Two new messages lay on the screen, both sent by Shen Zhili.
Jiang Xianzhuo’s finger hovered above the screen, not tapping to open them immediately.
He stared at the cute profile picture that contrasted sharply with her actual personality for a few seconds, as if steeling himself for something difficult, before emotionlessly swiping it open with his thumb.
【The card PIN is 737089】
【Wear it for me tomorrow.】
Jiang Xianzhuo’s Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
He suddenly smiled.
It was faint, cold.
The smile never reached his eyes; instead, it added a layer of mockery to those already lifeless pupils.
“Wear it for her?”
Use the money she’d thrown his way to buy new clothes, then wear them for her to see?
Like showing off a new collar bought for a pet?
Jiang Xianzhuo turned off the screen and shoved the phone back into his pants pocket.
The card was still in his other pocket, its cool surface palpable even through the fabric.
He turned and walked out of the men’s restroom.
All expression had vanished from his face, replaced once more by that aloof, icy detachment that kept others at a distance.
The hallway was empty, with only the faint sound of a teacher lecturing from a distant classroom.
Jiang Xianzhuo didn’t return to class.
He turned at the stairwell, pushed open the dusty emergency exit door, and climbed the steps one by one to the rooftop.
The wind on the rooftop rushed chaotically, carrying the sharp, thin chill unique to high altitudes.
Jiang Xianzhuo walked to the railing and pulled the black card from his pocket.
He glanced down at it.
The pure black surface shimmered under the sunlight with a glow that screamed wealth.
The next second, he released his fingers.
The card slipped from between them, spun a few times in the air, then plummeted straight down toward the ground below.
Jiang Xianzhuo watched its disappearance expressionlessly.
The wind tousled the slightly curled strands of hair on his forehead, revealing those beautiful yet excessively cold eyes.
He didn’t need charity.
Especially not hers.
…
Shen Zhili waited all morning but didn’t receive a single word in reply from Jiang Xianzhuo.
She stared at the two lonely messages in the chat window, feeling a flicker of irritation.
Damn Jiang Xianzhuo, really pushing his luck.
The man who, eight years later, would reply to her messages instantly even while using the bathroom now dared to leave her hanging for an entire morning!
In a little while, the lunch break bell would ring.
Shen Zhili bit her lower lip in frustration.
Could he be imagining some annual drama where a wealthy villainess humiliates a poor boy again?
Surely not.
That card only had 200,000 yuan in it. For people in their circle, it couldn’t even buy a decent bag—just enough for a few pieces of clothing at most.
At best, the card design was flashy and pretentious-looking.
“Ugh.”
Shen Zhili suppressed her anger, let out a long sigh, and began untangling her mood, which felt as clogged as a sewer.
Forget it. If one plan doesn’t work, move on to the next.
She refused to believe that, with all her years of experience sleeping with Jiang Xianzhuo and knowing him inside out, she couldn’t handle a teenage version of him.
Shen Zhili locked her phone screen and tossed it casually to the side of her desk.
Just then, the classroom door was gently knocked.
The homeroom teacher at the podium looked up and adjusted his glasses.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
A boy in a clean white shirt walked in.
The man stood tall and straight, his shirt impeccably pressed without a single wrinkle, the cuffs neatly folded at his wrists, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms.
He exuded a gentle, well-cultivated demeanor, clean and refreshing in every way.
His looks were also exceptionally striking.
His brow bone and nose bridge were high and straight, making his eyes appear especially deep. Their color was light, a warm brown somewhere between amber and tea, filled with just the right amount of warmth and a hint of a smile.
Not flashy, not loud—clearly the carefully groomed heir of an old-money family.
Shen Zhili almost immediately heard the girls around her collectively draw in sharp breaths.
“Ahhh!! It’s Xie Yuchi!”
“Oh my god, why is he in our class?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He must be here for Shen Zhili!”
The whispers were hushed but carried an unmistakable excitement.
Hearing these voices, Shen Zhili instinctively furrowed her brow.
She looked up and, sure enough, saw Xie Yuchi smiling as he said something to the homeroom teacher before turning and walking toward her.
He stopped in front of her desk, even the shadow he cast carrying a gentle warmth.
“I drove to pick you up this morning, but Mom Liu said you’d already left…”
Xie Yuchi’s voice was pleasant, like a breeze on a spring afternoon.
“I was a bit worried, so I came here to find you.”
Shen Zhili leaned back in her chair, expressionless. “What is it?”
“My dad asked me to bring you something.”
Xie Yuchi smiled at Shen Zhili, the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowing.
From the exquisite paper bag he was holding, he took out a beautifully packaged box of French pastries.
“You mentioned once before that you liked this shop’s desserts. My mom happened to pass by yesterday and picked some up.”
“Wow…”
The girls around them let out another chorus of envious gasps.
Shen Zhili looked at the box of pastries, her mind racing.
The Xie and Shen families were old friends, with the adults on good terms, often dining together or attending gatherings.
And so, Xie Yuchi had naturally begun pursuing her in a way that was obvious to everyone.
In the past, she had been noncommittal about it—neither explicitly rejecting nor accepting, just keeping him at a lukewarm distance.
Because she had felt at the time… it was nice to have someone fawning over her.
After all, for people like them, if they didn’t have a few outstanding suitors around, it seemed as though they lacked charm.
But now…
Looking at Xie Yuchi’s flawless, gentle smile, Shen Zhili suddenly felt a headache coming on.
She opened her mouth, about to speak in a way that would draw a clear line without causing a scene, when the homeroom teacher at the front of the classroom spoke first.
“Student Xie, it’s class time now. If you’re done, please leave.”
Xie Yuchi immediately turned to the teacher, offering a polite and apologetic smile, perfectly measured.
“I’m sorry, teacher, for disturbing your class. I’ll leave right away.”
With that, he quickly turned back.
Before Shen Zhili could react, he had already leaned down and gently placed the box of pastries on her desk.
His movements were swift, his smile still gentle.
“I’ll go now. I’ll pick you up for lunch at noon.”
Shen Zhili: “…”
Before she could even utter a single word of refusal, Xie Yuchi had already turned and walked briskly out of the classroom.
The classroom was left buzzing with whispers.
Shen Zhili stared at the box of pastries on the desk, tapping the tabletop impatiently with her fingertips.
Troublesome.