Chapter 18

After Chu Qiuqiu returned home, she sat in the living room for a long time without seeing Chu Yin come back.
A wave of glee washed over her, Chu Yin was probably still being harassed by those delinquent girls from next door, maybe even getting a lesson right now. With Chu Yin’s nasty temper, she might have pissed them off, and a good beating was probably unavoidable.
If things got even more intense, they might even scratch up her face!
Chu Shi happened to come downstairs and saw her barely contained excitement. He raised an eyebrow. "What’s got you so happy?"
Chu Qiuqiu jumped. "N-nothing!"
Chu Shi found her a bit odd and gave her a scrutinizing look.
Chu Qiuqiu quickly made up an excuse: "It’s just... we’re about to pick outfits for the dance. It’s been so long since I’ve ordered a haute couture gown, and I’m just so excited."
Mentioning this reminded Chu Shi of Chu Yin. After all, she had grown up in the countryside and probably knew nothing about luxury goods like these. She usually wore simple school uniforms, so she might not know how to pick a gown for the dance.
Chu Shi: "You..."
He was about to ask Chu Qiuqiu to help Chu Yin with the selection but hesitated and swallowed his words. Better to wait until Chu Yin came back and help her look together.
Chu Qiuqiu glanced at Chu Shi’s expression and immediately tried to please him. "Brother, don’t worry. Sister probably doesn’t know how to pick a gown. I’ll keep an eye out for her."
Chu Shi nodded. "Mm."
After a while, the Chu family’s gate finally opened, and the car sent to pick up Chu Yin drove in.
Chu Qiuqiu tried hard to control her excited expression, eagerly anticipating Chu Yin’s entrance with a face full of bruises.
To her surprise, the girl who walked through the door looked perfectly calm, her clothes neat and clean, without even a loose thread on her, let alone any injuries.
What happened? Did those people fail to ambush Chu Yin?? Chu Qiuqiu was dumbfounded, and for a moment, she couldn’t hide her disappointed expression.
Chu Yin glanced at her and immediately understood the situation.
What a wonderful sister she had.
Chu Shi walked over. "Why are you so late? Did you stay behind to study again?"
Chu Yin shook her head. "I ran into some strange people on the way. At first, I thought they were going to cause trouble for me."
Chu Qiuqiu immediately pricked up her ears.
Chu Shi frowned. "What kind of strange people? What did they look like? Did they do anything to you?"
Chu Yin’s peach-blossom eyes curved slightly. "They didn’t do anything, they seemed a bit intellectually challenged. After saying a few words, they suddenly squatted on the ground and started playing with poop."
Chu Qiuqiu: "..." Are those people idiots?
Chu Shi also fell silent for a moment. After all, as the young master of a wealthy family, he had never encountered anything like this. "...They were probably mentally ill. Stay away from people like that next time."
Chu Yin smiled cheerfully. "Got it. It seems they were tricked by a girl from Quiwen at noon and wanted to get back at her. I told them to remember her face clearly and make sure not to target the wrong person."
Chu Qiuqiu’s body swayed, and she nearly fell off the sofa.
What?? Those idiots were going to come after her?!
And they were idiots who played with poop! Oh no, she didn’t want that!!!
After dinner, a designer arrived, bringing a catalog of haute couture gowns for the season.
Chu Qiuqiu’s spirits lifted again.
Choosing her brother’s attire was easy, he had his preferred brands, and as long as his measurements were updated regularly, new outfits would be added each season. Today’s focus was on selecting dresses for the two girls.
In her past life, Chu Yin hadn’t been particularly interested in such things, but after spending so much time by Lu Zhen’s side, she had grown accustomed to the extravagance of top-tier wealthy families. These expensive items no longer held much value in her eyes.
To be honest, the Chu family’s financial resources were hardly worth mentioning.
Although she would much rather go home and solve a few sets of practice problems than attend the dance, she couldn’t break her promise to Song Zhaolin.
She couldn’t just throw on any old thing for such an occasion, but she didn’t plan to choose anything too eye-catching either, just something that wouldn’t make her stand out too much.
Chu Shi, worried about hurting Chu Yin’s feelings, didn’t rush to help his sister choose. He planned to wait until Chu Yin had made her selection before offering some suggestions based on her choice.
Chu Qiuqiu watched as her brother walked away, then picked up a few luxury brand catalogs and cozied up beside Chu Yin. "Sister, you're not familiar with these brands, right? Let me help you pick something!"
Chu Yin shifted away slightly with a hint of disdain, her attitude indifferent.
She casually flipped through the catalogs and spotted a black dress from a contemporary luxury brand. Its style and cut were simple, with long sleeves reaching the wrists and a mid-length skirt that hid a playful little design detail, perfect for her current age.
Though reluctant to admit it, Chu Yin knew her fashion sense had been influenced by that scoundrel Lu Zhen. When she had first been brought back from the countryside, her outfits had their own style but couldn't exactly be called sophisticated.
No wonder that bastard had thought the floral dress was ugly.
Lost in thought for a moment, Chu Yin snapped back to reality as Chu Qiuqiu enthusiastically pointed to one of the images. "Sister, I think this one suits you. The color is so cute, it'll totally charm the boys!"
Chu Yin stared at the garish pink, tacky slit minidress: "..."
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Chu Qiuqiu felt smug. As expected, this country bumpkin sister had no taste and couldn't make her own judgments.
Then she switched to a blinding fluorescent yellow gown, recommending it eagerly, "Sister, this one's nice too. It'll really complement your skin tone!"
Chu Yin nodded and called out to Chu Shi, who was walking over. "Brother, I've made my choice."
"I want this one," she pointed to the black dress she had liked earlier, then moved her fair fingertip to the two eyesore dresses. "Little sister loves these two, you must buy them for her."
Chu Qiuqiu was taken aback and quickly protested, "No, I didn't, "
Chu Yin cut her off. "Didn't you say they were cute, boy-magnet material, and skin-tone flattering?"
Chu Shi glanced at the pictures, surprised that Chu Yin's choice was quite good, then cast a questioning look at Chu Qiuqiu when he saw the other two.
"Qiuqiu, your taste needs some work."
Chu Qiuqiu: "..."
…
That evening, Chu Yin compiled the recordings from her phone and sent them to the administrative office of the neighboring No. 1 High School.
No. 1 High was a good school, their college entrance exam results were actually more impressive than Quiwen's, with many top students and academic elites. But in a large school, there were inevitably slackers. The troublemakers at No. 1 High often served as cannon fodder in the novel, and in her past life, Chu Yin had suffered plenty at their hands.
Fortunately, No. 1 High had strict management and never went easy on students who caused trouble.
The next day, when Song Zhaolin passed by No. 1 High, he saw the disciplinary notice posted on the bulletin board at the entrance.
He entered school with a look of astonishment and, upon reaching the classroom, said to Chu Yin, who had already started studying, "I've discovered that justice still exists in this world!"
Without looking up, Chu Yin asked, "What?"
"Those perverts, I mean, those hooligans from yesterday actually got disciplined by No. 1 High," Song Zhaolin patted his chest. "I'm so touched."
Chu Yin set down her pen and glanced at him.
For some reason, Song Zhaolin sensed a certain paternal warmth in her gaze.
"Protecting the school belle is everyone's responsibility," Chu Yin said, like a benevolent father.
Song Zhaolin felt it was necessary to reassert his masculine charm. Although Sister Yin clearly had no interest in him, at most, there was a bit of a father-son dynamic, he still hoped Chu Yin would remember he was a handsome guy.
Song Zhaolin ruffled his hair: "You have to come to the dance! I’ll definitely style myself to stun the whole crowd!"
"How exciting," Chu Yin clapped perfunctorily, "So, School Belle, will you dance with the School Hunk?"
Song Zhaolin nearly choked: "I still want to live a long life!"
Chu Yin said with earnest sincerity: "Love blossoms in such contradictions. Don’t resist it, let the seeds of love grow naturally."
Song Zhaolin: "???"
...
Two days later, the campus dance was held in the auditorium.
Fu Mingxuan and Chu Qiuqiu were both very enthusiastic about such social occasions and dressed extravagantly, as if they were movie stars heading for the red carpet.
As candidates for School Belle, both were well-known campus beauties and quickly drew the attention of many people present.
Lu Zhen stood on the second floor of the auditorium, leaning against the railing, sipping wine from a glass as his lazy gaze swept across the hall.
The dance was organized by Yu Lin, a senior. The Yu and Lu families had been connected by marriage long ago, Yu Lin was his cousin.
"There are so many pretty girls in your grade," Yu Lin stood beside him, scanning the crowd downstairs, "I’ll go down later and flirt with a few for fun."
Lu Zhen had no interest. He hadn’t wanted to come in the first place but was dragged along by his cousin to show support.
"Lu Zhen, aren’t you going to dance?" Yu Lin also knew Song Zhaolin, "If you dance with Zhaolin, I can get you trending tomorrow."
Lu Zhen coldly replied, "Get lost."
Of course, Yu Lin knew his brother’s temper and didn’t push further, continuing to admire the beauties below.
After looking around for a while, he suddenly gasped, "Holy crap, holy crap, I see a fairy, "
The auditorium doors gently opened, and a girl slipped in quietly. She hadn’t made a grand entrance or tried to draw attention, but even a glimpse of her from the corner of one’s eye was enough to hold it.
Yu Lin nudged the indifferent Lu Zhen beside him: "Damn, she’s so beautiful. Isn’t she that one, the Chu family’s, "
Lu Zhen suddenly turned his head.
He spotted Chu Yin almost instantly.
He hadn’t run into her much at school lately; it had probably been days since he’d seen her. Even if they happened to cross paths, if he didn’t speak, she’d likely pretend not to see him.
Today, she wasn’t in her school uniform but wore a little black dress, her long hair falling softly around her shoulders. Despite the understated outfit, she stood out vividly in the crowd.
It wasn’t just Lu Zhen, countless people in the auditorium were watching her.
Yu Lin was still staring: "Damn, that little punk really needs a beating. Now this is what you call a School Belle."
Lu Zhen suddenly furrowed his brow, set down his glass, and turned to go downstairs.
After Chu Yin entered, she headed straight for a booth on the side. She only planned to stay for a short while, just long enough to show face for her deskmate before leaving. Although she wasn’t staying long, she didn’t intend to waste time either. As soon as she sat down, she began silently reciting today’s study tasks.
From afar, Zheng Yu had been restless since she walked in, downing a glass of wine in one go.
He had publicly expressed interest in Chu Yin on the message board before, but she hadn’t responded at all. He was in the same class as Chu Shi, but Chu Shi only ever hung out with Gu Qiuzhe, leaving him no opportunity to get close.
Zheng Yu was confident in himself, he came from a good family, had a handsome, refined appearance, and often received admiring glances from younger schoolmates.
Although Chu Yin was unfairly beautiful, Zheng Yu thought she wouldn’t be too hard to win over. After all, she had grown up in a small town and probably hadn’t seen much of the world, so she’d likely be easy to pursue.
Zheng Yu set down his glass, straightened his clothes, and was about to approach when he suddenly saw Lu Zhen walk over.
He spun around on the spot and returned to his previous position.
My apologies.
Chu Yin was silently reciting a text when a cold voice sounded beside her: "Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?"
She looked up and met Lu Zhen’s downward gaze, his expression unfriendly.
In the dimly lit corner, Lu Zhen restrained himself, but his eyes still involuntarily fell on her face. From her full forehead to the curve of her lips, her natural beauty was tinged with an unconscious allure. Just sitting there quietly, she was captivating.
An indescribable irritation gripped his heart.
Chu Yin could tell he was annoyed.
She thought to herself: Huh, the dog man is pretty aggressive today??
You knew I wasn’t coming? What does it matter to you whether I come or not??
Chu Yin mentally cursed him out in a flurry, but when she spoke, her voice was cautious: "...Sorry?"
Lu Zhen’s eyes darkened abruptly.
Her voice was soft and gentle, as if she had no temper at all. She didn’t even ask how he knew, nor did she show any curiosity about him, she just wanted to brush him off with an apology.
Lu Zhen’s jaw tightened, and a flood of thoughts rushed through his mind.
But in the end, he only said coldly, "This place isn’t for you. Go home early."
With that, the young man left, radiating coldness.
Chu Yin: ?
Lu Zhen was shooing her away? Was the dog man annoyed with her?
Oh my god, what fantastic news!!
If she had firecrackers right now, she’d light them up!!
From the moment Lu Zhen went downstairs, many girls in the hall had been watching his movements. Seeing him approach Chu Yin, they had all felt a pang of jealousy.
But after just two sentences, Lu Zhen left, and his expression was unpleasant as he did.
Everyone immediately felt reassured.
"I told you, Brother Zhen wouldn’t lower his standards that much!"
"She’s from a small town, so she probably doesn’t know how to talk. She must have said something she shouldn’t have."
"Honestly, the only thing she has going for her is her face. All she does is study mindlessly, being with someone like that would be so boring. Brother Zhen would never be interested in her."
Chu Qiuqiu listened with satisfaction before stepping forward: "What are you all talking about?"
"Nothing, nothing, "
"Wow, Qiuqiu, is that dress from J Brand? It’s so beautiful!"
Chu Qiuqiu smiled elegantly and chatted with them for a bit.
"Hey, is that Senior Zheng? He’s coming over!"
"Qiuqiu, it looks like he’s heading toward you, "
Senior Zheng Yu, a high school senior, might not be on par with Lu Zhen or Gu Qiuzhe, but he was still a rich second-generation heir with good looks, he had even garnered dozens of votes in the school heartthrob contest.
Chu Qiuqiu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and, when Zheng Yu called her name, turned around with a perfectly feigned look of surprise and a slight smile: "Senior?"
Zheng Yu had been mulling over Lu Zhen's intentions earlier, worried that Lu Zhen might also be interested in Chu Yin.
The Zheng family was fairly well-off, but compared to the Lu family, they were practically insignificant. Even though Lu Zhen was a grade below him, he wouldn’t dare compete with Lu Zhen for anything!
After weighing the pros and cons, Zheng Yu decided it was safer to approach Chu Yin’s younger sister first.
He flashed what he thought was a charming smile: "Hello, junior."
Chu Qiuqiu guessed he might be there to ask her to dance and shyly lowered her gaze: "What is it, senior?"
Zheng Yu said, "Oh, I just wanted to ask, your sister Chu Yin doesn’t have a boyfriend, right?"
Chu Qiuqiu’s expression stiffened. He had sought her out just to ask about Chu Yin?!
Why was everyone drawn to her? Didn’t they know she came from the countryside and had no manners?!
Embarrassment from her own wishful thinking and jealousy burned through her like fire. Struggling to control her expression, she forced an awkward laugh: "I’m not sure. Maybe she had someone back in the countryside?"
Zheng Yu, however, breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as she doesn’t have one here."
What did those country folks matter? They weren’t even worth worrying about!
Zheng Yu happily turned to look for Chu Yin, only to find she was no longer at the booth where she had been sitting.
The dance had officially begun, with music filling the air and some people already making their way to the dance floor. Chu Yin had been pulled away by the ever-unpredictable Song Zhaolin to watch him dance.
Song Zhaolin was actually a decent dancer, probably having practiced since childhood. Ignoring his occasional cringey winks, he stood out among the crowd.
Chu Yin watched with a hint of envy, as she had absolutely no talent in this area.
Lu Zhen had tried to teach her before, but after having his feet stepped on countless times, he had finally given up.
After Song Zhaolin finished his dance, a few girls approached him to chat.
Chu Yin looked on approvingly and gave him a round of applause.
Now that her task was done, she planned to say hello to her brother before leaving.
During the break between songs, Chu Yin tried to slip out of the crowd.
But just then, someone gave her a hard shove from behind, pushing her straight into the dance floor.
Chu Qiuqiu smiled sweetly as she pulled her into the center of the dance floor: "Sister! let’s dance together!"
Chu Yin took a deep breath: "...Damn you."
Can you not be human without pulling some shady tricks??
After the midterm exams, her fake sister had been relatively quiet for a while, usually only engaging in minor provocations. But now it seemed that the calm was temporary, being an idiot was permanent.
The moment Chu Yin appeared in the dance floor, she immediately caught everyone’s attention.
"Is that Chu Yin from Class 5, Grade 2?"
"Does she know how to dance?"
"I don’t know, but it looks like she might?"
Lu Zhen, who had been sitting on the second floor, saw her being dragged into the dance floor and instinctively stood up to go downstairs.
Chu Qiuqiu pretended to be affectionate, holding Chu Yin tightly to keep her from leaving. She was determined to make Chu Yin look foolish, to let everyone see her clumsy dance moves, nothing compared to her own!
Chu Yin didn’t want to argue with her in front of everyone either, so she directly called up the system: "Unlock the script."
[Location: Quiwen Auditorium. Characters: Chu Yin, Chu Qiuqiu, classmates.]
[...Chu Qiuqiu was convinced that Chu Yin was in a difficult position, leaving the dance floor would be seen as cowardice. She decided to seize this opportunity to showcase her elegance as a wealthy young lady.
As the melodious music began, Chu Qiuqiu gracefully started dancing, captivating the entire audience with her elegant moves.]
Chu Yin was speechless: ...If you want to dance, just dance by yourself. Why do you have to drag someone else down with you?
Study System reminded: "Beep, host, would you like to use an item card?"
Chu Yin thought for a moment: "Not yet."
She picked up her pen, activated her artistic cells, and after a second of thought, crossed out the word [elegant] and changed it to [snake-like].
Since you’re being ruthless, don’t blame me for being merciless, little sister.
Soon, the melodious music filled the auditorium.
Chu Qiuqiu smiled, struck a pose, and gracefully took her first step,
Her body suddenly twisted into an S-shaped curve.
The person next to her almost got bumped away: "??"
But her next moves were even more outrageous.
Chu Qiuqiu moved like a nimble snake, zigzagging left and right, stealing the spotlight all by herself and electrifying the atmosphere. Everyone around her was stunned.
Under Chu Qiuqiu’s enthusiastic and energetic dance steps, the people around her couldn’t keep up and gradually stopped dancing.
Silently, the crowd cleared the entire dance floor for her.
Chu Qiuqiu herself was going crazy.
Why?!
Why can’t I stop my feet?!
My feet! What’s wrong with my feet?!
Chu Yin calmly retreated to the side with the crowd, watching as Chu Qiuqiu’s expression gradually crumbled.
The sky cleared, the rain stopped, and you think you’re all that again?
Well, if you’re so great, go ahead. Off you go.