Chapter 32

Father Chen looked utterly hopeless.
This was Lu Zhen, the eldest son of the Lu family!!
It was one thing for him, as a father, to be roared at by his son, but Lu Zhen was not someone he could roar at!!
"Father Chen quickly interjected, 'Um, Young Master Lu, Xuanyuan he, '
'I am not a trumpet spirit!!!' Another roar erupted.
Father Chen nearly cursed aloud: Shut the hell up!!
Chen Xuanyuan was on the verge of breaking down.
Although this Lu Zhen had immediately told him to get lost, making him lose face, Chen Xuanyuan knew that the Lu family was not one they could afford to offend. Besides, he hadn’t intended to yell at Lu Zhen!
He had spoken calmly and collectedly, or so he thought. Yet, the moment he opened his mouth, he couldn’t help but roar, as if a primal force surged within him.
For a noble, elegant, and infinitely charming young man like him, this was an immense trial!
'Oh my, isn’t that the Chen family’s son…'
'He seems a bit unstable, doesn’t he?'
'To be honest, he tried to flirt with me before, and he wasn’t quite right even then…'
Lu Zhen watched Chen Xuanyuan with an impassive expression.
He had been suppressing a wave of irritation, but when he saw the young woman unconsciously take several steps back, as if afraid of being associated with the man in any way, his agitation eased considerably.
…Good. Stay far away. The farther, the better.
Father Chen said to Lu Zhen with a panicked expression, 'Young Master Lu, I’m truly sorry. Xuanyuan didn’t mean it!'
Chen Xuanyuan, having learned a little wisdom, finally shut his mouth and tried to calm himself.
But Father Chen failed to grasp his son’s struggle and yanked him harshly. 'Hurry up and apologize to Young Master Lu!'
Chen Xuanyuan blurted out instinctively, 'I’m sorry!!'
He had intended to apologize properly, but as soon as he opened his mouth, another draconic roar burst forth, raw and fierce!
Father Chen: '…'
Lu Zhen: '…'
A few minutes later.
The Chen father and son were escorted out of the banquet hall.
Even from a distance, those in the hall could still hear his despairing cry.
'I can’t control myself!!!'
The atmosphere at the banquet grew awkward.
'He must be mentally unstable…'
'Definitely has some issues. Are the Chu family still considering an alliance with the Chens?'
'Isn’t the Chu family’s daughter in a terrible position?'
Not only had the Chen family been humiliated, but Father Chu also felt deeply embarrassed, as many were aware of the planned alliance between the Chen and Chu families.
Father Chu couldn’t help but wonder, recalling the previous incident at home and now this display, could the Chen family’s young master truly be a bit unwell?"
But even if he had a problem, should they give up on the alliance between the two families? Illness could be treated, but business cooperation couldn’t wait.
Just as Mr. Chu was struggling with the dilemma, Chu Qiuqiu suddenly approached him. "Dad, I don’t mind!"
Although Chu Qiuqiu had been startled earlier, she immediately realized this was another opportunity for her. In such moments, whoever spoke up first would seize the advantage!
She said understandingly, "As long as it helps the family, I’m willing to tolerate Brother Xuanyuan’s little quirks."
Mr. Chu, who was already wavering, was deeply moved by her words. "Qiuqiu!"
She truly lived up to being the daughter they had raised themselves, so sensible and so understanding of the bigger picture! Compared to Chu Yin, Chu Qiuqiu was indeed more suited for this role!
On the other side, Chu Yin, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, felt a weight lift off her chest.
Thank you, sacrificing yourself for Xuanyuan. This fake sister is really something else [fist bump].
However, in her memory, Chu Qiuqiu didn’t end up marrying into the Chen family. After the Chu family went bankrupt, the alliance between the Chen and Chu families naturally fell apart. Afraid of being burdened with the Chu family’s debts, Chu Qiuqiu quickly turned to the wealthy young men she had cultivated relationships with over the years.
From this perspective, Chu Qiuqiu was actually more far-sighted than her parents.
If she remembered correctly, Chu Qiuqiu eventually married into a wealthy family slightly better off than the Chus, giving birth to two children in three years, quite the feat. So, even though Lu Zhen had used this to provoke her during his episodes back then, Chu Yin remained completely unfazed.
It was just another form of suffering, what was so great about it?
As her memories reached this point, Chu Yin suddenly remembered that she still didn’t know why that dog-like man Lu Zhen had shown up today.
Quietly, she admitted that watching Chen Xuanyuan yell at him had been quite satisfying. The sheer audacity of it made Chu Yin almost envious, she wished she could have possessed Chen Xuanyuan and yelled at the dog-like man herself.
But even if she couldn’t do it personally, the effect was the same.
This was what they called using someone else’s strength against them ..
The only thing that worried her a little was whether Lu Zhen would notice something amiss, even though she had deliberately disrupted his train of thought earlier. But then again, in this lifetime, Lu Zhen and Chen Xuanyuan were still complete strangers. If someone suddenly encountered an unrecognizable, hysterical lunatic on the street, their first reaction would likely be the same as Lu Zhen’s, telling him to get lost.
As Chu Yin was lost in thought, an elegant voice suddenly came from behind her. "Little classmate."
Chu Yin turned around and recognized the speaker, Lu Zhen’s uncle, Lu Linyuan. She hadn’t expected to run into him here.
In her previous life, before entering the Lu family, Chu Yin had met him twice by chance. She’d heard that Lu Linyuan managed the Lu family’s gray-area businesses, yet he carried himself with grace and had impeccable manners. During their brief encounters, Chu Yin had formed a rather favorable impression of Lu Zhen’s uncle.
"Hello, is there something I can help you with?" Chu Yin asked.
"Nothing much," Lu Linyuan smiled, winking playfully. "There was some commotion over here earlier, and I saw you standing nearby, were you frightened?"
This made Chu Yin a little embarrassed.
...Not only was she not frightened, but she had actually found it quite entertaining. What should she do?
Feeling embarrassed, Chu Yin couldn’t help but recall the incident involving the 180 km/h drive, and her guilt resurfaced.
She remembered that Lu Linyuan had been in the car that time too.
She smiled politely. "No, I dodged it."
Lu Linyuan chuckled, his gaze falling on Chu Yin's face. Just as he was about to ask something, a cold voice interrupted him: "Uncle."
Chu Yin turned around and saw Lu Zhen standing not far away, his expression icy beneath his dark hair.
"What are you doing?"
As he spoke, Lu Zhen's gaze didn't shift toward Chu Yin, as if he hadn't noticed her at all.
Lu Linyuan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Isn't this your classmate? I just saw her and struck up a conversation."
Chu Yin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, she felt a stir.
"That's not the one," Lu Zhen said coldly. "The other one is."
"Is that so?" Lu Linyuan smiled and turned to Chu Yin. "My mistake, but it was a pleasure talking to you, young lady. Perhaps we'll meet again."
Chu Yin gave a polite smile.
Lu Zhen soon walked away side by side with Lu Linyuan. Before turning, Lu Zhen's gaze lingered on Chu Yin for a second, his dark pupils seeming to hold some unspoken meaning.
But clearly, Chu Yin didn't get it and felt that the dog man was acting strangely tonight.
The uncle and nephew duo were also a bit enigmatic...
Meanwhile, Chu Qiuqiu had achieved her goal and happily made her way over to Chu Yin. Glancing at the departing Lu family members, she said, "Sis, were you just talking to them?"
Because Chu Qiuqiu had helped her take out the trash that was Chen Xuanyuan, Chu Yin now viewed her with particular favor. "Oh, sort of!"
Chu Qiuqiu advised her, "You should be more realistic. If you try to climb above your station with the Lu family, people will gossip about you."
Chu Yin: "..."
Sorry, but she still couldn't have a normal conversation with a trash can.
…
The official website of Quiwen Private High School eventually published the list of participants for the Hope Cup Winter Camp.
Three students were selected, listed in this order: Lu Zhen, Class 2 International; Chu Yin, Class 5; Han Chuying, Class 1.
As soon as the announcement went live, the webpage quickly garnered thousands of clicks. The link was posted on the forum, and the thread soon became hot.
13L: Ahhhh, why didn't I work harder at math?! Then I could have gone to the winter camp with Brother Zhen!!!
20L: Not to be critical, but I doubt Lu Zhen will even go. He takes exams on a whim, just for fun.
22L: I am critical, 13L, even if you'd worked harder, you might not have made it, lol.
...
30L: Ahhhh, why didn't I work harder at math?! Then I could have gone to the winter camp with Chu Yin!!
34L: Seriously, does she have fans now too??
40L: Is the person upstairs just getting internet access in their village? It's been around for ages, okay? Same here, hehe.
This time, Han Chuying was surprisingly absent from the posts mentioning Chu Yin, but she kept holding her phone with a silly grin on her face.
She was afraid that if she replied, it would be something incredibly smug like, "Hahahaha I can go to the winter camp with Chu Yin, neener neener neener!"
Oh my god, she was so happy!
She was already thinking about what style of new pajamas she should buy!
On the other side, after logging onto the official website and checking the announcement, Chu Yin angrily closed her laptop.
She needed to remember this feeling, to work hard and crush Lu Zhen!!!
But to be honest, although Chu Yin was a top student, math wasn't her strongest subject, and in her previous life, she had no competition experience. Now that she had secured a spot in the camp, she couldn't guarantee what kind of results she would achieve. Stepping outside the school, she would be facing elite students from various provinces and cities, and the competition would undoubtedly be much fiercer than at Quiwen.
Still, Chu Yin was highly motivated and enthusiastic because she had never seen what a higher level of authority looked like.
Her brother found out she had secured a spot, and since the winter camp was in the neighboring B Province, requiring a flight, Chu Shi was extremely worried.
In his mind, although his sister was independent and outstanding, she had grown up in the countryside and had never traveled far from home, which made him very uneasy.
Chu Yin managed to refuse his suggestion of accompanying her on the flight, saying that instead of spending money on his ticket, he might as well buy her a few more sets of practice problems.
Frustrated, her dear brother could only vent his feelings by buying problems, so Chu Yin's desk ended up piled with stacks of classic exercise books from various provinces, half her height, with all kinds of styles and types available.
Thus, in the days leading up to her departure, Chu Yin immersed herself in the ocean of math problems, studying so intensely that she ignored everything and everyone.
A few days later, she finally came across a line in the script describing her:
[To prepare for the upcoming winter camp, Chu Yin practiced with problems every day. Her logical thinking ability wasn’t very strong, so she diligently practiced. As she filled one exercise book after another, her math skills continuously improved. …Finally, the day came for her to depart for B Province…]
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes! Logical thinking ability, which is even more important than memory!
This time, Chu Yin would definitely not hold back!
I! Will! Buff! Myself!!
Chu Yin swiftly crossed out the character "very" in "wasn’t very strong" and changed it to "wasn’t strong at all."
Her logical thinking ability wasn’t strong at all! Just how strong was it? Use your imagination!
Study System: "...That’s truly a degree modifier with no upper limit [strong]."
After activating her cheat, when Chu Yin looked at the difficult problem she had been struggling with for a long time, she felt as if her meridians had been unblocked. Her thinking was incredibly clear, and solving problems became effortless! Her back no longer hurt, and her legs no longer felt sore!
As a result, her problem-solving speed skyrocketed, almost as if she were devouring books.
A couple of days later, Chu Shi came to check on her and picked up a brown hair from her desk with a worried, serious expression. "Yin Yin, are you overworking your brain?"
Chu Yin lifted her bright eyes from the books and revealed a mysterious smile.
"I’ve gone bald, but I’ve also become stronger."
...
In the end, the strengthened Chu Yin, carrying two bottles of hair growth serum that her brother had insisted on stuffing into her luggage, set off on her journey to B Province.
Actually, she wasn't going bald at all, her hair was perfectly fine. It was just her older brother worrying unnecessarily.
Chu Shi saw her off at the airport, watching Chu Yin go through security with a heart full of melancholy, as if he were marrying off his own daughter. But then he thought, at least someone would be going over in a couple of days to help look after his little sister.
At the entrance, Chu Yin turned back, waved at Chu Shi, then shouldered her backpack and walked inside.
The journey was short, just two hours. Chu Yin dozed off briefly on the plane and arrived in no time.
Han Chuying had already texted her, saying she’d arrived early to secure a dorm bed and told Chu Yin to come straight to check-in.
Her messages practically radiated excitement:
[Waiting for you!!!!]
[I’m so tempted to make your bed for you!!]
[Hurry up!!!]
Chu Yin couldn’t help but smile. The thought of having someone she knew there lifted her spirits.
Based on the plot she’d unlocked so far, that scoundrel Lu Zhen hadn’t made any moves yet. She wasn’t even sure if he would participate.
In the end, it all came down to missing out on the reward from the final exam. If she’d had the power to edit sentences, she wouldn’t have been worried at all, she could’ve just made Lu Zhen [stay home, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist prayers for ten days, and miss the winter camp].
...Honestly, what a pain!
Chu Yin got off the plane, collected her luggage, and hailed a taxi by the roadside.
The Hope Cup Winter Camp was held at a university in Province B. Judging by the photos Han Chuying had sent, the conditions were pretty good. After all, Chu Yin had studied in the countryside before and spent a long time in an eight-person dorm. A four-person dorm with beds above and desks below was more than acceptable to her.
After getting out of the taxi, Chu Yin pulled her luggage through the gates of H University and was immediately greeted by a banner: "Welcome students from all provinces to the 20th 'Hope Cup' Winter Camp!"
Following the path, she quickly found the check-in area.
As soon as she approached, the senior student at the reception desk nudged the person next to her: “Whoa, look!”
The other looked up and gasped: “!!”
Walking toward them was a high school girl who was both pure and fresh-faced! Oh my god!!
When Chu Yin reached them, the two seniors’ eyes lit up, their faces flushed with excitement: “Are you here for the winter camp? What’s your name? Which school are you from?”
“Chu Yin,” she replied with a smile, tilting her head slightly. “Quiwen Private High.”
The two seniors’ hearts raced. They thought, This girl looks so innocent, but she moves with such cool confidence!
“Your dorm bed has already been registered. Here’s your key,” one of them said, blushing as she handed it over. “And this bag has a campus map, schedule, introduction booklet, and some little gifts inside. Keep it safe!”
Chu Yin smiled and nodded. “Thank you, senior sisters.”
After she turned and headed toward the dormitory building with the map, the two senior sisters couldn’t hold back their excitement and immediately started chatting.
“That’s the girl with the stunning ID photo, right?!”
“I thought it was photoshopped, but she’s even more beautiful in person!”
“Me too! I can’t breathe!”
“Ahhh, what do we do? I’m suddenly so excited to see that guy with the ridiculously handsome ID photo!”
Chu Yin hadn’t gone far yet. Hearing this, she paused mid-step.
“Yeah! He’s so handsome!”
“What’s up with this year’s freshmen? They’re way too good-looking!”
“I predict these two will cause an explosion on campus!”
Chu Yin: “…”
She poked the system. “What are the chances that this ‘ridiculously handsome guy’ is that dog Lu Zhen?”
Study System said objectively, “About 99%.”
Chu Yin: “…”
She lowered her head and glanced at the schedule in her hand. There was a proficiency test on the third day.
Study System beeped. “Issuing a major study task! Achieve [Top Five in the Proficiency Test]. Difficulty level: four stars. After completing the task, you will receive the [Modify a Single Sentence] permission!”
Oh ho, she missed out once during the final exams, but this time she definitely wouldn’t miss it again.
Chu Yin’s smile gradually turned sinister.
Come on, dog man.
If you come, I’ll mess with you.
Heh heh heh.