Seeing her gentle demeanor, Pei Yue became even more attentive. “And drink more of this duck soup. It’s good for your health. Look at you, so delicate. With the pressure of your sophomore year, you need to take care of yourself first. Don’t just focus on studying…”
Before Pei Yue could finish her sentence, Shen Xingruo coughed twice.
“What’s wrong, Ruo? Are you catching a cold?” Pei Yue asked anxiously.
Lu Shan added, “The weather has been changing a lot lately. You should wear more layers.”
“Aunt Pei, Uncle Lu, I’m fine… *cough cough*… It’s just a bit itchy in my throat. Some hot water will do the trick. *cough cough*…” Shen Xingruo said, turning her head away to cover her mouth as she coughed.
“…”
Pei Yue had just called her delicate, and now she was coughing.
Lu Xingyan held his chopsticks, lost in thought for a moment. In his mind, there was the arrogance of the “white peacock” splashing water yesterday, and then there was the sight of Shen Daiyu coughing delicately before him.
“Lu Xingyan, go pour a cup of hot water.”
“No, make it warm.”
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up.”
Finally acknowledged, Lu Xingyan felt like a person again.
By the time he returned with the water, Miss Shen Daiyu had already been comforted by his overly concerned parents.
*Bang*—the glass landed heavily on the table, emitting a crisp sound. A few water droplets splattered, one landing neatly on Shen Daiyu’s hand.
Shen Daiyu softly thanked him, grasping the cup and sipping from it.
Lu Xingyan stood by the table with his hands in his pockets for a moment, then licked the back of his molars, shaking his head slightly.
Well then.
It seemed a gem from the film industry had arrived in the household.
Throughout the meal, Lu Shan and Pei Yue lavished attention on Shen Xingruo. Lu Xingyan, feeling nameless and unnoticed, finished his meal in a few bites. He had intended to head upstairs, but he paused when he heard Lu Shan and Shen Xingruo discussing her transfer.
“All the paperwork is done. Originally, the head of the grade wanted her to take a little test first, but as soon as they checked her file, they arranged her into a class without a second thought.”
Lu Xingyan looked up.
Lu Shan’s gaze shifted slightly. “What are you looking at? She’s in the same class as you. You should learn from her. She ranked in the top five in the city’s third-tier exam. She’s never fallen out of the top five since she transferred to Huize First High School. What about you? Every time you take an exam, you’re just hanging around. Your mom and I are just grateful you’re not flunking.”
During exams at Mingli School, the seating arrangement was based on previous exam scores. The higher floors had worse testing conditions, with the top floor, affectionately called the “Peak of Enlightenment,” being the worst.
Unfortunately, Lu Xingyan was a seasoned resident of the Peak of Enlightenment.
Lu Shan took a few bites of his food and continued, “School starts the day after tomorrow. I’ll check my schedule for the day after tomorrow. If I’m free, I’ll take you both to school. If not, I’ll have Lao Liu drive you. Xingruo, since you just arrived, it’s better to move into the dormitory a day early to get acquainted with your roommates.”
Lu Xingyan didn’t respond, his face clearly expressing, “I hope you don’t have any free time.”
“What’s with that expression?” Lu Shan asked.
“The expression of hoping you’ll be too busy handling your affairs and making more money,” Lu Xingyan retorted.
Lu Shan fell silent.
“I’m full,” Lu Xingyan said lazily, pushing his chair back and standing up. With his hands still in his pockets, he sauntered upstairs.
As Lu Xingyan wished, Lu Shan indeed had no free time on the day of registration.
Driver Lao Liu parked the car in the front yard and got out to help with the luggage.
Without lifting his eyes, Lu Xingyan simply settled into the car, playing with his phone and absentmindedly chewing on gum.
Outside the car, Pei Yue was still talking to Shen Xingruo, reminding her to take care of herself, to remember to call if anything happened, and to make sure she stayed warm.
Even after finishing his game, Lu Xingyan saw no one coming into the car. He lowered the window, frowned, and looked outside, his eyes full of “Is this ever going to end?”
Shen Xingruo just locked eyes with him when Pei Yue also turned to look. “By the way, you have to take good care of Xingruo at school, do you understand? She’s a girl who transferred here all alone, unfamiliar with everything. You mustn’t let anyone bully her.”
“…”
“Heh.”
Who could bully this little fairy who could strike people with an icy chill just by saying a few words?
Lu Xingyan raised the car window.
Before her eyes were obscured, Shen Xingruo could still see the mockery on his face.
Shen Xingruo had no idea what she had done to earn the dislike of this immature young master. For her, being disliked by a boy was quite rare and peculiar.
Not knowing how to interact with him yet, Shen Xingruo remained silent.
Winter hadn’t fully receded yet; there were no flowers outside, and pedestrians were still wrapped in thick coats. She cracked open the car window just a tiny bit, but as soon as the wind blew in, she heard a sudden voice beside her, “Trying to freeze me to death?”
“…”
“Sorry.”
She promptly rolled up the window again.
Silence filled the car as Shen Xingruo continued to navigate, looking for the way. When they reached the junction where they had to turn right onto a one-way street, she tactfully informed Lao Liu in advance, “Uncle Liu, I want to get off up ahead. There’s a stationery store there, and I want to buy something.”
“Sure, I’ll pull over and wait for you,” Lao Liu replied.
“Uncle Liu, you don’t need to wait. I know the way, I can walk there myself,” Shen Xingruo said.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xingyan suddenly interjected, “I’ll get off here too, Uncle Liu. Don’t turn in; there’s traffic at the Mingli School gate today.”
Shen Xingruo glanced at him.
Both of them got out of the car and stood under the trees by the roadside, the leaves above rustling in the wind.
After a moment’s thought, Shen Xingruo politely said, “Then I’ll go buy things first,” as she dragged her suitcase a few steps away.
Suddenly, Lu Xingyan called out to her, “Hey, Shen Xingruo.”
Shen Xingruo turned back.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Lu Xingyan looked at her directly with a cold demeanor. “We’re already at school, can you stop pretending?”