As soon as she reached the fourth floor, Qin Huizhu was about to look for Class 4 of Senior Year when she heard a familiar voice.
“Second Sister, why are you here all of a sudden?”
Qin Xiaofeng rushed up, full of excitement.
“Of course, I came to see you.”
Qin Huizhu gently patted Qin Xiaofeng’s head. “You just got discharged from the hospital. I was worried your body might still feel unwell.”
“Don’t worry, Second Sister. I feel great!” Qin Xiaofeng said happily.
“That’s good.”
Qin Huizhu paused for a moment. “Did Qin Yi come to school today?”
At the mention of “Qin Yi,” the light in Qin Xiaofeng’s eyes dimmed. “I haven’t seen Brother Qin Yi yet today. I don’t know how he’s doing.”
“I see. Do you know which class he’s in? I’ll go speak to his homeroom teacher.”
“Class 4. That way.” Qin Xiaofeng pointed.
“Alright, I’ll go check. You head back to class. I’ll take you out for lunch later.”
“Okay!”
Qin Xiaofeng watched with joy as Qin Huizhu walked away in the direction of Class 4, but the smile in his eyes quickly faded and was replaced by a trace of shadow…
…
…
Senior Year, Class 4.
It wasn’t time for morning reading yet. Qin Yi was seated at his desk, focused on reviewing his textbooks.
With less than two months left until the college entrance exam, he had to race against time. Only by doing so could he fulfill the promise he made to Sister Rumeng.
“Qin Yi!”
A sudden shout broke his concentration.
He instinctively looked up and saw a face that was all too familiar—and utterly detestable.
“Where did you go last night? Why didn’t you come home?”
Qin Huizhu stared at Qin Yi, her eyes showing the same disdain as they had the night before.
She frowned and, suppressing her irritation, lowered her voice so only the two of them could hear. “Do you know how worried the family was about you last night?”
Heh…
Family?
Worried?
Qin Yi scoffed with contempt, didn’t reply, and lowered his head to resume studying. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
His reaction made a fire rise in Qin Huizhu’s chest.
“Are you serious? There’s a limit to throwing tantrums. Come out—we need to talk.”
She reached out to grab his arm, but Qin Yi dodged her.
“Excuse me, miss. I don’t know you. Please don’t disturb my study time!”
Qin Yi deliberately raised his voice, instantly drawing the attention of the entire class.
Feeling all eyes fall on her, Qin Huizhu’s expression turned sour.
“What exactly are you trying to do?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Qin Yi replied coldly.
“Come out! Don’t force me to make a scene!” Qin Huizhu’s tone turned urgent.
“I haven’t provoked you. Why are you trying to get physical? Why should I go with you? I don’t even know who you are!”
Qin Yi’s loud voice not only made the other students glance at her with strange looks, but also attracted a few teachers walking by Class 3’s door.
“What do you think you’re doing to that student? How did you even get into the school?!”
The teachers entered immediately, eyes filled with suspicion as they stared at the unfamiliar face of Qin Huizhu.
“I…”
Qin Huizhu’s face stiffened. She wanted to explain but got stuck.
With so many eyes around, she didn’t dare reveal that Qin Yi was her biological younger brother.
Among students, rumors spread like wildfire. Unlike the teacher at the gate, whom she could speak to privately, anything said here could blow up across the entire grade in a single break period.
If anyone linked those rumors back to Xiaofeng, it might end up hurting him.
That couldn’t be allowed.
With that thought, Qin Huizhu quickly changed her words. “Sorry, teachers. I think I mistook him for someone else.”
The teachers exchanged doubtful glances. Their suspicion hadn’t faded.
“Maybe we should call the police,” one of them said, pulling out a phone.
Call the police?
No way!
Panicked, Qin Huizhu quickly said, “I’m the guardian of another student in Class 1 of Senior Year! I heard there was someone in this class bullying my younger brother, so I came to ask around!”
But to the teachers, that explanation sounded weak and unconvincing.
“If you don’t believe me, you can call Class 1’s homeroom teacher, Xu Lexian. I asked the teacher at the gate to contact him before coming in.”
At this, the teachers looked at each other. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The one who was about to call the police hesitated for a few seconds and instead called the Class 1 teacher.
The call went through quickly.
After a brief conversation, the teachers finally relaxed their suspicions.
“If there’s any conflict between students, please talk to us teachers first instead of barging into classrooms like this!”
An older teacher frowned. “This kind of behavior sets a bad example and disrupts others. What if, in your frustration, you hurt another student? Neither of us can bear that responsibility. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, you’re right,” Qin Huizhu nodded repeatedly.
“Alright then. Parent, it’s almost time for morning reading. Senior students have tight schedules, so please don’t disturb them any further. If you need to talk, let’s go to the office.”
Clearly being asked to leave, Qin Huizhu didn’t dare stay longer.
If she truly angered the school into calling the police, she wouldn’t know how to handle the aftermath.
Before leaving, she quietly turned back to glance at Qin Yi.
He was still buried in his book, not even sparing her a glance.
In that moment, alongside her anger, there was an inexplicable pang of sorrow.
She couldn’t understand why Qin Yi had become so unfamiliar.
Where had that boy gone—the one who used to follow behind her with a thick-skinned smile, calling “Second Sister” over and over again?
After Qin Huizhu left, the classroom returned to its usual calm.
Qin Yi sat quietly at his desk. The other students, too, quickly shifted their focus back to their own work.
Because of his withdrawn personality, Qin Yi had always been invisible in the class.
Even though such a scene had just unfolded, no one showed much concern about him.
Qin Yi didn’t mind.
After all, the college entrance exam was less than two months away. Everyone was short on time.
Soon, all of them would head off in different directions. Some might never cross paths again in this lifetime.
Rather than waste energy building short-term friendships, it was better to maintain the current distance. At least it saved him from future sentimentality.
Studying and fulfilling the promise he made to Sister Rumeng—those were his priorities now.
With that thought, Qin Yi immersed himself fully in his textbooks.
He didn’t notice that on his right side, separated by just one desk, a boy with a buzzcut had been watching him with great interest ever since Qin Huizhu entered.
It was as if he had just discovered something intriguing.