7 – What is mine, no one can snatch away
Eleven years later.
Due to the influence of a cold wave, winter seemed to arrive earlier than usual. Though it was only nearing autumn, everyone was already dressed in late autumn clothing.
Neatly arranged trees flew past the car window one after another, with silent crows perched on their branches. The twilight was pale, and a thin layer of haze brought a sense of calm to the heart.
Fu Yao gently touched the class roster for her new school and new class, feeling quite pleased.
Among the countless school transfers she had experienced over the years, this one felt the most promising. Her fingers traced over that familiar name, and she secretly looked forward to their first meeting in eleven years.
The name Jin Zhi was exceptionally rare, so it was unlikely to be a coincidence.
What would the little wolf cub from back then look like now? It was a pity that no contact information had been exchanged back then. A year later, when she finally managed to find the orphanage again, the director had inexplicably been imprisoned, and Jin Zhi’s whereabouts were unknown.
From the rearview mirror, Jiang Liqin, her stepmother sitting in the driver’s seat, caught sight of that serene and lovely face. For once, she managed to put on a smile that seemed genuine, though inwardly, she couldn’t help but feel irritated.
This little brat was such a hassle, needing to be driven to and from school!
If it weren’t for the driver taking leave and Fu Chengyu asking her to step in, she wouldn’t have wanted to spend a single minute with this brat. How unlucky!
But she kept the smile plastered on her face. “Yao Yao, you seem quite happy today? Why not share it with Auntie so I can be happy too?”
If it weren’t for the almost tangible blue-green aura emanating from her, Fu Yao might have believed her.
To be able to smile while harboring such intense disgust for someone—Jiang Liqin was truly a formidable person.
Fu Yao replied nonchalantly, “Nothing worth being happy about. I’m just in a good mood.”
Jiang Liqin didn’t press further.
When they arrived at the entrance of Jingdu First High School, the luxurious SUV naturally attracted the attention of many onlookers.
Fu Yao wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the car. Jiang Liqin’s smile grew increasingly forced, and the green aura of guilt around her intensified. She took out a stack of red banknotes and placed them in Fu Yao’s hand.
“Your father has already paid for your school accommodation. Here’s two thousand—your monthly allowance. Spend it wisely. Don’t be wasteful at such a young age. A girl looks best when she’s clean and tidy.”
Fu Yao looked at the stack of red banknotes but didn’t reach out to take them. Instead, she smiled and asked, “Auntie Jiang, I remember last night when I saw my dad give you the money, it seemed quite thick. Surely it was more than two thousand?”
Jiang Liqin’s expression changed. “Nonsense! It was exactly two thousand. Do you think I would cheat you out of your money?!”
“Is that so? Then I’ll confirm it with Dad.”
Fu Yao took out her phone, pretending to call Fu Chengyu.
Jiang Liqin’s face darkened even further. Instinctively, she slapped Fu Yao’s phone onto the car floor.
The sound was sharp and crisp.
“Fine, fine, I give up. Three thousand… Your dad gave me three thousand, okay? Take it all!”
She added another thousand to Fu Yao’s hand.
Fu Yao could even hear her mutter under her breath, “Little bloodsucker.”
Rubbing the three thousand yuan in her hand, Fu Yao curled her lips slightly. “Really only three thousand?”
Jiang Liqin had no desire to continue the standoff with Fu Yao.
She said irritably, “How much more do you want? Three thousand is plenty!”
Fu Yao didn’t feel like arguing with her either. She simply opened the car door and said calmly:
“What’s mine, no one else can take a single cent of.”
With that, she left.
After Jiang Liqin waited for her to leave, she finally felt safe enough to curse loudly:
“What a spendthrift! Three thousand? I wouldn’t even give you a single yuan!”
Looking at the remaining two thousand yuan in her bag, she felt a pang of heartache.
Just like that, two thousand yuan had vanished for no reason!
But she never expected that before she could even warm up to those two thousand yuan, her son called her a few minutes later, crying and complaining.
Her son, Fu Yi, was only a year younger than Fu Yao, a sophomore in high school, and considered the family’s treasure. He was undoubtedly the future heir to Fu Chengyu.
When she received her son’s call, her expression immediately brightened.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Fu Yi’s voice carried a hint of fear: “Mom… Fu Yao found out that I beat Shang You until he was disabled. She threatened me, saying if I don’t transfer ten thousand yuan to her, she’ll tell Dad! Hurry up and transfer the money to her. If Dad finds out, he’ll definitely beat me to death!”
“How could this happen?!”
Jiang Liqin suddenly recalled Fu Yao’s earlier words: “What belongs to me, others won’t take a single cent.” A chill ran down her spine.
She had to quickly gather ten thousand yuan. Recently, she had been spending lavishly, leaving her short on cash. She had originally planned to skim some from Fu Yao’s allowance, but not only did she fail to get a single cent, she now had to pay an extra eight thousand!
“That monster!”
…
Wherever Fu Yao went, she stood out in the crowd because she was exceptionally beautiful and carried an elegant demeanor.
Elegant and beautiful like a black swan, yet with an air of mystery.
This had been the unanimous evaluation she received from everyone over the years.
When she arrived at the teacher’s office, she happened to encounter a young man filled with angry red emotions, locked in a stalemate with her homeroom teacher.
The young man spoke coldly: “I, did, not, steal!”
He was strikingly handsome, with somewhat long hair that didn’t appear effeminate. The blue-and-white autumn school uniform concealed his thin frame. His eyes were like those of a wolf—once they locked onto their prey, he would pounce and tear into it until the prey lost all signs of life.
His instinctive baring of teeth left Fu Yao momentarily stunned. She watched quietly, hoping to glean information from his few words.
But he clenched his teeth and said nothing.
Seeing Fu Yao arrive, the teacher felt it inappropriate to continue the standoff.
“Whether you did it or not, you still need to explain yourself to me. Since you’re unwilling to explain anything, let’s drop this for now. Go back and focus on your studies. Come find me when you’re ready to talk.”
Without looking back, the young man left immediately.
As he passed by, his shoulder bumped into Fu Yao.
He didn’t apologize. Instead, the moment he saw Fu Yao’s face, his pupils dilated in shock and disbelief.
The two locked eyes for a moment, the silence absolute.
Yet his hands grew sweaty, and the colors of his emotions intensified dramatically.
Vibrant red, oppressive purple, faint orange, deep blue—even Fu Yao was seeing for the first time how someone’s emotions could become so complex beneath a single expression.
After glaring fiercely at Fu Yao, as if unwilling to believe or acknowledge something, the young man gritted his teeth and walked away.
As he passed Fu Yao, his voice was hoarse and dry. He lowered it so only she could hear: “Why did you come back?!”
With that, he quickly ran off. As he left, he punched the wall hard, and the back of his hand immediately swelled up.
Fu Yao was also taken aback for a moment, then the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, her face still maintaining its signature smile as she walked into the office.
“Hello, Teacher Yao, I’m Fu Yao, your new student.”
She extended her hand, her manners as natural as if she were born into nobility.
This left Teacher Yao Lu somewhat flustered; it took her a moment to react before she shook hands. “Hello, hello. Let’s confirm your information, and then we’ll head to the class for registration.”
Yao Lu guided Fu Yao through the process of completing the enrollment forms, which didn’t take long—it was mostly just a formality.
It was the first time Yao Lu had felt such immense pressure interacting with a student, though it wasn’t out of worry but rather astonishment.
Because Fu Yao’s demeanor was simply too perfect—every gesture, every smile seemed as if it had been precisely calculated and trained.
Moreover, when it came to filling out the enrollment forms, she handled them more smoothly than Yao Lu, the teacher herself, likely due to having transferred schools multiple times because of family circumstances.
After everything was sorted, Yao Lu said, “Alright, you’ll come with me to the class later. Senior year is very important, and the training intensity in our Class A is quite high. We have weekly exams in math and science almost every week, and a major exam every month. Even if you were the top student in your previous school, you can’t let your guard down. Your father has high hopes for you, and the school also intends to groom you as a top candidate.”
Fu Yao’s face still wore a perfect smile, as if completely non-confrontational. “Understood.”
“…”
After a brief moment of silence.
For the first time, Fu Yao proactively crossed a boundary by asking about someone else:
“That boy just now—is his name Jin Zhi?”
Teacher Yao was somewhat taken aback but nodded. “Do you know him?”
Fu Yao was inwardly delighted but kept her distance verbally. “We lived together as children, but I haven’t seen him since.”
So, it really wasn’t just a coincidence of names.
She had found him.
She then asked Yao Lu, “Did he do something wrong? The atmosphere between you two just now seemed a bit tense.”