Su Yuqing was so taken aback by Shen Yue’s behavior that she was left speechless.
At that moment, she didn’t want to see Shen Yue at all. Suppressing her anger, she got down to business.
“You two aren’t going to Cloud City No. 1 High School. Stay home today. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to find another school.”
She didn’t even ask how Shen Yun had gotten into Cloud City No. 1 High School. She simply ordered them both to stay away.
Shen Yue’s gaze lifted slightly, then drifted carelessly over the security guards by the door. Her face wore an unmistakable look of mockery.
“You won’t let me go, and you won’t let Shen Yun go either? Do you want to know how he got into Cloud City No. 1 High School?”
Shen Yun looked straight at Su Yuqing, his gaze open and steady.
Su Yuqing did feel somewhat guilty toward Shen Yun. But when she thought of Shen Jiao, she avoided his eyes and turned to Shen Yue instead.
“I know what Shen Yun’s grades are like. How else could he have gotten in? He was doing perfectly well at Second High School, and then you had to take him to Cloud City No. 1 High School.”
At the string of accusations, Shen Yue furrowed her brow.
“Shen Yun got into First High School on his own merits. You have no right to make him withdraw.”
In the end, Shen Yue couldn’t bear to watch Shen Yun go through what she had.
Su Yuqing didn’t believe her. Her expression darkened further. She had never thought Shen Yun could get into Cloud City No. 1 High School, let alone skip a grade.
If he had been capable of that, he wouldn’t have ended up at Second High School in the first place.
She assumed Shen Yue was only saying this to avoid taking responsibility for her own mistake.
Su Yuqing didn’t say it aloud in front of Shen Yun, but her expression gave her away.
Shen Yun stood up, his fine fringe lightly veiling the disappointment that flashed in his eyes.
“Mom, shouldn’t you be happy that I got into Cloud City No. 1 High School with grades like mine? I’m not withdrawing.”
His voice was so calm that there wasn’t the slightest hint of resentment in it. For some reason, Su Yuqing felt a sudden pang of unease.
Just as she softened and was about to say something to Shen Yun, Shen Jiao came downstairs.
Her gaze swept over Su Yuqing’s face, and she said coolly, “Mom, Shen Yun behaves himself at school.”
Everyone present understood what Shen Jiao meant. Hearing her say that, Su Yuqing relaxed.
“All right. Since Shen Jiao says so, you should study hard and learn from your sister.”
The little guilt Su Yuqing had felt vanished instantly.
Shen Yun said nothing. He only gave her a long look, then turned and went upstairs. As he passed Shen Jiao, his expression was indifferent.
Shen Yue looked at Madam Shen with an inscrutable gaze. “I hope you won’t regret this one day.” Then she rose and went upstairs.
Su Yuqing paid no attention to Shen Yue’s words.
She thought Shen Yue meant she herself would regret it. As for Shen Yue, she had nothing to regret.
……
The next day
Shen Yun came out of his room and saw that someone had locked Shen Yue’s door. He turned around, went back inside, and closed his own door.
Su Yuqing knocked and told him to ride to school with Shen Jiao. Shen Yun refused.
Su Yuqing didn’t think much of it. She assumed he was sulking and left him alone.
Inside his room, Shen Yun waited until the sounds outside the door had faded. Then he opened the window and climbed onto the balcony.
Shen Yue was in her room messaging someone.
Fang Shiming had written to tell her that the two invitations to the auction he’d sent her had arrived, and that he hoped she would go.
Ever since they’d started working together, Fang Shiming had sent her two invitations to every auction, whether or not she went.
A sudden noise came from the window. Shen Yue got up without surprise and opened it to let Shen Yun climb in.
She was just about to type a reply to Fang Shiming when she paused and glanced at Shen Yun.
“There’s an auction in the Capital on the tenth of next month. Do you want to go?”
Shen Yun wasn’t curious about where Shen Yue had gotten the invitations. He answered without hesitation, “Yes.”
Then he thought of something and asked cautiously, “How are we getting there this time?”
Shen Yue considered it. She didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble. “We’ll ask for leave.”
Hearing that, Shen Yun relaxed. At least they wouldn’t be skipping class this time. Then he grew a little worried.
“What if the teacher doesn’t agree?”
Shen Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled. “He’ll agree.”
Song Qingyuan, who was about to be asked for leave: “??”
Shen Yun hadn’t forgotten why he’d come over in the first place. “I messaged Grandpa. He should be back soon.”
He took out his phone and looked at it. In his room, it had shown full signal, but now there wasn’t a single bar.
Shen Yun looked down at Shen Yue, at the screen where he’d just sent a message.
Shen Yue said, “I taught you to do things yourself.”
After watching Shen Yun fiddle with his phone for a few minutes until it could receive messages, Shen Yue looked satisfied.
Thinking back on everything that had happened, Shen Yun finally relaxed.
Before long, Old Master Shen replied. He was on his way back.
Neither of them was in a hurry. They each logged into the game Shen Yue often played—Demon God Arena, the most popular game on the entire network.
Shen Yue logged in.
In her friends list, she noticed an account whose name ended in the same characters as hers. The words “Genius, Carry Me” came before them, and the account had been repeatedly trying to add her.
With those characters added, its name looked a bit like her own, “Noobs, Don’t Feed—Add Characters.”
Shen Yue opened the player’s profile. It had a whole pile of expensive skins, but the account itself was still at the lowest level.
Then she checked the match record. Not a single win. Definitely a noob.
【Change your nickname, or every time I see you, I’ll beat you up.】She rejected the request.
Elsewhere, Cheng Sui saw that his friend request had been rejected. He quietly changed his nickname, then tried adding her again.
They played four or five games over the next hour. Shen Yue glanced toward the door. “Old Master Shen is back.”
Shen Yun hadn’t heard a thing, but he didn’t doubt her for a second.
After they finished the last game, he climbed out through the window.
Half an hour later, the door to Shen Yue’s room opened from the outside. “Eldest Miss, Master is back. He wants you downstairs.”
Shen Yue answered quietly.
Downstairs, they seemed to have just finished talking, and the atmosphere was somewhat subdued.
Shen Yun sat beside Old Master Shen. When Shen Yue came down, he acted as though he had only just noticed her.
“Big Sister, we can go to class now.”
With someone like Su Yuqing, it really took a professional to handle her.
Old Master Shen was the only one in the Shen family who could keep her in check.
Shen Yue walked over. Without even glancing at the gloomy Su Yuqing, she greeted Old Master Shen and Shen Qianshan.
She hadn’t expected Shen Qianshan to be back.
“Grandpa, Dad, we’re off to class.”
Old Master Shen smiled warmly and patted Shen Yue. “Good girl. Grandpa will have a car take you both.”
Shen Yue paused, then glanced at Su Yuqing.
Shen Qianshan waved a hand. “Go on. Don’t take your mother’s words to heart.”
Instead of going to Cloud City No. 1 High School, Shen Yue had Old Master Shen arrange for a car to take them both to Huayuan Residence.
After getting out, she made a phone call.
Soon, a man dressed in black and wearing a black hat with a circular brim appeared, carrying a thin package.
Just as the package had been signed for, a black Volkswagen pulled up in front of them.
As the courier turned around, Cheng Di got out of the car and saw his face. His pupils contracted.
“You…” The last time this courier had shown up at Shen Yue’s door, he’d seemed familiar.
But Cheng Di hadn’t seen his face then, so he hadn’t dared to be sure.
The courier ignored Cheng Di, nodded to Cheng Sui, and left.