Listening to the Lecture
He couldn’t sleep at night, his mind filled with Su Yuning’s plain little face.
She wasn’t outstanding in any way, so why couldn’t he let her go?
He had lost interest in all those beauties who threw themselves at him, feeling only irritation at their curvaceous bodies pressing close. He pushed away everyone who came to him, and privately, people were already speculating about why he had changed so much.
Meng Zhizhuo suspected he might be sick, suffering from a cancer called “Su Yuning,” one that he feared would never be cured.
His phone chimed once. He glanced at it, and just seeing the red dot next to “Su Su Baby” was enough to lift his spirits, which had been low for days. He picked it up and saw the message from Su Yuning, replying:
Meng Zhizhuo: What’s up, baby? Need help?
Su Yuning: Thanks, boss, no need for help.
Meng Zhizhuo: Alright, if anything comes up, you can find me. My phone number is…
After putting down his phone, he tapped the screen with his finger, wondering what Su Yuning might need.
Her family was all in L City and hadn’t come here, so it must be… the Quan family?
Following this train of thought, when he saw the news about Quan Yi’s return, Meng Zhizhuo understood.
Meng Zhizhuo didn’t care about the Quan family, but when it involved his precious darling, he had to pay a little more attention.
The Quan family’s attitude toward Su Yuning was strange and eerie. When they first sent her to the Aristocratic Academy, they had put in a lot of effort and money. Privately, some speculated that Su Yuning might be Madam Quan’s illegitimate daughter. Otherwise, why would Madam Quan go to such lengths, even sending her here to be watched over by Quan Ling?
However, after meeting her in person, this idea was unanimously dismissed.
After all… Madam Quan was famously beautiful. It was unlikely her illegitimate daughter would be so plain-looking.
If she took after her biological father, what kind of taste would that imply Madam Quan had?
The Quan family’s official explanation was: Madam Quan had received kindness from Su Yuning’s parents when she was young and had never found a way to repay them. It wasn’t until she met Su Yuning that she remembered this old debt.
Meng Zhizhuo scoffed at this. What a load of nonsense meant to fool children!
But he still hadn’t figured out what was really going on or what the Quan family’s true intentions were. Now that Quan Yi was back and wanted to see Su Yuning, he worried that his little darling might be taken advantage of or bullied.
After all, she was so naive and simple-minded, believing whatever anyone said without a hint of cunning. It really made him uneasy.
Meng Zhizhuo began investigating the location of their meeting today.
The commercial district was divided among several families, and the Meng family had businesses there too. Coincidentally, the place they were meeting was one of the Meng family’s restaurants, so he quickly got the information.
“I should go check on my baby.”
Meng Zhizhuo smirked, stood up, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
Su Yuning had been particularly busy lately.
Because of tonight’s meeting, she first asked her boss for time off, then notified her boyfriend, and finally received an inquiry from her colleague, Shen Xiuhuai.
Shen Xiuhuai: Not coming tonight?
Su Yuning: Nope, something came up at home. Sorry to trouble you. (Bear bowing in thanks)
Shen Xiuhuai: Very polite.
Shen Xiuhuai: But no need to bow.
Su Yuning: …
Unable to understand the thought process of this academic genius, she chose to stay quiet.
The afternoon was filled with etiquette and culture classes. Just one etiquette lesson left Su Yuning’s calves trembling and her back aching.
Unlike these wealthy, beautiful girls who had been learning dance and etiquette since childhood, making it effortless for them to complete tasks with ease, her unstretched limbs were stiff and rigid, leaving her grimacing through every etiquette class.
When it came to cultural classes, listening to the incomprehensible lectures felt like deciphering ancient texts, and she ended up drowsy and slumped over her desk, fast asleep.
When someone woke her, her face still bore the confusion of deep sleep and the red marks left by the pressure.
Zuo Xingyan: “Ningning, wake up. Class is over.”
Opening her eyes to see him, Su Yuning was still somewhat dazed. “Why are you here?” Hadn’t he said he had training and wouldn’t be attending classes in the afternoon?
Her sleepy appearance was hazy and adorable, her voice carrying a cute nasal tone. Zuo Xingyan subtly shifted his posture to conceal his body’s reaction. Fortunately, his clothes were loose.
He reached out to touch her cheek.
Having just finished intense training and taken a shower, his youthful body radiated a robust warmth, exuding an overwhelming aura of youthful vitality.
Tall with long legs and large hands, one of his palms nearly covered half her face as he bent down to look at her.
The warmth from his touch slowly roused Su Yuning. She wiped her mouth, somewhat embarrassed, and smoothed her sleep-tousled hair.
Zuo Xingyan brushed back her messy strands all at once. Su Yuning grimaced and swatted his hand away, glaring at him. “Are you trying to peel off my scalp?”
“I didn’t even use much force,” Zuo Xingyan muttered as he gently pulled her up. This time, his touch was light, and she didn’t complain of pain again.
Yawning, she still felt a bit groggy and squinted as she was led outside. Without hesitation, she leaned her entire weight against Zuo Xingyan, relying on his strength as he effortlessly carried her along, unaffected by the extra burden.
Holding his girlfriend close, Zuo Xingyan felt her soft, pliant body and couldn’t help but want to give her a gentle squeeze.
Are all women this soft?
His thoughts began to wander uncontrollably, but before his body could react again, he quickly shifted his focus and asked Su Yuning, “Did you not sleep well last night?”
Su Yuning: “It was fine. I slept pretty well.”
“Then why were you sleeping in class? Why weren’t you paying attention?”
Hearing this from Zuo Xingyan, Su Yuning was momentarily at a loss for words. She looked up at him to see if he was joking.
Zuo Xingyan also looked down at her, his expression serious. “Sweetheart, you need to start paying attention in class. I saw your last assessment results—you ranked last.”
The Aristocratic Academy was different from ordinary universities. Even after choosing a major, students couldn’t neglect other courses.
Although Su Yuning was now majoring in history, she still had to study other public foundational courses, and there were regular assessments.
The Aristocratic Academy had high standards for public foundational courses, including subjects like Chinese, English, computer science, mathematics, art, physical education, philosophy, and more. It aimed to cultivate well-rounded individuals, striving to develop versatile talents. Every graduate of the Aristocratic Academy would leave with a stack of certificates.
Instantly, her drowsiness vanished. Su Yuning stood up straight, her face flushed, no longer leaning against him, and exclaimed loudly, “I—I’ve never studied those subjects before! I don’t understand them. And you have the nerve to criticize me? You either skip classes or disappear from school for months at a time. You don’t even take the assessments!”
Zuo Xingyan still wanted to hold her, but she was thrashing around like a fish out of water, too flustered and angry to let him touch her. He had no choice but to grab her hand instead. “It’s because I already know all that stuff. I took those courses last year.”
“How did you learn them!”
Zuo Xingyan looked innocent. “My family has private tutors—experts and professors in various fields—for specialized tutoring. A lot of people here are like that.”
“…” Su Yuning fell silent.
Zuo Xingyan held her hand tightly and continued, “Sweetheart, your foundation is too weak. If you don’t pay attention in class, you really won’t graduate. And even if I could help you graduate, you still need to learn something. Otherwise, how will you manage as Mrs. Zuo in the future?”
“Or do you just want to ignore everything and be a carefree, idle lady of leisure? That’s not impossible either. Sweetheart, which one do you want?”