Sometimes, Cao Jiajia would excitedly talk about things happening at school.

Liu Yingzi would just nod and murmur, "Oh."

She chose to take a step back, using a cold distance to maintain peace in the family.

Cao Jiajia didn’t notice any of this, assuming that once her mother said she forgave her, everything would go back to the way it was.

She felt that as long as no one objected, everything was normal.

So, she immediately reverted to her old self, the "Miss" who did whatever she pleased.

Meanwhile, Shanshan’s life was not so easy.

She rarely looked up at others, spending most of her time reading or taking notes.

When her classmates talked about celebrities, games, and weekend parties, she couldn’t join the conversation.

She couldn’t connect with them in conversation, and she didn’t like to play games either.

Gradually, she became a little shadow who came and went alone.

Her classmates thought she was strangely serious and gave her a nickname behind her back.

They called her "Little Bookworm."

Whenever someone mentioned this name, someone else nearby would laugh and chime in.

"Hey, look, she’s reading again."

"Shanshan, don’t just stare at your book all the time! You’ll ruin your eyes. Why don’t you go outside and get some fresh air?"

Shanshan glanced up at him.

Her gaze left the book and rested on him for less than two seconds.

"No thanks, Wei Chengxi. I have to finish this book today. You can go ahead."

"Then I’ll just sit here and keep you company for a while."

After speaking, he walked straight to the seat beside her.

He plopped down and pulled a book from his bag, glancing at the cover to make sure it was the right one before he started flipping through it.

After reading a few lines, he adjusted his posture, pressing his back firmly against the chair.

Shanshan glanced over but said nothing.

Her gaze paused briefly on Wei Chengxi’s fingers.

She saw him draw a pencil line under a passage, then gently blow on it.

She looked away and went back to her own reading.

But in the eyes of others, this scene took on a different meaning.

A few days later, rumors started spreading around the school.

They were saying that Ling Xueshan, the little prodigy who skipped a grade, was dating someone.

These words happened to be overheard by Ling Zhiwei, who had come to pick her up.

He had just parked his car at the school gate, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette.

The wind carried the students’ chatter to him, and among the words, the name "Ling Xueshan" was exceptionally clear.

"Wait! You students, who were you just talking about? Did something happen to Ling Xueshan?"

He reached out and stopped a male and female student who were about to leave.

The girl froze for a second, instinctively grabbing her companion’s arm.

Ling Zhiwei looked shocked, but the students he stopped didn’t find it strange.

On the contrary, they got excited and spilled everything in a torrent of words.

The male student immediately launched into the story.

He mentioned their spot in the study hall, the time they shared a pair of earbuds, and even recalled how Wei Chengxi had once unscrewed a water bottle cap for her.

The girl chimed in from the side, adding that they had once done homework at the same table in the library.

"They’re dating! You must be from another class, man. I’m in her class. She sits with Wei Chengxi every single day. If they’re not a couple, what are they?"

The boy grew more and more excited as he spoke, even waving his arms.

He took out his phone and pulled up a photo.

Although the picture was blurry, you could make out two people standing close together.

"Look at this angle. Would ordinary friends stand like that?"

"Maybe... they’re just classmates?"

Ling Zhiwei’s voice was hesitant as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

He remembered the last time he saw his sister, she was still complaining that her class was too noisy and no one wanted to study quietly.

But these two students in front of him were being so specific, and the details matched up. It didn’t seem like they were making it up on the spot.

Ling Zhiwei absolutely didn’t believe his sister would get involved in something like this.

But they spoke so clearly and their tone was so genuine that he started to have doubts.

He stood rooted to the spot, his gaze passing over the crowd toward the academic building.

Images of his sister, from childhood to the present, flashed through his mind.

It was completely illogical for a girl like her to suddenly be at the center of a dating rumor.

But he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility either.

When he finally saw Shanshan, his gaze swept to the boy beside her, growing colder and colder.

He recognized Wei Chengxi at a glance, even though they had never met.

Ling Zhiwei stared at his wrist, noticing that the boy’s fingers were still trembling slightly.

"Shanshan, who is this guy? What’s your relationship with him?"

He asked bluntly, taking half a step forward to place himself between them.

An oppressive feeling instantly filled the air.

"Oh, Wei Chengxi. He’s in my class."

Shanshan answered casually.

She closed her book and tucked it under her arm.

With her other hand, she smoothly picked up her schoolbag.

"My brother can take the bag, thanks."

She turned sideways and tossed the backpack behind her.

Ling Zhiwei caught it, feeling its considerable weight—it was filled with several books.

After speaking, she started walking ahead on her own. After a few steps, she noticed Zhiwei hadn’t followed and stopped, puzzled.

Her shoes made a faint scraping sound as she stopped.

The streetlights had already come on, making the expression on her face hard to see clearly.

"Zhiwei, what are you dawdling for? I have to get to the bookstore. Let’s go!"

She raised her left hand to look at her watch, which showed the time as 6:18.

She remembered the bookstore closed at seven, and it would take at least ten minutes to get there.

"You wait a minute. I have something to take care of."

Ling Zhiwei finally took two steps toward her.

Then he turned to Wei Chengxi, his chin tilted up slightly.

His arms hung at his sides, his fists slowly clenching.

Ling Zhiwei rolled his wrists, making them CRACK audibly.

He took another step forward, closing the distance to Wei Chengxi to less than half a meter.

His breathing was steady, but his eyes openly showed his hostility.

"You’re Wei Chengxi, right? Come here a second. I want to talk to you."

The shadows of the nearby trees stretched out, enveloping the two figures.

"I... I... O-Okay. Shanshan, are you coming too?"

Wei Chengxi’s lips trembled.

He looked back at Shanshan, hoping she would say something.

His neck was stiff, and he didn’t dare move rashly.

"Who gave you permission to say her name?"

The moment Ling Zhiwei heard that, rage flared in his head.

Without another word, he strode in front of Wei Chengxi, reached out, and grabbed him by the collar.

He dragged him all the way to an empty alley and slammed him against the wall.

His back hit the brick wall with a dull THUD.

Wei Chengxi was pinned, unable to move.

Ling Zhiwei’s arms were taut.

The alley was dim, with only a single ray of sunset light filtering in from above.

"Zhiwei, what are you doing?"

Shanshan ran a few steps to catch up, only to freeze at the alley’s entrance.

She opened her mouth but couldn’t immediately step forward to stop him.

The scene before her had unfolded so suddenly that all she could do was stare blankly.

Shanshan’s eyes widened as she watched, dumbfounded, as Ling Zhiwei took the boy down with a single punch.

The boy’s glasses were knocked askew on his nose, and a red mark quickly appeared on his face.

He subconsciously shrank back, trying to get away from Ling Zhiwei.

"Ow! Shanshan, help me! Why did your brother suddenly attack me?"

He held his glasses with one hand and reached the other out toward Shanshan.

"You’re still asking why? You really don’t have a clue, do you? Fine, then let me spell it out for you."

Ling Zhiwei stood before him, glaring down at him.

He bit out every word through clenched teeth.

Ling Zhiwei sneered, leaning down to grab the boy’s collar again.

His fingers tightened, the collar choking Wei Chengxi’s neck.

His feet left the ground for a moment before being slammed back down.

Ling Zhiwei’s grip didn’t loosen; he still held him firmly in place.

"We’re both men. You think I don’t know what you’re plotting?"

Ling Zhiwei’s gaze swept over Wei Chengxi’s face.