Since the corridor encounter last time, Wen Tingxue had been quite successful in avoiding Yu Wenli.
So successful that it made her feel uneasy.
In fact, she had a feeling after the flag-raising ceremony ended.
They were like two parallel lines, if he hadn't deliberately changed his course.
They might never intersect.
His bright future, surrounded by adoring crowds, was ultimately different from her path.
She knew this, and understood it clearly.
In this relationship, as long as he wished to end it, he could do so cleanly.
As if nothing had ever happened.
"Yiyi?"
Yu Xiuxiu called out to her several times with concern before Wen Tingxue suddenly snapped back to attention.
"What's wrong?"
Her hand gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly, and a hint of confusion flickered in her raised eyes.
Yu Xiuxiu's brow furrowed with heartache.
"Why have you been so distracted lately? What are you thinking about? Is everything okay at school?"
What she really wanted to ask was, had that girl bullied you again?
But she had subtly inquired several times recently, and Wen Tingxue had always smiled and evaded the questions.
Clearly, she didn't want to talk about it.
Wen Tingxue lowered her head and poked at the white rice in her bowl, murmuring vaguely,
"Everything's fine, just a bit behind on my schoolwork."
Still a perfunctory excuse. Yu Xiuxiu's heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat,
but she maintained a calm facade.
"Yiyi,"
Yu Xiuxiu placed a piece of fish into Wen Tingxue's bowl and said with a smile,
"Your Aunt Jin Yan hasn't seen you in days and misses you dearly. She insisted I bring you over to her place for dinner tonight.
"Grandpa Yu will be there too. Don't you love his lotus crisp? Grandpa Yu specifically brought some for you."
Yu Xiuxiu's barrage of words left Wen Tingxue with no room to refuse.
Moreover, even though she was the one avoiding Yu Wenli,
she also wanted to see him.
"Okay."
Wen Tingxue nodded in agreement, then remembered something. She looked up, her eyes soft, and said,
"I'm still more used to Brother Yu Fan picking me up."
Yu Xiuxiu was busy with work, and most of the time, her assistant, Tan Yu Fan, would drive her to and from school.
But tonight, she was going to the Yu family's for dinner and would inevitably have to take their car.
And she needed to avoid him.
At least within the school grounds.
Yu Xiuxiu smiled, "Then let Xiao Tan continue to drive you, he's not busy anyway."
The more time she spent with her daughter, the more she understood her personality.
She didn't like to trouble people.
If she weren't pushed to the brink, she probably wouldn't have wanted Tan Yu Fan to pick her up every day.
Sigh.
Yu Xiuxiu sighed inwardly, hoping her daughter could overcome her childhood trauma soon.
When Yu Wenli told her about their past, she could hardly believe it.
And the old woman still had the audacity to call every day asking for money!
Hmph!
The mere thought of the old woman made Yu Xiuxiu grit her teeth in anger.
She and her mother-in-law had been at odds from the beginning, but outwardly, things were manageable.
After all, she rarely returned.
When they discussed leaving Yiyi with her to raise, she was also happy.
During the few days Yiyi stayed at her home, she treated her well, even changing her diapers herself.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have left her daughter with her in-laws.
As the old saying goes, affection for grandchildren is stronger.
She thought that no matter how heartless the old woman was, she wouldn't harbor animosity towards her grandchild, would she?
Unexpectedly, the old woman was truly heartless.
She only doted on her younger son relentlessly.
—
During the extended break in the afternoon, Que You personally came to deliver school uniforms to Wen Tingxue.
He was a senior, skilled, academically proficient, and well-liked.
The moment he appeared, the entire corridor buzzed.
Que You said as if it were routine, "Two sets each for winter and summer.
"Take them back and try them on to see if the size is right. If not, send me a message, and I'll handle it."
"Okay, thank you, senior."
Wen Tingxue struggled to hold them.
Que You smiled, "If you really want to thank me, then try to appease my ancestor Yu a bit more. He's been in a foul mood lately.
"He's annoyed with everyone, I even got blocked when I tried to invite him to play games."
"Ah?" Wen Tingxue was bewildered, "...I haven't provoked him recently."
Que You's smile deepened as he hooked his lips, "You haven't provoked him, but you're avoiding him.
"Sis, it's not fair of you. Doesn't he treat you well? Can't you take a step forward?"
"Huh??"
What was she supposed to step forward for?
Wen Tingxue didn't quite understand.
Que You didn't explain, raised his hand and beckoned to Yu Yahe, his tone gruff.
"Come here, old man needs you for something."
Yu Yahe was so scared her calves were trembling, but she dared not disobey.
Que You lowered his gaze and put on his good brother expression again.
"Sis, you go back first. Brother needs to have a little private chat with your deskmate."
"Oh."
Wen Tingxue agreed subconsciously. As she turned to walk back to her seat,
she suddenly came to her senses.
Why was Que You looking for Yu Yahe for no reason?
Could it be… he knew Yu Yahe was bullying her?
Did that mean Yu Wenli also knew something?
But if he knew, why didn't he expose her lie?
Wen Tingxue sat down, clutching the school uniforms, feeling suspicious.
Xie Jin'yi leaned over gossiping, "When did you get to know Que You? He even personally delivered school uniforms to you."
"...We don't really know each other. He's a friend of Yu Wenli's."
Wen Tingxue came back to her senses and absently placed the school uniforms on the floor.
Xie Jin'yi pouted, "No way, he was quite nice to you, at least nicer than he was to Yu Yahe."
"But she deserves it too," Xie Jin'yi added resentfully.
Wen Tingxue thought about the events of the past few days and bit her lip apologetically.
"I'm sorry for implicating you."
Xie Jin'yi was annoyed, "Why are you being so polite to me? It's all her fault for having nothing better to do. I hope Que You beats her up!"
Wen Tingxue lowered her eyes and remained silent.
She didn't know what had gotten into Yu Yahe.
She had done as she was told, yet Yu Yahe still wouldn't let her off the hook.
Chalk dust on the desk, stationery that disappeared in the blink of an eye, textbooks lost just before class…
These were all minor annoyances, nothing too serious.
But they were exhausting.
It had even involved Xie Jin'yi.
If she hadn't helped her, Xie Jin'yi wouldn't have been targeted by Yu Yahe as well.
"Yo, you came back crying. Do you think the great god knew you were being bullied and specifically sent Que You to retaliate?"
Xie Jin'yi looked at Yu Yahe's red eyes and excitedly tugged at Wen Tingxue's arm.
Wen Tingxue didn't speak, her gaze unconsciously following Yu Yahe's movements.
Yu Yahe angrily pulled out her chair and glared at Wen Tingxue, infuriated.
"You're really something!"
With that, she ignored her friends' attempts to console her and buried her face in her desk to cry.
Wen Tingxue felt no joy, only a chill running down her spine.
"Yiyi…"
She grabbed Xie Jin'yi's arm and asked, "Do you think Yu Wenli can accept being lied to?"
Xie Jin'yi answered without hesitation, "Definitely not! The thing he hates most is deception. Everyone in Jiangcheng knows that."
Wen Tingxue's face turned ashen, and she released her grip.
It was over.
If Yu Wenli truly knew everything, then she had just stepped on his biggest pet peeve.
—
After an agonizing wait until evening,
Wen Tingxue, her heart filled with anxiety, followed Yu Xiuxiu into the Yu family's residence.
After not seeing him for days, she didn't know what Yu Wenli's attitude towards her would be.
Would he be angry with her?
Would he not recognize her as his sister?
Would…
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly stopped as she heard movement from the stairs, her gaze hesitantly drifting upwards.
The distinguished young man descending the stairs was looking at her with bright, smiling eyes.
His casual attire of a gray hoodie and washed jeans, devoid of his usual aloofness, added a touch of spirited youthfulness.
It was a gaze that captured one's heart at first sight and remained unforgettable for years.
Wen Tingxue blinked in a daze. Her restless heart, which had been unsettled for days, suddenly felt at peace.
She wasn't accustomed to relying on others; instead, she preferred to bear her burdens alone.
But Yu Wenli's appearance had disrupted a certain balance,
leaving her somewhat disoriented.
Therefore, she felt conflicted when Yu Yahe told her to avoid him.
She wanted to enjoy Yu Wenli's kindness, yet also wanted to guard her own heart.
She didn't want to obey Yu Yahe, yet felt this was a good opportunity to escape.
But these days of avoidance had brought her no peace.
On the contrary, she hadn't been living well.
She admitted that he could easily manipulate her emotions.
And now, seeing him again, her heart told her that she would rather be affected by him,
than miss him entirely.
Her thoughts raced for only a moment.
Wen Tingxue proactively stepped forward, her voice soft as she called out, "Brother Yu, long time no see."
[Author's Aside]: Sorry, the plot is really stuck lately. Please bear with it, dears. Another chapter will be released at 7 AM tomorrow, it should be sweet~