Chapter 22

With the permission secured, Chu Yin felt at ease.
She now had two special item cards unused and planned to study them carefully when she had time. But judging by its name, this Deletion Card seemed more straightforward than the previous Replacement Card... If she could directly delete a character, that would be absolutely fantastic.
Deleted the male lead. We’ve all been blind before, right?
Study System: Cough, cough, cough, dangerous remarks!
Chu Yin rolled her eyes inwardly.
Since the announcement had already been broadcast, she had a perfect excuse to leave. She turned and walked toward the awards podium. Lu Zhen seemed a bit dazed and didn’t say anything more, merely following her at a leisurely pace.
Chu Yin hadn’t gone far when she ran into Liang Yueqi in the hallway.
This year, the young lady of the Liang family had suffered an unprecedented defeat, not only had she failed to win the championship, but she had also lost the runner-up position to someone else, and to the person she liked, no less. Judging by her current expression, she seemed deeply affected.
Sister Yin shook her head and sighed.
This person was just too weak, couldn’t she toughen up a bit?
Be stronger! Let Lu Zhen see your excellence and your beauty!!
If that doesn’t work, take the initiative and bump into him!! That way, he won’t have to bump into me backstage!!
Sigh.
A hint of disappointment, as if frustrated by someone’s inability to meet expectations, flashed in Chu Yin’s clear, beautiful eyes, making Liang Yueqi feel a sharp pang of heartache, almost leaving her breathless.
Born into privilege and having lived a life of superiority, the young lady had never been looked down upon like this before. Clutching her expensive dress tightly, she was about to say something when Chu Yin simply walked past her.
Liang Yueqi felt another wave of heartache.
She reached out to stop Lu Zhen, her eyes red as she said, “Lu Zhen, you didn’t come to watch my competition, did you?”
Lu Zhen glanced at her. “I came to compete.”
Liang Yueqi asked, “Why? You’ve never cared about these awards before.”
Lu Zhen let out a derisive laugh and tried to step around her to leave.
Liang Yueqi had always been tactful and sensible in front of Lu Zhen, unlike the other girls at school who acted crazily. This was precisely why she had never provoked Lu Zhen’s dislike over all this time.
But this time, Liang Yueqi couldn’t hold back anymore and blurted out, “Could it be… for that Chu Yin?”
As absurd as it sounded, her intuition told her it was true. Lu Zhen hadn’t come to watch her speech, he had even arrived midway through her presentation. But when Chu Yin took the stage, Lu Zhen had kept his eyes on her the entire time!
Lu Zhen’s gaze turned cold, a trace of menace flickering in his dark eyes. “You’re overstepping. Do you think too highly of yourself?”
Liang Yueqi trembled with fear, but his reaction only confirmed her suspicions. She found it utterly absurd and said, her voice shaking, “Lu Zhen, who do you think you are? Aren’t you afraid of what Grandpa Lu will say? She’s just some country bumpkin, ”
“Shut up,” Lu Zhen’s expression darkened. “Mind your own business.”
His tone was cold and harsh, carrying the authority of someone in power, shattering a young girl’s heart to pieces.
The Lu and Liang families were close, and Liang Yueqi had known Lu Zhen since childhood. Although she had never received any response from him over the years, this was the first time he had treated her with such an attitude.
Her face burned with humiliation as she turned and glared at Lu Zhen’s retreating figure, her heart filled with grievance and resentment.
The awards ceremony proceeded in the order of third place, second place, and finally, first place.
Chu Yin successfully won the championship of this year’s English Speech Competition and took the stage last to receive her medal and certificate from the organizers. For some reason, the organizer presenting the award smiled at her with an unusually warm and benevolent expression, like a blooming chrysanthemum.
When Chu Yin stepped onto the stage for the competition, no one in the audience paid her any attention.
But when she returned to the stage to receive her award, she had captured the attention of countless people.
This girl from Quiwen Private High School had such a captivating English accent! Her impromptu answers were so composed! And she was incredibly, incredibly beautiful!! By the end of the event, Chu Yin had already gained a group of fans at No. 1 High School who adored her looks.
Jiang Yan and Song Zhaolin sat in the audience, listening to the flattering praises around them, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. They took out their phones and snapped numerous photos of Chu Yin.
Finally, after all the awards were presented, the champion, runner-up, and second runner-up stepped onto the stage together for a group photo. Chu Yin stood in the middle, with Lu Zhen on her left and Liang Yueqi on her right, making her feel extremely awkward.
The photographer directed them, "That handsome guy, yes, move a little to the right, that’s it!"
Lu Zhen lowered his gaze, his fingertips curling slightly, and then moved closer to the girl.
Chu Yin was forced to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Lu Zhen.
That year, her shoulder only reached his chest, and she felt completely enveloped by his presence.
Their breaths mingled silently, and some physical memories resurfaced at the most inopportune moment. Wrapped in Lu Zhen’s aura, Chu Yin inexplicably recalled the suggestive words he had whispered to her while holding her in those years. A faint shiver crept up her spine once again.
That damn man.
She pursed her lips, a small dimple appearing on her cheek.
Click, the photo was permanently captured.
The audience below the stage lingered, reluctant to leave, murmuring in admiration:
"What a feast for the eyes..."
"I can’t even decide which of the two is more attractive."
"They’re both stunning!! I’m totally here for this brother and sister, ahhhh!!"
After stepping off the stage, Chu Yin headed straight for Jiang Yan and the others but was unexpectedly stopped by Lu Zhen.
"Good student."
His youthful voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with a hint of laughter.
Chu Yin had no choice but to turn around.
Lu Zhen stood a few steps away, smiling as he said, "I’m not a bad student."
Chu Yin: "...Oh."
"So..." Lu Zhen’s dark eyes fixed on her, "Could you not be afraid of me?"
Earlier, during the photo, when they stood close, she had been trembling.
Chu Yin fell silent.
Long after she left, she was still silent.
Yes, you’re not a bad student.
You’re a big! bad! egg!!!!
Who’s afraid of you?!
Hmph!!!!
…
On their way back from the competition venue, Jiang Yan was visibly excited. She truly hadn’t expected Chu Yin’s spoken English to be so impressive. Now, those sarcastic classmates were going to be proven wrong once again.
Jiang Yan sighed with emotion and said, "Yin Yin, it feels like you’re good at everything. You’re practically all-round talented."
Song Zhaolin was also nearby. After Lu Zhen was picked up by his family, he had been sticking close to Chu Yin. At this moment, he nodded vigorously in agreement: "I think so too!! Sister Yin, with the sports meet coming up in a couple of days, could you also win championships in fencing or figure skating or something?"
Chu Yin actually gave it some serious thought before replying, "I can't."
Although she did know both fencing and skating, they were merely casual hobbies for her, and winning awards would be a bit difficult.
As the group chatted and laughed, before they could even leave No. 1 High School’s campus, they were unexpectedly stopped by a few students from the school.
Seeing the rowdy girls in front of her, cigarettes in hand, Chu Yin raised her delicate eyebrows.
Old acquaintances.
The moment Song Zhaolin saw these "big sisters," he was reminded of the fear he felt that day in the alley and instantly turned pale.
The leader of the group smirked as she walked over, her gaze fixed on Chu Yin: "You dare come to our turf? I heard you even won an award here?"
Last time, they had been disciplined, and after thinking it over, they concluded it must have been this girl’s doing. And today, they happened to run into her!
Students from No. 1 High nearby stopped in their tracks, watching covertly.
Song Zhaolin had no idea when Chu Yin had crossed paths with these people, but as a guy, he knew he had to protect the girls in such a situation. So, he immediately stepped in front of Chu Yin and Jiang Yan: "If you’ve got a problem, come at me!"
Among the gathered students were many who had just watched the competition, and they grew nervous,
How did the girl who just won an award end up crossing these people?
Was she going to get bullied?
The leader looked at Song Zhaolin and stroked her chin: "Oh, little handsome, you here too. Miss us?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Yin smiled faintly, pushed Song Zhaolin aside, and shielded both him and Jiang Yan behind her.
Then, she suddenly spoke up: "Huh? Aren’t you the ones who were playing with poop in the alley that day?"
The onlookers were caught off guard: "???"
Song Zhaolin was also shocked: "P-playing with poop?!"
The leader immediately recalled the terror of having dog feces smeared on her hands and face, her expression turning ugly: "Y-you’re talking nonsense!"
Chu Yin looked utterly sincere: "Didn’t each of you have a handful of dog poop? You seemed to be having so much fun!"
As everyone knows, school gang leaders care most about face and prestige. Being publicly humiliated like this, the hooligans flushed with anger, threw their cigarettes aside, and moved to attack her.
Suddenly, Chu Yin exclaimed loudly: "Oh my god! Are you playing with bird poop now?!"
Everyone took a closer look and saw that each of them actually had bird droppings on their hands! Colorful and incredibly realistic!
Oh my god! So the No. 1 High gang leaders really do have this kind of hobby!
The hooligans’ faces turned green,
It’s happening again! Again!
This fear of being dominated by feces!
What kind of dark magic is this?!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they couldn’t bear the disgusted stares and eventually fled in panic.
Chu Yin patted her hands in satisfaction. The moment she saw these people, she had changed the cigarettes in their hands to bird droppings in the script. It echoed the earlier plot, creating a neat, full-circle moment.
This time, she hoped these "big sisters" would develop a psychological shadow and not come looking for trouble again.
She turned around and patted Song Zhaolin and Jiang Yan’s heads one by one: "Don’t be scared."
The two stood there, stunned and obedient.
The onlookers erupted in cheers once more.
Such unshakable composure! Such effortless calm in every gesture!!
That day, several posts appeared on First High's forum, all buzzing about that stunning, charming, and incredibly cool Quiwen girl who not only won the championship but also drove away the school's top bully.
Chu Yin, without even realizing it, had gained a large following of admirers at the neighboring school.
…
Winning the speech competition made the English teacher extremely happy, and she began praising Chu Yin as soon as class started.
Class 5 had also heard about it, last year's champion, Liang Yueqi, had only placed third this time, while the runner-up turned out to be the grade's top dog, Lu Zhen.
Chu Yin had actually beaten both of them to take the championship... Even without attending the competition in person, they knew Chu Yin's spoken English had to be better than anyone else's in the class.
Many students' gazes toward Chu Yin were already different from before.
During breaks, some students started emulating Chu Yin, not going out to play or chat, but staying at their desks to study or asking the teacher questions, clearly treating her as some kind of benchmark.
Chu Yin was completely unaware of all this, but there was one thing that troubled her slightly.
Quiwen's sports meet was about to begin, and in principle, every student in the class was encouraged to participate in at least one event.
As a very wealthy private elite school, Quiwen's sports meet was completely different from those of ordinary schools. Most schools held theirs in October when the weather was mild, but Quiwen, with its large sports facilities, was never limited by the season.
Moreover, the events weren't the usual track and field sports but included fencing, figure skating, basketball, badminton, tennis, soft baseball, and more, many of which ordinary high school students rarely had the chance to experience. Different grades competed against each other using a points system, and the class with the highest points would receive a cash prize of tens of thousands of yuan along with an honorary medal.
The homeroom teacher, knowing it was Chu Yin's first time participating, specifically talked to her, encouraging her to get involved.
But Chu Yin really didn't want to take part in the competitions. When it came to the sports meet in her sophomore year, she didn't have any youthful, passionate, beautiful memories, only some unpleasant ones.
If possible, she'd rather sit alone in the stands, listen to some English, and quietly shine on her own.
Song Zhaolin, as a physically strong but simple-minded younger brother, was absolutely enthusiastic about such a grand sports event.
"I wonder if we can beat the International Class this year," Song Zhaolin rubbed his hands excitedly. "Last year, we were only twenty points short, just one more championship and we would've won!"
In her previous life, when Chu Yin was in the International Class, its students had also placed great importance on this event. The strongest classes in the grade were Class 5 and the International Class, as they had many tall boys who had a significant advantage in ball sports.
"If Brother Zhen participates, the championships in fencing and tennis are as good as gone, and the basketball championship will be tough too," Song Zhaolin said, not at all discouraged. He clenched his fist like a "little sunflower" and declared, "Keep it up! Just wait and see how I turn the tide!"
Chu Yin continued doing her homework while listening to his bragging, kindly refraining from exposing him.
Lu Zhen had been taught fencing and had practice partners for tennis, these aristocratic sports were deliberately cultivated by the Lu family. Combined with Lu Zhen’s monstrous physical stamina, ordinary people truly couldn’t compete with him.
After class, the sports committee member, Zhao Yuxiong, approached with a sign-up sheet.
Zhao Yuxiong, tall and sturdy, stood stiffly in front of the desk, his face slightly flushed. "Chu Yin, would you like to sign up for any events…"
The entire school was enthusiastic, and Class 5’s sign-up sheet was already densely filled with names.
Though Chu Yin’s heart was as unyielding as iron, she couldn’t outright say she didn’t want to contribute to the class. Instead, she replied, "Can I think about it a little more?"
Her eyes were clear, her tone consultative, and Zhao Yuxiong’s face instantly turned bright red. "Sure, sure!" he stammered before thundering away as if the ground were shaking.
Chu Yin’s train of thought for her homework was interrupted, so she decided to fetch some water before returning to continue.
Holding her water bottle, she had just reached the corner when she accidentally spotted Lu Zhen again.
The young man was leaning against the wall and waved her over.
Chu Yin took a deep breath and resignedly walked toward him.
She stopped two meters away and asked obediently, "What is it?"
Lu Zhen approached, lowered his head, and suddenly reached out to slip something into her ear.
Startled, Chu Yin instinctively flinched before realizing it was an earbud.
Then, Lu Zhen pressed something small and cool into her hand, a slight smile curling his lips. "For you. Something you like."
Chu Yin was stunned for a long moment.
Lu Zhen was giving her something?
What was he playing at???
Lu Zhen had been waiting for her for several classes, finally managing to catch the little bookworm. Not wanting to seem too deliberate, he handed her the item and left.
After Lu Zhen was gone, she stared at the pink iPod in her hand, hesitating for a while before pressing play.
The first track: Great Compassion Mantra. The second: Amitabha Heart Mantra. The third: Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra. Followed by Rebirth Mantra, Six-Syllable Mantra…
Chu Yin’s hand trembled slightly as she gripped the iPod.
Are you insane?!?!
I don’t like this crap at all!!!
A few minutes later, Chu Yin returned to the classroom with a frosty expression.
She said to Song Zhaolin, "I’ve thought of a way to contribute to the class."
Song Zhaolin’s eyes immediately sparkled. "What is it?"
Chu Yin let out a cold laugh.
Screw with Lu Zhen so he can’t participate in the sports meet.
Screw him!!! (Loudly) (Extra loudly)
Listening to the radiant Buddhist chants, Chu Yin spent two days lying in wait and finally found an opportunity in today’s script.
That evening, Lu Zhen was going out to a banquet with his uncle.
A passage from the script read:
[In the arena of wealth and power, Lu Zhen was always the representative of the Lu family. But in recent years, Lu Linyuan had also begun to make appearances and attend certain events. …
Lu Zhen drove his uncle’s car. Since he didn’t have a driver’s license, he maintained a steady speed of 80 mph. Lu Linyuan had always cared deeply for Lu Zhen, and the two chatted quite a bit along the way.
When they arrived at the banquet venue, the uncle and nephew got out of the car and were immediately greeted by attendants. …]
Chu Yin still remembered Lu Linyuan, her impression of him being that of an elegant yet deeply shrewd and handsome uncle from the Lu family.
Sorry, Uncle, but if you want to blame someone, blame your nephew.
She moved the light pen and drew a small vertical line on the script.
Hehe.
Lu Linyuan was a low-key person, and his car was just like him.
Its exterior was understated and unostentatious, but the interior was top-of-the-line with extremely high performance.
Lu Zhen had driven this car a few times, and the uncle-nephew duo were quite accustomed to switching seats.
Lu Linyuan sat in the passenger seat and glanced over: "I heard you bullied Qiqi? She went home crying to Old Master Liang."
Lu Zhen lowered his head to start the car, not denying it, and casually replied, "You could say that."
"But she didn't speak ill of you, she was just a little upset and said a few things."
Lu Zhen lowered his eyes and asked nonchalantly, "Has Uncle been getting closer to the Liang family lately?"
Lu Linyuan's eyebrows twitched, and then he laughed, "It's all for your sake."
After saying that, he leaned in a bit, like a genuinely concerned elder brother: "Seriously, Qiqi is quite pretty, and her family background matches yours. Why aren't you interested? What kind of person do you even like?"
Lu Zhen paused slightly.
...What kind of person do I like?
An image surfaced in Lu Zhen's mind, and his lips curled inexplicably: "I like someone devoted to Buddhist practice."
Lu Linyuan: "......?" That really is an abstract standard.
"Let's go, drive slowly. We're not in a hurry."
"Mm."
Lu Zhen placed one hand on the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator.
The next second, the car suddenly "vroom, " shot forward, the speedometer instantly soaring to 180 km/h!
Lu Linyuan was slammed back into his seat by the force.
Lu Zhen's pupils contracted. Seeing the car about to crash into a tree in the distance, he sharply adjusted the direction and slammed on the brakes.
Lu Linyuan was thrown forward instantly, only to be yanked back hard by the seatbelt.
In just a few seconds, they had nearly lost their lives.
The 1.2-ton car came to a stop, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air.
The car fell into silence.
A silence tinged with bewilderment.
Lu Zhen's heart was pounding wildly. He forced himself to calm down a little and stiffly turned his head:
"If I said the car did it on its own, would you believe me?"