"I didn't ask you to protect me, just to not mention me to the Qin family," Yu He corrected.
The young girl was quite strong-willed.
Qin Beiting chuckled and agreed, "Yes."
Seeing his smile, Yu He inexplicably recalled the awkwardness in the car yesterday. Her cheeks flushed, and she averted her gaze.
Just then, Qin Beiting's phone rang. He turned to answer it.
Regardless of what the person on the other end said, the man exuded a chilling aura. The gentle demeanor he had moments ago vanished instantly.
The little pet pig sensed the oppressive chill and trembled.
Yu He's expression remained cool, but a voice in her heart warned her:
Don't trust this man easily!
After hanging up, Qin Beiting retracted the inadvertently revealed coldness, turned, and sent Yu He to school. After telling her to call him if anything happened, Yu He didn't see him again for the next few days.
She had originally agreed to check his health over the weekend. She sent him a message asking when he would be back, and he replied with only four words.
Later, don't worry.
Yu He looked at these four words: "..."
Who was worrying about him?
The patient wasn't in a hurry, so as a doctor, she naturally had nothing to rush.
—
That day, Cheng Lizhu returned from the hospital and was very reluctant and worried to learn that Yu He was boarding at school.
She wanted to go to school to find Yu He and persuade her to come home, as home was better than school dorms.
But she was stopped by Ye Jianming.
"She was in the wrong first. Not only did she not admit her mistake, but she ran away from home. Who is she trying to show off to?
"If she has the nerve, she can never come back! Without my permission, none of you are allowed to give her living expenses! Nor are you allowed to contact her first!"
Ye Jianming was furious.
He didn't believe that by cutting off Yu He's living expenses, she could survive in the expensive city of Beishi.
Within half a month, no, within a week, Yu He would definitely come back and admit her mistake!
At that time, he would definitely make her understand that he was her father!
The ruler of the Ye family!
—
The forum storm triggered by "Yu He Cheating" and "Ye Family Feast" subsided after the weekend.
On Monday, after the flag-raising ceremony.
On her way back to Class Eleven, Yu He was stopped by Lu Chenyu, drawing envious glances from many passing female students.
As one of the school's heartthrobs and a top student, Lu Chenyu was dedicated to his studies and rarely paid attention to gossip.
And Yu He, by successfully cheating, had actually caught his attention.
If they had known this trick was so effective, they would have done the same!
"What is it?" Yu He asked indifferently.
Lu Chenyu ignored the gazes of others and said shyly:
"Classmate Yu He, let's study together from now on."
Ever since he learned that Yu He was the mysterious academic god, he had been grounded by his father for three days, but he was excited for five days.
He finally waited until Monday and couldn't wait to see Yu He.
She was the academic god he admired, and he wanted to study with her!
As a result...
"I refuse."
Yu He rejected him mercilessly and turned to leave coldly.
Lu Chenyu stared blankly at her retreating back, thinking: The academic god is indeed different.
"Why is she so arrogant?"
"Exactly, Senior Lu doesn't care about past grievances, and she's still putting on airs. I don't know what benefits the Ye family gave the school for her to stay."
"I also want to study with Senior Lu..."
Several female students beside them whispered among themselves, then nudged each other, wanting to go up and comfort Lu Chenyu. At this moment, Ye Zisu arrived.
"Brother Chenyu."
She had also noticed Lu Chenyu stopping Yu He just now.
"Brother Chenyu, my sister grew up in the mountains and isn't very polite. If she offended you in any way, I apologize on her behalf."
Ye Zisu spoke generously, acting like a good sister protecting her younger sibling.
Little did she know, these words sounded unpleasant in Lu Chenyu's ears.
What if Yu He grew up in the mountains?
With limited teaching resources in the mountains, she could still teach herself and become talented. She had the right to be arrogant!
"Don't talk about Yu He like that anymore."
After speaking, Lu Chenyu glared at the surrounding female students, "And you."
After issuing a warning, he turned and left.
Ye Zisu: "???"
Several female students: "???"
Why wasn't Lu Chenyu angry at Yu He, but instead protected her?
Could it be that Yu He's face had bewitched him?
Thinking of Yu He's exquisite beauty, Ye Zisu's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment, her fists clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms.
Lu Chenyu was the eldest young master of the Lu family's second branch, with a higher status than Gu Ze.
Before getting engaged to Gu Ze, Ye Zisu had tried to flirt with Lu Chenyu, but he had ignored her.
If it weren't for Gu Ze, Lu Chenyu probably wouldn't have spoken to her.
"Susu, the bell for class is ringing. Why are you still standing here?" asked Lan Jiaojiao, who was rushing towards the classroom.
Ye Zisu snapped back to reality, a sweet smile returning to her face.
"I just saw Brother Chenyu walking towards Class Eleven. I thought I was mistaken. Let's go."
Lan Jiaojiao had a good friend named Han Lili.
Han Lili, relying on her father's position as an official in the city, ruled Class Eleven with an iron fist, being the class bully.
And her liking for Lu Chenyu was known to everyone.
The boldest thing she had done for Lu Chenyu was confessing her love to him in public.
Not only was she rejected, but she was also given a demerit by the school for early romance and had to restrain herself.
Ye Zisu deliberately said this to create an effect where the speaker's intention was accidental, but the listener's was significant.
And her goal was indeed achieved.
Lan Jiaojiao mentioned it to Han Lili in WeChat. Coupled with the witnesses from that morning, Han Lili immediately knew—
Lu Chenyu had approached Yu He, and Yu He had rejected him!
Han Lili had long been displeased with Yu He. A country bumpkin who acted high and mighty all the time, and now she dared to seduce Senior Lu!
If she wasn't taught a lesson, she wouldn't behave herself!
After school.
Yu He went to the restroom and happened to encounter three girls blocking Luo Xiaoyao in the toilet, threatening her to do something.
"Bullying?" Yu He glanced at them lazily.
The leader turned around. It was Han Lili.
She held her pigtails high, her ears adorned with exaggerated earrings, wearing dark lipstick and chewing gum, exuding a tough girl's demeanor.
"Yo, coming uninvited."
"Classmate, let's go!" Luo Xiaoyao immediately called out when she saw Yu He arrive.
She had been bullied by Han Lili quite a bit before and knew how formidable they were. Moreover, they were blocking her this time to threaten her into bringing Yu He over.
"Shut up, you b****!" A girl grabbed a dirty rag and shoved it into Luo Xiaoyao's mouth.
"Mmph!" Luo Xiaoyao struggled desperately, while the two followers held her down.
"Don't get excited, we're not doing anything to you today," Han Lili said to Luo Xiaoyao, then winked at the two followers. "Lock the troublemaker in the cubicle."
Luo Xiaoyao's face changed drastically at the thought of being trapped in a cubicle again. She struggled even harder, tears streaming uncontrollably.
Just as the two followers were about to push Luo Xiaoyao into a cubicle, Yu He raised her hand and grabbed their arms. With a forceful pinch, their arms went numb, and they involuntarily let go.
"Is there something that can't be discussed properly? Do you have to resort to violence?"
Yu He shielded Luo Xiaoyao behind her and swept her gaze over the three girls with cold eyes.
The two followers were stunned by the aloof and cold aura emanating from her and dared not step forward.
This made the habitually overbearing Han Lili lose face.
She was just a country bumpkin from the mountains, what was there to be afraid of!
She blew a bubble with her gum, her eyes fierce. "Go, I'll take responsibility for whatever happens!"