you might not be used to it.¡±


    He Sui did not think He Jing looked like some rich youngdy. Besides having good skin and a nice appearance, nothing else might indicate she hade from a wealthy background. Nheless, He Sui sensed something strange about He Zhou¡¯s mood and intervened before anything happened. ¡°Third


    Brother, how long till dinner is ready? I¡¯m starving!¡±


    Sess! He managed to steer He Zhou¡¯s attention away from a sensitive topic. He Zhou peered out into the sitting room and, upon seeing He Xiaoguo on the sofa, called for him to scoop out the rice from the rice cooker.


    He Jing followed He Zhou out of the kitchen and looked him straight in the eye as she said, ¡°Third Brother, I know a little about cooking, but I¡¯m not very good at it. Can you teach me?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to learn how to cook?¡± He Zhou quirked a brow. ¡°It¡¯s hard work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± He Jing replied.


    He Ning could not take it anymore. ¡°Lessonster; food now! There¡¯s no time for you to learn how to cook. You should focus on your schoolwork. The college entrance exams are approaching; you need to be prepared.¡±


    He Jing cocked her head to one side, bending like a lilting flower. ¡°Does it matter? Our Third Brother is also a student, yet he takes time out of each day to cook for everyone. If I learn to cook, I can help ease his burden.¡±


    A short silence ensued, which He Jing broke by joking, ¡°I¡¯m sure Third Brother won¡¯t make things difficult for me, will you?¡±


    The air thickened, freezing those present.


    He Zhou¡¯s smile faded, and his eyes narrowed into pinpricks as he appraised He Jing. He Jing just calmly and generously epted his judging looks.


    He Jing had nothing to go by regarding He Zhou¡¯s personality. Yet, she doubted she had imagined his hostility when he talked about his food.


    A woman¡¯s intuition was never wrong!

 Chapter 94 - 94: Schemes

    Chapter 94: Schemes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A minute of intense scrutiny passed before He Zhou looked away, a faint smile tugging at his cheeks, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    He Jing stered a smile and stopped talking. She returned to the kitchen to help He Sui with the winter melon soup.


    He Zhou had prepared four dishes: dry-roasted chicken drumsticks, stir-fried beef with green peppers, pickled vegetables, and a winter melon soup.


    It was quite a sumptuous meal. At least, it was much better than the in porridge He Ning whipped up when he came home. He Sui inhaled the food, devouring the dishes as if he had never eaten anything so delicious in his eight lifetimes.


    He Ning pulled out a chair and called He Jing, ¡°Sit here and eat with us.¡±


    He Jing did as she was bade to do.


    He Ning deliberately sat between He Jing and He Zhou, separating the two. As He Zhoudled some soup for He Xiaoguo, he spoke as if he were talking about the weather. ¡°It¡¯s a pity Xiao Yi isn¡¯t here with us. If she were, I would have cooked a little more. Braised chicken drumsticks were always her favorite.¡±


    He Jing would have to be a dunce not to know He Zhou was trying to make things difficult for her. Her head bowed, she continued eating as if she had not heard him. He Zhou was a perverted sis-con, and this encounter merely solidified what the novel she had read had had to say about him.


    He Zhou¡¯s perversion went deeper than He Ning¡¯s. If He Ning was the big brother figure to the real daughter, then He Zhou imed the spot of a controlling and possessive father figure.


    He Zhou decided everything from the clothes the real daughter wore to the shoes she paraded in. No one else had any say on the matter. Things only worsened when he struck it rich, making a fortune for himself. At this point, he even decided on the bags and jewelry she donned.


    He Jing remembered feeling confused. She always felt that He Zhou did not treat the real heiress as a sister but rather as a daughter, or perhaps, for better or worse, a dress-up doll he could y with and do as he wished. The real heiress was just a toy to him ¨C a toy he held deep affection for, but still a toy, regardless. Life outside of ying dress-up with the real heiress for He Zhou was a monochrome monotony; he did not have any hobbies or interests aside from the time he spent making the real heiress his ything.


    He Jing suddenly felt a wave of pity for He Zhou. He Zhou had be the way he was because he did not have a happy childhood, one embittered by his life¡¯s experience. It was a tragedy.


    He Zhou¡¯s anger spiked as he realized he had not gotten a rise out of He Jing. With his teeth clenched, he wondered what He Jing was scheming. His thoughts were confirmed by the indulgent smile He Jing shot him.


    So much was conveyed in that smile that it stunned He Zhou, but he could not mistake the warmth or gentility it seemed to evoke.


    He Zhou red at his food, his eyes lidded and dark. No wonder Cheng Yi had fallen out of favor with He Ning and He Sui so quickly. Though he had a thousand grievances, there was no one he could turn to to vent, so he suffered in silence. This new sister of his was a wily fox. He could not show weakness to her!


    The meal passed peacefully. After the meal, He Sui took the initiative to wash the dishes.


    He Jing went into the kitchen to help, but He Sui shooed her out. ¡°Out, out! We don¡¯t have enough bowls for you to break them willy-nilly, neither do we have the money to spare on such trivial expenses.¡±


    Helplessly, He Jing allowed herself to be ushered out of the kitchen.


    He Ning had already retired to his room, while He Xiaogue was sprawled on the dining table doing his homework. He Zhou was the only one free. He was watching the Kitchen King Competition. He Sui had not been discreet in chasing He Jing out of the kitchen, drawing He Zhou¡¯s attention. He eyed He Jing with indifference.


    Taking the initiative, He Jing began, ¡°Third Brother, this episode of the Kitchen King Competition isn¡¯t very good. Some chef surnamed Wang won thepetition; it¡¯s obvious that the result was staged.¡±


    He Zhou hated spoilers, so his brows furrowed into a tight knot when he heard what He Jing had to say. Still¡­


    He turned back to the television. ¡°Who are you to say Chef Wang won the championship through underhanded means? If you don¡¯t understand how he won, there¡¯s no need to force an exnation when none is needed..¡±

 Chapter 95 - 95: Pan-fried Steak

    Chapter 95: Pan-fried Steak


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing did not correct him. Those uninitiated would look at speed while experts discerned the way. Chef Wang was not as skilled as Chef Luo.


    Although Chef Luo was young, he handled the ingredients well. He also had a unique understanding of thebinations and possible interactions each ingredient might have on another. His technique was strong yet supple, like a dance shared by a dragon and phoenix, far more impressive than Chef Wang¡¯s more traditional skillset involving the four main techniques of Ming dynasty cooking.


    Chef Wang scored a 9.8, while Chef Luo only got a 9-4.


    He Jing got up, saying, ¡°Third Brother, enjoy the rest of the show. I¡¯m heading to bed.¡±


    He Zhou thought that He Jing would force an argument or change her words to please him. Neither of those oues came to pass, and it caught him t-footed. He did not expect her to respond to his provocation by saying she was off to bed, changing the topic as if his words were irrelevant.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    He Zhou called out to her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to learn how to cook? Would you like to start now?¡±


    He Jing¡¯s eyes narrowed, her head tilted thoughtfully. ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    The two of them entered the kitchen together.


    He Sui had just finished washing the dishes when he saw He Jing carrying arge bag of ingredients and following He Zhou.


    Astonished, he watched with mouth agape as He Jing removed ingredients from the stic bag. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m learning how to cook, ¡± He Jing replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± He Sui cried in shock. ¡°We¡¯ve just eaten!¡±


    In a deliberate show of authority, He Zhou told He Sui, ¡°If you have nothing better to do, perhaps you should step out for a bit.¡±


    He Sui was displeased by the tone He Zhou had taken with him. He Jing was a girl. It was one thing for a woman to be wilful and mischievous but quite another for a man to slip into irrationality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll whip up some beef meatballs for you as ate-night snack,¡± He Jing said. ¡®I ! ! !¡± He Sui¡¯s expression quickly changed. ¡°Be my guest!¡±


    He Zhou took in the scene and had a deeper understanding of how He Jing had managed to sway He Sui to her side. It seemed she had been bribing him with food.


    That¡¯s right; He Sui was a glutton. Put a little bit of meat in front of him, and he could be led astray far too easily. One could say he was the most innocent in the family¡­


    He ling divided each ingredient into two portions. one for herself and one for He Zhou. ¡°Third Brother, what will you be teaching me?¡±


    He Zhou eyed therge bs of beef tenderloin and announced what they would be cooking. ¡°We¡¯ll be cooking Western cuisine.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you specialize in Chinese cooking?¡± He Jing enquired, giving He ZHou a strange look.


    With the He family¡¯s financial situation, the only Western food they could afford was vegetable sd and mashed potatoes. How could he have had experience cooking steaks?


    ¡°My experience is enough to teach you,¡± He Zhou answered.


    He Jing was speechless. A short silence ensued, eventually broken by He Jing. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll watch and learn from you, Third Brother.¡±


    He Zhou was pretty confident in his ability to cook steaks. While helping his aunt, he asionally snuck a few nces at the old man frying burgers next door, memorizing the steps needed to cook them. He Zhou did not believe his steaks would be inferior to those served at restaurants.


    Pan-frying steaks might look easy, but it was not. It was the perfect dish for him to make a fool of He Jing.


    One had to maintain strict control over the fire, cooking the meat evenly on both sides. Too little and they would be eating raw steak; too much and the meat would turn leathery.


    He Zhou smirked, satisfied with his little scheme.


    He Jing watched as He Zhou prepared the steak, cleaning off the excess blood and tenderizing the meat with the edge of his chopping knife. Afterward, he threw the beef tenderloin into the hot oil.


    Five minutester, He Zhou scooped the steak out of the hot oil, ting it..

 Chapter 96 - 96: What’s Missing

    Chapter 96: What¡¯s Missing


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It took all the force of will He Sui could muster to stop himself from lunging at the food. ¡°Let me try!¡±


    He Sui plucked He Zhou¡¯s steak from its te and took a big bite. His eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    He Sui¡¯s excitement was so great it attracted the attention of the rest of the He family. He Ning, who was in his room, and He Xiaoguo, who was doing his homework in the living room, were startled by his cry and quickly crowded around him. When he saw the steak He Sui was eating on his own, He Xiaoguo began tugging at He Suit s trousers, pouting cutely, ¡°Fourth Brother, I want some too¡­¡±


    He Sui gritted his teeth in reluctance but still divided the steak, cutting it into small pieces.


    He Xiaoguo could not wait to get his share and immediately snagged a piece. Meanwhile, He Ning picked up a pair of chopsticks and helped himself to a piece. He turned to He Zhou and asked, ¡°Did you make it?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± He Zhou answered.


    ¡°Your cooking has improved again,¡± He Ningmented lightly.


    Such a juicy steak would not be out of ce in an authentic Western restaurant.


    He Zhou had always been a talented cook. Perhaps it would be wise to encourage him to develop his skills further¡­


    He Ning picked up a piece of the steak and stuffed it in He Jing¡¯s mouth. He Jing chewed slowly, savoring the taste and texture like a true-blue connoisseur of Western cuisine.


    A crack formed on He Zhou¡¯s impassive mask. His eyes chilled, and his tone became curt, ¡°Are you saying I didn¡¯t do a good job?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He Jing said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s just missing a little something.¡±


    He Sui, whose mouth was smeared with oil stains, smiled when he heard that. ¡°He Jing, there¡¯s no need to pretend it isn¡¯t good. If you think you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you try cooking a steak for us topare?¡±


    This¡­


    He Zhou recovered, patching the holes in his cracked facade. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what you can or cannot do. You may do as you please.¡±


    There was no way He Jing would cook a better steak.


    Expressionlessly, He Jing began processing the ingredients. She rolled up her sleeves and cleaned her chosen steak, rinsing it in water and toweling it dry before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, she heated a pan and drizzled some oil before searing the steak evenly on both sides.


    Her hands were not idle as she prepared the steak; she also spent some time preparing the sauce that would go with it.


    Four pairs of eyes watched in stunned silence.


    He Jing¡¯s quick, efficient movements and skillful technique showed she had plenty of experience cooking.


    No one expected her to have been telling the truth when she said she knew how to cook!


    At this moment, a beautiful young woman stood in front of the pan, her silhouette seemingly painting the picture of a socialite in her element. Anyone who saw her wouldpare her to a three-star Michelin chef. Her fingers danced, jumping from one ingredient to another, finally stopping on a particr white mushroom with a distinct note of nobility.


    She sauteed onions in a pan before adding a generous amount of white wine and the mushrooms she had sliced earlier. She removed the onions and mushrooms, setting them aside forter; they would be the garnish. Soon after she had added the mushrooms, she poured in fresh cream and stirred to thicken the sauce. The smell it produced was divine! He Jing¡¯s skillful handling of several ingredients put He Zhou¡¯s to shame; there could be no doubt.


    He Jing ted the steak, garnishing it with the sauteed onions and mushrooms she had kept. She drizzled the sauce over the steak,pleting her dish.


    When He Jing presented the final product to those present, she was met with pin-drop silence.


    He Xiaoguo discarded the piece of He Zhou¡¯s steak he was about to gobble up, returning it to the dish He Sui had in hand. He Sui gulped.


    Even the ever-cold He Ning looked moved. Only He Zhou seemed gloomy.


    As if waking from a dream, He Sui broke the silence. He feigned maturity by saying, ¡°It¡¯s not beauty but how it tastes that counts! I¡¯ve never eaten anything more delicious than Third Brother¡¯s steak.


    He Xiaoguo frowned. He did not want to humiliate He Zhou, but he could not resist the temptation of the delicious food. He chewed on his index finger, wondering what he should do.


    In the end, it was He Ning who stepped up to the te, breaking the stalemate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sample it.¡±


    He cut off a small piece of the steak, the beautiful dish so immacte that he almost could not bear to destroy it. ¡°How is it?¡± He Sui asked nervously.


    Three secondster¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not delicious..¡±

 Chapter 97 - 97: Why Are You Keeping Everything to Yourself?

    Chapter 97: Why Are You Keeping Everything to Yourself?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    No way, really?


    He Sui had just spoken casually, trying to give He Zhou a way out. Who could have known He Jing would take up the challenge and employ strange fancy techniques only to create something unsatisfactory? That did not sound right¡­


    He Sui did not believe He Ning and said, ¡°Let me try.¡±


    He Ning merely frowned, remaining motionless. He admonished with what felt like forced indifference, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t overeat at night; it¡¯s bad for digestion.¡±


    He Jing coughed, doing her best to suppress herughter. He Ning¡¯s reaction spoke volumes in and of itself.


    Suspicion took root in He Suit s heart. ¡°No. I must try it,¡± he insisted, daring He Ning to say otherwise.


    He Ning cut off a tiny piece for him, his calm demeanor unchanging as the waters of a stillke. The piece of steak disappeared down He Sui¡¯s throat in one bite.


    Three secondster¡­


    He Xiaoguo looked up, hisrge grape-like eyes peering at his older brother with angelic curiosity. ¡°Fourth Brother, how is it?¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± He Xioguo whined, hugging He Sui¡¯s thigh, a tantrum brewing in his wake. ¡°Fourth Brother, I want to try it too!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you want to try it? You had so much to eat earlier. If you ate anymore, vou wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. Be good and go to your room.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He Xiaoguo could not hide his disappointment.


    Reluctantly, he did as he was told, stepping out of the kitchen.


    He Zhou heaved a sigh of relief when He Ning dered He Jing¡¯s steak ¡®disgusting.¡¯ He turned to He Jing, his confidence restored and stered on a smile oozing arrogance. ¡°Second Brother and Fourth Brother have spoken: your cooking isn¡¯t delicious. It seems I¡¯m still the better cook.¡±


    He Jing was not embarrassed by the verdict. Instead, she smiled obsequiously, saying, ¡°Third Brother is still the best; I admit defeat.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s eyes narrowed. Something did not feel right.


    He eyed He Ning, who still seemed as aloof as ever, and He Sui, who still wore an expression of abject disdain. Nothing seemed wrong there. Could he be overthinking things?


    ¡°Third Brother, will you be continuing our lesson?¡± He Jing asked.


    He Zhou had lost interest in teaching He Jing. He scoffed and stepped out without another word.


    A curious silence descended on the remaining three. Looks were shared, and then-


    ¡°Second Brother! You want to eat all of it yourself. You¡¯re too shameless!¡±


    He Sui may have voiced his displeasure, but he was cautious enough to keep his voice as low as possible. If he had not reacted as quickly as he did earlier, he would not have been able to deceive He Ning. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡± He Ning sneered.


    He even fooled his younger brother.


    ¡°Do either of you have to fight?¡± He Jingughed.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± He Sui snapped.


    They had never eaten anything so delicious in their lives.


    Otherwise, how could the normally reserved He Ning lose control of himself¡­?


    He Sui red at He Ning.


    He Ning had already eaten more than half of the steak while dealing with He Zhou and He Jing.


    He Sui could not let He Ning finish the rest and tried snatching the food from his hands.


    He Ning pouted and pointed at the half-eaten steak He Zhou had made. He said, ¡°It¡¯s shameful to waste.¡¯


    ¡°No, I want to eat this too.¡±


    He would not cede his im over the food to He Ning.


    He Ning dodged He Sui¡¯s initial lunge and kept a wary distance from his sibling. A fight over the steak ensued, causing pots and pans to rattle and tumble.


    He Jing tried to speak sense into them, but nothing worked. She shook her head speechlessly and prepared for bed.


    She was greeted by He Zhou, who stood just outside the kitchen.


    His back was against the light. shrouding his face in shadows. His expression was hard to distinguish, but the frightening aura around him was unmistakable.


    Before He Jing could say anything, He Sui spun around having felt a chill run down his spine. He came face to face with He Zhou¡¯s menacing figure and found himself tongue-tied. ¡°Third¡­.Third Brother?¡±

 Chapter 98 - 98: I’m Looking Forward to It

    Chapter 98: I¡¯m Looking Forward to It


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou stood there, his eyes drawn to his steak left cold and uneaten. His face was ashen, and he felt like he had been pped.


    It was an embarrassing sight than if they had just told him He Jing¡¯s cooking was better than his.


    He Jing must have known the truth all along. Hence her calm and unppableposure. She was probablyughing at him in her heart of hearts¡­


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He Ning asked.


    He Ning was deceptively calm. Having eaten over half of the steak, he wiped his mouth and put down the unfinished steak.


    ¡°Third Brother, He Jing¡¯s cooking is better than yours,¡± He Ning said, serious yet casual, ¡°We feared you would be embarrassed if you lost, so we kept the truth from you. Don¡¯t me He Jing.¡±


    ¡°Am I such a sore loser in your minds?¡± He Zhou murmured gloomily.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± He Sui quickly denied.


    He Zhou was not so much a sore loser as he was unpredictable when things did not go as nned. Ever since he was young, whenever he felt inferior to others in any way, he would study hard until he won or the other party surrendered. How many people could stand up against such fervor?


    They were afraid He Zhou would vent his displeasure on He Jing.


    He Jing smiled kindly and said, ¡°Third Brother, would you like to try some?¡±


    He Zhou red at He Jing; his rage wound up tightly behind an icy mask. He hesitated briefly, dithering at the door, but eventually stalked toward He Jing¡¯s te of steak. He cut a small piece and popped it into his mouth.


    In an instant, a drastic change overcame his steely expression.


    The beef was so tender and juicy that it melted in his mouth. It smelled out of this world, with a mixture of mellow fragrances bncing the heaviness of the meat, courtesy of the white wine and mushrooms used as a base for the steak¡¯s sauce. Every bite was an explosion of vors, numbing his teeth and sending goosebumps down his arms. The slight spiciness from the onionsplimented the ensemble, taking the steak to greater heights. It was so perfect that perfection could no longer describe it!


    His steak was nothingpared to this!


    While he ate, He Jing exined, ¡°We were using beef tenderloin in thispetition. There¡¯s no need to use the edge of the chopping knife to tenderize it more than necessary. Doing so will affect its texture. Once the beef has been seasoned, sear it evenly on both sides for six minutes. That is the optimal length of time to cook a steak like this. The rest isn¡¯t too hard; it just takes time and practice.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s exnation made it sound so simple. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something I can do?¡± He Sui cursed.


    He Jing was about to nod when He Ning added his pennies worth, ¡°How can it be that easy?¡±


    He Jing had not even used a timer earlier.


    In other words, she was so familiar with cooking this steak that He Jing could cook it with her eyes closed. That was why she could say it so easily.


    But she was probably the only one who could easily aplish the feat.


    He Zhou finished the small piece and instinctively moved to get another, but he rebelled against the impulse. ¡°Where did you learn to cook?¡± He Zhou demanded, his steely gaze fixed on He Jing.


    ¡°I cooked a lot at home, especially when bored,¡± He Jing replied.


    He Zhou refused to believe her.


    Blinking yfully, He Jing said, ¡°They can¡¯t keep an eye on me 24 hours a day.¡± That was true¡­


    He Zhou gradually calmed, his anger simmering instead of explosive. ¡°Looks like our future life will be very interesting,¡± he said wryly.


    He Sui¡¯s scalp immediately went numb, and rm bells rang. ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t be like that¡­¡±


    He Jing did not feel pressured or a sense of danger from He Zhou¡¯s remark and pouted, ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m looking forward to it..¡±

 Chapter 99 - 99: She’s Not What You Think She Is

    Chapter 99: She¡¯s Not What You Think She Is


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The next day, He Jing woke to the smell of something divine.


    He Zhou went into the kitchen early in the morning and made a sumptuous breakfast. He made beef porridge with the leftover steak, onions, and a few scallion pancakes.


    The scallion pancakes were crisp and golden brown, with pockets of green peppering its surface. Each pancake was evenly sized and mouthwatering to look at.


    It was enough to whet her appetite.


    He Sui was simrly entranced. His hands moved to a mind of its own, snaking toward the tempting dishes. However, before reaching the scallion pancakes, He Zhou rapped his hand using his chopsticks, stopping him.


    He Sui turned to his sibling, puzzled. He Zhou brought a te of scallion pancakes to He Jing and said, ¡°What do you think? How can I improve?¡±


    He Sui was left speechless. He Jing quirked a brow, tearing off a corner of the pancake and popping it into her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s cooked very well, Third Brother,¡± He Jing said as she licked her fingers clean.


    ¡°Speak truthfully,¡± He Zhou retorted.


    He Zhou¡¯s rebuke prompted He Jing to borate. ¡°You used too much oil, and the pancakes are slightly burnt. Sesame oil would have been better than the blend you used to cook this. Shorten the cooking time, and you¡¯d bring out the fragrance and taste more than you already have.¡±


    He Zhou immediately went back into the kitchen.


    He Jing was also shocked. She frowned, staring at He Zhou¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Won¡¯t Third Brother bete to ss if he continues?¡± He Jing muttered worriedly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Third Brother is always like this,¡± He Ning said as he turned on the old TV,pletely unphased by He Zhou¡¯s reaction.


    Left unsaid was his concern for how long He Jing could put up with He Zhou¡¯s fixation.


    A whileter, He Zhou exited the kitchen with a fresh batch of scallion pancakes, which he asked He Jing to sample. He Jing took a bite and found it tasted much better than herst one. She nodded in approval and said, ¡°Yes, it tastes much better this way.¡±


    Only then did He Zhou sit down with a gloomy face and eat breakfast with them.


    It was seven o¡¯clock in the morning. A City was broadcasting the morning news.


    The well-dressed female host said, ¡°Recently, fraudulent television programs have been on the rise, attracting the attention of the Central Bureau for Radio, Film, and Television. The Bureau has issued a statement, tightening supervisory guidelines, rifying rules, and itstest crackdown measures on fakes and frauds.¡¯


    . Among those being investigated are ¡®The Peach Blossom Debt of Ten and Ten Lives¡¯ and ¡®Angel¡¯s Smile¡¯¡­ Several programs have shown signs of receiving boosted ratings, and this includes ¡®Where is the King of Singers?¡¯ and the ¡®Kitchen King Competition.¡¯ Both programs were noted for having shady dealings¡­¡±


    He Jing was eating her porridge when she heard something interesting in the news. She looked up, and to her shock, she saw Chef Luo on television interviewed by a reporter regarding the Kitchen King Competition. ¡°The show is aplete hoax!¡± Chef Luo cried, angered by the injusticemitted against him. ¡°My score was higher than Chef Wang¡¯s during the judging, but when the show was broadcast, the results were swapped¡­¡±


    He Jing did not know how to react.


    That was what she said!


    ¡°Hey, Third Brother, isn¡¯t the Kitchen King Competition a show you¡¯re following?¡± He Sui eximed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fan of Chef Wang?¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than the atmosphere at the dining table took a nose dive.


    He Sui shrunk into himself, like a turtle retracting its head, not knowing what he had said wrong.


    He Ning nced at He Zhou and gained a vague impression of what had caused the shift in mood. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a fan of Chef Wang,¡± He Zhou growled through gritted teeth.


    He Jing did not expect this turn of events. It was funny but also awkvvard. She quickly finished her porridge and packed her books, preparing for school.


    He Sui followed her example, not daring to remain.


    He Ning, He Zhou, and He Xiaoguo were left in the living room. After eating,


    He Xiaoguo took the dishes to the kitchen and washed them. He Zhou eyed He


    Ning as he slowly got to his feet. ¡°Do you still remember what we promised Xiao Yi before she left?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± He Ning said lightly.


    ¡°Then why are you still-¡®


    How could he watch as He Jinig bullied Cheng Yi?


    How could he keep silent when He Jing bullied Cheng Yi to tears?


    He Ning met He Zhou¡¯s gaze. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like He Jing, she¡¯s not what you think..¡±

 Chapter 100 - 100: We’ll Leave

    Chapter 100: We¡¯ll Leave


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing and He Sui got on the bus, but He Ning did not follow them. He Sui was even more puzzled. He Ning and He Zhou were not usually very close, so why would they have anything to say to each other? Whatever. It was not his business.


    However, there was something that was-


    ¡°He Jing, can you make me more food in the future? It¡¯d probably have to be a secret between us.¡±


    He Jing nced at He Sui, who was clinging to her like a loyal dog, and teased him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Cheng Yi cook for you?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi¡¯s cooking will kill you.¡±


    He Sui had spoken out of prejudice when he said He Jing¡¯s cooking would not taste good. Cheng Yi never cooked, and the one time she tried, she nearly put the whole family in aa. It just so happened that the day she chose to cook was their mother¡¯s birthday. Each dish was a blow that forced them to question the origin of Cheng Yi¡¯s ingredients.


    That day, the He family looked sickly and pale, with their hands clutching their stomachs as they queued outside a small clinic for treatment. It was such a disturbing sight that passersby thought they were on drugs and nearly reported them to the police.


    He Sui¡¯s request was not much. All she needed were a few more ingredients. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll make you sweet potato fritters tonight.¡¯


    He Sui rubbed his hands, tearing up as he said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so nice.¡±


    He Jing got goosebumps from He Sui¡¯s emotional disy.


    When they arrived at school, He Jing realized that Cheng Yi was still absent, so she deducted another ten points from her.


    Although she did not want to cause trouble, it was not trouble she was causing if she was only performing her duties.


    ¡°Cheng Yi mustn¡¯t be feeling well,¡± He Jing heard Shen Qiuyu say, ¡°Our teacher is sending a student representative to check on her.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going?¡± Several students mored for an answer.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Shen Qiuyu snorted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who goes so long as Sister Jing isn¡¯t forced to. Otherwise, I¡¯ll petition our teacher to choose someone else.¡±


    Speak of the devil! Their teacher was at the door and called, ¡°He Jing, I need to speak with you for a bit.¡± He Jing was speechless.


    Shen Qiuyu had jinxed her!


    No sooner had He Jing done as her teacher asked than she was informed of the matter and tasked with finding out how Cheng Yi was. He Jing would have to visit Cheng Yi at the Cheng family residence.


    He Jing did not want to see Ye Shuping. She frowned and tried to decline, but her form teacher stopped her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your feud with Cheng Yi. Although Cheng Yi is in the wrong, she is still a part of the Cheng family, and they have considerable influence over the school. Work hard, and the school will do its best to offer what other schrships are avable.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, teacher.¡± He Jing agreed readily.


    How could she say no when her teacher framed things this way?


    After school, He Jing dragged Shen Qiuyu along since he had volunteered to stand up for her. Wu Yu was happy to join in on the fun and tagged along with a few other kind-hearted students, bearing baskets of fruits to Cheng Yi¡¯s house.


    The Cheng family residence was locked up tight, but it was clear there were people around since the flowers and bushes had just been watered. He Jing pressed the doorbell, which was connected to a camera. ¡°Uncle Cheng, Auntie Ye,¡± she called, ¡°we heard that Cheng Yi is unwell, so we came to see her.¡± ¡°Tell her to get lost!¡± A female voice screeched in the background.


    The Cheng family¡¯s housekeeper ryed the message as politely as possible: ¡°Miss He, the young miss is unwell, and Madam is in a bad mood. Pleasee back some other day.¡±


    The rude dismissal irked the students standing behind He Jing. Shen Qiuyu, in particr, was furious. He stomped forward and shouted, ¡°Auntie, we came to visit Cheng Yi with good intentions. It¡¯s alright if we¡¯vee at a bad time, but there shouldn¡¯t be any need to tell us to leave so rudely! No wonder Cheng Yi¡¯s character leaves so much to be desired. If this was her upbringing, I¡¯m not surprised she¡¯s turned out the way she has. Fine.. We¡¯re leaving!¡±

 Chapter 101 - 101: Bitchy Behavior

    Chapter 101: Bitchy Behavior


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Shuping was shocked. She thought He Jing was the only one who came. How could she have known she would bring a group with her?


    This¡­


    ¡°Mom, who are you talking to?¡±


    Cheng Yi heard themotion and got up from the bed. Her paleplexion made her look quite pitiful.


    Ye Shuping turned around, her eyelids twitching. ¡°Why are you up when you¡¯re unwell?¡± Ye Shuping hurried to Cheng Yi¡¯s side, fussing over her. ¡°Quick, go to bed and lie down.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Cheng Yi cried.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s your ssmate,¡± Ye Shuping said awkwardly.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression changed. She quickly walked to the smart cat¡¯s eye surveince camera and saw Shen Qiuyu throw the fruit basket on the ground. She called out to her ssmates and was about to go back. She tugged Ye


    Shuping¡¯s sleeve urgently. ¡°Mom, you have to stop them! What will they think of me if you don¡¯t let them in? I won¡¯t have any face to stay in Yin High School afterward!¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s anxiety was palpable to Ye Shuping. Eventually, she relented, saying, ¡°Jingjing, have your ssmatese in.¡±


    He Jing could almost see the drastic change in Ye Shuping¡¯s expression and nearly burst intoughter. Still, she did not refuse and said to Shen Qiuyu, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go in, you can go back first. Our teacher tasked me with this assignment. I shall see it through to report Cheng Yi¡¯s condition.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu did not feelfortable letting He Jing go in alone. Ye Shuping had looked like she wanted to eat He Jing up earlier when they greeted her through the inte. ¡°We¡¯ll go in together,¡± Shen Qiuyu said, grabbing He Jing¡¯s arm.


    The other students looked at each other. Ultimately, they could not resist the ¡®we¡¯re already here¡¯ mentality and shuffled in after their two ssmates.


    To make up for her mistake, Ye Shuping got one of the housekeepers to prepare snacks and drinks to wee them. None of the refreshments were cheap. In front of He Jing and Cheng Yi¡¯s ssmates, Ye Shuping knew she could not be too mean to the former. She tried asking about He Jing¡¯s well-being, but He Jing brushed her off, getting straight to the point. ¡°Our teacher asked us to visit Student Cheng Yi. Is she seriously ill?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, Xiao Yi is much better now,¡± Ye Shuping quipped sarcastically.


    He Jing was speechless.


    At this moment, Cheng Yi walked out of the room. In weing them, Cheng Yi dressed up, doing her best to look less disheveled.


    Sensing that the atmosphere in the living room was not right, she nced at


    Ye Shuping and said sweetly, ¡°Mom.¡±


    Only then did Ye Shuping restrain herself.


    She got up from her seat on the sofa and said, ¡°Well, I shan¡¯t disturb you youngsters.¡±


    Cheng Yi took the seat Ye Shuping had upied, greeting her peers with augh, ¡°Come now! There¡¯s no need to be so reserved among friends.¡±


    No one moved. They shared a look, numbly ncing between He Jing and Cheng Yi.


    The smile on Cheng Yi¡¯s face froze, and she turned to He Jing. He Jing responded, saying, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯ll leave as soon as we¡¯ve found out how you are.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s condescension grated on Cheng Yi¡¯s nerves, but she had no choice but to endure the insult. Appearing innocent yet aggrieved, she asked, ¡°Is something wrong? Did Mom say something to upset you?¡±


    Of course, He Jing did not mean to sound condescending ¨C she merely wanted toplete her task and leave. She could not be bothered to y nice and put up with the lot if she did not need to.


    ¡°Sister He Jing,¡± Cheng Yi began, ¡°you¡¯ve lived with Mom for years. You know she has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She dotes on you very much. She is just angry that you haven¡¯t returned to see her in so long, so she was a little harsher than normal. Don¡¯t be mad with her, okay?¡± He Jing almost guffawed in anger.


    What was Cheng Yi ying at this time?


    Was she being catty again?


    Although Cheng Yi had made it sound nice, she had actually pushed all the me on her.


    Ye Shuping may not have treated her nicely, but if she were to argue with Cheng Yi, others would see her as an ungrateful wretch.


    ¡°Of course.¡± He Jing smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mom must have missed me since she changed the door locks, and I could not see her. Hence, today¡¯s visit allowed me to see her and you, Cheng Yi..¡±

 Chapter 102 - 102: Recording

    Chapter 102: Recording


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As soon as He Jing revealed the truth, those students who had formed certain thoughts regarding the strange situation wore looks of disdain.


    Changing the door locks and then ming He Jing for not seeing her¡­ What kind of peerless weirdo was she?


    Ye Shuping had raised He Jing as if she were her daughter for over ten years, yet now she guarded against her as if she were a thief. No wonder He Jing had to ring the doorbell before entering what was once her home.


    Cheng Yi choked in embarrassment. He Jing was telling the truth. Ye Shuping had changed the door locks when the truth came out that He Jing was not her daughter. Knowing nothing she said could remedy the situation and fearing that further debate would worsen things, Cheng Yi hastily changed the subject.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about Manman. I was in a bad mood that day and did not want to answer her call. The school has already rescinded Manman¡¯s punishment, and she has also learned her lesson. She even wrote a 10,000-word reflection, which she will read aloud during the g-raising ceremony next Monday¡­¡±


    ¡°He Jing, can you find it in yourself to forgive Manman? If not for her, then on my behalf?¡±


    He Jing was not surprised by what Cheng Yi had aplished behind the scenes; it was the only way she could save her reputation. She just had not expected her to act so quickly. Cheng Yi¡¯s sudden illness made more sense now.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s words swayed the students¡¯ hearts.


    Kind-hearted people were less likely to judge others with malice. Perhaps it had all been a misunderstanding?


    ¡°How does what Zhang Man did rte to you?¡± One of the students asked.


    The whole ss had heard what Zhang Man had said that day. Of course, they could not rule out the possibility that Zhang Man had cooked up the story and wanted to drag Cheng Yi down with her if she was going to be expelled.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyshes quivered, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Please, believe me! How could I do such a thing? After the incident, Manman apologized, saying she should not have med me for her actions. She said what she did out of impulse and fear that she would be expelled from Yin High School. Here. I recorded her words for anyone who wants to hear it for themself.¡±


    He Jing nced at Shen Qiuyu. Shen Qiuyu crossed his arms in front of his chest and had an arrogant attitude that said, ¡®Go ahead! Let¡¯s see if you can wash away your sins!¡¯ ¡°y it,¡± he said.


    Cheng Yi took out her phone and said, ¡°This is the recording of our conversation via WeChat.¡±


    In the recording, Zhang Man apologized to Cheng Yi in all seriousness, iming that all she said in ss was nonsense.


    She also insinuated that her loss of control was because He Jing had misled her.


    The students looked at He Jing differently.


    That¡¯s right. That day, Zhang Man had only wanted He Jing to let her go. After He Jing¡¯s few words of provocation, the situation inexplicably changed. In that case¡­


    Then, the dishonest one was not Cheng Yi, but¡­


    He Jing smiled faintly. ¡°I never expected you to be the sort to record conversations on your phone, Cheng Yi. Even if you lost a huge sum of money because of online fraud, you¡¯ll still recover in time, using the Cheng family¡¯s legal team to sue the other party into bankruptcy. Now that Zhang Man has returned to school, the matter is over. Does it matter whether I forgive you or


    That¡¯s right.


    Why would she record a conversation on WeChat?


    Cheng Yi had gone so far as to have Zhang Man return to school and ask He Jing¡¯s forgiveness.


    So what? It was not like He Jing could have Zhang Man expelled from Yin High School just because she did not forgive her. Wasn¡¯t everything decided by Cheng Yi, the real daughter of the Cheng family?


    Silence filled the air.


    Wu Yu could not stand it anymore and urged He Jing, ¡°Sister Jing, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He Jing nodded, cing the fruit basket on the coffee table.


    The group was about to leave when Cheng Yi coughed violently.


    Then, they heard the housekeeper call out anxiously, ¡°Miss..¡± Before anyone could react, Ye Shuping rushed out of the room and cried in a panic, ¡°Xiao Yi!¡±

 Chapter 103 - 103: Blackmailing

    Chapter 103: ckmailing


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi fainted.


    Shey on the sofa, pale and unconscious. Only her lips were still red.


    Ye Shuping whipped around, ring at He Jing as she demanded, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    He Jing had not done anything; everyone around her could attest to it. She had not said anything untrue or gone overboard.


    Shen Qiuyu was enraged by Ye Shuping¡¯s usation against He Jing. She stood by He Jing¡¯s side, ring at Cheng Yi¡¯s mother with big, expressive eyes.


    ¡°Auntie, shouldn¡¯t you call for a doctor instead of trying to me people for Cheng Yi¡¯s condition? Is this some sort of sick trick?¡±


    Ye Shuping checked herself, realizing she had gotten her priorities mixed up. Frantically, she called for the housekeeper, saying, ¡°Quick, quick, call the family doctor over.¡±


    The housekeeper, who had been checking on Cheng Yi¡¯s condition, immediately did as she was told. Soon, a skinny young man dressed in a white coat arrived and promptly went to his patient, checking Cheng Yi¡¯s heartbeat with a stethoscope. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She fainted because she got herself too worked up. Let her lie in bed for a bit, and she should be fine.¡±


    Ye Shuping heaved a huge sigh of relief. She followed the doctor¡¯s instructions and helped the housekeeper carry Cheng Yi to her room.


    He Jing stood rooted to the spot and tried to figure out Cheng Yi¡¯s intentions. If the person who came today were the fake daughter, Ye Shuping, whom she regarded as her biological mother, would be saddened and upset by her mother¡¯s reaction, perhaps going so far as to say something she ought not to have.


    In that case, not only would Cheng Yi have salvaged the situation, but her ssmates would also develop a negative opinion toward her.


    At the thought of this, He Jing felt inexplicably amused. Fortunately, she was not the original He Jing but an imposter that had transmigrated into this body.


    She had no feelings for Ye Shuping at all. No matter what thetter said, it would not affect or cause her tosh out. Cheng Yi¡¯s n was doomed to fail from the start.


    Not wanting to stay for even a second longer, He Jing said to Shen Qiuyu, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu raged. ¡°She¡¯s been a mother to you for more than ten years. How could she treat you like this?¡±


    He Jing offered her a wan smile. ¡°It¡¯s human nature to feel for what is theirs I¡¯m not her biological daughter, so I don¡¯t count for much in her eyes. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±


    Still¡­


    Wasn¡¯t Ye Shuping too heartless?


    ¡°I finally understand why I never liked you in the past, Sister Jing. It seems a change in family circumstances, and education can do a lot. You¡¯re not the same person you once were,¡± Shen Qiuyu said.


    Wu Yu agreed, nodding frantically, ¡°I like the current Sister Jing. The previous Sister Jing was too cold¡­¡±


    When Ye Shuping came out of Cheng Yi¡¯s room, He Jing greeted her, ¡°Since


    Cheng Yi is fine, we¡¯ll take our leave. Please excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ye Shuping said. She eyed those standing behind He Jing warily, and her expression changed. ¡°I misspoke earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have taken that tone with you. Jingjing, why don¡¯t you stay here? I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s curiosity spiked. Ye Shuping was still posturing aggressively, but at least her general attitude had slightly mellowed. It seemed Cheng Yi had said something to her just now.


    He Jing was very curious to know what she had to say. However, Shen Qiuyu spoke up on her behalf and rejected Ye Shuping¡¯s invitation without a second thought. ¡°If you have something to say, then say it. Don¡¯t even think about bullying Sister Jing while we¡¯re not around to support her!¡±


    These repeated humiliations at Shen Qiuyu¡¯s hands had left Ye Shuping in a foul mood. Uncaring about her status or how she might be perceived, she reprimanded Shen Qiuyu. ¡°Student Shen, I¡¯m currently speaking to my goddaughter. Is it your ce to interrupt a private conversation? Is this how your elders have taught you to behave?¡±


    No matter how arrogant Shen Qiuyu was, she was still a young girl. Ye Shuping¡¯s verbalshing caused her eyes to mist with unshed tears. He Jing gripped Shen Qiuyu¡¯s shoulderfortingly even as she turned her icy gaze upon Ye Shuping. ¡°If you have anything to say, just say it. Only you have imed me as your gooddaughter, but nowhere have I said I agree to you being my godmother. I don¡¯t wish to remain here any longer..¡±

 Chapter 104 - 104: I Deserve It

    Chapter 104: I Deserve It


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t me me for embarrassing you in front of so many people.¡± Ye Shuping said.


    He Jing remained silent. She quirked a brow, waiting to see what Ye Shuping had to say.


    Ye Shuping took a deep breath, saying hatefully, ¡°He Jing, stay away from Young Master Yan. You¡¯re no longer the daughter of the Cheng family; Xiao Yi is, and she will fulfill the betrothal agreement in your ce. Don¡¯t try to reach for things beyond your means and status, and¡­¡±


    . give the opportunity to shoot a promotional MV to those who actually deserve it.¡±


    He Jing now knew Ye Shuping¡¯s intentions.


    It turned out that Cheng Yi coveted her opportunity, hoping to shoot a promotional MV with Yan Hanxi.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t give up this opportunity just because you want me to. As for who deserves it-¡±


    He Jing¡¯s cherry-colored lips curled into a smirk as she confidently said, ¡°I deserve it. I¡¯m the school belle, after all.¡±


    He Jing did not wait for a response as she spun on her heel, Shen Qiuyu and the rest of her ssmates trailing after her.


    Ye Shuping stomped her feet in frustration, returning to Cheng Yi¡¯s room. ¡°Mom, how was it?¡± Cheng Yi asked through misty eyes. ¡°Xiao Yi, you should focus on your health before anything else.¡± Such an evasive answer implied she had failed.


    Cheng Yi was a little disappointed, but she was not too discouraged.


    It seemed she had to figure out how to deal with He Jing herself. Everyone else was unreliable!


    Cheng Yi spent two days recuperating. In those two days, she could not get her mind off school.


    When she finally returned, no one in school isted her. Instead, a new emotion seemed to have taken root in their eyes.


    The first thing Shen Qiuyu did when she got to school the next day was announce what had happened at the Cheng family residence. She described Ye


    Shuping¡¯s intense dislike of He Jing, including the supposed marriage between Yan Hanxi and the young miss of the Cheng family.


    It was a stunning revtion to the whole student body. Could the bond between mother and daughter vanish just because they were unrted by blood?


    How long had it been¡­?


    No wonder there was so much bad blood between He Jing and the Cheng family.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s status in the Cheng family was as real as it could be, and not even He Jing couldpare to her with all of them dancing in the palm of the Cheng family¡¯s hands.


    He Jing buried her head in her homework and did not notice the sympathetic looks sent her way by her ssmates. A certain big shot, however, seemedpletely unphased by the situation and continued to stick close to He Jing, enraptured by her beauty. ¡°Miss Merit Student, you should take a break!¡± Yan Hanxi teased, plucking He Jing¡¯s pen out of her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± He Jing replied, sparing Yan Hanxi a cool look.


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Wait for me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± He Jing answered expressionlessly.


    Yan Hanxi felt there was something off about He Jing¡¯s mood. Now that he had heard her speak, this feeling became a certainty. He leaned closer to her with narrowed eyes and said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing anything to offend you. Are you angry at me because of what someone else said?¡±


    He Jing paused, momentarily speechless. Unhappily, she sniffed, ¡°Which eye of yours tells you I¡¯m angry?¡±


    ¡°I never said you were angry; I just said you looked angry.¡±


    ¡°Semantics.¡±


    Yan Hanxi chuckled, his fingers brushing away the loose strands that had be untucked by the wind. ¡°Do you know what you look like now? You look like a pufferfish with those bloated cheeks of yours. You¡¯re just short of wearing a billboard saying you¡¯re annoyed.¡±


    He Jing did not believe a word he said. She would never reveal her emotions in public! How could she have turned into a pufferfish? Rummaging in her desk¡¯s drawer, she fished out herpact mirror to check herself. She still looked the same as usual¡­


    Yan Hanxi could not suppress his bark ofughter, barely doing anything to silence it.


    He Jing red at him angrily.


    Yan Hanxi had never thought anyone could look so cute being angry. He Jing was one-of-a-kind. Clearing his throat, a half smile tugging at his lips, he began, ¡°I¡¯ve heard some rumors floating about in ss¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing is going on between Cheng Yi and me. We¡¯re ssmates, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s not something that will change now or in the future..¡±

 Chapter 105 - 105: Banned Couple

    Chapter 105: Banned Couple


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Those clear words jumped into He Jing¡¯s ears word by word, leaving her stunned for a long time.


    Why did he make such a statement?


    What was he exining to her?


    But¡­


    He Jing¡¯s mood had improved a little, not because she liked Yan Hanxi or anything, but because it was rare for someone to be free from Cheng Yi¡¯s charms. It would be a pity if he fell for Cheng Yi¡¯s skirt¡­


    ¡°As for you, Miss Merit Student¡­¡± Yan Hanxi smiled at her. ¡°How about starring in that promotional music video with me?¡±


    He Jing frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a screenwriter in charge of the script and cast of the promotional MV?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the script. There are scenes involving hugging, kissing, and holding hands¡­¡± Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes twinkled with barely concealed delight, a flirtatious air about him. ¡°The screenwriter is also a student. They¡¯re probably shipping us together! ¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    The male lead and the female supporting character could have CP fans.


    What kind of evil cult was this school?


    ¡°Our CP fans call us the banned couple,¡± Yan Hanxi added.


    He Jing¡¯s mind was in a mess, the corners of her mouth twitching uncontrobly. ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Afraid that Yan Hanxi was telling the truth, He Jing fled. Her goal? The screenwriter who darede up with such an outrageous script. Not until she was out of the ssroom that she stopped and questioned if she was being tricked by Yan Hanxi again.


    Terrible! He was just in awful!


    The screenwriter was originally very satisfied with the script she had just finished writing. When she saw He Jing¡¯s expression, she thought He Jing was dissatisfied with her script. There was not anything wrong with it, was there? It was well nned, reflecting the values of Yin High School. She had not even yed up on the intimacy between the school belle and resident hunk!


    No, no. After some deliberation, she gritted her teeth, cut down the screen time allocated to the school, and added a few more scenes where the school belle and hunk interacted.


    Initially, everyone thought that Zhang Man¡¯s return to the school would end the matter of voter fraud and framing. However, they never expected the school to take further disciplinary actions against Zhang Man.


    Although Zhang Man had not been expelled, she had to start again from her first year of high school. Moreover, she would have to repeat the year if she failed even one subject. It was a punishment she would carry with her for all three years at Yin High School.


    He Jing¡¯s eyes darted to Yan Hanxi immediately upon hearing the news. As usual, Yan Hanxi was dozing in his seat.


    Yan Hanxi buried his face in a book, using it as a makeshift nket, tucking his nose and chin beneath its soft pages. Only his eyebrows were visible over the rim.


    It framed his face, casting an irregr fan-shaped shadow over most of his face.


    ¡°Did you have anything to do with Zhang Man¡¯s punishment?¡± He Jing asked.


    Yan Hanxi remained motionless in this position. ¡°How could so? It was a decision made by the school after careful consideration of the circumstances.¡± He Jing believed him.


    Yan Hanxi had no enmity with Zhang Man, so he had no reason to make things difficult for her.


    ¡°You promised to treat me to a meal. When are you going to honor it?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    Oh-


    She would have forgotten about her promise had Yan Hanxi not reminded her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it to school tomorrow,¡± He Jing said.


    ¡°You can cook?¡± Yan Hanxi raised an eyebrow.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s reaction was the same as He Sui¡¯s. It was almost insulting. ¡°Why? Do you think I can¡¯t cook?¡± He Jing demanded a little unhappily.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Yan Hanxi smirked, his expression turning meaningful, ¡°I was just too stupid not to see your strengths. My bad.¡±


    Otherwise, he would have eaten that meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless to regret the past. I never knew how to cook before; I only learned how to cook recently¡­¡± He Jing replied.


    Yan Hanxi was struck speechless.


    What was he supposed to do in this situation? This was not part of the script!


    At this point, He Jing had a bad taste in her mouth and decided to return the favor by mercilessly teasing, ¡°Let me warn you, my cooking is so good that it poisoned a few rats to death when they ingested it.¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106: You’re Ruthless

    Chapter 106: You¡¯re Ruthless


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yan Hanxi was initially skeptical, but after hearing her words, he chuckled, amused. ¡°I¡¯ll have a good taste, then.¡±


    His teasing had failed to hit the mark¡­


    He Jing pursed her lips in boredom. It was boring¡­


    She did not know that Cheng Yi had exploded in a fit while she was racking her brains to figure out how to prepare something that would meet Boss Yan¡¯s standards.


    Receiving a slew of phone calls from Zhang Man, Cheng Yi had no choice but to answer or show that she was deliberately avoiding the former. As soon as the call connected, Zhang Man roared, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say everything would be fine once you returned to school?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Xi to interfere,¡± Cheng Yi replied weakly. Even she was helpless!


    ¡°I¡¯m in this state because of you. I don¡¯t care what you do, but there must be another way!¡±


    Cheng Yi gritted her teeth. She had already shamelessly begged Ye Shuping to help her once, so she could not ask for a second boon so soon. Hardening her heart, her icy words were like knives twisting in an open wound, ¡°Stop fooling around. What else can I do?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to watch as I repeat high school with the juniors a year lower than us? I¡¯ll be the joke of the school!¡± Zhang Man snarled. ¡°No matter how inferior my family¡¯s background ispared to yours, I still have a reputation to maintain. I¡¯ve already written a reflection and an apology, just as you made me do. I did it because you promised everything would be fine! Is this what you call fine?!¡±


    Cheng Yi was speechless. She had indeed promised Zhang Man that she would deal with the issue. However, the situation had developed beyond her control, far exceeding her expectations or ability to influence.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help me settle this matter, I¡¯ll tell everyone you forced me to write that reflection and produce that recording. Don¡¯t think for a second that you¡¯d be able to stay in Yin High School afterward!¡±


    Now that their rtionship had devolved to this extent, friendship was worth less than a farthing. All Zhang Man cared about was safeguarding her interests.


    When Cheng Yi heard this, she sneered. ¡°Since you¡¯re threatening me, I¡¯ll take it you no longer value our friendship. In which case, say whatever you want!


    Let¡¯s see who the school popce believes.¡±


    Only then did Zhang Man finally see the truth. She had been used.


    Cheng Yi dared to say something so bold as dissolving their friendship because she did not want to leave any evidence behind. No wonder she suddenly changed her phone number, making it difficult to contact her. Even her


    WeChat ount was brand new.


    Cheng Yi had already prepared to sever all ties with her.


    ¡°Hah! You win this time. Cheng Yi, you better pray I don¡¯t catch your slithering, slimy tail one day!¡±


    Cheng Yi hung up the phone, seething.


    Once bitten, twice shy. That was Zhang Man in a nutshell. She was naturally cautious and never allowed anyone to take advantage of her more than once.


    It seemed she would have to think of a way to get rid of Zhang Man ¨C perhaps, having her drop out of school so that she would not be a nuisance.


    Several twists and turns urred in the intervening period, but in the end, Zhang Man voluntarily withdrew from Yin High School.


    The Zhang family was considered a fairly wealthy one in A city. They could not afford to have their daughter be aughing stock in the circles they walked in, so they sent Zhang Man out of the country. All this happened in the span of a night.


    He Jing bought a big bag of ingredients from the supermarket that night. Some were for the fancy dishes she had promised Yan Hanxi, while the others were for the sweet potato balls she had promised He Sui.


    He Sui had been looking forward to them ever since school ended for the day. When he saw He Jing enter the kitchen with bagsden with groceries, he followed her, afraid he would miss out on more of He Jing¡¯s delicious cooking. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need my help with, just say the word!¡± He Sui said eagerly.


    He Ning was heading for his room when he noticed He Jing in the kitchen preparing food and immediately made an about turn, sitting on the sofa instead.


    He Zhou leaned against the kitchen door and peered at the duo inside. He Xiaoguo was the only one left in the dark. He tilted his head, blinking hisrge, curious eyes up at He Jing, and asked, ¡°Sister Jing, are you cooking again? Are you as bad at cooking as Sister Xiao Yi?¡±


    He Xiaoguo was the sole member of the family who had never tasted He Jing¡¯s cooking and still had no idea how skilled He Jing was


    He Sui could not bear to keep up the pretense and crowed, ¡°Sister Jing¡¯s food is delicious!¡± He did so while peeling sweet potatoes and yam ording to He Jing¡¯s instructions.


    No sooner had he spoken than he felt a chill run down his spine.


    He peered at He Zhou, realizing his brother¡¯s gloomy expression, which seemed to grow uglier by the second. Not wanting to cause a row among siblings, he quickly amended, ¡°It¡¯s not that delicious. It¡¯s only a little better than Third Brother¡¯s cooking..¡±

 Chapter 107 - 107: This Is Courtesy

    Chapter 107: This Is Courtesy


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou¡¯s expression turned even worse.


    He Jing intervened before He Zhou copsed from anger. ¡°Fourth Brother, please help me peel the skin off these melons.¡±


    He Sui happily threw himself into the task he was assigned. Squatting by the kitchen door, He Xiaoguo chirped expectantly, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to try Sister Jing¡¯s cooking.¡±


    He Jing had bought so much for this exact reason. She would whip up a feast to fill them. While He Sui busied himself peeling the skin off a sweet potato, He Jing gathered those he had already peeled, steaming the sweet potatoes and yam separately.


    The sweet potatoes and yam would need to be steamed for about half an hour. In the meantime, she would prepare the pork, marinating it with salt before giving it an egg wash andthering it in corn starch. Afterward, she fried the pork in a shallow pan until crisp.


    For the homemade milk tea she had in mind, she brewed a pot of tea, steeping the high-quality Ceylon tea leaves in hot water for two to three minutes. Then she poured milk into the mix and filtered the drink through ader into a jug with wild fruits and red beans.


    It took less than an hour for her to finish prepping the veritable feast, including a beef Wellington, French vegetable jellies, and a seafood stew for


    Yan Hanxi.


    He Xiaoguo was a diligent shadow, peering through the kitchen door for the past hour as she cooked. Surprisingly, he had not gotten bored. Instead, he sighed, mumbling, ¡°Sister Jing is awesome¡­¡±


    He Zhou had watched for a while, his expression a frigid mask, and left when he had seen enough. He did not even consider tasting He Jing¡¯s cooking. More importantly, he needed to note down all the steps He Jing had taken in prepping the food. He closed his eyes and tried to recall everything he had seen in detail.


    His intense concentration was only broken when He Jing knocked on the door, calling, ¡°Third Brother.¡±


    He Zhou snapped his notebook shut and answered, ¡°Come in.¡±


    He Jing entered with her French vegetable jelly, the mostplicated dish he had seen her make. The crystalline jellyplimented He Jing¡¯s bright smile as she said, ¡°Third Brother, I only made two portions of the jelly. I¡¯ll give you one to try.¡±


    He Zhou felt his eyes drawn to the crystal-like French vegetable jelly. With narrowed eyes, he asked, ¡°If you only made enough for two, why do you want me to have one to try?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I was the first to taste the scallion pancakes you made, Third Brother. It is only polite that I reciprocate. If Fourth Brother and the rest had not objected so vehemently, I would have let you have the first pick of all the food I made,¡± He Jing said.


    Fair enough.


    He Zhou silently picked up the vegetable jelly, examining it. ¡°A proper French vegetable jelly calls for far more ingredients than those I used,¡± He Jing began, ¡°I did not think we needed so many, so I adapted the recipe and simplified it. The main ingredients are carrots, corn, cucumbers, zhini, and purple cabbage. I added them in the order I just said. It¡¯s best to let the jelly sit in the fridge for at least six hours to preserve the color and taste. Unfortunately, I had no time to let it sit in the refrigerator. The taste might becking, but it shouldn¡¯t be by too much.¡±


    He Zhou took a bite, and the aroma of fresh vegetables spread across the tip of his tongue. He hated eating carrots, but at this moment, he felt nothing couldpare to the sweetness of the carrots melting in his mouth. The vor of each vegetable unfolded one at a time, like the petals of a delicate rose, empowering and reinforcing each one that came before.


    It was sour, sweet, salty¡­ Despite all the vors melding together, the jelly was surprisingly light. It was perfection in a bite.


    ¡°How is it?¡± He Jing asked.


    He Zhou did not want to speak well of He Jing¡¯s cooking, but he could not fight his conscience. In the end, he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make another one tomorrow.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s lips trembled. He wanted to say something, but no words were forting. He Jing cleared the empty te and excused herself.


    No sooner had she exited He Zhou¡¯s room than she saw He Sui and He Xiaoguo arguing over thest piece of crispy pork.


    ¡°Fourth Brother is shameless. I won the rock-paper-scissorspetition.¡±


    ¡°Best of five.¡±


    ¡°Fourth Brother just said the best of three!¡±


    While the two of them argued, they didn¡¯t realize that He Ning had already picked up the crispy meat expressionlessly..

 Chapter 108 - 108: Don’t Be Tricked By Her

    Chapter 108: Don¡¯t Be Tricked By Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The next day, He Jing brought the food she had made to school.


    Yan Hanxi had not arrived yet, but Wu Yu was early, so he was around to greet her when she arrived.


    He stared curiously at He Jing¡¯s pink lunch box and asked surprisedly, ¡°Sister


    Jing, did you bring lunch today? Who made it?¡±


    ¡°I made it myself,¡± He Jing said, taking her seat.


    As if he had seen a ghost, Wu Yu opened his mouth, mumbling in disbelief,


    ¡°Sister Jing, when did you learn how to cook?¡±


    Wu Yu¡¯s shocked expression immediately attracted the attention of the rest of the ss.


    ¡°Sister Jing, I didn¡¯t know you could cook.¡± Shen Qiuyu was startled by this revtion.


    ¡°Is cooking really that difficult?¡± He Jingughed.


    Shen Qiuyu nodded and said, ¡°Yin High School used to offer cooking sses. However, as no one could cook, and everything the students prepared caused the cooking teacher to be sick, the school had no choice but to stop offering the elective. It was so bad that Yin High School lost all its cooking teachers!¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    Who could have known Yin High School would bear such a past?


    What kind of magical ce was Yin High School supposed to be?


    Wu Yu had never seen He Jing cook before. In a previous cooking ss, He Jing had instructed them on how to cook and prepare ingredients, tasking them to work in small groups of no more than three. He Jing bringing food with her today was nothing short of a miracle! ¡°Sister Jing, may I open the lunchbox and see what¡¯s inside?


    He Jing frowned.


    Wu Yu was the only one intrigued; Shen Qiuyu and the rest of the ss were also interested in its contents.


    A sea of curious eyes shined with barely restrained curiosity. That is until a certain young man with an exceptionally noble bearing entered the ss and made his presence known. That young man strolled into ss, a mix of confidence and feline grace in hiszy gait.


    He Jing stuffed the lunch box into the young man¡¯s hand. ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± Instantly, everyone¡¯s eyes shifted from He Jing to Yan Hanxi.


    Yan Hanxi looked at the cheap stic lunchbox in his hand, which had a cute


    Hello Kitty on it, and said, ¡°Did you make it?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did; I never go back on my word,¡± He Jing replied.


    Yan Hanxi opened the lunchbox and saw that the firstyer was the overly beautiful French vegetable jelly, its colors scintiting in the light of the crowd¡¯s shocked gazes.


    He Jing¡¯s cooking skills could not have been too bad since she dared to cook for him. However, she had far exceeded his expectations. This was not just good. It was amazing!


    As the heir of the Yan family, he had eaten countless delicacies. Naturally, he could tell the value of this French jelly at a nce. Based on its alluring appearance, it would cost at least 80,000 yuan at a high-ss hotel.


    Sitting in her seat, Cheng Yi observed themotion from afar, her mocking expression freezing on her face.


    How could this be?


    The Cheng family clearly said He Jing did not know how to cook!


    The only time He Jing had cooked was when she cooked noodles for Cheng Yue.


    The noodles were overcooked and tasted like He Jing had dropped a jar of salt in it. Cheng Yue only took a bite before asking someone to throw the rest out without He Jing knowing.


    How could He Jing make such a fancy French jelly?!


    The others were also stunned. This French jelly looked mouth-watering. It was wrapped in a five-colored hue and wobbled cheerfully when poked.


    Unconsciously, they gulped. Wu Yu, who was the closest to them, gulped the loudest. Yan Hanxi nced at him and asked, ¡°Want some?¡±


    Wu Yu nodded but then quickly shook his head.


    Yan Hanxi smirked arrogantly.


    Even if he wanted some, he could not have any!


    Wu Yu eyed He Jing with dewy eyes.


    He Jing was speechless.


    A discordant note cleaved the jealous air in two. It came from Cheng Yi¡¯s new sister, Zhou Xue¡¯er. ¡°He Jing can¡¯t cook at all.. Brother Xi, don¡¯t be fooled by her!¡±

 Chapter 109 - 109: Willing to be Deceived

    Chapter 109: Willing to be Deceived


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A pebble is enough to stir up a thousand ripples.


    Almost in unison, the entire ss looked at Zhou Xue¡¯er.


    In his small notebook, Shen Qiuyu had just jotted down another good point about He Jing. When he heard Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s words, his eyebrows shot to his hairline in outrage. ¡°What right do you have to say something like that?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er choked on her words. A discrete nce toward Cheng Yi was enough to bolster her gging confidence. ¡°Of course, I have proof. Xiao Yi, you tell them!¡±


    Cheng Yi rose from her seat, speaking gently and with a touch of innocence, ¡°Although I don¡¯t wish to embarrass He Jing or dampen everyone¡¯s enthusiasm, I can¡¯t stand by and watch Student Yan be deceived. He Jing doesn¡¯t know how to cook. Everyone in the Cheng family knows this.¡±


    As she spoke, she shot He Jing an using look, her tone almost sounding like the whines of a young child, ¡°I never thought He Jing would stoop so low as to lie to Student Yan to curry favor with him.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. All she did was bring some food to Yan Hanxi. How did she be the viin? Indeed, transmigrating into the body of a vicious supporting actress had its risks and rewards.


    He Jing did not immediately refute Cheng Yi¡¯s words. Instead, she nced at Yan Hanxi and asked, ¡°If I didn¡¯t make this myself, would you still eat it? If you¡¯d rather not, I¡¯d like you to return it to me.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled indulgently. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d eat it. I¡¯d eat it whether you lied to me or not!¡±


    ¡°Student Yan!¡± Cheng Yi cried in disbelief.


    Yan Hanxi took a bite out of the French jelly. Its smooth, nicely chilled surface was so refreshing he felt like he had been doused in cold water. Having been refrigerated overnight, the French jelly was sublime. Each vegetable had a distinct taste that melded well,pleting one another. It was so amazing he thought he had been transported on a vacation to the countryside at the height of summer.


    At this moment, many things came to Yan Hanxi¡¯s mind. The most profound was this curious desire to drop out of school and be a vegetable farmer in the countryside if only it would let him eat such delicious food every day.


    With his eyes closed, lost in the ecstasy of He Jing¡¯s sophisticated dessert, Yan Hanxi caused those around him to forget their words. All that was left in their minds was this overpowering desire to taste He Jing¡¯s French vegetable jelly. Wu Yu gulped again.


    None of those present could take their eyes off Yan Hanxi until everyst bite of the French Jelly He Jing had made disappeared down his throat. Yan Hanxi had remained motionless throughout. He Jing¡¯s fantastic jelly had conquered his stomach and marched on the fortress of his mind, tearing its walls asunder and rebuilding it anew.


    Then, Yan Hanxi looked at Cheng Yi and smiled elegantly. ¡°Student Cheng Yi, it doesn¡¯t matter if Student He Jing does not know how to cook. What¡¯s important is her kind intentions. Even if she had lied, nothing would give me the greatest honor than to be lied to again.¡±


    Cheng Yi paled, losing all color on her face.


    Yan Hanxi dragged an anxious finger around the rim of the empty lunchbox and put it into his mouth. He almost looked forlorn. ¡°It¡¯s a pity you haven¡¯t had the opportunity to try such a delicate French jelly. Yet, I can¡¯t help but sumb to this selfish impulse to want more of something I enjoy so much. Perhaps it would serve you better to hone your cooking skills, Student Cheng Yi, than disparaging others for theirck thereof. Maybe you might gain some rity then.¡±


    Puff-


    He Jing could tell that Yan Hanxi was calling Cheng Yi stupid.


    As expected of the male lead. Even the way he admonished others was a cut above the rest.


    Soon, the whole ss wore mocking expressions from one degree to another.


    Who was Cheng Yi to Yan Hanxi? She was nothing more than a ssmate. Yan Hanxi had already rejected her, so what right did she have to meddle in his affairs, fearing he would be deceived or cheated?


    Cheng Yi¡¯s jealousy was palpable.


    Knowing Cheng Yi had lost, Zhou Xue¡¯er could not help but curse in her heart. ¡®Useless!¡¯


    Despite her inner thoughts, however, Zhou Xue¡¯er said, ¡°If you can¡¯t cook, you can¡¯t cook. It is wrong to lie. Student He Jing did what she did to satisfy her vanity. There¡¯s no doubt that her character is severelycking..¡±

 Chapter 110 - 110: Magical

    Chapter 110: Magical


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was bemused.


    Which god had she offended?


    As if understanding her confusion, Shen Qiuyu leaned toward her, whispering, ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er used to be your partner in the cooking ss. The teacher chastised her for failing to cooperate with you inpleting her homework.¡±


    He Jing carefully searched her memories and vaguely remembered such an incident urring.


    The fake heiress and Zhou Xue¡¯er had drawn lots and ended up together. As the fake heiress had no idea how to cook, she stood to one side and chattered away without lifting a finger to help. Things came to a head during a lesson focused on cake-making.


    In the end, Zhou Xue¡¯er was severely chastised for not doing her part, while the fake heiress used her influence as the young miss of the Cheng family to avoid me.


    Now that she thought about it¡­ Hadn¡¯t the incident urred a year ago? Why would it blow up now? He Jing smiled. ¡°Oh? Do you expect me to apologize to you?¡±


    ¡°You should apologize to the whole ss!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er was taken aback.


    ¡°Alright.¡± He Jing said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone; I shouldn¡¯t have been vain.¡±


    The whole ss was speechless.


    They did not want an apology! What they wanted was the tasty lie she had concocted!


    Wu Yu burst intoughter. ¡°Ah! I can¡¯t take it anymore. Haha¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone who cooks for another must apologize to apletely unrted party. Sister Jing, lie as much as you¡¯d like to me. I don¡¯t mind; I wouldn¡¯t even call you vain¡­¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s expression turned ugly.


    ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er, are you satisfied now?¡± He Jing¡¯s red lips curved slightly.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er gritted her teeth.


    He Jing nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t want to create any misunderstandings.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s mouth snapped shut, and she returned to her seat with her tail between her legs.


    Wu Yu immediately posted this matter on the school forum. In the meantime, he said, ¡°I bet this topic will hit the top ten miraculous events in Yin High School by the New Year.¡±


    As expected, the post attracted the attention and discussion of the entire school.


    A series of question marks flooded thements section.


    Shen Qiuyu rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to go crazy too! Zhou Xue¡¯er is shameless, but Sister Jing takes the cake¡­¡±


    It was with a heavy heart that Wu Yu stopped. Instead, he turned his attention to the Hello Kitty lunch box, saying, ¡°Brother Xi, let¡¯s see what else is inside.


    There must be something more in the nextyer!¡±


    Yan Hanxi put the lunchbox into his bag and said, ¡°I want to enjoy this surprise alone.¡±


    No one noticed the unwillingness in Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes. So what? He Jing had not done anything impressive. Hadn¡¯t she bought her way to a favorable impression? Two could y at that game!


    After school, Cheng Yi was the first out of the door. Before Yan Hanxi could disappear, He Jing tugged his arm and asked, ¡°Are you free?¡±


    Yan Hanxi quirked a brow, but his heart was filled with excitement. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I need your help picking out a few gifts,¡± He Jing said, ¡°I n on giving it to someone.¡±


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    He Ning¡¯s birthday was the day after tomorrow. The fifth and sixth brothers of the He family would also return. She wanted to prepare three gifts: one for He Ning, one for her Fifth Brother, He Yi, and one for her Sixth Brother, He Chen.


    First impressions were everything. She did not want her fifth and sixth brothers to be like He Sui and He Zhou ¨C hostile toward her when they met. She did not want to start things off on the wrong foot.


    He Jing had thought of asking Wu Yu, but Wu Yu¡¯s dress sense was not what she would call appealing, so she had no choice but to ask Yan Hanxi for help.


    The day was still young, so they went to Xinhua Street together..

 Chapter 111 - 111: Les Elfes

    Chapter 111: Les Elfes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xinhua Street was not far from First High School. It was right across the alley where Yan Hanxi had fought.


    The things sold there were not expensive, attracting crowds and creating a lively atmosphere. As many schools were nearby, Xinhua Street was routinely swamped by a sea of students in school uniforms.


    The appearance of He Jing and Yan Hanxi caused quite amotion. Many people began digging for information on the handsome couple, turning to WeChat for answers. Under the powerful halo of the male protagonist, He Jing, a supporting actress who was nothing more than cannon fodder, became the center of attention and receptacle of envy for love-struck girls ogling Yan


    Hanxi.


    He Jing immediately bought a mask for Yan Hanxi to wear.


    The situation improved once Yan Hanxi was forced into a disguise. At least the road had freed up with no sign of continuing congestion.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes were full of smiles as he teased, ¡°Oh? Do you want to keep me all to yourself?¡±


    He Jing did not so much as twitch. ¡°Get over yourself. If we¡¯re stopped every two steps, how will we finish picking out gifts before dark?¡±


    Despite He Jing¡¯s words, Yan Hanxi found himself quite pleased.


    Half an hourter, He Jing had two small items in her hand: a cartoon character keychain and an exquisite wooden bookmark.


    In the original novel, the fifth brother, He Yi, and the sixth brother, He Chen, did not have many scenes. They only made an appearance when the real heiress had a use for them. The novel did not mention their preferences, so He Jing had to rely solely on her intuition.


    He Jing had not purchased them without reason. He Yi¡¯s goal was to enter the animation industry. Indeed, He Yi seeded, or so the original novel imed. He became the most influential animator of the current generation, winning multiple domestic and foreign awards. Meanwhile, He Chen was set to be a prolific writer, a genius whose works were enjoyed nationwide. His royalties alone would exceed 100 million yuan. He wouldter produce his masterpiece, a fantasy genre title that would turn him into one of the world¡¯s richest people.


    The two trinkets should be to their liking. He Jing stowed them in her bag and said, ¡°I¡¯m also thinking of buying a fountain pen. Do you know of any good ones nearby?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your budget?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    ¡°No more than ten thousand yuan,¡± He Jing replied. ¡°It¡¯s best if it¡¯s crafted well and durable.¡±


    ¡°This way, then.¡± Yan Hanxi smiled, leading the way.


    Yan Hanxi led He Jing down another street.


    This street waspletely different from Xinhua Street. Few cars passed by, and its surroundings were peaceful. High-rise buildings stood like pencils amid perfectly manicured greenery. They passed through a diamond-studded revolving ss door, entering a high-end shopping mall where Yan Hanxi directed her to a branded pen shop.


    ¨C -Les Elfes.


    There, he received a warm wee.


    Behind several glimmering disy cases, ady greeted them, seemingly ttered by their presence, bowing at exactly 90 degrees. ¡°Young Master Yan, how may I help you today?¡±


    ¡°Show me the pens priced between five thousand and ten thousand, ¡± Yan Hanxi said lightly.


    Thedy behind the counter nced at He Jing and immediately understood. She smiled at He Jing and said, ¡°Miss, please follow me this way.¡±


    He Jing followed thedy to a transparent disy cab in the corner and heard her say, ¡°These fountain pens are those priced under ten thousand yuan. We don¡¯t have very many of them here at Le Elfes. Please have a look. If there aren¡¯t any that catch your eye, I¡¯ll have someone pick up what others we have in our inventory from the other branches.¡±


    He Jing peered through the disy case, smiling faintly. ¡°No, that¡¯s alright; this one is good.¡±


    He Jing pointed at a ck, gold-ted fountain pen. It was sleek with smooth lines and luxurious in a minimalist capacity. It was the first to catch her eye.


    Thedy took a closer look at the fountain pen He Jing had singled out and offered her sincere praise, ¡°Miss, you have excellent taste. It is the best we have under ten thousand yuan. Oil Tycoon Louis also favors this pen.¡±


    He Jing nodded, slipping on the white gloves she was presented before picking up the pen to examine it.


    Yan Hanxi arrived by her side and asked, ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Second Brother will like it, ¡± He Jing confirmed..

 Chapter 112 - 112: I Have a Gold Card

    Chapter 112: I Have a Gold Card


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After choosing this pen, He Jing looked at the price. It was a little over 10,000 yuan. She was not in a hurry to pay the bill. She looked up and asked thedy if there was a discount.


    Thedy smiled at Yan Hanxi and said, ¡°Miss, if you really want it, we can give you a 20% discount.¡±


    He Jing nced at Yan Hanxi and said, ¡°Forget it, wrap it up for me.¡±


    At this moment, a soft and weak female voice sounded from the side. ¡°Hang on. I want this pen.¡±


    He Jing, who had been interrupted, turned around and saw that it was Cheng Yi. Zhou Xue¡¯er was standing beside her.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er stared at He Jing with an extremely smug gaze as if she was looking forward to seeing how things would develop.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er had been shopping to her heart¡¯s content to rid herself of her foul mood. She did not expect to bump into He Jing in the luxury stationery shop and immediately called Cheng Yi.


    Cheng Yi was trying dishes at a high-ss hotel nearby to find something better than Hen Jing¡¯s French jelly to win over Yan Hanxi. When she heard the news from Zhou Xue¡¯er, she rushed over, her face flushed from exertion.


    He Jing frowned, unhappy with Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s antagonizing actions. Even now, Zhou Xue¡¯er behaved like a horrid ghost, haunting her at every opportunity and refusing to move on.


    Logically, He Jing understood that the supporting actress and the female protagonist were enemies, but that did not mean they had to bother her 24/7. Shouldn¡¯t NPCs take a break while the game updates?


    Yan Hanxi was already annoyed, so the introduction of these two interlopers pushed him over the edge. Eyeing them coldly, he demanded, ¡°Have you been following us?¡±


    Cheng Yi stepped forward and exined gently, ¡°Student Yan, this is a misunderstanding. We just happened to bump into each other. Xue¡¯er and I were shopping in the area and saw you, so we came to say hello.¡±


    He Jing found it funny. ¡°Meeting up like this might have been a coincidence, but what about trying to buy the pen I want?¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes darted from Yan Hanxi to He Jing and back again. Casually, she answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to butt in on your purchase, He Jing. The pen was just too mesmerizing. I can¡¯t help but find myself feeling like I must have it¡­¡± ¡°You are buying it as a birthday present for Second Brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be any business of yours,¡± He Jing replied tartly.


    Cheng Yi stifled herugh and smiled politely. ¡°If the fountain pen isn¡¯t very important to you, He Jing, why don¡¯t you let me have it? It is special to me.¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± He Jing asked in clipped tones.


    Cheng Yi whipped a gold card from her wallet and handed it to thedy overseeing the purchase. ¡°Hello, I ordered a fountain pen from you before, but I¡¯d like to change it.¡±


    Cheng Yi turned to He Jing as she spoke, appearing bashful and embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, He Jing. It¡¯s really beautiful. Second Brother will like it.¡¯


    When thedy saw the gold card, she remembered that Cheng Yi had ordered a pen worth more than 300,000 yuan three days ago. It was a custom-made pen engraved with initials on the cap. The pen she had ordered was ready and was supposed to be delivered tomorrow¡­


    ¡°Esteemed guest, this young miss has already said she wants to buy this fountain pen.¡±


    Cheng Yi tilted her head, feigning confused innocence, ¡°Has she paid for the pen? If not, a customer with a gold car has priority in such matters, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Thedy serving them was speechless. The priority privilege was meant for the exchange of more expensive goods, not for those below a certain price. Even if the items she liked were cheaper, they would have to exchange enough for them to be of equivalent value. This was the pride of a luxury brand.


    However, being a professional, she squashed her urge to rail against the customer and said, ¡°Honored guest, please wait a moment. Let me see what I can do¡­¡±


    At this moment, Yan Hanxi sneered, interjecting with an air ofzy arrogance, ¡°So you have a gold card.. Me too! What shall we do now?¡±

 Chapter 113 - 113: Competition

    Chapter 113: Competition


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing had not nned to buy it at first. After all, the pen exceeded her budget.


    Hearing Yan Hanxi¡¯s words, she quickly said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡±


    Yan Hanxi turned around and smiled. ¡°What should I do? I, Yan Hanxi, have never lost to anyone in terms of privilege. Do you want me to leave with my tail between my legs?¡±


    He Jing met his eyes, and after a long while, she squeezed out through gritted teeth, ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression changed. She chewed on her lower lip, feigning a pitiful countenance, ¡°Student Yan, Student He Jing has already said she doesn¡¯t want it. Won¡¯t you let me have it instead?¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s indifferent gazended on Cheng Yi as he said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt wronged. She blinked, dewy tears clinging to her fluttering eyshes. ¡°Why? Could you and He Jing have that kind of rtionship¡­


    Yan Hanxi smiled gantly. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just find this fountain pen unique, and I like it.¡¯


    Cheng Yi cocked her head in confusion. ¡°I like taking things from others.¡±


    How could Cheng Yi not realize Yan Hanxi was mocking her? Her face turned an unhealthy green before paling considerably.


    He Jing nearly burst intoughter. Thankfully, she had enough presence of mind to stifle it behind a small upturning of her lips. ¡°It seems so.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Yan Hanxi said.


    ¡°Have you found the gold card yet?¡± Yan Hanxi harried the poordy.


    ¡°Thedy rummaged through Yan Hanxi¡¯s wallet, sweating profusely.


    Eventually, she found the gold card, signifying an esteemed customer of Les


    Elfes under a mountain of others. ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯ve found it.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er sensed things were about to turn for the worse and quickly added her penny¡¯s worth, ¡°Both Cheng Yi and Yan Hanxi are gold card holders ¨C they share an equal status. You can¡¯t be biased.¡±


    Thedy shot Zhou Xue¡¯er a disdainful look, one she quickly masked behind a thin veneer of respect. ¡°Of course not. Thepany ismitted to protecting our honored guests¡¯ rights and interests. We pride ourselves on providing nothing but the best shopping experience. Any conflict between parties regarding the sale of goods will always be handled fairly. That is¡­¡±


    ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s see who understands the true essence of Les Elfes as a brand,¡± He Jing proposed calmly.


    ¡°The young miss makes an excellent suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Why is it soplicated to buy a pen?¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er shrieked. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of your customers?¡±


    Even someone as cold as Yan Hanxi could not help butugh when he heard Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯sint. ¡°Only the ignorant would think the shop is exploiting its customers.¡±


    Cheng Yi tugged at Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s sleeve somberly and said, ¡°Xue¡¯er, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    One look at thedy¡¯s expression was enough to know He Jing had made an eptable proposal.


    Fortunately, after her previous failure in picking perfumes, Cheng Yi had learned her lesson, ensuring she did her homework on luxury brands, including Les Elfes.


    Not even He Jing might know more than her about Les Elfes. The Cheng family¡¯s housekeeper had once said that He Jing preferred another brand to Les Elfes.


    With that thought, she spoke confidently, saying, ¡°I ept He Jing¡¯s proposed settlement.¡¯


    Thedy turned to He Jing dutifully.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this arrangement.¡±


    What else was there to say if both sides had agreed to the terms of thepetition?


    ¡°He Jing, do you want to go first, or shall I?¡± Cheng Yi smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± He Jing replied.


    Cheng Yi stole a nce at Yan Hanxi. Since God had given her such a chance, she would show Yan Hanxi who was better.


    She, Cheng Yi, was the real daughter. Only she was worthy of being his fianc¨¦e..

 Chapter 114 - 114: The Story

    Chapter 114: The Story


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Les Elfes was founded by the French craftsman Zo¨¦. He redefined the limits of a new generation of light, luxurious pens. Zo¨¦¡¯s partner, Alfred Nehemias, a banker, believed that writing was the privilege of the aristocracy. He introduced the concept to his aristocratic peers, who soon fell in love with the idea¡­¡±


    . Alfred hired dozens of craftsmen to develop his concept, inadvertently improving ink pen technology to produce the most beautiful, lightweight pen possible. Together, they founded Les Elfes, formerly known as Roi des Espirits, reflecting the essence of elvish delight in their works in their branding. The following years saw the market for fountain pens booming, with Roi des Espirit standing at the forefront of this new age. The King series of fountain pens was their most popr, a ssic among ssics¡­¡±


    Cheng Yi maintained an elegant smile the entire time she recited the history of Les Elfes.


    Even thedy who despised her could not help but show a hint of surprise. Had she been too quick to judge?


    Zo¨¦, the founder of Les Elfes, once said that every fountain pen had apanion who understood its beauty and cherished it from the bottom of their hearts. Therefore, whenever they encountered a dispute between two parties fighting over their goods, the party that showed themselves as the most suitable owner would win the right to purchase the fountain pen from them.


    None of their fountain pens was cheap.


    Cheng Yi rattled on for five minutes, her eyes never leaving Yan Hanxi¡¯s face. Yet, Yan Hanxi remained indifferent, as if listening to a sermon.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯sck of response made Cheng Yi anxious. Could Yan Hanxi have no knowledge or interest in the brand and find her speech unattractive?


    ¡°Do you have anything else to add?¡± He Jing asked.


    Cheng Yi gnashed her teeth, having no choice but to tear her gaze from Yan Hanxi. She suppressed her disappointment and smiled at He Jing, taunting,


    ¡°Do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± He Jing replied. ¡°You¡¯ve described so much about the brand¡¯s history but next to nothing about the pen you want to buy. What I would like to add is the story of this pen.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression stiffened. She looked at the half-wrapped pen in the gift box and said, ¡°What story can this fountain pen have? Are you making it up on the spot?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as shameless as you?¡± He Jing giggled.


    Cheng Yi knew nothing about physics, yet she was so full of hot air, boasting that she was the best and lying through her teeth.


    Surprise shook thedy to the core, which showed in her expression. ¡°Miss, do you know the story behind this fountain pen?¡±


    As a brand ambassador, thedy knew the story behind their most expensive pens but little to nothing about their cheapest ones.


    ¡°This pen is called Le Cocon,¡± He Jing said. ¡°It¡¯s specially designed for women.


    That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a pen for women. It¡¯s also the only one of its kind in Le Elfes.¡± ¡°Adam, the third-generation heir of Zo¨¦, thepany¡¯s founder, fell in love with a poor woman named Monroe. She couldn¡¯t afford to read or use a pen. Her fate was tragic. She spent many years washing dishes in a restaurant, and her hands were full of calluses. This is where the pen¡¯s name originates.¡±


    ¡°Adam was set up because of heavypetition in the family for the inheritor¡¯s position. It was a dark time for him. It was during this period that he met Monroe. She cared for him and gave him the courage to live. Eventually, Adam fell in love with her. However, he could never express his feelings for her because he was already engaged to another. Neither of them could tell the other how they felt for each other, and what followed was the two of them falling out of contact.¡±


    ¡°Adam missed Monroe dearly and never gave up searching for her. Only in his final years did he reveal this to his son, the brightest, most glorious friendship that never got a chance to blossom¡­ Adam¡¯s son was so inspired by his father¡¯s story that, inmemorating what could have been, he created the fountain pen we know today as Le Cocon.¡±


    ¡°Le Cocon represents the burning passion of love that was never allowed to bloom, a caterpir whose metamorphosis into a butterfly failed, remaining trapped as nothing but a memory of what could have been,¡± He Jing said. ¡°The pen isn¡¯t as expensive as all the others because of the memory it is meant to represent. He did not want anyone to miss out on love like his father had..¡±

 Chapter 115 - 115: Instant Kill

    Chapter 115: Instant Kill


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Silence reigned in the pen shop. Thedy stood with her mouth agape, having witnessed something incredible. Only Yan Hanxi showed any emotion outside of shock and awe. He had a faint smile, his eyes filled with profound respect.


    There was no doubt the story had moved him.


    ¡°Adam¡¯s son was interviewed, and this is what he said,¡± He Jing calmly added.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, confirm it for yourselves.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could not ept He Jing¡¯s imminent victory. She immediately took out her phone and searched for the interview He Jing mentioned.


    The results dowsed her in cold water, chilling her heart.


    It was all true¡­


    He Jing had not made anything up.


    The brand ambassador entered the official forums for ¡®Les Elfes,¡¯ entering her search into the archives that only employees could ess. Eventually, she pulled out an article entitled ¡®Le Cocon,¡¯ corroborating He Jing¡¯s story.


    Much like the topic of same-sex couples, Adam¡¯s story was not widely publicized. Only those who know what to look for would dig it up.


    How did He Jing have such a deep understanding of the brand?


    Cheng Yi paled, shaking her head in disbelief, ¡°No. It can¡¯t be true. It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Yet, despite her denial, she could not change the truth before her eyes. The gap between them gaped with the unforgiving jaws of a hungry chasm.


    Yan Hanxi chuckled, his voice clear and pleasant, ¡°Miss Merit Student, you¡¯ve impressed me once again.¡±


    He Jing always managed to defy his expectations, showing herself to be more outstanding than he could have imagined.


    She was like a ray of light, illuminating his world.


    One who has never seen the light will never know how dazzling it is.


    Thedy was convinced of He Jing¡¯s victory and revealed a perfect smile. ¡°Miss, your understanding of our brand leaves me humbled. I think it is clear who has won this challenge. Congrattions, this fountain pen is yours. I believe you will do right by the legacy of this pen and what could have been for Mrs Adam.¡±


    Cheng Yi stared at the pen delivered to He Jing, chewing on her lower lip, aggrieved.


    However, He Jing shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want this pen anymore. I¡¯ll give it to the gold card customer.¡±


    Cheng Yi stared at the pen delivered to He Jing, chewing on her lower lip,


    aggrieved.


    He Jing bowed slightly.¡±l chose it because of its price and appearance, not its story. After I shared the story, I realized I wasn¡¯t a good fit for the pen. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Thedy did not show any disdain upon hearing He Jing¡¯s exnation. Instead, she said, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re very honest. I hope you¡¯ll find one that will suit you.¡±


    Thedy packaged the pen nicely, wrapping it in a gift box and signing Cheng Yi¡¯s name.


    Cheng Yi clenched her fists, showing no affection for ¡®Le Cocon.¡¯


    How could she want something that He Jing did not?


    It was as good as being given leftover goods!


    Cheng Yi did not want it either.


    Unfortunately, she could not say ¡®no,¡¯ or she would be cklisted for returning goods for no reason, not once, but twice. If that happened, she would never be able to buy anything from Les Elfes again.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er had hoped to see He Jing make a fool of herself; hence, she had called Cheng Yi, hoping she would cause trouble for the former. She did not expect Cheng Yi to be so useless, getting instantly killed by He Jing instead. Now, even she had lost some face.


    Unable to stand the humiliation any longer, Zhou Xue¡¯er snorted coldly and


    left.


    He Jing left the fountain pen shop with Yan Hanxi.


    Only Cheng Yi remained. As she had exchanged her previous pen for ¡®Le Cocon,¡¯ she had to wait for thedy to issue a refund. Thedy returned 190,000 yuan of the 200,000 her original, custom-made pen would have cost. Once again, thedy¡¯s expression shifted to one with disdain..

 Chapter 116 - 116: Other Gifts

    Chapter 116: Other Gifts


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi met that gaze and almost lost herposure.


    Ultimately, she left with Le Cocon and the 190,000 yuan notification. Sheforted herself with the knowledge she had chosen a suitable birthday present. There was no doubt in her mind that He Ning would like the pen very much after learning Le Cocon¡¯s story.


    And then there was Yan Hanxi¡­ Cheng Yi had just tried a delectable dish at a nearby restaurant, and she believed he would like it.


    After leaving the fountain pen shop, Yan Hanxi was in a much better mood.


    With one hand in his pocket, he strolled down the road and asked with a faint smile, ¡°How¡¯d you learn of the story?¡±


    No one knew what was on He Jing¡¯s mind. ¡°Take a guess,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you read about it in Les Elfes¡¯ magazine interview. Unless¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you managed to get your hands on inside knowledge. How¡¯d you do it?¡±


    He Jing¡¯s expression changed. She met Yan Hanxi¡¯s gaze, her eyes flickering with fright.


    Yan Hanxi smirked. ¡°I thought as much. Aren¡¯t you rather knowledgeable, now, He Jing?¡±


    He Jing realized that Yan Hanxi was teasing her. She frowned and rebuked him coldly, ¡°Do you have nothing better to do?¡±


    Yan Hanxi only knew how to tease her.


    Yan Hanxi shrugged helplessly. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t even get any pleasure from praising you! You¡¯re so difficult¡­¡±


    He Jing gnashed her teeth, not happy one bit. She had thought for a split second that he had found her out, unmasking her as a transmigrator. That¡¯s right. She had cheated earlier.


    All she had said was almost verbatim, quoted from the original novel about


    ¡®Les Elfes.¡¯ Cheng Yi should have said those lines, but she had usurped them.


    In the original novel, the real and fake heiress met in the pen shop and fought for Le Cocon. The shop assistant also used the method they had agreed on earlier to decide ownership of the pen. The real heiress suddenly recalled the story Yan Hanxi had told her about Le Cocon, and she used that knowledge to p the fake heiress in the face, winning Le Cocon for herself.


    However, the Le Cocon Cheng Yi in the original novel was not meant to be a gift for someone else. Instead, it was supposed to be for Cheng Yi¡¯s use.


    Its sole worth was as a trophy to remember her victory over the fake heiress. A series of short story arcs centered around Le Cocon, but they were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, merely serving as a face-pping tool to increase her worthpared to the fake heiress.


    He Jing returned to Xinhua Street with Yan Hanxi and entered a department store. It was a run-of-the-mill store with nothing special about it. The only thing worth mentioning was the rtively inexpensive goods they offered for sale.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    He Jing did not respond. She kept walking forward with her head lowered.


    Yan Hanxi soon realized where they were headed. It was the sports section of the mall. He Jing stilled momentarily before picking up a basketball from the rack.


    There was nothing special about it. Everything about it screamed ordinary.


    Even the price tag, listing it at 168 yuan, was nothing unusual.


    Yan Hanxi was a little surprised. ¡°Is this for your Second Brother?¡± The basketball did not seem like a good gift.


    At the very least, it was a far cry from Le Cocon¡¯s worth at 10,000 yuan.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. There¡¯s a basketball court near where we live. With this, Second Brother can practice basketball anytime he wants,¡± He Jing said.


    Yan Hanxi did not doubt He Jing¡¯s judgment and simply smiled. ¡°If I knew you wanted one, I would have given you one of mine.¡±


    He had so many basketballs that he could fill an entire warehouse.


    Every basketball had the signature of a popr basketball yer.


    Each could be sold at sky-high prices at an auction or online.


    Only he had such a capability in all of A City.


    ¡°The meaning is different,¡± He Jing said calmly. ¡°Only a basketball I¡¯ve bought myself can be his birthday present. Nothing else would suffice.¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°My birthday ising up soon. What are you going to give me?¡± he asked cheekily.


    He Jing was stunned for a moment. She stared at him for a long time, then looked away. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it closer to the date..¡±

 Chapter 117 - 117: 20,000 Yuan per Mouthful

    Chapter 117: 20,000 Yuan per Mouthful


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing wanted to ensure it was a surprise, so she did not bring the basketball to First High School. Instead, she gave it to Yan Hanxi for safekeeping.


    Yan Hanxi held a spinning basketball on the tip of his index finger and said with a meaningful smile, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll look for your


    Second Brother to exchange pointers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best that you don¡¯t,¡± He Jing responded immediately.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Second Brother is very good at basketball. You can¡¯t beat him.¡±


    That was what the original novel had written.


    Yan Hanxi snorted. ¡°Are you looking down on me, Miss Merit Student?¡±


    In all his 198 basketball games, not once had he lost.


    He Jing was toozy to engage with Yan Hanxi¡¯s antics. She waved goodbye and went to First High School to pick up He Ning and He Sui. On the way there, she stopped by the supermarket to buy a few pounds of meat.


    After showing off her culinary skills to the He family, supper had be the meal everyone looked forward to the most. He Jing did not want to disappoint them and thought of making pork jerkyter that night.


    Dried pork jerky was easy to store. If she made more, her siblings could even bring it to school to snack on.


    Unsurprisingly, her dried pork jerky was a huge hit, beloved by everyone except He Zhou. Snacks werefort foods that humans enjoyed, regardless of their shape or form.


    When she arrived at school the next day, He Jing found something strange about her schoolmates. Everyone seemed to be behaving sneakily.


    That strange feeling intensified, bing almost awkward when she entered her ss. Wu Yu leaned over and whispered into her ear, ¡°Cheng Yi bribed the whole ss.¡±


    He Jing cocked a brow, looking confused. ¡°A bribe? What did she bribe you with?¡±


    ¡°She brought a lot of food and gave everyone a share. Almost no one refused the gesture save for Sister Qiuyu and me,¡± Wu Yu exined.


    He Jing mulled over things, deciding that it was a reasonable decision by her ssmates. After all, the Cheng family¡¯s status was still intact. It was not wise to antagonize or show Cheng Yi disrespect, especially when she hade with good intentions.


    He Jingughed. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s free food! Just take it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll poison me,¡± Wu Yu answered sincerely.


    He Jing was speechless.


    A clear, melodious voice interrupted them, saying, ¡°He Jing, I brought some food today. Do you want to try some?¡±


    Turning around, Cheng Yi stood beside them with a paper box half the size of a palm.


    The cardboard box in her hand had a vintage feel to it. Inside was a small and exquisite snack. The golden surface looked very crispy.


    When He Jing saw the snack, she recognized it and smiled calmly. ¡°Are you sure you want to treat me? One mouthful is 20,000 yuan.¡±


    Cheng Yi did not expect He Jing to be so knowledgeable, but her surprise was only momentary, shifting behind a pleasant mask soon after. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my ssmate; there¡¯s no reason for me to exclude you.¡±


    He Jing said a quick ¡°thank you¡± and epted the treat graciously.


    Wu Yu truly felt that Cheng Yi would poison her and politely declined. Even if his snack was not poisoned, what about¡­? He suddenly grabbed He Jing by the arm and said, ¡°Sister Jing, are you sure it¡¯s safe to eat?¡±


    ¡°Student Cheng Yi is being so generous. Why wouldn¡¯t I sample what she¡¯s offering me? If you miss this opportunity, you might not be able to try something like this again.¡±


    He Jing wasted no time and popped the snack into her mouth. She savored the taste and said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Thank you, Student Cheng Yi.¡±


    Cheng Yi was dumbfounded. She thought He Jing would refuse to eat the snack. Not only had she eaten it, but she also thanked her for the treat. Cheng Yi wanted nothing more than to p He Jing¡¯s sincere smile off her face with the remains of her empty paper box.


    Who was she kidding? Cheng Yi had hoped to get a rise out of He Jing, not for her to eat the luxurious snack¡­!


    Cheng Yi wanted to let He Jing know that the French jelly she had bought was not on the same level as the dessert she had chosen.. Only her food could please


    Yan Hanxi!

 Chapter 118 - 118: Amazing Taste?

    Chapter 118: Amazing Taste?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yan Hanxi arrived just then. He entered the ss with smooth, elegant steps. His lopsided cor and general air about him seemed to screamzy.


    Yan Hanxi always looked sloppy and listless, like the typical rich yboy. Even now, while his expression indicated his foul mood, no one found him loathsome. Wherever his gazended, girls would blush, and their hearts would race.


    Cheng Yi was no exception.


    As usual, he walked to He Jing¡¯s side and greeted cheerfully, ¡°Good morning, Merit Student.¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± He Jing replied.


    He eyed the fresh crumbs staining her lips and teased, ¡°What good food have you been eating behind my back?¡±


    He Jing licked her lips and pointed at something behind him. ¡°Everyone has a share.¡±


    Yan Hanxi turned around and saw Cheng Yi standing up from her seat, holding an exquisite paper box.


    Nestled within was a snack. It was small and shaped like a pear, with a crispy golden surface. It looked very tempting.


    Cheng Yi walked up to him and called out shyly, ¡°Student Yan.¡±


    Her intent was self-evident.


    Yan Hanxi nced sideways at He Jing and then at Cheng Yi. He smiled yfully and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡±


    Cheng Yi had prepared a reason just for this question. She boldly looked up at him.¡±Student Yan, I identally ate a very delicious snack yesterday. I want you to try it!¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes never left He Jing. ¡°I don¡¯t eat things others have eaten,¡± he responded casually.


    ¡°No one else has eaten this before,¡± Cheng Yi quickly said. ¡°I prepared this for


    Student Yan alone¡­¡±


    After a pause, she feared he would not believe her, so she dragged Zhou Xue¡¯er into it. ¡°Xue¡¯er can testify.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, thank you for your kindness, Student Cheng Yi,¡± Yan Hanxi said reluctantly.


    Cheng Yi was delighted and immediately handed him the snacks.


    As long as Yan Hanxi was willing to eat it, she was sure this snack would suit his tastes.


    By then, He Jing and her French jelly would be a thing of the past.


    Yan Hanxi picked up a piece and popped it in his mouth.


    Yan Hanxi never ate other people¡¯s food. He had only broken this precedent once for He Jing, and now a second time for Cheng Yi¡­


    For some reason, everyone in ss held their breath.


    Cheng Yi watched Yan Hanxi savor the snack, chewing once, twice, three times¡­


    Then, he swallowed it.


    He did not puke.


    He did not puke!


    Cheng Yi could no longer hide the ecstasy in her heart. She beamed and looked at He Jing, full of pride.


    The others were also stunned. Could the French jelly He Jing brought to school not be as good as the snacks Cheng Yi had arrived with?


    That¡¯s right. He Jing was a poor girl now. What high-end things could she buy?


    They looked at He Jing, their eyes filled with sympathy. Yan Hanxi had epted Cheng Yi¡¯s food, which meant that he had epted Cheng Yi. He Jing¡¯s position in Yan Hanxi¡¯s heart might be unstable¡­


    Cheng Yi had simr thoughts. Her smile became even sweeter. ¡°Student Yan, do you want some more?¡±


    She thought Yan Hanxi would agree, but he declined, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    He wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, ¡°It must have been hard on you, Student Cheng Yi. It isn¡¯t easy for you to find something that doesn¡¯t taste bad.¡±


    Puff- ¨C


    He Jing finally could not help butugh, her shoulders trembling.


    She knew Yan Hanxi would not like it.


    But weren¡¯t his words a little too harsh?


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face paled, unable to ept this blow. ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡±


    Yan Hanxi mercilessly shattered any illusion she had and said in slow, stilted words, ¡°I stopped eating junk food when I was three..¡±

 Chapter 119 - 119: Who Said I Bought It?

    Chapter 119: Who Said I Bought It?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    But¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Student Yan eat everything just now?¡± Cheng Yi was about to cry.


    Yan Hanxi nced at her coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the country advocates against food wastage? Not spitting it out is already me showing the chef the highest respect.¡±


    No.


    How could this be?


    Cheng Yi refused to believe it.


    This was the food she had eaten in the most luxurious hotel in A City. She had asked around just now, and everyone said it was delicious.


    Could He Jing¡¯s French jelly be better than the snack she had offered Yan Hanxi?


    How could He Jing¡¯s French jelly, something she had made after earning money by selling her study notes,pare to her 20,000 yuan snack?


    Yan Hanxi was prejudiced, hoping to humiliate her by insulting the snack she had bought him. Cheng Yi¡¯s hands clenched into fists as she mustered the courage to retort, ¡°Student Yan, you may hate me as much as you want, but you shouldn¡¯t lie to yourself!¡±


    Yan Hanxi looked at her as if he were looking at an idiot and said, ¡°Did you buy this pear-shaped snack from Soaring Dragon Hotel?¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°The head chef of Soaring Dragon Hotel was someone fired by the Yan family ten years ago,¡± Yan Hanxi said coldly.


    Cheng Yi felt like she had been dowsed with a basin of cold water, chilling her heart. How¡­How could this be¡­


    The head chef of Soaring Dragon Hotel had amazing credentials. Besides the three-star Michelin award for the restaurant he helmed, he also won several other awards.


    ¡°His skills haven¡¯t improved even after so many years,¡± Yan Hanxi mocked. ¡°Only his food could be so unptable to leave such asting impression on someone. Cheng Yi, you¡¯ve lived a harsh life, so you can¡¯t tell the difference between what¡¯s good and what¡¯s not.¡±


    This¡­


    Cheng Yi cried. Her tears fell pitifully. ¡°Does the French jelly He Jing bought up to your tastes?¡± Cheng Yi was unwilling to back down without a fight.


    If she could not produce something up to Yan Hanxi¡¯s standards, there was no way He Jing could have!


    Yan Hanxi smirked, seemingly proud of He Jing¡¯s aplishment. ¡°He Jing¡¯s talent is outstanding. She is an amazing cook.¡±


    Cheng Yi could not ept such high praise directed at someone else, especially He Jing. So engrossed in her thoughts was Cheng Yi that she did not have the chance to process Yan Hanxi¡¯s words regarding He Jing¡¯s outstanding talent and not some mystery chef who had made the French jelly. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°May I know where He Jing bought the French jelly?¡±


    He Jing smiled impishly.


    Cheng Yi gritted her teeth.


    There was no reason for the Cheng family to lie to her about He Jing¡¯s capabilities. He Jing could not have possibly fooled the Cheng family sopletely as to hide her ability to cook so well!


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t always so good at cooking. I fumbled a lot, but I improved with time and practice. I now know how to cook.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er screamed.


    How could there be such a genius in the world?


    If He Jing were as capable as she imed, even the ancient imperial chefs of old would have no choice but to crawl out of their graves, kneeling and begging to be her disciple¡­


    ¡°Why would I lie?¡± He Jing countered in amusement.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was not as patient as Cheng Yi. She red at He Jing fiercely and said, ¡°If you know how to cook, why did you order people around during our cooking sses in the past?¡±


    He Jing hummed in thought, preparing an answer that would be as believable as possible. ¡°Maybe I was just toozy to bother.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er did not believe a word He Jing said. Not once had He Jing let go of an opportunity to show off in front of Yan Hanxi. The cooking ss was the one ss Yan Hanxi attended the most. The only reason He Jing never did anything during those sses was because she knew her strengths and weaknesses, and cooking was certainly not one of her strengths. Now, she was so thick-skinned to say she had had the talent all along..

 Chapter 120 - 120: Birthday

    Chapter 120: Birthday


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If even this was tolerated, was there anything that couldn¡¯t be?


    ¡°Do you dare demonstrate your skills in front of everyone?¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er demanded angrily.


    He Jing was not afraid to do so, but she felt that there was no need. Hence, she said, ¡°Perhaps when I¡¯m in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°When will you be in a good mood? Do you need me to throw a party to liven things up?¡±


    He Jing quirked a brow. ¡°Who knows? I might be in a good mood in three to five days, or it might take five or six years for such a mood to descend upon me. There¡¯s even a chance that I might never be in a good mood till I¡¯m in my seventies or eighties!¡±


    The whole ss was speechless.


    This wasplete nonsense!


    They could tell He Jing did not intend to show off her cooking skills. Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s provocation was destined to fail.


    Soon, the bell rang, and their homeroom teacher entered. ¡°The school has decided to resume its cooking sses,¡± their homeroom teacher said, ¡°we¡¯ve invited a new cooking teacher in the hopes that everyone will improve their skills over the new year. The school will conduct several cooking-rted activities, and those who perform well will be rewarded handsomely.¡±


    The news of the school¡¯s intent created an uproar.


    Countless eyes trained on He Jing, wondering, ¡®Is this fate?¡¯


    If the school restarted its cooking program, He Jing¡¯s culinary skills would be tested, and she would not be able to escape the sharp eye of the public.


    He Jing frowned, ring at Yan Hanxi. ¡°Did you do this?¡±


    This was beyond coincidence. How could the school havee to this decision if not for someone orchestrating things behind the scenes?


    Yan Hanxi chuckled. ¡°I wanted to provide you with a way to earn money so you wouldn¡¯t drop out of school due to poverty. I didn¡¯t expect to cause you trouble.


    I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yan Hanxi may have apologized, but he certainly did not seem apologetic.


    ¡°You schemer!¡± He Jing spat after a momentary silence.


    As the son of a shareholder of the school, why would he be so conscientious as to let others profit? Yan Hanxi was a crook, no matter how she tried to look at things.


    At the same time, Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes lit up as she returned to her seat, barely masking her delight. It seemed the heavens were on her side!


    While cooking sses loomed in the near future, He Ning¡¯s birthday arrived.


    He Jing took the basketball she had asked Yan Hanxi to hold on to for safe-keeping. Yan Hanxi helped her wrap it up and boxed it in a package with the signature of a famous basketballer on the cover.


    He Jing had tried to refuse the additions, but Yan Hanxi threw away the bag she had used to store the basketball and refused to allow her to retrieve it. By the time she tried to protest, Yan Hanxi had already gift-wrapped the basketball for her, even putting a note on the box that read, ¡®Happy Birthday, Second Brother.¡¯


    Since Yan Hanxi would likely be with Cheng Yi in the future, and He Ning was almost a brother-inw in all but name, she reasoned there was no need to be so calcting.


    So, she carried the ball and the box back.


    He Ning, He Sui, and Cheng Yi were already waiting outside Yin High School. They were very eye-catching.


    The three of them were chatting, interspersed byughter. As soon as He Jing arrived, the happy atmosphere withered. Cheng Yi smiled innocently and said, ¡°Sister He Jing, I¡¯m returning to the He family home today to celebrate Second Brother¡¯s birthday. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Why would I? Am I such a petty person in Sister Cheng Yi¡¯s heart?¡±


    Before Cheng Yi could retort, He Sui interrupted, ¡°Of course not! Xiao Yi, don¡¯t worry. With us around, He Jing won¡¯t bully you.¡±


    He Ning frowned and reminded him, ¡°Mind your words.¡±


    He was not defending He Jing so much as he was trying to redirect her displeasure towards Cheng Yi before it became an issue.


    Little did he know that when those words entered Cheng Yi¡¯s ears, thetter grew ufortable, and her expression turned forced. ¡°I believe Second Brother. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    He Jing smiled faintly. ¡°Sister Cheng Yi, are you taking the Cheng family¡¯s car to the He family? I¡¯ll take the bus. Please let Second Brother and Fourth Brother return home with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the bus with He Jing,¡± He Sui said, ¡°I¡¯m not used to sitting in a small car.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression could no longer be described as ugly. She looked at He Ning. ¡°What about Second Brother? Are you going to take the bus with Sister He Jing?¡±


    He Ning looked at He Sui and He Jing, then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡¯


    Eventually, the four of them parted ways and went home in pairs..

 Chapter 121 - 121: Comparisons

    Chapter 121: Comparisons


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    On the way, He Sui stared curiously at the box in He Jing¡¯s arms. He rubbed his hands and asked, ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    He Jing ignored him and did not answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure what you¡¯ve prepared for me can¡¯tpare to the one for Second Brother,¡± He Sui said sourly. ¡°Everyone has liked him more than me since we were young.¡±


    He Ning was the secondary male lead; of course, he was better liked than He


    Sui, a mere supporting character. But for his status as the secondary male lead, He Ning ¨C with his solitary nature ¨C would not have been as likable. He Jing could not help but find He Sui¡¯sment funny. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got him a basketball. There¡¯s nothing special about it. It only cost 168 yuan; it wasn¡¯t as expensive as yourputer.¡±


    He Sui mustered up his courage, opening the box to look. Relieved, he brushed it off by saying, ¡°I was just joking! Don¡¯t take it seriously. Hmm¡­ Don¡¯t tell anyone what I said.¡±


    He Jing readily agreed. ¡°I won¡¯t. Tell you what, for your birthday, I¡¯ll get you a gift that costs exactly 169 yuan!¡±


    He Sui coughed, unable to stifle hisugh. A boyish grin drew an arc from one side of his face to another, reaching his ears.


    Just like that, they returned to the He family¡¯s house. He Zhou was already waiting. He Xiaoguo opened the door and peeked outside. When he saw the luxury car parked at the neighborhood entrance and He Ning and Cheng Yi getting out of it, He Xiaoguo immediately rushed to them, throwing his arms around Cheng Yi. ¡°Sister Cheng Yi,¡± he cried shyly.


    He Zhou was afraid that he would wrinkle Cheng Yi¡¯s dress, so he said,


    ¡°Xiaoguo, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    He Xiaoguo let go of Cheng Yi reluctantly. Seeing that Cheng Yi had no intention of reciprocating his hug, he huffed in disappointment with a muttered, ¡°Okay¡­¡±, retreating to the side.


    At this moment, Cheng Yi¡¯s attention was all on He Zhou. She smiled gently. ¡°Third Brother, I¡¯m back.¡±


    He Zhou smiled warmly. ¡°Go in and have a seat. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother will be back soon.¡±


    Cheng Yi nodded, instructing her bodyguards to wait outside before entering the house.


    He Zhou nced at He Ning. He Sui and He Jing were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where did the other two go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They took the bus and will be back soon,¡± He Ning replied.


    As he spoke, he spared the two bodyguards standing outside the house as if they were a pair of wooden stakes. He did not know what to think, and his emotions were a tangled mess.


    All through his trip home, he had felt ufortable.


    He could not find the right words to describe how he felt. It was like a vast chasm had opened between him and Cheng Yi, separating them into two worlds, one, the earth, and the other, the sky.


    He Ning deliberately stood by the entrance to their neighborhood. After a while, he saw He Jing and He Yi getting off the bus. The two talked andughed intimately as a pair of siblings should.


    He pursed his lips, suddenly ovee by a wave of irritation.


    He Jing and He Sui approached. Upon seeing He Ning standing by the entrance to the neighborhood, He Sui asked, ¡°Was the Cheng family¡¯s car really so slow?


    Second Brother, why haven¡¯t you entered the house yet?¡±


    Meanwhile, He Jing noticed He Xiaoguo, who stood at a distance, looking awkward and ignored. She fished out a be of chocte and broke two pieces off for He Xiaoguo. ¡°Xiaoguo, do you want to y a game? It¡¯s called Guess the Candy! ¡±


    He Xiaoguo looked up. When he saw He Jing¡¯s clenched hands, his eyes lit up. He pointed at He Jing¡¯s right hand somewhat hesitantly and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ This one!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoguo is so smart,¡± He Jing said as she opened her closed right hand, a yful smile on her lips.


    He Xiaoguo¡¯s face shone like the sun. He took the proffered piece of chocte andtched onto He Jing¡¯s thigh. ¡°Sister He Jing!¡± he chirped happily.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head inside.¡± He Jing picked the young boy up, leading the way for the rest to follow.


    He Xiaoguo wrapped his arms around He Jing¡¯s neck, resting his head on her shoulders, sprawling contentedly like a kitten; his satisfaction was clear to all. He Sui watched helplessly as He Jing carried He Xiaoguo into the house. ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± he huffed, chasing the pair.


    He Zhou and He Ning looked at each other, remaining in ce..

 Chapter 122 - 122: Exactly the Same

    Chapter 122: Exactly the Same


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When He Jing entered, she discovered Cheng Yi in her room, flipping through her books and notes. He Jing¡¯s expression turned cold, and she immediately snatched her things from Cheng Yi¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch my things,¡± He Jing hissed.


    Cheng Yi was not embarrassed despite having been caught snooping through He Jing¡¯s things. ¡°This used to be my room,¡± she drawled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be in this state; I certainly didn¡¯t leave it in the state it is now when I left. It seems no one has bothered to help you tidy things up.¡±


    He Jing could tell Cheng Yi was trying to show off her status in the family. She could not be bothered to y Cheng Yi¡¯s games and said, ¡°Please get out.¡±


    Cheng Yi smiled smugly and turned to leave. She had achieved her goal anyway.


    She was sure He Jing¡¯s status was not very high in the family. It seemed she had let her imagination run wild and panicked for nothing.


    But it did not matter. She would soon take back what belonged to her.


    He Ning was on the phone with his parents when he left the house. Although they were on a business trip, they did not forget He Ning¡¯s birthday.


    Five minutester, He Yuan came back. He had taken a half day at work to celebrate He Ning¡¯s birthday. He even brought cake! From its size, it looked around 12 inches long.


    He Yi and He Chen also returned around the same time.


    He Jing was greeted by the sight of two teenagers, who looked very simr, as soon as she stepped out of the room. They were wearing the same T-shirt and jeans. They were twins.


    He Jing was speechless.


    This was going to be troublesome.


    Like the other brothers of the He family, He Yi and He Chen also inherited the excellent appearance genes of their parents. They had long eyshes, double eyelids, and pupils, the uncanny shade of obsidian so unlike most others. Both sported short hair, barely tickling the tips of their ears. It gave them the look of two beautiful porcin dolls.


    Cheng Yi snickered, having expected He Jing to find herself in a tricky position.


    With her nose and chin raised, she strode to the two and greeted, ¡°Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯re back,¡± the twins replied almost simultaneously.


    He Sui silently crept to He Jing¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Fifth Brother is the one on the left. The one on the right is Sixth Brother. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother have a different feel to them.


    He Jing noticed that her fifth brother, He Yi, was more reserved, while her sixth brother was more outgoing. ¡°Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, I¡¯m He Jing, your sister. This is the gift I¡¯ve prepared for you both.¡±


    She handed the cartoon key and bookmark to He Yi and Chen, respectively. They looked down at the things in their hands and fell silent. Then, almost in unison, they looked at her, smiling gently.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m He Yi.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m He Chen.¡±


    Cheng Yi was momentarily stunned by the twins¡¯ reaction, anger slowly dominating all other emotions. She had not expected He Jing to bribe them with gifts so openly!


    Fortunately, she hade prepared.


    ¡°Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, I¡¯ve also brought some gifts for you both,¡± Cheng Yi interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring them in.¡±


    Cheng Yi called a bodyguard and asked them to bring a few things from the car¡¯s trunk.


    She had gotten them two pairs of identical sneakers.


    He Yi received the shoes. He was also silent for a moment. Then, he smiled. ¡°Xiao Yi, you¡¯re so thoughtful.¡±


    He Chen lowered his head and ced the pair of sneakers by his feet topare them. Then, he said, ¡°I like them very much.¡¯


    Cheng Yi heaved a sigh of relief and nced at He Jing proudly. What was the use of the cartoon keychain and the antique bookmark? The He family were all practical people. He Yi and He Chen¡¯s shoes were old, so they would like the gifts she gave them more.. Half-siblings were still half-siblings!

 Chapter 123 - 123: Surprise

    Chapter 123: Surprise


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This little interlude shed by, and the birthday celebration officially began. He Ning blew out the candles, made a wish, and began to ept everyone¡¯s blessings and gifts.


    He Yuan also gave He Ning a pair of sneakers. Of course, this pair of sneakers was not as expensive as the ones Cheng Yi had given He Yi and He Chen. Therefore, He Yuan was a little embarrassed when he gave them away. ¡°Just make do with it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Big Brother,¡± He Ning said expressionlessly.


    He Zhou gave He Ning a pair of headphones. It was a brandless pair with no distinguishing features. It was obvious they were bought from a street stall. Perhaps they only cost 20 yuan. Nheless, He Ning hung the headphones around his neck.


    Soon, it was He Sui¡¯s turn. He Sui rubbed his hands together and chuckled, ¡°He Jing and I got this gift for you.¡± He Jing was speechless.


    He Sui was free-loading off her!


    Meanwhile, He Yi and He Chen had given He Ning a pair of off-season gloves they had bought at a clearance sale and a dictionary at a discount because of a manufacturing defect causing the words to appear in fine print.


    Cheng Yi hoped to ring up the suspense and said, ¡°Let Sister He Jing give hers first. Maybe her gift will bring Second Brother a surprise, and he¡¯ll like it so much that he won¡¯t want mine.¡±


    He Jing nced at Cheng Yi indifferently.


    How could she not know what Cheng Yi was doing? Cheng Yi wanted to save hers forst to make it seem more important. After all, the best was always kept forst as part of a grand finale.


    He Jing could not be bothered to call Cheng Yi out on her scheme. She was here to celebrate He Ning¡¯s birthday with him, notpare whose gift was better. Without fanfare, she handed He Ning a box with the signature of a famous basketballer scrawled on the cover. ¡°Second Brother, happy birthday to you.¡±


    He Ning¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing became heavy. His usually cold expression was broken. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°A basketball.¡±


    Before He Ning could open it himself, He Sui let his mouth get the better of him and blurted.


    He Ning looked at He Jing in shock. He opened the box with trembling hands, almost in disbelief. Indeed, within was a basketball.


    He Ning could not control himself and burst into joyfulughter. His eyes were filled with excitement that could not be concealed. He bounced the basketball, patting it all over to check its sticity. Satisfied by what his senses shared, he


    caressed the ball lovingly and spoke from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Thank you.


    I like it very much.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    He Ning liked to y basketball.


    When did this happen?


    As if reading her thoughts, He Sui puffed out his chest, boasting, ¡°You didn¡¯t know, did you? Second Brother is an amazing basketball yer, and many girls swoon when they see him y. Even the coach of the city¡¯s basketball team tried to recruit Second Brother, hoping he would give up his studies to be a national athlete instead. If Second Brother hadn¡¯t said it was too risky and couldn¡¯t help his family attain a better life, he would have be a member of the city basketball team already.¡±


    This¡­


    They had not known.


    To think He Ning had made such a huge sacrifice for the family without them knowing¡­


    Then how did He Jing know?


    Everyone could not help but stare at He Jing.


    He Jing endured their questioning looks calmly. With a faint smile, she said, ¡°Every time Second Brother and I go home together by bus, we pass by the stadium at the city center. Second Brother always takes a second look, almost longingly. So I thought Second Brother must really like sports, so I bought this basketball, which most boys like. I¡¯m d he likes it.¡±


    Everyone came to a realization and felt guilty.


    He Jing had only taken the bus with He Ning, yet she could conclude that He Ning had a passion for basketball. They had lived under the same roof with He Ning for so long, but they were none the wiser.


    He Sui, being the jealous weirdo he was, whined, ¡°He Jing! You care so much about Second Brother¡­ What about me? You aren¡¯t as considerate with me as you are with him..¡±

 Chapter 124 - 124: A Mistake

    Chapter 124: A Mistake


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Ning listened to He Jing¡¯s words, gobsmacked. How could He Jing have been so considerate toward him for so long without him knowing?


    He had always thought she was trying to curry favor with the He family to integrate as soon as possible; it had always just been a formality in his mind..


    Suddenly, he felt an indescribable emotion burbling from the depths of his heart.


    Now that he looked at He Jing, she had the face of a god kissed by an angel, her ruby-red lips were curved into a smile, and her eyes reflected a beautiful, otherworldly light. No one would think she had been born into a poor family like theirs or that she would willingly be part of the family.


    Perhaps he had allowed his prejudice to cloud his judgment more than he realized.


    He Xiaoguo pouted, his hands cupping his sullen face. ¡°I want my birthday toe soon, too. I wonder if Sister will give me a toy car or a Gundam¡­¡±


    He Jing smiled and patted his head. ¡°Grow up quickly, and you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Time passes too slowly¡­¡± He Xiaoguo groaned, twiddling his thumbs.


    Everyone¡¯s gifts had been given, leaving only Cheng Yi¡¯s.


    Ever since He Sui found out about He Jing¡¯s gift, he had been looking forward to seeing Cheng Yi¡¯s gift for some time. ¡°Xiao Yi, let¡¯s have a look at your gift!¡± He Sui urged excitedly.


    Cheng Yi could not keep a straight face any longer. He Jing¡¯s gift was too great of a surprise. Cheng Yi did not think she could evoke the same reaction in He Ning with her gift.


    No. Now that she thought about it, her gift was more expensive than He Jing¡¯s, and its meaning was very touching. It might not be inferior to He Jing¡¯s gift.


    An elegant smile bloomed once more as Cheng Yi removed the fountain pen from its gift box. Faking her inner calm, she said, ¡°Happy birthday, Second Brother.¡±


    He Ning was also looking forward to Cheng Yi¡¯s gift. He moved with exaggerated slowness, opening the lid, and saw the fountain pen tucked inside. A hint of disappointment shed across his face, but he quickly hid it behind a charming smile. ¡°Thank you, Xiao Yi. It¡¯s a beautiful fountain pen.¡±


    ¡°This is a fountain pen from ¡®Les Elfes¡¯. It costs 10,000 yuan.¡± Cheng Yi said, ¡°And there¡¯s a very touching story behind it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He Sui asked.


    Cheng Yi deliberately cued He Jing. ¡°Sister He Jing knows this story too. Why don¡¯t we let Sister He Jing tell it? She¡¯ll recount it better than me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. This is your gift, so you should give it to Second Brother yourself,¡± He Jing said.


    Only then did Cheng Yi tell the story of Le Cocon unhurriedly.


    When she finished, a hush fell over the living room.


    Cheng Yi did not get the apuse she had thought she would. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked around nervously. ¡°Why¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± He Yuan was the first to respond. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; it was an interesting story.¡±


    He Suiughed dryly. ¡°Ah, I see. Let¡¯s cut the cake. Let¡¯s cut the cake.¡±


    Cheng Yi suddenly felt like she was in an ice cer, and her body turned cold.


    After living with them for so long, she could tell when they were being genuine or not.


    He Yuan and He Sui¡¯s reactions spoke for themselves. She eyed He Ning suspiciously. He Ning¡¯s ears were tinged red, and he quickly averted his eyes, gulping audibly. ¡°Xiao Yi, I like it very much.¡±


    Cheng Yi did not believe him. She turned to He Jing, believing the problem stemmed from her.


    He Jing met her gaze. Her red lips curled up slightly. ¡°Sister Cheng Yi, I didn¡¯t expect you to like Second Brother so much.¡±


    He Xiaoguo was simultaneously surprised and confused. It was as if a door to a new world had opened for him.


    The penny dropped for Cheng Yi.


    What kind of message had she sent to the He family?!

 Chapter 125 - 125: Of Course, It’s Because…

    Chapter 125: Of Course, It¡¯s Because¡­


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Le Cocon was a story of two individuals falling in love. A forbidden love that was never meant to be¡­ Wasn¡¯t she the one who was wildly hinting at an incestuous rtionship with He Ning?


    Even if He Yuan and the others did not misunderstand, the connotation was not something that best described her rtionship with He Ning. No wonder the He family gave her such strange looks.


    Cheng Yi paled, losing all color on her face. She looked at He Jing with burning eyes and finally understood why He Jing had given up the right to get this pen. It was because she was setting her up!


    She had long expected today¡¯s events!


    If He Jing knew what Cheng Yi was thinking, she would be speechless. At that time, she simply wanted to buy He Ning a better pen. Even if she chose to snatch the prize from Cheng Yi, she would have only treated it as an ordinary pen without mentioning Le Cocon¡¯s history.


    Cheng Yi could only me herself for being such a show-off.


    Just like that, the incident with the pen came to a close. The rest of the He family pretended not to have heard the story Cheng Yi recounted. To keep up appearances, He Ning, as the eye of the storm, had no choice but to put a tight leash on his emotions. Soon, He Zhou served dinner.


    He Zhou prepared ten dishes: five vegetables, three meat dishes, a sweet soup, and a snack. It was a sumptuous feast.


    He Yuan called everyone to the table. He Jing was arranged to sit with Cheng Yi. He Xiaoguo hugged He Jing and refused to let go, so he sat on He Jing¡¯sp.


    The first dish was a tasty soup with hawthorn, apples, and rock sugar as the base. It glimmered red and white; its beauty was unmistakable.


    He Zhou scooped a small bowl of soup, but contrary to expectations, he did not offer it to He NIng. Instead, he circled the table in the direction where He Jing and Cheng Yi were seated.


    Cheng Yi perked up. Regardless of what devilry He Jing had used to convert He Sui to her side, she still had He Zhou. No one in the He family doted on her more than He Zhou.


    She hastily smoothed out her expression, wanting to show He Zhou a beatific smile. ¡°Thank-¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡±


    He Xiaoguo snatched the hawthorn soup from He Zhou¡¯s hand and handed it to He Jing.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression changed. She stared at He Xiaoguo in embarrassment and anger.


    ¡°Xiaoguo, don¡¯t be rude. Let Sister Xiao Yi drink first,¡± He Yuan chided.


    After all, she was a guest now that she had returned to the Cheng family.


    He Yi and He Chen were also a little dissatisfied. Although He Jing looked good, Cheng Yi had lived with them for many years. He could not be so biased!


    He Xiaoguo, who had been reprimanded out of the blue, was caught off guard. He could not understand what he had done wrong. With his head bowed, he mumbled, ¡°O-oh.¡±


    Cheng Yi pretended to be magnanimous and said gently,¡± It¡¯s okay. Xiaoguo is still young and doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Don¡¯t be so harsh on him, Big


    Brother.¡±


    ¡°This bowl of soup is for He Jing,¡± He Zhou suddenly said.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s smile froze.


    He Sui and He Ning both understood why He Zhou was acting the way he was but chose to remain silent. ¡°What do you think? Has it boiled long enough?¡± He Zhou asked He Jing.


    If it had not boiled long enough, he would pour the soup back into the pot and continue boiling it for a while longer.


    He Jing took a sip with the spoon He Zhou offered. She smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Third Brother¡¯s cooking is amazing.¡±


    Having received He Jing¡¯s approval, hedled a second bowl for Cheng Yi, but she did not take it. Her eyes were swollen, looking like she was close to tears.


    ¡°Third Brother, what¡¯s going on?¡± He Yuan could not help but ask.


    He Zhou had always doted on Cheng Yi. There was no reason for him not to give the first bowl of soup to Cheng Yi.


    Could He Jing have conquered He Zhou¡¯s heart in the short few days that he was not home?


    Enjoying the feeling of knowing something his sibling did not, He Sui cocked a brow and smiled snootily. ¡°What else could it be? He Jing¡¯s cooking is better than Third Brother¡¯s, that¡¯s all..¡±

 Chapter 126 - 126: She Can Cook!

    Chapter 126: She Can Cook!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi did not even have time to cry. She stood up so quickly that the cutlery on the table jumped. She almost lost her voice. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Third Brother¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t as good as He Jing¡¯s, so he lets her taste everything first. That way, he can improve it if she finds itcking. Second Brother, He Xiaoguo, and I have always tacitly agreed.¡±


    Cheng Yi was dumbfounded.


    How was this possible?


    How could this be?


    ¡°But the Cheng family¡¯s housekeeper said that He Jing doesn¡¯t know how to cook, and she has never cooked before!¡± Cheng Yi revealed.


    He Zhou¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    She can¡¯t cook?


    How could she have never cooked before?


    How was this possible?


    He had been watching He Jing cook these few days. She fluttered about the kitchen like an experienced chef, and her knife skills could only have been honed through countless hours of practice. The carrots she sliced were thin and long, uniform in length and width. When she ted her food, nothing was out of ce. It was as if her cooking was a work of art.


    How could someone like that not know how to cook?


    He Sui¡¯s mouth hung open, gobsmacked. ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    He Yi and He Chen had not been home for a few days, but now, it felt like they had not been home for a few years. Since they were out of the loop, they had no choice but to watch as events yed out from the sidelines.


    The forgotten He Ning finally stood up and said, ¡°He Jing¡¯s cooking is better than Third Brother¡¯s; it¡¯s true.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s legs gave way, and she fell onto her seat with a thud, her face the color of chalk. She finally understood why He Jing was so confident.


    He Zhou¡¯s cooking had always been good. If he Jing was better than He Zhou¡­


    No wonder Yan Hanxi was willing to eat her French jelly.


    And here she was, thinking that He Jing had bought it¡­!


    Suddenly, Cheng Yi remembered the cooking ss their homeroom teacher had announced yesterday. If He Jing knew how to cook, wouldn¡¯t she be in the limelight again?


    NO!


    How could this be?


    While Cheng Yi was having a mental breakdown, He Zhou was having one of his own. He stared at He Jing and demanded, ¡°Is what Xiao Yi said true?¡±


    He believed Cheng Yi¡¯s words unconditionally. Moreover, Cheng Yi did not look like she was faking her distress.


    ¡°Is the answer so important?¡± He Jing countered, her neutral expression betraying none of her thoughts.


    Of course, it was important!


    If she had never cooked before, then where did she learn her skills from?


    She couldn¡¯t have be so proficient just by watching a few videos, could she¡­?


    At this point, He Zhou did not know what to think, and he dared not hop into that rabbit hole.


    He realized the culinary talent he had always been so proud of was, in fact, not worth mentioning in front of He Jing.


    This revtion shattered the decade¡¯s confidence he had painstakingly built up.


    It was not even eight o¡¯clock when the birthday dinner ended.


    Cheng Yi could not sit still for even a second. She immediately got up. ¡°Big


    Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Sixth


    Brother, and Xiaoguo, I¡¯m going home. Mom and Dad are still waiting for me.¡± He Ning had been watching Cheng Yi, so when she stood up, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡¯


    Cheng Yi was afraid that the He family would draw the wrong conclusions, thinking about Le Cocon again, so she rejected him.


    She picked up her bag and ran away.


    He Ning could not help but feel a little disappointed.


    Then, he looked at He Jing, who was helping He Zhou clear the table. Sensing his gaze, she smiled at him.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s swift departure did not affect him at all. He Sui felt that dinner was not as tasty as usual. Leaning over to He Jing, he whispered, ¡°Third Brother¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t very good. You should cook dinner tomorrow!¡±


    He Yuan was just about to bid farewell to He Jing and return to the dormitory when he heard his sibling¡¯sment. ¡°Third Brother worked hard through the night to prepare dinner,¡± he teased good-naturedly, ¡°You¡¯re heartless!¡±


    He Sui did not feel ashamed at all. ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± he retorted, ¡°Third Brother knows it too, right, Third Brother¡­?¡±


    He Zhou, drinking beer in the corner, retreated to the kitchen with a dark look.


    Only then did He Sui realize he had said something he should not have and sullenly mped his mouth shut..

 Chapter 127 - 127: Special

    Chapter 127: Special


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The needle struck nine before household matters had been settled.


    In the room, He Yi hung the cartoon keychain on his bag. He nced at He


    Chen, who stared, enraptured by the bookmark tucked between the pages of his book. Hesitantly, he began, ¡°She seems different from ordinary girls.¡±


    He Chen smiled, highlighting his fair, refined features. He turned to his brother and said, ¡°It is a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Other girls always confused them for each other, but He Jing did not.


    Other girls treated them as the same person, but He Jing did not.


    Even Cheng Yi was not as considerate as He Jing, having bought them the same gift.


    They had learned to live with it for the longest time. He Jing¡¯s intrusion in their lives broke the status quo, ttering them and making them feel like individuals and not just a pair of twins.


    He Yi eyed the two pairs of sneakers sitting side by side at the door. They were brand new and very expensive. ¡°Who would have thought we would hate each other despite sharing our mother¡¯s womb?¡± He Yi snarked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s spiteful; I¡¯ve never hated you,¡± He Chen tittered lightly. He Yi did not so much as bat an eye.


    They were born less than a second apart. Not only did they look alike, but they could also sense each other¡¯s emotions.


    He Chen disliked him in the same way he disliked his brother. It was a fact.


    He Chen mulled over the day¡¯s events and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too optimistic. What if she just bought two different gifts? Who¡¯s to say she won¡¯t be like Xiao Yi and everyone else? There¡¯s still a chance she¡¯ll treat us like the same person.


    Today might have been a fluke.¡±


    He Yi remained silent. He had a hunch that He Jing was not like that, but he could not help but feel uncertain as no one had ever treated him and He Chen as separate individuals before.


    Conversation soon died between the two of them. When not discussing important matters, they almost always ignored each other and did their own things.


    A whileter, He Zhou entered. An oppressive gloom reced his usual smiles, and dark clouds hung over his brows. He seemed to be in an extremely bad mood.


    In the He family, He Yi had the best rtionship with He Zhou, far better than He Chen. When he saw him, He Yi asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Third Brother? Who¡¯s made you upset? Why do you look like a ghost?¡±


    He Zhou looked up but did not answer. He ignored He Yi and went straight to bed to lie down.


    He Yi¡¯s eyelids twitched. He Zhou was not as stuffy as He Ning and would usually tell others when something made him unhappy. This was the first time He Yi had seen him causing a scene.


    Based on his understanding of He Zhou, He Yi immediately deduced that the trouble stemmed from He Jing. He could not help but ask, ¡°Where¡¯s He Jing?


    What¡¯s she doing now?¡±


    ¡°He Jing has gone to the bus stop to send Big Brother off,¡± He Zhou replied icily, his back turned away from the twins.


    He Yuan still had to return to his campus dormitory.


    He Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, surprised. Usually, He Zhou would be the one to send off He Yuan. Could He Zhou be unhappy because He Jing had taken his ce?


    ¡°Sister He Jing seems to have a good rtionship with Big Brother.¡± He Zhou closed his eyes, his mind drifting to He Jing. ¡®Not only is she on good terms with He Yuan, she¡¯s also conquered the hearts of the He family!¡¯ he thought.


    Before he entered the room, he spied He Ning sitting in the living room, pretending to listen to music while tutoring He Xiaoguo and helping him with his homework. Yet, not once had his eyes strayed from He Jing¡¯s figure, even as she sent He Yuan off. His adoration for He Jing could not be hidden and was no less than that he had for Cheng Yi.


    A basketball had won his heart..

 Chapter 128 - 128: Wait For Me

    Chapter 128: Wait For Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    As soon as he finished speaking, He Ning pushed open the door and walked in with a basketball in his arms.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± asked the handsome man with a cool expression. His dark eyes swept across the room, surveying the three of them who were conversing.


    He Chen had the best rtionship with He Ning. ¡°We¡¯re talking about Sister He


    Jing,¡± He Chen said. ¡°She seems special.¡±


    He Ning was stunned. This was beyond his expectations. ¡°What¡¯s so special about her?¡± he huffed. ¡°It¡¯s normal for a wealthy family¡¯s pampered young miss to know how to build connections. What¡¯s wrong? Are you guys interested in her.


    ¡°No, I just have a good impression of her,¡± He Chen answered readily.


    He Ning¡¯s brows furrowed as if he did not like He Chen saying such things. He sat on the bed and ced his new basketball by the headboard.


    He caressed the basketball with his fingertips like it was the most precious thing in the world. After a while, he said, ¡°She¡¯s not as good as you think. You¡¯ll know what I mean when you¡¯ve interacted more with her in the future. Only Big Brother can deal with her.¡±


    Despite his less-than-ttering assessment of He Jing, He Ning did not sound convincing.


    He Chen was sensitive; he knew when it was best to keep one¡¯s thoughts to themselves. He did not press the issue and turned to read the fantasy novel he had borrowed from his friend instead.


    He Jing walked He Yuan to the bus stop, taking out the trash along the way. He Yuan offered to help, but she refused.


    ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re returning to school; you shouldn¡¯t get your hands dirty. The university doesn¡¯t offerundromat services. The trash bag isn¡¯t heavy; I can carry it myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be home to help smooth things over for you,¡± He Yuan sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration, an apologetic look marring his usually cid disposition. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hard getting along with the rest¡­ If you get into any arguments with them,e to me. Big Brother will help you resolve it.¡±


    He Jing dumped the trash into the bin, shaking her head as she did so. ¡°No, no.


    Fourth Brother isn¡¯t targeting me anymore; he¡¯s be very good to me. Second Brother and Third Brother are cold on the outside but warm on the inside. They¡¯re very protective of me. Besides, I can look out for myself! Big Brother, don¡¯t treat me like a child¡­ Oh, have you finished the candy I gave you?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± He Yuan patted He Jing¡¯s head. ¡°They were amazing. My ssmates were green with envy and cursed me for having such a sweet sister.¡±


    He Jing smiled brightly, her pretty face lighting up in He Yuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you some more, Big Brother. You¡¯re studying at A University, right?¡±


    He Yuan was extremely touched, but he refused. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your money on me. I haven¡¯t been back in a while, and the moment I return, I find myself astonished by how much weight Fourth Brother has gained. Keep the money and take care of yourself. Don¡¯t worry about the others.¡±


    He Jing pouted. ¡°How can I do that? You¡¯re all my brothers. If I don¡¯t care for you all, who will?¡±


    Anguish gripped He Yuan¡¯s heart. The He family had failed He Jing, causing her to live a life in heaven, only to be dragged into the pits of hell. Yet, despite what they had done to her, she did not hate them. Instead, she treated them as her brothers from the bottom of her heart.


    There was probably no sister in this world who was better than her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been researching a particr chip recently,¡± He Yuan said, ¡°If it proves sessful, life won¡¯t be so hard for us. You must take good care of yourself. Big Brother will work hard to support you.¡±


    He Jing was slightly surprised. To think the revolutionary chip mentioned in the novel that would mark the rise of the He Corporation was already in the research stages of development¡­


    In three years at most, the research on the chip would be sessful.


    Three years.


    He Jing nodded. When she saw the busing, she urged him. ¡°Big Brother, go quickly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll bete arriving back at the dormitory.¡±


    With much reluctance, He Yuan let go and said, ¡°Wait for me,¡± his soft words rang like the crisp chime of a bell in He Jing¡¯s ears, ¡°I¡¯ll work hard and let you live the life of a princess again.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s heart warmed. She waved at He Yuan and watched as the bus


    departed. When she turned around, she met with He Sui, who had been standing behind her for an indeterminate length of time..

 Chapter 129 - 129: Cherish

    Chapter 129: Cherish


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui had stood behind the pair, watching the scene unfold with a dumbfounded look. When He Jing caught him staring, he looked her straight in the eye and grunted unhappily:


    ¡°I thought you got lost since you took so long to see Big Brother off. He doesn¡¯te back very often, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll never return. Was there a need to talk to him for so long?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our eldest brother; don¡¯t you know how to cherish the times he makes an effort toe home?¡± He Jing quipped.


    ¡°Is that how you show you cherish him?¡±


    ¡°How else would I show my appreciation for him?¡±


    He Sui pulled her closer toward him. ¡°You idiot! You don¡¯t have to please everyone just to ingratiate yourself with us or integrate with the He family! Am I not enough? I¡¯ll take care of you; I won¡¯t let anyone in the He family bully you.


    Besides, my grades are great. I¡¯m the most promising of all your brothers. You¡¯ll never want anything with me around. All I want are beef meatballs in exchange.¡±


    He Jing could sense how serious He Sui was and fell silent. She could not help herself and teased, ¡°Are you jealous? Are you nning on hogging me all to yourself?¡±


    He Sui flung her arm aside as if she had burned him. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± The reddish tinge coloring the tips of his ears would attest otherwise.


    His ears, cheeks, and neck flushed that rosy shade of red that so often indicated his fluster.


    He Jing burst intoughter. He Sui red at her, demanding, ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    He Jing could not help herself and continued teasing him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Fourth Brother to take me so seriously. I¡¯m so happy!¡¯ He Sui:


    A smile bloomed on her lips like a rose unfurling its petals.


    By this point, He Sui resembled a cooked lobster from the color of his skin and the steam gushing from his ears. He snorted and smiled. He could not help himself.


    The next day, He Jing went to school and cleaned her drawer. She found the ticket to the Chamber of Horrors that Yan Hanxi had given her.


    It was almost the weekend, but she had forgotten to redeem the coupons¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A warm voice, carrying the tenor of a cello ying on the G-string, sounded beside her. ¡°Tut-tut. Miss Merit Student, I hope you don¡¯t forget your promise.¡±


    It did not take He Jing long to remember that she had promised to team up with Yan Hanxi to tackle that secret room together.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going out and having fun with my siblings this weekend, ¡± He Jing said to Yan Hanxi.


    Yan Hanxi quirked a brow. ¡°Sure, but you can only team up with me.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± He Jing agreed readily.


    He Ning and He Sui did not look like they were afraid of ghosts at all.


    He Xiaoguo might be afraid, but he would be well looked after with so many of his siblings around.


    She never went back on her word. Yan Hanxi smirked. ¡°There¡¯s apetition on the first day the secret room opens to the public. The first yer to escape will be awarded a prize. I¡¯m not sure what the prize is, but it¡¯ll definitely be generous.¡±


    He Jing frowned.


    Why was there always such a prize involved?


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yan Hanxiughed. ¡°Although the Yan


    Corporation is involved in many industries, this is not one of them.¡±


    Oh-


    She thought that he was secretly helping her again.


    As expected, she was overthinking things.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best when the timees.¡±


    Wu Yu was holding a book while eavesdropping on the two of them. When he heard this, he could not help but say, ¡°Sister Jing, you should think about what you¡¯re going to do for cooking ss first.¡±


    Ever since their homeroom teacher announced the rmencement of the school¡¯s cooking sses, Zhou Xue¡¯er had been beside herself with joy. She often spoke ill about He Jing in ss, so when she learned the new cooking teacher was her cousin, Zhou Xue¡¯er believed it was the will of the divine, begging her to expose He Jing for the fraud she was..

 Chapter 130 - 130: Is She a Cooking Black Hole?

    Chapter 130: Is She a Cooking ck Hole?


    I ranstator: NY01-d0 Studio Editor: NY01-d0 Studio


    The Zhou family was originally in the food and beverage industry, so Zhou Xue¡¯er was dissatisfied when He Jing ordered her around.


    No matter how bad Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s cooking was, she was still better than the average person. He Jing was nothingpared to her, yet she thought she was all that. It made Zhou Xue¡¯er feel like giving her a good beating.


    Now, the opportunity for revenge had finally arrived.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er knew she had to seize this opportunity to humiliate He Jing. Now was no time to think about horror houses or secret rooms.


    Cheng Yi stepped into the ssroom just then. When she heard Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s bold words, she silently cursed, ¡®You idiot!¡¯


    He Jing had Yan Hanxi to protect her. So what if Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s cousin was a teacher? The teacher would still have to tell the truth or risk incurring Yan


    Hanxi¡¯s ire. Zhou Xue¡¯er was just setting herself up as a stepping stone for He Jing to bask in the limelight.


    No. She could not allow it.


    She had to stop the cooking ss from resuming at all costs.


    Cheng Yi gritted her teeth and called Ye Shuping, hoping she would have some way to stop the cooking sses from being reintroduced into the curriculum. Unfortunately, her prayers were destined to be dashed. ¡°Xiao Yi, although the Cheng family is a stakeholder in Yin High School, we don¡¯t have the right to interfere in the school¡¯s day-to-day operations. Focus on your lessons. When youe home, I¡¯ll take you to a spa. I won¡¯t let you ruin your hands or face from these cooking lessons.¡±


    Cheng Yi wallowed in despair. Was there no other way¡­?


    Suddenly, an idea came to her.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Xue¡¯er was also on her phone with her cousin, Zhou Qiu, to confirm that the n was going smoothly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cousin. I¡¯ll settle your grievances for you once I start teaching at Yin High School,¡± Zhou Qiu said, patting his chest.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er hung up and re-entered the ssroom. She sniffed smugly at He Jing¡¯s direction.


    As the afternoon cooking ss approached, the ss broke into a heated discussion.


    ¡°Do you think He Jing knows how to cook? I asked around, but no one in A City seems to be making French jellies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Think about it. He Jing tried everything she could to woo Brother Xi, but she never prepared a lunch box for him.¡±


    ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you all remember ourst cooking ss? He Jing ordered Zhou


    Xue¡¯er to bake a cake, and we all know how the final product turned out.¡±


    ¡°The teacher threw up after taking a bite. She said she had never tasted such a horrible cake before. Wasn¡¯t the task quite simple? Only He Jing¡¯s group failed¡­


    ¡°He Jing is a cooking ck hole!¡±


    Shen Qiuyu listened to the chatter and finally lost her cool, mming her book against the table with a loud bang. She red at her ssmates and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that Sister Jing¡¯s grades are among the best? She doesn¡¯t have to be good at everything! Does she need to be all-rounded and achieve perfection before anyone gives her a break?¡±


    The gossiping students turned to each other, sharing the same thought, ¡®I guess that¡¯s true¡­¡¯


    He Jing had good grades, was pretty, and could even kick mineral water bottles. How many girls out there couldpare with her? What did it matter if she could not cook?!


    Zhou Xue¡¯er had been closely monitoring her ssmates¡¯ opinions of He Jing. Sneering, she said, ¡°The point isn¡¯t whether she is an all-rounder or not. It¡¯s fine if she can¡¯t cook. What isn¡¯t is her continued lies! She mes others for her failures and was also the cause of some of us failing ourst cooking practical. This is a problem. Shen Qiuyu, you¡¯re so stubborn. Why don¡¯t you join He Jingter and see how you like it!¡±


    Shen Qiuyu choked, losing all color on her face. ¡°It¡¯s just for one lesson. No matter how bad Sister Jing¡¯s cooking is, I won¡¯t make fun of her.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er smile widened. ¡°It¡¯s three to a group. You are still missing one person. Who else is willing to join the two of you?¡±


    Terrified looks were shared among the students; none wanted to be forced into the same group as Shen Qiuyu and He Jing. It was so diforting that Shen Qiuyu almost cried in anger.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret treating Sister Jing like this!¡± she roared.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re the only one confident in He Jing¡¯s cooking. No one else is willing to be in the same group as her. Doesn¡¯t that speak for itself?¡±


    ¡°My, my. I can¡¯t wait for our cooking ss,¡± a voice sounded. It was as if that person knew something everyone else did not..

 Chapter 131 - 131: A Problem

    Chapter 131: A Problem


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Everyone turned to the source of that enchanting voice. Who else could have such an outstanding voice besides Yan Hanxi?


    He Jing was standing beside him, clearing the table as if she was ready to cook.


    Shen Qiuyu¡¯s eyes lit up, and heughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t we a trio now?¡±


    ¡°I still want to join the group!¡± Wu Yu shouted.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s expression instantly changed. She looked at He Jing and said unwillingly, ¡°Be mindful of you try to help He Jing! You¡¯ll regret it when you¡¯re poisoned half to death by her cooking.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er stomped her foot in frustration, knowing she was not about to get the upper hand.


    Finally, the bell rang. It was almost time for their cooking ss. Countless eyes followed He Jing and Zhou Xue¡¯er as they filed out of the ssroom, but before they could all do so, their homeroom teacher stopped them at the door.


    The students were startled by this development. ¡°Your cooking teacher just checked the ingredients and found a problem with today¡¯s shipping,¡± their homeroom teacher said. ¡°Today¡¯s cooking ss will be changed to a self-study period.¡±


    The news caused an uproar in the ssroom.


    ¡°It must be you!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er screamed excitedly as she jabbed an using finger at He Jing.


    He Jing had nned to ignore Zhou Xue¡¯er, not wanting to lower herself to thetter¡¯s IQby responding to the usation. However, when everyone looked at her with simr thoughts seemingly churning in their minds, she frowned, her words chilling to the bone, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Naruto?¡±


    What? Did they think she could create shadow clones?


    She had not left the ssroom for the past few lessons. How could she have tampered with the ingredients?


    Several heads bobbed in agreement. He Jing had not gone out, so how could she have done something to the ingredients? Zhou Xue¡¯er looked at Yan Hanxi and said reluctantly, ¡°Brother Xi, you can protect her for one day, but you can¡¯t protect her for two. If she doesn¡¯t know how to cook, she will be exposed sooner orter.¡±


    Yan Hanxi chuckled, but his smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°So, you think I¡¯m ying tricks?¡±


    Ah, this¡­


    All the students shuddered and shook their heads.


    This was not something Yan Hanxi could do.


    Yan Hanxi never yed dirty, regardless of whether it was a fight or something less serious. He was always open about things. Even if he wanted to show his favor to someone, he would do so openly. He did not care who you were.


    Tampering?


    They were making fun of him!


    ¡°Who else could it be? Was it you, Shen Qiuyu?¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er asked.


    Shen Qiuyu was speechless. ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er, don¡¯t use people like a rabid dog,¡± she scolded. ¡°If you have the skill, expose the culprit with proof!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch whoever it is!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er growled through gritted teeth.


    Hiding in the crowd, Cheng Yi looked on coldly from the side. She felt even more disdain for Zhou Xue¡¯er.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er might be furious now, but she would thank her in the future.


    If not for the fact that no one was sincere enough to be useful to her, she would not have be sisters with such an idiot.


    As she thought about it, she looked at Liu Sisi again, thinking she should repair her rtionship with her instead.


    Due to the problem discovered and the importance the school attached to the cooking ss, lessons were postponed to Friday afternoon, and cameras were installed to safeguard against future incidents of this nature.


    Cheng Yi could no longer tamper with the ingredients. She could only find out about the new cooking teacher and investigate his background to try and make use of him.


    In the cafe after school, Cheng Yi changed into her school uniform and wore a beautiful white dress. She sat opposite Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s cousin, Zhou Qiu. She smiled and said, ¡°Cousin Zhou, hello. I¡¯m Xue¡¯er¡¯s friend. My name is Cheng Yi.¡±


    Zhou Qiu¡¯s eyes lit up, and his breathing became erratic..

 Chapter 132 - 132: Lowering the Score

    Chapter 132: Lowering the Score


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhou Qiu loved beautiful women with long ck hair. When he saw Cheng Yi, it was as if he had seen his first love. Cheng Yi smiled gently, and the entire cafe lit up.


    Zhou Qiu spoke softly, afraid to offend the beauty¡¯s sensibilities, ¡°So you¡¯re Xue¡¯er¡¯s friend. Xue¡¯er has often mentioned you to me. What¡¯s the matter? Is there something you need from me?¡±


    Cheng Yi bit her lip, bundled emotions spilling forth. She pretended to be in a difficult position. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about the cooking ss¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the cooking ss?¡± Zhou Qiu asked, patiently coaxing the words out of Cheng Yi.


    Cheng Yi mustered up her courage and looked Zhou Qiu in the eyes. ¡°I was the one who ruined the ingredients. I didn¡¯t want Xue¡¯er to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhou Qiu was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Cheng Yi began, ¡°There¡¯s a student in our ss called He Jing. She¡¯s very good at cooking, but Xue¡¯er insists on making things difficult. Xue¡¯er said many things that mighte back to bite her and even made a bet with Student He Jing. She said she would jump out of the building if she lost. I couldn¡¯t bear to see Xue¡¯er lose face in front of the whole ss, so¡­


    ¡°Brother Zhou, is there anything you can do?¡± Cheng Yi fluttered her long eyshes, looking extremely pitiful.


    ¡°He Jing knows how to cook?¡± Zhou Qiu was stunned.


    Didn¡¯t Xue¡¯er say He Jing could not cook? Why was He Jing pretending otherwise?


    Cheng Yi replied with certainty, ¡°I¡¯m sure Student He Jing is very good at cooking. Cousin Zhou will know when we have cooking sster. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    Cheng Yi seemed so sincere that Zhou Qiu could not help but take things at face value, falling silent. Thinking of Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s usually impetuous, pampered, and domineering personality, he felt that Cheng Yi was telling the truth.


    After thinking about it carefully, he nodded seriously and said, ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll give He Jing a lower score so that her grades will be more or less like Xue¡¯er¡¯s. This way, Xue¡¯er can keep her face, and He Jing won¡¯t be unhappy.¡±


    After all, Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s cooking was not half bad.


    Zhou Qiu believed he could mitigate the conflict between the two girls if he handled matters well.


    Cheng Yi smiled sweetly when she saw she had achieved her goal. ¡°Cousin Zhou is so good to Xue¡¯er. If only I had a brother like you¡­¡±


    Zhou Qiu looked at Cheng Yi again, his heart burning. Almost instinctively, he said, ¡°I can be your godbrother. Let¡¯s add each other on WeChat.¡±


    Times passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was Friday, and Zhou Xue¡¯er had not slept well for two consecutive days.


    She feared something would go wrong in the cooking ss, so she pestered Zhou Qiu several times via WeChat. Only after Zhou Qiu could not take it anymore did he promise Zhou Xue¡¯er that all would go well.


    He Jing was already ready and waiting when they arrived at school. She still lookedpletely indifferent to the predicament she was in.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er sneered and thought to herself, ¡®She must be pretending. I¡¯ll rip her facade apart.¡¯


    Little did she know that He Jing was already thinking about the topic of this cooking ss and what she should do.


    She asked Yan Hanxi. Yan Hanxi deliberately teased her. ¡°Miss Merit Student, are you nervous?¡± he asked.


    He Jing¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°This is rted to your good fortune,¡± she replied calmly. If you¡¯re unwilling to tell me, then forget it.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. ¡°From what I know, it¡¯s probably something like French cuisine.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°French food again. What about Chinese food? Chinese food is delicious!¡±


    Yan Hanxiughed. ¡°Yin High School is an elite school, after all. They won¡¯t let the teachers teach students how to stir-fry shredded cabbage and braised eggnt. That would be tasteless, not to mention all the oil and smoke it would create. I doubt many students would be willing to take cooking lessons if they had to suffer through that.¡±


    He Jing thought about it. That made sense. She cooked a lot of French food, so it should not be a problem..

 Chapter 133 - 133: Just You Wait and See

    Chapter 133: Just You Wait and See


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The days flew by, and soon, it was the secondst ss of a certain Friday afternoon. It was time for the long-awaited cooking ss.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was full of confidence that she would embarrass He Jing today. asionally, she would nce at He Jing with eyes full of pride and anticipation.


    ¡°Xue¡¯er, what are you going to do?¡± A girl who was on good terms with her asked. ¡°When I passed by the teacher¡¯s office just now, I heard our new cooking teacher say that the topic for today¡¯s cooking ss is French cuisine¡­¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er had already thought about it. ¡°I¡¯ll make a French pan-fried sole,¡± she replied, ¡°It is my specialty and one of France¡¯s more important dishes. It will amaze everyone.¡±


    Even in front of a professional gourmet, she showed no fear.


    The girl on good terms with Cheng Yi gloated. ¡°I¡¯m sure He Jing must be miserable. Let¡¯s see how she covers up for her lie!¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could already see He Jing crying and begging for mercy in her mind¡¯s eye. The corners of her lips curled up.


    Cooking sses were held in Block B of the Yin High School Teaching Building. When He Jing arrived, most of her ssmates were waiting outside the kitchen, and the new cooking teacher was already standing at the long kitchen table.


    He was dressed in a chef¡¯s uniform and briefly introduced himself. When she heard the surname ¡®Zhou,¡¯ the whole ss gasped and looked at He Jing sympathetically.


    Zhou¡­


    It was not inconceivable to think of a connection between this new cooking teacher and Zhou Xue¡¯er.


    Shen Qiuyu sidled up to He Jing. She held her phone in a vice and whispered,


    ¡°Sister Jing, this is bad. I¡¯ve looked up our new teacher¡¯s profile. He¡¯s Zhou


    Xue¡¯er¡¯s cousin.¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± He Jing said.


    Shen Qiuyu handed her the phone. He Jing picked it up and took a look. On the screen was the profile of Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s rtive drawn from Baidu. Zhou Xue¡¯er was listed among his rtives. Their new cooking teacher¡¯s resume was quite impressive. He was so qualified that it would not have been strange if he were the head chef of a five-star restaurant.


    ¡°Miss Merit Student, are you having second thoughts?¡± Yan Hanxi asked with a smile.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± He Jing retorted.


    Although he was a chef qualified to work in a five-star restaurant, it did not mean he was more skilled than her. He Jing had confidence in herself, and she knew her ability.


    He Jing felt Zhou Qiu¡¯s eyes on her as she spoke to Yan Hanxi. His gaze was exceptionally piercing, dark, and sinister. She knew at a nce that she was in trouble.


    It seemed today¡¯s cooking ss was destined to be fraught with trouble.


    Zhou Qiu was not the only one eyeing He Jing; Cheng Yi was also. Her rouge-red lips were contorted in a smirk. It looked like she could not wait for the show.


    She had discussed it with Zhou Qiu. It was not enough to just lower the score. To vent her anger on Zhou Xue¡¯er, Zhou Qiu would customize a more difficult topic for He Jingter.


    With the increased difficulty, He Jing was bound to flounder, and the chances of her making a mistake would increase. ¡®Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll have the face to present your cooking for Zhou Qiu to judge afterward¡­!¡¯


    At this moment, Zhou Xue¡¯er stepped forward and said, ¡°Cous- ¡­ Ahem. Teacher, I have something to say.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s conduct the cooking ss in the form of a PK. This way, the cooking skills of each group will improve swiftly.


    Zhou Xu¡¯er¡¯s suggestion caused an uproar.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was simply too scheming.


    She just wanted to embarrass He Jing.


    However, the new cooking teacher pretended to be in deep thought, nodding only after a while. ¡°That¡¯s a very good suggestion. Then, we¡¯ll conduct today¡¯s ss based on Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s suggestion!¡±


    Shen Qiuyu¡¯s expression changed instantly. She stomped her feet in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t agree!¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er sniffed, looking down her nose at Shen Qiuyu. ¡°This is Teacher


    Zhou¡¯s first lesson with us. Are you going to disobey him already?¡± she mocked.


    Shen Qiuyu was speechless.


    Hence, Zhou Xue¡¯er looked at He Jing and sneered. ¡°Teacher, I request topete with Student He Jing in cooking. If I win, He Jing must kneel and apologize to me..¡±

 Chapter 134 - 134: I Accept This Duel

    Chapter 134: I ept This Duel


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Kneeling¡­ Apologizing¡­


    This was too ruthless!


    Even those students who were not close to He Jing could not help but speak up for her. ¡°Teacher, this is bullying. You can¡¯t agree to it!¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er immediately retorted, ¡°Teacher, He Jing bullied me in our previous cooking ss. This is a personal grudge between us. Please give me this chance to settle it.¡±


    Zhou Qiu had wanted to persuade Zhou Xue¡¯er to give up on the idea, but seeing how persistent she was, he could only change tactics. ¡°A conflict between ssmates should be resolved peacefully. You shouldn¡¯t be so vindictive. However, if it¡¯s a purely culinary PK, as long as Student He Jing agrees, we can start -¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked, turning to He Jing.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er never expected Zhou Qiu to side with He Jing. She shrieked, ¡°No!¡± He Jing would not agree!


    As long as one had a brain, no one would agree to this duel, knowing that their culinary skills were inferior.


    However, He Jing¡¯s eyes were indifferent as she said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s pupils trembled. She could not believe it. What¡­ What just happened?


    She agreed!


    She agreed!


    All the students gasped and looked at He Jing in extreme shock and disbelief.


    Even the student who had stepped forward to help He Jing opened his mouth wide and said angrily:


    ¡°Student He Jing, don¡¯t be rash.¡¯


    If she agreed, wouldn¡¯t his actions be for nothing? People might even say he was a busybody!


    He Jing smiled gently, her usually cold expression turning lively, ¡°Thank you, Jiang Shu. I¡¯ll let you try my cookingter.¡±


    Jiang Shu, who stood on the receiving end of He Jing¡¯s brilliant smile, flushed. He was already happy to receive her gratitude. For He Jing to be willing to cook for him alone¡­ No, there was no way she could win this PK¡­!


    How could she when their teacher was biased?


    ¡°He Jing!¡± Jiang Shut s anger turned into worry. ¡°Student He Jing, please reconsider.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s smile was suffused with warmth. It was beautiful, yet dangerous.


    Even her tone carried a hint of nonchnce. ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to reconsider anything. I¡¯m willing to ept Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s challenge. However, what will I get if I beat her?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er quickly regained her senses, and her usual haughty, almost disdainful posturing returned in full force. Without more than a second¡¯s thought, she cried, ¡°How can I lose? You must be joking!¡±


    ¡°If I lose¡­


    ¡°If I lose, I shall drop out of school and never appear before you again!¡± He Jing was speechless.


    It was her first time seeing someone who could speak so decisively!


    ¡°Since Zhou Xue¡¯er is so sincere, let¡¯s begin.¡± He Jing said, ¡°To ensure the fairness of the PK and to prevent Zhou Xue¡¯er from being wrongly expelled, I would like to invite everyone present to be the judges.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, are the terms eptable?¡± she asked Zhou Qiu.


    Zhou Qiu felt like a fly caught in a spider¡¯s web. His eyebrows twitched. ¡°There are dozens of people here. Can you make so many dishes in the stipted time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    It felt like the situation was progressing along uncharted waters; it was not following the script he had nned¡­


    Zhou Qiu nced at Cheng Yi. Seeing that Cheng Yi was frowning, he gritted his teeth. ¡°Yes, they are.¡±


    He Jing smiled faintly; it was a devilishly alluring sight. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin. Teacher, please give us today¡¯s topic for our cooking ss..¡±

 Chapter 135 - 135: You’re Still in the Mood to Drink Red Wine?

    Chapter 135: You¡¯re Still in the Mood to Drink Red Wine?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhou Qiu had some understanding of his cousin, Zhou Xue¡¯er. He knew she was a deft hand at cooking fish-rted dishes. What was the French pan-fried sole to her? It was one of her specialties!


    Still, he could not appear biased, so he pretended to be deep thought as he said, ¡°How about the sole?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure,¡± He Jing said calmly.


    Sole¡­


    It was something He Jing was tired of making.


    With the topic established, the PK officially began. The other students were also expected to cook sole, but it was obvious that no one had the mind to focus on their cooking. Instead, their attention was split between He Jing and Zhou Xue¡¯er.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, He Jing,¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er said to He Jing, who was not far away from her, as she tied her apron.


    He Jing ignored her and took off her hair tie. She untied her high ponytail and retied it into a bun.


    The boys in the ss were gobsmacked.


    He Jing looked so good in a bun!


    However, before they could stare for more than two seconds, they felt a chill on the back of their necks. They turned around and saw Yan Hanxi with a faint smile and a cold gaze.


    The boys felt their hearts leap to their throats. They did not dare cast their wandering eyes over He Jing any longer. Shen Qiuyu shouted, ¡°Sister Jing, get her!¡±


    ¡°Shen Qiuyu, please keep quiet. This is still a lesson,¡± Cheng Yi¡¯s mellow voice sounded.


    As she spoke, she nced at Zhou Qiu at the head table. Zhou Qiu coughed and scolded. ¡°Shen Qiuyu, if you continue to cause a ruckus, you¡¯ll stand outside as punishment.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu red at Cheng Yi fiercely. ¡®They¡¯re in cahoots!¡¯ she cried in her mind.


    However, she said nothing else, turning her attention to Zhou Xue¡¯er and He Jing.


    Since He Jing dared to ept this PK, she must know how to cook.


    The only question that remained was who was better, Zhou Xue¡¯er or He Jing?


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was the first to take action. She fished a fresh sole from the fish tank and cleaned it up neatly while He Jing remained still.


    Shen Qiuyu could not help but feel a little anxious. Could He Jing have agreed to this PK impulsively and did not know how to cook?


    When He Jing finally took action, she first popped a bottle of red wine from the refrigerator, poured it into a ss, and took a sip.


    Her actions stupefied the ss.


    This¡­


    Was she not going to cook?


    The ss was only 45 minutes long, and she had to share the equipment with the rest.


    Zhou Xu¡¯er was originally worried that He Jing could cook. Why else would she ept her challenge? With her actions, was she afraid she would be exposed and mocked? Was that why she was not doing anything?


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er could not help but snort. ¡°He Jing, it¡¯s not toote for you to admit defeat now,¡± she said with disdain.


    ¡°Why should I admit defeat?¡± He Jing finished the ss of red wine in one gulp, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.


    Her interest had been Diaued.


    She always drank a little before cooking; it was a habit.


    But it was also a sign that she was treating the challenge seriously.


    The only other time she had gotten serious was when the master of French cuisine, Chef Ferlin, tested her on how much she had learned.


    He Jing set aside her empty wine ss and strode toward the tank, picking the biggest sole by its tail. The sole, sensing danger, tried its best to escape, but it was in vain. To outsiders, it almost looked like the fish was leaping into He Jing¡¯s arms as if knowing it would soon be cooked into a wonderful pan-fried sole. He Jing did not disappoint.


    Everyone watched the scene unfold in a daze. They looked like a bunch of automatons that had short-circuited. Even Zhou Qiu was on his feet instantly, his eyes the size of dinner tes. Meanwhile, Cheng Yi¡¯s expression had morphed into one of shock.


    How did she do it?


    Compared to Zhou Xue¡¯er, who had to work so hard to cut and scale the fish, He Jing had finished processing the fish, separating it into its constituent parts in seconds. No wonder she could be so carefree as to spend her precious minutes drinking wine!


    Yan Hanxi smiled. He nced at Zhou Qiu at the cooking table and called Wu Yu over. He whispered a few instructions to him and asked him to sneak out. No one noticed this detail because He Jing attracted everyone¡¯s attention..

 Chapter 136 - 136: How Does She Know Everything?

    Chapter 136: How Does She Know Everything?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°What is He Jing doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe she¡¯s steaming the sole? She poured the rest of the red wine on the sole. It is for cooking, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She added so many spices. What is she doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand at all!¡±


    He Jing put down the empty bottle of red wine and prepared the sauce.


    The most important thing in French cuisine was the sauce. It was the essence of a dish and the foundation of any good chef of French cuisine.


    He Jing had decided on the tried and truebination of mixing ketchup and mayonnaise, along with arge serving of chopped celery and a pinch of ck pepper. The pepper would stimte the taste buds andplement the mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. As there was no ready-made mix of thetter, He Jing had to make it from scratch.


    The process was smooth ¨C almost as if she had done it a thousand times before. Bright red tomatoes were crushed, and onions and carrots were diced, which were soon mixed into a bowl with butter and ketchup. All that was left was the mayonnaise. He Jing may have omitted some ingredients that made up the authentic French ketchup, but she would make up for it with chicken stock and the bacon she had thawing in the fridge.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er spied on He Jing¡¯s sauce, watching it inch closer topletion. Gritting her teeth, she sped up, not wanting to be outdone. She washed her sole fish and started on the sauce. However, in her hurry, Zhou Xue¡¯er forgot the recipe, and it took her a long time to remember what to do.


    The pressure she felt was immense¡­


    And He Jing was the cause.


    ¡®Damn! How does she know everything?!¡¯ Zhou Xue¡¯er silently cursed.


    She quickly forced herself to calm down when she recalled her biting words about He Jing.


    ¡®Zhou Xue¡¯er, you can¡¯t lose here!¡¯


    Perhaps it was the encouragement she gave herself, but Zhou Xue¡¯er finally suppressed her fear and tallied her advantages. She had learned cooking from chefs all over the country since she was young, and her experience was far beyond that of ordinary people¡­


    He Jing¡¯s technique might be exquisite, but as the saying goes, taste is king. He Jing¡¯s cooking might not taste as good as it looked.


    A mouth-watering fragrance permeated the kitchen as time passed.


    The longer she immersed herself in cooking, the more confident Zhou Xue¡¯er became. Watching the transformation of her sole from a hapless fish to a stunning dish while He Jing was still ving away at the stove, Zhou Xue¡¯er could not help but feel proud.


    One¡¯s cooking speed was often a direct indicator of a person¡¯s skill level. Since He Jing had not finished cooking yet, it was obvious her skill was inferior to hers.


    To think she had been frightened by the ability He Jing demonstrated earlier! It was ridiculous!


    Shen Qiuyu and the others grew more anxious as time passed. They began discussing in hushed tones:


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Sister Jing done yet?¡±


    ¡°It feels like the fish is only halfway cooked¡­ Ah! It¡¯s finally in the pot.¡±


    ¡°What is she trying to do? What? Is it also a pan-fried sole?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Isn¡¯t that Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s specialty? Is He Jing trying topete with her head -on?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er had already ted her fish. It looked very tasty. She cocked her head, her nose in the air, and said, ¡°Teacher, He Jing hasn¡¯t finished cooking yet. You can try mine first. I¡¯ve made a lot. You can eat more of itter when He ling is done.¡±


    Zhou Qiu, who had been watching thepetition, noted how Zhou Xue¡¯er was the first to finish and thought victory was certain for his cousin. He felt relieved. Cheng Yi must have been bragging about He Jing¡¯s skills on WeChat. Perhaps her real ability was only so-so. In terms of cooking, who couldpare to the Zhou family?


    He nodded and pretended to be serious. ¡°Alright, then bring it over. The rest will be given to the other students.¡±


    Just as Zhou Xue¡¯er was about to serve her French pan-fried sole, a powerful fragrance suddenly engulfed the kitchen from He Jing¡¯s side. Everyone turned around and saw He Jing lift the lid of the pot as if she had detonated an aroma bomb..

 Chapter 137 - 137: Your Fish Isn ‘t Authentic

    Chapter 137: Your Fish Isn ¡®t Authentic


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Fragrant.


    It was too fragrant.


    This fragrance contained the elegance of red wine, the sweetness of fish, and the aroma of some unknown spice¡­


    White, wispy clouds of steam curled up, filling the ssroom with the tantalizing smell of He Jing¡¯s pan-fried sole. Under its influence, all who inhaled it became subjects to the kingly scent, causing countless souls to swallow their saliva, their stomachs aching with want.


    It was not time to eat yet, but the mouth-watering aroma had whet the appetites of those present. It was as if they were gluttonous beasts lured over by their unfettered desires.


    He Jing scooped the fragrant sole out of the pan. Everyone wanted a bite, their actions controlled by some primal instinct that demanded their stomachs be filled.


    He Jing cut her sole into dozens of evenly sized portions. Only then did the ss realize that He Jing had fried not one but six fish. No wonder she was so slow!


    To fry six fish in one pan¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it take at least 30 minutes if she were to fry them one at a time? Not to mention how long it would take most to prepare the fish¡­ When they looked at the clock, they were astounded that only 35 minutes had passed since the start of ss.


    Heavens! What kind of speed was this?


    Hadn¡¯t she spent a long time preparing the sauce earlier?


    Could it be that the long time in their eyes was only a few minutes in her hands?


    At this moment, a pure and innocent female voice sounded from the side. ¡°It looks like a home-cooked dish.¡±


    Zhou Qiu returned to his senses and quickly walked up to He Jing. He looked at her sauce and shook his head, pretending to be regretful. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t authentic French cuisine. Student He Jing, you might have to redo it.¡±


    He Jing was ting her food when she heard her teacher¡¯sments. Unhurriedly, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s not authentic about it?¡±


    Zhou Qiu pointed at the sauce, ¡°Tomato sauce and mayonnaise don¡¯t go together. Mixing a brown sauce and a white sauce would have been better. Your method doesn¡¯t conform to the most basic ts of French cuisine.


    He Jing quirked a brow, finding it funny. ¡°Teacher, do you know what French cuisine is?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting my qualifications?¡± Zhou Qiu asked with a straight face.


    He Jing did not answer him directly. ¡°Although French cuisine has rigorous requirements for the method of cooking, it also emphasizes maintaining the original vor of the ingredients used; French cuisine does not limit the chef¡¯s imagination. Besides, ketchup and mayonnaise are staples in French cuisine.


    They are key ingredients in making Thousand Ind sauce.¡±


    ¡°The modern Thousand Ind sauce is derived from this,¡± He Jing said slowly. ¡°Newer versions use lemon juice, boiled eggs, sweet peppers, pickled cucumbers, and so on to lighten the strong tomato base. However, that doesn¡¯t negate the existence of the older version of Thousand Ind sauce. I¡¯ve prepared the ketchup and mayonnaise using French techniques. Is this not


    French enough, Teacher?¡±


    Zhou Qiu fell silent, feeling choked by He Jing¡¯s rebuttal.


    Of course, he knew, but seeing the situation was worsening for Zhou Xue¡¯er, he tried picking on He Jing. He did not expect He Jing to be so knowledgeable, however.


    ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to disregard professional ethics just to make things difficult for Sister Jing?¡± Shen Qiuyu questioned loudly.


    Zhou Qiu spun around and red at Shen Qiuyu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized to


    He Jing, ¡°I must have remembered things wrongly. Indeed, this is an authentic French pan-fried sole and sauce. Please continue.¡±


    He Jing ted thest sole and served it with the sauce she had prepared. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s done,¡± she said. ¡°Please judge it.¡±


    Zhou Qiu had no choice but to return to the kitchen counter and appear like he was being fair and just.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was unhappy with her cousin¡¯s actions, believing he had thrown their family¡¯s face in the gutter. Snorting coldly, she said, ¡°All of that is just words. We still don¡¯t know whether your food is edible or not. Teacher, eat mine first. My fish is getting cold..¡±

 Chapter 138 - 138: You Can Get 500 Points

    Chapter 138: You Can Get 500 Points


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhou Qiu tried Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s French pan-fried sole first. He picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. The spiciness of ck pepper and the slight sourness of lemonbined perfectly. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the faint taste of butter and fresh parsley adding to its rich taste. A symphony of sparks exploded in Zhou Qiu¡¯s mouth. Giving such a dish a score of more than nine points was not an exaggeration.


    The uneasiness in Zhou Qiu¡¯s heart finally weakened. Revealing a satisfied smile, he said, ¡°Very good. It¡¯s delicious. It seems Student Zhou has a remarkable talent for French cuisine. I¡¯ll award you full marks for this pan-fried sole cooked in the French style.¡±


    Whoa¨C


    She got full marks right off the bat!


    How could He Jing surpass her?


    Could there be a score better than full marks for a dish?


    Although He Jing¡¯s French pan-fried sole was incredibly fragrant, it could only be on par with Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s performance.


    Feeling that Zhou Qiu was biased, the students lowered their heads to taste Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s French pan-fried sole¡­


    It was delicious.


    It was delicious!


    It was indeed an impable dish, whether fragrance, color, or taste.


    This¡­


    He Jing was probably going to lose.


    Worry wormed its way into the hearts of He Jing¡¯s ssmates. Yet, He Jing seemedpletely unphased, serving her pan-fried sole as if it were the most natural action in the world. The fish she had cooked was dark red, and it was very eye-catching.


    Dark red?


    It was almost the color of blood! If one did not know better, one would have wondered if the fish had been cooked. Despite being fried once, it maintained the same bloody shade of red. What kind of cooking was this?


    It was hard to imagine that such a fragrant smell came from this strange fish.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er only took a nce and was certain that she would win. She sneered coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to spend so much effort on something so ugly! Are you trying to poison my cous¡­ Teacher, what a waste of ingredients.¡±


    He Jing ignored her. She did not even look at her. She just put the French pan-fried sole on the table and said, ¡°Teacher, please try it.¡±


    Zhou Qiu looked at the fish and frowned. Wanting to make things difficult for He Jing, he deliberately asked, ¡°How long did you fry it? Is this fish edible?¡± ¡°It was fried for four minutes,¡± He Jing replied.


    ¡°Four minutes?¡± Zhou Qiu gasped with mock surprise. ¡°The sole you chose was so big, but you only fried it for four minutes? I¡¯m not eating it. Take it away.¡±


    He Jing looked at him calmly. ¡°Teacher, have you decided to ignore what¡¯s right and dere Zhou Xue¡¯er the winner without tasting my food?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± Zhou Qiu quickly denied.


    He Jing crossed her arms over her chest, ring at her teacher with a furious look.


    Zhou Qiu met her eyes and felt a strong sense of oppression. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give you an evaluationter. But you had better not make a fuss if I rule your dish to be inferior to Student Zhou¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    With a disdainful expression that conveyed his reluctance to partake in the fish He Jing had cooked, Zhou Qiu carefully picked a piece of fish and bit into the meat.


    One bite, and he was at a loss for words.


    Heavens!


    What a delicacy!


    If Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s pan-fried sole was worthy of full marks, this dish was worth at least 500 marks!


    The fish was neither unptable nor greasy. It was as if the fish had never lived in the sea but had been nurtured in a river of red wine. The wine¡¯s sweet taste and the fish¡¯s savory taste blended seamlessly. Zhou Qiu could feel himself being transported to a grand pce in the 19th century, sitting at a long table where ady holding a ss of red wine smiled mysteriously at him.


    He also noted the faint citrusy notes of lemon but could not taste the bitterness that usually apanied it. Instead, only a mellow sweetness lingered at the back of his throat.


    Unconsciously, he dipped the fish in the sauce made from ketchup and mayonnaise. It was such a wonderfulbination that he could not help but sigh..

 Chapter 139 - 139: Too Shocking

    Chapter 139: Too Shocking


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was supposed to be an ordinary, simple pan-fried fish, but she had created such a rich,plex taste.


    What amazing culinary skill!


    It was delicious!


    At this moment, Zhou Qiu could not even bear to swallow the piece of fish in his mouth. He was afraid that there would be nothing left after he finished eating. However, his hands could not help but pick up another piece and stuff it into his mouth¡­


    The students were dumbfounded as they watched Zhou Qiu eating without saying a word. They became more and more confused¡­


    What was the meaning of this?


    Could He Jing¡¯s fried fish be so delicious that their teacher had lost his mind?


    ¡°Cousin!¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er cried in a soft, urgent voice.


    Zhou Qiu was eating it too quickly. Was he afraid that others wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that he liked it?


    If she lost, she would have to drop out of school!


    However, Zhou Qiu acted as if he had not heard her. He only cared about eating the delicious fish He Jing had prepared. He only came to his senses when almost the whole fish was safely housed in his belly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try it too?¡± a student suggested, gaining the approval of the watching crowd.


    Each student picked up a small piece of fish.


    Most were hesitant; they did not want to be poisoned by He Jing¡¯s cooking. However, when the fish melted in their mouths, they realized how silly they were.


    Soon, they followed in Zhou Qiu¡¯s footsteps, some even fighting over pieces of He Jing¡¯s pan-fried fish.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression could no longer be described as ugly. She cursed Zhou Qiu fiercely in her heart of hearts. No matter how delicious He Jing¡¯s cooking was, how could he act like he had lost his mind? How were they supposed to turn things around like this?


    Incidentally, Cheng Yi caught sight of He Jing surveying the situation impassively. It was as if everything was within her expectations¡­


    She bit her lower lip and stomped. Delicious? A bunch of second-generation heirs fought over the fish as if they had not eaten in three lifetimes.


    Still, the more she thought about it, the more curious she became about He


    Jing¡¯s pan-fried sole. Finally, when she could no longer resist the temptation,


    Cheng Yi walked up to He Jing and asked with a brilliant smile, ¡°Student He Jing, may I taste it?¡±


    He Jing spared Cheng Yi a nce, immediately seeing through her thoughts. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.


    Cheng Yi picked up a piece of fish using a pair of chopsticks. The moment she put the fish in her mouth, her eyes widened, turning into the size of dinner tes.


    How¡­ How was this possible?


    Even if she knew how to cook, how could it be so delicious?


    No wonder He Zhou was willing to admit defeat and ask He Jinig to taste his cooking before serving it to the rest. If she were He Zhou, she would do the same.


    The heavenly taste of fish crashed into her like a tidal wave. Cheng Yi felt her brain malfunction, unable to cope with the delightful experience that had ovee her. It took a long while before she recovered, but her chopsticks moved to snag a second piece as soon as she did.


    Unfortunately, He Jing was not so kind as to let Cheng Yi have seconds. She moved the te of fish away, saying, ¡°The others haven¡¯t had a chance to try it yet.¡±


    Cheng Yi gnawed the tip of her chopsticks. She still had not had her fill! With an aggrieved look, she moaned, ¡°Student He Jing, I¡¯ve always treated you sincerely. Why do you treat me with such hostility? We are ssmates, aren¡¯t


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re just ssmates.¡±


    He Jing scooped up the leftover fish and gave one to Yan Hanxi and the other to Jiang Shu.


    Wu Yu, who snuck out and ran back, was sweating profusely. He thought that Zhou Qiu might discover him, but when he saw this chaotic scene, he was dumbfounded.


    This¡­ What was going on?


    A quick look around the kitchen confirmed his burgeoning guess, and he joined the fight for a piece of He Jing¡¯s pan-fried fish.


    Cheng Yi stared at He Jing intently. ¡°Student He Jing, can you teach me how to cook? If you agree, I¡¯ll persuade Mom and Dad to let youe home.¡±


    He Jing was unmoved by Cheng Yi¡¯s proposition. She did not even bat an eye as she replied. ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    Cheng Yi eyed the piece of fish hungrily and then at He Jing¡¯s expression. He Jing truly had no intention of letting her have her way. It fanned her indignance.


    Wasn¡¯t it just cooking?


    She could also learn.


    If she put in the effort, she would be far better than He Jing.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Qiu, who had been mesmerized by the taste of the enchanting pan-fried sole, finally regained his senses..

 Chapter 140 - 140: A Draw

    Chapter 140: A Draw


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He coughed to attract everyone¡¯s attention.


    The students froze in unison and looked at him with their chopsticks raised. Dissatisfaction was written on their faces as if Zhou Qiu hadmitted a grave sin¡­


    It took them two minutes to remember that ss had not ended yet. Zhou Qiu was still their teacher, and he was in charge, so they quickly checked themselves.


    Zhou Qiu could no longer go against his conscience, giving He Jing a lower score. He could only pretend to be in a difficult position. ¡°Full marks to Student He Jing for her dish!¡±


    If both scored full marks, how would Zhou Qiu determine the victor?


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could not hide her exasperation. ¡°Teacher, what nonsense are you talking about? He Jing¡¯s pan-fried fish can¡¯t be better than mine. How is it fair that she gets full marks?!¡±


    No sooner had she spoken than she felt a wave of disdain from around her. Her mind buzzed, and she was stunned.


    ¡°Is He Jing¡¯s pan-fried fish better than mine?¡± she asked with her eyes wide open.


    No.


    She could not believe it.


    A pan-fried fish was a pan-fried fish. How good could it be?


    Shen Qiuyu relied on her domineering style to scare her ssmates. She ate almost an entire piece by herself. She licked her lips in satisfaction and sneered. ¡°How can your cookingpare with Sister Jing¡¯s?¡±


    She had identally picked up a piece of Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s fish and almost threw up.


    She had not felt it tasted bad when she had eaten Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s fish. It was barely to her liking. However, after eating He Jing¡¯s pan-fried fish, she felt that Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s fish was trash inparison. The meat was tough and smelled pungent beside He Jing¡¯s fragrant fish. It was as if the fishmonger had sold her a rotten fish to cook. There was nothing pleasant about its taste to speak of.


    She finally understood how Yan Hanxi must have felt when he ate that half-cooked pear-shaped pastry that Cheng Yi had bought. Who would want a rock when there was a pearl next to it? He Jing outssed Zhou Xue¡¯er in all aspects.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could not ept Shen Qiuyu¡¯s words at all. She picked up the wine-red pan-fried fish and took a bite. She swept the te clean and swallowed, seemingly unconvinced till thest moment when her expression changed.


    Everyone looked at her and watched as she pped herself in what must have been disbelief. None of her previous schadenfreude or smugness remained. No one sympathized with her. The collective thought running through their minds was: ¡®She deserves it for being so vicious, expecting He Jing to kneel and apologize! ¡®


    Zhou Xue¡¯er paled, and she could not suppress the shudder that wracked her


    body.


    She had lost¡­


    She had lost!


    But she did not want to quit school.


    Who would have thought that He Jing¡¯s fish could be so delicious?


    With no other options, she cast a pleading look at Zhou Qiu.


    Only Zhou Qiu could save her. As long as he sided with her, she would be safe.


    Zhou Qiu knew what he was about to do woulde back to bite him, but he gritted his teeth and followed through. With an inward sigh, he lied through his teeth, saying, ¡°Although Student He Jing¡¯s fried fish is better than Student Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s, I have already given her full marks. I can only me myself for being short-sighted. Student He Jing, I shall judge this contest as a tie.¡± Shen Qiuyuughed when she heard that. ¡°Teacher, your bias is showing. Zhou Xue¡¯er instigated this PK. Since her cooking is not as good as Sister Jing¡¯s, she should fulfill her end of the bargain and drop out of school.¡±


    ¡°Shen Qiuyu!¡± Zhou Qiu shouted, using his status to cow this unruly student. ¡°My word is final. What right do you have to overturn my judgment? This PK was a game, nothing more. There has never been a case of a student dropping out of Yin High School after losing a childish bet. What do you take the school for? Whatever grudge students He Jing and Zhou Xue¡¯er have, it will be settled collectively by the disciplinary and education departments..¡±

 Chapter 141 - 141: Receiving an Anonymous Report

    Chapter 141: Receiving an Anonymous Report


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing found it funny. ¡°The teacher is right. Since Teacher has said so, I¡¯ll respect Teacher a little¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she nced at Zhou Xue¡¯er. ¡°But the prerequisite is that Zhou


    Xue¡¯er must apologize to me for her extreme words.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could not ept it at all. How could she apologize to her?


    She was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family. It was fine if her status was lower than hers in the past, but now she was just amoner. She wanted her to lower her head and apologize to her.


    Impossible!


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t apologize,¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er said without thinking. ¡°You were the one who bullied me first.¡±


    All she did was return the favor.


    ¡°The bullying you¡¯re talking about is because the teacher scolded you for failing the cooking ss homework, but not me, right?¡± He Jing said. ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er, may I ask what I did wrong?¡±


    It was her teacher who was afraid of power and disregarded fairness, so she chose to let her go.


    She did not let the teacher scold her, and¡­


    ¡°Back then, the cake assignment failed because the two had different opinions, so the third person in the group was forced to cook ording to the two of us at the same time. That¡¯s why that happened.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about mistakes, we¡¯re both wrong. Why do you think I¡¯m bullying you one-sidedly, Zhou Xue¡¯er?¡±


    Zhou Xue ¡®er blurted, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to make a cake, but you still have to point fingers. I¡­¡±


    Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly stopped.


    Some students had already noticed something amiss and began to discuss what she said.


    ¡°Student He Jing¡¯s cooking skills are so good. How could she not know how to make a cake?¡±


    ¡°I want to eat the desserts made by Student He Jing.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er is so funny. She gets angry when others don¡¯t listen to her. She doesn¡¯t want to listen to others either.¡±


    ¡°Had Zhou Xue¡¯er taken a step back and handed all the cooking steps to He Jing, would she have failed that assignment? Maybe their group will be the best. She thinks too highly of herself and mes others.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er pursed her lips and stared at He Jing, feeling embarrassed.


    Suddenly, a voice that pretended to be innocent rang out in the ssroom. ¡°But Student He Jing was so good at cooking at that time. Why did she hide it and not report it? It caused Student Zhou Xue¡¯er to misunderstand. If Student Zhou Xue¡¯er knew, she definitely wouldn¡¯t fight with Student He Jing for themand.¡±


    Jing¡¯s gaze followed the voice and she said calmly, ¡°It seems that in Cheng Yi¡¯s heart, cooking ss is like a hotel kitchen. There are only the head chef and the helpers. As long as the homework ispleted, everything will be fine. Nothing else is important.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu and He Jing were already on the same page. She immediately continued, ¡°Unfortunately, the original intention of the cooking ss was to improve the students¡¯ culinary skills. Everyone in the three-person group can express their opinions freely.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Yan Hanxi added, ¡°even if Student He Jing doesn¡¯t know how to make a cake, she has the right to express her opinion.¡±


    ¡°As for Zhou Xue¡¯er, ¡°Wu Yu added, ¡°She took such a small matter to heart and even held a grudge against Sister Jing for so long. She¡¯s simply rare in the world.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er could not control her tears as they fell.


    Cheng Yi was speechless and could only shut up.


    Zhou Qiu could not bear to see Zhou Xue¡¯er crying. He pped his hands and said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all.¡±


    At this moment, the bell rang, and the cooking ss ended.


    However, a few formally dressed school leaders walked in outside the ssroom and said, ¡°We received an anonymous report from a student. It¡¯s said that a teacher has vited his ethics and openly made things difficult for the students. He has caused great harm to the students¡¯ hearts. Pleasee with us for questioning..¡±

 Chapter 142 - 142: You Should Be Called Slayer Tyrant

    Chapter 142: You Should Be Called yer Tyrant


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Zhou Qiu¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it after the investigation is over.¡±


    With that, Zhou Qiu was forcefully brought out.


    This sudden change in the plot made people dumbfounded.


    Cheng Yi was already panicking. What if Zhou Qiu gave her up?


    Not only did Zhou Xue¡¯er lose the PK match, but she also got involved with her cousin. She could not imagine how she would be med when she returned to the Zhou family.


    Moreover, she had yet to apologize to He Jing. If she didn¡¯t apologize, she would have to drop out of school¡­


    Zhou Xue¡¯er regretted it. She regretted that she had to embarrass He Jing, but no matter how much she regretted it, it was toote. The whole ss looked at her with disdain, as if she was something disgusting.


    Even if she didn¡¯t drop out of school, she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in Yin High School anymore.


    The only one who was happy was Shen Qiuyu. She hugged He Jing and rubbed against her. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re so awesome.¡±


    ¡°I came backte,¡± Wu Yu said dejectedly. ¡°I only managed to grab a piece of dried fried fish. I¡¯m so sad.


    ¡°There will be opportunities in the future,¡± He Jing said.


    After all, the cooking ss had started again. She couldn¡¯t be like the fake heiress who didn¡¯t do anything and only gave orders. Everyone in the three-person team was fair. Besides¡­


    She looked at Shen Qiuyu and then at Yan Hanxi. It seemed that she could not order any of them around.


    Yan Hanxi seemed to see through her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to help you in the future.¡±


    He Jing pursed her red lips slightly and said, ¡°Thank you.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t thank him for what he had said just now. She had noticed that Yan Hanxi had called Wu Yu over and asked him to sneak out of the cooking ss when they were cooking. It was easy to guess that Yan Hanxi was afraid that Zhou Qiu would bully her, so he asked the school to intervene to ensure that the PK was fair, even though the school didn¡¯t have a chance to do anything.


    Yan Hanxi understood. His eyes were bright and clear. He said in a low voice, ¡°As a school bully, you have to contribute to the school. Kneeling and apologizing is bullying.¡±


    He Jing was both touched and amused. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be called School Tyrant. You should be called Thanos. Destroy all the evil forces in the school.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled and raised an eyebrow. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call me, I¡¯ll reluctantly ept it.¡±


    The next day, the school issued a notice to remove Zhou Qiu from his position as a cooking teacher and hired a new one.


    To prevent the same thing from happening again, the new cooking teacher was a foreigner who had no connection with the students in the school.


    After Zhou Xue¡¯er received the Zhou family¡¯s instructions, she came to apologize to He Jing early in the morning. He Jing would not go so far as to make things difficult for a little girl and forgave her readily.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er did not leave immediately after apologizing. Instead, she stammered, ¡°He Jing, my father wants to see you¡­¡±


    ¡°See me?¡± He Jing¡¯s expression was subtle. Then, she said half-jokingly and half-seriously, ¡°He wants to recruit me?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er lowered her head and didn¡¯t say a word, almost agreeing to it.


    ¡°My price is very expensive.¡± He Jing smiled.


    ¡°The Zhou family can afford it,¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er bit her lip. ¡°Oh, alright.¡± He Jing agreed immediately. ¡°When will your father be free?¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She had agreed!


    When she came, she was already prepared to be rejected. Mr. Zhou said that if she could not persuade He Jing, he would stop her bank card¡­


    ¡°Where? What time?¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er came back to her senses and quickly said, ¡°My dad has been quite busy recently. He booked an afternoon flight to Europe for an inspection. He¡¯ll be back in about a week..¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143: Secret Chamber

    Chapter 143: Secret Chamber


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Alright,¡± He Jing nodded.


    Anyway, she could afford to wait.


    Coincidentally, she was extremely short of money, so someone gave her the chance.


    If the Zhou family was willing to offer a high price to recruit her, she would not have to worry about all the expenses for this semester.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er looked at He Jing again and again. She couldn¡¯t figure out why He Jing had agreed. She was afraid that He Jing would go back on her word. She said uneasily, ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact you as soon as my fatheres back.¡±


    ¡°Add me on WeChat.¡±


    The fake daughter had never added Zhou Xue¡¯er on WeChat, and it was even more impossible for her to do so.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er finally felt a sense of security as if a huge rock had been lifted off her chest. She returned to her seat with He Jing¡¯s WeChat message.


    After a boring Saturday, He Jing finally weed Sunday. She distributed the tickets to the Horror-themed Secret Room to the He family brothers and received different reactions.


    He Sui¡¯s eyes were extremely bright. He held the tickets and could not bear to part with them. He said, ¡°Wow, how did you know that I like horror stuff? It looks super fun!¡±


    He Ning¡¯s good-looking brows furrowed slightly as if she wasn¡¯t very interested in such things, but she still put the tickets in her pocket.


    He Zhou threw the tickets directly onto the table in the living room and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay at home and take care of Xiaoguo.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to stay at home. I want to go too,¡± He Xiaoguo grumbled.


    He Yi raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, ¡°Third Brother, aren¡¯t you going? If Third Brother doesn¡¯t go, I won¡¯t go either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of He Xiaoguo then. Fifth Brother will stay at home with Third Brother.¡± He Chen smiled.


    He looked as if he could not wait to be separated from He Yi.


    He Zhou looked at He Yi and then at He Chen. He coldly picked up the ticket from the table and turned around to return to his room.


    ¡°There are still students tomorrow. I¡¯ll be in the same group as them. Brothers, please work hard. The fastest to decipher the code will be rewarded.¡± He Jing smiled.


    ¡°Then will Xiaoyi go?¡± He Sui suddenly asked.


    ¡°It should be¡­ It won¡¯t¡­ He Jing smiled faintly. ¡°Unless Fourth Brother wants to invite her.¡±


    He Sui pursed his lips and said, ¡°Forget it. Xiaoyi is a girl. She¡¯s timid. She definitely won¡¯t like this. Let¡¯s y.¡±


    He Ning nced at He Sui. He felt that He Sui¡¯s heart had already drifted to the Pacific Ocean. Ever since he had wronged He Jing once, he had treated He Jing better than he knew. He had never been so warm to her when Cheng Yi was their sister.


    He Jing listened to He Sui¡¯s words, and her smile deepened. ¡°Alright, brothers, sleep early. We¡¯ll set off early tomorrow morning.¡±


    He Xiaoguo spun around in circles for everyone and was as happy as a bird.


    Early the next morning, He Jing came over and saw He Sui sitting in the living room reading the newspaper after washing up. He looked like he was afraid that she would leave him behind.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± He Jing said with a smile.


    The others also walked out of their rooms one after another and began their daily routine in an orderly manner.


    He Zhou silently entered the kitchen and began to make breakfast. He Jing looked at He Zhou¡¯s expression through the ss door. It seemed that he had not smiled since he celebrated He Ning¡¯s birthday.


    He Sui pulled her to sit beside him. He also secretly stared at He Zhou and said to her, ¡°Third Brother has suffered a blow.¡±


    ¡°What kind of blow did Third Brother receive?¡± He Jing asked in confusion.


    He Sui muttered softly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of you. Third Brother has always thought that he¡¯s very talented in cooking. After meeting you, he was instantly turned into trash. I guess he¡¯s feeling that his life is dark now and he can¡¯t do anything. He¡¯ll be fine after a while.¡±


    The blow was only temporary, but with He Zhou¡¯s unyielding personality, he would quickly pull himself together.


    He Jing understood. She lowered her head and pondered for a while. Then, she smiled lightly. Her eyes were crescent-shaped. ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, I¡¯ll persuade him to y in the secret roomter..¡±

 Chapter 144 - 144: Not Allowed to Fall in Love at Such a Young Age

    Chapter 144: Not Allowed to Fall in Love at Such a Young Age


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui looked skeptical. If she went to persuade him, wouldn¡¯t she directly


    persuade He Zhou to doubt his life?


    However, forget it.


    He Jing could persuade him if she wanted to. They were children from poor families, so their hearts were not so fragile. At most, He Zhou would be depressed for a while longer.


    With this thought in mind, He Sui devoted himself to the secret room again. This was the first time he had yed a secret room escape game!


    After breakfast, He Jing left with her family. She had specially prepared a lot of change so that she could use it to pay for the bus and buy water. However, as soon as she arrived at the bus stop, she saw a bus parked there. In front of the bus stood a middle-aged man in his forties in a suit. He wore a monocle and his ck hair wasbed into a shinyb, which made him stand out from the surrounding passersby. As soon as he saw her, he immediately walked towards her.


    ¡°Hello, Miss He Jing. I¡¯m Young Master¡¯s butler. Young Master sent me to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Your young master is Yan Hanxi?¡± He Jing asked.


    The man lowered his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Young Master was afraid that Miss He Jing wouldn¡¯t be able to make it in time for the first round of the secret chamber, so he asked me to wait here early in the morning.¡±


    He paused and looked at the exquisite gold pocket watch. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for fifteen minutes,¡± he said.


    He Jing was speechless.


    It was just a secret room. Did it have to be so exaggerated?


    ¡°What happened?¡± He Ning asked the butler coldly. ¡°What happened?¡±


    He Jing turned around and smiled. Sheforted him and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that a ssmate kindly sent a bus to pick us up. second brother, let¡¯s go up.


    Don¡¯t bete.¡±


    He Ning¡¯s expression rxed a lot. He frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with that ssmate? If it¡¯s not too good, we¡¯ll take the bus so that we don¡¯t owe them a favor.


    He Jing was a little helpless. ¡°When he sent the car over, I already owed him a favor. Besides, my rtionship with him is quite good¡­Let¡¯s¡­¡±


    After all, she was Yan Hanxi¡¯s previous fianc¨¦e, and now she was his deskmate. It was not too much to say that she could¡­


    He Sui, who was following closely behind, heard this and immediately eximed,¡± Wow!¡± He Jing, your ssmate is so good. He even sent a bus to pick us up? Is it a man or a woman? Can we see himter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a man,¡± He Jing answered truthfully.


    After saying that, He Sui¡¯s face fell. ¡°He Jing, let me tell you, you¡¯re not allowed to fall in love at such a young age.¡±


    He Jing rubbed her forehead. She felt a headacheing on. She said, ¡°Can you think of something more pure?¡± scanned He Jing from head to toe and shook his head.


    Which boy wouldn¡¯t be tempted by such a beautiful sister? He didn¡¯t believe that a male ssmate who gave him tickets and picked him up would be uninterested in He Jing. When he thought of this, his teeth ached.


    ¡°Follow me obedientlyter. Don¡¯t run around, lest that man takes advantage of you when you¡¯re afraid of ghosts.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. Alright then.


    What else could she say?


    In the end, the group got on the bus. He Sui picked up He Xiaoguo, who had been fighting to sit next to He Jing and threw her into He Zhou¡¯s arms. Then, he sat down proudly.


    He crossed his legs and put on a ¡°see, sister only deserves to be owned by the strong ¡± attitude. He Ning frowned deeply, He Zhou was expressionless, and He Yi and He Chen looked at each other speechlessly.


    ¡°Fourth brother, you¡¯re a grown man now. Can you not be so clingy? I¡¯ll hate you sooner orter.¡± He Xiaoguo wrinkled her face in grievance.


    He Sui snorted in a boastful tone. ¡°How is that possible? He Jing said that he would favor me. I believe that I will always be his favorite brother..¡±

 Chapter 145 - 145: A Little Difficult

    Chapter 145: A Little Difficult


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Ning was speechless.


    He Zhou was speechless.


    He Yi was speechless.


    He Chen was speechless.


    He Xiaoguo lowered her head and said, ¡°Oh, then I want to be Sister¡¯s favorite younger brother.¡±


    He Jing felt a faint pain in her temples. These two children were endless.


    Soon, the bus started moving. He Jing sent Yan Hanxi a WeChat message full of gratitude. The chat interface changed to ¡°typing¡± almost instantly. In less than three seconds, Yan Hanxi replied.


    I did this because I was afraid that you would stand me up. If you run away, I won¡¯t have a partner.


    He Jing was silent for a moment. She looked at He Sui, who was staring at her from the corner of his eyes and wanted to peek at her phone screen. She thought, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a little difficult.¡± had only chatted with him for a short while, but he had already asked if they had held hands or hugged.


    If it weren¡¯t for Xiaoguo, he would probably have asked her more bluntly if she had kissed or touched her breasts.


    Therefore, to reassure He Sui, she simply replied with a ¡°See youter¡± before switching to the music app and ying the song.


    ¡°I want to hear it too,¡± Sui mumbled.


    He Jing stuffed an earpiece into his ear.


    The bus was traveling on a crowded road. It was the morning rush hour and it was very congested. The bus driver honked twice and Butler Yan¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in the car.


    ¡°Miss He Jing, someone seems to be following us.¡±


    When He Jing heard that, she immediately looked behind the bus and saw a luxury car slowly driving up.


    He Jing immediately recognized that the car belonged to the Cheng family. At this moment, a cold voice came from the car. It was low and gloomy. ¡°There¡¯s no need to look. I called Xiao Yi over.¡±


    He Jing turned her head and saw He Zhou standing up from his seat. He put one hand in his pocket and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I can get out of the car.¡±


    He Sui stood up with a whoosh and said angrily, ¡°Third Brother, why are you like this? Why didn¡¯t you inform us when you called Xiao Yi over?¡±


    He Zhou nced at him coldly andughed. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a month since Xiao Yi moved out, and you¡¯ve already forgotten about her. Now, He Jing is your sister in your heart, so who is Xiao Yi?¡±


    He Sui choked. His cheeks were flushed red, and he was not as confident. ¡°The tickets were given by He Jing. She didn¡¯t invite Xiao Yi because she didn¡¯t want to. Can¡¯t you understand how she feels? Xiao Yi is the daughter of the Cheng family. If she wants to y, can she not y?¡±


    ¡°What if Xiao Yi only wants to y with us?¡± He Zhou smirked.


    ¡°This¡­ In any case, there will be a chance in the future¡­¡±


    The more He Sui spoke, the lower his head became. He felt a little guilty.


    He Jing smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t consider Third Brother¡¯s feelings. I really should have invited Sister Cheng Yi over. Fourth Brother, don¡¯t throw a tantrum at Third Brother. Although I¡¯m your biological sister, you and Sister Cheng Yi have lived together for so many years. Third Brother just hasn¡¯t made the transition from his past life.¡±


    With that said, He Sui¡¯s guilt of betraying Cheng Yi was swept away. That¡¯s right, although Cheng Yi had lived with him for more than ten years, He Jing was his biological sister. What was wrong with siding with his biological sister? In the future, He Jing would be with him for more than ten years. They would be siblings for a longer period. Why should he prioritize Cheng Yi¡¯s feelings? He felt too wrongpared to He Jing.


    Thinking of this, He Sui raised his head and puffed out his chest. He red at He Zhou before sitting down. Just wait, he would regret spoiling Cheng Yi now.


    Because He Jing was a very, very good sister!

 Chapter 146 - 146: Cold Face

    Chapter 146: Cold Face


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou ignored him and sat down again.


    The atmosphere in the bus froze.


    He Ning frowned slightly. Although he also favored Cheng Yi in his heart, such a small matter made He Jing feel ufortable. He Jing was wronged.


    He looked at He Jing. She was still smiling and didn¡¯t look unhappy at all. He Xiaoguo, who was sitting behind him, suddenly pulled the back of his seat and said, ¡°Second brother, I want to sit with you.¡±


    ¡°Sit with your second brother. Don¡¯t let me take care of you when we go to the secret chamberter,¡± He Zhou, who was in charge of He Xiaoguo, said coldly.


    Children were simple-minded and easy to see through. He Xiaoguo was ming him for not treating He Jing gently.


    He Xiaoguo looked up at him and blinked his big, watery eyes. He pursed his lips, but he still twisted his body and crawled over He Zhou¡¯s knee with his short legs.


    He Chen, who was sitting with He Ning, took the initiative to make a small empty seat for him. He patted his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sixth Brother will bring you aroundter.¡±


    He Ning turned around and lightly reprimanded him. ¡°You went too far. Don¡¯t vent your anger on Xiaoguo. He¡¯s still a child.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s expression turned even uglier when he heard this. He clenched his fists. What kind of bewitching potion did He Jing give them? Why were all of them on her side? Could it be that they didn¡¯t remember what they had promised before Cheng Yi left the He family?


    Cheng Yi had said that although she had gone to the Cheng family, her heart would always be with the He family. She would always be their sister.


    They all nodded and said that they would always treat her as a sister. Why did He Jing change so much after only half a month? He was the only one who kept his promise.


    At this moment, He Yi moved over from the seat beside him. He sat down beside him and patted his shoulder. ¡°third brother, don¡¯t be too hard on He Jing. Even if Xiao Yi finds out, she won¡¯t be happy.¡±


    He Zhou was furious. Not only did he not feel anyfort, but he also shut himself in.


    Why did they all think that he was targeting He Jing? Was it wrong for him to just call Cheng Yi over to y in the secret room?


    She had said that she would always treat her as her sister, but the He family¡¯s rare group activity was hidden from her and her new sister. If Cheng Yi found outter, what would she think?


    She would feel that they had all epted He Jing and that she had no ce in their hearts.


    The bus drove for an hour before they finally arrived at the outskirts of the city where the Chamber of Horrors was located. As it was the weekend, it was particrly lively here. There were several buses parked on thewn at the entrance of the Chamber of Horrors. The new group of people were all young and looked very excited.


    As soon as He Jing and He Sui got out of the car, they saw Cheng Yi get out of the Cheng family¡¯s luxury car. She happily greeted them. ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother.¡¯


    From afar, He Jing could see her fluttering floral dress and high-heeled sandals. It was obvious that she had carefully dressed up for someone.


    When He Sui saw her, he subconsciously shook his arms. Before the smile spread from his face, he inadvertently nced at He Jing from the corner of his eye. He suddenly remembered that He Jing had just been wronged on the bus. He was smiling so brightly at Cheng Yi now. He Jing would be unhappy.


    Therefore, he put down his hand and pretended to be cold.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Fourth Brother?¡± Cheng Yi, who was walking up to the two of them, was stunned. She pretended to be gentle and joked. ¡°Why do you look like this when you see me? Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±


    He Sui immediately seemed to be possessed by He Ning. He nced at her from the corner of his eyes and made a nonchnt expression. He said lightly, ¡°No.¡±


    Cheng Yi:


    No, what kind of expression is that?

 Chapter 147 - 147: I Have a Boyfriend

    Chapter 147: I Have a Boyfriend


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Forget it, He Sui had defected to the enemy a long time ago. It didn¡¯t matter whether he was wee or not.


    He Xiaoguo, who was the second toe down, had a hard timeing down with his short legs. When he saw her, he called out, ¡°Sister Xiao Yi.¡±


    Cheng Yi:


    Why did he suddenly add a precondition to his address? Did He Jing teach him that?


    At the thought of this, Cheng Yi nced at He Jing angrily. She gritted her teeth slightly and thought, Forget it. Anyway, all she needs is the love and care of the He brothers. He Xiaoguo is not important. She has been in the He family for many years, but she has never developed any feelings for him. She only thinks that children are troublesome.


    Thinking of this, Cheng Yi looked at the bus again. She saw the people on it getting off one by one. They all looked unhappy. Her heart skipped a beat as she walked towards He Ning, who was the first to get off.


    When He Ning saw that it was her, his eyebrows rxed slightly. He tried his best to wipe away his frustration and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re here. Did you get the tickets? I don¡¯t have anything for you.¡±


    Cheng Yi heaved a sigh of relief. She took the tickets out of her bag and showed them to him.


    He Ning nodded and didn¡¯t say much. He walked past her and walked towards He Jing. Cheng Yi wanted to talk to He Ning and show concern for the He family, but she stopped herself.


    Then, He Chen also got out of the car and asked gently, ¡°Have you bought the tickets?¡±


    Before she could answer, he nced at her hand and said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve bought it. Very good. Let¡¯s go in together.¡±


    Cheng Yi was speechless.


    Why were they so concerned about whether she had bought the tickets or not?


    Would they be happy if she didn¡¯t get the tickets?


    Cheng Yi felt wronged. Her eyes reddened as she looked at He Yi. ¡°Fifth Brother, what happened in the car? Why do I feel like second brother, fourth brother, and Sixth Brother are acting weird?¡±


    As soon as He Yinded, he held onto the car door and immediately let go. Heforted her, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s rare for you toe out to y. You must have fun.¡±


    He Zhou was behind He Yi. He pushed He Yi aside and said stiffly, ¡°Team up with meter.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s attention was immediately diverted. Her cheeks turned red as she looked down at the high-heeled sandals she had carefully selected. There was a bow on the strap, revealing her pink and cute toes. She shook her head and said, ¡°Third Brother, I have someone I want to form a team with. You should form a team with Fifth Brother.¡±


    He Zhou scanned her from head to toe and suddenly smiled. ¡°Xiao Yi has someone you like?¡±


    Cheng Yi nodded like an ostrich.


    He Zhou patted her head and stopped forcing her. ¡°Then you have to take advantage of this opportunity. You¡¯re so cute. He¡¯ll like you.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t let He Jing steal his attention.


    ¡°I will, Third Brother.¡± Cheng Yi smiled sweetly.


    Then, the two of them followed the main group in front.


    He Ning, He Chen, He Xiaoguo, and He Sui surrounded He Jing like bodyguards. They were talking andughing, looking extremely happy. He Xiaoguo, in particr, narrowed his eyes into crescents, revealing his white teeth.


    He Jing was overwhelmed by his cuteness and couldn¡¯t help but pick him up from the ground. He Jing kissed him on the cheek, causing He Sui to be strongly dissatisfied.


    Cheng Yi felt a wave of jealousy in her heart. Originally, the position of being the center of attention should have been hers, but in the end, it was reced by He Jing. Later, when they entered the secret room, she must perform well and make He Sui and the others look at her in a different light.


    Perhaps it was because her gaze was too intense, He Ning turned around and met her resentful gaze. He paused for a moment and turned around to walk towards her.


    He med He Zhou for being unfair to He Jing, but his behavior didn¡¯t seem to be any better. Besides, she was the girl he liked. He shouldn¡¯t be immersed in his own emotions and ignore her feelings.


    So, he stopped in front of Cheng Yi.¡± Xiaoyi,¡± he asked softly,¡± we¡¯ll form a teamter. I heard that this secret room is very difficult?¡±


    Cheng Yi bit her lip. She was about to put on a difficult expression when He Zhou stepped forward to answer for her. ¡°Xiao Yi already has a boyfriend. You should go with Brother Six..¡±

 Chapter 148 - 148: Compensate Her

    Chapter 148: Compensate Her


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Ning¡¯s expression changed in an instant. He looked at Cheng Yi in shock. It took him a long time to react, and then he pursed his thin lips.


    So she already had a boyfriend, but why didn¡¯t she tell him?


    In her eyes, he was just an older brother. Now that he had left the He family, he was not even an older brother. There was indeed no need to report to him.


    However, the disappointment in his heart could not be stopped no matter what. It was like a flood breaking through a dam and sweeping him away.


    Cheng Yi saw the change in his eyes and started to panic. She quickly exined,¡± Third Brother, don¡¯t talk nonsense. I haven¡¯t got a boyfriend yet. I just have a little crush on him¡­¡±


    He Zhou held her shoulders, signaling her not to be shy. Then he looked at He Ning and said mockingly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with having someone you like. You¡¯ll never lose to He Jing on this point¡­¡±


    The deep hurt in He Ning¡¯s eyes turned dark like stagnant water. He sorted out hisplicated emotions and said expressionlessly, ¡°Third brother is right. There¡¯s nothing wrong with having someone you like. You¡¯re at the age where you¡¯re in love for the first time. I can understand.¡±


    He Yi stared at He Ning and sighed in his heart. In the entire He family, only He Sui didn¡¯t know that He Ning liked Cheng Yi. He Ning must be feeling very upset right now. He quickly changed the topic and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s talk after we¡¯re done. Fourth Sister and the others are already far away.¡±


    The topic stopped there. He Chen moved his gaze away from Cheng Yi and did not look at her again. He seemed to treat Cheng Yi as his biological sister and did not show any unnecessary emotions. He walked beside Cheng Yi as if nothing had happened.


    Cheng Yi still wanted to make up for it. She deliberated and pretended to be rxed. ¡°second brother, why don¡¯t I be in the same group as you? I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯m only in high school now. It¡¯s not good to be in a rtionship so early. ¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± He Ning said lightly. ¡°You can go after the person you like. I won¡¯t interfere.¡¯


    Cheng Yi had been rebuffed and had nothing to say. She could only think of talking to He Ning after she came out of the secret room.


    Just like that, the four of them caught up with He Jing in a silent and strange atmosphere and met up with the students of Grade Two, ss Three.


    Apart from Yan Hanxi, Shen Qiuyu, Wu Yu, and the others were all there.


    The handsome young man seemed to be born with a halo. Standing in the crowd, he attracted the attention of all the girls present. Even many girls with boyfriends couldn¡¯t help but look at him frequently, making their boyfriends secretly jealous. Yan Hanxi saw He Jing and immediately smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for the long wait,¡± He Jing¡¯s red lips curved slightly.


    ¡°Well, I did wait for a long time,¡± Yan Hanxi said. ¡°How are you going to make it up to me?¡±


    He Sui stepped between the two of them and looked at Yan Hanxi warily.


    ¡°I¡¯m her brother. I¡¯ll make it up to her on her behalf.¡¯


    He Jing was speechless.


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    He Chen was speechless.


    He Xiaoguo blinked. He bit his hand and looked at Yan Hanxi. ¡°Can I make it up to Sister Jing? I can apologize to Brother. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yan Hanxi coughed. He was too embarrassed to tell the kid that he was flirting in front of so many people. He called out tentatively, ¡°Fourth Brother?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He Sui was instantly enraged. ¡°Ah! Who¡¯s your fourth brother?¡±


    Yan Hanxi had heard some gossip in ss. Cheng Yi had six older brothers and one younger brother. The most annoying one was his fourth brother, who was also aputer genius. He was the one who helped He Jing crack the IP address during the vote fraud incident.


    With a look, he immediately matched the number..

 Chapter 149 - 149: Chasing Back

    Chapter 149: Chasing Back


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    On the other side, He Zhou looked at Yan Hanxi from afar. ¡°Who¡¯s the boy you like?¡± he asked Cheng Yi.


    Out of so many people, he felt that only Yan Hanxi was interested. The others were not even as good as He Ning. Could it be that Cheng Yi was interested?


    But if it was Yan Hanxi, why didn¡¯t he even nce at Cheng Yi? Instead, he smiled brightly at He Jing.


    Cheng Yi looked at Yan Hanxi again. Her eyes were full of admiration. Her face blushed again. ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t ask. I¡¯m not with him yet.¡±


    He Zhou was sharp. He knew what was going on the moment he heard it. His face immediately darkened. ¡°Are you chasing someone else?¡±


    It looked like she had not caught up yet.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s sore spot was hit. The sweetness in her heart disappeared. She bit her lip and said, ¡°Third Brother, what era are we in now? Girls should take the initiative too.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± He Zhou¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. ¡°No! The girls of the He family can¡¯t go after him.


    Especially the boys who liked He Jing.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face turned pale from He Zhou¡¯s words. She lowered her head and didn¡¯t speak.


    He Ning couldn¡¯t bear to listen to this any longer. He coldly reprimanded, ¡°No.


    the third brother, that¡¯s enough. The reason why you¡¯re so angry and she¡¯s chasing after you is that that guy likes He Jing. But Xiao Yi also has the right to pursue her happiness. Even if the chance isn¡¯t great, she has to give it a try. She won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    He Zhou gritted his teeth and put out the fire. Of course, he knew that feelings could not be controlled, but he did it for Cheng Yi¡¯s sake. As a man, how could he not know how cruel a boy could be to a girl he did not like?


    However, He Ning¡¯s words were meant tofort Cheng Yi, but it stung her. Her fingertips curled up and her nails dug into her flesh, full of dissatisfaction.


    How could he say that her chances were not high? From the first time she saw Yan Hanxi, she felt that Yan Hanxi would be hers in the end. Although she did not know where this inexplicable feeling came from, it was extremely strong.


    It was as if it was destined.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been humiliated by Yan Hanxi and stuck to him.


    Everyone else could lose, except Yan Hanxi.


    Just as the atmosphere was in a stalemate, He Chen returned from the front.


    He stood three steps away and waved at them from afar. ¡°Second brother, Third Brother, it¡¯s time to enter.¡±


    He Ning nced at He Zhou again before coldly walking away from them.


    Cheng Yi could only endure this for the time being and follow without saying a word.


    As soon as they met up with He Jing, they found He Sui ring at Yan Hanxi as if he were facing a great enemy.


    He Jing turned her head and said, ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, Fifth Brother, let¡¯s confirm the groups. I just got the secret room manual. It says that in the early stage, it¡¯s a group cooperation. In the middle stage, two people will work separately. It looks quite difficult until the end.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, He Sui immediately shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll be in the same group as you. No one else can do it, especially male.¡±.


    Cheng Yi was slightly happy to see this. If He Jing was forced to be in the same group as He Sui, wouldn¡¯t she be able to be in the same group as Yan Hanxi?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Shen Qiuyu said in a disdainful and harsh tone. ¡°As long as I¡¯m not in the same group as this annoying person, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the same group as her either,¡± Wu Yu added.


    Although the ¡°annoying¡± and ¡°her¡± did not specify who it was, the direction they were looking at was very obvious.


    Cheng Yi looked embarrassed, but he was indignant in her heart. She hated Shen Qiuyu for being everywhere.


    He Zhou, who was standing next to Cheng Yi, had an extremely bad expression. He said coldly, ¡°Two ssmates, how did Xiao Yi offend you? I apologize on her behalf..

 Chapter 150 - 150: Fight

    Chapter 150: Fight


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Qiuyu pursed her lips and said sourly, ¡°Forget it if you apologize. This isn¡¯t a matter of offending someone or not¡­¡±


    It was Cheng Yi¡¯s character that was problematic, so they didn¡¯t like to y with her.


    Cheng Yi was afraid that Shen Qiuyu would continue to speak, so she quickly interrupted her. ¡°Third Brother, it¡¯s just a small conflict between me and Student Shen. You don¡¯t have to apologize. Let¡¯s split into groups first.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu nced at He Jing. On ount that He Zhou was also He Jing¡¯s brother, she chose to shut up so as not to make things worse. Then, she continued, ¡°I can team up with Sister Jing. I¡¯m not afraid of ghosts, and we¡¯re both girls. We can take care of each other.¡±


    Wu Yu followed up. ¡°I want to be in the same group as Sister Jing. I¡¯m afraid of ghosts, but Sister Jing isn¡¯t. She can protect me.¡±


    Following that, the other students also expressed their willingness to be in the same group as He Jing. This was because He Jing had a high IQ and it was obvious at a nce that she could carry them.


    There were less than 20 people in total, and more than a dozen of them wanted to be in the same group as He Jing. They originally thought that Cheng Yi was kind and innocent, so she must be a heartthrob. They didn¡¯t expect that all of these people would side with He Jing.


    That¡¯s true. Her methods were superb. How many people would not be charmed? However, time would reveal a person¡¯s heart. Let¡¯s see how long she could pretend.


    He Zhou¡¯s eyes were gloomy, and his body was extremely cold.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly. The ticket in his hand was folded into a paper ne. He smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Student He Jing promised to be in the same group as me.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t go back on your word, right?¡±


    He Jing met his determined and mischievous gaze. She frowned and then said to Jingjing, ¡°Yes, I always keep my word.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows and shrugged. He looked at the crowd and smiled brightly. ¡°Look¡­¡±


    He Jing was biased towards him.


    He Sui wanted to retort, but He Jing had already looked at him and cut him off.


    He Sui was sullen and angry. He red at Yan Hanxi again and again. swallowing his words.


    The others had no choice but to give up on the idea. After all, no one dared to step forward to snatch the person from the school bully.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile deepened. He waved at He Jing. ¡°Merit Student,e here.¡± Jing walked towards him.


    The two of them stood side by side, looking like a couple, extremely dazzling.


    Cheng Yi, who was ignored and despised by others, stood in the crowd and felt like an ugly duckling, ashamed of her inferiority.


    At this moment, He Zhou put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to pursue happiness bravely? Since that boy is the one you like, you have to fight for yourself. Be generous and go.¡±


    Cheng Yi opened her mouth. She sounded like she was sobbing. ¡°Third Brother,


    I won¡¯t seed. Student Yan has already agreed to team up with Sister He Jing.¡±


    He Zhou was not convinced. So what if they were in the group? Would there be any boy who would reject the invitation of such a beautiful girl like Cheng Yi?


    ¡°Believe in yourself,¡± he encouraged. ¡°You¡¯re no worse than He Jing.¡± Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes were red as she said incoherently, ¡°Really¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡¯


    Whether it was her family background or her beauty, she was not inferior to He Jing at all. She was even better than He Jing.


    This boy looked like a young master from a noble family. Only a rich girl could match him.


    He Jing was no longer the daughter of a rich family, but she was!


    Perhaps it was He Zhou¡¯s encouragement that helped Cheng Yi recover from the continuous blows. She regained her confidence and tidied up her expression.


    He Zhou was right. She was no worse than He Jing now. She was the real daughter.


    So, she put on a reserved and elegant smile, took a step forward, and said in a weak and innocent voice, ¡°Yan Hanxi, can I be in the same group as you? I¡¯m not as bold as He Jing. I¡¯m afraid of ghosts.¡±


    Her voice immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention..

 Chapter 151 - 151: Dismantling the CP

    Chapter 151: Dismantling the CP


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing frowned and looked at Yan Hanxi. She suddenly remembered that Yan Hanxi was the male lead and Cheng Yi was the female lead. ording to thew of the novel, important events must be together.


    Even if Yan Hanxi did not like Cheng Yi at the moment, he would still fall in love with her due to the promotion of the masterpiece. It did not seem suitable for her to team up with him.


    If he agreed¡­


    ¡°Team up with me?¡± The smile on Yan Hanxi¡¯s face turnedzy. Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t want to say anything too harsh in front of His family brothers, but his tone was too cold. ¡°Are you trying to break up the couple?¡± Cheng Yi knew that it would not be easy to seed, so she insisted, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s a CP?¡± He Sui interrupted.


    ¡°CP ¡± in anime meanspanion. ¡°Wu Yu immediately took over the conversation.¡± Breaking CP means breaking up two good friends.¡±


    He Sui was furious. He red at Yan Hanxi angrily. ¡°Who¡¯s your CP? My sister doesn¡¯t have a good rtionship with you. I¡¯m the most important person in her heart¡­¡±


    Oh, I can¡¯t deal with my future fourth brother¡­


    ¡°Alright, what does the fourth brother say?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    With the two of them interrupting, Cheng Yi waspletely ignored. Even if she didn¡¯t directly reject him, it was more ufortable than a direct rejection.


    When Yan Hanxi and He Jing walked away, Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She turned around and threw herself into He Zhou¡¯s arms, crying.


    He Zhou was also very regretful. His blind confidence had caused Cheng Yi to lose so much face. He patted her back and said, ¡°Give up on him. Find another boy to be your boyfriend¡­¡±


    Cheng Yi looked up with tears in her eyes. She choked. ¡°I can¡¯t, Third Brother. I like him. I can¡¯t live without him.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s heart ached for her and he couldn¡¯t help but frown. He smiled bitterly when he heard that. She said that she only had a little affection for him so that she wouldn¡¯t hurt him. It seemed that he had to let it go.


    In the end, Cheng Yi, who had been silentlyforted by He Zhou, managed to pull herself together and followed He Ning into the secret chamber.


    So what if she was rejected? As long as she showed her wisdom in the early stages of the secret chamber, Yan Hanxi would change his mind.


    After entering the secret room, the staff exined the structure of the secret room to them. This was arge-scale chain secret room with the theme of horror. It was divided into ten secret rooms. Each secret room had its own horror story, but it did not deviate from the background of the entire secret room. Only by escaping from the ten small secret rooms and finding the ultimate BOSS of the entire secret room could one sessfully escape.


    In short, just the difficulty alone was enough to make one speechless.


    As it was impossible for ordinary people to sessfully conquer ten secret rooms in a day, the ranking was based on points. Points were obtained directly from solving puzzles in the game. If someone could not even escape a small secret room, their points would be o.


    He Sui said ¡°F*ck¡± three times in a row and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this tailor-made for me?


    It¡¯s time for a genius like me to show off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better than you,¡± He Xiaoguo couldn¡¯t help but give him a blow.


    He Sui knocked He Xiaoguo on the head with his fingers.


    He Xiaoguo cried out.


    He Jing bent down and pinned the number brooch given by the staff on He Xiaoguo¡¯s chest. Her eyes were gentle and she smiled. ¡°Maybe Xiaoguo is the best.¡±


    Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t wait to impress everyone. She led the way into Secret Room 01. However, as soon as she stepped in, a terrifying ghost head stretched down from above and looked at her upside down. A scream pierced through the entire secret room..

 Chapter 152 - 152: Go Back

    Chapter 152: Go Back


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The sound was so loud that it broke her eardrums.


    He Zhou thought that something had happened to Cheng Yi and rushed in in a panic. He saw Cheng Yi squatting on the ground with her head in her hands, trembling. When He Zhou touched her shoulder, wanting tofort her, Cheng Yi kept waving her hands. Fear was written all over her face. In the end, He Yi restrained her and woke her up from her fear.


    Cheng Yi looked up. Her lips were pale, and the light in her eyes gradually condensed.


    Even though the secret chamber was filled with a strange green light that made people¡¯s faces blurry, she could still clearly feel the disgust from everyone.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back, Xiao Yi?¡± He Sui pursed his lips and said.


    They hadn¡¯t even started yet, and she was already so scared. Wouldn¡¯t he have to live with her constant screamster? How would he solve the puzzle then? Even if they were not tolerant, her ssmates would probably have thoughts about her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back!¡± Cheng Yi retorted.


    She gripped He Zhou¡¯s clothes tightly and said, ¡°I¡­lt¡¯s alright, my third brother will protect me. With a third brother here, I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    He Zhou furrowed his brows and finally realized how wrong he had decided to call her over. However, she was the one who called her over, so he naturally had to take responsibility until the end. Thus, he could only say, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in the same group as you. Close your eyes tightly, and don¡¯t open them. Cover your ears, too. I¡¯ll hold your hand and lead you away.¡±


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t want to be chased out, so she pretended to be obedient and nodded. The others didn¡¯t say anything for He Zhou¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin,¡± He Jing said.


    This was the beginning of the mystery escape in Room 01.


    Secret Room 01 was a horror theme of The Bride of the Republic of China. It was about the young master of the Lin family being forced to marry a youngdy from an aristocratic family for the sake of his family¡¯s interests. He abandoned his beloved woman, Huiniang. On the night of his wedding,


    Huiniangmitted suicide and became a vengeful spirit. She lingered in the Lin family¡¯s old house and refused to leave. The yer had to guess Huiniang¡¯s wish ording to clues and help herplete it, sending her into reincarnation. The current Secret Room 01 was the Lin family¡¯s old house.


    He Jing nced at the closed door of the Lin family¡¯s old residence. ¡°The door isn¡¯t open. Think of a way to open it.¡±


    He Sui picked up the vintage copper lock and broke it. ¡°We need to find the key.


    Let¡¯s split up and look for it.¡±


    There were three walls outside the Lin family¡¯s old residence. There were strange patterns on each wall. He Chen held the shlight given by the staff and shone it on the wall. He said, ¡°It looks like an animal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a turtle.¡± Wu Yu quickly went over.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qiuyu, who was behind him, also shouted, ¡°I have some here too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bird.¡± He Sui hurriedly came over and took a look at the green light in the background of the secret room.


    Yan Hanxi stood in front of another wall. ¡°I have a cat.¡¯


    ¡°What kind of clue is this?¡± Wu Yu was dumbfounded. ¡°It was probably just a random drawing, right? Why don¡¯t we look for the flower pot in the corner and see if the key is there?¡±


    ¡°The key is on the east wall,¡± He Jing said calmly.


    Except for Yan Hanxi, everyone turned around and was stunned.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He Sui¡¯s mind was suddenly enlightened. ¡°That¡¯s right. Green Dragon, White


    Tiger, Vermilion Bird, ck Tortoise, Turtle, Vermilion Bird, Cat, White Tiger.


    Without Green Dragon, Green Dragon¡¯s position is in the east, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is it on the wall?¡± he asked, looking at He Jing in confusion.


    Before He Jing could answer, Yan Hanxi smiled and said, ¡°Because it¡¯s easy to find it on the ground. This wall is not capped, but it¡¯s two meters high. Ordinary people can¡¯t reach this height. It¡¯s the safest ce to put it on the ground..¡±

 Chapter 153 - 153: I Don’t Want to Play Anymore

    Chapter 153: I Don¡¯t Want to y Anymore


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Wu Yu understood instantly and admired and said, ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re so clever, and you can even think of this!.¡±


    Moreover, he was the first one to think of it.


    He Jing wasn¡¯t modest. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at the two-meter-high wall. She said, ¡°Without adder, we have to stack people up to get up. And you have to go to a bold one. There¡¯s such a big gap there. There might be stuff hanging there to scare people.¡±


    The director of the secret chamber who heard He Jing¡¯s words through the surveince was speechless.


    The staff who was preparing to pretend to be a ghost to scare people was speechless.


    Can we still y happily?


    This is an escape room, not a science!


    However, when he thought that his n had been exposed by He Jing, there was no point in continuing the operation. The secret chamber decided to stop this useless effort and let the ghost impersonator go directly to the next node. When He Sui and He Chen heard He Jing¡¯s words, they said, ¡°Let me do it!¡± Then, the two of them worked together. He Chen stood under him and helped He Sui reach for the wall. He Sui touched it and found a key. However, he didn¡¯t see anything, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed.


    He rubbed his nose and handed the key to He Ning, asking him to open the door. He Ning inserted the key and twisted it slightly, and the door opened.


    The quaint door opened, and the quaint Secret Room 01 appeared in front of everyone. A strange red light and green light intertwined, and what entered their eyes was an eight-square table that could amodate 12 people. The table was empty.


    Other than that, the rest of the ce was dark. He Ning took out his shlight and shone it around to see the surrounding environment. Suddenly, a long-haired female ghost in white appeared in front of him. The light from the shlight made her look very scary. Even He Ning couldn¡¯t help but be scared and took a step back. At the same time, a scream of fear erupted from behind him.


    This time, not only Cheng Yi, but even Shen Qiuyu, Wu Yu, and He Xiaoguo shouted!


    He Xiaoguo cried almost immediately after he finished shouting. He cried so hard that she was out of breath and his heart was torn apart.


    He Zhou quickly took He Xiaoguo from He Chen¡¯s hands and patted his back tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s all fake. Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. The ghost has already left.¡±


    ¡°Third Brother, I don¡¯t want to y anymore,¡± He Xiaoguo choked.


    He Zhou was silent for a while. Then he turned to look at Cheng Yi, who was trembling in fear.


    Cheng Yi was still in shock. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Third Brother, I still want to y. I don¡¯t want to go out.¡±


    He Zhou didn¡¯t need to look at her to know that her face must be pale and her lips were trembling. He didn¡¯t know what she was still insisting on, so he couldn¡¯t help but emphasize his tone and say, ¡°Be good. Since you¡¯re so afraid of ghosts, you can go out with Xiaoguo and be herpanion. I¡¯m doing this for your good.¡±


    Cheng Yi crossed her arms and took a step away from him. She still insisted.


    ¡°Third Brother, I won¡¯t call you that anymore. I want to y.¡±


    If she went out, He Jing would be alone with Yan Hanxi. What a joke!


    Even if she was afraid, she had to endure it. A boy like Yan Hanxi could not be obtained without giving.


    She had to impress her and gain her favor.


    Just as He Zhou was in a difficult position, He Yi took the initiative to say,


    ¡°Third Brother, why don¡¯t I take Xiaoguo out?¡±


    Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of ghosts and wanted to y, he couldn¡¯t leave his brother alone.


    He Zhou frowned. It would be better for him to go out himself than to let He Yi go out. If he hadn¡¯t relented and let them bring He Xiaoguo here, the situation wouldn¡¯t have been so disappointing.


    At this moment, He Jing suddenly said, ¡°Third Brother, let me take care of


    Xiaoguo..¡±

 Chapter 154 - 154: A Man

    Chapter 154: A Man


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou was even more displeased.


    What did she mean by that? Was sheining that he hadn¡¯t taken good care of He Xiaoguo, so she made Xiaoguo cry?


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just take Xiaoguo out.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to stay here to block her heart. That should be fine, right?


    However, He Jing walked up to him and picked up He Xiaoguo, who was holding his hand. She let him wrap his arms around her neck and said, ¡°Xiaoguo, you wanted toe to the secret chamber yourself. Are you going to quit just because you¡¯re afraid? If that¡¯s the case, Xiaoguo will never be a man.¡±


    ¡°But, Sis, I¡¯m scared,¡± He Xiaoguo sniffled and barely stopped crying.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re afraid that you have to ovee it bravely. If the girl you like encounters a ghost one day, are you going to abandon her and run away?¡± He Jing¡¯s gentle voice carried some kind of calming power that spread in the secret chamber. It had an unparalleled magic that made people involuntarily be stronger. No one said anything and listened to her slowly. ¡°And these ghosts are all disguised by the staff. If the lights are turned on, they look like us. Chairman Mao said that all feudal superstitions should be eliminated. After death, people will turn into soil and flowers, not ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of ghosts, Sis?¡± He Xiaoguo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared too.¡± He Jing rubbed his head. ¡°But with Xiaoguo around, I¡¯m not afraid anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I know Xiaoguo will protect me! ¡±


    ¡°I know that no matter what danger we encounter, Xiaoguo will never leave me behind, right?¡± He Jing asked gently, her eyes curved.


    He Xiaoguo hugged He Jing¡¯s neck tightly and suddenly buried her face in He Jing¡¯s shoulder. As he sought a sense of security, he said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a man. I can¡¯t abandon Sister. I won¡¯t cry anymore. I want to be a flower with Sister.¡±


    He Jing patted him on the back and chuckled softly. ¡°If a ghost appears againter, hold me tight. As long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let Xiaoguo get hurt.¡±


    He Xiaoguo nodded heavily. He snuggled in He Jing¡¯s arms and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    The scene calmed down. Everyone looked at each other withplicated feelings. They couldn¡¯t even take care of themselves. They were all more afraid than thest. He Jing was able to spare some effort tofort a child and calm everyone¡¯s emotions. She was too gentle and too strong.


    On the other hand, they could not solve the mystery or help. They were useless.


    It was too frustrating.


    When Cheng Yi saw the situation, she felt that things were not looking good. She quickly said, ¡°Xiaoguo, why don¡¯t I carry you? Sister He Jing will be tired if she carries you.¡±


    He Xiaoguo stayed in He Jing¡¯s arms and refused toe down. Without even looking up, he said, ¡°No, Sister Xiao Yi was screaming louder than I was just now. You¡¯ll throw me out if you see a ghostter.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s expression froze, and it was very ugly. Shen Qiuyu did not forget to follow suit and step on him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going deaf from being called.


    Don¡¯t be like Sister Jing.¡±


    Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t control herself. She turned around and called out with tears in her eyes.


    He Zhou had yet to recover from He Jing¡¯s performance. He Yi quickly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s been three minutes. Let¡¯s continue solving the riddle.¡±


    This time, no one had any objections and continued to search for clues on the surrounding walls.


    Yan Hanxi moved to He Jing¡¯s side and pulled He Xiaoguo out of her arms. With a smile on his lips, he said in an ambiguous tone, ¡°Men should stay with men.


    Don¡¯t be so timid and cry. I¡¯ll y with you..¡±

 Chapter 155 - 155: Going Alone

    Chapter 155: Going Alone


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Xiaoguo wanted to protest, so he wrapped his arms around He Jing¡¯s neck tightly. However, he was no match for Yan Hanxi¡¯s strength, so he was pulled into his arms in an instant.


    ¡°Let go of me. I want to stay with my sister.¡± His face turned red as he kicked his short legs.


    Yan Hanxi pped him on the head and rubbed it. ¡°Your sister is on my team.


    We¡¯ll stay together. If you make a fuss again, I¡¯ll spank you, okay?¡±


    He Xiaoguo¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. He didn¡¯t kick up a fuss. He just stared at He Jing with his eyes, looking extremely pitiful.


    He Jing¡¯s vision was pitch-ck and she did not see his tears. She thought that he had agreed, so she went to the four walls to look for clues. She heard He Sui shout proudly, ¡°I knew it would be like this!¡±


    It turned out that He Sui had already lit up amp embedded in the wall. He Chen and He Yi went over and asked him the trick.


    ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± He Sui raised his chin.


    Then, he rushed up to He Jing with enthusiasm. His eyes sparkled as she asked for praise. ¡°He Jing, I¡¯m amazing, right? I was the first one to solve it.¡±


    He Jing nodded. ¡°Impressive. What¡¯s the key to solving the riddle?¡±


    He Sui did not hesitate at all. He told her directly, ¡°It¡¯s a story broadcast. Didn¡¯t you hear the loudspeaker in the secret room keep ringing? It keeps telling the story of Huiniang and her lover. Her lover got married on the 28th of the ugly month in the year of Xuwu. This must be the day that Huiniang looked forward to the most and also the time when she passed away, so themp on the wall must have something to do with it.¡±


    He Jing understood now. Year Xuwu, Year Chou, Month 28, and Noon could all be converted into numbers. For example, Chou was 1, 28 was 28, and Noon was


    The only difference was the difficulty of the year Xuwu, which ranged from


    19 to 21.


    But soon, He Ning solved the Xu-Wu spell. Themp in his hand lit up. He said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s 20 because 20 is a whole number. It¡¯s more auspicious. It¡¯s impossible to choose an odd number for marriage.¡±


    Wu Yu was almost convinced by the group of high-IQbig shots here. No wonder He Jing was such a genius. It turned out that the He family¡¯s genes were like this.


    Five minutester, the lights on the four walls lit up. Almost everyone had contributed, except Cheng Yi.


    She stayed by He Zhou¡¯s side and did not dare to leave him for even a moment, afraid that another ghost would jump out. When her vision returned to light, her fear subsided slightly. To highlight her role, when she was about to solve the next puzzle, she hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I solve this question?¡±


    ¡°Can you do it?¡± Shen Qiuyu questioned her.


    She had not been of any help just now and had been acting like a wooden statue. If she had the ability, she would have used her fists and legs long ago.


    Cheng Yi bit her lip and said pitifully, ¡°I know I¡¯m useless, but I¡¯ll work hard. I want to contribute to everyone.¡±


    Hearing this, Shen Qiuyu felt that it would be too much to say anything more. She pursed his lips and shut up.


    Cheng Yi looked at Yan Hanxi, hoping that he would look at her, but he didn¡¯t. Yan Hanxi was having a great time with He Xiaoguo.


    She had no choice but to look away and listen to the broadcast in the secret room. It was a new clue that asked them to put food on the empty wedding table and be guests at the wedding.


    This old house was about to hold the wedding of Huiniang and her lover.


    Cheng Yi was delighted. She didn¡¯t expect this question to be an indication. As long as she went to the kitchen, she would be able to easily find the food on the wedding table.


    Unexpectedly, the walkie-talkie in He Ning¡¯s hand rang. The director¡¯s voice came through. ¡°This is a solo operation. You have to go alone..¡±

 Chapter 156 - 156: A Ghost

    Chapter 156: A Ghost


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi¡¯s smile froze instantly. She widened her eyes in disbelief. Why, was it a solo mission this time? What if there was a ghost in the kitchen?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go?¡± He Zhou frowned when he heard that.


    She was so timid, how could she do a solo mission?


    He Sui did not expect this either. He was stunned for a moment and could not help but suspect that the director of the secret room was up to something.


    He Jing, on the other hand, was calm. She could guess with her toes that to increase the difficulty of the secret chamber, the director of the secret chamber would monitor everyone¡¯s condition through surveince cameras. Then, every time it came to such a segment, he would deliberately design for the most timid to go.


    This individual activity of serving food was not targeted yet. It could be randomly selected from the team. There would be targeted individual missionster on. That would be an exciting time.


    Cheng Yi wanted to retreat, but Shen Qiuyu had already sneered and said, ¡°You were just rmending yourself, but you were scared when you heard that it was a solo mission. So you were just saying it, and you didn¡¯t want to help the team clear it. Coward.¡±


    Cheng Yi was so angry that her face changed color. She looked at He Jing again and clenched her fists.


    NO!


    She couldn¡¯t retreat!


    This was a rare opportunity for her to perform. She had to do something to change everyone¡¯s opinion. Otherwise, He Jing would always be in everyone¡¯s sights.


    Isn¡¯t it just a solo mission? So be it!


    Cheng Yi gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go. I can do it.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t show off!¡± He Zhou was also anxious.


    Shen Qiuyu just wanted to see her make a fool of herself. There was no need for her to fall for her trick.


    Cheng Yi gripped her skirt tightly and said firmly, ¡°No, Third Brother, I¡¯m not afraid. Sister He Jing is right. All ghosts and monsters are feudal superstitions.


    As long as you think like this, you won¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi, you don¡¯t have topete with He Jing.¡± He Ning also frowned.


    Jing was not afraid, but she looked like she was pretending.


    Cheng Yi denied it and deliberately rebuked, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t you believe me? I¡¯m notpeting with Sister He Jing.¡±


    He Yi and He Chen looked at each other and saw the worry in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Wu Yu said, ¡°If she wants to go, let her go. The kitchen is just a few steps away from the living room. Nothing will happen.¡±


    That was true.


    It was not appropriate to take Cheng Yi¡¯s life just by walking a few steps. Everyone stopped talking. He Ning passed the shlight to Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi endured the fear in her heart and walked step by step toward the kitchen with the shlight.


    The entire secret room was made of stone, and the temperature was very cold. As soon as she left the crowd, she could feel the cold air surrounding her from all directions, especially her exposed neck and legs. It was as if someone was breathing.


    Goosebumps rose all over her arm, but it didn¡¯t work even if she rubbed it with her other hand.


    Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t help but regret it. She shouldn¡¯t have worn a dress today. Instead. she had worn Dants so that she wouldn¡¯t suffocate from the cold.


    When she finally walked into the kitchen, she realized that there was only a cab and a stove in the kitchen. There were a few things on the stove.


    There were also things in the cab, such as noodles, buns, and braised pork with preserved vegetables on the stove. There were more than ten items in total.


    How was she supposed to find which dishes were to be served on the wedding table? The secret room broadcast didn¡¯t seem to have reported it either!


    Forget it, let¡¯s get out first!


    So, Cheng Yi picked up a te of buns on the stove and walked out.


    She turned around and saw a female ghost in white standing in front of her. She was so close that her face was almost touching hers..

 Chapter 157 - 157: Cover Her Up

    Chapter 157: Cover Her Up


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The female ghost¡¯s hair was long and straight, and her pair of green eyes were glowing under her hair. In an instant, she thought of the various ways cannon fodder died in horror movies on television, and her entire heart trembled.


    Almost in an instant, tears uncontrobly fell.


    Cheng Yi bit her lip hard and resisted the urge to scream. She took a step back and smashed the shlight in her hand at the female ghost!


    The director of the secret room, who was sitting in front of the surveince camera, saw this scene. He stood up and warned sternly through the walkie-talkie. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, squat down with your hands on your head.


    Don¡¯t attack the staff.¡¯


    He Ning, who was standing guard outside, knew that something had happened when he heard the voice on the walkie-talkie. He hurriedly walked towards the kitchen and bumped into Cheng Yi, who was rushing over.


    The te in her hand fell to the ground, along with the buns.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, did you hit the staff member just now?¡± He Ning asked as he supported her.


    Cheng Yi heard He Ning¡¯s voice and managed to calm down. Then, she choked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, second brother. I was too scared, so I hit him subconsciously. I didn¡¯t hit him hard.¡±


    He Ning saw that she was crying and couldn¡¯t me her. He apologized to the director of the secret room through the walkie-talkie and went back to look for the shlight.


    The ghost was gone, and the torchlight that smashed people was still on the ground. It looked a lot dimmer as if it had been smashed.


    He picked up the shlight and said, ¡°I might have to pay for it.¡±


    Cheng Yi was still apologizing profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, second brother. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll pay for it when we get out.¡±


    He Ning didn¡¯t say anything. He led her back and picked up the buns and tes on the ground. He pretended that nothing had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Cheng Yi held the bun in her hand and gripped He Ning¡¯s clothes uneasily. She said in a muffled voice, ¡°Second brother, can you not tell others about this? I don¡¯t want others to know that I¡¯m so useless.¡±


    He Ning understood how she felt, especially when she was in front of such an outstanding He Jing. He sighed softly. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything. I identally fell and broke the shlight. I came to look for you because I was worried about you. No one knows what happened here.¡±


    Cheng Yi was finally relieved. She followed He Ning to the wedding hall. He Sui, who didn¡¯t know what was going on, was stunned. ¡°second brother, this is a solo mission. Why did youe back with Xiao Yi?¡±


    Without waiting for He Ning to answer, Cheng Yi quickly said, ¡°Second brother was worried about me, so he specially went to help me. But when he went, I had alreadye out of the kitchen, so it was considered a solo mission.¡± He Ning didn¡¯t want to expose her, so he replied with a faint ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± He Sui believed him. Shen Qiuyu asked again, ¡°Why is the shlight not working?¡±


    This time, Cheng Yi didn¡¯t answer again because it would be wrong to say more. If she said it again, it would seem like she was guilty, and trying to cover it up would make it worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad,¡± He Ning said calmly.


    Shen Qiuyu didn¡¯t ask anymore. After all, it wasmon for secret rooms to use inferior props to save costs.


    After getting through this, Cheng Yi ced the steamed bun on the wedding table. He Chen, who had been concerned about the progress of the game, asked, ¡°Is this the only dish?¡±


    How could there only be one dish at a banquet? Cheng Yi tried to hide her fear.


    ¡°Because I was still a little scared. I only took one dish. I¡¯ll go get more.¡±


    He Ning was afraid that she would beat up the staff again, so she quickly stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go. The kitchen is small and there are high stairs. It¡¯s easy to trip. It¡¯s not convenient for you to wear a dress.¡±


    Cheng Yi was more than happy to ask for it. She wanted to nod, but she still pretended to be troubled. ¡°I¡¯ll go, second brother. I have to finish what I started..¡±

 Chapter 158 - 158: Wrong

    Chapter 158: Wrong


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go,¡± He Ning said firmly.


    Then, without caring about what the others were thinking, he took the shlight and walked towards the kitchen.


    In less than two minutes, he came out with four dishes and ced them on the wedding table.


    ording to the announcement, they had to sit down to eat after the food was served. Everyone sat down on the benches around the table. However, there was no prompt in the secret room that the problem was solved correctly, and there was no movement around them.


    After a minute, He Sui said, ¡°Second brother, did you take the wrong one?¡± If he took the right dish, how could he not pass?


    He Ning frowned. ¡°How many of the dishes in the cab match the dishes on the stove? How many don¡¯t? It¡¯s so simple. How could I take the wrong ones?¡±


    ¡°Xiao Yi, did you take the buns from the stove or the cab?¡± He looked at Cheng Yi.


    ¡°Second brother, do you mean I took the wrong one?¡± Cheng Yi panicked.


    He Ning was a little depressed. He decided to save her some face. He shook his head. ¡°Maybe I took the wrong one. Should I put the braised pork with preserved vegetables back to try?¡±


    He Jing, who had been watching the whole situation silently, suddenly said,


    ¡°You took the wrong bun. Put it back.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt like she had been pped in the face in public. She couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°Why did you take the wrong bun? You didn¡¯t go into the kitchen!¡±


    He Jing said unhurriedly, ¡°Because the man Huiniang likes is a young master. Hees from a rich family. Rich families will not use ordinary food like buns to entertain guests. Even if there is, it can only be one of the twelve dishes and not one of the four dishes. The dishes that the second brother brought over include fish, meat, vegetables, and soy products. They represent the four types of food. They are veryplete. I think the Chamber of Secrets director might ask us to find twelve dishes¡­


    The director of the Chamber of Secrets, who had beenpletely poked in the heart, was speechless. What kind of monster was this?


    When He Jing said this, everyone felt that it made sense. He Ning had no choice but to put down the braised pork with preserved vegetables and bring the buns back.


    He had just brought it back to sit when the radio drama went down again, meaning the puzzle had been solved sessfully. Shen Qiuyu was amused. ¡°You can even solve such a simple puzzle wrongly. Next time, let¡¯s not waste everyone¡¯s time. If we don¡¯t get first ce, we will all be unhappy.¡±


    Cheng Yi was shocked. Her eyes reddened and she called out softly, ¡°Third


    Brother.¡±


    He Zhou immediately stood up for her. ¡°Enough,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Xiao Yi just wants to contribute to the team. Besides, she¡¯s scared.¡±


    It was already not bad to be able to do this.


    When had Shen Qiuyu ever been afraid of anyone? She retorted, ¡°We didn¡¯t force her to go. She wanted to go herself¡­¡±


    He Zhou was speechless. He was so angry that he didn¡¯t want to speak. Shen Qiuyu snorted and nced at Cheng Yi. She muttered in a low voice, ¡°Annoying person.¡±


    After the small episode, the radio drama asked everyone to look for Huiniang¡¯s jewelry and wedding dress. When the guests arrived, the auspicious time had arrived. Huiniang had to marry her sweetheart.


    Before that, she had to have a wedding dress and jewelry.


    After entering the boudoir, He Sui quickly untied the Huarong Road under the quilt on the bed and obtained the password to the wardrobe. He took out the wedding dress from inside and found jewelry under the pillow. He then put it on the mannequin on the bed ording to the instructions.


    Finally, the wedding ceremony began. The director of the secret chamber said, ¡°You must choose four people. One pair will sit in the high hall, and the other pair willplete the wedding ceremony..¡±

 Chapter 159 - 159: Marriage

    Chapter 159: Marriage


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui raised his small hand without thinking. ¡°I want to sit in the high hall. I want the fifth brother and sixth brother to bow to me.


    He Yi was speechless.


    He Chen was speechless.


    The sky wasn¡¯t dark yet, so why were they daydreaming about luxury and gold?


    The director of the secret chamber added, ¡°There is no limit to the height of the hall. The marriage must be between a man and a woman. Only after the ceremony can the next step be carried out.¡±


    ¡°Then what if there are no girls in the team?¡± He Ning asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use the dummy from earlier to rece it.¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    If he could use a dummy, then why not use a dummy? Under such circumstances, it was simply too strange, alright?


    The director of the Chamber of Secrets had thought of this. He added, ¡°The real person will get an important clue that will help the yer escape faster.¡±


    As one of the three girls, Shen Qiuyu was afraid that she would be forced to join them. She immediately refused. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I haven¡¯t married my future husband yet. How can I contribute here?¡±


    Cheng Yi was excited, but she was too embarrassed to show it. She pretended to stammer, ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­¡± Let me do it. I didn¡¯t help much before, and I even took the wrong bun¡­¡±


    He Jing almost saw through her thoughts at a nce. There were so many people here, and it was very inappropriate for her to be her brother and sister. Wu Yu hated her and obviously wouldn¡¯t agree, so only Yan Hanxi was left.


    Yan Hanxi acted as if he didn¡¯t like her, but it seemed possible for him to sacrifice himself for that important clue¡­


    Thinking of this, He Jing couldn¡¯t help but look at Yan Hanxi. When she saw Yan Hanxi¡¯s bright, dark eyes, she was filled with endless joy and interest.


    It was as if she wanted toplete the mission with him.


    He Jing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling about this. Coincidentally, the young man¡¯s clear and bright voice soundedzily with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need. This newlywed couple will be yed by Student He Jing and me.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Sui jumped up in excitement. ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree. Dream on!¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°Because Student He Jing and I are a couple. The ultimate goal of being a couple is toplete a two-person mission together in the escape room. Now that there is a two-person mission, He Jing and I should step forward.¡±


    You said it so beautifully!


    She wanted to take advantage of He Jing!


    He Sui¡¯s eyes widened like copper bells. Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel, He Jing rubbed her aching forehead and quickly stopped them. ¡°Alright, Fourth Brother. There are only three girls in total. If Qiu Yu doesn¡¯t want to, Cheng Yi and I only have a 50% chance of each of us.¡± ¡°Then let Xiaoyi go!¡± He Sui was still dissatisfied and blurted out.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Cheng Yi was speechless.


    She was so angry that she cried!


    Cheng Yi was so angry that she was about to cry. Although she wanted to be with Yan Hanxi, He Sui¡¯s meaning was that she didn¡¯t have He Jing¡¯s baby, so she could ept her being paired with Yan Hanxi.


    Even if he was biased, he couldn¡¯t be so biased!


    He Sui had just finished speaking when he instantly realized that he had said something wrong. His tough attitude softened and he exined resentfully,


    ¡°Xiao Yi, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t believe him. That was what he meant.


    ¡°Fourth Brother,¡± she said in a trembling voice, ¡°you don¡¯t want Sister He Jing to go, so you let me go. Have you considered my feelings?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± He Sui apologized in a low voice. He knew that he was getting more


    and more wrong.


    Cheng Yi trembled for less than a minute. Just as she was about to pretend to be magnanimous and retreat to advance, she said, ¡°Since Fourth Brother wants me to go so much, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    He Ning, who had been silent for a long time, raised his head and slowly said, ¡°Since Xiao Yi is unwilling, then forget it.. He Jing, can I trouble you a little?¡±

 Chapter 160 - 160: Don’t Say Flirtatious Words

    Chapter 160: Don¡¯t Say Flirtatious Words


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ah, this¡­


    He Jing was amused and speechless. She looked at Cheng Yi¡¯s face, which was almost green.


    ¡°Second brother!¡± He Sui was displeased.


    However, it was useless because He Ning had suppressed him with a single nce.


    Cheng Yi held her breath and almost fainted.


    If she had known that the situation would turn out like this, she would not have pretended to be wronged!


    Why did everyone have to go against her?


    Yan Hanxi walked up to He Jing and reached out his hand to her. His voice was so gentle that it could drip water. ¡°Hold me, my bride.¡± He Jing blushed and red at him in embarrassment.


    Who was his bride?


    There were so many people present, yet he dared to say such vulgar words.


    Shen Qiuyu only felt pink bubbles popping up in the dark and terrifying secret chamber. Her stomach, which was not hungry at first, was full because she was forced to eat a mouthful of dog food.


    In the end, He Sui and He Ning sat in the high hall because they were the oldest among the He family brothers.


    Wu Yu also wanted to be the leader, but he didn¡¯t dare to be the school bully as the groom, so he could only give up the idea.


    He Jing and Yan Hanxi grabbed the wedding silk props and began to bow.


    ¡°Bow to heaven and earth.¡±


    He Jing and Yan Hanxi bowed at the same time.


    ¡°Second bow.¡±


    The two of them stood up and turned around at the same time. Yan Hanxi gave her a smiling look, handsome and eye-catching, which made He Jing¡¯s breath


    skip a beat.


    ¡°Husband and wife bow to each other.¡±


    He Jing grabbed the wedding silk unnaturally and turned her face away. She took a step forward to get over this hurdle in her heart.


    ¡°Bride, clue.¡± Yan Hanxi took a step closer to her and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Of course, He Jing knew that this was fake. It was all for clues. She couldn¡¯t help but reply, ¡°In the future, you will get married for business.¡±


    Therefore, to achieve his goal, he did not have any psychological burden.


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°The Yan family owns a billion-dor financial group. There¡¯s no need for marriage. But if you want to go through marriage, it¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    What did she mean by she wanted to take the path of marriage?


    He Jing red at him again.


    Yan Hanxi looked at her happily. The more he looked at He Jing, the hotter her face became. When the announcement of the ceremony was made, He Jing almost instantly let go of the wedding silk.


    Cheng Yi watched He Jing and Yan Hanxi whispering to each other. She was so jealous that her eyes were about to spew fire. She couldn¡¯t stay here any longer, so she turned around and left Room 01.


    When everyone came back to their senses from the wedding ceremony and obtained the important clues hidden on the fake bride, they realized that Cheng Yi was missing.


    He Ning immediately suggested that they look for her. The director of the secret room informed them through the walkie-talkie. ¡°That little girl just left the secret room. She doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡±


    He Ning suddenly remembered that Cheng Yi also liked Yan Hanxi. Seeing He Jing and Yan Hanxi together, she must have felt bad, so she fell silent again.


    Seeing Cheng Yi leave, He Zhou finally couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. He said sarcastically, ¡°You know that Xiao Yi likes this man, yet you still say that you¡¯ll make He Jing suffer. Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that.¡± He Ning frowned.


    He Zhou sneered. It was obvious that he did not believe her. He took off the digital brooch, turned around, and strode out of the secret room.


    Almost as soon as he stepped forward, Shen Qiuyu said happily, ¡°The annoying people are gone. We can solve the puzzle seriously.¡±


    He Sui waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother about them. Third Brother is just being sarcastic. Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    He Yi and He Chen were silent for a moment before deciding to stay. After all, it was not easy toe out and y.


    Thus, they sessfully escaped from Chamber 01 and became the first team to clear the dungeon. Their speed of solving the puzzle was so fast that it flew..

 Chapter 161 - 161: Falling Ill

    Chapter 161: Falling Ill


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Without Cheng Yi¡¯s interference, their escape was indeed much faster. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They asked the director of the secret room about their current points and estimated clear time, and He Sui was in the lead.


    He Jing was ranked second, and Yan Hanxi was ranked third. The others did not help much and were almost negligible.


    What was worth noting was the person who came in fourth. It was a boy named Chen Yu. His name struck He Jing with an inexplicable sense of familiarity. She carefully searched her memories but found no clues rting to this person. It took her a while, but she eventually remembered ¨C


    Wasn¡¯t Chen Yu an important supporting character in the book? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be an ardent supporter of the real heiress after meeting her at a cocktail party where her kindness and beauty enamored him?


    Why was he here?


    It was not the time for him to appear!


    He Jing frowned in confusion, a bad premonitioning over her. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± a certain someone asked quietly.


    He Jing came back to her senses, shaking her head. In most novels, the general rule of thumb was that the female protagonist would have someone save her when she encountered a difficult situation. This Chen Yu was the top scorer of the previous college entrance examination. He was knowledgeable and outstanding. A secret room was nothing. It seemed that she might not be able to get first ce.


    If¡­ Cheng Yi used Chen Yu¡¯s ability and stood out in thepetition¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Yan Hanxi fall in love with Cheng Yi just like he did in the original plot?


    The mere thought irritated He Jing. Without another word, she strode forward, leaving Yan Hanxi behind.


    Yan Hanxi was baffled by this sudden change in He Jing. Something had caused He Jing¡¯s mood to plummet. He thought about it and realized she was probably still angry about the wedding ceremony. Yan Hanxi smiled like the cat who had caught the canary.


    Alright, he would apologize to herter.


    Unfortunately, Yan Hanxi did not find any opportunities along the way. He Jing seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. She either followed He Sui closely or held onto He Xiaoguo tightly.


    Even when he looked at her, she would quickly look away when she identally met his eyes, as if she could not stand the sight of him.


    Yan Hanxi found it funny. He Jing was a hot-tempered person. She couldn¡¯t be feeling shy, could she?


    Thinking of this possibility, his gaze grew as mysterious as the stars glimmering in the night sky.


    While everyone was groping through the dark, narrow tunnel, and just as they were about to exit Secret Room 04, Yan Hanxi could no longer restrain himself. He grabbed He Jing by the wrist and pressed her against the tunnel wall.


    He Jing let out a muffled cry, her limpid eyes widening imperceptibly in the darkness. She was furious! Softly, to avoid attracting the attention of the others in front, she snarled, ¡°Let go of me.¡±


    Yan Hanxi leaned down, closing the distance between them. He was so close that he could almost brush her lips against his. Smiling wolfishly, he retorted,


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force my hand,¡± He Jing warned, ice in her voice.


    Yan Hanxi had He Jing pinned against the wall. When he heard her reply, he tucked one hand in his pocket, speaking almost indulgently, ¡°I won¡¯t fight back if you do.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He Jing gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Why are you angry with me?¡± Yan Hanxi asked.


    He Jing felt like she had been stabbed where it hurt most. She fell silent, only responding with much difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m ill.¡±


    Yan Hanxi chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s because of the wedding ceremony, I apologize. But if it isn¡¯t, at least tell me why you¡¯re mad before sentencing me to death.¡± ¡°Student He Jing, isn¡¯tmunication a basic ability of any person?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not an uncultured person, are you?¡±

 Chapter 162 - 162: Do You Like Me?

    Chapter 162: Do You Like Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    For the first time, He Jing chose to be unreasonable. ¡°Yes, I am!¡± she cried defiantly.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile widened. His eyes sparkled like stars in the darkness. His gaze fell on her with the tender sweetness of honey. Completely unhurried, he said, ¡°Do you believe I won¡¯t kiss you right here if you keep this up?¡±


    He Jing choked on her words, ring at Yan Hanxi fiercely. She wanted nothing more than to beat his head up. To think a kid still wet behind the ears had the nerve to flirt with her!


    Yan Hanxi quirked a brow, answering seriously, ¡°How about you give it a shot? You must find this situation very exciting.¡±


    He Jing had to give in to him. She might be shameless, but she was still no match for Yan Hanxi. If He Sui exited the room and realized they had not followed, he would return looking for them. If He Sui bumped into them like this, it would probably start a bloody storm.


    That aside, He Jing would never allow someone else¡¯s husband-to-be to kiss her; it was uneptable!


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you how greasy you sound?¡± He Jing¡¯s heart was a calmke with no ripples. ¡°Only clean and sunny boys are likable,¡± she murmured, each wording in short stato.


    Yan Hanxi was startled. He was quick to learn and asked with great interest, ¡°Oh? In your heart, what kind of boy is clean and sunny?¡±


    He Jing smiled imperceptibly. ¡°A boy like that is shy when he meets girls; he doesn¡¯t make the first move. If I were to take the initiative to talk to him, he would blush. If I teased him, he¡¯d run away flustered.¡±


    In other words, a boy like that would retreat three feet away whenever he saw her¡­ No, three feet, 300 feet away!


    Yan Hanxi fell silent. He now understood. ¡°So that¡¯s the type of man you like. I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Yan Hanxi took a step back to put some distance between them.


    He Jing wrung her wrist and thought to herself, ¡®You¡¯re still too young to match up to me.¡¯


    With that, she was about to go on her way, leaving Yan Hanxi behind.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Hanxi grabbed her wrist again, pulling her back. He pressed her against the wall and smiled a smile full of rough edges, his eyes ming with reckless ambition. ¡°Thank you for providing me with information about my rival in love. I guarantee you¡¯ll never have the chance to meet such a boy again! How can a boy who can¡¯t even confess his love, acting like a timid mouse, be worthy of you? Are you sure you could love someone like that?!¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    They were so close that He Jing could feel Yan Hanxi¡¯s silken breath brushing against her ear. ¡°You should love me instead. I¡¯m passionate, constant, everything you¡¯d ever need.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s heart thrummed in her ears like the beating of a drum.


    Before she could digest anything Yan Hanxi had said to her, a cold voice sounded close by.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    He Jing nearly jumped out of her skin, giving herself whish as she turned toward the voice. A tall, looming shadow stood a short distance away, emanating an arctic chill.


    ¡°Third Brother!¡± Yan Hanxi straightened his posture and answered.


    He did not seem embarrassed at all.


    It was as if he were discussing the weather with He Jing.


    He Jing was d that He Zhou hade at the right time. Otherwise, she would have been teased endlessly by Yan Hanxi, that shameless flirt.


    He Sui and the others also returned. ¡°He Jing!¡± they cried.


    He Jing made a prompt decision and said, ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯m here. It¡¯s dark here, let¡¯s talk outside.¡±


    He Sui naturally did not object and went with her suggestion. Out of the dark room, He Jing finally saw the light again.


    They soon arrived outside Secret Room 5. No one spoke as they eyed one another ¨C not even He Zhou, who brought up the rear.


    He Ning frowned and asked, ¡°Third Brother, why are you back? Where¡¯s Xiao

 Chapter 163 - 163: What Color Do You Like?

    Chapter 163: What Color Do You Like?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou¡¯s cold gaze on He Jing and Yan Hanxi dissipated. Expressionlessly, he said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find her. The staff managing the secret room said she joined another team with a new entry ticket, so I went looking for her.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± He Sui asked, ¡°Then how did you get in, Third Brother? Did you buy another ticket?¡±


    ¡°There was someone at the entrance, too scared to enter. He gave me his ticket in exchange for all the points I got.¡±


    He Jing understood. Cheng Yi must have alreadye in contact with Chen Yu.


    Although she did not know why the plot had be more and more ridiculous after she transmigrated, the entanglement between the female lead and the male supporting characters should not change.


    After all, He Ning still liked Cheng Yi. Only Yan Hanxi, who had the same status as Cheng Yi, had changed.


    He Ning had finished questioning He Zhou and was about to do the same for He Jing. However, when he turned to her, his lips moved, but no words came out.


    If a man and a woman were left alone in such a dark ce, it was obvious that they would do something.


    He Jing noticed He Sui¡¯s flushed face and could not help but tilt her head questioningly. As if sensing the awkward atmosphere, she quickly said, ¡°I had some things to discuss with Yan Hanxi. Although dark inside, many surveince cameras are stationed along the route, capturing what¡¯s going on live. Why don¡¯t we think of a way to conquer Secret Room 05? From here on, we¡¯ll need to work in pairs since that¡¯s the only number allowed for each group.¡±


    That was true¡­


    The flush on He Sui¡¯s face faded, but he was still dissatisfied. ¡°If you have any questions, you can ask me. Why do you keep following that boy?¡±


    Yan Hanxi chuckled softly but did notment.


    He Zhou red at him. He was furious! How could he not be after what he had seen?


    Having decided on a course of action, the group focused on clearing Secret


    Room 5. The director of the Chamber of Horrors had said that starting from Secret Room 05, the difficulty of all subsequent levels would see a sharp spike.


    To escape, they would have to change tactics.


    He Jing was paired with Yan Hanxi, He Sui with Shen Qiuyu, He Ning with Wu Yu, and He Yi with He Chen.


    He Yi and He Chen looked at each other and saw disgust and helplessness in each other¡¯s eyes.


    They would rather act alone than escape from the secret room together.


    Only He Zhou was left¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the most important part to you. Take good care of Xiaoguo,¡± He Ning said.


    Since Secret Room 05 only allowed groups of two to enter, He Xiaoguo could not follow He Jing and Yan Hanxi. He Zhou was the closest to He Xiaoguo, so he was the ideal choice to ensure nothing happened to their youngest sibling. He Zhou had no objections and waited by the side for He Xiaoguo to appear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± He Jing said to Yan Hanxi.


    Everyone went their separate ways, entering different rooms.


    Secret Room 05 was special in that, though they could only form teams of two, each team was still linked to the group as a whole. Each group had a chance to contact each other and pass on important clues to help their counterparts conquer the room. Those who could not escape would not have the chance to move on to Secret Room 06.


    To say they were all feeling pressure would be the understatement of the century.


    Fortunately, this secret chamber was not as challenging as He Jing had thought. After gathering all the clues, she contacted the others.


    He Jing mulled over the clues in deep thought. There were four of them: a pair of men¡¯s sses, a watch, a girl¡¯s diary, and¡­ Two of the four clues did not match. She was obviously looking at a pair of real and fake clues. The question was which was which?


    He Jing was silent for a time. She decided to ask Yan Hanxi for his opinion.


    Yan Hanxi was standing sideways with his back facing her. He was admiring the bloody paintings lining the walls. He may have looked indifferent, but the pink tinge to his ears gave him away.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Was he trying to help her solve the riddle?


    He Jing frowned slightly and was about to question him when she realized something was off. She was holding onto a bra. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she quickly stuffed the bra back into the box, closing it with a bang.


    She did her best to feign calm, sneering. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so innocent. What happened to that shameless tease who tormented me just now? Haven¡¯t you been to the women¡¯s section in a department store? You might even need to help your girlfriend pick her bras.¡±


    Yan Hanxi finally turned around. His eyes fell on the box. Three secondster, his eyes darted around.. Leering, he asked in a particrly ambiguous manner,


    ¡°Oh? Then what color do you like?¡±

 Chapter 164 - 164: A Very Good Opponent

    Chapter 164: A Very Good Opponent


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing unconsciously clenched her fist. A sher¡¯s smile crossed her lips, ¡°Now, wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡±


    Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    Ah! It was such a shame. It seemed he had no intention of pursuing the matter.


    He Jing lost interest. She could not be bothered to deal with Yan Hanxi at the moment. Instead, she contacted He Zhou. She had already uncovered the answer.


    Soon, the call went through. He Zhou¡¯s frigid voice sounded from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Third Brother, it¡¯s me.¡± He Jing took a deep breath and got straight to the point.


    He Zhou did not expect He Jing to be the one to exchange clues with him. He fell into a short silence. ¡°You only have one chance to contact other team members. Are you confident I¡¯ll tell you what I know?¡± He Zhou was as blunt as usual.


    The response did not annoy He Jing at all. ¡°Is Xiaoguo alright?¡± she asked.


    ¡°He is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    He Jing did not seem to be in any hurry to learn the clues he had found. Instead, she was beating about the bush, asking


    ¡°Third Brother, the dishes you prepare are delicious! I like them very much.¡±


    Each team had only two minutes to contact each other, but He Jing was still in the mood to dither and discuss unimportant matters. He Zhou could not help but mock her in his heart. Perhaps she had encountered some trouble and, in panic, had been reduced to a blithering mess. He Jing was probably ttering him as part of a scheme to get the clues he had gleaned.


    Unfortunately, she did not understand him. Actions like these only filled him with disgust.


    ¡°He Jing, you shouldn¡¯t have called me; your methods are useless against me.


    You should have called someone else.¡±


    Contrary to his expectations, He Jing did not panic. ¡°Even if Third Brother hates me, he¡¯ll still tell me what he knows. I did not make a mistake calling you.¡± Her Jing¡¯s words were light but filled with her conviction.


    ¡°What?¡± He Zhou was momentarily stunned by He Jing¡¯s deration, but it soon became a sneer. ¡°What makes you think so?¡±


    ¡°Because Third Brother is not a despicable person, ¡± He Jing responded firmly. ¡°If you were such a person, Xiaoguo wouldn¡¯t be so dependent on you. Xiaoguo is a good judge of character, and I trust him.¡±


    He Zhou was unmoved. He continued to sneer. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Since you¡¯ve called, I¡¯ll share what I know.¡±


    However, deciding to be petty, He Zhou mixed many misleading hints among the actual clues. It was up to He Jing to decipher truth from falsehood.


    It was not on him if she could not sift the correct clues from the clutter of wrong ones he provided.


    It was the same thing He Jing could do to him. After all, no one couldplete this challenge without a concerted team effort.


    Shortly after, he passed on the clues he had discovered. It was a mixed bag of truths and falsehoods. Still, he threw her a bone by warning her about them. ¡°I have four clues. Two will lead you on, while the rest will not. It¡¯s up to you to judge for yourself which is which.¡±


    He Jing did not need to make a judgment call. When He Zhou revealed what he knew, it was more than enough to confirm her initial thoughts. She was sure she knew the right way to escape.


    Unlike He Zhou. however. He Ting shared what she knew without hidden tricks. saying, ¡°Thank you, Third Brother.¡±


    Her words sounded calmly in He Zhou¡¯s ears.


    He Zhou grew exceedingly dissatisfied with He Jing. Why did she always act like she was inplete control of the situation? She must have called him to gloat, praising his cooking like that. It was simply humiliating¡­


    ¡°He Jing, I will always treat Xiao Yi as my sister. No matter what you do, I will never ept you. I hope you won¡¯t do such a stupid thing again. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. Just because I¡¯ve helped you this once doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll do it again in the future.


    He Jing did not know what to say; He Zhou¡¯s words had caught her t-footed.


    Barely able to conceal the hint of joy, she cried, ¡°Really? I can¡¯t wait for Third Brother to treat me as his younger sister.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He Zhou was so angry he nearly screamed in rage. He was about to hang up on her when her voice drifted into his ears.


    ¡°Third Brother, I have many things, but a worthwhile opponent isn¡¯t among them. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had the pleasure to trounce someone sopletely. Thank you, Third Brother, for reigniting my passion..¡±

 Chapter 165 - 165: It Doesn’t Matter

    Chapter 165: It Doesn¡¯t Matter


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou felt as if all the nerves in his brain had received a violent jolt. He could not move. He gripped the phone tightly and gritted his teeth. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It is what it is, exactly as I say it.¡± He Jing spoke with halt-lidded eyes, shadows dancing under long eyshes. She had an ethereal beauty, a subtle nonchnce that bespoke her confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Third Brother?¡±


    ¡®Of course!¡¯ He Zhou thought. He wanted to surpass her in cooking; the urge was irresistible, and his body trembled while his heart ached with longing. However, the gap between them was too big; he felt inferior and hopeless. As much as he despised He Jing, He Zhou would be the first to admit how much he admired her cooking.


    ¡°Although I may have some skill, I¡¯m far from the best,¡± He Jing said, the words rolling off her tongue. ¡°No matter what you do, if you don¡¯t put in a hundred percent of your effort, you won¡¯t get far because you¡¯d be sailing against the current. Those who start strong may also fall from grace and vice-versa. It may take a year, two months, or even a day. The only constant that¡¯ll ensure you never stray is love.¡±


    ¡°Now there¡¯s someone more passionate about cooking than me; his drive and zealous spirit of improvement are an invisible force weighing on me. I feel a great crisis looming over the horizon; it is something I can only ovee through sheer effort. As long as I live, as long as I¡¯m motivated¡­ one day, I¡¯ll be the greatest chef in the world. Isn¡¯t such a rival more inspiring than being a nominal brotherly figure?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be bothered whether or not this brother loves me? It¡¯spletely unimportant. ¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s pupils constricted, and he did not know what to say.


    So that was what she thought.


    It turned out that she was not as unppable as she seemed.


    She feared others would surpass her, so she identified a worthy rival to motivate herself. He just so happened to be the rival she had chosen. Whether or not she recognized his ability was beside the point ¨C she had already embarked on the right path toward self-improvement, bing more and more outstanding.


    Meanwhile, he was still wallowing in despair, unwilling to believe he could be inferior to anyone.


    What a joke!


    Wasn¡¯t he the brother in He Jing¡¯s analogy? How could he have been so arrogant? He Zhou had thought she had to gain his recognition before she could live in the He family when she could do so, whether or not he gave her his approval!


    The truth was clear, even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it. They had the same bloodline and right to live together as members of the He family.


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± He Zhou closed his eyes, and the anger that had swelled up in his chest dissipated. It was reced by a crazy desire to seed. When he opened his eyes again, they had a dangerous gleam. He smiled slightly, returning to his gentle, almost refined posture. ¡°It was a pleasure talking to you. Let¡¯s wait and see who will be the best chef!¡±


    He Jing giggled. ¡°That would be me. Third Brother still has a long way off before being able topete with me.¡¯


    He Zhou hung up, setting his phone to ¡®busy mode.¡¯


    He had his whole life ahead of him. Those who were arrogant now might not get thestugh.


    He Jing put away her phone. She met Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes and said angrily, ¡°Please use your brain. Don¡¯t waste your time here.¡±


    Yan Hanxi found it funny and could not help but say, ¡°You have a really interesting way offorting people; it¡¯s unique.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.. ¡°Who said I wasforting anyone?¡±

 Chapter 166 - 166: Find Me Anytime

    Chapter 166: Find Me Anytime


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°I heard it with both ears.¡± Yan Hanxi smiled and said, ¡°However, the lines seem a bit juvenile. I suggest improving them next time.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, ¡°Boring!¡±


    He Jing ced the clues in the designated location one by one. Then, she received the escape prompt and left the room.


    The two of them went to Secret Room 06 together. They were exceptionally silent. Though it wasn¡¯t suffocating, it wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant either. After a while, He Jing suddenly asked, ¡°Is it really too juvenile?¡±


    Yan Hanxi couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Just teasing you.¡±


    ¡°Hell.


    She thought, ¡°Bastard.¡±


    After a while¡­


    Yan Hanxi suddenly spoke, ¡°Your family rtionship seems a bit bad.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t deny this. After all, she felt terrible too. Yan Hanxi gradually stopped walking and turned to look at her. His eyes were full of seriousness and bright like fireworks. ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy or want to leave that family,e and find me anytime.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s eyelids twitched, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason. Then, she snorted and walked forward, ignoring him.


    Yan Hanxi wanted to pat her head tofort her, but as soon as he pulled his hand out of his pocket, she was gone. He had no choice but to put his hand back into his pocket awkwardly.


    Secret Room 06 was still a two-yer escape room with multiple escape routes. He Ning, He Sui, and the others hadn¡¯te out yet, and it wasn¡¯t known how long it would take for them to sessfully escape. In order toplete all the rooms before dark, He Jing decided not to wait for them and explore Secret Room 06 first.


    However, four two-yer teams were required to activate the game. He Jing could only join the game with three other unfamiliar teams.


    The other three temporary teams had yet to clear the other secret rooms because the flow of people was too high. The other secret rooms had to queue up. These three teams were all couples without exception.


    One of them was particrly good-looking. They had red hair and tattoos. There was almost no intact skin on their exposed arms. One look and they could tell that they were from society.


    He Jing looked at their brooches, numbers 48 and 49.


    Number 48 was a man with an afro. His eyes had never left her since she appeared. Strangely, Number 49, a woman with a wavy hairstyle, wasn¡¯t jealous. She stared at Yan Hanxi as if she could make a flower out of Yan Hanxi.


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help but frown. She took a step toward Yan Hanxi, blocking her view of him.


    This gaze was clearly the gaze of a prey. She was already in her thirties, yet she still wanted to pursue younger individuals?


    Yan Hanxi hid He Jing behind his back. His narrow phoenix eyes revealed a cold sharpness as he locked eyes with the afro man.


    Finally, the afro man shifted his gaze away from He Jing and sneered disdainfully. It was obvious that he was looking down on her.


    The woman with wavy hair looked at Yan Hanxi for a long time, but Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t even look at her. She felt rejected and her heart was sour. She held the hand of the afro and said sweetly, ¡°My dear, you have to work hard when we enter the secret roomter. We must get first ce. We can¡¯t let others beat us.¡± As she spoke, she nced at He Jing, her meaning obvious.


    The afro man grinned and revealed his white teeth, ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve never failed an escape room before.¡±


    Then, the two of them entered the secret room.


    He Jing was speechless. The male lead¡¯s face really attracted attention everywhere. Even when they yed in a secret room together, she would be envied. ¡°Wear a mask next time you go out and cover that face of yours.¡±


    Yan Hanxi followed her closely. He walked into the secret roomzily. He said in a leisurely tone, ¡°I¡¯ll wear it if you wear it. We¡¯ll cover it together..¡±

 Chapter 167 - 167: I Have The Answer

    Chapter 167: I Have The Answer


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She thought, ¡°How could he be calctive about this? Forget it.¡±


    He Jing dismissed the idea of making him wear a mask. As the male lead, if he could hide his brilliance by covering his face, he wouldn¡¯t have to be the male lead.


    They entered Secret Room 06 and arrived at a rtively empty hall. At a nce, they saw the other three teams were there and knew that there was a prerequisite mission for Secret Room 06.


    The prerequisite missions could be skipped, andpleting them wouldn¡¯t add many points, but it would earn them a souvenir, a pair of long-legged monkey dolls.


    The girls in the three couples were all very interested in the dolls, so they decided to stay and try them out.


    He Jing wasn¡¯t interested in dolls and didn¡¯t want to waste time here. So she said to Yan Hanxi, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yan Hanxi thought He Jing would be moved. Seeing that she didn¡¯t even blink, he raised his eyebrows and respected her decision.


    When the red-haired couple saw this, they immediately mocked them and said, ¡°You¡¯re not even 18 yet, and you dare to bring your girlfriend to such a dangerous ce? You can¡¯t let your girlfriend be in the limelight even if you¡¯re here. Little brat, I think you should break up quickly and stop wasting the beautiful girl¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhi, don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s good for boys to be courageous, but it¡¯s not good for girls to fall in love at such a young age. Girls should have self-respect and self-love. Don¡¯t hang out with your boyfriend without studying hard.¡±


    The other two couples started to watch the show.


    He Jing remained unmoved. As a 25-year-old Aunty, she wanted tough when she was scolded for having a rtionship at a young age. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t in a rtionship with Yan Hanxi at all.


    However, Yan Hanxi remained indifferent. His thin lips were pursed into a


    straight line.


    He Jing called out, ¡°Yan Hanxi!¡±


    Yan Hanxi looked at herzily. He smiled casually. ¡°Merit Student. How about giving me a chance to show off?¡±


    He Jing frowned and fell silent for a moment. Then, she turned around. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Yan Hanxi patted her head gently. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    He Jing looked at the couple again, her eyes filled with coldness.


    No matter how charming Yan Hanxi was, he was still a teenager and not experienced.


    However, there was nothing wrong with this. Young people should have youthful vigor.


    He Jing would never let others suppress her nature and hold her temper. One had to be happy, dazzling, and arrogant.


    Seeing Yan Hanxi stay behind, the afro smiled contemptuously. He was really afraid that Yan Hanxi would be a coward and leave.


    ¡°Since he was overestimating himself, I wouldpletely defeat him and let him know the difference between them,¡± he thought.


    Soon, the staff announced the mission, which was to escape from this hall.


    ¡°Escape from this hall?¡± The wavy-haired woman was stunned. There was only one table and six chairs in this hall. There was nothing. How could they escape?


    Moreover, the door of the hall was locked. There was only a small window on the four walls that was open for venttion, not big enough to stick a head out¡­


    The afro man walked to the table and chairs without thinking. He deliberately raised his voice and snorted. ¡°The only things in the hall must be clues. As long as we find the pattern of the tables and chairs, we can escape from here.¡± The other two groups also felt that it made sense and went forward one after another.


    Only He Jing and Yan Hanxi stayed in ce. They observed theyout of their surroundings and then smiled at each other.


    ¡°Is there a perfect secret room in this world?¡±


    ¡°Then how can we leave this secret room without opening the door or window?¡±


    Everyone was speechless.


    Almost in unison.


    He Jing said, ¡°I have the answer.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°I have an answer too..¡±

 Chapter 168 - 168: Trash

    Chapter 168: Trash


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Fifteen minutes had passed, but the afro still hadn¡¯t escaped. Moreover, his temper seemed to be getting more and more irritable.


    The afro thought, ¡°What the hell!¡±


    The tables and chairs were just ordinary tables and chairs. There were no clues at all. Not to mention marks, there weren¡¯t even scratches. They were just ordinary existences and ordinary arrangements. It was as if they were simply provided for them to sit and think.


    He couldn¡¯t help but kick the chair twice. The director of the secret room immediately said through the walkie-talkie, ¡°Please don¡¯t damage the props.¡± The afro barely managed to stop.


    Then, he looked at He Jing and Yan Hanxi, his eyes as cold as poisonous snakes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because I can¡¯t get out, you can.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled.


    Hisughter was like a catalyst, making the afro even more furious. He wanted to teach him a lesson directly.


    There were already couples who wanted to give up. All of them were full ofints. ¡°It¡¯s set so difficult. Why don¡¯t we give up? Anyway, there are no points, and the dolls aren¡¯t worth much.¡±


    The boyfriends who were forced to show off their intelligence wiped the sweat off their foreheads and decisively agreed to give up.


    This secret room only had this table and these chairs as a breakthrough point. In the end, they couldn¡¯t even find any clues in these tables and chairs. Their path was blocked.


    The merchants were cunning. Perhaps they didn¡¯t want to give the dolls to them at all, but-


    They couldn¡¯t help but look at Yan Hanxi and He Jing. The two of them were like freaks, terrifyingly calm.


    Not only did they note close when they were looking for clues, but they were also not flustered at all now.


    Could it be that they had already found a way to escape?


    The afro thought the same. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Kid, if you have the ability, then walk out of here. Otherwise, don¡¯t f*ckingugh at me like that.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows in amusement. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you all give up. I don¡¯t want the fruits of victory to be shared with others!¡±


    The afro was so angry that his face turned ashen. ¡°Who wants to share with you? Aren¡¯t they just two broken dolls?¡±


    Yan Hanxi saidzily, ¡°Who knows? So, how long do you n to drag this out?¡±


    The afro gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t be too smug. Give me another ten minutes. I¡¯ll escape sessfully!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Then, Yan Hanxi continued to chat with He Jing.


    They didn¡¯t care about what others thought of them at all and continued to talk about topics aimlessly. asionally, He Jing would be teased until she hit him angrily. They looked like a couple publicly disying affection. It was simply showing off their affection in public.


    The wavy-haired woman watched with envy and said to the afro, ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this chance to ask for help?¡±


    Each person had a total of three chances to ask for help. They could receive an important hint, and it would be gone after they used it.


    The afro denied, ¡°No!¡±


    Secret Room 06 hadn¡¯t even started yet. It was just a prerequisite, and he had already used the chance to ask for help. Wouldn¡¯t that be even more embarrassing?


    The wavy-haired woman coquettishly said, ¡°But we can¡¯t just stay here. We¡¯re here to have fun, not to survive. So what if we can¡¯t clear theter stages? Do you want to be suppressed by an underage brat?¡±


    That made sense.


    The afro made up his mind and used up a chance to ask for help. The director of the secret room gave a hint. Ground.


    The afro immediately crouched down and searched the floor of the entire hall to see if there were any marks.


    Ten minutester, the afro gave uppletely.


    He then looked at Yan Hanxi and said unwillingly, ¡°Fine. I forfeit. I want to see how you are going to escape.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows and walked to the head of the table.


    ¡°There are no clues here. You drop¡­¡± The idea forever.


    Yan Hanxi bent down and lifted a tile.


    A tunnel appeared in front of everyone..

 Chapter 169 - 169: It’s Your Turn

    Chapter 169: It¡¯s Your Turn


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The afro thought, ¡°F*ck! ¡±


    Almost instantly, the afro wanted to curse. No wonder he couldn¡¯t find the exit even after receiving the hint. He thought, ¡°This f*cking¡­¡±


    ¡°It can actually be like this!¡±


    The other couples were all amazed.


    ¡°But how did they know?¡±


    Everyone saw the same thing, so why was Yan Hanxi able to think of things they didn¡¯t expect and find the exit urately?


    Had Yan Hanxi already yed it once? No wonder he stayed after being provoked. Did he do it on purpose?


    The wavy-haired woman thought the same. She asked with an ugly expression,


    ¡°Did you secretly ask the director for help?!¡±


    Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t want to talk to her, not even a word. He turned around with a smile. ¡°Merit Student, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    He Jing was expressionless. She thought, ¡°What was wrong with him? Did he think I was a recorder?¡± But she still said, ¡°Before we enter the hall, there¡¯s a


    map at the door of the secret room.¡±


    ¡°So what if there¡¯s a map? There¡¯s a map at the entrance of every secret room!¡±


    It was probably to prevent yers from getting lost, and it even marked the location of the stairwell and restroom!


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that the hall we¡¯re in is at the end of the top floor of the building? If you want to y the game, you have to go to the rooms below. In order not to hinder the continuity of the game, of course, they designed such an interesting segment. Even if you choose to skip this mission, you¡¯ll still go down from here.¡±


    The wavy-haired woman was shocked.


    She thought, ¡°Did the map have such an effect?¡±


    However, even if they guessed that the key to escaping from this hall involved using the tunnel, there were so many tiles in the hall. All of them were identical. How could they know which one it was?


    He Jing saw through her thoughts at a nce. She was almost about to cry from her stupidity. ¡°It¡¯s a game that only four double pairs can y. There are only six chairs ced. Isn¡¯t this hint obvious enough? The chairs are distributed on both sides of the table, with three on each side. The two missing chairs are, of course, one at the main seat and one at the end of the table. The end of the table faces the door. When you guys came over, you likely stepped on it. Discovering that there was a hollow space underneath, only the empty main seat would be checked by at most one person. The sound of stepping on the hollow brick will also be covered by the sound of others moving the chairs, so it bes hidden.¡±


    ¡°What if no one moves the chair, and someone goes to the main seat to look for clues!¡±


    ¡°Then the dolls would be given to you. Is the doll very valuable?¡±


    He Jing said nonchntly.


    The wavy-haired woman was speechless.


    That was true. This was a small mission without any points. How difficult could it be?


    But ironically, they were all stumped like fools.


    They were all humans, but why was there such a huge difference?


    Yan Hanxi praised, ¡°Merit Student, you¡¯re very eloquent.¡±


    He Jing rolled her eyes and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not yourmentator. Don¡¯t call me next time.¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s thin lips curved up. ¡°Only you can have such telepathy with me.¡±


    He Jing choked. She felt that she had been teased. She red at him and jumped down from the tunnel.


    After jumping down, there was a slope two steps away. They had to squat to advance. Soon, they arrived at the main battlefield of Secret Room 06.


    Just as Yan Hanxi was about to enter the room with He Jing, the wavy-haired woman suddenly called out,pletely ignoring He Jing. She said in a sweet voice, ¡°Handsome boy, little girls are very boring. They like to act and make


    trouble. Team up with me, and I¡¯ll spoil you!¡±


    Then, she puffed out her ample chest..

 Chapter 170 - 170: It’s Actually Very Big

    Chapter 170: It¡¯s Actually Very Big


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was thoroughly amused. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t Yan Hanxi¡¯s girlfriend or had any feelings for him. Otherwise, she would be disgusted by the scene in front of her.


    He Jing even had the mood to joke and teased him with augh, ¡°She seems to be right. Yan Hanxi, do you want to consider it?¡±


    Yan Hanxi nced at her. Was she happy that he was being osted?


    Then, he looked at the wavy-haired woman and revealed a mesmerizing smile. ¡°Aunty, if you continue to harass me, I¡¯m going to call the police.¡±


    The wavy-haired woman was obviously unable to ept the term ¡°aunty¡±. She widened her eyes and her expression was about to crack. ¡°What did you call


    ¡°Aunty.¡± Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes darted around, full of meaning. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the fine lines at the corner of your eyes are so deep that they could kill a fly?¡±


    The wavy-haired woman¡¯s pretty face instantly turned ugly. She said angrily,


    ¡°I¡¯m only 27 years old. Are you blind?!¡±


    Yan Hanxi was neither angry nor annoyed. He still smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯m really sorry. Aunty, you look a little old. Also¡­ I like t-chested women, just like this yful and boring little girl beside me.¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help it and stepped on his foot.


    The wavy-haired woman was so angry that her chest was heaving up and down. She stomped her foot and turned around to enter a secret room.


    He Jing ignored Yan Hanxi and entered a secret room. Yan Hanxi quickly followed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I said something inappropriate. Your chest is actually very big.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s eyebrows twitched fiercely. She resisted the urge to beat him to death on the spot and squeezed out two words. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Yan Hanxi fell silent instantly.


    Secret Room 06 was rtively difficult, and it took He Jing and Yan Hanxi an hour to escape.


    Having cleated six secret rooms in a row, He Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief. They only had four more rooms left.


    There shouldn¡¯t be anyone faster than them¡­


    He Jing was still worried, so she checked her ranking. She was indeed ranked first, and Yan Hanxi was ranked second. However, Chen Yu, who was ranked fourth, had risen to third ce, surpassing He Sui.


    Not only was He Sui surpassed, but even Cheng Yi, who had not been ranked, suddenly jumped to fifth ce and was about to overtake He Sui.


    He Jing was a little disappointed. Was the female lead¡¯s halo so powerful? Then could she still sessfully win first ce and get the reward?


    At the same time, two people sessfully escaped from Secret Room 08. The innocent and delicate girl smiled at the handsome and outstanding boy in front of her and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m already in fourth ce! Thank you, Brother Chen Yu. If it weren¡¯t for you, I really wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    The boy¡¯s cold face blushed slightly. He stared at the girl lovingly and solemnly promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely help you surpass that girl called Jing and help you get justice.¡±


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t expect to have such good luck after leaving He Jing¡¯s team. She met up with such a powerfulpanion and smoothly escaped from the most difficult Secret Room 10 without any obstacles.


    He not only protected her tightly, but he also gave her many points, giving her the courage to face He Jing and the others again.


    However, this was far from enough. What she wanted was to be the first, to impress Yan Hanxi, and present the generous rewards for escaping all secret rooms in the first ce to He Ning and the others, winning back their hearts.


    With this thought in mind, she pretended to hesitate and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we split up here? I don¡¯t know anything and will only drag you down. If you find someone else to team up with, you will definitely be the deserved first..¡±

 Chapter 171 - 171: Meeting Again

    Chapter 171: Meeting Again


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chen Yu did want to get first ce, but as he looked at Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful face, his heart turned into a puddle of mud by her words. What did taking first ce matterpared to the girl he liked?


    ¡°Points aren¡¯t important. I¡¯m willing to give you all my points, even if it means that.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes lit up, and then she was deeply moved. ¡°Really?¡±


    Chen Yu nodded firmly. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true.¡±


    Cheng Yi held his hand and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Brother Chen Yu. I really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡¯


    Chen Yu¡¯s cheeks turned red, his heartbeat elerated, and his breathing became warm.


    Cheng Yi looked at her hand and quickly let go. She lowered her head and said shyly, ¡°Oops¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was too excited.¡± Chen Yu shook his head, ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Cheng Yi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next secret room.¡±


    Now she couldn¡¯t wait to meet He Jing.


    With Chen Yu around, she would definitely be able to surpass He Jing.


    She thought, ¡°I wonder what He Jing¡¯s expression will be like at that time¡­¡±


    ¡°The next chamber is Secret Room 07, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As the most important secret room in the big secret room, Secret Room 07 had very rich points. It wasn¡¯t as difficult as 08, 09, and 10, but manyplicated missions required a lot of mental effort. At the same time, it was also rted to the BOSS of the entire secret room.


    When He Jing saw that Secret Room 07 was highlighted in the manual, she knew that this ce would trigger the final battle for the points leaderboard. Perhaps she would encounter Chen Yu and Cheng Yi.


    However, when she really saw Chen Yu and Cheng Yi at the entrance of Secret Room 07, she couldn¡¯t help but feel stifled. Then, she red at Yan Hanxi beside her.


    This troublemaker was the cause of all the wars.


    Cheng Yi also saw He Jing and Yan Hanxi. She didn¡¯t expect that the opportunity to turn the tables and p her face woulde so quickly. With Chen Yu by her side, she no longer felt the shame and inferiorityplex she had before. She confidently went up to greet them, ¡°Student Yan, Student He Jing, what a coincidence.¡±


    Chen Yu frowned and nced at He Jing.


    Was this the He Jing that Cheng Yi had mentioned, who was jealous of her poprity and conspired with others to kick her out of the team?


    She actually looked quite beautiful and she didn¡¯t seem like that kind of person¡­


    However, he still believed Cheng Yi¡¯s words more. After all, one could never know a person¡¯s heart by their appearance. Cheng Yi had been with him for so long, and her kindness was evident. She couldn¡¯t possibly deceive him.


    He Jing also looked at Chen Yu. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes. He wasn¡¯t as handsome as she had imagined. No wonder the real heiress in the original novel wasn¡¯t interested in him no matter what. Compared to the god-like Yan Hanxi and the extraordinarily handsome He Ning, he was indeed a little inferior.


    However, with just one nce, she was certain that this was her formidable opponent.


    Secret Room 07 also had a prerequisite mission, not rewarding any dolls but offering a chance to make an initial guess about the boss who designed all the secret rooms. Whether it was right or wrong didn¡¯t affect the final result. In short, it was a very good opportunity to find out about the Boss.


    Other than the two groups, there were three other groups with a total of ten people participating.


    Cheng Yi said with a smile, ¡°Student He Jing, I¡¯m fourth.¡±


    He Jing had no expression. ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    Seeing that she was calm, Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed. She pretended to be so calm, but who knew how angry she was?


    Thinking of this, Cheng Yi became excited again. ¡°Student He Jing, I¡¯ll strive to surpass you. I hope you won¡¯t mind when the timees.¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡±


    Anyway, things were going ording to the rules of the novel, so she justy t.


    As long as she wasn¡¯t cannon fodder, anything was fine.


    Cheng Yi gritted her teeth and decided to change her position. She turned to Yan Hanxi and said in a soft voice, ¡°Student Yan, I will prove my strength to you.¡±


    Yan Hanxi nced at her and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with me around, you won¡¯t get first ce..¡±

 Chapter 172 - 172: Poker Cards

    Chapter 172: Poker Cards


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After saying that, he said softly to He Jing, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He Jing nced at Cheng Yi¡¯s unwilling expression, found it somewhat amusing, and followed him into the secret room.


    Cheng Yi clenched her fists, and the jealousy and resentment in her eyes surged even more. After a while, she suppressed this malicious intent and turned to Chen Yu with a gentle smile. ¡°Brother Chen Yu, let¡¯s go in too.¡±


    Chen Yu withdrew his gaze that had involuntarily followed He Jing and silently went in with her.


    Secret Room 07 was a themed around futuristic science fiction secret room. There were sophisticated instruments everywhere.


    However, 90% of the instruments were props and couldn¡¯t be moved. Only 10% could be picked up and yed with, but they seemed to serve no purpose.


    The ten people, divided into five teams, came to an empty room. The room waspletely dark, and a beam of light descended from the sky, illuminating a transparent disy cab. The cab was locked, and there was a soft cloth bag inside. On the cloth bag was a small chip about the size of a thumb. It was obvious that this was the focus of their research for this escape.


    ¡°It looks so difficult!¡±


    Some yers couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The entire room gave off a feeling that it wasn¡¯t suitable for those with insufficient intelligence.


    Cheng Yi tugged at Chen Yu¡¯s sleeve, pretended to be nervous, and asked,


    ¡°Brother Chen Yu, can we solve the puzzle smoothly?¡±


    Chen Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it won¡¯t be very difficult. Don¡¯t be afraid with me around.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt relieved and said sweetly, ¡°Then Brother Chen Yu, you can do it!¡±


    Chen Yu immediately walked up to the disy cab and saw that the lock of the disy case was a four-digit smart password lock. It was impossible to try it out with each digit one by one.


    So, they had to figure out a way to crack the password.


    As he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but look at He Jing. He had heard from


    Cheng Yi that He Jing was very capable and had be the leader of the team with her developed intellect. He thought, ¡°Where would she start?¡±


    However, He Jing had no intention of cracking the password. She walked around the room until Yan Hanxi picked up a poker card from the ground. He said gently, ¡°Come and take a look.¡±


    He Jing quickly walked towards Yan Hanxi.


    Yan Hanxi held an Ace of Spades in his hand. It was just like any other poker card, nothing special.


    In addition, there was a pile of poker cards scattered on the ground, inplete disorder.


    Before He Jing could say anything, Cheng Yi eximed with excitement, preemptively saying, ¡°Looks like the password has something to do with these poker cards. We can look for clues on the poker cards.¡±


    The other yers were speechless.


    They thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this nonsense?¡±


    Chen Yu also felt that this statement was a bit redundant. He frowned and ordered, ¡°Xiao Yi, take a shlight and shine it on the ground. See if there are any other poker cards on the ground?¡±


    Cheng Yi quickly did as she was told. The entire floor of the room was covered with poker cards. There were at least a few thousand of them.


    He Jing supported her chin and fell into deep thought. After a while, she looked up and asked, ¡°Do you know how to y poker?¡±


    Yan Hanxi tossed the poker card held between his fingers aside. His thin lips curved slightly and he smiled. ¡°Me? I don¡¯t drink or smoke, nor do I dabble in prostitution, gambling, and drugs. I¡¯m a good youth in all aspects.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to introduce yourself.¡±


    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t a good thing to say that he didn¡¯t know how to gamble at this time.


    Yan Hanxi straightforwardly said, ¡°No.¡±


    He Jing was speechless again. She thought, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s look for other clues.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t enough to rely on poker cards alone.


    Yan Hanxi suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled them closer to each other. He lowered his head and said slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to y poker, but I still understand poker knowledge¡­ Do you want to hear it?¡±

 Chapter 173 - 173: Being Hypocritical Again

    Chapter 173: Being Hypocritical Again


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Yan Hanxi was speechless.


    He thought, ¡°Not cooperating at all.¡±


    He smiled helplessly. ¡°I really lost to you. Let me just say it.¡±


    He Jing raised her eyebrows and gestured for him to hurry up. Yan Hanxi then said, ¡°In the beginning, every country had different poker cards. Italy had 78 cards per deck, Germany had 32 cards per deck, Spain had 40 cards per deck, and France had 52 cards per deck. Later, Westerners standardized the contents of poker ording to the calendar in astronomy, so the international poker set 52 cards, with four suits, from Ace to King. The four suits of poker cards represented the four seasons. The 52 cards represented the 52 weeks in a year. The red joker represented the sun, the ck joker represented the moon, the red card represented the day, and the ck card represented the night. There were 13 cards in the same suit, which meant that each season had 13 weeks. The total points of the 52 cards were 364. Adding the ck joker¡¯s points was


    365, which was equivalent to 365 days in a year. Adding the red joker makes it 366, which was a leap year. There were 12 cards from Ace to King, which meant that there were 12 months in a year. It also represents the twelve constetions in the west¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, there are infinite possibilities for the password of this disy case. It could be any of the poker cards. Without other clues, it would be very difficult to crack it.¡¯


    He Jing frowned when she heard that. She had just walked around the secret room and hadn¡¯t found any usable clues. If things went as expected, the password to the disy cab could only be found on the ying cards.


    Chen Yu heard Yan Hanxi¡¯s words from afar. He mobilized everyone and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s collect these poker cards first and see if there¡¯s any pattern.¡±


    Cheng Yi immediately followed suit and picked up the scattered poker cards on the ground with the other yers.


    However, He Jing remained motionless, lost in thought again.


    Yan Hanxi asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the intentions of the designer of the secret room.¡±


    The secret room was designed for the public, so the requirements for the yer¡¯s skill level shouldn¡¯t be very high. As long as they had the money to buy tickets, it would be fine. If they wanted to clear this secret room, they had to


    know about poker. Was that realistic?


    It seemed highly impractical.


    Secondly, there were so many poker cards on the ground. Even if there were ten of them, it would take them half an hour to sort through each card. There were so many steps in a secret room. Did the designer really think that everyone could tolerate such tedious work?


    The original intention of ying the secret room was to relieve stress.


    At this moment, Cheng Yi, with somewhat naive surprise, eximed, ¡°Hey, Student He Jing, aren¡¯t you going to help?¡±


    Everyone was doing something except for her. No matter how she looked at it, she seemed to be cking off.


    He Jing said, ¡°I don¡¯t think the clues are in the number of poker cards, so I don¡¯t want to collect them.¡±


    Cheng Yi paused for a moment, then put on a very generous attitude and said, ¡°Student He Jing, I know that we¡¯re opponents now. There¡¯s a small gap between our points, which can easily change. However, now is not the time to care about points. If we don¡¯t cooperate, none of us will escape. Student He Jing, the team is more important. We are both opponents but also partners, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    He Jing had long been ustomed to her ambiguous words. She said it in a dignified manner. Wasn¡¯t she just trying to use her of not being willing to make a move and wanting to reap the fruits of their victory for nothing?


    As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, the other yers spoke up in support.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. There are so many poker cards. The sooner we collect them, the sooner we can go out.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the points can¡¯t be obtained by one group. If we work together, each group will get points.¡±


    ¡°He Jing¡­ I think she¡¯s the one with the first ce in points. So that¡¯s how the first ce came about?¡±


    Cheng Yi was pleased to hear this, but she still pretended to be tolerant. ¡°Please don¡¯t say such things about her. Student He Jing and I are ssmates, and she doesn¡¯t usually behave like this.¡± PS: Extra chapter tomorrow

 Chapter 174 - 174: The First Digit of the Passcode

    Chapter 174: The First Digit of the Passcode


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing sneered in her heart. This statement sounded like a defense for her, but they were actually adding fuel to the fire.


    Instantly, the yers¡¯ reactions became even more intense.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t act this way usually, but at crucial times, acts like this. How good at pretending must she be?¡±


    ¡°She looks pretty, but her character is unexpectedly lousy.¡±


    ¡°Thinking that we have to share the clues with herter makes me ufortable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to y anymore. It¡¯s so disgusting.¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile gradually turned cold. He stared at Cheng Yi coldly, which made Cheng Yi¡¯s heart tremble. His scalp went numb as she said, ¡°Yan¡­


    Student Yan, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yan Hanxi felt a tug on his sleeve from the person next to him, and his anger instantly dissipated. He saidzily, ¡°Nothing,¡± and then looked at He Jing.


    He Jing, who was being criticized by everyone, had a cold expression on her face. It was as if all voices were unnecessary noise in her ears, and responding to a word was a waste of her life.


    She handed him a ying card and pointed at the pattern on the back of the card. Yan Hanxi nced at it and suddenly smiled.


    He looked at her with admiration and immediately understood why He Jing could be so calm. Instead of ying with words and tactics, she might as well focus on solving puzzles.


    When the time came, if she was the first to crack the password, wouldn¡¯t it be more effective than a verbal counterattack?


    Look, they had found one of the supporting clues.


    Next, they just needed to find other clues.


    The tense atmosphere between the two of them made Cheng Yi somewhat ufortable. She really wanted to know what kind of riddles they were ying, but her intelligence wasn¡¯t enough to guess.


    Seeing that He Jingpletely ignored them, the other yers ridiculed her for a while but then stopped. After all, their most important task at the moment was to solve the puzzle, not to bicker.


    Hence, they continued to collect poker cards.


    In the dimly lit room, the prop clock on the wall ticked, indicating the passing of time.


    The entire room fell eerily quiet. The yers were categorizing the ying cards ording to their points, a massive task that left no room for conversation. Meanwhile, He Jing and Yan Hanxi were still in the corner of the room, fiddling with something.


    Chen Yu had an inexplicable sense of crisis. His attention was constantly attracted to these two people, but he didn¡¯t quite believe that they could decode the password faster than him.


    He was the top scorer in the college entrance examination. His usual hobbies were reading detective novels, movies, and detective collections. He rarely failed in the escape room.


    Suddenly, Cheng Yi eximed in excitement, ¡°Ah! I found a pattern.¡±


    Chen Yu quickly put down the cards in his hand and went over. He saw Cheng Yi drawing out a red joker from the deck and showing it to him. ¡°The pattern on the back of this card is different from the others.¡¯


    All the cards had blue vines entwining, but this one, right in the center of the vines, had an inconspicuous rose.


    As expected, collecting poker cards to find patterns wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Chen Yu finally understood a bit and smiled, saying, ¡°This is the first digit of the password.¡±


    Cheng Yi was both excited and puzzled. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why?¡±


    Chen Yu exined, ¡°The name of this secret room is ¡®The Advent of Doomsday.¡¯ The story is about General Saul betraying his country and leading the people of others to upy his own. On that day, the roses that represented hope and life in the king¡¯s pce burned overnight. The date is July 3rd, 699 AD, so the first digit of the password is 3..¡±

 Chapter 175 - 175: Why Don’t You Join Us

    Chapter 175: Why Don¡¯t You Join Us


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    There was finally some progress.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s smile widened, and the heavy stone hanging in her heart finally fell to the ground. Chen Yu really didn¡¯t disappoint her. If this continued, the four-digit password would be cracked soon!


    With this thought in mind, she immediately looked at He Jing, maintained a gentle posture, and said with a feigned smile, ¡°Student He Jing, why don¡¯t you join us? We already have a clue about the password.¡±


    When the other yers heard this, they had worked hard to find a clue, so they opposed the idea of sharing information with He Jing. Hence, their voices of objection rose one after another.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell her the password.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let her find the clues herself.¡¯


    ¡°I bet she¡¯s regretting it so much that she hasn¡¯t made any progress yet.¡±


    Chen Yu also followed Cheng Yi¡¯s gaze and cast his gaze to the corner. His nervousness didn¡¯t decrease at all but instead became even stronger.


    There was a click and a slight noise. He Jing handed the thing in her hand to Yan Hanxi and walked out of the darkness. She said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Cheng Yi felt that something was wrong and her expression changed slightly. ¡°What? Have you already figured out the correct password?¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°Not yet, but soon.¡±


    When she said that, all the yers widened their eyes in disbelief.


    They thought, ¡°How could she be making progress without doing anything? No, she must be bragging.¡±


    Chen Yu frowned, not entirely convinced. When Cheng Yi led everyone to collect ying cards, he searched the entire room but found no clues. The only possibility was that the clues were on the ying cards, and Cheng Yi had already identified the different ying cards, which made this matter a publicly acknowledged fact.


    He thought, ¡°How did she have the courage to say such a thing?¡±


    Cheng Yi thought He Jing was stubborn. She couldn¡¯t hide her smugness. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    Then, she looked at Yan Hanxi shyly and timidly. She tugged at the hem of her skirt and said gently, ¡°Student Yan, do you want to join us? There are points to be earned.¡±


    Yan Hanxi gave her a sideways nce. His lips slowly curled up. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, but I¡¯m allergic to people other than He Jing.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face froze as she bit her lip.


    She thought, ¡°What does He Jing have that makes him so devoted?¡±


    She told herself, ¡°Forget it. When I got first ce in the secret room ranking, he would know who was the real outstanding person.¡±


    So, she turned back to Chen Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Then let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Chen Yu reluctantly withdrew his gaze from He Jing and continued to analyze the poker cards.


    Just like that, five minutes passed. When he deciphered the third digit of the password, He Jing suddenly strode over to the transparent disy case and pressed a digit.


    Just as He Jing was about to press the second digit, Cheng Yi stood up from the ground and stopped her excitedly. ¡°Student He Jing, please stop. This password lock can only be entered three times. Please don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s chance so casually!¡±


    He Jing turned a deaf ear and pressed the password directly. There was a long beep, and the transparent disy case made a strange noise as if the switch had been activated.


    Then, the disy case stopped moving and returned to silence.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s panicked heart rxed. Then, she continued to criticize her, ¡°Student He Jing, you¡¯re too much. Even if you think you¡¯ve cracked the password, you should have discussed it with us before pressing it. This is a shared opportunity for everyone¡­¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking-


    ¡°Beep beep.¡±


    ¡°Verificationplete. The password is correct.¡±


    The disy cab suddenly made a sound again!

 Chapter 176 - 176: Given

    Chapter 176: Given


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    She thought, ¡°How¡­ How could this be!¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes widened and she almost screamed!


    Even Chen Yu¡¯s face paled in shock and astonishment.


    He thought, ¡°This! How was this possible?¡±


    He Jing took out the chip inside, nced at it, and handed it to Yan Hanxi.


    She didn¡¯t even spare a nce at the people in the room and was about to leave when Chen Yu came back to his senses and shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±


    He Jing stopped in her tracks and looked back indifferently.


    Chen Yu tried his best to remain calm and asked in aposed tone, ¡°How did you solve it so quickly?¡±


    He Jing remained calm. She nced at the neatly sorted poker cards on the ground and said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the obligation to tell you.¡±


    She had already obtained the points and had a rough guess about the Boss behind the scenes. Everything went smoothly.


    Chen Yu persisted as always, and wouldn¡¯t relent. ¡°I want to know where I went wrong.¡±


    Yan Hanxi fiddled with the chip casually. He smiled and said, ¡°You lost because your partnercks enough intelligence but likes to y tricks.¡±


    Chen Yu turned his head to look at Cheng Yi, who appeared pitiful and oblivious to any issues. He stared coldly at Yan Hanxi and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for losing. Please don¡¯t take the opportunity to humiliate a girl.¡¯ Yan Hanxi chuckled, ¡°She didn¡¯t show any mercy when she humiliated my girl.¡± He Jing red at Yan Hanxi angrily. She thought, ¡°Who was his girl?¡±


    ¡°He Jing isn¡¯t good with words, so you can say whatever you want. But since you insist on asking, I¡¯ll make it clear to you.¡± Yan Hanxi¡¯s faint smile became a little more indifferent. ¡°From the beginning, we didn¡¯t ce the clues on the number of cards because it would be too time-consuming and against the original intention of the secret room to use our brains. Instead, it became more of a physical activity. The knowledge I have about poker is only useful in one aspect, and that is the meaning of the red joker and ck joker.¡±


    ¡°The red joker and ck joker represent the sun and the moon respectively, which matches the twos in the background story. The background story specifically mentions the roses in General Saul¡¯s hometown were in full bloom, where only daylight exists. On the General Saul surrendered to, there are no nts, only nighttime. Therefore, the clue to this disy case belonging to General Saul¡¯s hometown should be sought on the red joker.¡±


    ¡°But in fact, even without knowledge of poker, you can decipher this clue.¡± He Jingyu added calmly, ¡°There are 52 cards in a deck, and the most special ones are the red and ck jokers. To cater to the majority of yers¡¯ experience, the secret room designer wouldn¡¯t make the puzzle too profound. In general, the first digit of the password is given.¡±


    They thought, ¡°Huh?¡±


    They had painstakingly arranged the poker cards for so long, seeking the answers they desperately wanted, and in He Jing¡¯s eyes, it was just given?


    The other yers were dumbfounded.


    If it was given, why did they bother organizing the poker cards for so long?


    At this thought, they suddenly remembered that they seemed to have done it involuntarily when Cheng Yi called them. They didn¡¯t even ask for a specific reason.


    Then, they even joined Cheng Yi in criticizing He Jing for not helping. This¡­


    They thought, ¡°How foolish!¡±


    The more they thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.


    He Jing already had the correct solution, and knew that organizing ying cards was useless, so why should she waste her time with them in doing useless work?


    If Cheng Yi hadn¡¯t led them astray and used He Jing, He Jing might have reminded them!


    When they thought of this, they suddenly realized what kind of maniptive trap they had fallen into!

 Chapter 177 - 177: 3129

    Chapter 177: 3129


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi¡¯splexion looked terrible. She suddenly received everyone¡¯s angry and condemning stares and couldn¡¯t say a word.


    Chen Yu understood. He relied too much on the clues themselves, making it difficult to break free from fixed thinking and unnecessarilyplicated things. On the other hand, He Jing could see through the essence by looking beyond appearances, effortlessly grasping the clues. This was the difference between them!


    There was no need to ask anymore.


    He Jing, being so intelligent, would naturally decrypt the password faster than him.


    However, he couldn¡¯t control himself and continued to ask, ¡°How did you get the second and third digits of the password?¡±


    He Jing nced at Yan Hanxi, who smiled and said, ¡°The second digit is deduced based on the first digit because there is a form in this story. When General Saul left his, the roses hadn¡¯t blossomed yet. When he returned, the roses covered the entire pce. The blooming period of roses is from April to September. So, when General Saul left, indicating the roses hadn¡¯t bloomed, it meant it was before April, which is one of the digits in 123.¡±


    ¡°123 corresponds to Ace, 2, and 3. Unfortunately, I was lucky enough to get one.¡±


    It was the one he had taken the moment he stepped into the secret room.


    Ace of Spades.


    Therefore, the password for the second digit was A.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Chen Yu said dejectedly.


    He also solved the second digit of the password within three minutes.


    ¡°The third digit of the password has another form, which is how long it took General Saul to conquer his homnd. The answer is 2.¡± Yan Hanxi said unhurriedly, ¡°General Saul only took two hours to conquer his original.¡±


    ¡°What about the fourth digit?¡± Chen Yu immediately pursued, ¡°How did you find the clue for the fourth digit?¡±


    Other than the first digit of the password, he had taken a detour. He had solved the second and third digits in the fastest time possible, but he couldn¡¯t find any clues about the fourth digit. How did they find it?


    He Jing said lightly, ¡°The fourth digit has nothing to do with General Saul. Do you still remember the purpose of this preliminary mission we were doing?¡±


    In an instant, Chen Yu¡¯s pupils shrank. He suddenly recalled this matter that he had forgotten.


    They hade to this room to make guesses about the big boss behind the big secret room.


    Since the purpose was clear, this room couldn¡¯t be unrted to the big boss behind the scenes.


    He Jing walked over to Yan Hanxi and took something out of his hand. Upon closer inspection, it was a Rubik¡¯s cube.


    ¡°This was found under a table. It¡¯s the only thing in the room that can be used to solve the puzzle.¡±


    So, they were hiding in that corner fiddling with something because they had been restoring the Rubik¡¯s Cube?


    ¡°The final answer is 9.¡± He Jing said, ¡°Returen all six sides of the Rubik¡¯s Cube to their original positions. All sides of the Rubik¡¯s cube have the number 9.¡±


    Therefore, the correct password for this disy case was 3129.


    Chen Yupletely admitted defeat. He admitted that his thinking was not as agile as He Jing¡¯s, and his knowledge was not as broad as Yan Hanxi¡¯s. He Jing was like a detective who calmly hunted down the murderer, and Yan Hanxi was her best assistant.


    Chen Yu nced at Cheng Yi and suddenly couldn¡¯t help but feel immensely disappointed in Cheng Yi. If Cheng Yi had half the skill of Yan Hanxi or He Jing, he would have had a chance to win.


    Unfortunately, it was useless to say anything now..

 Chapter 178 - 178: It’s Better Not to Contend

    Chapter 178: It¡¯s Better Not to Contend


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Secret Room 07¡¯s mission was sessfullypleted, He Jing walked out of the secret room. She still couldn¡¯t believe that she had actually surpassed Chen Yu and overshadowed Cheng Yi¡¯s protagonist halo.


    All of this was thanks to¡­


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Yan Hanxi. If it weren¡¯t for him, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have gotten the highest score in Secret Room 07.


    As expected of the male lead. Only his protagonist halo couldpete with Cheng Yi¡¯s protagonist halo.


    Yan Hanxi caught this nce. His thin lips curved slightly. His maic voice was like a cello, ¡°How is it? Am I qualified as a partner? I didn¡¯t hold you back, did I?¡±


    He Jing made a vague sound, muttering, ¡°Barely qualified.¡±


    Yan Hanxiughed. His ck eyes sparkled like stars.


    Cheng Yi had escaped from Secret Room 07 less than two minutes after He Jing. When she came out, she witnessed this scene.


    She followed behind Chen Yu, enduring the cold violence that Chen Yu had used to y the entire Secret Room 07 without saying a word to her. She was embarrassed and humiliated.


    She tightened her grip on the hem of her skirt until it was messy and wrinkled.


    She was barely able to bear all this, but as soon as she came out, she saw He Jing and Yan Hanxi sharing a deep, affectionate look, their atmosphere ambiguous and warm, and she almost broke down.


    She thought, ¡°Why? Why did He Jing get Yan Hanxi¡¯s favor? If Yan Hanxi liked me, everything wouldn¡¯t be like this.¡±


    Clearly, she had a premonition that Yan Hanxi would like her. What went wrong?


    Chen Yu said, ¡°I don¡¯t n to y with the rest of the secret chambers, let¡¯s part ways here.¡±


    Cheng Yi was quickly pulled back to her thoughts. When she heard this, her face turned pale again. Tears welled up in her eyes and was about to fall. But Chen Yu, without a shred of sympathy, didn¡¯t even look at her and walked away.


    Cheng Yi felt wronged and desperate. She called out, ¡°Brother Chen Yu.¡±


    Chen Yu stopped and turned around.


    Before Cheng Yi could rejoice, Chen Yu said coldly, ¡°Actually, I thought about it carefully. What you said in the secret room was indeed problematic. He Jing clearly said that she didn¡¯t think collecting poker cards was the key to solving the puzzle, but you deliberately misinterpreted her and led everyone to attack her. I think what you said to me before was also to gain my sympathy and use me as a pawn, so you deliberately fabricated or distorted the facts, right?¡± Cheng Yi anxiously wanted to exin, ¡°No, Brother Chen Yu, I¡­¡±


    Chen Yu interrupted, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that a college entrance exam top scorer like me would be treated like a fool. You¡¯re really capable. I hope we won¡¯t meet again in the future.¡±


    After saying this, he strode away without hesitation. After a while, his figure disappeared.


    Cheng Yi waspletely dumbfounded.


    After a long time, she finally came back to her senses and bit her lip angrily.


    She thought, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just embarrassment after losing? What was so great about it?¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t be interested in a man who couldn¡¯t even defeat He Jing.


    Cheng Yi snorted and couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    Ever since she had fought with He Jing, she hadn¡¯t won a single time. This couldn¡¯t go on, and it was time to change her strategy.


    Cheng Yi stood there for a long time before a hint of a smile appeared.


    The secret roomsted until four o¡¯clock in the afternoon. The sun had already shifted to the west, casting an orange glow.


    When He Jing came out of the secret room, He Ning and the others were already waiting at the entrance. They had actually yed for eight hours.


    As soon as they saw her, He Sui quickly approached and asked with sparkling eyes, ¡°He Jing! How do you feel?¡±

 Chapter 179 - 179: Selling Sister For Glory

    Chapter 179: Selling Sister For Glory


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.


    If nothing unexpected happened, she should be first.


    Just now, the staff asked her for her home address. If the ranking wasn¡¯t surpassed by anyone before 12 0¡¯clock that night, the prize would be sent home, and the winning list would be announced on Weibo.


    He Sui said, ¡°That¡¯s good. We came out at one o¡¯clock. You¡¯ve yed for so long.


    You¡¯ll definitely get first ce.¡±


    He Jing chuckled, ¡°Fourth brother, you have too high of an expectation for me. Be careful not to be disappointed.¡±


    He Sui didn¡¯t believe it at all.


    He thought, ¡°Who was He Jing? He Jing was my super-talented sister. Unrivaled!¡±


    He Jing ignored his skeptical gaze and looked around. ¡°Have the other ssmates left? Did anyone tell you?¡±


    He Ning answered, ¡°Yeah. They were the first toe out. We asked the staff and said that they had gone back. Then, we went to eat something.¡± It had been three hours since they had eaten something at one o¡¯clock¡­


    He Jing asked, ¡°What did you guys eat?¡±


    He Ning suddenly pursed his lips and fell silent. He Zhou said coldly, ¡°Buns.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s heart sank. Her gaze fell on He Xiaoguo, who was listless beside him. She said solemnly, ¡°Then let¡¯s go and eat some more. Is Xiaoguo hungry? Let¡¯s go and eat something delicious.¡±


    He Xiaoguo was about to say that he was hungry when he looked up at He


    Zhou¡¯s expression and shook his head timidly. ¡°Not hungry.¡±


    He Jing directly pulled him over and hugged him. She patted his head and said,


    ¡°Xiaoguo, let¡¯s go eat some snacks, okay?¡±


    He Chen said hesitantly, ¡°Sister He Jing, why don¡¯t we go home and eat?¡±


    He Jing smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sixth Brother. It¡¯s just this once. It won¡¯t cost a lot. We¡¯ve been ying all day. I don¡¯t think anyone has the energy to cook.¡± That might be the case, but there were eight of them now¡­


    Even if each person only ate 10 RMB, it would still cost 80 RMB. This was the family¡¯s expenses for a week.


    At this moment, Yan Hanxi said with a smile, ¡°Brothers, do me a favor ande to my restaurant. It¡¯s nearby. He Jing and I are deskmates and we often help each other. Usually, He Jing helps me more. I don¡¯t know how to thank her.¡±


    They thought, ¡°This¡­¡±


    They hesitated and looked at each other.


    However, He Sui¡¯s handsome face darkened. He grabbed He Jing¡¯s hand and wanted to take her away. He looked like he couldn¡¯t be pulled back by nine bulls. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and eat. I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    Don¡¯t think he doesn¡¯t know what Yan Hanxi was thinking.


    He just wanted to take the opportunity to court his sister!


    He thought, ¡°Dream on!¡±


    He would never let He Jing owe him a favor.


    He Ning also said, ¡°It¡¯s only right for ssmates to help each other. Let¡¯s go back and eat. Thank you for your kindness.¡±


    He Zhou couldn¡¯t stand the way they were protecting He Jing, as if He Jing and


    Yan Hanxi had nothing to do with each other. He put on a fake smile and said, ¡°This student has a good rtionship with He Jing. It¡¯s ungrateful not to ept his kindness. I suggest we listen to him.¡±


    He Sui was furious. Who couldn¡¯t hear the sarcasm in his voice? He said angrily, ¡°He Zhou, that¡¯s enough. Are you going to sell your sister for glory just for a meal?¡±


    He Jing¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Fourth brother, that¡¯s not how you use the idiom ¡®selling sister for glory.¡±¡®


    A cold smile appeared in He Zhou¡¯s eyes. ¡®¡±Selling sister for glory¡¯ isn¡¯t an idiom.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t mind how awkward the situation was. He smiled without changing his expression. ¡°Third brother is right. I suggest we listen to him.¡± At this moment, the others could no longer deny it.


    He Zhou raised his head. If they continued to argue, it would only make them aughingstock.


    He Sui was still furious. He would definitely not eat a single bite of Yan Hanxi¡¯s foodter!


    He Jing silently thanked Yan Hanxi, but Yan Hanxi turned a blind eye and walked away.


    In less than five minutes, they arrived at the restaurant that Yan Hanxi had mentioned. It was an entire building that rose from the ground in a sparsely popted area.


    It was so luxurious that it looked like it was built here for people to admire. Some people would believe that it was a museum, but it was indeed a restaurant. It was very magnificent and there were two weing hostesses at the door.


    He Jing only took a nce and felt a slight headache.


    Looking back, the He family brothers didn¡¯t move at all. They stood there like wooden figures.


    He Xiaoguo grabbed He Jing¡¯s sleeve and blinked his big, watery eyes. His eyes were filled with inferiority and timidity. He said, ¡°Sister, can we eat somewhere else?¡±


    P.S. I can¡¯t be inferior to the pigs in the production team, so I¡¯ll update six chapters tomorrow..

 Chapter 180 - 180: Self-abased

    Chapter 180: Self-abased


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing seemed as if her throat had been strangled by a ghost, surrounded by a silent stillness.


    Children from poor families always had a peculiar kind of self-esteem due to their hardships. Having experienced so much suffering andcking many thingspared to others, their self-esteem was the only precious thing they possessed.


    However, she didn¡¯t want them to be so humble. They would all be influential figures in the future. They were no different from others. No matter how luxurious the restaurant was, it was just a ce to eat.


    However, she didn¡¯t reject him immediately. Instead, she lowered her head and asked softly, ¡°Then where do you want to eat, Xiaoguo?¡±


    He Xiaoguo didn¡¯t even dare to look into He Jing¡¯s eyes. His soft, childish voice was filled with frustration. ¡°We can go back and eat. Mommy said that we can¡¯t enter such ces. If we do, we¡¯ll be chased out. I don¡¯t want to be chased out.¡±


    He Jing felt as if a million needles were silently pricking her heart. She felt a bit suffocated and turned around to see He Ning, He Sui, and the others with their heads lowered. They tried their best to pretend that they didn¡¯t care, yet their eyes were filled with murky emotions.


    If she hadn¡¯t experienced such dire poverty personally, she probably wouldn¡¯t have understood why they reacted like this. But now she knew that the few words in the original novel were the representation of their countless dark days.


    Sess in many years toe wouldn¡¯t change the current time of hardships as small as dust particles. Only they themselves knew how much courage they needed to walk through this harsh winter. ¡°Xiaoguo, no one will chase you away. I¡¯m here¡­¡±


    No need to be so humble anymore.


    Yan Hanxi suddenly lifted He Xiaoguo up and smiled slowly. ¡°Xiaoguo, the steamed glutinous rice cakes here are delicious.¡±


    He Xiaoguo stared at Yan Hanxi in a daze, with a hint of infatuation in his eyes.


    ¡°Do you know that even in such restaurants, the dishes are made from carrots that cost five yuan per catty and cabbages that cost six yuan per catty? Even if it doesn¡¯t look like a ce to eat, it¡¯s still a ce to eat. When you open the menu, if you find it expensive, you can leave at any time.¡± Yan Hanxi said gently, ¡°They won¡¯t dare to neglect you either because theint hotline is written on the wall. You can call them at any time. Shall we go in and take a look?¡±


    He Xiaoguo was so conflicted that he frowned. He turned around to look at He Ning and the others, but there was silence for a long time.


    Yan Hanxi also turned to look at them. His tone was casual and natural. ¡°Brothers, don¡¯t worry. This restaurant was built in the suburbs and wasn¡¯t intended to be profitable. It was specially built for developers whoe here for business. It only provides simple meals. The cost of eating a meal won¡¯t exceed 200 yuan.¡±


    They thought, ¡°Two hundred yuan¡­ Who would believe that?¡±


    He Sui widened his eyes, ¡°Are you trying to trick us into joining the pirate ship? Let me tell you, if you want us to owe you a meal and then want to sign some contract with my sister to make her pay the debt, we won¡¯t agree.¡±


    He Jing, He Ning, He Yi, and He Chen were speechless.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile instantly widened. ¡°What fourth brother said seems to have given me a new idea.¡±


    He Sui didn¡¯t seem to notice anything. He said gruffly, ¡°Anyway, if you have any bad intentions, drop the ideas now.¡±


    He Jing was both embarrassed and awkward. She couldn¡¯t help but step forward to stop him. ¡°Fourth brother, please stop.¡±


    Certainly, some strange page must have popped up on hisputer and contaminated him. Otherwise, why would he say such a thing?


    He Zhou suddenly said disdainfully, ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s just a meal. What¡¯s there to consider? Hurry up and finish our meal, then go home..¡±

 Chapter 181 - 181: Forgetting Someone

    Chapter 181: Forgetting Someone


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    That was true.


    It was just a meal, but it was full ofndmines.


    He Jing used to be a proper youngdy. They could not embarrass her. As to whether they owed her a favor? That could wait until after the meal.


    He Zhou stepped into the restaurant ahead of them. The others looked at each other and followed closely behind. They were led into the restaurant by the manager after a short bow.


    The tense atmosphere finally dissipated, and He Jing felt that the haze in her heart had been swept away.


    She deliberatelygged behind the others and said to Yan Hanxi, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yan Hanxi just smiled and did not say anything. He poked her head with his finger and walked in with He Xiaoguo.


    He Jing stood behind them. She felt that the two seemed to get along well for some reason.


    No, it must be an illusion!


    Yan Hanxi was not He Xiaoguo¡¯s brother.


    The manager was informed when they entered the restaurant and immediately rushed to receive them. The way the manager treated Yan Hanxi was closer to what one would expect from a parent for their child.


    Yan Hanxi found him an eyesore, however, and sent him away. The waiter handed the menu to him, and he passed it to He Jing.


    He Jing followed suit, passing the menu to He Zhou, sitting opposite her.


    He Zhou smiled coldly at her gesture, but he did not refuse it. He took the menu and ordered more than ten dishes without blinking.


    Since Yan Hanxi was so rich, he wouldn¡¯t mind if they ate a little more. Anyway, he liked He Jing, didn¡¯t he?


    As for whether He Jing¡¯s image in Yan Hanxi¡¯s heart would plummet was none of his business.


    He Ning saw through He Zhou¡¯s thoughts at a nce and called him out for it, clear displeasure in his tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, ¡± Yan Hanxi smiled.


    As if fearing he would be outdone, Yan Hanxi called for a waiter again and ordered another ten dishes without batting an eye.


    ¡°I don¡¯t usually get a chance to treat you,¡± he said. ¡°You must try it, I insist. If you like the food here, I¡¯ll have them issue you a gold card. In the future, if you don¡¯t feel like cooking, you can juste here to eat.¡±


    He Jing pinched Yan Hanxi under the table. She red at him, a clear warning in her eyes. If he dared spout more nonsensical ideas, there would be consequences.


    Everyone in the He family was proud. While Yan Hanxi meant well, his actions might be taken as a provocation, as if he were looking down on their financial capability.


    They were all about the same age, yet one soared in the sky while the others crawled on the ground¡­ How could they take the insult lying down?


    Yan Hanxi nced at her helplessly as if to say, ¡®It was your third brother who bullied you first.¡¯


    He Jing¡¯s face turned red, and she fidgeted in her seat.


    Naturally, He Zhou did not take it well. He was so angry that he was close to leaving without eating anything, but He Yi stopped him with a tug of his sleeve.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, where¡¯s Xiao Yi?¡± He Sui asked, somewhat confused. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen her in a while?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically¡­


    Where was Cheng Yi?


    How could they have forgotten about her?


    ¡°You guys should go ahead. I¡¯ll go look for her.¡± He Ning stood up, volunteering almost immediately.


    He Zhouughed coldly. ¡°I thought you knew Xiao Yi had returned and did not mention anything. It turns out youpletely torgot about her. You don¡¯t seem to treat Xiao Yi as our sister anymore.¡±


    He Sui felt like pping himself. He and his big mouth! If he had known something like this would happen, he would have kept his discovery to himself. He was just asking for trouble.


    ¡°I was too excited and got careless,¡± He Ning refuted. ¡°When did Xiao Yi go back?¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s words were like knives to his heart. ¡°She left when you guys started discussing whether He Jing would finish with first ce.¡±


    He Ning massaged the space between his brows, feeling guilty. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll call Xiao Yi and apologize when we get back..¡±

 Chapter 182 - 182: Different

    Chapter 182: Different


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui felt like they were making a mountain out of a molehill. Children of the He family were known for their independence. Even if they got lost, they would ask for directions and find their way home without being shy. Moreover, Cheng Yi was chauffeured in a luxury car with bodyguards constantly escorting her!


    Yan Hanxi disengaged himself from the awkward situation, casually saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Cheng Yi was so young that she couldn¡¯t take care of herself. Student He Jing has always been taking care of herself.¡±


    Everyone at the table was stunned.


    How could this be¡­


    She used to be the daughter of the Cheng family. Didn¡¯t chauffeurs and housekeepers surround her?


    He Jing was speechless because she suddenly remembered that the fake heiress often seemed alone whenever she pursued Yan Hanxi in the original novel. She thought Yan Hanxi had not been paying attention to these things, so it surprised her that he knew so much about her situation.


    ¡°Xiao Yi is also very independent. We don¡¯t usually have to worry about her.¡± He Zhou did not want to ruin Cheng Yi¡¯s image in Yan Hanxi¡¯s mind, so he changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Although that was what he said, the He family brothers knew that Cheng Yi was a little delicate. They helped her with all the other work besides washing her underwear. She had to be picked up and sent to and from school in middle school.


    Of course, they would not say these words aloud, so the matter ended there, and no one mentioned it again.


    However, something else had taken root in their hearts: pity for He Jing.


    They had thought He Jing had gone through life with a silver spoon in her mouth. How much of what they knew about her was true? The person they now knew was one tempered by solitude with no one to rely on. Although she was once known as a rich youngdy, it was only one side of the coin, and they had not noticed her loneliness.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s words hung in the air. No one was in the mood to eat.


    Halfway through, Yan Hanxi asked the chef to exin how he had managed to prepare the food, and the atmosphere improved. He Sui took advantage of everyone¡¯s attention being diverted to stuff two meatballs into his mouth.


    He Jing noticed the tension between He Yi and He Chen. Concerned, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother?¡±


    He Yi refused to even look at He Chen.


    ¡°We had a disagreement in one of the secret rooms. It fine. Things will return to normal in a bit,¡± Chen answered truthfully.


    They were already on bad terms with each other; what was a little more bad blood between them?


    He Jing found it funny and could not help but tease him. ¡°Although Fifth


    Brother and Sixth Brother look alike, you two sure are different.¡±


    He Yi looked up. He Chen felt like a stone had been thrown into the still waters of his heart, causing endless ripples to form across the surface. However, he did not let it show and feigned calm, ¡°Why does Sister He Jing say so?¡±


    ¡°Fifth Brother is calmer. If I had to describe him, he would be a rock. Sixth Brother is more carefree in speech and temperament ¨C almost like the wind that flies upon open skies. He¡¯s also gentler. I would be surprised if either the wind or rock could resonate with each other.¡± He Jing paused before adding, ¡°That¡¯s just what I think; it¡¯s my opinion. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    He Yi and He Chen fell silent and looked at each other upon hearing He Jing¡¯s description of them.


    For some reason, He Yi¡¯s pent-up anger dissipated. He uttered a word of affirmation and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± He Chen touched his face.


    If it was so obvious, why was He Jing the only one who noticed it?


    He Jing nodded. ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious. People would have easily told you apart if it weren¡¯t for how closely you resembled each other. No one would think you were the same person.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not the same person,¡± He Yi said calmly.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He Chen smiled.


    No wonder she prepared different gifts for them. She did not treat the two of them as one individual but as two people, each with distinct identities..

 Chapter 183 - 183: Not Living up to Expectations and Hating It

    Chapter 183: Not Living up to Expectations and Hating It


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was the happiest day of their lives. They had had enough of others evaluating them together, giving them the same gifts, mistaking them for each other¡­ It was never He Yi or He Chen; it was always ¡®them.¡¯


    They had so many male siblings, and more often than not, they were all lumped together. They only had a sense of themselves when they were alone. Ironically, the only way to stand out was to be together.


    It was awful!


    It seemed they were right. He Jing, this new sister of theirs, was special.


    Compared to Cheng Yi, she was much better. Even He Yi had to admit that if it weren¡¯t for knowing Cheng Yi for more than ten years, he would have liked He Jing as much as He Sui seemed to.


    Unfortunately, he was as sentimental as He Zhou, so he struggled to warm up to this new sister.


    He Chen looked at He Jing, his eyes shining slightly.


    After the meal, everyone in the He family was satisfied. They sat at the table and enjoyed the afterglow of the delicious meal.


    He Sui wiped his mouth with a tissue. From secretly eating to brazenly eating to being so confident, he could be said to be the fullest person in the room. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± He Ning said. ¡°We¡¯ll call Xiao Yi when we¡¯re home.¡±


    They left Cheng Yi behind and followed He Jing to enjoy the feast in a luxurious restaurant. They felt bad about it.


    He Jing took out her phone calmly and handed it over. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call her now? Maybe she¡¯s already returned home safely. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions.¡±


    The He brothers were stunned.


    They thought that with He Jing and Cheng Yi¡¯s poor rtionship, she would never do such a thing¡­


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°You can use my phone. We¡¯re ssmates, after all.¡±


    The He brothers were deeply relieved. Yes, no matter what, they were still ssmates. They saw each other almost daily, so it was only right for them to show concern for a fellow schoolmate.


    Only He Ning, who was better attuned to He Jing¡¯s personality, felt warmth in his heart. He knew that He Jing would never lend someone her phone just because they were ssmates. He Jing only did so because she must have genuinely worried about Cheng Yi. He received the phone, sounding a little hoarse, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He Ning immediately dialed the number he had memorized by heart.


    However, Cheng Yi¡¯s impatient voice came from the other end before He Ning could say anything. ¡°Who is it? You¡¯ve got the wrong number. Don¡¯t call me again and disturb my sleep.¡±


    §²§Ñ¨C


    The cold, busy tone continued to echo.


    Cheng Yi had hung up in a hurry.


    He Ning held the phone in his hand, sighing in relief. The sudden flux of his emotions took him a while to calm down. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about; Xiao Yi is fine. She¡¯s already home sleeping,¡± he said, letting his words sink in for the others.


    He Sui rolled his eyes. He felt that he had worried for nothing. ¡°Of course, Xiao


    Yi is fine! She is chauffeured in a luxury car and surrounded by bodyguards.


    Why wouldn¡¯t she be fine?¡±


    ¡°How can you say that? What if¡­?¡± He Zhou growled, furious.


    He Zhou had not thought this would happen. He had thought Cheng Yi would seize the opportunity to act the part of a maiden in distress, winning back the hearts of her heartless brothers. That did not happen.


    However, it was toote to say anything now.


    He Yi saw that He Zhou was on the verge of exploding. He quickly stopped his sibling, saying, ¡°No matter what, we should apologize to Xiao Yi the next time we see her. It¡¯s our fault for losing her.¡±


    He Sui had no way to refute him. He let out a low ¡®ah¡¯ and stopped talking.


    He Zhou thought coldly, ¡®If He Jing got lost, would they still be like this? They would probably be so anxious that they would rush out to find her.¡¯


    There was a huge difference..

 Chapter 184 - 184: The Prize

    Chapter 184: The Prize


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The meal was thest thing on their agenda for the day. It was gettingte, and it was time to go back. The group exited the restaurant.


    They would take a bus home. Before they got on the bus, He Jing held the door and looked at Yan Hanxi, who had his hands in his pocket and a slight smile on his lips. ¡°Thank you for everything. I had a great time today,¡± He Jing said, her sincerity shining through.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°See you tomorrow, Miss Merit Student.¡±


    The two looked ¡®in love¡¯ and ¡®reluctant to part,¡¯ which aroused He Sui¡¯s strong dissatisfaction. He came over and covered He Jing¡¯s face with his palm. He said in a rough voice, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to look anymore. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The door blocked their line of sight.


    He Jing was grateful to Yan Hanxi. He had given her the tickets, chartered the bus, and treated her to a meal. She did not know how to return the favor.


    Forget it¡­


    She would leave that for the future. Meanwhile, she had to think of a way to appease He Sui, who was clearly jealous.


    The next day, the prize for the secret room was delivered to her home early in the morning. It was a brand-new washing machine.


    She opened the huge cardboard box and was greeted by the smell of paper pulp padding the sides of the box, keeping the washing machine safe. It was a beautiful washing machine nobody in the He family had ever seen before. Every inch seemed to glow.


    The He family used to have a washing machine, but it has been scrapped recently. It was only He Yuan who usually used it. It was not a very energy-efficient device, so it used a lot of electricity to function. Everyone else washed their clothes by hand, even in mid-winter.


    The present washing machine was from a well-known brand, and its quality was excellent. The battery-savingbel on it was simply iparable to theirst washing machine.


    This¡­


    This was awesome!


    ¡°What a great washing machine!¡± He Sui¡¯s eyes lit up, and he pounced on the device to get a better look.


    He Ning frowned and reprimanded him without any heat in his words. ¡°Stay away. You¡¯ll break it.¡±


    He Sui reluctantly let go, rubbing his hands together.


    They were all boys and perspired a lot. It was not unusual for their socks to stink and their clothes to smell. No one relished doing housework, least of all theundry.


    He Ning, their resident neat freak, was often left with the dirtyundry, and he would wash all their clothes at once to save time. He never could stand it when his siblings left their dirty clothes everywhere.


    Of course, they reined themselves in after the He family moved. Nowadays, they would put all their dirtyundry, especially their socks, in a proper hamper.


    ¡°No,¡± He Ning said coldly. ¡°You can¡¯t throw your socks in there.¡± They had to consider He Jing.


    She had won this washing machine and should be the first to use it.


    He Sui followed He Ning¡¯s gaze and understood the words left unsaid. His mouth snapped shut, and he stopped talking.


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Brother. You¡¯ll get a chance to wash your clothes too. I¡¯ll keep mine separate from everyone else¡¯s. We still need to buy the detergent. Meanwhile, I shall clean the washing machine before we start using it.¡±


    If that was the case, then there was no problem.


    He Ning looked at He Yi, He Chen, and the others, waiting for their opinions. He Yi said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided,¡± He Sui¡¯s eyes lit up as he tried to finalize the decision.


    Soon, a schedule was drawn up.


    To save water, they could not wash their clothes separately. They would wash their clothes together, while He Jing had a separate load.


    They calcted how much water they would need and realized that using a washing machine was more economical. The washing machine¡¯s capacity was enough to amodate all of them, and this would not change much since the clothes they wore in summer were thin and light.


    With the washing machine, they no longer had to wash clothes themselves or shunt the work to anyone else. They could even save on water that could be used for a nice bath instead.


    He Sui wanted to pick He Jing up and give her a twirl. He sighed from the bottom of his heart.


    He Jing was their lucky star!


    Ever since He Jing had rejoined the family, their quality of life had improved by leaps and bounds.


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Fourth Brother, don¡¯t get too excited. This is only the beginning. ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± He Sui nodded heavily..

 Chapter 185 - 185: Bad Idea

    Chapter 185: Bad Idea


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing smiled. The washing machine was just a small, pleasant surprise. In the future, the He family will have something other families have. If He Yuan¡¯s chip research proved sessful, living in a vi would not be out of the question.


    Thinking of He Yuan, He Jing¡¯s heart softened. How was this Big Brother who had always been kind to her since she became part of the He family? She had to go to school to see him when she had time.


    At this moment, in the Cheng family¡­


    In the magnificent living room, Cheng Yi hugged Ye Shuping. ¡°Mom, I want to learn ballet.¡±


    Ye Shuping was already used to her daughter¡¯s whimsical ideas. Cheng Yi was unlike He Jing, who wished she could learn less. She was like a curious child who wanted to learn everything.


    Ye Shuping was very pleased with Cheng Yi¡¯s attitude. Her daughter was ambitious, so she had to support her. However, Cheng Yue, who was seated in an armchair to the side, reading the newspaper, said, ¡°Xiao Yi, students should focus on their studies. Your grades haven¡¯t improved. You should focus on your studies before anything else.¡± It was clear Cheng Yue disapproved of his daughter¡¯s frivolity.


    ¡°Dad, do you think I don¡¯t have talent?¡±


    Cheng Yi seemed unable to ept her father¡¯s cold words, and she appeared aggrieved and pitiful.


    Cheng Yue coughed into his papers. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything like that.¡±


    The art of ballet was not as easy as most people believed. It took a lot of effort and discipline to learn. If Cheng Yi wanted to do well, she would need to dedicate considerable time and energy if she hoped to do well. He was only looking out for his daughter.


    Ye Shuping angrily scolded loudly, ¡°Cheng Yue, why are you so harsh on your daughter? You¡¯re constantly disagreeing with everything Xiao Yi wants to do. When He Jing was around, you always agreed to whatever request she made; why do you treat Xiao Yi differently byparison? Xiao Yi is your daughter, not He Jing!¡±


    Cheng Yue¡¯s face turned red, not from shame but from anger.


    How was he being harsh?


    He was doing this for Cheng Yi¡¯s good.


    After all, Cheng Yi was not like He Jing, who was quick-witted and capable.


    The physics teacher he had just hired for her taught her physics for a few days and told him that Cheng Yi¡¯s aptitude was not good. If not for his status and the increase in lesson fees, the teacher would have given up on her as a lost cause a long time ago.


    Ballet¡­ That wasn¡¯t easy!


    Faced with his daughter¡¯s pitiful appearance and his wife¡¯s unreasonable demands, Cheng Yue tossed his paper aside and stood up to leave.


    Cheng Yi sensed the situation rapidly deteriorating and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad. I was insensible. I shouldn¡¯t have made such an unreasonable request. I don¡¯t want to learn anymore. I shall try my best to be as outstanding as Sister He Jing.¡±


    Cheng Yue stopped and studied his daughter¡¯s red-rimmed eyes, his heart melting and anger dissipating. Gently, he said, ¡°Xiao Yi, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to learn new things. I¡¯m just worried because you have an exam in a few days. I don¡¯t want you to be upset because you don¡¯t do well. I¡¯ll find you the best ballet teacher money can find once you¡¯re in university; how about that?¡±


    Cheng Yi had no choice but to nod obediently. She seemed to be moved and choked up slightly. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Dad.¡±


    Cheng Yi did not like how events had unfolded.


    She had heard from a servant that He Jing was not good at ballet, so she wanted to try it. Her original n was to get He Jing toe with her and watch her make a fool out of herself. It would also show Cheng Yue that He Jing was not as good as he believed she was. Unfortunately, her n had failed before it could even be put into motion.


    At this point, she could only step back and implement n B. When Cheng Yue patted her head, she looked up, training her doe-like eyes at her father. ¡°Dad, Sister He Jing has been with the He family for so long. Should we invite her home to stay for a few days? You¡¯re always worried about Sister He Jing, wondering if she¡¯s getting enough to eat and warm clothes. Sister He Jing must miss you very much..¡±

 Chapter 186 - 186: Persuasion

    Chapter 186: Persuasion


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yue never expected his daughter to be so considerate and kind. He was extremely surprised. His eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up. He was excited and asked carefully and impatiently, ¡°Are you really willing?¡±


    Cheng Yi smiled sweetly. ¡°Of course.¡±


    She had already thought it through. Instead of letting He Jing stay in the He family to conquer He Ning and He Sui, bringing her under her nose was better.


    In any case, with Ye Shuping around, He Jing wouldn¡¯t have a good time, and she could also please Cheng Yue.


    To ensure aplete victory, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal to let He Jing continue to live a wealthy life for a few days. She wanted to see if He Jing could still stay in the Cheng family without her identity as a daughter.


    Cheng Yue couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He quickly called the butler over and asked him to contact He Jing.


    Ye Shuping was extremely displeased upon hearing this.


    She was about to cry from the stupidity of her innocent daughter.


    No one could lure a wolf into the house like this.


    She said without thinking, ¡°No. I don¡¯t agree. He Jing is no longer a member of the Cheng family. She can¡¯t stay in the Cheng family.¡±


    Cheng Yue looked at his beloved wife and felt a headacheing on. He said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s not Jingjing¡¯s fault that she was carried away wrongly. After all, we¡¯ve been in a rtionship for more than ten years. Can¡¯t you be more forgiving?


    Ye Shuping was furious. ¡°Forgive? Cheng Yue, I¡¯m telling you, I won¡¯t be forgiving! How have we treated He Jing all these years? We¡¯ve provided her with good food, drinks, and clothes. How has the He family treated Xiao Yi? They made Xiao Yi drop out of school to support her brothers. Let me tell you, this matter will never be solved.¡±


    Cheng Yue said helplessly, ¡°But Jingjing is innocent.¡±


    Ye Shuping was hysterical. She didn¡¯t listen to him at all. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s innocent or not. She has to pay back what she owes the Cheng family!¡±


    As the argument escted, Cheng Yi quickly stopped them. ¡°Dad, Mom, you¡¯ve misunderstood. The He family has been very good to me. They made me drop out of school because of my poor academic performance and I was ranked at the bottom among my brothers. Moreover, the He family can¡¯t afford my tuition fees anymore. They said that as long as my eldest brother graduates and earns money, they will continue to support my education¡­¡±


    Ye Shuping thought that Cheng Yi was putting in a good word for the He family. She grabbed her hand. ¡°Xiao Yi, I know you¡¯re kind. You don¡¯t have to find an excuse to exonerate the He family.¡±


    Cheng Yi insisted, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    Ye Shuping still didn¡¯t believe it. She had seen too many people who favored boys over girls. Each one was more ridiculous than thest. If what she said was true, why didn¡¯t the youngest drop out of school? What was the big deal about being two yearste in primary school?


    Little did she know that even He Xiaoguo had always been ranked first in the ss. He was often showered with praises and awards.


    Cheng Yi was the only one in the family. She had failed a few exams. Despite attempting an arts-focused education path, her grades were still insufficient for university admission.


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t want to reveal her true academic struggles. She hugged Ye


    Shuping¡¯s arm pitifully and shook it. ¡°Mom, please.¡±


    Despite being a usually dominant figure, Ye Shuping found it difficult to resist the united front of her husband and daughter. With a determined heart, she pushed Cheng Yi¡¯s hand away and eximed in frustration, ¡°Alright then. But if


    He Jing bullies you, don¡¯te crying to me.¡±


    Cheng Yi smiled, ¡°No, Mom, it won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Cheng Yue felt relieved.


    The matter was settled. Cheng Yue instructed the butler to visit the He family in person to buy more gifts and speak politely¡­


    He Jing had a bad temper. She must still be angry after being kicked out of the Cheng family by Ye Shuping. She had to be coaxed..

 Chapter 187 - 187: Pearl Hairpin

    Chapter 187: Pearl Hairpin


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    With the washing machine, the He family¡¯s life suddenly became more convenient than ever. The He siblings could finally squeeze out some time to do things they wanted.


    Even He Zhou only snorted coldly and didn¡¯t say anything. He acknowledged He Jing¡¯s credit.


    He Jing nned to send some snacks to He Yuan, afraid that he might neglect himself while engrossed in his research. She originally didn¡¯t want He Sui to know about this, but she didn¡¯t expect He Sui to catch a glimpse of her when she ced the order.


    After getting on the bus, He Sui made a fuss all the way, annoying He Jing to the point where her head was spinning. She repeatedly stated that He Yuan had low blood sugar and was prone to problems if he was hungry. He Sui didn¡¯t care and kept nagging that He Jing must prepare a portion for him next time, making He Jing feel very helpless.


    After a while, He Sui suddenly took something out of his bag like a thief.


    It was a small cardboard box, adorned with a paper-folded heart that


    resembled a creation from a kindergarten child.


    He stuffed the small box into her hand. He was afraid that He Ning, who was listening to music with his headphones on, would hear him. He whispered, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    He Jing opened it and saw a pearl hairpin inside. It was the kind that cost two yuan in a five-yuan store. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you giving me


    She wasn¡¯t someone who usually wore hairpins.


    He Sui said softly, ¡°Last time when I lost Xiao Yi, I prepared one for her. I¡¯m going to bring it to school this afternoon to coax her. But don¡¯t worry, Xiao Yi¡¯s isn¡¯t as pretty as yours.¡±


    After saying that, he was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t believe him, so he took out the hairpin from the other paper box and showed it to her.


    Alright, if the one in her hand was worth two yuan, then the one for Cheng Yi was worth at most one yuan.


    The pearls were chipped. She didn¡¯t know where he had gotten them from.


    He Jing didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Fourth brother, aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll be even angrier if she finds out?¡±


    He Sui shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t care about her. Let¡¯s wait until she finds out.¡± At most, he wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    Anyway, he couldn¡¯t lose He Jing. He Jing had to have what Cheng Yi had.


    He Ning sensed some activity, took off his headphones, and turned to look at the two. He frowned slightly, watching them, and asked, ¡± What are you two doing?¡±


    He Sui immediately straightened his body and coughed. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He Ning noticed He Jing holding the pearl hairpin in her hand which she hadn¡¯t managed to hide yet. He nced at He Sui. ¡°You took something from my drawer again.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    Good heavens, so he was offering a borrowed flower to Buddha.


    He Sui wasn¡¯t the least bit remorseful even though he was caught. Instead, he defended himself confidently, ¡°We¡¯re a family. What¡¯s wrong with sharing things? You gave Xiao Yi so many things. What¡¯s wrong with giving He Jing


    He Ning suddenly fell silent. He had indeed nned to give this to Cheng Yi, but he looked at He Jing¡¯s head. There wasn¡¯t a single essory on it. After three seconds of silence, he said, ¡°Wear it. Fourth brother meant well.


    They might have felt a little indebted to Cheng Yi, but He Jing was their biological sister, so she deserved more.


    He Jing immediately put on the pearl hairpin and smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you, Second Brother.¡±


    He Sui was displeased. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you thank me? I gave it to you.¡±


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡¯


    He Sui felt much better. He stared at the hairpin on He Jing¡¯s head, which was pleasing to the eye. A lovely girl should be adorned with beautiful things. An empty look just wouldn¡¯t do.


    However, He Jing looked at He Ning. He had been unhappy ever since he came back from the secret room. Though his expression remained aloof, there was a hint of indiscernible mncholy in his eyes, as if he had experienced a heartbreak.


    He Jing could think of a connection. In the original novel, He Ning harbored deep feelings for Cheng Yi. He must have felt terrible when he learned that Cheng Yi liked Yan Hanxi.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help him for the time being. He could only rely on himself to walk out of the pain of his breakup. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn¡¯t want to expose this secret and make him even more embarrassed..

 Chapter 188 - 188: Two Choices

    Chapter 188: Two Choices


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The bus soon arrived at the station. The three of them got off one after another and went their separate ways.


    He Jing had just entered Yin High School when she heard the news about herself. Before she could figure out the situation, she received sympathy from all sides.


    Shen Qiuyu walked towards her in a hurry. Her eyes kept wandering around. When she identally caught sight of her, she immediately pounced on her as if she had seen a life-saving straw. She was sweating profusely as she said, ¡°Sister Jing, I was looking for you.¡±


    He Jing looked puzzled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu said, ¡°Xu Bi, that little b*tch, wants to target you.¡±


    He Jing took a moment to recall who Xu Bi was. After a while, she remembered that Xu Bi was the senior who had previouslypeted for the school belle.


    ¡°Why is she targeting me?¡±


    It had only been a weekend, and everything was fine¡­


    Shen Qiuyu became even more anxious. ¡°Oh, Sister Jing, have you forgotten that Xu Bi likes Brother Xi? She campaigned for the school belle because she wanted to shoot a school promotional MV with Brother Xi. This morning, the Yin High School¡¯s photography team came to the school. They n to start filming this week. How can she not be jealous?¡±


    ¡°Also, we yed in the secret room with Brother Xi this weekend. I don¡¯t know how she got a picture of us.¡±


    In addition to the fact that Xu Bi hadn¡¯t been selected for the school belle election, and now He Jing seemed to have inadvertently gained a significant advantage. She would be settling old and new scores together.


    Now, the entire school was buzzing with the news. Xu Bi had dered that today she would make sure He Jing couldn¡¯t hold her ground.


    He Jing was speechless and helpless.


    It was because of Yan Hanxi again!


    Yan Hanxi indeed had a captivating charm. He was capable of inciting conflicts every now and then. No one was spared under his male protagonist halo.


    The pitiful her didn¡¯t have the life of the female protagonist, but she took the me of the female protagonist and trouble kept pestering her.


    ¡°Did she say what she wanted to do?¡±


    ¡°How could she say that?¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to worry now.¡±


    If this wasn¡¯t a cause for concern, what would be?


    He Jing said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ll deal with whateveres our way.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu was genuinely impressed. Only He Jing dared to be so rxed and calm, calmly facing everything that was about to happen. If it were anyone else, they would have jumped up and argued with Xu Bi.


    Sure, as expected of the woman she fancied.


    Shen Qiuyu also calmed down. She held He Jing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sister Jing, your rtionship with Brother Xi has developed so much. You¡¯re about to shoot the MV. Are you mentally prepared?¡± He Jing was expressionless. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    She thought, ¡°The hell.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu was delighted, ¡°Did you finally win Brother Xi over?¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°No, I just want to smash his head.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu thought, ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Shen Qiuyu pondered for a moment. It seemed like He Jing didn¡¯t have much affection for Yan Hanxi, and Yan Hanxi was known for being quite particr. Would they end up arguing during the MV shoot?


    But before she could dwell on it further, He Jing had already walked forward.


    She had no choice but to quickly follow her and enter the ss with He Jing. She saw that most of the people in the ss had arrived and were discussing this matter.


    Ever since He Jing became the school belle, she was about to be the ss¡¯s favorite. Seeing that she was about to be angered, everyone was very angry.


    They thought, ¡°Who did those senior girls think they were? What right did they have to bully others?


    He Jing faced the numerous gazes directed at her, she smiled lightly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    Wu Yu shouted, ¡°I believe in Sister Jing!¡±


    Anyway, with Yan Hanxi around, nothing too outrageous would happen in school. He Jing was so outstanding that she would be able to face it calmly.


    At this moment, they suddenly heard a student from another ss stretching his neck in from outside the ssroom. He said, ¡°Student He Jing, Teacher Zhang is looking for you.¡±


    Teacher Zhang was the form teacher of Senior Two, ss Three.


    He Jing thought to herself, ¡°Here ites.¡± Sheposed herself and walked out. Just as she left the ssroom, she bumped into azy and elegant young man in the morning light..

 Chapter 189 - 189: Accepting The Order In A Critical Situation

    Chapter 189: epting The Order In A Critical Situation


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The young man had a pair of long legs that were particrly eye-catching. He wore a school uniform that looked like it was high-end. There was a faint smile on his face, and he seemed to be in a good mood.


    Especially after seeing a certain someone, that smile deepened.


    ¡°Good morning, Merit Student.¡±


    He Jing ignored him and walked past him.


    Yan Hanxi quickly grabbed her wrist. ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°To the teaching building.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He Jing pushed his fingers away and left in a hurry.


    Yan Hanxi, who thought that their rtionship had improved, was speechless.


    He Jing arrived at the ss teacher¡¯s office. The ss teacher had been waiting there for a long time. He was very excited to see her. He Jing asked directly,


    ¡°Teacher, you were looking for me?¡±


    The ss teacher said, ¡°Student He Jing, I have an important task for you. You¡¯ll be giving the speech for the g-raising ceremony this morning as the student representative.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Usually, these things were pre-arranged.


    Moreover, the school leaders seemed to be conducting an inspection today.


    The official notice on the school forum had been released as early asst Thursday. It also asked the students to pay attention to their appearance and to present themselves in high spirits on Monday.


    ¡°The originally nned student representative is not feeling well and can¡¯t go on stage. After a serious discussion, the academic affairs team unanimously agreed that you are the most suitable.¡±


    He Jing was expressionless. She felt that something was wrong.


    Then, the ss teacher said, ¡°Also, other than the school leaders, the city leaders are bringing foreign education experts for a visit today. Therefore, the higher-ups hope that the student representative this morning will give an off-script speech in English. Student He Jing, you are the number one student in the school and the pride of the entire Yin High School. Other than you, no one else can shoulder this heavy responsibility.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, ¡°Giving an impromptu speech in English in front of foreign education experts? Did the academic affairs team consider her some kind of deity?¡±


    ¡°Student He Jing, I know that this request puts you in a difficult position, but other than you, the teachers can¡¯t think of anyone else. You can keep it short, even if you can¡¯t speak well, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡±


    He Jing took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it just an impromptu speech in English? She had passed CET-6 before she transmigrated, so her ability shouldn¡¯t be wasted.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the office door. A young and clear voicezily came from outside. ¡°Teacher, you said that other than Student He Jing no one else can shoulder this heavy responsibility. Have you forgotten about me?¡± The ss teacher and He Jing turned their heads to look.


    They saw the young man leaning against the office door frame with his school bag slung over his shoulder, his long slender legs crossed, disying a leisurely and carefree posture.


    He smiled, azy and elegant smile that resembled a rich yboy.


    The ss teacher was stunned for a moment before he was overjoyed. ¡°Yan


    Hanxi, are you willing to give a speech on be of half Student He Jing?¡± Yan Hanxi looked at He Jing and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The ss teacher was so touched that he was about to cry. Although He Jing was the new top student in the school and had the experience of giving speeches in Chinese as a student representative, she wasn¡¯t sure about her English proficiency.


    However, Yan Hanxi had actually won an English speechpetition trophy. English was like his second mother tongue. Not only was he fluent, but his refined London ent was delightful. If it weren¡¯t for his special status, the academic affairs team would have probably considered him the first choice.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Hanxi was willing to step forward.


    Too touching!

 Chapter 190 - 190: You’re Really a Scourge

    Chapter 190: You¡¯re Really a Scourge


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He didn¡¯t even care about He Jing¡¯s feelings. He turned to He Jing and said, ¡°Student He Jing, since Student Yan Hanxi is willing to rece you, let him give the speech this time.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Teacher, I can do it.¡±


    The ss teacher looked hesitant ¡°Student He Jing, don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    He Jing stared earnestly at the ss teacher and said, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m not forcing myself.¡±


    She really wasn¡¯t forcing herself.


    Just a moment ago, someone had aroused her desire to win.


    Why should she be reced the moment he appeared?


    She didn¡¯t want to give in to his favor.


    The ss teacher didn¡¯t expect He Jing to be so persistent. He suddenly felt that things were getting tricky. He was the one who called He Jing over first. It was indeed inappropriate to rece He Jing as soon as He Jing agreed, but this speech was really important. If Yan Hanxi went up on stage, there would definitely be no problems.


    He looked at He Jing and then at Yan Hanxi, obviously wavering between the two.


    In the end, he gritted his teeth and decided to keep his promise and let He Jing go.


    Anyway, this was the unanimous decision of the academic affairs team. If anything happened, it would have nothing to do with him¡­


    ¡°Yan Hanxi, I have already promised Student He Jing. Let¡¯s give this opportunity to He Jing.¡±


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t mind. He casually called out to He


    Jing with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    There were only five minutes left before the g-raising ceremony. There was no need to stay any longer.


    He Jing said to the ss teacher, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    After that, she left with Yan Hanxi.


    The two of them walked side by side in the corridor. He Jing nced at Yan Hanxi¡¯s school bag. ¡°You didn¡¯t even go back to the ssroom. Why did you follow me?¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled unhurriedly. ¡°I heard that someone came to take responsibility for the troubles caused by me. So I came to take over the responsibility. Is there a problem?¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°No.¡±


    After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help but say with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°You¡¯re really a scourge.¡±


    The original student representative was in the same ss as Xu Bi. Other than being instigated by Xu Bi, she really couldn¡¯t think of any illness that could happen just ten minutes before the g raising.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile turned cold for some reason. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this matter properly.¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You¡¯re really well-informed. You should thank him. If the sudden illness happened one minute before the g-raising ceremony, I might have been called up on the spot. I¡¯m afraid I would have to cooperate with Senior Xu Bit s intentions.¡±


    Yan Hanxi narrowed his eyes and suddenly lowered his voice.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since someone has done such a thing under my nose.¡±


    He Jing sensed a hint of danger in his words. She frowned and reminded him, ¡°You¡¯d better not abuse your power andmit violent acts against your schoolmates. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already experienced the feeling of being detained.¡±


    ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s thin lips curled up. ¡°I¡¯m not listening. You¡¯re just concerned about me.¡±


    With the current crisis, He Jing had no mood for idle chatter. The broadcast and the bell rang at the same time. It was time to gather at the field.


    On the way there, she still had to draft a draft in her mind.


    However, not long after she left the office, she received the baptism of gazes from all grades and sses. Many peeked their heads out from upstairs to catch a glimpse, showing some curiosity about themotion.


    He Jing didn¡¯t like such a scene.


    No matter where she went, she heard gossip.


    ¡°10 minutes of off-script English speech. What a guy.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s not that easy to be the top student in the school. If she makes a fool of herself this time, she won¡¯t just be famous at Yin High School. She¡¯ll be famous in the nearby schools as well.¡±


    ¡°Senior Xu Bi is really ruthless. She¡¯s putting He Jing in a difficult position. But it¡¯s understandable. She¡¯s so close to Brother Xi. Brother Xi belongs to everyone.¡±

 Chapter 191 - 191: Flag-raising Ceremony

    Chapter 191: g-raising Ceremony


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Of course, there were some faintly dissenting voices. ¡°They say that Brother Xi is a big shot for everyone. Brother Xi is clearly annoyed by every girl except our Sister Jing. You guys are freely fabricating stories behind our backs. Do you really think that our He Jing fan club is open for nothing?¡±


    However, these voices were soon suppressed by an even fiercer mor. ¡°If you have the time toe here and mess with us, why don¡¯t you form a group and write an English speech for your Sister Jing? If each of you contributes a sentence, you might be able toe up with an English speech in five minutes.¡±


    As the words fell,ughter echoed through the teaching building.


    Usually, many people admired He Jing, but many people hated He Jing as well.


    Only mediocre people escaped hatred. He Jing, who was no longer considered a noble, was still in this noble school and naturally attracted criticism.


    Many people were happy to see such a thing happen.


    The students went downstairs one after another, like locusts rushing in the direction of the field, afraid to miss a big show.


    He Jing walked in the crowd and was caught up by the students of Senior Two


    ss Three. ¡°Sister Jing, is it true that the teacher asked you to deliver an English speech during the g-raising ceremony? I heard a lot of people saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, then what should we do?¡±


    When the notice was sent, the senior three student representative had already submitted the English script for the teacher to review. He even went back to practice his pronunciation for two days.


    He Jing only received the notice ten minutes before the g-raising ceremony. Wasn¡¯t this fatal¡­


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, you have to,¡± He Jing said. ¡°Since it¡¯s already happened, then let¡¯s face it.


    ¡°Sister Jing!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t an ordinary asion. Thousands of teachers and students were watching.


    If anything went wrong, her wless image would be ruined.


    He Jing reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    At this moment, there was a burst of exaggeratedughter ahead. A group of people, varying in height and size, both male and female, walked in front of them. They were all seniors in the third year.


    They said, ¡°Xu Bi¡¯s move is really impressive. I guess He Jing must have found a ce to cry. Being the school¡¯s top student isn¡¯t a big deal. She¡¯s just a fake heiress.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Brother Xi will stand up for her? I heard that Brother Xi likes her.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t like her after today, right?¡±


    They werepletely unaware that He Jing was right behind them, and they were talking happily.


    Students of Senior Two ss Three were furious. ¡°They¡¯re going too far.¡±


    Shen Qiuyu wanted to rush up and argue with them, but He Jing grabbed her arm and stopped her. Then, another voice came from the crowd.


    ¡°He Jing is quite capable. She scored full marks in thest monthly English test.


    I think Senior Xu Bi might have shot herself in the foot.¡± ¡°Brother Xi will definitely be angry if he finds out.¡±


    ¡°Do you think He Jing can perform well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so either.¡±


    ¡°Agree a million times.¡±


    Even if He Jing was the top student in the school, it didn¡¯t mean that she could do well at all times.


    For example, this impromptu English speech was quite challenging.


    When Shen Qiuyu heard these words, she immediately spat in his heart.


    ¡°Pah! A bunch of trash! Always jealous of others. He Jing was omnipotent. She could definitely do it. Definitely!¡±


    Even so, Shen Qiuyu couldn¡¯t suppress the fear in her heart. She silently prayed to the heavens that He Jing would definitely seed.


    The g-raising ceremony was about to begin. Music was yed on the field. In the blink of an eye, it was the national anthem. Everyone waited solemnly.


    The g-raiser marches up to the g-raising stage in an orderly manner. The process was impable. Then, the political and educational director spoke smoothly. It was obvious that he had memorized the script. The school leaders, city leaders, and foreign education experts had already arrived quietly.


    They stood at the back of the teacher-student line. Although they weren¡¯t very eye-catching, they were still noticed by the sharp-eyed students..

 Chapter 192 - 192: Off-script English Speech

    Chapter 192: Off-script English Speech


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Wu Yu had been watching from the moment the g was raised. He had hoped that something would happen to the leaders and foreign education experts and that the student representative¡¯s speech this morning would be skipped.


    However, he was greatly disappointed.


    He kept ncing at He Jing, and the more he looked, the more worried he became. However, He Jing¡¯s face remained calm andposed.


    It was not until the political and educational director said, ¡°Next, our school¡¯s outstanding student, Student He Jing wille up to deliver a speech.¡±


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, He Jing stepped out of the group, and the atmosphere became strange.


    The political and educational director was afraid that He Jing wouldn¡¯t dare toe up. He took the microphone and said, ¡°Let us wee Student He Jing and give her a round of apuse to encourage her.¡±


    The apuse on the field was thunderous, but the more enthusiastic it was, the more there was a sense of mockery in it.


    He Jing calmly took the stage and took the microphone from the director. The director heaved a sigh of relief and retreated at the right time. He Jing held the microphone and swept it across the crowd below, without uttering a word for a minute.


    The people below had already started to stir. Some were anxious, some were gloating, and some hoped that this damn g-raising ceremony would end soon¡­


    However, most of them couldn¡¯t cover the voices of the people standing around Xu Bi.


    ¡°He Jing is done for. She can¡¯t say anything. If this continues, the teacher will have to step in.¡±


    ¡°I saw Brother Xi just now. Brother Xi was watching from below.¡±


    ¡°As long as this speech doesn¡¯t seed, even if He Jing damages our school¡¯s image in front of foreign experts, the higher-ups will definitely rece the female host of the promotional MV. At that time, it will be Senior Xu Bi who takes the stage.¡±


    What he said was true. Other than He Jing, who else could be better looking than Xu Bi? They couldn¡¯t just find two ugly people to act in the promotional MV.


    Cheng Yi stood below the stage and looked at everything on the stage in amusement.


    She didn¡¯t expect He Jing to have such a day.


    Another 30 seconds passed, and He Jing still hadn¡¯t spoken. When the director, who was waiting below the stage, saw this situation, he panicked. He quickly went on stage and wanted to urge He Jing to say a few words in the name of testing the microphone.


    With so many people watching, it wouldn¡¯t do if she remained silent. The school leader¡¯s expression was already very ugly¡­


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that just as he stepped onto the steps, the person on the stage suddenly spoke. The crisp and cold female voice spread through the microphone, clear and bright, reaching everyone¡¯s ears.


    It was a very fluent and pleasant English. Her pronunciation was like a native


    European, yet retained the charm of an Asian girl. Every syble sounded like a radio broadcast ying on afortable afternoon, refreshing the heart.


    ¡°Good morning students and teachers, In the minute I was silent just now, I wonder what qualifications I have to stand on this stage.¡±


    ¡°In this talented Yin High School, there are many powerful seniors and sisters who are better than me, But I think, what is more important than study is excellent character. It is an honor for me to stand here and express my feelings.¡±


    Her tone was so steady and her voice was so distant, as if she was in an unimportant meeting.


    Everyone fell into a state of fantasy and disbelief as they looked at the youngdy who was shining brightly on the stage. All of them were stunned and all of them were in awe.


    It turned out that the top student was really omnipotent!


    Many people who wanted to see He Jing make a fool of herself now felt as if they had been pped in the face. They wished they could find a ce to bury themselves..

 Chapter 193 - 193: Public Criticizing

    Chapter 193: Public Criticizing


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    They actually thought that He Jing had been put in a difficult position. They were too naive!


    In the future, even if someone said that He Jing had an extra organ, they would believe it without a doubt. Even if someone said that she had transmigrated from the future, they would only say, ¡°Wow.¡±


    Meanwhile, the smiles of the Year Three students who had surrounded Xu Bi and mocked He Jing had all frozen on their faces. One of them was the first to react. ¡°Senior Xu Bi, it seems like He Jing is subtly criticizing you.¡±


    Xu Bi thought, ¡°What did she mean by character was more important than studies? She was honored to be standing on stage? Doesn¡¯t that imply that those who didn¡¯t get on the stage have character issues?¡±


    Then, she listened to the second half of her sentence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many learning methods. It can only be said that hard work is the only shortcut. People with bad minds will eventually fall behind others.¡± She clearly emphasized the word ¡®bad minds¡¯ without batting an eyelid.


    There was no doubt that He Jing was openly insulting them!


    Xu Bi, who was wearing a miniskirt, threw the half-sucked lollipop on the ground in anger.


    ¡°This He Jing!¡±


    ¡°Senior Xu Bi, calm down. We¡¯ll settle the score with herter!¡±


    As He Jing¡¯s long speech was full of cadence, time ticked by. As the required ten minutes for the speech quietly psed, thunderous apuse erupted from the audience.


    The foreign education expert stood in thest row and spoke in a clumsy Chinese ent, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be such an outstanding student in your school. Her English is very good. It¡¯s just like us¡­¡±


    The school leader who was apanying him felt his face glowing with pride.


    He felt refreshed like a spring breeze. He said humbly and politely, ¡°Mr. Williams, you must be joking. This is just an ordinary student of our Yin High School¡­¡±


    The foreign education expert immediately gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Your students are impressive.¡±


    The school leader extended his hand and said, ¡°Mr. Williams, let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡±


    The vice-principal followed behind the two of them. He was keen-sighted and promptly suggested increasing schrships. He Jing was such an outstanding student. He definitely couldn¡¯t let her drop out of school because of poverty.


    When the g-raising ceremony ended and the broadcast music started, all the students awakened from their dreams and realized what an outstanding speech they had heard.


    If someone recorded this and posted it online, it would surely go viral.


    Shen Qiuyu rushed onto the stage and hugged He Jing¡¯s arm. ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re awesome!¡±


    He Jing smiled faintly. ¡°Really?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice. Without much thought, she said, ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re so bold. You actually openly mocked Xu Bi on stage. Those of us in Senior Two ss Three who understood it allughed. I bet Xu Bi didn¡¯t even understand.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a bright sneer sounded from the side. ¡°Heh, looks like someone thinks I, Xu Bi, am retarded?!¡±


    Turning around, she saw Xu Bi leading a group of supporters over. Her beautiful eyes were extremely cold, and there was a vicious aura surrounding her brows. This posture clearly showed that she wanted to settle scores, and it was the kind that wouldn¡¯t stop until blood was shed.


    Shen Qiuyu didn¡¯t expect Xu Bi to hear what she said. To think that she still had the face toe over and y dirty behind her back, bullying the weak just because she was a year older.


    She retorted, ¡°We only treated you as a retard, but you treated Sister Jing as a pushover. We¡¯re the same.¡±


    He Jing looked straight at Xu Bi and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve never been one to hold grudges. If there¡¯s a problem, I prefer addressing it on the spot.¡±


    Xu Bi sneered, ¡°You sure have a tough mouth. You¡¯re not afraid of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Anguid and maic voice that sounded like the sound of a zither suddenly cut in. It carried an imperceptible coldness. ¡°What kind of trouble are we talking about? Let me experience it too..¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194: A Unique Way of Expressing Anger

    Chapter 194: A Unique Way of Expressing Anger


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Xu Bit s expression changed.


    He Jing turned her head and saw a tall and slender youth standing not far away. A dark light flickered in his phoenix eyes, and coldness filled the air. The corners of his lips were curled up for no reason, and they were stained with a bloodthirsty intent.


    Xu Bi was deted on the spot. She quickly walked up to Yan Hanxi. ¡°I was just trying to scare her. I didn¡¯t mean anything serious.¡±


    Yan Hanxi nced at her arrogantly. He walked past her and stopped in front of He Jing. He said, ¡°Go back to the ssroom first. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    Although He Jing didn¡¯t need his protection, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to refuse. She nodded and left with Shen Qiuyu.


    Wu Yu had been observing the situation from the side. He was waiting for He Jing to get in trouble, so he would immediately go to the teacher to ask for help. Now that he saw hering over, he immediately went up to her. ¡°Sister Jing, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡¯


    After the first ss in the morning, He Jing¡¯s impromptu English speech went viral.


    This video was uploaded to the school forum and immediately became a hot topic. Originally, everyone just wanted to copy the sentences to prepare for their future Englishpositions. But as they watched, things seemed off. Then, a post titled ¡°On the 108th Ways of a Top Student¡¯s Counterattack ¡® instantly became a hit.


    The hit post meant that it was the essence of the thread. There were manyments and it was very popr.


    Some busybodies tranted He Jing¡¯s speech into Chinese, and everyone couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°F*ck!¡±


    Was this the unique way of expressing anger for a Top Student?


    It was quite something to insult people with an English essay.


    This was too showy!


    In the future, scolding people like ¡°D*mn it¡± and ¡°F*ck you¡± seems outdated. If they had the ability, they could insult someone in English on the stage. Not doing so for at least five minutes would be a disservice to their literary cultivation.


    ¡°Then wasn¡¯t Senior Xu Bi very angry when she heard it?¡±


    That was more than anger.


    If they put themselves in her shoes, they would probably explode with anger!


    After all, Xu Bi¡¯s grades weren¡¯t bad, or else she wouldn¡¯t have been the originally chosen student representative.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± The students from the other sses expressed amazement and said, ¡°This is like a public confrontation with Senior Xu Bi. Moreover, Senior Xu


    Bi hasn¡¯t even struck back yet. He Jing is simply a heartless little cannon.¡±


    ¡°However, Senior Xu Bi seems to be quite close to some shady people. Do you think Senior Xu Bi might¡­¡±


    ¡°F*ck f*ck f*ck, He Jing is in trouble.¡±


    Just as everyone was enthusiastically discussing this matter, a post suddenly pushed the Top Student¡¯s post down. It was an official announcement from the school.


    Xu Bi of Senior Three ss One has vited the school rules. The school will now issue a notice of criticism and demerit punishment to her. If there is a repeated offense, she will be expelled from school. Students are advised to take this as a lesson and remember it well. Yin High School will not be a breeding ground for campus bullying.


    All those scrolling through posts froze for a moment, then quickly came to a realization.


    Good heavens, they actually forgot that the Yin High School bully was a standard moral guardian. The school single-handedly swept away the bullying phenomenon in Yin High School and the eight nearby streets.


    Now He Jing didn¡¯t have to worry. With Yan Hanxi¡¯s protection, Xu Bi wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.


    Soon, they shifted their attention to another matter, and that was¡­ The school¡¯s promotional video was about to start filming.


    Since Yan Hanxi hated girls getting close to him, there might be a lot of fun to watch.


    At the same time, He Jing was also thinking about the same thing, because she had received a new script and found that she had a ridiculous amount of intimate scenes with Yan Hanxi.


    For example, the first scene was a scene of holding hands¡­.

 Chapter 195 - 195: Promotional MV

    Chapter 195: Promotional MV


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Jing remained silent for a while and said to Shen Qiuyu, who approached to take a look at the script, ¡°I have something to attend to. I¡¯ll leave for a while¡­¡±


    Shen Qiuyu was surprised. ¡°Sister Jing, where are you going?¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t reply and left the ssroom in the blink of an eye.


    Half an hourter, He Jing returned.


    She looked unhappy as she held the script.


    Shen Qiuyu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It turned out that the scriptwriter adamantly refused to change the script. She said that these scenes were very important and used a bunch of inexplicable ¡°professional¡± reasons to convince her.


    Little did He Jing know that the scriptwriter had suddenly be a JingYan couple fan after her off-script speech in English. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t let go of such a rare opportunity to indulge in some sugar!


    Absolutely not possible!


    In the blink of an eye, it was Wednesday, and the school¡¯s promotional video officially started filming.


    The filming team was hired by Yin High School. The makeup artist and prop artist were all present. The filming location was initially selected to be a ssroom, a grove, and a field. Some other scenes were quite unique to the school and would be mixed in through post-production. In short, everything was well prepared.


    In order not to upy the students¡¯ time and not dy their studies, the promotional MV was carried out multiple times. Every time, it was chosen during physical education ss and morning exercise.


    He Jing received the MV¡¯s female lead¡¯s outfit. It was a brand new school uniform that would be distributed to the students in the fall.


    The school uniform retained the style of a suit but had a more chic design. When He Jing changed into it, the entire filming crew in the dressing room couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow!¡±


    The makeup artist smoothed out the creases on her skirt and smiled. ¡°With such a cute school uniform, would you mind temporarily dyeing your hair ck? It would make you look even more adorable.¡±


    He Jing frowned. Actually, she liked her chestnut-colored hair very much, but in order to cooperate with the filming.


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine like this.¡¯


    Outside the temporary dressing room, a tall and long-legged young man walked towards them. His entire body seemed to glow. In order to highlight the texture ot his clothes, the color ot his school uniform changed from dark brown to ck. This mysterious colorplemented his fair skin. He was like a wless piece of jade, extremely stunning.


    He Jing was distracted for a moment. Yan Hanxi walked up to her. ¡°This is beautiful enough.¡±


    ¡°But your hair colors are different. You might not look good together.¡±


    ¡°Then dye mine the same color as hers.¡± Yan Hanxi said casually, ¡°My female lead doesn¡¯t need to amodate others. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The makeup artist was obviously stunned. Then, she seemed to have understood something. She covered her mouth andughed. She said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Anyway, society is open-minded now. Dyeing hair isn¡¯t a bad habit. It¡¯s fine as long as you wear the right makeup. It can also make you look very youthful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°Did you bring your hair dye?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a professional.¡±


    The makeup artist gave her assistant a look, signaling her to take out the hair dye from her bag. She then said, ¡°Go dye your hair first. I¡¯ll do the makeup for the female lead.¡¯


    Yan Hanxi raised his eyebrows and said to He Jing, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    He Jing, unexpectedly pampered, held back herughter and replied, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect a 25-year-old Aunty like her to be doted on by someone, even though the other party was a little childish.


    It was just a matter of dyeing her hair. There was no amodation.


    Forget it, he was happy too. Perhaps he just wanted to dye his hair and deliberately used her as an excuse..

 Chapter 196 - 196: Waterloo

    Chapter 196: Waterloo


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ten minutester, He Jing¡¯s makeup was done.


    The makeup artist put the lipstick back into the tube and looked at the girl¡¯s face in the mirror. Unable to resist a tinge of jealousy, she said, ¡°We¡¯re both women. Why isn¡¯t my skin as good?¡±


    Before she met He Jing, she had nned to put on makeup for He Jing for half an hour. After all, she had to cover up the ws on her face.


    However, when sheid her hands on it, she realized that He Jing¡¯s face wasn¡¯t imperfect at all. She didn¡¯t have freckles or fine lines. She only had a face full of cogen and youthful beauty.


    He Jing smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Seeing that Yan Hanxi hadn¡¯t returned, she picked up the script and looked at it again.


    She had never acted before, so she was inevitably a little nervous. She was afraid that she would forget her lines in a while¡­


    After an unknown period, she was suddenly patted lightly on the shoulder. He Jing subconsciously looked back, and her breathing froze.


    The young man behind her had changed into dazzling chestnut-colored hair, as if he was blessed by the sun, attracting all the elegance. The ends of his hair were dancing with fine light, like a prince who had walked out of aic book.


    Under the reflection of the light, her long and narrow phoenix eyes turned into a sexy brown.


    His thin lips curled up slightly. There was a hint of nonchnce in his unruly manner. After seeing He Jing¡¯s expression, that nonchnce gradually turned into interest. He waved his hand in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He Jing came back to her senses. She averted her eyes and said calmly,


    ¡°Nothing. Where are the others?¡±


    She thought, ¡°D*mn it, as expected of the male lead. He looked too superior.¡±


    Yan Hanxi chuckled. ¡°They went out to get ready for the shoot. They saw that you were so engrossed in memorizing your lines that they didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


    Oh.¡± He Jing still dared not look at him, afraid that the d*mnw of novels would make her infatuated again. So she left the dressing room without looking at Yan Hanxi.


    Yan Hanxi felt somewhat neglected, and he couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows in confusion. Could it be that the hair color he chose was ugly?


    . Alright then.


    When the two of them went out, the filming crew was already prepared.


    The first scene of the promotional MV was set in the school grove because it was the ce that attracted the most imagination. Nowadays, enrollment promotion follows a routine. The old-fashioned group of students shouting ¡°XX school wees you¡± was no longer popr.


    After the team members confirmed the details, the shooting of the promotional video officially began.


    He Jing followed the script and the director¡¯s instructions. She slowly entered the frame from the end of the forest and walked toward the male lead, Yan Hanxi, who was leaning against a tree with a book covering his face as if he was taking a nap.


    A gentle breeze blew, and the girl¡¯s leather shoes rustled against the leaves. She bent down and prepared to open the textbook on the young man¡¯s face¡­


    Suddenly, the director shouted, ¡°Cut!¡±


    ¡°Student He Jing, please adjust your expression and show a sweet smile like your first love.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She has been single since birth. How could she reveal a sweet smile like her


    first love?


    It turned out that the greatest Waterloo in history was here.


    She was too careless.


    However, He Jing had no choice but toply because the director had made a request. After a short silence, she forced a smile.


    The director said, ¡°It¡¯s too stiff.¡¯


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Jing adjusted the corners of her mouth to make the smile widen.


    The director then said, ¡°It¡¯s too fake.¡±


    After that, there was a burst of suppressedughter in the grove. Only a serious male voice sounded continuously.


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold.¡± ¡°No feelings.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start again.¡±


    He Jing adjusted her smile a dozen times in front of the mirror, only to be mercilessly rejected each time.


    The young man who was leaning against the tree finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. He shook his arms withughter and pushed the book away from his face. He narrowed his eyes and smiled warmly. ¡°Merit Student, have you never been in love before?¡±


    He Jing red at him in embarrassment.. ¡°What about you? Are you experienced?¡±

 Chapter 197 - 197: Scene

    Chapter 197: Scene


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yan Hanxi choked. ¡°No.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°That¡¯s it. Laugh again.¡±


    Yan Hanxi thought for a moment, it didn¡¯t seem impossible.


    The director seemed to have a new idea. He gestured at the scriptwriter. ¡°Come here. Let¡¯s modify the script.¡±


    Anyway, it was just a promotional MV and not a movie. There was no need to be overly critical of the t. As long as it could make people feel like they wanted to go to Yin High School after watching it, it would be fine.


    The scriptwriter immediately went forward and discussed it with the director.


    After a series of thunderous modifications, the scriptwriter handed the new script to the two of them.


    He Jing became the one resting under the tree, and Yan Hanxi changed to be the one who removed the book from her face. The scene of Yan Hanxi holding He Jing¡¯s hand after removing the book from Yan Hanxi¡¯s face also became the scene of Yan Hanxi bending over and pressing his face down after removing the book from He Jing¡¯s face. The two of them looked at each other affectionately, and the background was beautiful and romantic sunshine.


    ¡°The lines remain the same. Everyone, take your positions.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Is this really okay?¡±


    She thought, ¡°Was this really not a scene from a melodramatic youth drama?


    Receiving her skeptical gaze, the screenwriter pushed up her sses and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m a professional scriptwriter.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Thus, under the director¡¯s guidance, He Jing sat on the ground with her back against the tree trunk in a more elegant posture.


    Soon, a new problem arose.


    The skirt of the new school uniform was too short.


    This caused He Jing¡¯s long and fair thighs to glow in the pile of green leaves after she sat down. In that emerald green color, the girl¡¯s overly fair skin was eye-catching.


    Who could focus on the plot?


    Just by looking at her legs¡­


    Oh no, just by looking at the beautiful sister.


    Even He Jing couldn¡¯t help but frown. She covered her leg with her hand, hoping that it wouldn¡¯t be too conspicuous and that it wouldn¡¯t make the music video look erotic.


    Before she could voice her concern to the director, a jacket fell on herp with a whoosh, covering herpletely.


    ¡°Find a stool for her to sit on. Photoshopped off the stoolter.¡±


    Yan Hanxi, looking excessively handsome in just a white shirt after taking off the coat, said.


    All the filming staff thought, ¡°Editing isn¡¯t omnipotent. Don¡¯t be so willful!


    Sitting on a stool and photoshopping it would turn into He Jing sitting in the air. Anyone could tell that something was wrong. Besides, other than the professional makeup artist and props team hired by Yin High School, the director, scriptwriter, and editor were all students with less advanced technical skills.


    The director called, ¡°Scriptwriter.¡±


    The scriptwriter said, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    She had a hard life. She felt that this scene wouldn¡¯t be good.


    Five minutester.


    The director said, ¡°Student He Jing, can you climb trees?¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, ¡°What kind of production team did she join?¡± Yan Hanxi couldn¡¯t help butugh again.


    He rarely saw such a rich expression on He Jing¡¯s face.


    It was really interesting.


    He Jing red at him fiercely, then said professionally and seriously, ¡°I can.¡±


    The director said, ¡°I knew that Student He Jing was so amazing. She would definitely be able to do it. Alright then, we¡¯ll all step asideter and Student He Jing will climb up the tree, which is the trunk, and sit there. Remember to tidy up your school uniform.¡±


    He Jing nodded and looked back at the tree. There were branches, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to climb.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Merit Student! Good luck!¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    Following that, under the director¡¯s instructions, everyone turned their backs to avoid identally seeing He Jing when she climbed the tree.


    They thought that they would have to wait for a long time, but unexpectedly, after just two minutes, a calm female voice came from behind. ¡°Done.¡±


    Everyone turned around and saw He Jing sitting on a tree with a book in her hand. Her beautiful hair was gilded by the sunlight, giving her an otherworldly beauty..

 Chapter 198 - 198: Do You Dare to Jump Down?

    Chapter 198: Do You Dare to Jump Down?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    For a moment, they thought they had seen the goddess Venus and were in a daze.


    The whole scene was incredibly beautiful. There was no need to look for an angle to feel the natural beauty overflowing from the lens.


    The director was satisfied no matter how he looked at it. He nodded repeatedly. ¡°Very good. Zoom out the shot. We won¡¯t need to capture Student He Jing¡¯s cold face.


    It was the male lead¡¯s turn. His scene changed from unveiling the book on the girl¡¯s face to calling her down from the tree. Then, the girl identally fell into the male lead¡¯s arms¡­


    ¡°Come,y the mat.¡±


    Perfect safety measures were necessary to prevent any idents.


    However, Yan Hanxi looked up at the girl on the tree and asked with a smile,


    ¡°Merit Student, do you dare to jump down?¡±


    He Jing lowered her head and looked into his eyes. She could clearly see that the young man¡¯s eyes were filled with clear spring water, flowing with dazzling and fine ripples. His eyes were more confident and dazzling than the sun, and his smile was brighter than the spring breeze. It was as if a stone had been thrown into theke in her heart, causing ripples. She said lightly, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡±


    The tree branch was only two meters away from the ground. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to jump down.


    Yan Hanxi slowly uttered a syble, ¡°Oh.¡±


    He Jing threw the book away and jumped.


    She heard the faint sound of wind blowing past her ears. The props team had yet toy down the mat. The director and screenwriter¡¯s pupils constricted and their hearts stopped. They shouted, ¡°Danger!¡±


    Then, all themotion became inaudible.


    She fell into a warm embrace and couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes.


    The young man¡¯s strong hands caught her firmly. The faint scent of hormones on his body mixed with the smell of sunlight soaked her, making her feel as if she had fallen into a gentle giant.


    He Jing opened her eyes. The gentle sunlight that shone through the tree branches fell into her beautiful eyes, making her squint involuntarily.


    The young man¡¯s cheerful and clear voice sounded from above, ¡°You really jumped.¡±


    He Jing met his gaze and was silent for a second. Then, she jumped off him expressionlessly. ¡°You told me to jump.¡±


    ¡°You jumped when I told you to. Merit Student, do you trust me that much?¡± Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°If I can¡¯t catch you, you¡¯ll fall to the ground.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She hadn¡¯t really thought about that.


    Somehow, she was certain that he would never let her fall to the ground.


    Of course, He Jing couldn¡¯t say this out loud. Otherwise, a certain school bully might be arrogant.


    The director was stunned when he saw this scene. He thought, ¡°Oh my god, what kind of godly scene was this?¡± He hurriedly looked at the cameraman and asked, ¡°Did you capture it? Did you capture it?¡±


    The cameraman replied, ¡°Yes. The film has been running continuously without stopping.¡±


    The director quickly moved closer to the camera and saw that the thrilling and romantic scene was recorded truthfully. The overwhelming sweetness of the campus couldn¡¯t be blocked.


    He had almost forgotten that he was filming a promotional MV and not some youth campus idol drama¡­


    ¡°This is it. There¡¯s no need toy the mat. Let Student He Jing and Student Yan Hanxi redo the dubbing in the post-production.¡± After saying that, he craned his neck and shouted, ¡°Scriptwriter, scriptwriter,e over and modifv the lines.¡±


    The screenwriter was speechless. ¡°On my way.¡±


    He Jing never expected that because of Yan Hanxi¡¯s joke, the scene that gave her the most headache waspleted.


    Then, He Jing and Yan Hanxi shot a few more scenes. They didn¡¯t find it difficult to get into character again, and the shooting of the grove waspleted smoothly..

 Chapter 199 - 199: Gain Weight

    Chapter 199: Gain Weight


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The time for the morning self-study session passed in a sh. He Jing was called over by the ss teacher after she finished filming the MV.


    ording to the vice-principal¡¯s instructions, the school was going to give He Jing an additional schrship. At the same time, she was asked to find out if He Jing was willing to speed up her studies.


    If Yin High School could nurture a genius who could skip grades and study consecutively, obtain an advanced degree early, and be famous around the world, then Yin High School would be invincible among the top elite schools in the next ten years.


    At the same time, they could also get rid of society¡¯s impression ofzy and unproductive behavior in aristocratic schools.


    He Jing felt that she wasn¡¯t a rare genius in the world. She still knew how good she was, but she relied on her foundation before she transmigrated to the book to shine.


    He Jing politely declined on the spot, ¡°Thank you for the school¡¯s cultivation, but I don¡¯t think I have the capability for now.¡±


    The ss teacher was persistent and tried to persuade her again and again. ¡°Regardless of capability, Student He Jing has to give it a try. The school will provide top-notch one-on-one tutoring for you and the best learning environment. With Student He Jing¡¯s intelligence and wisdom, as long as you focus on your studies, you will definitely seed.¡±


    He Jing was somewhat tempted.


    The one-on-one tutoring by a famous teacher and the best learning environment were things that she had never had in her previous life. If she could continue her studies with her meager foundation, she could achieve even higher aplishments.


    But in the original novel, these belonged to Cheng Yi¡­


    Even if she agreed, this opportunity would end up in Cheng Yi¡¯s hands¡­


    He Jing thought about it. In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear to refuse. ¡°Teacher, can I have some time to consider?¡±


    The ss teacher sensed a glimmer of hope and quicklyforted her and consoled her. She took out the advanced teaching materials that she had prepared earlier from under the table.


    He Jing flipped through it. It was all mathematics, Olympiad math, calculus¡­


    The ss teacher said, ¡°These are the third-year math textbooks and workbooks. Take them back and take a look first. See if you can ept the difficulty?¡±


    He Jing had gone through the senior year already, He Jing already had an answer in her mind. However, she didn¡¯t say anything and took the teaching materials with her as she left.


    When she returned to the ssroom, her ssmates who were about to start ss crowded around her. They stared at her clothes and the things in her hands and chattered,


    ¡°Oh my god, is this our school¡¯s autumn uniform? It looks good.¡±


    ¡°Sister Jing, what are you holding in your hand? Advanced Mathematics¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Jing, do you want to skip a grade?¡±


    In the crowd, Yan Hanxi looked at her with a smile.


    He Jing felt as if she had been seen through.


    She averted her eyes and hid her hands behind her back unnaturally.


    Cheng Yi, who was sitting in her seat, watched as He Jing was surrounded by admires. She subconsciously clenched her pen and bit her lower lip.


    The opportunity to film the school¡¯s promotional music video should have been hers.


    The new school uniform should have been worn by her.


    She should be the one being admired by everyone.


    Now, they all belonged to He Jing.


    Just wait and see. Sooner orter, she would snatch all these halos.


    Thinking of what was going to happenter, she smiled lightly without any trace of displeasure.


    After school, He Jing packed her bag and prepared to go home as usual. A box of yogurtnded in front of her.


    A young, maic, and clear voice prated her eardrum, ¡°Merit Student, shall I walk you home?¡±


    It was very seductive.


    He Jing didn¡¯t even look at the yogurt and asked, ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Someone gave it to me. I don¡¯t like yogurt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Yan Hanxi said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Fine, I bought it for you.¡±


    Only then did He Jing look at him. ¡°Why did you buy me yogurt?¡±


    Yan Hanxi pondered for a moment. After a few seconds, he replied, ¡°You¡¯re too light to carry. Drinking yogurt might help you gain some weight.¡±

 Chapter 200 - 200: Not Going Back

    Chapter 200: Not Going Back


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, ¡°What was wrong with him? Wasn¡¯t the aesthetic standard of today¡¯s society fair, slim, and youthful? He actually wanted to fatten me up?¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled at her speechless expression. He stared at her dry lips. ¡°And you look thirsty.¡±


    She was busy filming and studying, so she didn¡¯t have time to take a sip of water.


    He Jing touched her dry lips, realizing they were a bit parched. She quickly took out lip balm from her bag and applied it. Then, she picked up the yogurt and threw it into her bag. She said quickly, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    It was just a bottle of yogurt. There was no need to be pretentious and refuse.


    Yan Hanxi felt refreshed and thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll buy a whole crate tomorrow and keep it under the table, ready to supply anytime.¡±


    When the bus arrived at Goldfish Ridge, the sun had already set and the sky was getting dark.


    He Sui handed out the pearl hairpin, only to be met with Cheng Yi¡¯s disdain. At that time, there were many onlookers. She seemed to be so embarrassed that her face turned red. She took the pearl hairpin and left without even saying ¡°thank you¡±.


    If it was He Jing, she would be extremely calm. She would open the paper box that he had personally folded and put it on without changing her expression. Then, she would say, ¡°Thank you, fourth brother.¡±


    At the thought of this, the difort in his heart disappeared. It was fine as long as his biological sister didn¡¯t despise him. What did it matter what others thought?


    He Ning still seemed distracted.


    He Jing had been paying attention to He Ning¡¯s movements. He hadn¡¯t said a word the entire way, and his mncholic mood from the heartbroken clearly hadn¡¯t improved.


    Suddenly, he stopped walking and looked up.


    He Jing followed his gaze and saw a luxurious car parked by the side of the road. The headlights were bright, and a well-dressed middle-aged man was standing in front of the car with a big gift box in his arms.


    The middle-aged man walked up to her and greeted her, ¡°Miss.¡±


    This voice immediately aroused He Suit s vignce. He Sui rushed to He Jing and protected her firmly. He said with an unfriendly expression, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. We don¡¯t have any Miss here.¡±


    He Ning frowned and scolded, ¡°Fourth brother, be more polite.¡±


    How could He Sui be polite? Their He family didn¡¯t have rich rtives. This person was obviously sent by the Cheng family. Any association with the Cheng family wouldn¡¯t lead to anything good.


    The middle-aged man¡¯s gaze bypassed He Sui and looked at He Jing behind him. He said gently, ¡°Miss, Master misses you very much. These are all sent by Master.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the gift box in his hand and handed it over. Inside were expensive diamonds and jewelry.


    The female supporting character in the original novel loved this kind of thing the most. There were a total of four pieces in the box, which added up to more than two million yuan.


    He Ning¡¯s expression changed. He noticed the hairpin in the box, also made of pearls.


    Each pearl on the hairpin was round and full. Even in the dim light, it emitted a weak and crystalline luster, appearing very precious.


    Compared to the one that He Sui had secretly taken out from his drawer and given to He Jing was like the difference between a beer bottle and jade. Apart from the simr color, everything else was inferior.


    He Sui also noticed it. He subconsciously turned around to look at He Jing¡¯s expression, afraid to see any hint of excitement on her face, as it would trigger a deep sense of inferiority in his heart.


    However, He Jing showed none of it.


    He Jing¡¯s eyes were very calm. She stared at the glittering luxuries as if she were staring at a few roadside stones. Before he could start to worry, she had already said, ¡°Tell Uncle Cheng that I miss him too, but I don¡¯t need these things. Take them back..¡±

 Chapter 201 - 201: Change Her Back

    Chapter 201: Change Her Back


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui heaved a sigh of relief. He suddenly felt more confident. He said to the middle-aged man, ¡°That¡¯s right. Who cares about your Cheng family¡¯s things? Take them away quickly.¡±


    The middle-aged man, Butler Cheng, was deeply troubled when he heard this. He refused to take his hand back and said again, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s no overnight feud between father and daughter. Master is genuinely worried that you might not be living well in the He family. That¡¯s why he sent me to bring you back to stay for a few days. Last time, Master scolded you over the phone because Miss Yi cried, and he felt uneasy about it. He insisted Ie to apologize on his behalf. Miss, pleasee back with me. Madam has also agreed.¡±


    He Sui instantly exploded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t it enough for the Cheng family to have one daughter? Do you want a second one? Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it. He Jing is a child of the He family. She will never go back to the Cheng family!¡±


    He Ning also said coldly, ¡°Although our He family is poor, we don¡¯t seek to climb higher. Please go back, and don¡¯te again in the future.¡±


    Butler Cheng had thought that it would be easy toplete the task with these gifts. Hearing He Sui and He Ning repeatedly obstructing him, he couldn¡¯t help but lose his patience. He subtly couldn¡¯t contain his anger and said condescendingly, ¡°Young masters of the He family, Miss has lived in the Cheng family since she was young. Whatever she eats and uses is the best. What the Cheng family can provide Miss is something that the He family can never achieve in this lifetime. If you really regard Miss as your sister, I hope you won¡¯t be too selfish and hinder her from embracing the father-daughter rtionship she desires.¡±


    He Sui and He Ning suddenly fell silent. Their faces turned green and red as they looked at He Jing.


    The butler was right. The Cheng family¡¯s conditions were far superior to those of the He family. It was simply a world of difference.


    It was normal for her to want to go back. Anyone with a brain would know what to choose.


    In terms of kinship, He Jing had a deeper connection with the Cheng family. There seemed to be no reason for her to stay.


    Even if it was just for a short stay, she could regain her dignity as a rich youngdy. The He family couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Then, would He Jing go back?


    They were both nervous and terrified, and their hearts were filled with great unease.


    They didn¡¯t know when it started, but they were already used to He Jing¡¯s existence. If they couldn¡¯t see her¡­


    ¡°I refuse.


    On the deserted roadside, a crisp female voice sounded.


    It was like the sound of nature.


    He Sui and He Ning were both delighted, unable to hide the joy on their faces.


    He Jing looked up at the butler and said calmly, ¡°After my misced life returned to the right track, I no longer have any kinship with the Cheng family.


    The Cheng family can¡¯t be so cruel as to not leave a daughter for the He family. I¡¯m only a member of the He family.¡±


    ¡°In the past 18 years, I¡¯m very grateful to the Cheng family for raising me, but the He family has also wholeheartedly raised Cheng Yi. We don¡¯t owe each other anything.¡±


    ¡°My brother is right. Although the He family is poor, we don¡¯t seek to climb higher. I¡¯m very satisfied with my current life. I hope you won¡¯te again.¡± Butler Cheng was left speechless.


    He stared deeply at He Jing and found that the once wilful and charming expression on the girl¡¯s beautiful face was now reced by an icy and indifferent demeanor.


    There was no going back.


    Really, there was no going back.


    Butler Cheng had watched He Jing grow up. He felt a wave of sadness. He sighed deeply and put down his airs as a butler. He nced at He Sui and He Ning and said, ¡°Miss, I know you¡¯ve been honest since you were young, but you shouldn¡¯t be too impulsive. If the Cheng family wants to use Miss Yi to


    exchange you back, do you think they won¡¯t agree?¡±


    Certainly not.


    Back then, when Ye Shuping called the He family to me her for Cheng Yi¡¯s crying, he had already thought about how she would be treated by the He family.


    He didn¡¯t believe that a person wouldn¡¯t feel distressed over their sister, whom they had doted on for many years, and choose to believe in an outsider.


    Although life in the Cheng family might not be as good as before, Cheng Yue loved her from the bottom of his heart. No matter what, it would be better than being in the He family..

 Chapter 202 - 202: I’ll Support You

    Chapter 202: I¡¯ll Support You


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing paused and fell silent.


    The air froze.


    If the Cheng family was willing to exchange Cheng Yi for He Jing, would they agree?


    He Sui thought to himself that of course he wouldn¡¯t agree, but there were still other people in the He family.


    Putting aside He Zhou and He Yi, just considering He Ning beside him, he couldn¡¯t refuse. He knew how much he liked Cheng Yi. If Cheng Yi coulde back, he would immediately nod his head even if there were ten He Jings.


    He thought, ¡°F*ck. Why be so cruel to He Jing?¡±


    He Sui was a little depressed.


    He Ning stood rooted to the ground and his lips pressed tightly together. His gaze fluctuated, emotions swirling in his eyes. After a long while of contemtion, he finally opened his mouth.


    Just as he was about to say something, he was suddenly interrupted.


    He Zhou and the other brothers of the He family heard themotion and walked out of the corridor one after another.


    He Zhou took in the situation at a nce and mocked coldly, ¡°Oh, so lively. Are we having a party at night?¡±


    Although He Yi felt that He Zhou¡¯s words were unpleasant, he understood what was going on when he saw the luxury car and the gifts. He thought that He Jing had probably nodded in agreement. He asked calmly, ¡°Is the discussion over? If it is, go home, Xiaoguo is waiting for you all for dinner.¡±


    He Chen had one hand in his pocket. He smiled and didn¡¯t say anything as he watched the situation develop.


    Butler Cheng saw that the matter couldn¡¯t be discussed anymore. He sighed deeply and said to He Jing, ¡°Miss, please think about it carefully. I¡¯lle to you another day.¡±


    With that, he got into the luxury car and left.


    He Jing didn¡¯t mind He Zhou¡¯s sarcasm, but He Sui couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. It was like he had taken some explosive substance, and he burst out, ¡°He Zhou, can you speak properly? Donate your mouth to the hospital if you don¡¯t know how to speak.¡±


    He Zhou was taken aback, his temper ring up. He retorted, ¡°He Sui, did you take the wrong medicine?¡±


    He Sui pulled He Jing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ignore them. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    He Jing was both touched and amused. She followed He Sui into the building. When He Xiaoguo came out, she called out softly, ¡°Sister.¡±


    He Sui also ssified He Xiaoguo as one of those traitors who might make Cheng Yi rece He Jing. He forbade her from touching He Jing and simply pulled her around.


    He brought He Jing into the room. He Sui sat down by the bed angrily and said indignantly, ¡°He Jing, don¡¯t listen to that old thing¡¯s nonsense. Even if others agreed to exchange Xiao Yi for you, I wouldn¡¯t agree. You¡¯re my sister, my only biological sister. I can¡¯t exchange you for anything. I¡¯ll have the Cheng family¡¯s money too. Just wait, I¡¯ll go earn money tomorrow!¡±


    He Jing asked with a smile in her eyes, ¡°Fourth brother, do you know what you look like now?¡± ¡°What do I look like?¡±


    ¡°Like a frog.¡±


    All that was missing was the croak.


    He Sui wasn¡¯t in the mood to joke with He Jing. He stood up. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    He Jing softened her smile a bit and gazed earnestly at him. ¡°I believe you. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t take the butler¡¯s words to heart.¡¯


    He Sui finally felt a little better. He lowered his head and muttered, ¡°If they want to exchange, I¡¯ll take you away from the He family. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s working or dropping out of school, I have hands and feet. I can definitely afford to support you.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t doubt He Sui¡¯s words at all. She said half-jokingly, ¡°I think fourth brother will definitely be an amazing person in the future.¡±


    He Sui asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°Really.¡±


    The uneasiness in He Sui¡¯s heart finally subsided.


    He blushed and felt a small sense of aplishment. ¡°Hmph, you have good


    taste. ¡±


    Then, he began to think about how he could earn money to support He Jing. He thought for a long time and finally came up with a solution. He left with a sentence and left like a gust of wind.


    In the blink of an eye, he was gone. At this moment, in the living room.


    ¡°He Jing really said that?¡±


    He Yi frowned and asked..

 Chapter 203 - 203: What Can’t Be Lost

    Chapter 203: What Can¡¯t Be Lost


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    No wonder He Sui was so agitated just now. With things turning out like this, who wouldn¡¯t be worked up?


    He Zhou sneered. He Jing was really scheming. Butler Cheng only wanted to bring He Jing back to the Cheng family for a while. Of course, He Jing wouldn¡¯t agree. After all, her time in the Cheng family was temporary, while her ce in the He family was permanent. Even someone with a bit of sense wouldn¡¯t hurt her own brother¡¯s feelings for short-term gains.


    Just like that, He Sui could still be moved to such an extent. Did he think that they had mistreated He Jing?


    If Butler Cheng had brought He Jing back to the Cheng family today, He Jing would probably have gotten into a luxury car and left without looking back. She definitely wouldn¡¯t have any trace of nostalgia.


    He looked at He Chen, then at He Ning. He asked, ¡°What do you think? If the


    Cheng family is willing to exchange Xiao Yi back, will you agree?¡±


    He Chen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s up to the decision of the older brothers.¡±


    Although he was more inclined to He Jing.


    He Ning hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time. He lowered his eyes, lost in thought.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. He suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I want to talk to He Jing.¡±


    Then, he walked toward He Jing¡¯s room.


    He Zhou was inexplicably furious. He said angrily, ¡°One after another, really obsessed.¡±


    He Yi said, ¡°I still want Xiao Yi toe back. Although He Jing is good, we don¡¯t seem to belong to the same world.¡± One lived in an ivory tower.


    The other struggling for basic needs.


    When He Ning entered He Jing¡¯s room, He Jing was concentrating on her homeworld with her hair tied in a bun. She was engrossed in her writing until He Ning walked up to her. She looked sideways and smiled lightly. ¡°Second brother.¡±


    He Ning stood in front of her, his starry ck eyes were shrouded in a hazy mist.


    He stared at her and stood there for a while before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t take what others say to heart. We didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Exchanging you for Xiao Yi.¡±


    He Jing was a little surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected him toe over specifically to exin this matter. She waved her hand and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    She knew the general sentiments of the He family members, and even if they considered exchanging her, she wouldn¡¯t be too upset. After all, to her, they were just a group of brothers who had appeared out of nowhere.


    He Ning had thought that He Jing would take it to heart. However, she didn¡¯t look like she was. He frowned slightly and pursed his lips. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Could it be that everything you said just now was a lie?¡±


    In fact, she still wanted to return to the Cheng family. She didn¡¯t mind if they considered exchanging her.


    He Jing thought for a moment and countered, ¡°Then how did second brother feel when you heard that?¡± He Ning fell into silence.


    What was he thinking?


    He thought thatpared to a love that had ended without a cause, he couldn¡¯t lose his own sister.


    Butler Cheng¡¯s visit caused the atmosphere in the He family to stagnate like never before. It was the same for the Cheng family.


    When the butler truthfully conveyed He Jing¡¯s words, Cheng Yue¡¯s face stiffened. Ye Shuping screamed, ¡°What an ungrateful wretch. Cheng Yue, look at what you¡¯ve raised.¡±


    Cheng Yue took a deep breath and interrupted her angrily, ¡°Enough! If you hadn¡¯t been so ruthless previously, Jingjing wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡±


    Ye Shuping¡¯s face twisted with anger and shouted, ¡°Cheng Yue, what are you talking about? Are you ming me?¡±


    If she wasn¡¯t a child of the Cheng family, she shouldn¡¯t have taken over the Cheng family. What was wrong with her kicking He Jing out of the Cheng family?


    Cheng Yue recalled the determined look in He Jing¡¯s eyes after she woke up from the hospital aftermitting suicide. His chest ached. Was he going to lose his daughter forever?


    At this moment, a weak and timid female voice sounded from the side, ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I move out? Sister He Jing must be unwilling toe back because of me. Please don¡¯t argue because of me..¡±

 Chapter 204 - 204: Substitute Trainer

    Chapter 204: Substitute Trainer


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ye Shuping opened her beautiful eyes. ¡°How can this happen? I won¡¯t agree to it.¡±


    She pushed Cheng Yue and said sternly, ¡°You have a good and understanding daughter, but you only think about that He Jing.¡±


    Cheng Yi took another step forward. ¡°Mom, actually, I feel very guilty too. It feels like I stole something from someone else. As long as Sister He Jing is willing toe back, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡±


    Cheng Yue was touched and guilty at the same time. He felt less guilty towards He Jing. He looked at his own daughter and sighed, ¡°Forget it. If she doesn¡¯t want toe back, then so be it. Dad still has you.¡±


    Cheng Yi sobbed as she called out, ¡°Dad.¡± She looked very touched, but she was extremely upset.


    She thought, ¡°He Jing actually refused toe back? How was this possible?¡±


    It was easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it was difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Could He Jing really abandon the luxurious life that the Cheng family offered?


    Cheng Yi was convinced that He Jing must be pretending. Who would willingly be the ugly duckling when they could be a beautiful swan? She didn¡¯t believe it!


    The failure of the n only fueled Cheng Yi¡¯s determination. She couldn¡¯t let He Jing outshine her. She truly didn¡¯t believe it.


    The school¡¯s promotional video took three to four days of shooting before it finally ended. He Jing realized that it wasn¡¯t easy to be the female lead.


    However, a five-minute promotional video actually required so many shots. Each aspect of the production was indeed challenging.


    He Jing looked through the teaching materials given to her by her ss teacher and reviewed the knowledge of the third year of high school. The questions weren¡¯t difficult, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to go straight to the college entrance examination after revising for a period of time.


    On the other hand, He Sui was tinkering with something. He didn¡¯t go out for the entire weekend except for meals. He Xiaoguo sneaked over and told her, ¡°Fourth brother is ying games.¡±


    ying games?


    He Jing was stunned. Her expression changed drastically and she immediately went to He Sui¡¯s room.


    She opened the door and saw He Sui swiftly manipting the mouse. He uses the QWER keys with his left hand to press the enemy character on the screen to death in the bushes.


    There was no doubt that this was the new and popr game, Justice League. It was a 5v5 team game.


    He Jing walked up and asked coldly, ¡°What are you doing, fourth brother?¡±


    A voice suddenly rang out behind him. He Sui was startled that his hands trembled. He lost his grip on the mouse and was hit by a series of skills from the enemy mage.


    He turned around and panicked. He hurriedly threw away the mouse and stood up, saying, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    From theptop, an unfamiliar male voice came through the speaker.


    ¡°Substitute trainer, be more professional, okay? We¡¯re about to be attacked.¡±


    When He Sui heard the man¡¯s words, he impatiently said, ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± At the same time, he dared not look at He Jing. He shifted his gaze away guiltily and whispered, ¡°I just want to make some money.¡±


    He Jing looked at him expressionlessly.


    He Sui had long been mentally prepared. When he saw that He Jing was about to get angry, he lowered his head listlessly like a frosted eggnt and said, ¡°I won¡¯t dy my studies, He Jing.¡±


    He Jing remained silent. The man in theptop continued to roar, ¡°Where¡¯s the substitute trainer? Is he dead? Hurry up, the enemy has taken the high ground.¡±


    He Sui was about to shout back when He Jing suddenly bent down and said,


    ¡°Stop this game. How much did you pay him? I¡¯ll pay you back double.¡±


    The man who was ying the game didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. He was speechless and cursed again. ¡°Stop pretending to be rich. If you have money, can you be a substitute trainer? I¡¯m giving you guys a bad review.¡±


    He Sui was anxious. He tugged at He Jing¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do that. He bought ten games and I had to y five for free. It¡¯s already a good deal, don¡¯t give him money.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t say anything else and directly closed the game.


    Without the sound of the game, the room became silent. Every moment of silence was like torture..

 Chapter 205 - 205: Famous?

    Chapter 205: Famous?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Sui dared not look at He Jing and quietly yed with his fingers.


    Until He Jing asked, ¡°Fourth brother, how much money have you earned in the past two days?¡±


    He Sui instantly raised his eyebrows and grinned. ¡°I earned more than 200 yuan.¡±


    He was skilled at gaming and confidently defeating teams of four opponents. Those foolish gamers queued up to send him money. Therefore, he earned much more than other substitute trainer.


    He Jing asked, ¡°In cash?¡±


    He Sui nodded heavily. He quickly took out the money from his wallet and stuffed it into her hand. He said as if he were presenting a treasure, ¡°They are all students from the nearby schools. They dare not owe me. Keep it for me. We might need itter.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t know where his sense of crisis came from. He wanted to make money, so she didn¡¯t ept it. She stared at him seriously and asked, ¡°Fourth brother, do you like ying games?¡±


    In the original novel, he became the esports king. When he debuted, he reached the pinnacle of sess and was a legend. He won many championships.


    But that was because he wanted to support his family, not because he liked it. Maybe not?


    However, as soon as this thought shed through her mind, He Sui said disdainfully, ¡°I don¡¯t like it. What can I do by ying games? I want to be a government hacker and eat the country¡¯s meal. That¡¯s the real honor.¡±


    When He Jing heard this, she felt extremely upset. Then, she said sternly, ¡°Then, you¡¯re not allowed to y games in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll confiscate yourputer.¡±


    He Sui widened his eyes. ¡°You gave this to me.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°I gave it to you so that you can do something productive, not y games.¡±


    He thought, ¡°.


    ¡®.. Alright then.¡±


    He Sui couldn¡¯t argue with He Jing.


    He Sui was very depressed that his source of ie had been cut off. He pouted unhappily and said, ¡°What if the Cheng familyes to pick you up?


    You¡¯re not allowed to go back.¡±


    He Jing thought, ¡°Oh. So he was still thinking about this matter.¡±


    He Jing remained calm and said, ¡°The Cheng family won¡¯te again.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He Sui remained skeptical.


    After receiving an affirmative answer, He Sui¡¯s sorrow turned into joy. He threw everything to the back of his mind and promised, ¡°Okay. I will never y games in the future.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fear that He Jing would be taken away, who would be willing to be a substitute trainer? They had to sit for several hours a day, and their hands were sore.


    He Jing asked, ¡°Where¡¯s second brother?¡±


    He Sui replied, ¡°He went to Aunty¡¯s house with the third brother, fifth brother, and sixth brother. There¡¯s no one else at home today except the two of us.¡±


    He Jing replied with an ¡°oh¡± and said casually, ¡°Then I¡¯ll visit Aunty¡¯s house when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Unexpectedly, He Sui frowned. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go.¡±


    He Jing was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    He Sui refused to answer in detail. He mumbled a perfunctory ¡°nothing¡± and dismissed the topic.


    ?


    It was another week of g-raising ceremony, and the boring life began.


    As soon as He Jing arrived at school, she was surrounded by people, and there was a cacophony of chatter in her ears.


    She couldn¡¯t pick up any words from the noise when Shen Qiuyu pushed the crowd aside and squeezed in front. He Jing looked at her flushed face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Shen Qiuyu shook her phone. Her hands were shaking with excitement. ¡°Sister Jing, you¡¯re famous now.¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    These days, she had been immersed in reading the teaching materials. How would she know that the school¡¯s promotional music video had been edited quickly and posted on the forum? It had be a hit.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Yin High School forum that was trending. Even the forums of other high schools were exploding.


    Almost everyone was asking, ¡°Who is this girl?¡±


    He Jing clicked on the promotional video and took a nce. She saw Yan Hanxi, who was tall and slender, taking the lead. He wore a ck school uniform like a royal prince. He walked in the forest covered with fallen leaves in the summer sun. He raised his head, and the beautiful curve of his jaw filled the entire screen. His eyshes cast shadows on his fair face like butterflies.


    This handsomeness¡­


    It particrly overflowed from the screen..

 Chapter 206 - 206: Killi Me

    Chapter 206: Killi Me


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing¡¯s red lips curled up slightly.


    Not bad.


    Just a side profile was enough to cause people to fantasize. This scene would surely prick the hearts of Yan Hanxi¡¯s fans.


    However, what happened next was even more spectacr.


    The girl sitting on the tree swayed, her legs kicking back and forth. In her hands, she held up a book. Cold eyes stared into a young man¡¯s, piercing his heart like a sword wrought of Cupid¡¯s arrow.


    At that moment,ments flooded the screen.


    ¡°Old swan, that girl¡¯s gaze is killing me!¡±


    ¡°Sister, use me however you¡¯d like!¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    This¡­


    Shen Qiuyu, who was beside her, giggled into the palm held to her face. ¡°This is amazing! To be expected of you, my dear!¡±


    He Jing:


    What happened next was obvious. Like in the video, she jumped from the tree andnded in Yan Hanxi¡¯s arms.


    The two of them looked at each other briefly, and the voice they had addedter sounded.


    ¡°ssmate,¡± Yan Hanxi said gently and lovingly, ¡°It¡¯s against the school¡¯s rules to climb up on trees.¡±


    He Jing pushed his hand away and said coldly, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    How arrogant.


    It was not a polite response.


    However, for some reason, thements grew more crazed. ¡°I¡¯ll marry the flower on the mountain peak,¡± ¡°What kind of cool girl is this? I¡¯m dead,¡± and ¡°Her back view is also amazing.¡± ¡­The confusingments quickly floated past, upying the entire screen.


    He Jing fell silent. She could not understand these people¡¯s idea of beauty or the kinds of hobbies they indulged in.


    Shen Qiuyu was so moved by thements that tears welled in her eyes. She took He Jing by the arm and said, ¡°Sister, please debut as the main female lead!¡±


    He Jing felt her lips twitch. She was at a loss.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± Shen Qiuyu said without thinking. ¡°Sister Jing, everyone has grown numb, eyeing Brother Xi¡¯s handsome figure. You¡¯re a breath of fresh air, appearing out of nowhere. Now, everyone is looking into you, wondering who you are. You¡¯d best be careful, or boys from the other schools will kidnap you.¡±


    Hmm¡­


    Probably not.


    He Jing thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone canpare with Yan


    Hanxi.¡±


    Even Yan Hanxi could not move her, so how could anyone abscond with her heart?


    ¡°Oh?¡± A familiar,zy voice sounded from behind her. ¡°Miss Merit Student, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so appreciative of my looks.¡±


    The other main character of the promotional MV had appeared. The surrounding students exploded in excited chatter. They were about to faint!


    It was one thing to watch the music video and another to be able to witness it live!


    The crowd could not get enough, shipping the two of them together.


    However, a certain someone was unaware of this. He walked up to He Jing with his bag in one hand and leaned over, his face close to hers.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he drawled, his nose almost touching hers. ¡°Good morning, Miss Merit Student.¡±


    He Jing was expressionless. ¡°Speak properly. Don¡¯t get so close.¡±


    Those who did not know better would think that they were kissing. It set an awful precedence.


    Yan Hanxi looked up, sighing helplessly. He straightened, fishing out a box of yogurt from his bag. ¡°Here, I got this for you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go out of your way to buy me food every day,¡± He Jing said after a beat of silence.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter; I¡¯m happy to buy things for you.¡±


    He Jing epted the yogurt, stuffing it into her bag. The two walked to ss together.


    The surrounding girls were speechless. ¡°¡­ Awsl.¡±


    It was eye candy!


    They, too, pursued He Jing..

 Chapter 207 - 207: Interrupted

    Chapter 207: Interrupted


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing was very popr. She received a basket of love letters every day. She did not know where the boys from the nearby schools had gotten their information. When free, they would climb the wall and peep into the school.


    The boys from Yin High School were even more enthusiastic. There were even some who skipped ss just to try and catch her eye, causing a scene outside her ssroom. They were all caught, of course, and made to stand in the hallway as punishment. The more shameless few even said, ¡°Teacher, please let us stand in the hallway outside of Grade Two ss Three.¡±


    How infuriating.


    The boys were not even this frantic when she was crowned the school belle. Now, they were acting as if they had lost their minds.


    When questioned, several of them likened the phenomenon to meeting a famous female celebrity in the entertainment industry. It was the difference between a movie queen and a small beauty pageant.


    He Jing had always been beautiful. The only thing shecked was a certain presence in the minds of her peers. Now that she had found a niche in the hearts of her male counterparts, her every action had be an aphrodisiac, drugging those she passed with the memory of that murderous gaze.


    Perhaps more ridiculous than the boys ogling her were the girls who trailed her like an entourage of imperial maids serving an empress. They all wanted to emte He Jing.


    Whether this was a blessing or a curse was up for debate. None of the girls were in the mood for love. All they wanted was to pester He Jing with questions, hoping to learn a few tips and tricks of the trade.


    With He Jing¡¯s sharp uptick in poprity, the school awarded her the schrship earlier than they had intended. It was safe to say that He Jing had created waves. The school hoped the student poption would learn from her example. Indeed, the students descended into a huge learning craze with He Jing as the mascot.


    It was a wonderful bonus.


    Inspiring people in the way He Jing had was not something that money could buy.


    The music video attracted plenty of investors for Yin High School. The funds they umted were immediately put to use, with the school drawing up ns to build a few more teaching buildings.


    The next day, He Jing returned home from school to find many new appliances:


    an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and a new television.


    He Xiaoguo was overjoyed. Enraptured by the cartoon ying on television, he stared, refusing to do his homework.


    He Zhou was on the sofa. When He Jing returned, he sniffed disdainfully. What was so great about the new washing machine? Cheng Yi missed them so much that she bought them stuff.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± He Jing said as she eyed the brand-new appliances one by one.


    He Sui, who thought He Jing was unhappy, murmured, ¡°We didn¡¯t ask her to buy them.¡±


    It went without saying who she referred to.


    He Jing did not think much of it. Cheng Yi¡¯s choices were hers and hers alone. It was nice, however, to save some money. Changing the topic, she asked,


    ¡°Where¡¯s Second Brother?¡±


    He Sui pointed at the kitchen with the ss door closed.


    Two figures were standing within.


    He did not know what they were talking about. He Sui grumbled unhappily,


    ¡°They¡¯ve been talking for over half an hour and are still not done. What a drag.¡±


    He Jing could already see it. A light seemed to shine above the secondary male lead and the actual female lead, their rtionship rapidly advancing. ¡°Fourth Brother, shall we go and listen in on their conversation?¡± she asked.


    He Sui¡¯s mouth gaped, and he mumbled, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Second Brother get angry with us?¡±


    He Jing returned the look and strode towards the kitchen, looking like a picture of calm.


    He Zhou watched from where he sat, his expression clouding. However, he knew how close He Ning and Cheng Yi were and did not see a need to intervene. Heh, He Jing was asking to be humiliated!


    Hence, He Jing arrived at the kitchen door uncontested and knocked. ¡°Second


    Brother, are you done yet?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to cook today.¡±


    With He Jing¡¯s interruption, He Ning and Cheng Yi fell silent, making the atmosphere inside the kitchen awkward.


    Cheng Yi clenched her fists, resentful but conscious enough not to show it. Why did He Jing have to appear now? Why not earlier orter? Why did she have to ruin everything? She was so close to swaying He Ning to her side!


    He Ning shook free from the constraints of the strange atmosphere, quickly bing conscious of their situation. He rubbed the space between his brows and answered, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be out in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Cheng Yi, since you have someone you like, you can¡¯t rely on Second Brother anymore. After all, we¡¯re not actually siblings. You should get your crush to help you move those electrical appliances back. The He family is poor, and we can¡¯t afford such luxuries..

 Chapter 208 - 208: Disillusioned

    Chapter 208: Disillusioned


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi refused to stop there. She closed the distance, tears in her eyes, ¡°Second Brother, are you really going to have nothing to do with me now that I¡¯m a part of the Cheng family?¡±


    He Ning pursed his lips, not being too quick to respond. ¡°He Jing has cut ties with the Cheng family,¡± he said seriously. ¡°She has no wealth, and the parents who used to love her have turned their backs on her. She needs someone to be there for her. I have to consider what is right between you and He Jing.¡±


    This was the right thing to do; it was only fair considering He Jing¡¯s unwavering decision to remain with the He family.


    Cheng Yi was hurt. She chewed on her lip, tears spilling forth. ¡°Even if you want to prioritize Sister He Jing¡¯s feelings over mine, you don¡¯t need to draw such a clear line between us ¨C I just want to repay Second Brother for taking care of me all these years.¡±


    He Ning sighed and patted her head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Go back. Your parents might get upset if you are too close to the He family.¡±


    Cheng Yi could not ept it. ¡°We used to be so close,¡± the words tumbling out unbidden, ¡°Is it because I like someone else that¡­ Second Brother¡­¡±


    He Ning jolted in panic, but he quickly reined in his emotions. ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t talk nonsense. We¡¯re still siblings.¡± ¡°But, Second Brother, I don¡¯t understand.¡± How did thingse to this?


    Had He Jing reced her in his heart already?


    He Ning closed his eyes and heaved a long sigh. It was as Cheng Yi had said. Since she had someone else she liked and could rely on, he should distance himself to prevent any impure thoughts from forming.


    He had grown up with Cheng Yi. She had always been that ray of light illuminating the dark fog that clung to him. However, Cheng Yi had her own life, and he could not always rely on her forever. It was time for him to be the light to illuminate the life of another.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, please go home.¡±


    ¡°Second Brother!¡±


    Suddenly, the ss door swung open.


    ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯m hungry.¡± An annoying voice Cheng Yi could only attribute to one person interrupted them again.


    Cheng Yi trembled with rage.


    He Ning sighed and gently patted her head. ¡°Xiao Yi, don¡¯t think too much. Go home.¡±


    He Ning stepped out of the kitchen, the ss door swinging shut behind him.


    Cheng Yi had no choice but to ept that her n to make up with him had been ruined. She ran out crying and almost bumped into He Jing at the door.


    He Jing followed Cheng Yi¡¯s flight with a hawk¡¯s focus. Cheng Yi did not look back. Turning to He Ning, she joked, ¡°So¡­ Second Brother, what were you chatting with Sister Cheng Yi about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, just some nonsense,¡± He Ning answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one cooking today. It¡¯s Sixth Brother¡¯s turn today,¡± he reminded her, almost as an afterthought.


    He Jing¡¯s red lips curled up. She did not feel guilty at all. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. My mistake.¡±


    He Ning couldn¡¯t help but nce at her. He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯te up with such ame excuse next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Second Brother.¡±


    It was a miracle He Ning had not lost his temper after she had interrupted him and Cheng Yi not once but twice. Even He Sui was stunned.


    He Ning had always sided with Cheng Yi. If anything happened to Cheng Yi, he would always be the first to defend her.


    ¡°He Jing is the best.¡± He Sui leaned over and said, ¡°He Jing, you are the ninth wonder of the world.¡¯


    He Jing hummed and smiled. ¡°Second Brother may seem very cold, but he¡¯s actually very sweet.¡±


    He Sui was horrified. He Ning? Sweet? Those two words did not go together.


    He Zhou saw Cheng Yi run out of the He family with her face covered while He Jing was in high spirits. His face morphed into a rictus of anger.


    He had thought Cheng Yi would get back at He Jing. Who could have known she would be soundly defeated? It seemed he had underestimated her.


    He had to do something.


    If he could earn some money and bnce out the benefits He Jing brought to the He family, his brothers, who were simple and easy to satisfy, would probably wake up..

 Chapter 209 - 209: Negotiations

    Chapter 209: Negotiations


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was a quiet weekend. The following Monday, He Jing made breakfast for everyone before taking the bus to Yin High School.


    As soon as she arrived at the school, someone stopped her.


    He Jing looked up and saw that it was Zhou Xue¡¯er.


    ¡°He Jing, do you still remember what you promised me?¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er asked.


    He Jing was speechless.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er knew He Jing had forgotten. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°My dad wanted to see you. You agreed. We even added each other on WeChat.¡±


    ¡°Has vour fathere back from abroad?¡± He Ting asked.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er said, ¡°He flew back a long time ago. He¡¯s just busy and didn¡¯t let me contact you. Can you meet him after school?¡±


    He Jing nodded and replied straightforwardly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In a quiet cafe, a well-dressed middle-aged man and a beautiful girl looked at each other. The pianist in the corner was ying a piece of Ukrainian Rhapsody.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er stood outside the cafe and peered inside.


    Neither party seemed inclined to speak much. They merely drank, having their coffees refilled from time to time.


    What were they doing?


    Was her father dissatisfied with He Jing?


    If he was, why did he want to meet He Jing?


    Little did she know that Mr. Zhou was extremely satisfied with He Jing. She was so calm at such a young age. It was no wonder she could attain full marks in her cooking evaluations. He retrieved a stack of documents from his suitcase and pushed it toward He Jing, ¡°I asked Xue¡¯er to invite you for a chat because I have something I¡¯d like to ask for your help with.¡±


    He Jing knew what Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s father wanted. Otherwise, she would not be sitting here.


    ¡°What is it, Uncle? Please tell me,¡± she implored, unwilling to drag the issue out any longer.


    ¡°I want Miss He to help me win apetition,¡± Mr Zhou said. ¡°Miss He will be rewarded handsomely upon itspletion.¡±


    He Jing smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just a student. Uncle thinks too highly of me.¡±


    It was neither an eptance nor rejection.


    Mr. Zhou seemed to have expected this situation. He gestured at the stack of documents and said, ¡°Miss He, please have a look before you reject me. I¡¯ll await your reply. Please send it to me within three days.¡±


    Without waiting for He Jing to agree, he paid the bill and left.


    He Jing was left alone in her seat. He Jing sat there for a while before picking up the documents. Under the stack of papers was an envelope, which she opened. It was a cheque for 200,000 yuan.


    For a student, it was a huge sum of money.


    He Jing flipped through the documents, ncing at them briefly before putting them in her bag.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was outside the cafe, waiting. When He Jing exited, she immediately approached her and asked, ¡°So, how was it?¡±


    ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± He Jing squinted at her schoolmate.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s gone back to thepany; I¡¯m waiting for my chauffeur to pick me up,¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er answered hastily.


    He Jing raised her bag containing the documents and said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡¯


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was speechless.


    He Jing spent two days seriously considering the offer.


    To be honest, she had just received a schrship and did notck money at all. There was no need for her to take on this job.


    He Ning said that a student should behave like a student. He would probably be disappointed knowing she was not studying hard and secretly earning money. Hence, He Jing decided not to get involved in this mess.


    Having made her decision, He Jing threw everything else to the back burner. After school, He Jing took a detour to the market to buy ingredients she would need for that night¡¯s dinner. After which, she would look for He Ning and He Sui.


    She never expected to bump into He Zhou at the market..

 Chapter 210 - 210: Don ‘t Think You’re the Only One Who Can Make Money!

    Chapter 210: Don ¡®t Think You¡¯re the Only One Who Can Make Money!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou stood before a seafood stall and was paying the bill. The stack of pink yuan was not something a student could take out.


    He Jing¡¯s expression froze. He Zhou inadvertently nced over after paying the bill and met her gaze. Upon seeing her, his expression chilled; he obviously hated her.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Third Brother.¡± He Jing threw on a smile as she approached him.


    He Zhou did not even bother to respond and simply walked past her.


    ¡°Is Third Brother secretly working part-time for someone?¡± He Jing asked almost nonchntly.


    As soon as she posited the possibility, He Zhou stopped. He spun around and red at He Jing. ¡°It has nothing to do with you,¡± he growled. ¡°I hope you know what¡¯s good for you ¨C just treat it as if you never saw me.¡±


    ¡°I might not be able to do that.¡± He Jing smiled.


    He Zhou tensed, his re growing in intensity. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one who can earn money to support our family. All the yuan I¡¯ve got was earned through legal means.¡±


    He Jing decided not to pursue the issue for now. Instead, she smiled graciously, ¡°That¡¯s alright. Since Third Brother doesn¡¯t want to discuss it, I shan¡¯t inquire further. I¡¯ll be on my way after I¡¯ve bought some vegetables for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡±


    Her voice trailed in the wind as she spoke, leaving He Zhou behind as if they had never met.


    He Zhou frowned, his lips pursed in a thin line. It felt like he hade up short in that exchange.


    Damn it!


    He Jing really knew how to push people¡¯s buttons!


    He Zhou remained in the market for a while, spying on He Jing as she skillfully picked ingredients, haggling with the grocers to get them at their best price. It was not long before she secured a good harvest. He Zhou seethed at the sight and stomped out of the market angrily.


    After buying the groceries, He Jing rendezvoused with He Ning and He Sui. As promised, she kept silent about meeting with He Zhou at the market.


    When they got home, He Zhou told them everything. Perhaps he felt there was no point tiptoeing around the issue, or maybe it was just how meticulous He Yi could be when he wanted to know something. After all, it wasn¡¯t every day one came home to a table full of drunk crabs. Answering He Suit s question again, He Zhou said:


    ¡°I found a job. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the He family brothers were not happy about this revtion.


    ¡°What kind of work? Will it affect your studies?¡± He Ning demanded.


    ¡°I secretly participated in a cookingpetition a while back, ¡± He Zhou replied. ¡°The owner of Prosperous Restaurant took a fancy to me. He invited me to apprentice myself under one of his chefs. He said he would pay me 800 yuan a month, so I agreed. The boss isn¡¯t a bad man. He knew I was still in school and said I could leave once I was done chopping the vegetables to avoid affecting my studies. He also gave me some pocket money to buy groceries.¡±


    The whole family fell silent.


    ¡°How can there be such a good opportunity in the world?¡± He Sui blurted without thinking. ¡°Third Brother hasn¡¯t been deceived, has he? He isn¡¯t mixed up in some MLM scheme, is he?¡±


    He Zhou sniffed in disdain. ¡°When has there ever been a multi-level marketing organization that pays their employees consistently or lets theme and go as they please?¡±


    He Sui shifted ufortably.


    That was true.


    ¡°This is a good thing,¡± He Yi said. ¡°Everyone should be happy for Third Brother. How can you doubt his ability? The chefpetition that Third Brother participated in was published in the newspaper. It looks quite formal¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you signed the contract?¡± He Jing asked suddenly. ¡°Let me see the contract. ¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He Zhou¡¯s expression changed. He immediately turned hostile toward He Jing.


    He Jing met his eyes, refusing to back down. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Third Brother to be yed for a fool.¡±


    He Zhou did not want to listen to He Jing any longer. He felt she was always looking down on him just because she was the better chef between the two of them. ¡°He Jing, don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one who knows how to make money,¡± he snapped..

 Chapter 211 - 211: Fooled

    Chapter 211: Fooled


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Third brother!¡± He Ning stepped forward to stop him and frowned. ¡°Show me the contract.¡±


    The owner of Prosperous Restaurant boasted about the good benefits, which meant that there must be a signed contract. Otherwise, He Zhou wouldn¡¯t have the confidence to bring up this matter.


    He Zhou wasn¡¯t willing, but he had no choice but to swallow his anger under He Ning¡¯s reproachful gaze. He roughly took the contract out of his bag and threw it over.


    He Ning took it and flipped through it page by page seriously. On the personal information page, He Zhou had actually filled in his ID card and home phone number. Other than that, there were also several pages of contract content, filled with ¡°Party A¡± and ¡°Party B¡±, making him dizzy.


    Although He Ning was moreposed than the other younger brothers, he was still inexperienced. It was difficult to understand these obscure things. Suddenly, a slender and fair hand reached out and took the contract.


    He Jing read ten lines at a nce.


    Beside them, He Zhou felt resentful and sarcastically remarked, ¡°Putting on an act.¡±


    He Yi also expressed confusion, ¡°Can she understand something that even her second brother can¡¯t understand?¡±


    As soon as the words fell, He Jing raised her head. ¡°There are no ws or traps in this contract. However, the contents of the contract are different from what the owner of Prosperity Restaurant promised you.¡±


    ¡°Third brother said that the owner of Prosperous Restaurant is offering 800 yuan a month to hire you as an apprentice, right? However, the contract states that Chef He Zhou voluntarily provides creative inspiration to Prosperous Restaurant. The remuneration is a trial sry, which will be paid in one lump sum. The amount is 300 yuan. If you vite the contract and leak the inspiration provided to Prosperous Restaurant to others, Prosperous Restaurant will severely hold you responsible and impose penalties.¡±


    Every word and sentence was exceptionally clear, and it was shocking when it reached everyone¡¯s ears.


    He Zhou¡¯s expression changed drastically as he said, ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    He Jing found a pen and circled the important contents of the contract. She handed it back to him. ¡°There¡¯s no free lunch in this world. third brother, you¡¯ve been fooled.¡±


    He Zhou quickly took the contract and looked at it. The uses mentioned by He Jing were clearly written in the contract. Instantly, his brain buzzed and his head went numb.


    He thought, ¡°How could this be?¡±


    He remembered that the contract he signed wasn¡¯t like this!


    Right, he must have gone to the restroom halfway and the contract was swapped.


    He Ning made a decisive decision, ¡°I¡¯ll call Big Brother right now.¡±


    Such a serious matter could only be settled after He Yuan returned.


    He Jing added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not necessary because this contract will expire in seven days.¡±


    It was unknown what the purpose of the person who drafted this contract was. They went around in circles just to sign a seven-day contract with He Zhou. The person who signed the contract with He Zhou was probably not the owner of Prosperity Restaurant. At most, just a manager. Going to cause a scene wouldn¡¯t lead to any results.


    He Ning hesitated, half-believing, ¡°Really?¡±


    If they got into awsuit, the He family might not even be able to afford awyer.


    He Jing nodded. ¡°Yes, trust me. As long as third brother studies the dishes well in the next few days, it¡¯ll be fine as long as he can report to Prosperous


    Restaurant.¡±


    Since that was the case, He Ning still chose to believe He Jing. Then, he lectured seriously. ¡°Third brother, discuss matters with the family first. Don¡¯t be so reckless like this again.¡±


    He Zhou suddenly felt ashamed and clenched his fists. He just wanted to earn some money to subsidize his family.. Who knew that it would turn out like this?

 Chapter 212 - 212: What Do You Know?

    Chapter 212: What Do You Know?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This time, he admitted defeat.


    Without thinking, he turned around and went into the kitchen. The fresh vegetables that he had specially bought from the market were extremely dazzling to him.


    300 yuan was simply not enough. In order to further gain the recognition of Prosperous Restaurant, he bought a lot of ingredients and was ready to make a ssh. He even paid 20 yuan out of his own pocket.


    He Ning knew that He Zhou was upset, so he nced at He Yi, signaling him to go in andfort him. He Yi walked to the kitchen door and twisted the handle, only to find that the kitchen door was locked from the inside.


    He Zhou had always had such a stubborn temper. They had more or less experienced it, but there was nothing they could do.


    But He Jing walked over and knocked on the door. He Zhou, who was inside, was annoyed by the knocking. He opened the door. ¡°What do you want now?¡±


    He Jing said calmly, ¡°A sealed ce is not suitable for cooking. Are you trying tomit suicide by releasing gas?¡±


    ¡°Ha, suicide?¡± He Zhou found it ridiculous. ¡°Do you think such a trivial matter can defeat me?¡±


    When he looked up, he suddenly saw that everyone in the living room was looking at him with extremely worried eyes. The harsh words at the tip of his tongue couldn¡¯t be spoken.


    He Zhou scratched his head in frustration and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go do your own things. I¡¯ll call you when dinner is ready.¡±


    He Jing nodded and walked away. The others were relieved and went to do their own things.


    After finishing her homework, He Jing used her mobile phone to search for Prosperous Restaurant. Many entries rted to Prosperous Restaurant popped up on the web page.


    As a four-star restaurant in A City that was about to be promoted to a five-star restaurant, of course, it had more good reviews than bad reviews. A few scattered exposes were suppressed by trending news.


    He Jing didn¡¯t find any useful information, so she clicked on the official website of Prosperous Restaurant and looked at their menu. It was mainly Chinese cuisine. In addition, there were dishes from several other countries mixed in. Just looking at the names of the dishes, she felt that they were very high-ss.


    One dish, baked snails, was sold at a high price of 38,800 yuan.


    Wait a minute.


    He Jing suddenly felt that the dishes above seemed familiar as if she had seen them somewhere before. She stood up with a swoosh and took the folder that Mr. Zhou had given her.


    She pulled out the documents from the folder andpared them. The pictures on them were exactly the same. She flipped to thest page.


    Opponent, Prosperous Restaurant.


    This¡­


    He Jing sat on the sofa with an uncertain expression. After a long while, she let out a long sigh. It seemed that she had to take on thispetition.


    She didn¡¯t have major ws. She was just protective of her own people. She thought, ¡°Prosperous Restaurant, hmph!¡±


    After a long time, He Jing closed the web page and turned around to see He Zhou still busy in the kitchen.


    Dinner was ready, but he obviously had no intention ofing out. He Sui was so hungry that his stomach was deted. He urged him a few times, but he didn¡¯te out. He Jing took the initiative to enter the kitchen and brought out the dishes he had prepared.


    He Ning knew what was going on when he saw the situation. He called out, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. If third brother doesn¡¯t figure out something, he won¡¯t be eating tonight.¡¯


    They could afford to skip a meal, but Xiaoguo was still growing.


    Therefore, everyone could only eat first.


    After the meal, He Jing took the initiative to wash the dishes and returned to the kitchen with the tes. She saw He Zhou struggling with a crab that had just pinched him hard.


    Immediately, his fingers bled, and the blood dripped into the basin, dyeing the water red. He Zhou gritted his teeth and fiercely smashed the crab on the chopping board.


    The crab was knocked unconscious, and its crawling movements became sluggish.


    He Jing called out, ¡°Third brother.¡± She picked up the crab shell and ced it back into the basin. She sighed. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then don¡¯t do it. The more you force it, the less likely it is to work.¡±


    He Zhou turned his head abruptly, red at her fiercely, and squeezed out the words between his teeth, ¡°What do you know?¡±

 Chapter 213 - 213: Are You Deliberately Looking For Trouble with Me?

    Chapter 213: Are You Deliberately Looking For Trouble with Me?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing maintained a calm and resigned gaze as she locked eyes with him.


    ¡°A genius like you can effortlessly make delicious dishes as long as you use your brain. As long as you find a program to watch, you will know everything. You don¡¯t need to work hard or exert much effort to achieve sess. Whereas, I can barely reach your level only by constantly studying and working hard. I can¡¯t evenpare to one-tenth of you.¡±


    ¡°How can someone like you understand my pain?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t submit satisfactory dishes, the He family will also be dragged down by me.¡±


    Unwillingness, resentment, and hateful words echoed throughout the kitchen, making people¡¯s ears numb.


    He Jing wanted tough but felt helpless. She asked slowly, ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± He Zhou scooped the crab out of the clear water again and tied it up with a straw rope. ¡°Do you want me to believe that a person who dropped into the He family halfway would care about the safety of the He family?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind, of course, you don¡¯t have any pressure. Of course, you can stand there and say those words without feeling the slightest difort, but I can¡¯t. The He family is so poor, yet there are so many people to support. How can I let the He family lose money for me? If I do something wrong, I can only bear it myself.¡±


    Life was like a sharp de hanging over their heads. None of them dared to rx. They desperately wanted to contribute to this family and let this family have a glimmer of light.


    This was something that a rich youngdy like He Jing couldn¡¯t understand. She wasn¡¯t a real youngdy, but she had enjoyed more than ten years of luxury. Would she really stoop down to experience their hardships?


    She wouldn¡¯t.


    And he didn¡¯t believe that she would.


    ¡°Hu¡­¡± He Jing looked at him for a while and exhaled. ¡°Although I understand third brother¡¯s difficulties, you¡¯ve upied the kitchen for so long. It¡¯s mine now.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s expression changed abruptly and asked in disbelief, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He Jing finished washing the dishes in a few minutes and dried her hands. Then, she carried the vegetables she had bought from the market that evening to the kitchen counter and said, ¡°It¡¯s what it means literally. Third brother, you¡¯ve already upied the kitchen for four hours. I think as a member of the He family, I should have the right to use it. There are only two hours left before everyone¡¯s rest time. Third brother used four hours, and I¡¯ll use two hours. Isn¡¯t that reasonable?¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s expression turned cold instantly, and his voice was tinged with annoyance, ¡°Are you deliberately looking for trouble with me?¡±


    He Jing looked up and smiled sweetly. ¡°How could that be? My request is very reasonable.¡±


    He Zhou was speechless. He had just tied up the crab and was about to put it into the pot to steam it, he had no choice but to put it down.


    What could he do? If he had a dispute with He Jing, no one in the He family would help him except He Yi.


    So, he turned around and left. From the corner of his eye, he saw He Jing taking out fresh crabs and prawns from the bag. His heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in front of the kitchen door.


    He Jing nced at him. He Zhou was almost angered out of humiliation and said, ¡°Can¡¯t I cook? Can¡¯t I even watch?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± He Jing¡¯s red lips curved into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m making a slightlyplicated dish. Third brother, bring a chair over and sit down to watch. ¡±


    ¡°No, why should I listen to you?¡±


    He Jing was at a loss for words.


    He Jing skillfully cleaned up all the prawns and crabs. She cut them into pieces and fried them in the pot. She soaked a cauliflower in salt water and separately whipped the eggs.


    He Zhou didn¡¯t know what she was going to do.


    It wasn¡¯t until He Jing took the initiative to speak that she said, ¡°I want to make Garlic Seafood Udon, nching Spotted Prawn, boiled broli as side dishes, and a simplified version of Dragon¡¯s roar apple as dessert.¡±


    He Zhou was speechless.


    He thought, ¡°What was wrong with this woman? Does she even know how to make desserts?¡±

 Chapter 214 - 214: Terrifyingly Strong

    Chapter 214: Terrifyingly Strong


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He had never even heard of the Dragon Whistle Apple before, let alone tasted it. The name alone sounded upscale.


    After waiting for more than an hour, He Jing finally finished cooking the Garlic Seafood Udon and nching Spotted Prawn. When she was cooking the broli, she suddenly washed her hands and took off her apron. She said,


    ¡°Third brother, keep an eye on the fire for me. I need to go to the restroom.¡± Without waiting for his agreement, she left in a hurry.


    He Zhou wore an unhappy expression but his gaze involuntarily fell on the two dishes that had been prepared. Then, he walked over like he was possessed.


    He picked up the chopsticks and wanted to take a bite to see what it tasted like,but he suddenly stopped.


    He thought, ¡°What am I doing!¡±


    After a full minute, he finally made up his mind. He snorted coldly in his heart and thought to himself, ¡°Why should He Jing let me keep an eye on the fire for free? Consider it as payment!¡±


    Therefore, he picked up a piece of each dish with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.


    And then.


    The chopsticks fell to the ground.


    He Zhou waspletely immobilized.


    Oh my god, what a delicacy this was. The rich garlic fragrance and the fresh seafood fragrance were like the waves of the sea that drowned him. The chewy and smooth texture of the noodles made his lips and teeth numb. A hint of spiciness and saltiness burst out from his taste buds, mixing with the original taste of udon noodles. It made him feel as if he was walking on the beach in Hawaii. When the sun was burning, a straw hat covered his head.


    The nching Spotted Prawns were equally incredible. The crispness and sweetness of the prawns and the slight bitterness of the bitter gourd were perfectly bnced. The taste of returning to its original nature made people feel as if they were at the bottom of the sea and in the countryside. He was like the owner of the sea farm bathing in the sun. His forehead was sweating, and every drop of sweat carried the joy of a bountiful harvest withs. If he had to be described in one word, that would be unparalleled.


    Each of these two dishes was exceptionally special.


    He Zhou had tasted a lot of things, and he would seize the opportunity to sample dishes from all kinds of ces. When he was young, many food stall owners thought he was cute and gave him some to try when they had nothing to do. This was why he had an unusually sharp taste buds.


    However, after so long, only He Jing¡¯s dishes had such a rich taste.


    Clearly, it was just a regr bowl of udon.


    Clearly, it was just an ordinary nching Spotted Prawn.


    Yet, she was able to make it so perfectly. She was terrifyingly strong!


    He Zhou quickly checked the remaining ingredients in He Jing¡¯s stic bag and identified and noted them down one by one. He Jing had bought too many ingredients. There were more than 20 kinds of spices like fennel and aniseed alone, and the rest were even more dazzling.


    No wonder she could make such delicious dishes. So this was the secret!


    When he heard footsteps behind him, He Zhou immediately turned the stic bag back and pretended that nothing had happened. He Jing walked up and asked, ¡°Third brother, how¡¯s the cooking of my broli?¡±


    He Zhou couldn¡¯t help but look away guiltily. He said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. How would I know how you want to cook it?¡±


    He Jing opened the lid and smiled. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    The whole green broli was cooked in the pot, and the color became brighter.


    He Zhou remembered that she added a little salt and a little white vinegar when cooking. Was this the secret to maintaining color?


    He Jing scooped up the broli and then made the Dragon Whistle Apple. She didn¡¯t mind him watching from the side at all. Every step was very detailed, and she even exined the principle to him from time to time, as if the two of them were intimate chef partners.


    He Zhou had always been meticulous and felt very unnatural about this, but he didn¡¯t want to miss such a good opportunity, so he could only endure and listen. Fortunately, He Jing didn¡¯t show off her skills and didn¡¯t say too much nonsense.


    Soon, she finished all four dishes she wanted to make. He Jing said, ¡°Try it.¡±


    He Zhou had already tasted it, but he still took a few bites with a cold face. Seeing that He Jing still wanted to stay and clean up the kitchen, He Zhou couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle these. You can go..¡±

 Chapter 215 - 215: You Are A Genius Too

    Chapter 215: You Are A Genius Too


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing looked at him in surprise and delight. ¡°Is it really okay like this?¡±


    He Zhou said, ¡°I¡¯m going to make a cold dish. I won¡¯t disturb your sleep. Your presence here will only affect me.¡±


    He Jing put her doubts to rest and smiled sweetly. ¡°Okay, thank you, third brother.¡±


    Thanks to He Jing, He Zhou woke upte the next day for the first time in his life.


    He opened the door and found a family sitting at the table eating breakfast. When they heard the noise, they turned to look at him.


    Only He Sui took advantage of their distraction to pick up the buns in the sieve and stuff them into his mouth crazily. He Ning said, ¡°I didn¡¯t wake you up because you slepttest night.¡±


    He Zhou swept his gaze over the pile of delicacies on their tes and couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°They¡¯re probably afraid that one more person will snatch their food!¡±


    Without saying a word, he went into the bathroom and washed up.


    When He Xiaoguo turned his head, he said childishly, ¡°Fourth brother, my bun!¡±


    He Sui said, ¡°What bun? It¡¯s mine once it enters my mouth.¡±


    He Ning was speechless.


    He Yi was speechless.


    He Chen was speechless.


    They thought, ¡°This guy¡¯s f*cking hand was too fast.¡±


    After brushing his teeth and washing his face, He Zhou went into the kitchen and opened the lid of the rice cooker. He realized that He Jing had saved a separate portion for him.


    There was no doubt that no one else had such skills except her.


    He Zhou snorted lightly and felt a little better in his heart.


    At this moment, He Jing walked into the kitchen and said gently, ¡°Third brother, I¡¯ve tasted the dishes you left on the table yesterday. They¡¯re very good.¡±


    He Zhou choked on his bun. He suddenly remembered the dish he had painstakingly researched in the middle of the night. He swept his gaze across the kitchen counter and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my dish?¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°I was afraid that mice would knock off the lid, so I put it in the cab.¡±


    He Zhou opened the cab and saw that the dishes he made were indeed there.


    It was an upgraded version of the nching Spotted Prawn that he had developed after improving it time and time again ording to He Jing¡¯s recipest night. He had added a few ingredients that he had bought himself to make the shrimp taste even more delicious.


    He turned around and saw He Jing standing straight behind him. She seemed to be thinking very seriously for a moment. Then she said, ¡°Third brother, you don¡¯t have a clear self-perception. If I¡¯m a genius, so are you.¡±


    ¡°You have unlimited potential and a bright future. Even if Prosperous


    Restaurant deceived you, it just proves that you have the value to be deceived, right?¡±


    ¡°I hope I can still eat such delicious food in the future. I also hope that you won¡¯t say such words again. I¡¯m very serious aboutpeting with Third brother. If you admit defeat so easily and attribute the reason for your loss to me being a genius, I¡¯ll be in a very difficult position.¡±


    He Zhou gripped the bun tightly and clenched his fingertips involuntarily. After a long while, he looked up andughed. ¡°How can I admit defeat? You think too highly of me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t admit defeat until I surpass you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. The opponent must have the professionalism of the opponent.¡± He Jing was relieved. She stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Third brother to put the money I secretly used for my ingredients on the ount. It¡¯d be best if you could write me an IOU.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s face turned as ck as the bottom of a pot. He saw He Jing¡¯s eyes filled with yfulness as she said, ¡°Third brother won¡¯t deny it, right?¡±


    He Zhou gritted his teeth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a few yuan? I¡¯ll pay you back. I¡¯ll write you an IOU now.¡±


    ¡°Great. ¡±


    After breakfast, He Jing went to school as usual. When she arrived at Yin High School, there weren¡¯t many people there, but Zhou Xue¡¯er was already there..

 Chapter 216 - 216: It’s Been A Long Time Since I Felt So Inspired

    Chapter 216: It¡¯s Been A Long Time Since I Felt So Inspired


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhou Xue¡¯er seemed to have waited for her for a long time and anxiously said, ¡°He Jing, will you agree topete for my family?¡±


    This was a matter of extreme urgency.


    If He Jing didn¡¯t agree, the Zhou family wouldn¡¯t have time to find someone¡­


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    He Jing said lightly.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡°What did you say?


    He Jing paused for a moment, turned around, and said word by word, ¡°I agree.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er was so overjoyed that she instantly forgot about the numerous conflicts she had with He Jing in the past. She pounced on He Jing and hugged her tightly.


    She kept muttering, ¡°That¡¯s great. My dad has given me instructions. If I can¡¯t handle you, I¡¯ll have to go abroad. Thank you, He Jing. Thank you, thank you.¡±


    He Jing raised her eyebrows. She didn¡¯t want to, but He Zhou had fallen into Prosperous Restaurant¡¯s trap.


    No matter how much she and He Zhou didn¡¯t get along, He Zhou was a member of the He family after all. At important times, the muzzle of their guns would naturally be on the same side.


    After calming down, Zhou Xue¡¯er quickly called Mr. Zhou and told him the good news. After a while, she hung up the phone and said to He Jing, ¡°He Jing, thepetition is on the weekend. The Zhou family will send a car to pick you up.¡±


    He Jing nodded and returned to her seat to review her lessons. Zhou Xue¡¯er was relieved.


    Soon, the weekend arrived as scheduled. He Jing woke up early.


    She deliberately didn¡¯t alert He Ning and the others and quietly slipped out of the house.


    The Zhou family¡¯s chauffeur had arrived early. He parked the car at the entrance of Goldfish Ridge. He yawned and nced at the girl casually. Suddenly, he saw a girl who was as exquisite and beautiful as a doll walking out of the corridor.


    He didn¡¯t look away for a moment. He saw the girl walk to the front of the car and knock on the window, signaling him to open the door for her. Only then did he know that she was the person the Zhou family had asked to pick up.


    ¡°Heh. She was too young. Did she really have the ability to participate in thepetition


    The Zhou family¡¯s chauffeur thought to himself. He dared not doubt it and immediately started the engine.


    At the same time, inside Prosperous Restaurant.


    ¡°Head Chef Wang, have you made your choice? Which dish are you going to use as inspiration?¡±


    Head Chef Wang, dressed in a chef¡¯s uniform and a white top hat, pointed at a te of prawns on the table.


    The te of prawns had a light color, resembling nched shrimp, and looked unremarkable.


    The other chefs crowded around him. They were puzzled. ¡°Head Chef Wang, is there anything special about this te of prawns?¡±


    Head Chef Wang¡¯s stern face revealed a strange expression. He took one and stuffed it into his mouth. After tasting it slowly, he said, ¡°What an amazing way of thinking. Immature skills. It¡¯s been a long time since I felt so inspired.¡±


    The longer he worked as a chef, the more his thoughts were limited to a small world.


    It was extremely difficult to create something new, so Prosperous Restaurant had no choice but to draw inspiration from the new chefs.


    The most outstanding dish was this nched shrimp. The fresh and elegant taste was extremely addictive.


    With just one bite, he had endless inspiration. Combined with his years of experience, he was sure to elevate this dish to a higher level.


    About an hourter, He Jing arrived at the venue of thepetition. It was located in a modern and artistically designed skyscraper.


    The car stopped and He Jing got out. She saw Zhou Xue¡¯er and Mr. Zhou from afar.


    Mr. Zhou was chatting andughing with a few people. Zhou Xue¡¯er quickly walked over andined. ¡°Why are you sote? You¡¯re ten minuteste.¡± He Jing was speechless but still said, ¡°There¡¯s a traffic jam.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s expression faltered. She realized she might have been a bit unreasonable..

 Chapter 217 - 217: Open-book Exam?

    Chapter 217: Open-book Exam?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    When Mr. Zhou saw He Jing, he waved at her and gestured for her to go over. He Jing obediently went forward and Mr. Zhou said, ¡°Miss He Jing, let me introduce you. These are the judges of thispetition. They are all big shots in the food industry. Everyone, this is the chef that my Zhou¡¯s Restaurant will be sending out. Her name is He Jing. Please take care of her.¡±


    He Jing greeted them obediently, ¡°Hello, judges.¡±


    Then, she couldn¡¯t help but curse in her heart. So she was going to take an open -book exam?


    The judges were all smart people. They smiled at He Jing and praised her, ¡°A young talent emerges. To be able to shoulder such a responsibility at such a young age. The future of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant looks promising.¡±


    Just as thepliments were flowing, an extremely discordant voice interrupted, ¡°Ah, so this is the head chef of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant. What a small girl. ¡±


    Everyone paused and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a


    limousine stop.


    The car door opened, and a leather shoe extended out from it. Then, a middle-aged, slightly plump man was exposed in front of everyone. His face was full of smiles, like a smiling tiger.


    He was dressed in a well-fitted suit and leather shoes. He appeared meticulous, with even the buttons on his chest had been carefully polished.


    Then, another man in a white chef¡¯s uniform walked down. He held a chef¡¯s hat in his arms. It was obvious that he was the head chef of Prosperous Restaurant.


    The smiling tiger walked up to the crowd in a few steps. He first nced at Mr. Zhou, then at He Jing. He reached out his hand as if he wanted to touch her head. ¡°This is Miss He Jing, right?¡±


    Being able to urately call her by her name didn¡¯t surprise He Jing. She believed that Prosperity Restaurant had already collected her information for the sake of winning.


    Mr. Zhou was about to intervene when Zhou Xue¡¯er suddenly rushed over and pulled He Jing behind her. With her head held high, she disyed clear disgust on her face and said, ¡°Speak if you have something to say. Don¡¯t use your hands recklessly.¡±


    The smiling tiger was neither angry nor annoyed. He looked at Zhou Xue¡¯er with a smile. ¡°Ah, Xue¡¯er has grown so big.¡±


    ¡°Pah.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er didn¡¯t want to hear her name being called out by him at all. She hugged He Jing¡¯s arm and pulled her to the side, then said,


    ¡°This damned fatty is called Liu Fu. Back then, my dad took him in when he was down and out. In the end, he stole Zhou¡¯s Restaurant¡¯s recipe and poached chefs from Zhou¡¯s Restaurant. He then established Prosperous Restaurant opposite Zhou¡¯s Restaurant. He¡¯s a living ingrate.¡±


    ¡°He was the one who initiated thispetition. He wanted to drive our Zhou family out of A City. My father has tolerated him for so many years and has had enough. If we lose thispetition, the Zhou family will be kicked out of A City, and if he loses, the Prosperous Restaurant will be permanently closed down.¡±


    ¡°In short, it¡¯s either you die or I live. He Jing, you must win!¡±


    He Jing listened quietly. She gently freed her arm and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Zhou Xue¡¯er saw He Jing¡¯s reaction and felt a lump in her throat. Her chest was tight, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She could only watch as she walked into the building.


    Thepetition was held on the third floor of the building. The venue was vast. It was probably because the organizers of thispetition had deliberately created a gimmick. Not only were there many media reporters at the venue but tickets were even sold for spectators to watch thepetition.


    As soon as He Jing entered, a staff member approached her for registration. After confirming her name, they guided her to the backstage.


    He Jing changed into herpetition uniform. The white chef¡¯s uniform was even looser on her body, and the chef¡¯s hat was so big that it could cover her eyes if it was a little lower.


    At first nce, she looked like a child who was secretly wearing adult clothes. She looked a little funny, but her cold and indifferent expression made people unable to belittle her..

 Chapter 218 - 218: The Competition Begins

    Chapter 218: The Competition Begins


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After that, the staff member went forward to exin the rules to her very responsibly. Thispetition used a scoring system. The theme of cooking was randomly selected, and then the ingredients provided by thepetition were used to make dishes that matched the theme.


    The one with the highest score wins, and the game is decided in one round.


    Half an hourter, thepetition began. With the sound of the gong at the front stage, He Jing was led out by the staff and stood at the side of the stage. A handsome young host on the stage said in a passionate tone.


    ¡°Let me introduce the heavyweight chef of thispetition, Head Chef Wang.


    Wee!¡±


    The audience cheered and pped.


    Obviously, this host was very skilled at keeping people in suspense. Before Head Chef Wang appeared, he introduced a long list of his glorious achievements and lifetime aplishments, making the audience and media yearn for him.


    When it was He Jing¡¯s turn, the host looked at the information card, and the atmosphere noticeably stiffened for a moment. He Jing¡¯s achievements on the information card were o, her cooking experience was o, and even her time spent in the culinary profession was o.


    The host thought, ¡°F*ck, what the hell!¡±


    However, his professionalism made him calm. He quickly sorted out his emotions and said in an excited tone as if he had won a five-million-dor lottery, ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee the new generation chef of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant, Miss He Jing!¡±


    The spotlight fell on He Jing. The slender and petite girl seemed out of ce in the entire scene.


    For two seconds, the surroundings fell silent for no reason.


    The host¡¯s smile froze on his face for an instant.


    The host thought, ¡°Was this really not a joke? To pit an eighteen-year-old girl against a top chef who had been in the culinary industry for twenty years. What else was there topete in?¡±


    Without exception, the audience who had bought tickets to enter the venue thought the same. In less than ten seconds, whispers broke out in the audience.


    ¡°No wonder the ticket price is so cheap. This is too much of a scam.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible that the head chef of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant ran away at thest minute, and the owner of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant had no choice but to pull someone in randomly?¡±


    ¡°This is a joke. I¡¯m not watching anymore. Refund my money!¡±


    The chefs of Prosperous Restaurant were delighted and gloated, ¡°Zhou¡¯s Restaurant is really out of people. With such a person, we will definitely win thispetition.¡±


    Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t looking good, the host quickly came to the rescue. He announced the rules of thepetition loudly and then hurriedly said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s draw the cooking theme of thispetition. Please look at the big screen.¡±


    Finally, he managed to shift the audience¡¯s attention away.


    Countless topics rted to food jumped on the LED screen suspended in the air. The moment he shouted the word ¡°stop,¡± two words froze on the screen.


    Young chicken.


    The chefs of Prosperous Restaurant focused their attention and almostughed to death. ¡°We¡¯re going to win for sure. Our Head Chef Wang is the best at cooking chicken. ¡±


    Young chickens were chicks that were less than a few months old. Their meat was tender and had a lot of protein. Although the cooking method was simple, it was quite challenging to cook them to a high standard.


    However, for Head Chef Wang, who had 20 years of experience, it¡¯s a piece of cake. He Jing might not even be able to pluck chicken feathers.


    From the moment He Jing appeared on stage, the host felt that it was impossible for He Jing to win. He quickly led the crowd and said, ¡°The topic of thispetition is young chicken. Sigh, it¡¯s such a difficult theme. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy for Miss He Jing to win¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at He Jing. He noticed that He Jing¡¯s eyes were downcast, her face devoid of any expression. It was as if her mind wasn¡¯t on the


    game at all.


    When it was time to choose the ingredients, He Jing and Head Chef Wang walked to the ingredients table in the center of the venue. There was an array of vegetables and meats on the ingredients table, a feast for the eyes.


    The young chickens were ced on crushed ice to maintain freshness. Head Chef Wang quickly and urately picked thergest one. He Jing¡¯s gaze slowly wandered around and finally reached out to one of them¡­.

 Chapter 219 - 219: Show Some Skills!

    Chapter 219: Show Some Skills!


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Zhou Xue¡¯er stood up abruptly from the audience seats and stared fixedly at He Jing¡¯s actions. He Jing had actually chosen the skinniest chicken.


    She thought, ¡°What the hell! That chicken was obviously malnourished!¡±


    If He Jing hadn¡¯t promised to work for Zhou¡¯s Restaurant after losing thepetition and work until she died, she would have really thought that He Jing was deliberately messing with her!


    She just didn¡¯t want the Zhou family topete. She just didn¡¯t want her to continue being a richdy.


    But¡­


    She had signed a contract!


    She even took the money!


    Zhou Xue¡¯er wanted to curse, but she couldn¡¯t. Her face turned green and white.


    Suddenly, a maic and low voice, as melodious as a cello, sounded from behind her, ¡°Zhou Xue¡¯er, sit down.¡±


    Zhou Xue¡¯er turned around and met Yan Hanxi¡¯s cold eyes. Her body trembled and goosebumps suddenly appeared on her arm.


    She dared not block Yan Hanxi¡¯s line of sight and quickly sat down.


    Head Chef Wang and He Jing had already started cooking.


    Head Chef Wang was indeed an experienced chef. In an instant, he thought of the cooking method which was braised in soy sauce.


    The braised young chicken was a famous home-cooked dish. The tender and juicy chicken meat coupled with the fragrant and sweet chestnut could maximize the characteristics of the ingredients.


    However, taste alone wasn¡¯t enough. All the chefs understood that if they wanted to conquer the taste buds of the extremely picky judges, they had to bring out the unique and extraordinary delicacy in the world. Even if he cooked the braised young chicken to perfection, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get high marks without freshness. Therefore, he decisively chose a few special ingredients and threw them into the preparation.


    These special ingredients were inspired by a dish of boiled prawns a few days ago. Even though prawns were seafood and the chicken was poultry, the cooking method waspletely different.


    However, he already had enough ability to perfectly fuse the two ingredients. The braised young chicken wasn¡¯t cooked yet, but it had already emitted a burst of strong fragrance¡­


    In an instant, the entirepetition venue and even the audience seats were filled with an indescribable wonderful smell.


    Although not hungry, stomachs kept growling incessantly as if the gluttonous worm had been awakened.


    The judges sitting in their seats couldn¡¯t help but swallow their saliva.


    The chefs from Prosperous Restaurant screamed excitedly. ¡°Oh, oh, oh! We¡¯re going to win this time!¡±


    On the other hand, He Jing didn¡¯t make any movements. She just cut the young chicken into pieces, then coated the young chicken pieces with bread crumbs and fried them in the pot.


    The hot oil gurgled and bubbled, and the young chicken pieces changed color immediately, but she didn¡¯t pick them up.


    The meat of the young chicken was very tender. If it was fried for too long, the meat would turn dry and lose a lot of nutrients. Even if the young chicken pieces were coated, she shouldn¡¯t fry it for that long.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er endured it to the extreme and was about to stand up again when she suddenly felt a chill on her neck.


    Her head, which was swollen from anger, quickly calmed down as the person behind him emitted a cold aura.


    She clenched the corner of her clothes tightly and shouted in her heart over and over again, ¡°Come on, He Jing. Show some skills. Where did your usual skills go?¡±


    Perhaps God had heard her plea, but He Jing finally scooped up the chicken pieces from the oil pan and dabbed them with ayer of unknown liquid. Before Zhou Xue¡¯er could think that this was He Jing¡¯s ultimate weapon and use it to defeat her enemy, He Jing threw the chicken pieces into the oil pan again.


    Zhou Xue¡¯er¡¯s vision went ck and she slumped into her seat. Her eyes were unfocused and she was inplete despair.


    Why did she have to torture her like this?


    Can¡¯t she quit being a wealthy heiress? Please just be a normal person!

 Chapter 220 - 220: The Most Delicious?

    Chapter 220: The Most Delicious?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Time ticked by, and an hour and a half had passed since the match began. Dominated by the fragrance of Head Chef Wang¡¯s special braised young chicken, the atmosphere of the entire venue became anxious. Even the judges couldn¡¯t sit still.


    The host continued to exin, and the topic basically revolved around Head Chef Wang¡¯s braised young chicken. asionally, he would mention He Jing. After all, the charm of the braised young chicken was too captivating.


    Head Chef Wang¡¯s braised young chicken simmered gently in the pot. He took the opportunity to showcase his carving skills. He took a carrot and carved a unique old hen. He ced it on the te and it looked vivid and lifelike. The host deliberately had the cameraman zoom in.


    He Jing had already fried the chicken pieces for the fourth time. Although it wasn¡¯t the same te of chicken pieces, the cooking method didn¡¯t seem different.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they had repeatedly confirmed that she was the chef that the Zhou family had hired at a high price, the production team would have thought that she was here to have fun.


    Just as everyone started toin, doubting He Jing¡¯s ability andining about why He Jing was so slow, He Jing¡¯s chicken cutlet was finally fried.


    She squeezed the sauce that she had specially made and pressed thepletion bell. The host rushed up from the side of the stage almost impatiently and announced loudly, ¡°It¡¯s done! It¡¯s done!¡±


    There were also pure food enthusiasts in the audience who had specifically spent money to buy tickets to watch the game. When they heard this, their spirits were lifted and theyined,


    ¡°Finally done. This chef called He Jing is really slow.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so young and her skills don¡¯t seem great.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I wonder how she managed to get in. Can¡¯t we get a more skilled chef to do it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, how can a famous chef be hired for such a small-scalepetition? This He Jing must have been bought with money to be gilded. After all, when she goes out to look for a job in the future, she will have the reputation of being the champion of a certainpetition. It sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, the reputation of the culinary world has been ruined just like that.¡±


    Almost no one thought that He Jing could win, whether it was in terms of age or cooking skills.


    The owner of Prosperous Restaurant, Liu Fu, was sitting in thest row with


    Mr. Zhou. Liu Fu smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, it seems that I¡¯ve won this match.


    The girl you hired is beautiful, but her skills aren¡¯t very good.¡±


    Mr. Zhou also smiled. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    He nced at He Jing, who remained calm in the middle of the arena. He faked ttery and said, ¡°It seems that I¡¯ll have to call you Boss Liu, Mr. Liu, from now on.¡±


    Although Liu Fu said ¡°just ttering¡±, he was extremely pleased in his heart.


    So what if he used to work for Mr. Zhou? It didn¡¯t matter. He had turned the tables now.


    From now on, when it came to restaurants in A City, no one would think of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant. It was now Prosperous Restaurant that dominated.


    At this moment, the judges had already started the evaluation segment. The host couldn¡¯t help but pick up a piece of the dish with his chopsticks when it was about to be served to the judges.


    As he ate, he tried to smooth things over for himself, amusing the audience, but halfway through the joke, he suddenly stopped.


    The host¡¯s huge intoxicated face appeared on the LED screen. His expression of wanting to cry from the deliciousness didn¡¯t seem fake at all. He chewed bit by bit as if he couldn¡¯t bear to swallow it so quickly.


    The audience below was getting restless. They knew that Head Chef Wang¡¯s braised young chicken was so fragrant that it would definitely be delicious!


    It wasn¡¯t until the host finished a mouthful of braised young chicken that he wiped his tears. ¡°Dear audience, after this match, you must go to Prosperous Restaurant to try this braised young chicken. This is the best braised young chicken I¡¯ve ever eaten in my life, without a doubt..¡±

 Chapter 221 - 221: Points

    Chapter 221: Points


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This¡­


    The audience was dumbfounded.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of chicken. Is it really that good?¡± ¡°Why is he crying? Is it really too delicious?¡±


    ¡°I believe it.¡±


    ¡°Sisters, are we going to Prosperous Restaurant together? We¡¯ll have two tes of braised chicken each.¡¯


    The judges sat in their seats, eagerly anticipating the braised young chicken.


    Before the dishes were ced properly, they couldn¡¯t wait to pick up their chopsticks and pick up the chicken pieces to taste.


    The sweet smell of chestnuts mixed with the rich garlic fragrance melted in their mouths. Strangely, these two seemingly ipatible vors bnced andplemented each other, enhancing the overall aroma. The moment the smooth and tender chicken touched the tip of his tongue, it was vividly reflected. The slight numbness of the pepper made the whole body tremble for this delicacy. In this distinctlyyeredbination of sweet, spicy, numbing, salty, and fresh vors, there was also a new taste, which was elegance.


    It was really hard to imagine that a dish like braised young chicken, which was typically oily and greasy, could have such unique characteristics. On a closer look, the chicken that had been braised for so long wasn¡¯t red with soy sauce, but a natural golden brown like prawns that turned red and golden when heated.


    The judges, as if a gust of wind had blown away the remnants of clouds, quickly finished the chicken on their tes and then asked, ¡°Chef Wang, how did you cook these chicken pieces?¡±


    Even though the LED screen yed his cooking process in all directions without any blind spots, identifying all the various seasonings amidst the dazzling array of ingredients wasn¡¯t easy.


    Chef Wang answered seriously, ¡°White wine.¡±


    The Boiled spotted prawns were also made with white wine.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re really amazing to be able toe up with this method.¡±


    After a unanimous agreement, the judges gave the same score, which was 9.8.


    The moment the score was announced, the entire audience was in an uproar.


    ¡°F*ck, he¡¯s too strong!¡±


    Those who watched many food shows knew that a dish had a total score of 10 points. It was already very impressive to get 9-5 points.


    Except for the rare case of judges having unique tastes, asionally giving abnormally high scores to their preferred dishes, they had almost never seen unanimous scores of 9.8.


    The four judges gave 9.8 points, so the average score was 9.8.


    Unless He Jing¡¯s dish was unbelievably good that she could achieve a fantastic score like 9-9 or even 10, she was essentially set to lose.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of eating this fried chicken? It¡¯s definitely going to taste worse.¡±


    ¡°Using young chicken as fried chicken, and frying it for so long, she¡¯s really creative. She doesn¡¯t have any skills at all. I¡¯m not watching anymore. Let¡¯s go to Prosperous Restaurant and make a reservation now.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this fried chicken doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    When the host picked up the fried chicken that was divided into four tes, his expression was also difficult to describe.


    To be honest,pared to Chef Wang¡¯s perfectly colored braised young chicken with intricate carvings and white wine, this fried chicken was really ugly.


    He Jing probably didn¡¯t cut the chicken steak evenly. Some were big, others small. When stacked together, it looked like two pieces of expired meat bones. Only the sauce sprinkled on it looked slightly better.


    However, the host had a professional demeanor. Despite his inner disdain, he didn¡¯t show it. He only used a rtively gentle phrase to describe it, ¡°Let me see what this standard fried chicken steak cooked by Chef He tastes like!¡±


    The judges watched the fried chicken being served and couldn¡¯t help but look at each other. They looked at each other in dismay. Their expressions were indescribable.


    A more experienced judge suppressed his disdain and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first..¡±

 Chapter 222 - 222: Wait A Minute

    Chapter 222: Wait A Minute


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Hence, he took up his knife and fork, cut off a small piece of chicken cutlet with it, and put it into his mouth with a frown.


    The other judges stared at him as if he had taken some kind of poison and would fall to the ground in the next second.


    After that, the judges¡¯ table fell into dead silence.


    In the middle of the venue, the host was still enthusiastically exining and crazily delivering, ¡°Now, we can see that one of the judges has already started tasting it. I wonder what kind of evaluation the judges will make! Eh¡­ What was going on? Why was there no movement from the judges after they finished eating? Could it be that this fried chicken was too horrible and they couldn¡¯t think of any good words? Indeed, with Chef Wang¡¯s perfect braised young chicken, it¡¯s indeed difficult for others to surpass it. In my opinion, this fried chicken can only get 7 points at most¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a strange cry from the judges interrupted hismentary.


    He turned around and saw that the judge was actually¡­ Crying?


    The elderly judge put down his chopsticks and took off his sses. He wiped the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand and cried shamelessly. He looked so sad that the other judges panicked.


    Everyone present was stunned by this scene. They were dumbstruck and widened their eyes in disbelief. They wanted to figure out what was going on. Could it be that they had entered the wrong venue? Was this not apetition, but some kind of emotional column?


    Chef Wang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He felt that something was wrong and immediately turned to look at He Jing.


    He Jing stood calmly in the scoring area, her body straight and her hands sped together. Her posture was natural and elegant.


    She looked like she had everything under control.


    Chef Wang thought, ¡°How was this possible? She was only eighteen years old¡­¡±


    Could it be that an eighteen-year-old girl really outshines him, an old chef who had been cooking for decades?


    Chef Wang tried his best to calm himself down and not panic. It could also be that He Jing¡¯s dish was too unptable. He must not let his imagination run wild until thest moment¡­


    At the same time, the host thought the same thing. ¡°Oh my god, the situation is a little awkward now. Has Chef He¡¯s fried chicken tasted so bad? The other judges are hesitating whether to eat it or not. In order to prevent all the judges from crying because of the bad taste, I suggest that we take it down¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a staff member immediately went on stage and prepared to collect the tes.


    At this moment, a female judge beside the elderly judge suddenly stopped him and said, ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Everyone was stunned again.


    This matter was turning one after another. What was going on!


    The photographer cleverly took a close-up of the female judge¡¯s facial expression. He saw that the beautiful young female judge had an expression simr to the anticipation and hesitation before opening Pandora¡¯s box. Her eyebrows were very conflicted. She picked up the knife and fork and slowly cut the fried chicken in front of her. After the dark brown fried chicken was cut open, a clear golden honey flow flowed out from it, and the meat inside was extremely beautiful bright red! Boom!


    Everyone was in an uproar!


    This¡­ What was this!


    It looked too exquisite!


    The golden honey flow was like the filling in a quicksand egg yolk mooncake,pletely free of impurities. The red color of the meat was closer to that of a well-cooked steak. All of this was showcased against the backdrop of the dark-brown outer coating, creating an excessively dazzling sight.


    Even though the chicken cutlet was only about 1 centimeter thick, it possessed such distinctyers that it looked exceptionally delicious!


    Under the gaze of everyone, unable to resist the waves of excitement and saliva-inducing reactions, the female judge picked up a piece and ced it into her mouth..

 Chapter 223 - 223: Emotional Talk Show?

    Chapter 223: Emotional Talk Show?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The next second, the fork in the female judge¡¯s hand fell on the te, making a crisp sound. Then, she covered her face and choked.


    The host waspletely at a loss about what to do. He asked the staff to hand over tissues while maintaining order at the scene. He said, ¡°After the demonstration just now, I think everyone knows that Chef He¡¯s fried chicken steak is definitely not simple. The remaining two judges have also tried it, and I wonder what kind of reaction they will have. Now, I¡¯ll give it a try. Let¡¯s see what kind of dish can make the two judges lose theirposure one after another¡­¡±


    After saying that, he cut a small piece of the elderly judge¡¯s unfinished chicken cutlet.


    When he stuffed the small piece of chicken cutlet into his mouth, an extremely shocking shock wave rushed towards the top of his head. He felt that his internal organs were being attacked, and there was nobat strength to resist. He heard someone singing praises for him above his head. The moment his soul ascended to the sky, he saw his hometown when he was young.


    Brick houses, countrynes, it was almost noon, and smoke was rising from the chimneys everywhere. He was wearing open-crotch pants and was sweating profusely as he returned home hungry.


    As soon as he entered the door, he saw his mother preparing the dishes and cing them on the table. She came over and patted the mud off his body.


    Her smile was beautiful and gentle. She didn¡¯t me him at all. She even let him sit in his seat and fed him spoonful by spoonful.


    Thinking back to the bright and beautiful life he had spent in the city after leaving his hometown, he realized that he had too manyints and too little appreciation for the woman who took care of him when he was young. Every time he called, he would say impatiently, ¡°I know, Mom.¡±


    It had only been a few years. When he saw that woman again, he suddenly realized that she had a head full of white hair. She was already very different from the youthful and beautiful appearance she had in his childhood.


    He had long forgotten his original intentions, forgotten that his hard-earned money was actually meant to support her!


    A man in his thirties suddenly squatted on the stage, holding the microphone in one hand and covering his eyes with the other, crying loudly.


    The people in the audience watched and felt that something was wrong. They were all dumbfounded.


    Did they really not identally enter the scene of some emotional talk show?


    Why did they cry while eating? Was this scientific? Was it reasonable? Were they a bunch of shirks?


    Fortunately, there were still two judges who were rational. They didn¡¯t cry from eating, but each of them looked moreplicated than the other. The two of them were silent for a long time before one of them said, ¡°It¡¯s really hard to imagine that I can eat such delicious food in my lifetime. I can¡¯t give ament on this work.¡±


    Another judge also said, ¡°Such a creative and soulful dish is beyond the scope of apetition. It should be called art and enter the realm of gourmet appreciation. ¡±


    Chef Wang couldn¡¯t believe this at all. He rushed forward without any regard for his dignity and ate all the remaining chicken cutlets in front of the female judge. He didn¡¯t believe that a high school girl could cook anything delicious. They must have been bribed¡­


    Bribed.


    Before he could say thest two words, his mind went nk.


    He had already forgotten what he wanted to say because that top-notch delicacy swept over and directly defeated him.


    What a wonderful taste it was. The goldenva rolled on the tip of his tongue. It was actually formed by grains of rice. Every grain of rice waspletely coated with the egg liquid, mixed with the fragrance of the chicken. Under the slightly sour and sweet sauce, the chicken cutlet was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was two pr opposites..

 Chapter 224 - 224: Being a Chef Is Not My Future Ambition

    Chapter 224: Being a Chef Is Not My Future Ambition


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    All the vors fused together andplemented each other, creating a revelry feast on the tip of his tongue. With each chew, the taste became deeper and deeper, and the deeper it became, the sweeter it became. It was as if even his saliva was made of sugar water.


    In addition to the tenderness of the chicken cutlet, the bones of the cutlet were as crispy as fried fish, making a satisfying ¡°crackling¡± sound between the teeth. The unique taste of the bones elevated the overall vor of the chicken cutlet and maximally highlighted the characteristics of the young chicken. It was a perfect masterpiece.


    This¡­


    Head Chef Wang¡¯s face stiffened, and he couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    He turned around again and looked at the beautiful andposed young girl. She didn¡¯t even frown, as if she wasn¡¯t proud of her cooking at all.


    A master chef.


    She was the true master chef.


    He had utterly lost, but he epted it wholeheartedly.


    The judges asked, ¡°Chef He, what¡¯s the name of your dish?¡±


    He Jing, who had been waiting quietly, replied casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t name it. I¡¯ll just call it fried chicken cutlet.¡±


    It was toomon to call it fried chicken cutlet¡­


    The judges were powerless toin, but they had no choice. Chefs had the ability to decide the name of their own dishes, but they secretly added a prefix to this fried chicken cutlet in their hearts. He Jing.


    Only He Jing¡¯s fried chicken cutlet could be so special and have such a wonderful taste.


    The elderly judge and the female judge barely stopped crying. Their eyes were red and swollen. They joined in the conversation. ¡°Miss He Jing, we represent the Chinese Culinary Association to officially invite you to be one of us.¡±


    He Jing thought for a moment and said, ¡°No. Being a chef isn¡¯t my future ambition.¡±


    Her dream was to be a Nobel Prize winner. She wanted to develop chemistry the most. She wanted to research future energy sources and be a person who could benefit the country and society.


    The elderly judge panicked when he heard that. He quickly tried to persuade her, ¡°Is it because of your family? If there¡¯s any obstacle, you can tell me¡­¡± He Jing shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    This answer was simply heartbreaking. With such ability and talent, it would be a waste if she didn¡¯t be a chef.


    However, He Jing didn¡¯t seem to be moved. The elderly judge chose to give up. He walked down from the judges¡¯ seats and gave her his business card.


    This time, He Jing epted it.


    The match was over, and the result was obvious. He Jing emerged as the undisputed winner.


    In the audience, Zhou Xue¡¯er, who had been sweating for He Jing, opened her eyes wide and stuttered, ¡°You won?¡±


    Just a second ago, the host had said that the judges were crying over the bad taste, and the next second, she had won. This was too¡­ Thrilling, right?


    The chefs of Prosperous Restaurant were even more stunned. Their mouths were wide open. No way, such a powerful Chef Wang actually lost?


    Then wouldn¡¯t the Prosperous Restaurant have to follow the bet and get out of A City? They would lose their jobs!


    This time, they couldn¡¯t lift their spirits. Each of them seemed more depressed


    than the other.


    The owner of Prosperous Restaurant, Liu Fu, who had been smiling all this while, had an unpleasant expression on his face. He looked like he had lost his parents. ¡°How could this happen?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it just a fried chicken cutlet? How delicious could it be? Mr. Zhou must have bribed the judges!


    Thinking of this possibility, he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head with fire in his eyes. He saw Mr. Zhou smiling and saying, ¡°Oops, Mr. Liu¡¯s luck is really bad. I hope I can see Mr. Liu in A City again next time.¡±


    With that, he stood up, brushed off the non-existent dust on his suit, and left thepetition venue with the demeanor of a victor.


    At this moment, Yan Hanxi stood up from his seat and went to greet the winner of the match with a slight smile on his thin lips. However, He Jing walked in another direction¡­.

 Chapter 225 - 225: I’m Also Very Talented in Other Aspects

    Chapter 225: I¡¯m Also Very Talented in Other Aspects


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    His smile froze on his face. Upon closer look, the person looked a little familiar.


    It was He Zhou.


    The sudden unpleasantness in his heart instantly dissipated.


    He Jing went up to the audience and walked up to He Zhou. She asked uneasily,


    ¡°Third brother, why are you here?¡±


    He Zhou retorted expressionlessly, ¡°Can¡¯t Ie?¡±


    He Jing was used to being pricked by his words. She smiled. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that


    I¡¯m surprised that third brother is here.¡±


    He Zhou said, ¡°My dish was picked by the people from Prosperous Restaurant to study and then brought here for thepetition. Of course, I came to take a look.¡±


    That was true.


    Wasn¡¯t He Zhou the one who came up with the idea of cooking the braised young chicken with white wine?


    When Chef Wang lifted the lid of the pot, a strong fragrance wafted out. She immediately understood that He Zhou¡¯s creativity had been chosen.


    Because of this, she understood the ws of the braised young chicken and cleverly made use of the aftertaste left in the judges¡¯ mouths after eating it. She made a fried chicken cutlet that was actually not that delicious and won thepetition.


    Therefore, it was all thanks to He Zhou¡­


    ¡°He Jing, why don¡¯t you want to be a chef? Do you look down on all chefs?¡±


    God knew what He Zhou was thinking when he heard that He Jing¡¯s future ambition wasn¡¯t to be a chef.


    He had thought that He Jing was like him and wanted to be a chef in the future, so she would cook seriously. However, it turned out to be his imagination.


    It was too easy for a culinary genius like her to be famous in this field. Of course, she would not think highly of this profession.


    However, he realized that he was very ufortable, as if¡­ The two of them had agreed to climb to the top of the mountain together, but he was abandoned halfway.


    A huge sense of helplessness and confusion surged from his heart, making him uneasy and agitated in a way he had never experienced before.


    He Jing smiled. ¡°Why would I? Hobbies and professions are two different things. I like to cook, but it¡¯s just a simpleck of desire to be a chef.¡±


    However, this sentence directly hit He Zhou¡¯s sore spot, making him suddenly furious. He was extremely excited and said fiercely, ¡°No, you have to be a chef!¡±


    He Jing was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡±


    He Zhou became even more agitated and said angrily, ¡°What ¡®why¡¯? Why are there so many whys?!¡±


    The veins on his forehead bulged, and he looked very angry. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to waste your talent, or else¡­¡±


    ¡°Third brother.¡± He Jing interrupted him lightly and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m also very talented in other aspects.¡±


    As long as a person wants to do something well, working hard at it will lead to sess.


    Moreover, her IQ wasn¡¯t bad, and she was more efficient than the average person.


    He Zhou felt as if his chest had been pierced by a needle. His breathing became stifled. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t understand why He Zhou was so angry all of a sudden. Was it that important to him whether she was a chef or not?


    Wait a minute¡­


    He Jing suddenly realized something important. Her mood became somewhat subtle. She carefully probed, ¡°Third brother, don¡¯t tell me you want to be my partner?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t umon for two chefs to be partners in the world of chefs. They studied cooking together, attendedpetitions together, and some even got married because of it.


    He Zhou said that he hated her more and more, but in fact, he had already nned for her in his future career development?


    He Zhou seemed to have been hit on the spot. His eyes revealed a trace of confusion. Then, he quickly reacted and shouted even louder.. ¡°I think you¡¯re dreaming!¡±

 Chapter 226 - 226: Her Goal Is To Study Hard And Make Progress Every Day

    Chapter 226: Her Goal Is To Study Hard And Make Progress Every Day


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest. She said with great joy,


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It seems that I was overthinking.¡±


    He Zhou felt deeply humiliated. At the same time, there was an invisible p on his face. Every word he said was filled with deep resentment, ¡°Do you look down on me?¡±


    He Jing smiled lightly, her eyes clear. ¡°Third brother, only people who have a perfect understanding of each other can be the best partners. If we get together, we¡¯ll only quarrel. We can¡¯t focus on cooking.¡±


    He Zhou was inexplicably unwilling. ¡°Do I have to build a good rtionship with you and do whatever you say if I want to be your partner?¡±


    He Jing tilted her head and thought about it seriously. She answered, ¡°At the very least, you can¡¯t dislike me.¡± He Zhou was speechless.


    He couldn¡¯te up with any words.


    He Zhou could only watch helplessly as He Jing and Yan Hanxi left thepetition venue.


    As soon as they stepped out of the building, the Zhou family¡¯s car was already parked in front of the building. Mr. Zhou was smoking as he waited there. When he saw that there was an additional person beside He Jing, he didn¡¯t pay too much attention. He just greeted her with a smile.


    ¡°Miss He Jing, you didn¡¯t let me down. Thanks to you, Zhou¡¯s Restaurant was able to survive this crisis. I¡¯m willing to pay you an additional 200,000 yuan. I wonder if Miss He Jing is interested¡­¡±


    Yan Hanxi interrupted him and refuted He Jing, ¡°Not interested. Her goal is to study hard and make progress every day.¡±


    Mr. Zhou then looked at Yan Hanxi. He felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen him before. He asked hesitantly, ¡°You


    Yan Hanxi said indifferently, ¡°My surname is Yan.¡±


    Mr. Zhou sucked in a breath of cold air. Then, he became even more enthusiastic. ¡°So it¡¯s the famous Young Master Yan. I didn¡¯t expect you to be here. My Xue¡¯er is in school. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of her.¡±


    Yan Hanxi snorted silently. He didn¡¯t embarrass him. He looked at He Jing slowly and was about to take her away when He Jing said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Zhou. I really can¡¯t care about anything else except my studies.


    I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Mr. Zhou had no choice but to give up on the idea. He forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I hope we can work together again next time.¡±


    He Jing thought to herself, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance. The 200,000 yuan I earned is enough for the He family¡¯s expenses for the next five years. If it¡¯s not necessary, I won¡¯t represent anyone else in thepetition.¡¯


    In the end, He Jing declined the Zhou family¡¯s luxury car and took the bus home.


    He Zhou hadn¡¯t arrived home yet.


    He Ning was sitting on the sofa watching television, while He Chen was supervising He Xiaoguo¡¯s homework.


    He Sui and He Yi were nowhere to be found. He Jing came in and asked, and He Ning said, ¡°Aunt has something over there and asked them to go over and help.


    Why are you back so early? Where¡¯s Third Brother?¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t know if she should tell him the truth about herpetition.


    While He Jing was hesitating, He Ning suddenly called out, ¡°Third brother.¡±


    He Jing subconsciously turned around and saw He Zhou standing behind her with a gloomy face. He looked gloomy and unapproachable. He Ning called out to him, but he pretended not to hear him. He walked past He Jing and returned to his room to close the door.


    Before He Chen and He Xiaoguo could react, they looked up and he was already gone. They were both a little uneasy.


    The entire living room fell silent. He Ning frowned and stood up from the sofa.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    With that, he quickly followed..

 Chapter 227 - 227: Why Doesn’t She Become a Chef?

    Chapter 227: Why Doesn¡¯t She Be a Chef?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He opened the door and entered, isting the room from the outside world. He Jing could only silently retract her gaze.


    He Chen asked, ¡°Xiaoguo¡¯s doing a jigsaw puzzle. Do you want to join?¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡±


    Then, they threw themselves into a new round of the tangram game.


    At this moment, in the room.


    ¡°Third brother, didn¡¯t you go to watch thepetition at Prosperous


    Restaurant? How did things turn out like this when he came back? Did


    Prosperous Restaurant use your creativity and lose?¡±


    He Zhou sat on the bed with a gloomy aura. After a long time, he looked up at He Ning and replied.


    ¡°They lost.¡±


    He Ning hadn¡¯t expected him to be so straightforward. He sighed andforted him, ¡°Your opponent is a veteran chef with decades of experience.


    It¡¯s normal for you to lose.¡±


    Speaking of this, He Zhou couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°Do you know who won?¡±


    He Ning was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s He Jing.¡±


    He Ning¡¯s pupils shrank. ¡°How could that be?¡±


    He Zhou said with a mocking and self-deprecating expression, ¡°She went on stage in ce of Zhou¡¯s Restaurant and beat the chefs of Prosperous


    Restaurant to a pulp. All the judges thought that her dishes were impable. Someone even invited her to join the China Culinary Association, but she refused.¡¯


    ¡°She¡¯s really too dazzling. On thepetition stage, she outshone all the hundred-watt light bulbs.¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine?¡±


    A word popped up in He Ning¡¯s mind almost without a second thought, ¡°No.¡±


    Although He Jing was outstanding, he really couldn¡¯t imagine that the usually low-key and indifferent girl would be so dazzling on such a grand asion.


    ¡°But she¡¯s so talented, yet she says she doesn¡¯t want to be a chef. Heh.¡± He Zhou found it extremely ironic. ¡°The dream that other people can only dream of has been abandoned by her. Then what is the point of her saying that she sees me as her best opponent on the path of exploring culinary?¡±


    She probably never took his level seriously.


    The best opponent was a lie.


    She had never thought of climbing the mountain of delicacies with him, so when faced with his question, she didn¡¯t hesitate to say that she didn¡¯t want to. He Ning had thought that He Zhou was like this because He Jing had given him a blow. However, the more he heard, the more he felt that something was wrong. He hesitantly asked, ¡°Could it be that you really want her to be a chef with you?¡±


    He Zhou said, ¡°This is what she should do.¡±


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. ¡°She¡¯s so talented. Why doesn¡¯t she be a chef¡­¡±


    He Ning felt a headacheing on and interrupted him helplessly, ¡°He Jing is also very strong in other fields. Third brother, if you hate her, you should hope that she never touches a kitchen knife again. That way, you won¡¯t have to see her so often in the future, right?¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°I hate her, but it doesn¡¯t stop her from bing a chef¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± He Ning couldn¡¯t help but attack him directly. ¡°Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn¡¯t want to be a chef because she hates you?


    Despite her stubborn words, she¡¯s still a girl.¡¯


    He Zhou waspletely stunned. At this moment, he felt as if his soul had been severely injured. It was no less than when he knew that he had realized his sister had mistakenly carried away.


    He Ning walked over and patted his shoulder. ¡°If you want her to be a chef, you should be gentle with her. That way, she will have the motivation to study dishes with you. She is our sister, not a puppet or an enemy. Her feelings matter.¡±


    He Zhou¡¯s lips moved, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    He Ning added, ¡°Think about it carefully..¡±

 Chapter 228 - 228: A Change in Attitudes

    Chapter 228: A Change in Attitudes


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After saying that, he left without looking back.


    He Zhou was left alone in the room. He hadn¡¯t calmed down for a long time. He reyed the scene of He Jing¡¯s dazzling eyes in his mind over and over again.


    Those lights were what he wanted to have even in his dreams.


    But He Jing was disdainful¡­


    And didn¡¯t want them¡­


    Was he really going to stumble along the path of culinary alone?


    No, he couldn¡¯t. It was uneptable!


    He Jing had to go with him.


    If treating He Jing a little better could make He Jing change her mind about not being a chef.


    So be it!


    What was the big deal?


    As if he had figured out the crux of the problem in an instant, He Zhou stood up from the bed and opened the door. He saw He Jing nestled on the sofa


    ying a tangram puzzle with He Xiaoguo. He strode forward and grabbed her


    shoulder.


    He Jing looked up in confusion. ¡°Third brother?¡±


    He Zhou carried her directly into the kitchen.


    Before He Jing could react, He Zhou had already taken out a chopping board and a knife and was chopping an apple. In less than two minutes, the fruit sd was ready. He brought it to He Jing and said concisely, ¡°Eat.¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    He Zhou looked at her for a while and took a deep breath. He said, ¡°I was wrong before. I¡¯ll treat you well from now on.¡±


    He Jing was bewildered.


    It was extremely unsettling to hear such words from He Zhou.


    He Jing frowned slightly. She was about to ask what had gotten into him.


    However, it was still a good thing. He Jing didn¡¯t think too much about it and epted it dly. She put a piece of apple into her mouth and chewed it carefully. Then she smiled sweetly. ¡°It¡¯s great that Third brother thinks so.¡±


    He Zhou nced at her from the corner of his eye. He felt that this smile was extremely dazzling. He snorted. ¡°You nevercked someone like me to dote on you.¡±


    The words carried a hint of jealousy.


    He Jing¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Third brother is Third Brother. Others are others.


    It¡¯s not the same. Oh right, Third brother, do you want to go to Zhou¡¯s


    Restaurant to study?¡±


    He Zhou was about to continue with his teasing remarks, but when he heard that, his expression changed slightly. ¡°Zhou¡¯s Restaurant is the restaurant that you¡¯re representing in thepetition today?¡±


    ¡°Right, Third brother, do you want to go?¡±


    He Zhou twisted his neck and said nonchntly, ¡°They won¡¯t want me.¡±


    He Jing thought that Zhou¡¯s Restaurant would definitely take over Prosperous Restaurant and expand the scale of the restaurant after taking it down. Now was the time to look for talents. He Zhou wasn¡¯t weak. It wasn¡¯t a problem for him to be an apprentice, let alone a chef.


    He Jing chuckled. ¡°Since Third brother¡¯s dishes have passed the test of


    Prosperous Restaurant, then there¡¯s definitely a chance for them to be favored by Zhou¡¯s Restaurant. Why not give it a try?¡±


    He Zhou fell into a brief silence, then heughed sarcastically. ¡°My affairs don¡¯t need your concern.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    He Zhou¡¯s attitude was really unpredictable, fluctuating like a storm.


    He Zhou seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He said coldly, ¡°I said that I would treat you well in the future, but I didn¡¯t allow you to treat me well. Stay out of my business.¡±


    He Jing didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry when she heard this. This was the first time she had heard such words. This was really¡­


    Emmmmm¡­


    It was hard to exin.


    He Zhou seemed tired of dealing with her. He said rudely, ¡°Go out after you¡¯re done eating. I¡¯m going to cook.¡±


    He Jing looked at the clock in the living room through the kitchen ss door. It seemed that it was indeed mealtime, so she stepped out without hesitation.


    A match couldn¡¯t cause too much of a stir. For some reason, the match footage on that day was strictly blocked.


    He Jing had probably guessed who was behind this. She went to the door to ask.


    Yan Hanxi bent down and yed with the stray hair by her ear.. He smiled and said, ¡°Have you forgotten that Yin High School forbids students from engaging in allmercial activities?¡±

 Chapter 229 - 229: Cheating for the First Time in Her Life

    Chapter 229: Cheating for the First Time in Her Life


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing had indeed forgotten that it was normal for students in formal institutions to not be allowed to engage in business activities and dy their studies. She held her forehead and said with a slight headache, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°But even if Yin High School knew, they would turn a blind eye. After all, it¡¯s hard to find another student as outstanding as you.¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t tell whether Yan Hanxi was praising her or insulting her. She changed the topic. ¡°What ss are we havingter?¡±


    Yan Hanxi said, ¡°Physics.¡±


    He Jing took out her physics book and remembered that she hadn¡¯t done her physics homework.


    He Jing was at a loss for words.


    She was so focused on thepetition that she forgot about the physics homework given by the teacher.


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s eyes twinkled with mischief. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the student councilor wouldn¡¯t do her homework one day.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s ears turned red. She red at him and took out the physics paper from her physics book. She looked at the time. There were still 20 minutes to ss. At most, she could onlyplete one side of the paper.


    Forget it. One side was better than handing in a nk paper.


    Yan Hanxi suddenly grabbed the tip of her ballpoint pen. His thin lips curved


    Yan Hanxi suddenly grabbed the tip of her ballpoint pen. His thin lips curved into a smile. ¡°Merit Student, how about ying a game to cultivate tacit understanding?¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    She saw Yan Hanxi take out a ballpoint pen from his pencil case and point at the quarter of the dough that was leaning against him. ¡°You write on that side.


    I¡¯ll write on this side. Turn it overter.¡±


    He Jing¡¯s lips twitched and said, ¡°Our handwriting is different. The physics teacher will be able to tell.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°Then we can only bet on the physics teacher¡¯s trust in you as a Merit Student. He only needs to look at the answers. It takes one minute.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    She thought, ¡°What the hell!¡±


    He Jing found it hard to believe Yan Hanxi¡¯s proposal. She pulled the test paper toward herself. Yan Hanxi nced at He Jing again and saw theplicated expression on her face. He was even more delighted. ¡°If we get caught, just say that we¡¯re doing the test questions in apetition.¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°You are poisonous.¡±


    Yan Hanxi¡¯s smile deepened. He wrote ¡°C¡± on the multiple-choice question on the right side of the paper and said with conviction, ¡°This is the privilege of Merit Student for a long time. We should be forgiven if we make a mistake asionally.¡±


    In the end, He Jing couldn¡¯t resist him. She cheated for the first time in her life and handed in the test paper guiltily.


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because Yan Hanxi was the male lead, but the physics teacher didn¡¯t criticize her and even gave her an excellent grade for her homework.


    But soon, He Jing knew why. The physics teacher was beaming.¡± The provincial physicspetition ising soon. Student Cheng Yi, Student He Jing, do you have any thoughts?¡±


    Cheng Yi was suddenly called out. Subconsciously, she stood up in a panic and met the physics teacher¡¯s eyes. It took her a long time to react to what the physics teacher had said. Then, she bit her lip and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I should be able to participate.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°Teacher, physics is my worst subject.¡±


    She had recently performed poorly in two pop quizzes. Shen Qiuyu even scored higher than her.


    The physics teacher waved his hand and said nonchntly, ¡°Thest two exams were rtively difficult. It¡¯s normal that you didn¡¯t do well. As long as Student He Jing maintains a stable performance, I believe you will definitely get good results.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the whole ss was in tears. No matter how bad He Jing¡¯s grades were, she was still ranked fourth. How could that be considered not doing well?


    If they hadn¡¯t personally experienced how awesome He Jing was, they would have thought that the physics teacher was ying some high-level Versailles game-


    The physics teacher then looked at the school bully beside He Jing. He was tempted but didn¡¯t dare to move his mouth. In the end, he gave up the idea.


    The teacher thought, ¡°Sigh, forget it. This guy had never participated in anypetition before.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the next second, Yan Hanxi spun his ballpoint pen and smiledzily. ¡°Teacher, I want to participate too.. Why didn¡¯t you ask me?¡±

 Chapter 230 - 230: As Long As She Didn’t Take the Exam

    Chapter 230: As Long As She Didn¡¯t Take the Exam


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    This¡­


    The physics teacher was absolutely thrilled and immediately followed his words, asking, ¡°Does Student Yan Hanxi want to participate?¡±


    ¡°If Student He Jing is going, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Instantly, the entire ssroom was filled with whistles.


    The girls were shy, and the boys were making weird noises. The school bully really never did things halfheartedly, but once he did, he would make a big deal out of it. The JingYan couple started giving out candy again.


    The physics teacher asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Yan Hanxi turned his eyes to He Jing. His eyes were smiling. There was a hint of teasing in his ambiguous tone. ¡°Just keeping each otherpany.¡±


    He Jing blushed and pinched his thigh under the table.


    Yan Hanxi was speechless. ¡°Ouch.¡±


    He Jing, ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The physics teacher was grinning from ear to ear. He thought that Yan Hanxi meant to encourage each other. He was afraid that Yan Hanxi would go back on his word, so he quickly said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll submit the name list now. After a few days, there will be an exam for the slots, and Student Yan Hanxi must attend on time.¡±


    Yan Hanxi nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He Jing lowered her eyes and opened her textbook. The so-called slot test was to let all the students who signed up for the physics testpete for the limited slots. It was a fairpetition. The questions were harder than ordinary exams.


    Cheng Yi might be able to escape from the provincial physicspetition, but she couldn¡¯t avoid this slot exam no matter what. He Jing wondered what kind of scene would unfold when a fake top student entered a real battleground.


    As she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but nce in Cheng Yi¡¯s direction.


    Little did he know that Cheng Yi was also thinking about this problem.


    She suddenly noticed He Jing¡¯s gaze and looked up to meet her eyes. She saw He Jing¡¯s teasing gaze and couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip. She was very angry.


    Cheng Yi thought, ¡°Why, why did the p in the facee so quickly? The exam for slots was so difficult, how could I pass it?¡±


    Although she was already cramming up on physics, half of her recent exams were based on her own results, and she had also sessfully answered the physics teacher¡¯s questions in ss, stabilizing her position as a top student.


    However, once they were in battle, it was absolutely impossible.


    Even if she could think of a way to cheat through the quota exam, there was still the provincial physicspetition.


    The province¡¯s examination style was extremely strict, and cheating was almostpletely eliminated.


    Cheng Yi almost bit her lower lip until it bled before she finally came up with ame escape n.


    She could feign illness.


    As long as she didn¡¯t take the exam, she wouldn¡¯t be exposed.


    She had to think of a way to get through the exam for the slots first, then


    decide not to participate in the provincial physicspetition.


    This way, she would be able to secure her position as a top student without the risk of being exposed.


    After making up her mind, she red back at her.


    He Jing smiled, impressed that Cheng Yi had thought of a solution so quickly. As expected of the female lead, remarkable.


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. On the weekend, twenty to thirty physics top students took part in the quota examination.


    Of course, Yan Hanxi was rxed, and He Jing was also confident. Only Cheng Yi seemed to be seriously ill after the exam.


    Her lips were pale and her forehead was sweating. She seemed on the verge of copse.


    Yan Hanxi looked at He Jing with azy smile. ¡°Merit Student. Do you want to do some homework after school?¡±


    He Jing replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The voice was neither loud nor soft, and it reached Cheng Yi¡¯s ears.


    Cheng Yi was so jealous that she was resentful. These few days, she had been cramming for questions at thest minute. When she ate, her mind was filled with physics questions. When she dreamed, her mind was filled with physics questions.


    She had thought that she would be able to take the exam steadily because she was so diligent. However, when she opened the exam paper, it was full of questions that she didn¡¯t know.


    Fortunately, the quota test was all multiple-choice questions, so there was no need to write down the solution methods. She pretended to understand the questions and randomly wrote a few answers on the paper before handing it in..

 Chapter 231 - 231: I Refuse

    Chapter 231: I Refuse


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The results of the quota test were released on Monday morning. Yan Hanxi and He Jing were indeed selected. Cheng Yi was also very calm.


    Once again, she bribed the physics teacher she had always bribed and changed her test paper to a perfect score of 100 points. She would definitely secure a spot on the list of the provincial physicspetition.


    Sure enough, when the physics teacher announced the list of qualifiers for the provincial physicspetition, her name was prominently included, and she was ranked first with Yan Hanxi.


    He Jing came in second ce, 0.5 marks lower than them. The physics teacher was very satisfied with this result.


    After ss, Cheng Yi walked to Yan Hanxi¡¯s desk with a pure and enthusiastic smile. She said, ¡°Student Yan, can you study with me?¡±


    She deliberately bent over and slightly stretched her snow-white neck. A strand of hair gracefully fell in the air.


    Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid and askedzily, ¡°Why?¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s smile froze for a moment, then became even brighter. Her eyes drifted to He Jing, seemingly hinting at something. ¡°Since we both got first ce, we can discuss it together. We¡¯ll definitely improve faster.¡±


    After the word fell, Yan Hanxi sneered, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Cheng Yi was delighted. She thought that she had a chance. Without hesitation, she pretended to be generous and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yan Hanxi asked, ¡°Then do you know what the Philiken ssic Law is?¡±


    Cheng Yi blinked and tilted her head to think for a while. Then cautiously replied, ¡°Is Student Yan talking about the physicist who proposed thew of symmetries?¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled as if he was amused.


    Cheng Yi blushed and asked quickly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yan Hanxi gave him a scornful look. ¡°I made Philiken up.¡±


    There were only a fewws in physics, and they were all in the textbooks. Cheng Yi was obviously pretending to understand them.


    He Jing really didn¡¯t expect Yan Hanxi to be so mean. He kept teasing Cheng Yi, and this was a surefire way to end up in the wife-chasing arena in the future.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°Student Yan, do you hate me that much?¡±


    Yan Hanxiughed. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I just want you to stay away from me. I don¡¯t want my fianc¨¦e sitting next to me to get jealous.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    If he wanted to talk, then so be it. Why did he have to cue her again?


    Wasn¡¯t this just increasing her resentment?


    Sure enough, Cheng Yi immediately red at her. Her eyes were so angry that she could swallow her alive. He Jing looked at her expressionlessly for a while before she stomped her feet and left.


    The next day, He Jing was called to the ss teacher¡¯s office along with Yan


    Hanxi.


    The ss teacher looked at the two of them and said straightforwardly,


    ¡°Student He Jing, Student Yan Hanxi, I want to change seats for you two.¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded.


    Yan Hanxi said, ¡°Reason.¡±


    The ss teacher said, ¡°Someone reported that you two are in a romantic rtionship. In order to reduce the impact, the school wanted to assign you two to different sses. However, under my strong request, the school dismissed this idea. Changing seats is the minimum requirement, so¡­¡±


    He Jing probably understood that the JingYan couple had been too popr recently, and the school had heard the rumors.


    Yan Hanxi squinted. ¡°What if I refuse?¡±


    The ss teacher felt a headache and helpless. ¡°Student Yan Hanxi, this is good for both of you. If the influence continues to grow, and it harms the school atmosphere, the school may expel you two.¡±


    Yan Hanxi smiled. ¡°Alright, then go ahead and expel me now.¡±


    The ss teacher choked. She knew that she couldn¡¯t control this young master. She looked at He Jing. He Jing pursed her red lips and said seriously, ¡°I refuse.¡¯


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t acknowledge something I haven¡¯t done.¡±


    Changing seats immediately after being reported only confirmed the rumors, didn¡¯t it?


    He Jing wouldn¡¯t beat this sudden usation.


    The ss teacher insisted, ¡°Student He Jing, we¡¯re just considering you. Student Yan Hanxi¡¯s situation is different from yours. He might not be expelled, but you.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t a rich youngdy. If it weren¡¯t for your good academic performance, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay at Yin High School..

 Chapter 232 - 232: Puppy Love?

    Chapter 232: Puppy Love?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing knew, but she wouldn¡¯t admit to something she hadn¡¯t done. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to whatever the oue is.¡±


    Yan Hanxiughed. ¡°Because of a baseless matter, forcing an excellent student to drop out. Since when did the school¡¯s ethos at Yin High School be like


    His words were cold and filled with hostility.


    The ss teacher was shocked. She knew that she had offended this young master. Afraid to continue, the ss teacher said, ¡°Alright, I will report this to the school. You guys can go back to ss first.¡±


    He Jing walked out of the office calmly.


    However, Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t leave. He stayed in the office and the ss teacher was in a stalemate.


    The ss teacher¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡°Student Yan Hanxi, do you have anything else?¡±


    Yan Hanxi had one hand in his pocket. His posture was very casual, but his expression was cold. He lifted his thin lips and said coldly, ¡°Tell the higher-ups directly. Whoever is plotting this, if they have any dissatisfaction, they cane to me directly.¡±


    His words were just short of bluntly saying that there was a mole in the school¡¯s higher-ups.


    The ss teacher was no longer in a difficult position. As soon as Yan Hanxi spoke, things became much easier to handle.


    When He Jing returned to ss, Shen Qiuyu, Wu Yu, and the others immediately surrounded her and asked.


    ¡°Sister Jing, why did the ss teacher look for you?¡±


    He Jing said calmly, ¡°The ss teacher said that Student Yan Hanxi and I are in a romantic rtionship and asked us to sit separately.¡± Wu Yu said, ¡°Wow, the ss teacher only realized it now!¡±


    He Jing was dumbfounded. Shen Qiuyu then added, ¡°A bit slow on the uptake.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    If she didn¡¯t know that these two people were reliable, He Jing would have thought that they had reported them.


    She frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    After saying that, disbelief was written all over their faces.


    Wu Yu said, ¡°Sister Jing, you drink Brother Xi¡¯s milk every day. Don¡¯t you like Brother Xi?¡±


    He Jing was speechless and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with milk?¡±


    Wu Yu then said, ¡°If I give Sister Jing milk, will you drink it?


    He Jing was speechless.


    Apparently, she won¡¯t drink it.


    Shen Qiuyu also chimed in, ¡°Ever since Brother Xi and Sister Jing sat together,


    Brother Xi hasn¡¯t skipped ss.¡±


    Before, Yan Hanxi used to skip ss frequently, and the teachers couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Now he¡¯s almost always punctual.


    He Jing couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Skipping ss results in deduction of points.¡± Shen Qiuyu was shocked. ¡°Do you think Brother Xi is afraid of getting points deducted?¡±


    Even if a thousand or ten thousand points were deducted, who would dare to punish him?


    He Jing was speechless.


    It seemed so.


    With that said, they did indeed look like a couple in love. No wonder the school had such thoughts.


    However. if she didn¡¯t like him. then she didn¡¯t like him If they¡¯re not dating, then they¡¯re not dating. She was a mature and calm adult. She wouldn¡¯t do something as childish as puppy love.


    Soon, He Jing brushed off this matter. There was no follow-up from the school. He Jing was engrossed in the physics question bank. Little did she know that after a collective discussion, the physics teachers decided to call the parents of all the students participating in the provincial physicspetition.


    Thus, after school, He Jing saw He Yuan, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. Cheng Yi received Cheng Yue¡¯s rare concern.


    When Cheng Yi heard this news from Cheng Yue, she almost cried. Cheng Yue thought that his daughter was too touched and med himself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Dad is usually too busy and doesn¡¯t have time to care for you. I know I was wrong. I won¡¯t do it this time. I¡¯ll stay at home to apany you until I send you to thepetition venue.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s vision went ck and she almost fainted.


    At the same time, He Jing said in surprise, ¡°Big Brother, why are you back?¡±

 Chapter 233 - 233: Hasn ‘t Third Brother Doted On Me A Lot Recently?

    Chapter 233: Hasn ¡®t Third Brother Doted On Me A Lot Recently?


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Yuan was dressed in a white shirt that had faded with washing, paired with slightly worn-out jeans. A hint of gentleness shed across his mature and handsome face. ¡°Your teacher called me and said that you¡¯re going to participate in the provincial physicspetition. Worried that you¡¯d be under too much pressure and asked me to take good care of you.¡±


    He Jing smiled sweetly. ¡°I was nning to visit you at school this weekend. I didn¡¯t expect you toe back early. That¡¯s great.¡±


    He Yuan patted her head. ¡°There¡¯s new progress in theboratory. The other students are working on it. I applied for leave from work and came back to apany you. ¡±


    He Jing felt both delighted and touched. She said, ¡°Actually, you didn¡¯t have toe back specifically.¡± She pulled He Yuan into the neighborhood.


    He Yuan said, ¡°I can¡¯t miss your important moments.¡±


    After all, he was her brother. He should have witnessed every moment of her growth.


    When they arrived at the He family¡¯s door, He Jing took out the key and was about to open the door. Unexpectedly, the door opened in advance. He Sui happily muttered.


    ¡°He Jing, you¡¯re back. Did you bring me anything good¡­¡±


    To eat.


    When he saw He Yuan, his words froze on the tip of his tongue. Then, he obediently called out, ¡°Big Brother?¡±


    He Yuan nodded with an ¡°Mm¡± and asked He Jing, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guyse back together?¡±


    He Jing cleared her throat, ¡°Spring cleaning.¡±


    It was all because of a certain school bully who insisted on pulling her along to do the questions. As she did, she missed the time to go to First High School to wait for He Sui. He Sui thought that she had something to do at thest minute and returned home first.


    He Yuan believed him and didn¡¯t ask further. He walked into the house first.


    He Sui followed behind He Yuan and walked beside He Jing. The more he stared at He Yuan¡¯s back, the more dissatisfied he became. ¡°It¡¯s over. Big Brother is back. You definitely won¡¯t pay attention to me.¡±


    The only person in the family who could threaten his position was He Yuan.


    Because back then, when he treated He Jing poorly, only He Yuan sided with her.


    He Jing found it somewhat amusing. ¡® ¡­ Indeed.¡±


    He Yuan stayed at home for two days and was a little surprised to find out that the washing machine had been reced.


    Without waiting for He Jing to speak, He Sui rushed up and told him the whole story as if he was afraid that He Jing would say more to He Yuan.


    After listening, He Yuan fell silent for a while and looked up as he said, ¡°He Jing, thank you.¡±


    He Jing shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It came unexpectedly. Big Brother is the one who worked hard. The experiment must have been challenging, right?¡±


    Speaking of this, He Yuan seemed to have opened up a chatterbox. He exined the contents of the experiment, the process, and so on. After he finished speaking, he remembered that He Jing didn¡¯t understand. He stopped apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you hungry? I¡¯ll cook today.¡±


    He Jing grinned, ¡°Sounds interesting.¡±


    He Sui was instantly jealous. ¡°You don¡¯t even understand what he¡¯s. What¡¯s interesting?¡±


    He Jing ignored him and turned to talk to He Yuan. After a while, He Yuan got up from the sofa and went to cook. He Sui pestered He Jing, very dissatisfied. ¡°You never said I was interesting.¡±


    He Jing was almost defeated by him. His jealousy was too much. She immediately called out to He Zhou, who was passing by. ¡°Third brother.¡±


    He Zhou stopped to look at her expressionlessly. ¡°Teach me how to do the questions.¡±


    He Zhou sneered, ¡°What questions do you not know?¡±


    He Jing was speechless. ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    He Zhou walked past her. After taking two steps, he turned back. ¡°What are you standing there for? Follow me.¡±upda@te by newnovel.o r g


    He Sui also wanted to follow. He patted his chest and said, ¡°If there are any questions you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    He Jing said, ¡°It¡¯s a political question.¡±


    He Suiren was dumbfounded. As a science major, how could he understand political questions?


    No, He Jing was also a science major. Why would she ask political questions?


    He Jing and He Zhou entered the room.


    As soon as the two of them entered, He Jing, who was walking behind, immediately closed the door and blocked He Sui¡¯s line of sight. She turned her head and said, ¡°Avoid fourth brother. He¡¯s too noisy.¡±


    He Zhou looked at her with cold eyes and said sarcastically, ¡°He dotes on you the most.¡±


    He Jing smiled, a pleasant and shallow smile, and asked in return, ¡°Hasn¡¯t third brother doted on me a lot recently?¡±

 Chapter 234 - 234: She Felt Almost Insane

    Chapter 234: She Felt Almost Insane


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Zhou choked, and his expression instantly turned extremely unpleasant.


    These days, in an attempt to make He Jing realize that they could be cooking partners, he had indeed been overly attentive.


    He wandered around He Jing for no reason. When he saw He Jing wanting to take a ss of water, he would pretend to casually pick it up and hand it to her.


    When He Jing wanted to mop the floor, he would sweep it clean first.


    In short, there were countless such things. Even a fool would understand the meaning.


    He Jing looked up at him and asked, ¡°Third brother, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t given up on the idea of making me a chef?¡±


    He Zhou blurted out without thinking, ¡°Why not?¡±


    He Jing was a little helpless. ¡°Third brother, I¡¯m really not interested in the profession of a chef. I want to pursue a career in chemistry.¡±


    He Zhou stared at her gloomily for a while. After a long while, he spoke again, ¡°In any case, you must give it a try.¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    Got it.


    He didn¡¯t listen at all.


    An hourter, He Yuan¡¯s meal was ready. He Jing and He Zhou walked out of the room. The atmosphere was a little gloomy.


    When He Ning saw this, he frowned and called He Zhou over. Neither of them spoke first and looked at each other.


    He Sui, on the other hand, with his straightforward nature, didn¡¯t notice it at all. He hugged He Jing¡¯s arm and said in a low voice, ¡°Big Brother¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t good. You should eat less.¡±


    He Jing raised her eyebrows. Oh?


    When they reached the dining table, it turned out that He Sui¡¯s earth-shattering lie was about He Yuan. He had cooked the best meal, secondly only to He Zhou¡¯s, and it gave off the same warm aura as he was.


    He Sui knew that he had failed to frame He Yuan, so he looked at He Yuan sadly. He endured it silently until He Yuan left the He family two dayster and went back to university.


    The provincial physicspetition was a month away. The venue was in A-City, but it was located in another school.


    It took an hour to get there from Yin High School, and the school specially arranged transportation to send the examinees there.


    However, there was one exception, and that was Cheng Yi.


    Cheng Yue deliberately called the school and told them that he would personally send Cheng Yi to the examination hall. The school readily agreed.


    Cheng Yi felt almost insane. For the past month, Cheng Yue had done nothing but apany her and watched her do the questions.


    She braced herself to learn those things that she couldn¡¯t understand at all. She was like a ruthless study machine that dared not call a halt.


    She really hoped that she could fall seriously ill, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t. Cheng Yue had asked someone to customize a special nutritious meal for her, and the family doctor was on standby 24 hours a day.


    Hence, she didn¡¯t even have the chance to ck off. She was tormented until she was about to enter the examination hall¡­


    ¡°Xiao Yi, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Cheng Yi wanted to say ¡°yes¡±, but when she thought of the first time she pretended to be sick and undergoneprehensive tests by the family doctor that found nothing, Cheng Yue cast a pained look at her.


    ¡°Xiao Yi, I know that you¡¯ve been having a hard time with your studies recently, but this is a critical moment. Work harder. When the summer vacationes,


    Dad will take you overseas for a vacation.¡±


    She forced the words back into her throat.


    Seeing that she was silent, Cheng Yue said again, ¡°Is there anything bothering you? Tell me about it. I¡¯ll solve it for you. Don¡¯t bring it to the examination hall and affect the exam.¡¯


    Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t help by say, ¡°Dad, I want to go to the examination hall by myself.¡±


    Cheng Yue was a little surprised. ¡°Why?¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face was pale. She forced a smile. ¡°Because Dad has dyed work for many days to apany me. I feel guilty..¡±

 Chapter 235 - 235: Physics Competition

    Chapter 235: Physics Competition


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The conversation abruptly halted as Cheng Yue hurriedly interrupted, ¡°What are you talking about? No matter how important work is, it¡¯s not as important as you. Besides, it¡¯s already been dyed for so many days. It won¡¯t make much difference now.¡¯


    Cheng Yi said, ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to set off.¡± Cheng Yue tidied up his watch while he turned around and asked someone to prepare the car. ¡°The exam is about to start. Let¡¯s hurry over.¡±


    Cheng Yi had no choice but to take a deep breath and follow Cheng Yue out of the door with heavy steps, rushing to the examination hall.


    Seated in the car, she felt as if she was on pins and needles. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. If her act as a fake physics prodigy was exposed, how could she still have a foothold in Yin High School?


    Her ssmates would definitely look down on her, and the physics teacher would be disappointed.


    Yan Hanxi might never like her again.


    He Jing must be very proud.


    She needed toe up with a solution.


    She tried her best to think of a way.


    She absolutely couldn¡¯t go to thispetition.


    She couldn¡¯t bear the consequences. She didn¡¯t want to be exposed.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Before she could utter a single word, Cheng Yue suddenly thought of something and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve never sent Jingjing to thepetition before. She always went alone.¡±


    He wondered what she was thinking about in the car at that time.


    She must be very, very sad.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s breathing quivered, and her eyshes trembled as she shut her mouth.


    The car began to maintain a dead silence.


    Cheng Yue didn¡¯t say a word to Cheng Yi until they reached the examination hall. When they got out of the car, he patted Cheng Yi¡¯s head. ¡°Xiao Yi, do your best. Daddy believes in you.¡±


    Cheng Yi nodded silently. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    At this moment, the sounds of other cars parking could be heard.


    It turned out to be the luxury car that Yin High School sent the students to the examination hall. He Jing happened to be the first to get out of the car.


    Cheng Yue was ecstatic to see He Jing. He wanted to go up and talk to He Jing, but He Jing walked into the examination hall as soon as she got out of the car without even ncing in Cheng Yue¡¯s direction.


    Cheng Yue¡¯s heart sank instantly. He was extremely disappointed and didn¡¯t notice that Cheng Yi had hugged his arm the moment He Jing got out of the car.


    This sessful intervention prevented any potential interaction between the two. Cheng Yi, who had suppressed her gloomy mood on the way, smiled happily, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going in.¡±


    Cheng Yue¡¯s gaze was sessfully shifted back to her. He patted her head again. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡±


    When she stepped into the examination hall, Cheng Yi started to worry again. There were more than 30 people in the ssroom, and there were also students from other schools. She was the only fake academic prodigy.


    There were still five minutes before the exam started. How was she going to pass it?


    Just as she made up her mind to leave the examination hall and find a ce to stay for a while, a boy walked over and said.


    ¡°Student, are you lost? Let me take you there.¡±


    Cheng Yi shook her head. Just as she was about to decline, the boy said enthusiastically, ¡°I¡¯m a student of this school. I was asked to stay by the teacher to volunteer.¡±


    Cheng Yi was ¡°forcefully¡± sent back into the examination hall.


    She saw all the examinees in the examination hall looking at her with attention. Only He Jing¡¯s gaze contained a hint of mockery.


    Yan Hanxi didn¡¯t sit with He Jing. Instead, he turned the 2B pencil on the answer sheet in boredom. Then, as if he had thought of something, he wrote a ball of paper and threw it at He Jing.


    He Jing opened the paper ball and saw a scrawled smiley face on it, incredibly juvenile.


    Five minutester, the invigtor arrived. The invigtor was an elderly man who looked very serious. He Jing didn¡¯t know him.


    This shattered Cheng Yi¡¯sst glimmer of hope. The invigtor wasn¡¯t a member of Yin High School¡¯s teaching staff.


    In another two minutes, the papers were distributed, revealing a sea of unfamiliar physics questions. Cheng Yi knew that she was done for. This time, her charade was bound to unravel..

 Chapter 236 - 236: Exposed (1)

    Chapter 236: Exposed (1)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Two hourster, the exam ended.


    He Jing felt pretty good. Although there were two questions she wasn¡¯t confident about, she believed her uracy rate was around 95%.


    Cheng Yi walked out of the examination hall in a daze. Her steps back home seemed to float, and her mind was filled with the impending apocalypse, the reprimand of the teachers, the cold gazes of the students, and the disappointment of her parents¡­


    Her life felt shrouded in darkness.


    She returned to the Cheng family in a trance and coincidentally bumped into Ye Shuping. Ye Shuping saw that something was wrong with her. She asked with concern, ¡°Xiao Yi, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Cheng Yi raised her head. Her eyes were red and she choked, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Did He Jing bully you again?¡±


    Cheng Yi didn¡¯t dare to let Ye Shuping know what she had done. She couldn¡¯t resist Ye Shuping¡¯s constant questioning and finally told the truth. She cried as she said, ¡°Mom, I really didn¡¯t mean in. I just wanted to be a bit better, to make you and Dad proud of me¡­¡±


    Ye Shuping furrowed her brows in distress. ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult.¡±


    ¡°Mom, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no solution.¡±


    Ye Shuping wiped away her tears and said empathetically, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You just finished your test and the results haven¡¯t been announced yet. I¡¯ll hire someone to steal your paper out. You can act like you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, ¡°Can we really do that?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Shuping, with a determined idea, gained more confidence. ¡°There are so many examinees in the province. Who knows how many test papers there are? Who cares why you lost your test paper?¡±


    When Cheng Yi heard this, she suddenly felt a resurgence of hope and smiled through her tears. ¡°Thank you, Mom. You¡¯re so good.¡±


    Ye Shuping pointed at her forehead. ¡°You troublesome child¡­¡±


    So, that night, a thief broke into the school that was set as the provincial physicspetition venue. Cheng Yi¡¯s paper was discreetly taken from the pile of test papers. The person who did it, however, didn¡¯t notice that due to the hurried action, another paper had identally fallen out¡­


    About a monthter, the results of the provincial physicspetition were announced.


    Everyone in Yin High School erupted in cheers because Yan Hanxi had actually gotten into the provincial first ce. Only one person from the neighboring First High School had entered the top ten, but there were two people whose results were nk, and their rankings were at the bottom.


    Cheng Yi and He Jing!


    Senior Two ss Three exploded.


    ¡°D*mn, what¡¯s going on? Did Sister Jing miss the exam?¡±


    ¡°I clearly saw Sister Jing getting on the school bus that day. Isn¡¯t this too surreal?¡±


    ¡°Sister Jing, what happened?¡±


    He Jing also didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She had clearly taken the test, but why did she score o? Could it be that the female lead halo was so powerful that it could cover up all bugs?


    And she, this malicious supporting character, also took the me?


    She couldn¡¯t help but look at Cheng Yi. She saw that Cheng Yi¡¯s eyebrows were raised and her expression was happy. It was obvious that she was relieved.


    Cheng Yi indeed heaved a sigh of relief. She hadn¡¯t eaten or slept well for the past month. She was afraid that something unexpected would happen. When the results were announced, the stone in her heart finally settled.


    She also looked at He Jing with a hint of cynicism in her eyes. Hmph, so what if she couldn¡¯t separate He Jing from Yan Hanxi? So what if He Jing performed well? She was still at the bottom just like her.


    At this moment, the physics teacher suddenly rushed in from outside the corridor and said, ¡°Student He Jing, Student Cheng Yi, the provincial authorities attach great importance to the incident of your lost exam paper.


    After all, after the provincialpetition, it will be the nationalpetition. It will affect the honor of our province. In the end, the province has decided to let you both retake the exam separately. The time is set for tomorrow afternoon.. I hope the two of you will work hard and achieve good results!¡±

 Chapter 237 - 237: Exposed (2)

    Chapter 237: Exposed (2)


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Cheng Yi was bewildered.


    She thought, ¡°Why, why is this happening?¡±


    Then, her face turned pale and she looked inhuman¡­


    She was about to be exposed!


    He Jing, on the other hand, remained calm. She raised her eyes and was somewhat surprised. Then, she quickly understood that all of this wasn¡¯t caused by the female lead¡¯s halo, but a deliberate incident.


    A faint ripple shed across her eyes. She found it funny. Yan Hanxi, who was beside her, nced at her. ¡°Someone is going to suffer. Why are you so happy?


    He Jing said, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    The cannon fodder had made aeback. Why couldn¡¯t she be happy? With the decision for the retake finalized, the next day, He Jing calmly went to the exam venue for the retake. Cheng Yi got out of the luxury car and was ¡°escorted¡± by Cheng Yue¡¯s special assistant. She looked like she had lost her soul.


    The two of them met at the school gate. Cheng Yi looked up and suddenly lost control. She grabbed He Jing¡¯s clothes as if she were a life-saving straw. ¡°Sister He Jing, help me. After the exam, let¡¯s swap our papers. I¡¯ll give you anything you want.¡±


    He Jing reacted quickly and took a step back, letting her grab at thin air. She frowned and said, ¡°You still want to cheat?¡±


    Cheng Yi broke down and cried. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be looked down upon. I¡¯m the daughter of the Cheng family¡­¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    There were so many rich girls in the ss, which one of them had done such a thing?


    He Jing said coldly, ¡°Even if I help you, there¡¯s still the nationalpetition after the provincialpetition. How are you going to survive?¡± Cheng Yi urgently said, ¡°I can pretend to be sick and skip the exam¡­¡±


    He Jing almostughed out of anger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Cheng Yi mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not as smart as you. Even if I study hard, I won¡¯t be able to get a good ranking in the nationalpetition.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± He Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered with her anymore and walked away.


    Cheng Yi stared at her back andpletely gave up.


    Yes, He Jing was right. Even if she made it through the provincialpetition, there was still the nationalpetition after that. Why should she beg He Jing?


    Wasn¡¯t it just exposing herself? If she exposed herself, so be it!


    She was a real daughter!


    Hence, she quickly walked into the examination hall and sat side by side with He Jing in the middle of the ssroom, waiting for the invigtor toe over and the baptism of the physics Olympiad questions.


    Three dayster¡­


    ¡°F*ck! Sister Jing, you¡¯re second in the province! Amazing!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t beat Brother Xi. It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    ¡°Province second is already awesome. Physics is Brother Xi¡¯s specialty, so it¡¯s normal not to surpass him.¡±


    ¡°Look at Cheng Yi¡¯s results!¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s score was o and she was rankedst.


    Senior Two ss Three was dumbfounded. Weren¡¯t they supposed to retake the exam? Why was it still o?


    Cheng Yi was sitting in her seat, looking restless. When she received everyone¡¯s gaze, she stood up and prepared to leave.


    At this moment, the physics teacher suddenly stood at the door of the ssroom with an extremely serious expression. ¡°Student Cheng Yi,e with me.¡±


    Cheng Yi was stunned, and then her face turned pale. She walked out in a daze. Everyone curiously observed the movements in the corridor, trying to figure out what was going on. Half an hourter, Cheng Yi ran in with swollen eyes and red eyes. Tears had piled up at the corners of her eyes and had yet to be wiped clean.


    The students were shocked. It was just a failed exam. It couldn¡¯t be that bad, right? Wasn¡¯t Cheng Yi the physics teacher¡¯s favorite¡­


    Soon, the students found out what was going on because there was a rumor in Yin High School that someone had sent someone to the exam school to steal the exam papers in order to cover up their true exam results. The person sent was identally caught by the security guards.


    In an instant, Senior Two ss Three exploded. Once this news came out, even a fool knew what had happened..

 Chapter 238 - 238: Sports Meet

    Chapter 238: Sports Meet


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Immediately, the whole ss¡¯s disdain for Cheng Yi rose to a new height. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone to be so shameless in the 21st century¡­¡±


    ¡°If your grades are low, they¡¯re low. You don¡¯t have to desperately want to be a top student and experience the worship of the masses.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can be a top student just because you want to? You¡¯re simply invincible.¡±


    For a moment, all kinds of nderous words flew toward Cheng Yi like arrows. Cheng Yi couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She left the ssroom crying and returned home then said, ¡°Mom, I want to drop out of school.¡±


    Ye Shuping¡¯s eyelids twitched and she quickly asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Cheng Yi sobbed, ¡°We¡­ Back then¡­ Just¡­ Shouldn¡¯t¡­ We shouldn¡¯t have stolen the test paper¡­¡±


    Only then did Ye Shuping realize what had happened. She thought for a moment and pulled Cheng Yi to sit down. She said with a serious tone, ¡°Xiao Yi, Yin High School is the best school in A-City. You must stay there. If you suddenly change sses or transfer schools, your father will be suspicious.¡± ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    ¡°Just pretend that nothing happened and continue to study. After a while, when your results improve and you show your strength, everyone will naturally look at you again.¡±


    Cheng Yi gradually stopped crying when she heard that. She looked up, her face a mess and covered in tears.


    Ye Shuping rubbed her eyes with heartache.


    Cheng Yi thought that she couldn¡¯t let Cheng Yue know about this. She had to continue staying at Yin High School. Otherwise, if she transferred schools or changed sses, wouldn¡¯t it mean that she lost to He Jing?


    No.


    She couldn¡¯t lose to He Jing.


    She regained her courage and rubbed her eyes again. She pulled herself together and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going back to ss.¡±


    Ye Shuping breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I¡¯ll send you off myself.¡¯


    Cheng Yi shook her head and left without looking back. She got into the car and the car disappeared into the mansion in the blink of an eye.


    The mockery, ridicule, and disdain continued for a while. This magical incident that could be ced on par with ¡°He Jing said she only loved Yan Hanxi¡¯s character setting¡± quickly faded from people¡¯s minds.


    Cheng Yi kept a low profile and almost buried herself in the ground.


    Every day, she would receive piercing stares from the entire school. It was like a knife stabbing into her heart, making her bleed. She couldn¡¯t sleep well and often woke up in nightmares, dreaming that she was framed and bullied.


    It had only been a few days, but her face had lost a lot of weight, and she looked extremely pitiful.


    However, no one paid attention to her because the sports meet wasing soon. The students were extremely happy.


    The original summer camp n was changed to an autumn camp because the original summer camp city was too hot this summer, and the school was worried that the students would get heatstroke.


    The ssroom was filled with wails.


    ¡°Give me back my summer camp, or I¡¯ll make a scene!¡±


    ¡°Let me go. I¡¯m not afraid of heatstroke.¡±


    ¡°I hate participating in sports events the most. D*mn it, our school¡¯s sports event even has weightlifting.¡±


    ¡°This is f*cking ridiculous.¡±


    This was the first time He Jing had heard of it. The corners of her mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch.


    She thought, ¡°Weightlifting? It was indeed ridiculous.¡±


    The ss teacher said, ¡°Student Zheng Cheng, please organize it. This is the sports event registration form. Please fill it out and hand it to me.¡± Zheng Cheng, the sportsmittee member said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    The sports meet was about to begin. Zheng Cheng, the sportsmittee member, gathered the students together after ss to let everyone participate enthusiastically.


    The boys were very enthusiastic and almost fought over the basketball event. When it was the girls¡¯ turn, the atmosphere gradually became awl?vard.


    Except for Shen Qiuyu, who had well-developed athletic cells and signed up for the 800-meter run, long jump, and shot put, the other girls were shy and hesitant.


    Zheng Cheng felt a headacheing on. This group of richdies was usually more elegant than the others. They were afraid that their makeup would be smudged during physical education ss. How could they be interested inpeting with others on the field?


    Helpless, he looked at He Jing for help.. ¡°Student He Jing, what do you want to sign up for?¡±

 Chapter 239 - 239: Evident

    Chapter 239: Evident


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    He Jing thought for a moment. ¡°Sprint, ry, and skipping rope.¡±


    Zheng Cheng was overjoyed and quickly noted it down.


    With the first person daring to try, the other girls bit their lips and stood up bravely, reporting the sports that they could barely ept.


    As a result, all the less difficult sports have been registered. A girl pointed at weightlifting on the list and said, ¡°Who¡¯s going to do this?¡±


    The girls in the ss took a step back in unison, their faces filled with horror.


    No, they didn¡¯t want to lift weights.


    Zheng Cheng couldn¡¯t help but look troubled. Which girl would want to participate in sports like weightlifting and hurdles, which were easy to fail and unsightly? The school had a problem too, even setting up a sport like weightlifting. He looked at Cheng Yi, the only student who didn¡¯t sign up for any of the events, and said, ¡°Student Cheng Yi, look¡­¡±


    Cheng Yi raised her head in panic. Fear shed across her beautiful eyes as she whispered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not very strong¡­ Can I sign up for something else?¡± However, the other events were almost all filled up.


    Zheng Cheng still tried to persuade her, ¡°Student Cheng Yi, no one will seriouslypete in weightlifting. Just walk through the process and lift it casually.¡±


    Cheng Yi lowered her head, her voice even softer and weaker, ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    As if afraid that everyone would dislike her, she quickly said, ¡°I can sprint, ry, and skip rope.¡± This¡­


    How was this possible?


    Sprinting, rope skipping, and ry were all popr events. They were all snatched up in the blink of an eye. If she wanted to participate in these events, she could only exchange with others. Who would be so stupid as to exchange with her?


    Suddenly, a pleasant and cold female voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll change with her.¡±


    Everyone turned around and saw He Jing.


    Zheng Cheng was so touched that tears welled up in his eyes.


    He Jing¡¯s expression was indifferent.


    As soon as the words sprinting, rope skipping, and ry came out, she knew that she was going to suffer. ording to thew of novels, the things that the female protagonist didn¡¯t want to do would automatically be left out.


    Instead of being forced to ept it, she might as well take the initiative and win some dignity and favor. After all, the honor of the group was above everything else. She would just take it as sacrificing herself for the ss.


    Cheng Yi was also delighted. She was afraid that He Jing would go back on her words. She quickly said, ¡°Thank you, Student He Jing!¡±


    He Jing couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. She turned to Zheng Cheng and said, ¡°No need. Please cross out the three events that I originally signed up for. I¡¯ll sign up for weightlifting, the 1000m sprint, and the hurdles.¡±


    Zheng Cheng was so ecstatic that he almost wanted to reward He Jing with a silk banner on the spot. He thought, ¡°God, what kind of person was this?¡±


    This time, not only were there people who were willing to do weightlifting, but even the 1000m sprint and hurdles were also solved.


    He crossed out He Jing¡¯s name and filled it in again. He said enthusiastically, ¡°Student He Jing, I have a sports field at home. You cane to my house to practice after school. My nanny is super good at making desserts.¡±


    He Jing was amused. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Zheng Cheng couldn¡¯t help but find He Jing more adorable the more he looked. He blushed and scratched his head shyly.


    The other girls also felt admiration for He Jing. If He Jing¡¯s excellence in academics made people jealous, standing up for the ss at such a crucial moment made her the hero of the entire ss.


    On the other hand, Cheng Yi¡­


    Forget it, at least she participated, so they wouldn¡¯t say much.


    In short, the characters of the two were evident.


    Sensing the subtle change in the atmosphere in the ssroom, Cheng Yi knew that she was being despised again, and her joy from before disappeared.


    She felt rather upset and clenched her fists by her side. She wondered why she always ended up as He Jing¡¯s foil, like a clown.


    She was clearly the real daughter.


    If anyone should y second fiddle, it should be He Jing being the foil.


    Thinking of this, she took a step forward and pretended to be rxed as she said, ¡°Student He Jing, thank you for your contribution to the ss. I¡¯ll treat you to milk tea after school. I hope you don¡¯t mind..¡±

 Chapter 240 - 240: Our Slogan

    Chapter 240: Our Slogan


    Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The whole ss was stunned, and the subtle atmosphere just now faded in the blink of an eye.


    He Jing really admired her scheming. She had won everyone¡¯s favor with one sentence and represented the whole ss. If she refused, she would be disrespecting the whole ss.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t like milk tea, and neither did the fake heiress.


    Shen Qiuyu, who looked at Cheng Yi in anger, spat out a disdainful ¡°Pah!¡± She said, ¡°I think you want to poison Sister Jing to death.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s face turned pale and her eyes teared up. ¡°Shen Qiuyu, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±


    It sounded as if she had suffered a great grievance. The students also felt that Shen Qiuyu was a little too much.


    No matter what, she had good intentions.


    He Jing timely spoke up, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Cheng Yi. I don¡¯t like milk tea.¡±


    Cheng Yi¡¯s eyshes quivered as she bit her lower lip. ¡°Student He Jing, do you also believe Student Shen Qiuyu¡¯s words?¡±


    He Jing looked at her coldly. ¡°No, drinking bubble tea makes you gain weight.¡± In an instant, the whole ssughed. So the school belle also had worries about getting fat!


    That¡¯s true. Which girl doesn¡¯t love beauty? She could have bought her anything, but she had to make her drink something sweet.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s cheeks flushed red. She was extremely embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say and could only shut up.


    The whole ss turned their attention to something else, and no one cared about Cheng Yi¡¯s thoughts.


    The sports eventsted for a week, from this Wednesday to the next. The closer the day got, the hotter the school atmosphere became. There were also more people ying basketball on the field.


    There was another important thing that was indispensable for the sports meet, and that was the slogan.


    Every ss had to think of their own slogan and shout it loudly. For example, Senior Two ss One had already decided on it.


    ¡°Senior Two ss One, Senior Two ss One, always number one.¡±


    Zheng Cheng felt that he couldn¡¯t think of anything worse than this.


    Therefore, he took advantage of the time after ss to ask the whole ss to stay and start brainstorming.


    The students were all very enthusiastic, especially Wu Yu. He pped his head and decided on one. ¡°How about we call it this, ¡®Senior Two ss Three, always third. There¡¯s no first, only third¡­¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qiuyu rolled her eyes in disdain. ¡°What about the second ce? Where did the second ce go?¡±


    Wu Yu smirked. ¡°If the first ce is gone, will there be a second ce?¡±


    The students were speechless and rejected the slogan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so either.¡±


    ¡°Think of another one.¡±


    Zheng Cheng thought for a while and felt a headacheing on. He looked at He Jing with bright eyes. ¡°Student He Jing, do you want to think of one?¡±


    He Jing was speechless.


    No, I refuse. Thank you.


    Suddenly, a timid voice came from the back of the crowd, ¡°I think the slogan should have the characteristics of our ss.¡±


    Who else could have spoken other than Cheng Yi?


    Everyone stopped and made their way.


    Cheng Yi¡¯s innocent face appeared in everyone¡¯s field of vision. Being stared at by the whole ss, she seemed to be encouraged. She boldly said, ¡°We can turn Student Yan into a slogan.¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment before they came back to their senses.


    That¡¯s right, why didn¡¯t they think of that?


    Yan Hanxi was the school bully and hunk.


    With such a powerful weapon, who else couldpete with ss Three?


    ¡°All-rounded school hunk, invincible!¡±


    The slogan was deafening. The students seemed to have opened up new ideas and improved on the phrase. Soon, a new slogan was released.


    ¡°Brother Xi is in my hand, I have the world; ss Three is invincible, unrivaled.¡±


    It gained unanimous approval by the entire ss.


    Zheng Cheng sincerely said, ¡°Cheng Yi, it¡¯s all thanks to you for having such an idea. You¡¯re really smart..¡±


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