Chapter 19

When Chu Yin was dragged into the dance floor, Chu Shi and Gu Qiuzhe had just arrived.
Chu Shi immediately frowned.
Chu Yin had only been back for a little over two months, and the family hadn’t arranged any dance lessons for her. She probably hadn’t learned to dance while living in the countryside either, so it was unlikely she would voluntarily step onto the dance floor. It was probably another one of Chu Qiuqiu’s schemes.
Chu Shi was over six years old when Chu Yin went missing, so he remembered it clearly. Even though another girl who looked very similar had come into the family later, he never saw Chu Qiuqiu as a replacement for Chu Yin. Over the years, he had actually been quite fond of Chu Qiuqiu, but lately, he was realizing more and more that the sister he had watched grow up might not be the person he thought she was.
Gu Qiuzhe glanced at the situation on the dance floor and said calmly, "Too many tricks, and she’s no longer cute."
Chu Shi didn’t say anything and intended to step in to help Chu Yin out of the situation.
At that moment, the music had already started. Just as the two of them squeezed into the crowd, a sudden commotion erupted in the dance floor.
What followed was a performance that could only be described as shockingly unconventional.
Chu Shi: "..."
Gu Qiuzhe: "..."
The entire school: "..."
Gu Qiuzhe remained silent for a long time before hesitantly commenting, "Chu Qiuqiu... is quite energetic."
Chu Shi silently covered his eyes.
...Did no one teach Chu Qiuqiu how to dance like this?!
What was with that serpentine footwork???
That night, Chu Qiuqiu herself became the center of attention as she had wished, and with that one dance, she achieved instant fame and notoriety.
Meanwhile, Chu Yin, having accomplished her goal without seeking recognition, quietly slipped away from the crowd.
Before she had gone far, a hand holding a red rose between two fingers suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking her path.
Chu Yin, puzzled, looked up and saw an exceedingly flamboyant face.
Zheng Yu, having finally seized the opportunity to intercept her, put on what he believed to be his most handsome expression and gazed affectionately at the girl before him. "Hello, beautiful. I’m Zheng Yu."
The outdated way of greeting left Chu Yin feeling overwhelmed by his flamboyance, and she even found it somewhat amusing.
She hadn’t had many experiences being pursued, mainly because Lu Zhen had always been by her side. In her previous life, during high school, since Lu Zhen was pursuing her, no other boys dared to make a move.
In this life, with Lu Zhen no longer around, some restless individuals had begun to emerge. From another perspective, although the person in front of her, Zheng Yu, was as flashy as a peacock, it also served as proof that the storyline had changed.
So, for once, Chu Yin mustered a bit more patience, nodded politely, and said, "Hello."
Lu Zhen stood not far away, watching.
He saw her leave the dance floor. He saw her being stopped.
He saw some idiot holding a rose, standing in front of her with a greasy smile.
Lu Zhen subconsciously clenched his fingers, his breathing growing deep and measured.
Is she stupid? Doesn’t she know to avoid him?
She has something to say to such a smooth-talker?
Zheng Yu, seeing that Chu Yin had responded to him and was being polite, felt a surge of secret delight.
He continued with an air of elegance, "How could a beauty like you be alone? This is truly the fault of every gentleman present."
Chu Yin: "..."
Sorry, I’m about to throw up.
But in Zheng Yu’s eyes, the girl before him only slightly furrowed her delicate brows, her beautiful eyes shimmering with unshed tears, looking utterly pitiful and heart-wrenching. His legs practically went weak.
Unable to resist, Zheng Yu leaned in closer, his mind clouded with infatuation, and said, “You’re so beautiful. Could you be my…”
Lu Zhen stared at the shrinking distance between the two of them, his expression growing increasingly grim. Finally unable to restrain himself, he took a step in their direction.
Chu Yin suppressed the urge to punch Zheng Yu in the face and took a large step back. “Snap out of it!”
Zheng Yu narrowed his eyes and moved closer. “I’m perfectly clear-headed!”
Just as Chu Yin began debating whether to use her script or her fists, a gentle voice interjected, “You’ll only scare her like this.”
Zheng Yu abruptly looked up and saw Gu Qiuzhe walking over, positioning himself sideways to shield Chu Yin.
His demeanor was as mild as a gentle breeze, but his tall, imposing stature made Zheng Yu’s presence inexplicably shrink.
Chu Yin breathed a sigh of relief. In a situation like this, she really didn’t want to cause a scene.
Zheng Yu felt somewhat annoyed, but his family was far inferior to the Gu family, there was even a subordinate relationship between them. He didn’t dare disregard Gu Qiuzhe’s authority, so he forced an ingratiating smile and said, “I was just joking.”
Gu Qiuzhe’s smile remained gentle, but his tone left no room for argument. “It wasn’t funny.”
Zheng Yu’s expression instantly soured, but he couldn’t lash out. In the end, he could only turn to Chu Yin and say, “Wait for me,” before spinning around and walking away with a mix of nonchalance and dejection.
Chu Yin: …Who’s waiting for you???
Gu Qiuzhe turned around, lowered his head, and smiled softly. “Were you scared?”
Chu Yin pursed her lips. “Thank you, but I was more disgusted than scared.”
Gu Qiuzhe was taken aback, then laughed again, amused by her response.
He had initially worried that a young girl with limited social experience might be easily deceived by smooth-talkers like Zheng Yu. But now it seemed her discernment and taste were beyond reproach. Chu Yin truly was a girl full of surprises from head to toe.
Chu Yin glanced behind him. “Where’s my brother?”
Gu Qiuzhe lifted his gaze and spotted Chu Shi standing not far behind Chu Yin, blocking Lu Zhen’s path. Earlier, Chu Shi had pushed him toward Chu Yin while heading straight for Lu Zhen himself.
To be honest, Gu Qiuzhe didn’t understand why Chu Shi disliked Lu Zhen even more than he did. Beyond mere dislike, there seemed to be an indescribable wariness as well.
By the time Lu Zhen was intercepted by Chu Shi, Gu Qiuzhe had already reached Chu Yin first.
A strange, inexplicable feeling, as though something important had been snatched away, suddenly surged from the depths of Lu Zhen’s heart.
An intense irritation welled up inside him, and his brows furrowed. “What do you want?”
Chu Shi smiled. With his sister and Lu Zhen both present today, he had to stay vigilant. The moment he saw that bastard heading toward Chu Yin, Chu Shi had immediately stepped in.
“Nothing much,” Chu Shi said. “I just noticed you seemed to be heading in my sister’s direction and wanted to make sure you don’t cause her any unnecessary trouble.”
Lu Zhen’s aura was icy, his dark gaze fixed on him. “Say what you mean.”
“Then I’ll be direct,” Chu Shi replied, looking at him. “My sister only cares about studying, and she doesn’t like your type. I hope Young Master Lu won’t entertain any inappropriate thoughts.”
Lu Zhen laughed. His smile carried a hint of menace.
Inappropriate thoughts?
He had plenty. Which kind did he mean?
Before he could speak, Song Zhaolin popped up from somewhere and chimed in, "Bro, you're overthinking it! Brother Zhen doesn't have those kinds of feelings for Sister Yin either!"
Chu Shi naturally didn't want to clash with Lu Zhen either, so he stopped while he was ahead. He nodded amiably, shot Lu Zhen a meaningful look, and then turned to find his sister.
Just then, the music finally came to an end, and Yu Lin's slightly awkward voice came through the microphone:
"That performance just now was... absolutely spectacular!!! Let's give them a round of applause!"
Song Zhaolin cooperatively clapped his hands and said with a grin, "Brother Zhen, did you see? Chu Qiuqiu seemed to have gone crazy, she danced like she didn't recognize anyone!"
Lu Zhen responded indifferently.
Yu Lin's voice followed from the speakers: "And now! It's time for the highlight of the evening. Let's invite our School Belle and School Hunk to share a dance!"
Song Zhaolin was caught off guard: "Huh??"
Lu Zhen remained expressionless: "..."
At that moment, Song Zhaolin and Lu Zhen happened to be standing together, and all eyes in the room instantly turned toward them.
One was handsome and delicate, the other cold and striking.
Honestly... it was kind of exciting.
Under such intense public attention, Song Zhaolin gradually grew shy and bashfully touched his own cheek.
Lu Zhen lifted his eyelids and shot Yu Lin a death glare from across the room: Do you have a death wish?
Yu Lin, having risked his life to lighten the awkward atmosphere after Chu Qiuqiu's dance, certainly wasn't going to actually make Lu Zhen dance.
"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding! Due to special circumstances this year, our 'School Belle' and School Hunk won't be performing a duet!" Yu Lin quickly added, his survival instincts kicking in.
But with that little commotion, the atmosphere in the auditorium finally livened up again. Chu Yin withdrew her gaze and sighed with a hint of regret.
Before she could finish sighing, the host announced: ", Well then, how about inviting our provisional School Belle and provisional School Hunk to share a dance? Being runners-up is a kind of fate too!"
Suddenly called out, Gu Qiuzhe and Chu Yin: "?"
And as it happened, they were also standing together. This time, scorching gazes shot in their direction.
Lu Zhen's jaw tightened as he looked at Yu Lin again, this time, his gaze was as if he were looking at a dead man.
Yu Lin: ?? What's wrong now
Gu Qiuzhe didn't really mind, but he turned to Chu Yin and asked softly, "Do you want to dance?"
Chu Yin gave a faint smile and refused outright: "No."
Understanding, Gu Qiuzhe shrugged toward Yu Lin from afar.
"Alright then, let's continue with the dance! Everyone, have fun!!"
The auditorium returned to its lively atmosphere as Lu Zhen lowered his eyes.
The little bookworm had just smiled.
When she smiled, a small dimple appeared on her cheek, fleeting and sweet.
But Lu Zhen’s heart suddenly felt a pang of bitterness.
Because that smile wasn’t for him. She… wouldn’t smile at him like that either.
...
Chu Yin had been through too much that night and felt utterly exhausted. After saying goodbye to her brother, she left the venue.
As she stepped out of the auditorium doors, a cold voice suddenly came from the shadows in the corner.
“Chu Yin.”
Chu Yin shivered and looked toward the shadows.
Lu Zhen took a step forward, his pale face half-revealed, sharply divided by the contrast of light and shadow. Only the tear mole at the corner of his eye stood out distinctly.
“Study hard,” he said.
Don’t get involved in these matters, don’t accept others’ approaches.
Otherwise, he...
Lu Zhen had spoken these abrupt and inexplicable words out of nowhere, then turned and left. It was as if he had waited there for a long time just to say that.
Watching his retreating figure, Chu Yin said to Study System, “Chicky, that scoundrel told me to study hard.”
“Yes! Host.”
Chu Yin touched the tip of her nose. “But if I study hard, he’s going to have a hard time.”
Study System: “...”
Judging by the host’s actions so far, that was indeed true!
…
The event finally came to an end. Gossip about Chu Qiuqiu’s snake-like dance and Zheng Yu’s public pursuit of Chu Yin circulated around the school for a few days before gradually fading as everyone returned to the routine of studying.
Chu Yin and Jiang Yan had already become very close. The two top students in the class engaged in healthy competition, arriving early and leaving late every day. During breaks, they either discussed problems or sought out teachers for guidance, fostering a strong academic atmosphere throughout Class 5.
Gradually, more people began greeting Chu Yin, though she had no interest in making friends or spending energy on meaningless social interactions.
After the midterm exams, Chu Yin had become the darling of all her teachers. Even the math teacher, Ms. Wang, who had once criticized her, apologized, admitting she had been too hasty in her judgment and welcoming Chu Yin to ask questions anytime.
Among all the teachers, the English teacher had the best impression of Chu Yin. She had never held any prejudice against the girl from the start, and after Chu Yin’s impressive midterm results, the English teacher grew even fonder of her.
One day after class, the English teacher walked over and tapped Chu Yin’s desk, signaling her to follow to the office.
As soon as the two left, the students in Class 5 started chatting.
“Do you think the teacher wants Chu Yin to participate in a competition?”
“Maybe. After all, she has the highest English scores in our class now...”
Fu Mingxuan wasn’t pleased to hear this. Before Chu Yin arrived, she had always been the top English student in the class. Whenever there was an English competition, the teacher’s first choice had always been her.
Soon, someone voiced the doubts on Fu Mingxuan’s behalf:
“But this competition is a speech contest. Chu Yin’s test scores are high, sure, but her spoken English... hmm, not necessarily.”
“True, many top students from smaller towns are like that, great at written exams but struggle with speaking.”
Jiang Yan, who was quietly doing her homework in the classroom, didn’t even want to respond.
Even if her spoken English isn’t great, it’s still better than all of you who just talk without substance.
In the office, the English teacher had indeed called Chu Yin over to discuss this matter.
“A speech competition, you said?”
"Yes," the teacher nodded, "I was just asking for your thoughts, no pressure. This is just a local competition. If you're willing, you could treat it as a practice opportunity."
Unlike the international class, which often had foreign teachers, the regular classes still had English lessons conducted in Chinese. Chu Yin usually didn't answer questions frequently in class, so the English teacher wasn't entirely confident about her speaking abilities.
However, the English compositions Chu Yin submitted were consistently of a very high standard, with vocabulary and sentence structures far surpassing her classmates, even the entire grade level. Her English skills were definitely sufficient. Therefore, the English teacher wanted Chu Yin to gain more experience outside the classroom. If her spoken English was average, she could accumulate experience; if it was good, she could earn certificates to pave the way for future academic advancement.
Chu Yin was quite interested because,
Ding, Second major learning task issued!. Win the championship in the English speech competition. Difficulty level: four stars. Upon completion, you will gain the [Edit Single Sentence] permission and randomly receive a special item card!.
Editing sentences was just too enticing, she couldn’t bear to give up that permission.
"Teacher, I’ll participate," Chu Yin said with a smile.
The English teacher was very pleased and spent a long time sharing competition tips with her, finally encouraging her not to feel pressured and to reach out anytime if she had questions.
By the time she left the English office, the break between classes had already ended. Chu Yin didn’t have time to go to the restroom and didn’t want to be late, so she hurried back to the classroom.
As soon as she entered, several pairs of eyes glanced her way.
At first, Chu Yin didn’t pay much attention and went straight to her seat.
As soon as she sat down, Song Zhaolin beside her leaned over, covering his mouth and whispering, "Zheng Yu was here just now."
Chu Yin: "Zheng Yu?"
Song Zhaolin thought to himself, Of course, Sister Yin is too cool to even remember names like his: "That confident guy who tried to hit on you at the dance the other day!"
Chu Yin recalled his face and immediately felt a chill.
Confident guy, that term was spot-on.
Although Song Zhaolin could be a bit greasy at times, his oily demeanor was kind of endearing. Zheng Yu’s brand of greasiness, however, was laced with an undeniable eagerness and an inherent disrespect toward women, which was utterly repulsive.
"What did he come here for?"
Song Zhaolin gestured toward her desk compartment with his chin: "To chase you, of course."
No wonder several people had given her odd looks when she entered the classroom.
Chu Yin reached into her desk compartment and rummaged around, finding a small bouquet of fresh-cut roses, a box of imported chocolates that must have been air-shipped from overseas, and some other random trinkets with suggestive undertones.
Song Zhaolin had been secretly observing Chu Yin’s reaction all along.
Although the title of School Belle had accidentally been snatched away by him, everyone in the school knew that Chu Yin was originally supposed to be the School Belle. The School Belle was so dazzling, everyone was staring at her, and Zheng Yu was the first one bold enough to make a move.
But Chu Yin showed no reaction for a long time. Song Zhaolin couldn’t help but ask, “Sis Yin, any thoughts?”
Chu Yin coldly tossed the item aside. “Is he out of his mind? The flowers were wet, and my book got soaked.”
Song Zhaolin: …So heartless!!!
I love it!!!
That’s my Sis Yin for you!!!
After class, Chu Yin directly had Song Zhaolin return all the items untouched to the senior international class.
Song Zhaolin happily ran the errand and then conveniently dropped by the sophomore international class, telling Lu Zhen and Tan Ke all about how Zheng Yu’s gift had been mercilessly rejected as if it were a joke.
He had thought Lu Zhen wouldn’t be interested, but unexpectedly, a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he seemed somewhat pleased.
“Did she really say that?”
Song Zhaolin: “Yeah!”
Lu Zhen’s lips lifted briefly.
But then, thinking of someone else’s advances toward her, the light in his eyes dimmed again.
…
Everyone in the senior international class knew Zheng Yu was pursuing Chu Shi’s sister, and some had even asked Chu Shi for his opinion.
“I don’t interfere with her choices. Whether she accepts or not, she has the right to decide for herself.”
His bottom line was that she couldn’t be hurt. Beyond that, he wouldn’t interfere too much. After all, in that dream, Chu Yin had lost many choices, been controlled by others, and lived unhappily. Chu Shi hoped he could help her escape that kind of life as much as possible.
Gu Qiuzhe also smiled without commenting. If Zheng Yu really succeeded, he would be disappointed too.
And so, Zheng Yu’s pursuit grew increasingly intense.
Candles arranged downstairs, convertible cars with colorful balloons, all sorts of tactics emerged one after another.
Countless threads discussing the matter had long appeared on Quiwen’s forum.
[Serious Discussion: How long can the quasi-School Belle hold out under such an offensive?]
1F: I bet she’ll be won over within a week.
2F: Honestly, I think it’s almost a done deal. ZY is decent-looking, his family is rich, and he’s got a whole playbook for chasing girls. Most girls would find it hard to resist.
3F: @2F, same thought. If she didn’t want to accept it, she would’ve rejected him already, right?
4F: Tsk tsk tsk, now I’m just full of regret. If I’d known she was this easy to chase, I would’ve made a move too.
10F: @4F, get in line, behind me.
11F: Just wait till she and ZY break up, then you can go for it. She’s easy to chase anyway.
…
Chu Yin had been preparing for an English competition these past few days and had no idea about the gossip.
But after being cornered twice, she finally felt the urge to kill someone.
What kind of illness was it to not understand human language?? Who gave him the confidence to think he could succeed??
This Zheng Yu was quite something, for now, he’d briefly risen to the same level of hatred in her heart as that dog Lu Zhen.
Song Zhaolin enjoyed eating melons on the front lines every day, and his greatest pleasure was giving his buddies live updates.
“Sis Yin tore up Zheng Yu’s love letter!”
“Just now, she threw Zheng Yu’s gift box into the trash, direct aerial shot, so cool!”
Listening to Zheng Yu get rejected was pretty amusing. Tan Ke happily munched on the gossip and couldn’t help but sigh, “But honestly, she’s really hard to chase.”
Lu Zhen, who had been playing on his phone with his head down, suddenly lifted his gaze.
Song Zhaolin said, “But it looks like Zheng Yu is about to pull out his final trump card, today, he’s planning a heartfelt confession.”
"Holy shit, impressive."
Lu Zhen suddenly stood up, frowning as he walked out.
"Zhen, where are you going?"
Lu Zhen had long legs and was already far away after just a few steps.
After finishing up in the restroom, Chu Yin washed her hands, dried them, and stepped out, only to see that eyesore leaning against the opposite wall.
Zheng Yu had probably even carefully chosen his angle, presenting a 45-degree side profile to her with a deeply affectionate and melancholic expression.
For some reason, another image suddenly flashed through Chu Yin’s mind.
Lu Zhen had waited for her like this many times before.
Leaning against the wall, head tilted back. Sometimes absentmindedly, sometimes with a deep gaze.
To be honest, heaven had been very generous to him. Even without any expression, just standing there quietly, Lu Zhen looked like a top-tier, cool and aloof poster.
So.
Chu Yin sighed.
If even someone as handsome as Lu Zhen couldn’t sway her, where on earth did this Zheng guy get the confidence to think she’d accept him?
"Yin Yin, I have something to say to you," Zheng Yu gazed at her with deep affection.
Chu Yin had no desire to listen.
She tapped the system: "Unlock the script."
[...Zheng Yu had been mocked by his buddies for days. If he couldn’t win Chu Yin over, he’d have no face left to show them. Today, he had prepared his trump card, determined to win Chu Yin over.
Zheng Yu walked up to Chu Yin: "Maybe you think I’m not sincere enough, but today, I’m here to show you my sincerity."
He turned around and took a small box out of his pocket.
At the same moment, Lu Zhen walked over from the end of the corridor.]
Chu Yin raised an eyebrow: Lu Zhen is coming??
[Then, Zheng Yu turned back, pinned Chu Yin against the wall, closed his eyes, and pressed a hand to his heart: "I like you, I mean it."...]
Chu Yin shuddered with disgust: What’s wrong with him?! Pinning someone against the wall?!
As she was thinking about how to change it, she caught sight of Lu Zhen’s figure out of the corner of her eye.
The young man was walking quickly, carrying a gloomy aura.
Suddenly, an idea struck Chu Yin, since he’s here, might as well make use of him!
Let the dogs fight it out!!
She moved the light pen, landed it on the line [pinned Chu Yin against the wall], crossed out her own name, and wrote "Lu Zhen" in its place. Then, while Zheng Yu was turning around to take something out, she slipped away to the side.
Study System watched coldly, observing the still-unaware male lead: [...]
Lu Zhen frowned, his expression displeased.
He had just walked over without saying a word when, completely unexpectedly, someone slammed him against the wall.
What the hell?
Zheng Yu closed his eyes, clutching his chest, his lips slightly puckered: "I like you, and I mean it."
Lu Zhen: "..."
Chu Yin: "Wow."
Lu Zhen’s face remained expressionless, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
Three seconds later,
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, Zheng Yu was sent flying by a kick.
Lu Zhen: "Drop dead."