Chapter 40

The scene was momentarily suffocating.
Chu Yin: Can I make it rain right now?
Study System: "What kind of rain?"
Chu Yin: ...Heartbroken, lovelorn, amnesia rain.
The kind where everyone forgets everything after being drenched.
After losing their memories, I can go back to being an ordinary, unremarkable, calm, and composed good student who doesn't even know how to swear!
Study System: "Obviously not."
Chu Yin: ...This is too hard for me.
A large-scale collapse of her persona, with the real person watching her image crumble.
However, after about ten seconds of stunned silence, the large group of students from Quiwen who had come to rescue suddenly burst into collective applause and cheers.
"Sister, you're so cool, ahhh!!"
"I'm about to switch teams, wait, no, I'm a guy?!"
"Taking on three at once, is she a goddess? Sob, sister is truly bringing glory to our school in every way!!"
Chu Yin: "..."
No.
I really didn't want to.
The most arrogant girl boss on the ground nearby, probably feeling too humiliated, struggled to get up for one last desperate counterattack.
Chu Yin was already fuming, and when she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, she bent down, grabbed the girl's collar tightly, and the boss's face instantly turned beet red.
Chu Yin threatened her word by word in her ear: "Stay put, or do you want another beating?"
The girl boss was a tough person who knew when to yield and when to stand firm. Without hesitation, she tilted her head, rolled her eyes back, and started playing dead.
Who would want to get beaten up if they could avoid it?! It's just that I really can't beat her!!
This girl clearly has training! And here she is pretending to be weak to catch the strong off guard?!
Our gang has never encountered such a scheming bitch before! Usually acting all delicate and fragile! But once she starts fighting, she hits harder than anyone! She just went straight for a brutal beating! What a damn scheming bitch, pfft pfft pfft pfft!!
Chu Yin shook her by the collar and demanded, "Get up quickly and act like nothing happened."
Girl boss: ??? What for, get up to get beaten again?
So she put even more effort into playing dead.
Chu Yin: "..."
She stood up and swept a condescending glance over the boss's underlings.
The others followed suit, also starting to play dead with twisted mouths and eyes.
Chu Yin: "..."
Left with no choice, she zipped up her school uniform, tidied her stray hairs, cleared her throat, and said, "This... it's all a misunderstanding."
Song Zhaolin waved his arms: "No misunderstanding! Sister Yin, you're the coolest! You're the pride of Quiwen!"
The younger girls nodded frantically: "Exactly!!"
Someone even shouted more provocatively: "Sister, stop hitting them, hit me instead!!"
The three lying on the ground: ??? What the hell. Are Quiwen people insane?
Chu Yin raised a hand to partially cover her face.
She hardly dared to look at Lu Zhen's expression right now.
But she comforted herself with the thought that although that dog Lu Zhen liked wild ones, he probably didn't like this kind of wildness... right?
Anyway, I advise you not to have any improper thoughts, or I'll kill you!!
The security guard from No. 1 High School finally arrived belatedly. He was shocked by the scene, and when he saw the three people lying on the ground, all troublemakers who had been disciplined before, he felt even more uneasy.
Normally, they should side with their own school's students, but those few from their school gave them little confidence or grounds to do so.
"This, this, this..." The security guard instinctively wanted to smooth things over.
Song Zhaolin immediately started arguing: "Your school's students deliberately picked a fight and ganged up on one girl with three people. This needs to be addressed, right?"
Quiwen students chimed in agreement: "Yeah, yeah!"
Security guard: "But she... she didn't suffer any losses!"
Aren't those three lying on the ground while that girl is perfectly fine??
Security guard: "If they're injured from the beating, this student will have to compensate!"
The Quiwen crowd suddenly grew worried: Looking at their twisted faces and near-foaming mouths, what if they're really hurt? Would Chu Yin get arrested...
Just then, Lu Zhen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke: "Then take them to the hospital. If they're injured, treat them; if not, expel them."
Security guard: "!"
Lu Zhen lifted his eyelids: "I'll contact No. 1 High School's administration."
The young man before them appeared to be a student as well, but his words carried a weight that couldn’t be ignored. After hesitating for a few seconds, the security guard stepped forward and carried away the people lying on the ground.
As the scene began to wind down and the crowd grew noisier, Chu Yin quietly slipped into the flow of people, hoping to make her escape.
But after just a few steps, someone suddenly and precisely grabbed her wrist.
Looking up, she met Lu Zhen’s deeply smiling eyes. The boy stood with his back to the light, the sharp edges of his features softened by the interplay of light and shadow. His voice was clear and tinged with laughter.
"Hero, why run?"
Huh? You dog, are you mocking me?!
Chu Yin stiffened her face and tried to pull away. Lu Zhen immediately released her, placing his hands behind his back.
Did his attitude seem acceptable?
Chu Yin glanced up slightly and explained, "Don’t misunderstand. I’m no hero, just an ordinary student."
Lu Zhen lowered his gaze, the corners of his lips lifting. "I didn’t say you weren’t."
When he had rushed over earlier, his heart had been pounding wildly, worried that she might be outnumbered and unable to handle the situation alone.
By the time he found them behind the teaching building, the fight wasn’t over yet, and Lu Zhen had witnessed the most intense part. He had seen with his own eyes how Chu Yin delivered a swift, precise elbow strike without even turning her head, directly taking down the person sneaking up from behind.
She was utterly dazzling.
Her pretense of meekness had completely shattered in that moment, yet Lu Zhen felt that no other image could ever be more vivid and striking than her in that instant.
Chu Yin’s dark eyes shifted slightly as she tried to read Lu Zhen’s thoughts.
Then what are you smiling about?! You’re up to no good!
Lu Zhen looked at her and asked, "So, who taught you how to fight?"
Chu Yin was taken aback, realizing he had asked her this question a long time ago. It was back at the swimming pool, after Fu Mingxuan had forcibly torn off her mask and she had fought with her. Lu Zhen had asked her then who taught her to fight.
At that time, she had still been carefully maintaining her facade. Who would have thought that, after just half a year, her carefully crafted image would crumble so easily?
I hate this!!
But there was no need to keep up the act now, and with the plot already so derailed, Chu Yin even felt a reckless impulse to let things fall apart.
She replied nonchalantly, "I learned by beating up a scumbag."
Lu Zhen paused for a moment, then laughed. "Then he had it rough."
Chu Yin snorted inwardly, Not too bad, I guess. That scumbag in this lifetime just gets to experience knife rain and 180 mph car rides, that’s all.
"But he deserved it," Lu Zhen added.
Chu Yin: ?
...Thanks, I’m amused!
Hearing this dog call himself deserving actually felt a little satisfying. What’s going on?
Chu Yin never expected that by casually dealing with a few minor antagonists, she would become famous overnight.
By the time her classmates arrived, she had already cleaned up the aftermath, so no photos or videos were left. However, the truth about Chu Yin was exaggerated into seven or eight different versions, widely circulated on forums and in various group chats.
Song Zhaolin updated her in real time every day: "Sis Yin, you’ve gained 18 more 'wives' today."
Chu Yin: "..."
"They even started a harem battle over you," Song Zhaolin chuckled while scrolling through the chat logs. "In the end, Han Chuying won because she shared a dorm with you for ten days. Everyone else is insanely jealous."
Chu Yin: "...Seems like you all have too little homework."
Song Zhaolin: "Besides that, there are also 'daddy fans,' 'brother fans,' and 'little brother fans.They’re all holding hands, oh, and I won among this group because of our deeply moving deskmate bond."
Chu Yin smiled: "More like a father-son bond."
...These high schoolers at Quiwen really had too much free time.
Didn’t the seniors fighting through their final year give them any sense of urgency? The second-year students would soon face the college entrance exams too!
Chu Yin couldn’t help but feel like she was the only sober one in a crowd of drunkards.
Studying was so important!
However, thanks to Chu Yin’s incredibly cool move, the entire grade’s anticipation for Class Five’s skit performance skyrocketed. When everyone found out that Chu Yin would be cross-dressing in the play, the reactions were overwhelmingly excited.
Amid her studies, Chu Yin diligently memorized her lines and tried to get into the mindset of a scumbag, striving to be a competent background character on stage.
Song Zhaolin felt even more pressure, after all, he was the male lead! He couldn’t let Sis Yin’s cross-dressed character outshine him!
But upon careful thought, he believed he still had an advantage. After all, he could skip studying, while Chu Yin could only practice in her spare time. Plus, when the time came, Sis Yin would be wearing a wig and male clothing, there was no guarantee her look would be handsomer than his.
Thus, Song Zhaolin completely abandoned his studies, practicing the script day and night.
One evening at home, Song Yanchuan had just finished a phone call with someone, his brow furrowed as he stepped out from the balcony. Hearing Song Zhaolin reciting his lines, he asked out of boredom, "What nonsense are you up to?"
Eager for an audience, Song Zhaolin enthusiastically showcased his acting skills.
Song Yanchuan listened carefully to the lines, things like "I will protect you forever" and "In this chaotic world, you are as pure as dew", and felt so disgusted that his irritable older brother nearly lost his temper.
"What exactly are you acting as?"
Song Zhaolin tossed his hair and flashed a dashing smile. "I’m playing a handsome and dashing male lead."
Song Yanchuan: "..."
He glanced at his silly younger brother’s face and assessed his overall demeanor.
Song Yanchuan offered a fair critique: "Well, you’ll have to work a bit harder then."
Song Zhaolin: ??? I feel like you’re subtly mocking me?
Before they knew it, it was the day of the arts festival rehearsal.
Each class was presenting two performances, and all the performers were seated in the grand auditorium, a sea of people.
For the sake of the rehearsal, many had already changed into their performance costumes. For instance, Fu Mingxuan and her dance group were wearing white feathered dresses, all made up exquisitely, looking ethereal and eye-catching from a distance.
Fu Mingxuan glanced at the classmates performing in the skit. They were all dressed plainly, and Chu Yin hadn’t even changed out of her school uniform, looking entirely dull and unremarkable.
There was simply nothing remarkable about it, Fu Mingxuan couldn't help but think smugly. It seemed she would still have to carry the class in the program competition.
Chu Yin sat in the corner, a test paper spread out in front of her. The rehearsal followed the order of the program list, and those who finished early could leave. Chu Yin rather envied the performers earlier in the lineup, as her class’s skit was almost at the very end.
Several song and dance performances were scheduled earlier. Fu Mingxuan and her group soon took the stage, starting their dance to the accompaniment. None of them had professional dance training, so their movements were average, but their matching outfits and enthusiastic expressions made the performance quite pleasing to the eye.
Zhao Qingyao and a couple of teachers were in the audience, watching and evaluating. After each performance, they would offer some feedback.
Fu Mingxuan confidently scanned the auditorium with a smile before stepping off the stage. The next performance happened to be Chu Qiuqiu’s. The two fake friends met backstage and immediately began their subtle rivalry.
"Mingxuan, your dance was absolutely ethereal!" Chu Qiuqiu’s eyes sparkled as if she were genuinely envious. "I feel like my guzheng performance won’t even compare!"
The implication was clear: she was professionally trained in guzheng, while Fu Mingxuan and her group were merely amateurs.
"..." Fu Mingxuan rolled her eyes inwardly but forced a smile. "Don’t worry, Qiuqiu, your Level 6 guzheng skills are impressive! Even though Liang Yueqi is Level 9, I’m sure you won’t be overshadowed by her!"
Although Fu Mingxuan had no desire to praise Liang Yueqi, she was more than willing to use her to annoy Chu Qiuqiu.
Chu Qiuqiu: "..."
Her performance was a duet with Liang Yueqi, whose guzheng skills far surpassed her own. She had no idea how Fu Mingxuan had found out.
Their conversation ended, and Chu Qiuqiu and Liang Yueqi took the stage, seating themselves behind their respective guzhengs.
Even though Liang Yueqi was more skilled, Chu Qiuqiu felt her own talent was more than adequate.
Lately, the entire grade had been mindlessly praising her sister. Chu Qiuqiu had already found out that Chu Yin had no noteworthy talent to showcase, she had only taken on a background role in her class’s skit.
This only fueled Chu Qiuqiu’s sense of superiority, after all, Chu Yin was nothing but a country bumpkin.
As the piece concluded, the audience applauded. Chu Qiuqiu glanced toward Chu Yin in the corner of Class Five and smiled elegantly.
Liang Yueqi, sitting beside her, shot her a sidelong glance and sneered inwardly. Although she also disliked Chu Yin and had plans to outshine her with her own talents, what was Chu Qiuqiu even? With such mediocre guzheng skills, she acted as if she were a master.
Sitting in the audience, Chu Yin was completely unaware of the undercurrents between these girls. She had focused entirely on finishing her set of problems. When she finally looked up, she realized most of the earlier performances had finished rehearsing, and the auditorium was nearly empty.
"Ah, what a shame!" Song Zhaolin sighed beside her.
Chu Yin asked, "What's wrong?"
"The piano couldn't be delivered today. Brother Zhen was supposed to play!"
A few girls from Class 5 nearby also looked disappointed.
Chu Yin drifted into a daze, suddenly reminded of events from her past life.
...
Lu Zhen had indeed performed on the piano in public before, and she had been the one to choose the piece.
Back then, what did she know about piano music? But Lu Zhen had insisted she pick something, so Chu Yin had randomly pointed to a piece in the music score.
Later, she secretly looked it up after returning home, the piece she had casually selected was Op. 106, the most challenging of Beethoven’s piano sonatas.
She had assumed he would give up, but on the day of the performance, Lu Zhen played it anyway.
That day, every girl in the school went wild.
Much, much later, on some random day, Lu Zhen held her in his arms and told her how he had practiced tirelessly for that piece, day and night.
But by then, many things had already soured. After Lu Zhen finished speaking, Chu Yin didn’t tell him, "You really did look handsome playing the piano that day." Instead, she kicked him and told him to get lost.
Looking back now, it truly felt like a lifetime ago.
...
"What are you thinking about, Sister Yin? It’s our turn!" Song Zhaolin poked her.
Chu Yin snapped back to reality and went on stage with the rest of Class Five. By then, the auditorium was mostly empty. Zhao Qingyao watched them take the stage and gave them an encouraging, expectant look.
Chu Yin didn’t have many appearances on stage, spending most of her time waiting in the wings while Song Zhaolin unleashed his charisma on stage.
To be honest, Linlin did a pretty good job. His natural comedic aura had all the teachers in the audience laughing.
Chu Yin diligently completed her part, and thankfully, the girl acting opposite her had finally stopped blushing. A small victory.
Once they left the stage, the rehearsal was essentially over. Chu Yin grabbed her backpack, ready to head home and study, when suddenly Han Chuying popped out of nowhere and stopped her.
"Yin Yin, I’ve decided!" Her eyes sparkled in the dim light.
"Decided what?"
"I’m taking charge of your styling for the arts festival!" Han Chuying clenched her fist. "I’m going to turn you into the hottest playboy ever!"
Chu Yin: "...Is that really necessary?"
Han Chuying had been utterly captivated while watching from the audience! Why did those cheesy, cringey lines sound so domineering and charming when Chu Yin delivered them?!
On the day of the performance, she was determined to make her sister shine! Absolutely determined!
…
April arrived, and the weather warmed up completely. Quiwen’s arts festival finally kicked off.
The front rows of the auditorium were reserved for school and city officials, while the back was packed with students from the first and second years. The audience was buzzing with excitement.
Chu Yin was dragged by Han Chuying into a small, isolated classroom to get her makeover.
Han Chuying carefully pulled a wig out of her bag. "This, I spent a fortune on it and never had the heart to use it. But you’re worth it!"
In her free time outside of studying, Han Chuying dabbled in the cosplay scene, mainly because there were so many beautiful people in it. This wig had cost her thousands, and she felt only Chu Yin’s face could do it justice.
Chu Yin said, "If it’s that expensive, maybe we shouldn’t, "
Han Chuying cut her off firmly, "We should! We absolutely should!"
And with that, she launched into a whirlwind of styling.
About twenty minutes later, Han Chuying had perfectly styled the wig. She took a step back, looked at Chu Yin’s face, and felt like she could hardly breathe.
Sis! Sis! So! Handsome! Ahhhhhhh!
The top-notch wig was completely indistinguishable from real hair. The color was black with a hint of deep blue, not exaggerated at all, and it actually complemented Chu Yin's fair skin. With delicate bangs falling over her forehead and the ends of the hair reaching her neck, she looked exactly like an overly refined young man!
Chu Yin glanced in the mirror and suddenly found it a bit amusing, so she let Han Chuying continue with the makeover.
Han Chuying also applied a little makeup to Chu Yin, using subtle shading and highlights to make her originally soft and delicate features appear more defined and masculine.
Finally, Chu Yin changed into a classic "playboy" white shirt, loosely tied a black necktie, and left the top two buttons of the collar undone.
When she walked out after changing, Han Chuying immediately clutched her chest in excitement.
"Help, I can't take it anymore, ahhhhhhh, "
There were even more outrageous thoughts, like "Sis, come at me!" but she didn't dare to voice them.
Chu Yin raised her hand and rubbed the tip of her nose.
It was her first time dressing as a boy, and she felt a bit awkward at first, but after looking in the mirror for a while, she got used to it.
Han Chuying was ecstatic: "You absolutely have to make your entrance later! Seriously! It's going to blow everyone away!"
Who needs a school heartthrob? Isn't Playboy Yin way better?!
Chu Yin smiled helplessly. "Got it."
After finishing Chu Yin's styling, Han Chuying still had to help Zhao Qingyao. Chu Yin stayed by herself for a while, then slipped backstage to watch the performances.
As soon as she entered the hallway, she heard the sound of a piano.
"Brother Zhen is so handsome, wuwuwu..."
"As expected of my husband, ahhh! I want to possess that piano!"
Chu Yin leaned against the wall and listened for a while.
This time, he wasn't playing Op. 106 but a very melodious piece. The piano notes sounded like a low, heartfelt confession.
She glanced through the curtain at the audience and noticed that the girls' frenzy was just as intense as in her previous life.
Lu Zhen sat in front of the piano, coincidentally also wearing a white shirt, but his was formal, adorned with a silver floral brooch on his chest. As he played, his slender fingers danced gracefully across the keys.
When the piece ended, Chu Yin joined in applauding for him.
Seeing that it was almost time for her class's performance, Chu Yin turned to find Song Zhaolin and the others.
Everyone had run off to watch Lu Zhen play the piano, so she didn't run into anyone along the way.
But when she reached Class 5's waiting area, everyone suddenly fell silent, staring at her in a daze.
Chu Yin pursed her lips and raised her hand. "...Hi?"
The items in the girls' hands clattered to the floor.
Song Zhaolin dramatically widened his eyes, Who the hell are you, handsome?!
Chu Yin was made genuinely self-conscious by the stares. She raised her hand again and rubbed the tip of her nose. "Is it that exaggerated?"
Only then did Song Zhaolin snap out of it, letting out an exaggerated cry: "That's cheating, ahhhh!!!"
He was defeated! He, the male lead! Defeated!
What kind of male-attire queen was this?! Was it even allowed for a girl to be this handsome?!
The female role players who were about to act opposite the scumbag Chu were already blushing.
They really couldn’t help it, ahhhh! They didn’t want to push the scumbag away at all, they just wanted to scream, "I’m down for it!"
Thanks to Chu Yin’s stunningly impressive look, the entire performance group was exceptionally excited. Everyone’s energy instantly peaked, and they couldn’t wait to get on stage!
Finally, the host announced the fifth class’s skit, and the audience buzzed with excitement.
Fu Mingxuan, Chu Qiuqiu, and Liang Yueqi had already finished their performances. The three of them were now sitting in different spots, all waiting for Chu Yin to appear.
If her performance was poor or just mediocre, she would be ridiculed.
The stage lights dimmed, then brightened again. Starting with Song Zhaolin, the urban romantic comedy began.
The plot wasn’t complicated, but Song Zhaolin’s comedic acting was so strong that the audience burst into laughter from time to time.
Tan Ke laughed heartily in the audience: "Damn, why is Zhaolin’s acting so punchable? I’m dying of laughter!"
Lu Zhen’s lips also curled into a faint smile.
Song Zhaolin’s male lead and another girl’s female lead met through a misunderstanding, and their relationship warmed up amid the hilarity. Just as their feelings were about to deepen, the scumbag made his entrance.
Chu Yin slowly walked onto the stage to her own background music.
Under the spotlight, the clean-cut, short-haired youth lazily stepped into the audience’s view.
Her shirt was loosely worn, the black tie swaying slightly, her expression casual yet subtly alluring.
The entire auditorium fell into silence.
In the corner, Lu Zhen stared at her unblinkingly, unconsciously holding his breath.
Chu Yin felt a flicker of guilt but forced herself to follow the script. She walked up to the female lead, tilted her head with a faint smile, and delivered her line.
"What’s so great about that poor guy? Wouldn’t it be better to look at me?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, before the female lead could respond, a scream erupted from the auditorium: "Yes!!!!"
The voice, too excited, cracked sharply, echoing desperately through the hall.
The entire audience burst into roaring laughter.
But then, one after another, people shouted, "I’m down for it too!" "I’m willing too!" It took a while for order to be restored.
Chu Yin: "..."
Her first foray into acting had ended in a disastrous defeat, orz.
Chu Yin bravely maintained her scumbag persona, completed her part while the girl opposite her blushed furiously, then stepped offstage, leaned against the wall, and fell into deep thought.
Had she made a mistake by cross-dressing for the performance?
Meanwhile, all the WeChat and QQ groups had exploded.
[Ahhhh Chu Yin’s looks are killing it today!]
[Sis, play me for a fool, play me! Play me, please, I’m down for it!!]
[The sky is waiting for misty rain, and I’m waiting for a top, sis, please notice me QAQ!]
[I declare I’m voting for Chu Yin as the next school heartthrob! Sorry, Brother Zhen!!]
Chu Qiuqiu and the others wore exceptionally complicated expressions.
They had considered that Chu Yin might have poor acting skills and awkward lines, or that she might perform decently, but they never expected her to explode in popularity once again in such a way.
For the rest of the performance, the entire school was unprecedentedly enthusiastic, and the atmosphere was undoubtedly the best of the day.
During the final curtain call, all the actors bowed in a row, and the entire auditorium erupted in screams.
Tan Ke clicked his tongue in amazement, exclaiming, "Damn, this is absolutely insane. This must be what they mean by 'relying on beauty to commit crimes'."
Turning his head, he saw Lu Zhen leaning back in his chair, laughing.
"Brother Zhen, what are you laughing at?"
Lu Zhen chuckled softly and said, "Being a dad is doable."
Tan Ke was utterly confused. "Huh??"
Lu Zhen didn’t explain, just smiled as he watched Chu Yin leave the stage.
She was seriously cool.
That day, in the overall voting for the arts festival performances, Class 5’s skit took first place by a landslide.
Their votes were several hundred higher than Lu Zhen’s piano solo, which came in second.
Class 5 received the highest prize money, and the excitement didn’t fade for days. Not only within their class, but candid photos of Chu Yin’s performance circulated widely around the school. Song Zhaolin even saw someone using her picture as their phone wallpaper.
He increasingly felt that Brother Zhen’s status as the school heartthrob was in jeopardy, his Sister Yin was now a dual threat in both looks and talent.
Chu Yin thought that with the arts festival over, she could finally focus on studying.
But she hadn’t anticipated that the aftermath of the festival would be greater than she imagined.
First, pink love letters started appearing in her desk drawer.
Then it escalated into various girly, heartfelt gifts.
Looking at the handwriting on them, some were actually written by boys, for heaven’s sake.
When Chu Yin went out to get water, she would run into several bashful, blushing girls in the hallway who wanted to talk to her.
That was still tolerable, after all, they were girls.
But soon, she encountered something she couldn’t quite handle,
Chu Yin stood at the entrance of the girls’ restroom, calmly facing a flamboyant freshman boy.
"Can I help you?"
The boy stood with his toes turned in, looking at Chu Yin shyly. "I always thought I was gay."
"..." Chu Yin silently studied him. "I think you’re right about that."
The freshman fiddled with his meticulously styled hair and said in a whiny voice, "But after seeing you, I feel like I can do it again!"
Chu Yin: I can’t!!
The boy paid no attention and declared loudly, "For you, I could hold back tears and be the top!!"
Chu Yin finally snapped: "I am not a guy, for crying out loud!!!"
The incident of Chu Yin being hit on by a gay guy quickly spread throughout the school.
Song Zhaolin, having witnessed the scene firsthand, nearly laughed himself to death while recounting it to Lu Zhen and the others.
"I think she wanted to hit someone but was holding back with all her might, hahaha, "
Tan Ke also burst into laughter.
Beside them, Lu Zhen’s expression was slightly serious.
He had been observing for a few days, and his sense of crisis was growing stronger.
Chu Yin was too popular.
And what’s more… she appealed to both guys and girls.
She was much gentler with girls than with guys. Lu Zhen didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Chu Yin received all kinds of love letters and gifts every day. Since many of them didn’t even have names attached, she couldn’t return them.
Song Zhaolin sighed, "I even saw someone send a ring, so bold. I wonder who will win Sister Yin over."
Lu Zhen lowered his eyes slightly and rubbed his knuckles.
He couldn’t just wait around.
…
Recently, Chu Yin rushed home as soon as school ended, not daring to stay on campus any longer, or else she’d run into all sorts of strange suitors.
For the arts festival, she had intended to just be a background character and get it over with. Who knew it would end up like this?
Life was just too hard for her!
After finishing today’s study tasks, Chu Yin decided to unlock the script to prevent encountering another oddball like that freshman underclassman.
But when she opened it, she suddenly saw Lu Zhen’s part.
[Lu Zhen passed by a pet shop and, seemingly reminded of something, paused outside the glass window for a while. Then he entered the pet shop and teased the small animals through the cages…]
[…In the end, Lu Zhen bought a cat. He wanted to give it to someone.]
After skimming through it, Chu Yin suddenly remembered something,
In her past life, Lu Zhen had… given her a cat.
Of all the things he had given her, that was the only one Chu Yin hadn’t rejected. Because the cat was small and fierce, somewhat like how she had been when she first came back from the countryside.
Back then, Chu Yin had tried her best to take good care of the cat, but there were always fresh scratches on the back of her hand.
Later, Lu Zhen took the cat away and raised it himself for many years.
So, was that "someone" her?
Was that jerk just following the trend, or did he actually have some ulterior motives?!
Ahhh, no giving! No giving! No giving!
After thinking for two seconds, Chu Yin decided to use her precious authority to manually prevent that jerk from giving it!!
So she crossed out one word.
…
On an early spring night, the evening breeze was gentle.
Lu Zhen happened to pass by a pet shop.
He had been thinking for many days about what to give her that she might like.
Seeing the fiercely meowing little kitten in the glass window, Lu Zhen’s heart stirred.
The young man pushed open the pet shop door, and the wind chimes gently rang.
Twenty minutes later, the glass door opened again, and the shopkeeper’s enthusiastic voice came from inside.
"Welcome back again!"
Lu Zhen walked out, holding the warm little body in his palms, and quietly stood in the evening breeze for a while.
The small creature in his hand affectionately rubbed against his arm, softening his heart.
Then, "oink",
It let out a crisp pig squeal.
After a long moment.
Lu Zhen lowered his eyes expressionlessly and looked at the thing in his arms.
Why… had he bought a pig?